The Gauntlet Ends — The Ascension Begins
PING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT ⟢
[INNER SHADOWFEN: FINAL GAUNTLET] ACTIVATED
Wave 1: Shadowborn Horde (12 units)
Wave 2: Shadow Wraiths (6 units)
Objective: Survive both waves to claim the Fen's heart and trigger element evolutions
Danger Level: LEGENDARY — failure means permanent corruption
The low hum that had echoed from the path ahead curdled into a cold, whispering wind that slithered through the mist. Caspian's skin prickled—not with magic, but with the feeling of being watched from every dark corner. The purple glow of his Expanded Copy flared at his fingertips, casting sharp edges on the muddy ground where his friends stood, still catching their breath from the Mire Troll fight.
Seventy-five percent evolution progress, he thought, his eyes scanning the treeline. The system said this is the final push. But these aren't just beasts—they're humanoid. Once people, maybe? Corrupted by the old bind I just cleansed. He touched the silver amulet at his neck, its warmth a small comfort against the chill that now seeped into his bones. I fixed the core, but the shadows left behind… they're still hungry. And they know I'm the one who disturbed their home.
The air tasted like iron and ash. Mud squelched beneath his boots as he shifted into a defensive stance, and he could hear the scrape-scrape-scrape of clawed feet on wet earth—faint at first, then growing louder, coming from all directions. Zephyr's lightning crackled around his fists, so bright it made the mist glow blue. "They're closing in," he growled, his voice low and tight. "Humanoid. Fast. Don't let them get too close—their shadows can leech your mana."
Thane slammed both fists into the ground, and stone spikes erupted in a circle around the group, forming a rough barricade. "Seismic Grip ready," he rumbled, his stone armor hardening into a glossy black. "I'll stun whatever gets through. Kai—wash away their darkness before it sticks."
Kai raised his hands, and a wall of water rose behind the stone spikes, its surface shimmering with emerald light from the cleansed Fen. "Tidal Surge primed," he said, his eyes narrow. "These things feed on shadow—our purified elements should burn them."
Then they emerged: twelve figures, tall and gaunt, their skin like oiled obsidian that drank the light. Their eyes were hollow pits of black, and long, clawed fingers stretched from their sleeves. They moved like smoke, slipping between the trees, their forms blending into the shadows until they were almost invisible.
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟢
[SHADOWBORN HORDE] — ELITE CORRUPTED
Level: 52-55
Element: Pure Shadow
Danger Level: HIGH — Mana Leech ability drains 10% mana per hit
Mana Leech, Caspian thought, his jaw tightening. My Expanded Copy uses more mana than anything else. One hit could leave me useless. He closed his eyes, focusing on the Shadowborn's movements—how they flowed through the dark, how their claws twitched before they struck. But they rely on invisibility. Illusions can turn that against them.
"Duplicate: Eightfold Veil!" he shouted, and eight solid illusions burst into existence, each one glowing with his purple light. The illusions spread out, weaving between the stone spikes, their movements mirroring the Shadowborn's smoke-like grace. The corrupted figures froze, their hollow eyes snapping back and forth—unable to tell where the real Caspian stood.
"Now, Zephyr!"
Zephyr leaped into the air, his body surrounded by a sphere of crackling lightning. "Thunderstrike: Chain of Light!" he roared, and a web of white-hot bolts shot out, striking every Shadowborn that dared to reveal itself. The bolts exploded on contact, sending black smoke billowing into the air. One Shadowborn shrieked—a high, inhuman sound—as the lightning burned through its shadowy skin, leaving a charred hole in its chest.
But the others recovered fast, slipping back into the shadows. Two of them lunged at Kai, their claws extended. "Tidal Surge!" he yelled, and the wall of water crashed forward, washing over the Shadowborn. Their forms hissed and smoked as the purified water burned away their dark energy, making them visible and stumbling.
"Seismic Grip!" Thane slammed his fist into the ground, and shockwaves rippled out, catching the stunned Shadowborn. Their bodies convulsed, and they fell to their knees, helpless.
Caspian's illusions danced around the remaining Shadowborn, drawing their fire. One of them lunged at an illusion, its claws passing through empty air—just as the real Caspian appeared behind it, his purple glow flaring bright. "Echo Weave: Mimic Strike!" he shouted, and his fist, wrapped in copied lightning from Zephyr, slammed into the Shadowborn's back.
The creature exploded in a burst of black smoke and purple sparks. Caspian felt his mana dip, but then the amulet at his neck warmed, refilling a fraction of it. The bind's gift, he realized. It's helping me keep up.
One by one, the Shadowborn fell. Zephyr's Thunderstrike picked off the fast ones, Kai's Tidal Surge burned away their darkness, Thane's Seismic Grip held them still, and Caspian's Duplicate kept them confused. The last Shadowborn shrieked as Thane's stone fist crushed its chest, and it dissolved into smoke that was quickly washed away by Kai's water.
