The Journey Toward Darkness
Time passed by since the three travelers, Kael, Riven, and Nova occupied the three seats of the Twelve Mega Wizards.
Days bled into weeks. Weeks blurred into months. And before any of them realized it, three full months had drifted by like pale smoke. In that passing time, Luna Frostborne, Skyler Aeris, Liora Greenhaven, Aria Harmonix, and Lyra Timekeeper had walked through rainstorms, star-lit nights, muddy valleys, and scorching plains.
Their journey was no simple trek—it had reshaped them. Every step, every battle, every brush with death honed their reflexes and sharpened their resolve. Their muscles ached in a familiar rhythm; their senses, once raw and untrained, had become attuned to the faintest disturbances in air, soil, and mana.
Aethereia City was now nothing but a glittering memory far behind them, while Darkwood Forest lingered faintly on the horizon—still distant, but looming like a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled.
The morning sun spilled across the plains, brushing golden light onto amber grass, illuminating frost lingering in the shadows from the previous night. Luna led the way, her fingers trailing arcs of frost that curled lazily in the air.
"This year… I have to reach Mega Ice." The thought pressed against her chest like a cold weight, but she spoke it only to herself. The others, Skyler, Liora, Aria, and Lyra, each harbored their own silent determination, their inner fires reflecting the same ambition.
A doubt gnawed beneath her ribs. Are we truly ready? Have we grown strong enough to face what waits in Darkwood?
Before Skyler could respond, the wind shifted suddenly.
And the stench hit them.
Rotten. Sour. Like old blood mixed with wet soil.
"Goblins," Liora whispered, the edge of fear restrained in her calm tone.
Skyler groaned. "Goblins!?"
The grass rustled violently.
Green-skinned creatures erupted from the shrubs, shrieking, dozens of them swarming the path with crude daggers, bone clubs, and rusted metal bits tied together with sinew. Behind them stomped a larger, bulkier brute, its jagged horn protruding from its skull—the Goblin Hornlord, the pack's leader.
System alerts flashed—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Detected: Goblin Pack ×15]
[Level: 12 – 15]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Threat Level: Medium]
[Reward: Exp +7,500 (Total)]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Enemy Boss Detected: Goblin Hornlord—Rare Variant]
[Level: 22]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Reward: Exp +2,400]
"Warm-up it is," Aria sighed, a melodic tone underscoring the tension, her fingers trembling slightly as they vibrated with latent energy.
The Goblins charged.
Goblin Skirmish — A Brutal Warm-Up
The goblins shrieked as they surged forward.
Luna stepped ahead without hesitation.
Frostbite Domain.
Cold detonated outward. Grass stiffened, dirt crystallized, and the goblins' shrill cries turned sluggish as frost crawled up their ankles. Their charge faltered.
Skyler blurred past Luna in a gale.
Storm Rush.
Wind screamed as he carved through the slowed front line, slicing green bodies apart in a flash of steel-edged air. Severed weapons clattered uselessly to the frozen ground.
Roots burst upward.
Verdant Surge.
Liora's vines snapped around goblin legs and torsos, yanking them down violently. Aria followed with a sharp gesture—
Resonance Pulse.
The shockwave shattered balance and bone alike. Goblins collapsed, convulsing as their mana flow fractured.
The Hornlord roared and charged straight for Luna.
Lyra's eyes flashed.
Temporal Slow.
The world dragged.
Luna vanished in a blur of frost—
Icebound Step.
She reappeared behind the Hornlord and slammed her palm forward.
Cryo Coffin.
Ice swallowed the brute whole. Skyler descended from above, spinning—
Vacuum Edge.
The frozen boss shattered into fragments.
Silence fell just as quickly as it began.
A warm-up indeed.
System notifications flared—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Defeated: Goblin Pack ×15]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Reward: Exp +7,500 (Total)]
[Exp Distributed]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Boss Defeated: Goblin Hornlord—Rare Variant]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Reward: Exp +2,500]
[EXP Distributed]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Skyler Aeris]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +2,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 35 → Lv. 36]
[Level Up! Lv. 36 → Lv. 37]
[Mana Increased: +370]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Luna Frostborne]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +2,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 34 → Lv. 35]
[Level Up! Lv. 35 → Lv. 36]
[Mana Increased: +360]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Liora Greenhaven]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +2,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 33 → Lv. 34]
[Level Up! Lv. 34 → Lv. 35]
[Mana Increased: +350]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Aria Harmonix]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +2,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 34 → Lv. 35]
[Level Up! Lv. 35 → Lv. 36]
[Mana Increased: +360]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Lyra Timekeeper]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +2,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 35 → Lv. 36]
[Level Up! Lv. 36 → Lv. 37]
[Mana Increased: +370]
The group exhaled. Victory tasted sweet, yet fleeting. The plains stretched endlessly before them, the distant mountains and shadowed forests promising ever fiercer challenges.
