Bully Lord

Part-211

James had faced them before, and it had taken him four attempts (only when he used Crisis mode) to finally clear the section on his previous run. But today, something felt different. His recent training with Kashem Chowdhury had sharpened his reflexes and improved his combat techniques, and with his newfound understanding of the dungeon’s system, he felt more confident in his abilities. This time, he hoped to clear the midsection on his first try and move on to the final section of Level 1.

He steeled himself, taking a deep breath as he began walking deeper into the dungeon. The air grew colder, the shadows darker, and the eerie sound of scurrying feet echoed through the stone corridors. He knew the Ratling Scavenge would be waiting for him up ahead, ready to swarm him the moment he stepped into their lair.

His heart raced, adrenaline coursing through his veins, but his mind remained focused. “Twenty of them... I just need to stay calm and pick them off one by one,” he thought to himself, repeating it like a mantra.

As he entered the midsection, the atmosphere shifted. The space opened up into a large, dimly lit chamber. Jagged rocks and crumbling walls lined the area, and in the distance, he saw movement—dozens of glowing red eyes staring at him from the shadows. The Ratling Scavenge were here, just as he expected.

With a burst of speed, the first wave of scavengers charged at him, their claws scraping against the stone floor as they closed the distance. James’ muscles tensed, and he instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, recalling the moves Kashem had drilled into him.

The first Ratling lunged, but James sidestepped and grabbed its arm, using its momentum to flip it over with a smooth Judo throw. The creature hit the ground hard, dazed, and James quickly delivered a swift kick to knock it out of the fight. Another scavenger was already upon him, but he was ready. He ducked under its wild swipe and countered with a powerful punch to its side, sending it crashing into the rocks.

Two down, eighteen to go.

The next few minutes were a blur of motion. The Ratling Scavenge came at him in waves, their screeches filling the air as they tried to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. But James was faster, more precise. He dodged, parried, and countered with practiced skill, using the narrow space of the chamber to his advantage. Each throw, strike, and kick was a testament to the hours of training he had put in, both in the dojo and in the dungeon.

Despite the chaos, he remained calm, keeping his focus sharp, the sloth vision backing him up. For every scavenger that lunged at him, he found a way to counter it, slowly whittling down their numbers. His breathing was heavy, his muscles aching, but he refused to give in. He had come too far to fail now.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last Ratling Scavenge fell to the ground, defeated. James stood amidst the scattered bodies, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. He had done it—he had cleared the midsection on his first attempt.