Chapter 11 - [Leveled Up!]

Although Willow had managed to create a crack in the golem's chest, it was far from enough.

The Blackened Golem showed no signs of fatigue or pain, as it was not a living creature. The crack in the crystal on its chest was the only thing that said it wasn't at full HP.

"I have to find another opening." Willow said this and squeezed the handle of his spear.

Willow then looked around him, analyzing his surroundings. The chamber was spacious, with some columns supporting the underground structure of this place and also the torches with purple flames.

When the golem raised his shield and began to walk slowly towards Willow, the young human had to take a deep breath to calm his heart.

'Calm down, calm down…' he repeated to himself.

Willow had to be clever, not necessarily stronger. It was just a Boss from a Level 10 crypt — nothing truly extraordinary or impossible to defeat. There was always a way.

The moment the golem was close enough to attack Willow, it raised its blade and swung it towards Willow, who rolled to the side and immediately started running. The sword hit the ground with a deafening sound, and small stones and dust were thrown into the air.

"Come on... I just need one more opening." Willow thought aloud as he ran.

Willow tried to keep moving constantly to confuse the creature and because he knew he couldn't afford to stand still, not even for a second. Every attack from the golem was a direct attempt to crush him, and a mistake could be fatal. 

For a brief moment after attacking another, the golem was slower to recover. Perhaps it was thinking about what to do to stop the annoying Willow. This pause gave Willow the chance he needed. With a cry of effort, he leapt forward, using his movement advantage to pierce the blade. As luck would have it, the spear pierced the crack in the crystal, and a *Treck* echoed through the chamber as more fragments of the crystal broke loose, falling to the floor like shards of glass. 

This time, the golem let out a guttural sound, and it made everything shake. For a second, Willow thought the creature would collapse right there.

"That's it!" Willow smiled.

But he knew he couldn't stop. This was the moment. The sound of crystal shards scattering across the floor reverberated in Willow's ears, bringing a bittersweet sense of hope and urgency. He knew he was close—so close to defeating the creature. Still, he could read that he shouldn't be greedy and try to finish it off just yet, so he stepped back.

The golem stood up slowly, as if it were pulling itself together. Its stone body creaked, emitting grotesque clicks that sounded like the last vestiges of a monster about to collapse. With a low growl, the golem advanced once more and, by that moment, Willow knew the pattern of the creature's basic attacks.

With a dodge to the side, he dodged the blade, got up quickly, and ran forward, aiming to take advantage of the fact that the golem was taking longer and longer to get back on its feet after the attacks.

The spear Willow was holding was raised in the air, and concentrating all his strength, he drove the spear into the crack in the crystal and twisted it to the left. The blade penetrated deeply. A guttural scream emerged from Willow's throat, somehow helping him to gain more strength.

"AAAAAHHH!" Willow roared.

And then, the final sound came.

CRECK!

The crystal in the golem's chest shattered completely. The larger fragments flew sideways, glowing faintly, before fading and falling to the ground. The golem's body fell to its knees. The stone columns shook with the impact. In fact, the whole chamber shook because the creature was so terribly heavy. The crystal on the golem's chest, or at least what was left of it, was opaque. In the last second of life, its eyes, once so bright, were completely extinguished.

Willow still held the spear tightly, his fingers almost white from squeezing it so hard. He was gasping, his entire body trembling, and he felt his legs give way when he finally took a few steps back. He fell, sitting on the cold floor of the chamber, with his eyes fixed not on the inert body of the golem but on the notifications about the creature's death. 

[You killed the Boss 'Blackened Golem'. You gained +10000 XP].

[Leveled Up!]

[Leveled Up!]

[Leveled Up!]

[You completed the Kill Mission 'Blackened Golem'!]

[You gained +5000 XP]

[Leveled Up!]

[You gained +1 Skill Point].

[You gained access to the First Vault of Valendoor].