Hours passed. Their path became rocky, treacherous. Small cliffs and boulders created natural corridors—perfect hunting grounds for the cunning Kobolds.
Their yellow eyes gleamed from cracks and shadows. Lyra's warning carried weight: Kobolds never travel alone.
A pack emerged—clawing, barking, armored in scavenged metal. At the center, the chieftain loomed, axe in hand, eyes burning with malice.
System notifications pulsed—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Detected: Kobold Pack ×20]
[Level: 20 - 25]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Reward: Exp +11,800 (Total)]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[High-Tier Threat Detected]
[Enemy: Kobold Chieftain]
[Level: 31]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Threat Level: High—Tactical Leader]
[Reward: Exp +3,200]
Kobold Engagement — Tactical Resistance
The kobolds didn't rush blindly.
They flanked.
Metal clanged as shields locked together, arrows streaking from elevated rocks.
Skyler caught the first volley midair.
Cyclone Guard.
Arrows bent away, crushed by spinning pressure. He surged higher—
Gale Ascension.
Below, Luna slammed her staff into the ground.
Frostbite Domain.
Ice spread unevenly across rocky terrain, forcing the kobolds into predictable paths.
Exactly what the chieftain wanted.
The Kobold Chieftain barked orders. Two squads broke through, axes raised.
Liora raised both hands.
Life Drain Root.
Roots impaled the stone, wrapping enemies mid-charge. Green light pulsed as stolen vitality flowed into the party.
Aria stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly.
Disruption Field.
The chieftain's command-enhanced mana faltered. His roar cracked—then distorted.
Lyra snapped her fingers.
Time Acceleration — Skyler.
He vanished.
A sonic boom tore the battlefield as Skyler reappeared behind the chieftain—
Pressure Collapse.
Air vanished. The chieftain's armor crushed inward as Luna followed with brutal precision.
Absolute Chill.
Ice invaded lungs and blood.
The chieftain tried to swing—
Moment Lock.
Frozen in time.
Aria's Harmonic Blade pierced straight through the gap in armor, resonance bypassing steel and bone.
The kobold formation collapsed.
This wasn't a skirmish.
This was execution.
System notifications flared again—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Defeated: Kobold Pack ×20]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Reward: Exp +11,800 (Total)]
[Exp Distributed]
[Enemy Defeated: Kobold Chieftain]
[Class: Humanoid]
[Reward: Exp +3,200]
[Exp Distributed]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Luna Frostborne]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +3,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 36 → Lv. 37]
[Level Up! Lv. 37 → Lv. 38]
[Level Up! Lv. 38 → Lv. 39]
[Mana Increased: +390]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Skyler Aeris]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +3,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 37 → Lv. 38]
[Level Up! Lv. 38 → Lv. 39]
[Level Up! Lv. 39 → Lv. 40]
[Mana Increased: +400]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Liora Greenhaven]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +3,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 35 → Lv. 36]
[Level Up! Lv. 36 → Lv. 37]
[Level Up! Lv. 37 → Lv. 38]
[Mana Increased: +380]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Aria Harmonix]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +3,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 36 → Lv. 37]
[Level Up! Lv. 37 → Lv. 38]
[Level Up! Lv. 38 → Lv. 39]
[Mana Increased: +390]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Lyra Timekeeper]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +3,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 37 → Lv. 38]
[Level Up! Lv. 38 → Lv. 39]
[Level Up! Lv. 39 → Lv. 40]
[Mana Increased: +400]
The sun dipped lower. Shadows lengthened. Frost began to creep along the blades of grass, whispering a warning: Wendigos awaited.
Their screeches split the air. Lanky, skeletal, with glowing eyes and dripping black saliva, they emerged. One Alpha towered over the others, ribs protruding like jagged armor.