PING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟢
[WAVE 1 COMPLETE: SHADOWBORN HORDE DEFEATED]
All party members contributed to the win — full rewards granted
- +500,000 EXP each → 8% additional toward next level (Total: 34% for all)
- Loot: Shadow Mana Crystal x6 → For high-element crafting
- [EXPANDED COPY] EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 75% → 100% — EVOLUTION TRIGGERED
A wave of pure, golden energy washed over Caspian. The purple glow from his fingertips exploded into a brilliant violet light that engulfed his entire body. He felt his bones hum, his muscles tingle, and his mana pool expand until it felt like he could fill the entire Fen with his power. The air around him crackled with newfound strength, and the system notification blared so bright it made him squint.
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟢
[EXPANDED COPY] → [HIGH COPY] UNLOCKED!
New Abilities:
- High Echo Weave: Copy high-element attacks & movements with 150% accuracy
- Shadow Veil Duplicate: Illusions that can absorb shadow energy
- Purified Mimicry: Turn corrupted energy against its user
Passive: Mana Regeneration +300%
It's done, Caspian thought, tears pricking at his eyes. I'm not just copying anymore—I'm mastering. The old me, the one who could only mimic what others did… he's gone. Replaced by someone who can stand on his own. He looked at his hands, now glowing with a steady, powerful violet light, and grinned. Let's see what Wave 2 has to offer.
The ground shook, and a cold, ethereal wind swept through the clearing. From the mist, six ghostly figures emerged—their forms translucent, their eyes glowing with pale blue light. They floated above the ground, their movements silent and impossible to track. Their hands were wispy claws that seemed to phase through the air.
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟢
[SHADOW WRAITHS] — LEGENDARY CORRUPTED
Level: 60
Element: Ethereal Shadow
Danger Level: EXTREME — Almost invulnerable to non-high-element attacks
Almost invulnerable, Caspian thought, but he didn't feel fear—only excitement. Good thing I just got High Copy. He closed his eyes, focusing on the wraiths' movements—how they phased through the stone spikes, how they moved in impossible arcs, how their claws flickered before they struck. I can copy that.
"High Echo Weave: Mimic Movement!" he shouted, and his form flickered, becoming slightly translucent. He floated off the ground, copying the wraiths' ethereal grace. The wraiths froze, confused—they'd never seen something that could match their impossible movement.
"Now!" Caspian lunged, his form phasing through the air, and struck a wraith from behind. His violet-glowing fist connected, and the wraith shrieked—a sound like grinding ice. Black smoke billowed from the hit, and the wraith's form became slightly more solid.
"Mega Thunder!" Zephyr roared, and a massive bolt of white lightning—brighter and more powerful than anything he'd ever summoned—shot out, striking two wraiths at once. The lightning phased through their ethereal forms, but it burned away their energy, making them stumble.
Zephyr's evolving too, Caspian realized. The win is pushing all of us.
Kai raised his hands, and a vortex of water formed in the air—its surface glowing with a brilliant blue light. "Aqua Vortex: Purified Current!" he yelled, and the vortex swept forward, wrapping around three wraiths. The water phased through their forms, washing away their ethereal energy until they were almost solid.
"Earth Anchor!" Thane slammed his fist into the ground, and stone chains shot up from the mud, wrapping around the solidified wraiths. The chains glowed with black light, anchoring the wraiths to the ground, making them unable to phase away.
Caspian moved like a ghost, phasing through the air, striking wraiths from unexpected angles with his High Copy claws. Each hit burned away their energy, and soon, the wraiths were all solid enough to be hit by regular attacks. Zephyr's Mega Thunder struck again, shattering one wraith into smoke. Kai's Aqua Vortex crushed another. Thane's stone fist smashed a third.
The last wraith lunged at Caspian, but he phased through its claw and struck it in the chest. The wraith exploded in a burst of blue light and black smoke, which was quickly washed away by Kai's water.
PING! PING! PING! PING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
⟢ [WAVE 2 COMPLETE: SHADOW WRAITHS DEFEATED]
FEN GAUNTLET CLEARED — ALL OBJECTIVES MET
- +1,000,000 EXP each → 15% additional toward next level (Total: 49% for all)
- Loot: Ethereal Shadow Crystal x1 (Rare), High-Element Boost Orb x4
- PARTY ELEMENT EVOLUTIONS TRIGGERED!
- Zephyr: High Lightning → Mega Lightning
- Kai: High Water → Mega Water
- Thane: High Ground → Mega Earth
- Caspian: High Copy → Additional Passive Unlocked: Bindkeeper's Aura — All party stats +50% in corrupted areas
The group stood together in the clearing, their forms glowing with newfound power. Zephyr's lightning was a steady, brilliant white. Kai's water was a deep, powerful blue. Thane's stone was a glossy, unbreakable black. Caspian's High Copy was a vibrant, masterful violet. The mist had cleared completely, and sunlight streamed through the trees, warming their faces.
Caspian looked at his friends—their grins wide, their eyes shining with victory—and felt a surge of emotion so strong it made his chest tight. We did this together, he thought. Not because one of us was stronger than the rest, but because our bond was stronger than any monster. The Shadowfen tried to break us, but it only made us better.
They stood victorious in the heart of the once-corrupted Fen, their evolved elements glowing in the sunlight, ready for whatever came next.