The weak find no mercy in the abyss. To survive the horde, Kael must become the very shadow that haunts them.
The Assault
Kael charged the pack.
His violet aura erupted like a storm of living electricity. Thirty goblins shrieked as they rushed to meet him. They brandished rusted blades, their shrill cries tearing through the air.
"Shadow Step."
He vanished.
The goblins glanced at each other, stopping dead in their tracks. The empty space where Kael had stood was now nothing but a hole in reality. Silence weighed heavy on the corridor.
Then he reappeared. He was suspended ten feet above them. The monsters looked up, caught by surprise. They raised their jagged blades to impale him.
"Shadow Step."
Again, he flickered out of existence. The goblins' weapons slashed through empty air.
Kael emerged within the shadow of another monster. He was silent. He barely breathed. I am the darkness. Then he struck. The air vibrated. Every leap, every jump, every shadow became a springboard for a lethal blow. But his body cracked brutally under the strain. He had activated three skills at once. His heart hammered against his ribs in protest. He collapsed, coughing up warm blood that splattered against the cold stone.
The shrieks returned. The pack charged.
The Dance of Survival
Kael rolled to avoid a blade. Another strike caught him, drawing blood. A sword pierced through his left hand.
"AAAHH!"
Pain blurred his vision. He ripped his hand free, releasing a spray of crimson. Thirty goblins surrounded him in a tight circle. He backed away, staggering. Blows fell like rain. He parried, dodged, and blocked. A slit throat here, a gash on the thigh there. His blood marked the ground.
I am going to die here.
A clear voice resonated in his skull.
[SKILLS ARE READY FOR USE.]
"Shadow Step!"
His heart turned black. His silhouette melted into the gloom. Safe within the darkness, he took a breath.
"Weapon Mastery."
The aura returned. It was vivid and burning. He burst from the shadows like a comet.
The Slaughter
He fell upon the horde, blade first. A first strike—severed. A circular motion—disarticulated. Every muscle vibrated. Every movement burned with pure instinct.
"Shadow Step."
A breath, and he was gone. He was reborn elsewhere, in another shadow, above another prey. His sword sang—a whistle of steel amidst the chaos. The goblins stumbled, striking at nothing, howling in frustration. Kael was no longer a man. He was a specter. He was a monster among monsters.
When the last creature bled out, Kael was still standing. His arms shook. His breathing was jagged. And yet, he smiled.
"Art of Healing."
A green light enveloped his body. The wounds closed. The bones knit back together. The agony evaporated. The System reappeared:
[CONGRATULATIONS! LEVEL 6] [ALL STATS +1 PER LEVEL GAINED] [12 UNALLOCATED POINTS] [WEAPON MASTERY: LV. 5] [SHADOW STEP: LV. 3] [ART OF HEALING: LV. 2]
Black smoke drifted away from him. His body was readjusting and sharpening itself. He walked toward the runic black door at the end of the hallway. Behind it, he heard a sound. It was heavy. It was beastly.
The Hobgoblin
The door swung open. The monster appeared.
It stood nearly seven feet tall with a body carved from stone. Veins pulsed with green mana beneath its skin. It carried no weapon. It had no need for one. Its fists were enough.
Kael took his stance. The hobgoblin charged. Its fist punched the air with a roar. Kael dodged just in time. The second strike came faster. This time, Kael parried.
The impact shattered his guard. He felt his arm vibrate, nearly broken. Then came the uppercut. The fist buried itself in his stomach. A shockwave followed. His ribs gave way. The world tilted as he flew backward, hitting the wall.
"Art... of Healing..." he wheezed.
His magic closed the wounds just enough to keep him conscious. The monster returned. The rain of blows began again. Kael endured it. Again. And again.
Enough.
"Shadow Step!"
He vanished just before the next fist pulverized the stone wall.
The Dragon's Counsel
Hidden in the hobgoblin's shadow, Kael panted. "Dammit... he's going to kill me."
"Stay calm," Rhaziel said, his tone steady. "Breathe. Adjust. Use your mind before your strength."
"I can't go on."
"If you give up mentally, everything collapses. Now, increase your Constitution and your Strength."
"How many points?"
[YOU HAVE 15 UNALLOCATED POINTS.]
"Put 5 into Constitution, 5 into Strength, and 5 into Dexterity."
[UPDATE COMPLETE.]
Black smoke escaped his body once more. His muscles tightened, turning solid. Kael smiled. "Thank you."
He stepped out of the shadow. He was calm. He was alive.
The Kill
"Weapon Mastery."
The world changed. His aura exploded. The sword vibrated, seemingly conscious. The hobgoblin hesitated for just a moment.
Then they charged.
Impact. A wave of mana. The walls shook. Kael struck. The blade whistled and bit deep. Green blood splattered the floor. The monster roared and tried to counter-attack. Kael pivoted, sliced a thigh, and bit into a shoulder with a perfect backhand strike.
The beast staggered.
"You're getting tired," Kael whispered.
The hobgoblin roared. Its fist cut through the air. Kael feinted high. The monster raised its arms.
A fatal error.
SLASH.
Its right leg flew off. The beast howled and collapsed. Kael was already moving. The second leg. Another SLASH. The howls turned into whimpers. The monster wept. It crawled. It trembled.
Kael approached slowly. His black gaze reflected the void. The blade drove straight into the skull.
Silence.
Rewards
Kael slumped against the corpse. His gray hair dripped with blood and sweat. He looked up at the spectral light. The screen appeared.
[LEVEL 10 – ALL STATS +1 PER LEVEL GAINED] [12 UNALLOCATED POINTS] [WEAPON MASTERY: LV. 6] [SHADOW STEP: LV. 5] [ART OF HEALING: LV. 5]
Then, another voice spoke. It was ancient.
"You have conquered the first floor. Here is your reward."
A scroll appeared before him, floating in the air. His fatigue vanished. His wounds healed completely. His sword glowed—its Rank E transformed into Rank D.
Kael let out a low laugh. "Not bad..."
He stored everything: the sword, the corpse, the scroll. There was no more danger. There was no more sound. He lay down on the floor.
The room was cold. The silence was total. His breathing was faint. The black smoke continued to rise, soft and sinister. His body was still changing, slowly.
Kael Morse, the man everyone called "the weakest," had just conquered the first floor of the Rift.
Ninety-nine remained.