System notifications chimed violently—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Detected: Wendigo ×4]
[Level: 30]
[Class: Undead]
[Reward: Exp +15,000 (Total)]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[High-Tier Threat Detected]
[Enemy: Wendigo Alpha]
[Level: 44]
[Class: Undead]
[Threat Level: High]
[Reward: Exp +10,000]
Wendigo Clash — Cold, Blood, and Screams
The Wendigos struck first.
Too fast.
One slammed into Skyler midair, black claws tearing through his side.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Party Member: Skyler Aeris]
[HP Dropped: 71%]
He crashed hard—but twisted at the last second, rolling away as ribs screamed.
Another Wendigo lunged from the shadows—
Liora screamed as claws raked across her shoulder, black ichor burning into flesh.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Party Member: Liora Greenhaven]
[HP Dropped: 63%]
"Stay alive!" she gasped, slamming her palm down.
Bloom of Restoration.
Green light surged, barely keeping the corruption at bay.
The Alpha moved.
Too fast to see.
It teleported—no, leapt through frozen momentum—and smashed Luna through an ice shield, sending her skidding across the frost.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Party Member: Luna Frostborne]
[HP Dropped: 58%]
Aria screamed as sonic claws tore through her barrier—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Party Member: Aria Harmonix]
[HP Dropped: 61%]
Lyra clenched her teeth.
Dominion of Seconds.
Time fractured.
The Alpha slowed—just enough.
"NOW!" Lyra shouted.
Luna stood, blood freezing mid-drip.
Her eyes turned glacial.
Winter's Stillness.
The battlefield died.
Wendigos locked mid-motion, frost crawling over bones and sinew.
Skyler forced himself upright.
Vacuum Edge—Overdrive.
Aria layered resonance into it—
Symphonic Boost.
The blade screamed.
The Alpha shattered.
The remaining Wendigos convulsed as Liora's roots dragged them down, Luna sealing each with brutal Cryo Coffins.
Silence returned—ragged, trembling, earned.
They stood wounded, breathing hard.
Alive.
Barely.
And then—
System notifications screamed after victory—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Defeated: Wendigo ×4]
[Class: Undead]
[Reward: Exp +15,000]
[Exp Distributed]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Defeated: Wendigo Alpha]
[Class: Undead]
[Reward: Exp +10,000]
[Exp Distributed]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Lyra Timekeeper]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +5,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 40 → Lv. 41]
[Level Up! Lv. 41 → Lv. 42]
[Level Up! Lv. 42 → Lv. 43]
[Level Up! Lv. 43 → Lv. 44]
[Level Up! Lv. 44 → Lv. 45]
[Mana Increased: +450]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Skyler Aeris]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +5,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 40 → Lv. 41]
[Level Up! Lv. 41 → Lv. 42]
[Level Up! Lv. 42 → Lv. 43]
[Level Up! Lv. 43 → Lv. 44]
[Level Up! Lv. 44 → Lv. 45]
[Mana Increased: +450]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Luna Frostborne]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +5,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 39 → Lv. 40]
[Level Up! Lv. 40 → Lv. 41]
[Level Up! Lv. 41 → Lv. 42]
[Level Up! Lv. 42 → Lv. 43]
[Level Up! Lv. 43 → Lv. 44]
[Mana Increased: +440]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Liora Greenhaven]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +5,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 38 → Lv. 39]
[Level Up! Lv. 39 → Lv. 40]
[Level Up! Lv. 40 → Lv. 41]
[Level Up! Lv. 41 → Lv. 42]
[Level Up! Lv. 42 → Lv. 43]
[Mana Increased: +430]
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Aria Harmonix]
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +5,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 39 → Lv. 40]
[Level Up! Lv. 40 → Lv. 41]
[Level Up! Lv. 41 → Lv. 42]
[Level Up! Lv. 42 → Lv. 43]
[Level Up! Lv. 43 → Lv. 44]
[Mana Increased: +440]
The air shimmered with victory… until a sonic crack split the wind.
Something blurred past them, almost invisible. Three shapes, reptilian and furious, scales glowing like embers, tails slicing the air, leaving shockwaves in their wake.
System alerts screamed—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Detected: Dashen ×3]
[Level: 50]
[Class: Beast]
[Threat Level: Medium-High]
[Reward: Exp +42,000]
They crouched, muscles coiled.
Luna's blood ran cold. This… is no warm-up. This… is death itself.
The Dashen vanished, leaving only the tension in the air, and the faint crackle of displaced wind.
The plains, the frost, the lingering stench of blood—all seemed to hold its breath.
And then… the three Dashen vanished.