"Synchro...nization?" Oliver said slowly. He did not know what it meant. The boss was nearing him and ready to devour him anytime.

"Come on, kid! Accept my request!" Suddenly, Husk’s voice snapped Oliver out of it.

"Yes! I accept!"

Suddenly, a message appeared.

---

[Synchronization Initiated!]

---

Husk’s body suddenly turned into particles before merging with Oliver. A surge of energy rose within him. He slowly pushed himself up from the ground and stood.

---

[Synchronization Procedure Completed!]

[Successfully synchronized Oliver Overheart with Velkryss, The Mooncrest Guardian!]

[Received the following boost!]

[Stats increased by 100% of Velkryss, The Mooncrest Guardian stats!]

[Crimson Moonlight skill unlocked!]

[Crimson Fang skill unlocked!]

[Howl of the Blood Moon skill unlocked!]

[Scarlet Pursuit skill unlocked!]

[Crimson Slash skill unlocked!]

[Warning! Due to low familiarity, the duration and stat boosts, as well as skill effects, are reduced by 90%!]

[The synchronization will end in 05:00]

[.....04:59]

[.....04:58]

---

A stream of messages kept appearing on Oliver’s screen. He could not process all of them at the moment, but one thing he knew for the next five minutes, he had obtained Husk’s ability.

A crimson aura with sparks enveloped Oliver. His eyes shone brightly in the darkness, and he could now see clearly even without light.

"I am full of power! Is this the true power of the system?" Oliver said, excited as he looked at his transformation.

[It is only the tip of the iceberg. But it still holds great power that can help you in the future if you use it properly.] The system explained.

(You should be proud to be able to use some of my power, kid, even if it is not at full strength.)

Suddenly, Oliver heard Husk’s voice in his head.

"Husk! Where are you? Are you inside me right now?"

(Enough playing, kid! You only have less than five minutes! Defeat that boss within that time. If you fail, both of us will be doomed.) Husk warned.

"Got it!" Oliver activated Overlord Eye to see the boss’s name and HP. What he saw was a giant rat, about three meters tall, with three heads. It looked as if it had mutated. Its name was revealed as Trignaw.

<Trignaw>

Trignaw pushed off its rear legs and launched toward Oliver. Its speed was overwhelming as Trignaw reaching him in an instant.

"Scarlet Pursuit!"

However, Oliver was now just as fast. Trignaw slammed into the ground, but missed. Oliver had already moved behind it and activated Assault Slash.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Three consecutive slashes struck, and blood sprayed across the ground, forcing Trignaw to squeal in pain. It swung backward, but its target had already vanished.

"Where are you attacking?"

Trignaw looked up, only for a massive claw to crash down on one of its heads, crushing the skull instantly.

"Crimson Fang!"

Husk’s aura enveloped Oliver’s right hand, forming a large claw. Oliver swung, sending Trignaw flying several meters away.

But before Trignaw landed on the ground, Oliver continued his relentless assault.

"Crimson Slash!"

The aura spread to his other hand, forming claws on both arms. He kept slashing the boss, each strike inflicting Bleeding. After the combo ended, Trignaw finally fell to the ground and skidding several meters. Its HP had dropped to a quarter.

Oliver landed on his feet as the claw aura faded.

"This feels so good Husk! How can you hold yourself back from using all your skills?" Oliver was in euphoria. He felt incredibly strong, as if nothing could stop him.

[Your mental state is reaching an unstable level. Desynchronization is strongly advised.]

"Huh?! What are you talking about? This is just the beginning!" The aura intensified, covering Oliver’s entire body. His face twisted into an excited grin.

’Looks like his physical and mental state is still not strong enough to handle the synchronization. This is his limit. Only 30 seconds left, it is enough for one last attack,’ Husk thought.

(Finish the boss now, Oliver. You do not have much time.)

"Alright!" Oliver licked his lips and prepared to launch himself as he crouching and bending his body backward.

Trignaw rose from its fall. It noticed its other two heads were already dead and becoming useless weight. It then tore them off and devoured them. Suddenly, its fur stood on end.

It had entered Berserk mode.

However, Oliver was already moving. He launched himself forward at near sonic speed.

BOOM!

Oliver’s head slammed into the boss’s body, pushing it backward. Suddenly, the boss grabbed him and stopped the impact. It held Oliver with both hands, preparing to smash him.

"Rooooar!" However, Oliver still had one last skill. He released Howl of the Blood Moon. It immediately weakened Trignaw, causing it to release Oliver before collapsing to the ground and barely breathing.

"I will finish it." Oliver pulled out his dagger, ready to end it, when suddenly, the synchronization time ran out.

[Desynchronization completed]

The aura vanished, and Oliver returned to his normal form, still dazed from the previous state. But his mind was now stable again.

"What... just happened?" he muttered.

The boss began to move as the weakening effect faded. Oliver raised his dagger again, ready to strike. Suddenly, a message appeared.

[Before you kill the boss, you need to know there are two choices available when facing a weakened boss. First, you can attempt to tame it with a limited number of tries. If successful, you will become its master, and the dungeon will disappear forever. If you fail, the boss will die and respawn after some time.]

[Second choice, if you kill it, you will receive a reward for defeating it for the first time only. After that, the boss will respawn after some time. If you attempt to tame it later, the success rate will drop significantly.]

Oliver processed what the system told him. Tame or kill, both had their pros and cons. But after seeing the boss, Oliver had already made his decision.

"There is no way I am choosing a rat as my monster!"

Swoosh!