For a moment, Willow couldn't believe it. He had done it. He had actually defeated a boss. With this, he had risen four levels. Of course, for most MMORPGs this might not seem like much, but for Ether Online it was quite a lot. Considering that each level gave players 10 Attribute Points, Willow got 40 Attribute Points for killing a Boss.

What's more, there was another great reward waiting for him.

The torches of purple flames flickered on the walls of the chamber, as if they were aware that something had changed. The death of the Blackened Goliath seemed to have caused a reaction in the magical elements of the room. One by one, the torches began to go out, plunging the place into almost absolute darkness. The only sound in the room was Willow's heavy breathing, still panting after the confrontation.

For a moment, the silence was absolute. Willow stood up, leaning on the firm grip of his spear. 

Suddenly, the crystal embedded in the center of the door at the back of the chamber began to glow. The glow was different from the purple flames — it was pure and clear. The light expanded, bathing the entire room in its radiant glow.

Willow had to put one hand in front of his to avoid being completely blinded by the light. 

The stone door, which had previously been impenetrable, began to creak until it finally opened.

"This is it…" muttered Willow to himself, unable to contain the look of fascination. "The Vault of Valendoor."

The glow from the crystal gradually dissipated as the door opened fully, revealing what lay beyond. 

Willow narrowed his eyes and approached the staircase to the door. When he reached the end of it, however, what he saw was not a chamber filled with piles of glittering gold, nor enchanted weapons displayed on marble pedestals. It looked like the exact opposite of the Cave of Greed. Even so, that vault wasn't empty. There was a chest that could be seen from anywhere in the room.

Willow approached the chest, whose metal frame was old, weathered, and studded with metal thorns. It was an intimidating piece, with its sinister, almost threatening appearance, as if it were warning those who dared to approach.

Willow felt an uncomfortable sensation. He didn't know what the Grimoire of Valendoor was capable of. No one ever revealed anything about it apart from its origin and the price at which it was bought. Of course, everyone knew that it must have been something incredible for the buyer to have paid 100,000 dollars, but no one necessarily knew.

In Ether Online, grimoires were more than just objects made to store spells or channel them. Grimoires practically had a life of their own, being able to give spells to the user as well as power. After all, the Mages of Ether Online were not specifically assigned to one area of magic. They had complete freedom to choose what they wanted to be.

Internally, as he stared at the boat, Willow hoped that the Grimoire of Valendoor could give him some super-powerful magic, such as being able to control lightning or turn him into a Necromancer.

Anxiously, Willow stopped in front of the chest, studying the thorns that covered it. For a second, he hesitated, wondering if it was some kind of trap. 

"There are always traps in these games…" he thought aloud. But he knew he hadn't come all this way to give up at the last stage.

Swallowing dryly, he reached out and touched the cold surface of the chest. 

"I hope it's not a mime, I hope it's not a mime…" 

When he touched the metal, it was so cold that it seemed to burn his fingers. With a small effort, he lifted the lid of the trunk. The creaking of the old metal mixed with the sound of his own breathing. 

Inside the trunk was a single object. A book. It wasn't a golden tome of knowledge or a grimoire adorned with symbols or a magical aura. It was dirty and worn, with an aged leather cover, cracked in several places. 

"Is this the Grimoire of Valendoor? This looks a bit… too dirty."

Then Willow reached out and took the grimoire. Willow frowned. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the book, a strange sensation overtook his body. It wasn't a pain or a shiver, but something between a slight pulse. Then he raised his head, and a strong wind shook not only his hair but also the flower-filled grass beneath his feet.

"What the...?" 

In the blink of an eye, no, Willow didn't even have to blink... From one moment to the next, Willow was no longer in the vault but in a vast field, surrounded by flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see. A clear blue sky rose above him. It seemed... real.

He raised the grimoire and looked at it as if it were the cause of it all. Then he raised his head and turned to take a closer look at his surroundings, and it was then that he saw, in the distance, the back of a woman. She was standing in a long black dress, the folds of which fluttered gently in the wind. She held a delicate parasol, which also swayed slightly in the breeze. Who the hell was she?