Chapter 10 – Echoes of Power and Rising Shadows

Qin Sheng stood at the edge of the forest, the morning sun filtering through the towering trees. His two minions, Gorath the Stonehide and Velnar the Shadowfang, stood silently beside him. Gorath's massive stone body shimmered under the sunlight, while Velnar's sleek, shadowy form blended with the forest shadows.

Qin Sheng opened his inventory, pulling out the Mysterious Egg he had obtained from Velnar's dungeon. The egg pulsed softly in his hands, radiating warmth.

[System Notification: The Mysterious Egg will hatch after absorbing sufficient energy. Defeat monsters to accelerate the process.]

"Looks like I need to grind more," Qin Sheng muttered.

He directed his minions forward, delving deeper into the forest. Waves of mid-tier monsters swarmed them—feral wolves, armored boars, and venomous serpents. Qin Sheng fought with precision, weaving between strikes while commanding his minions.

Velnar leapt through the shadows, ripping apart enemies with his spectral claws, while Gorath acted as a shield, absorbing blows with his stone hide and smashing foes with brute strength.

With every monster slain, the egg glowed brighter, its shell showing faint cracks.

[System Notification: The Mysterious Egg is 60% hatched.]

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the forest. Qin Sheng turned to see a towering beast emerge—a Forest Guardian (D-Rank). Its massive body was covered in moss and bark, with glowing green eyes locked onto Qin Sheng.

[System Notification: You have encountered a D-Rank Field Boss: Forest Guardian.]

"Time to test my strength," Qin Sheng smirked.

The Guardian charged, swinging its massive arms. Qin Sheng sidestepped, commanding Velnar to attack its legs while Gorath absorbed the frontal assault. Velnar's claws tore into the Guardian's knees, forcing it to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, Qin Sheng unleashed Eclipse Dominion, his blade glowing with dark energy, and slashed at the beast's exposed core.

Forest Guardian's Health: [ ██████████

] 50%

The Guardian roared, releasing a shockwave that sent Gorath flying into a tree. Qin Sheng gritted his teeth, narrowly dodging a massive swipe. He sprinted forward, channeling energy into his blade for a final strike.

"Velnar, now!"

Velnar lunged from the shadows, biting into the Guardian's neck. With a powerful leap, Qin Sheng drove his blade into the beast's chest.

Forest Guardian's Health: [ █ ] 5%

With a final roar, the Guardian collapsed.

[World Announcement] Player Qin Sheng has slain the D-Rank Field Boss: Forest Guardian! First Clear Achievement unlocked.

[Loot Acquired: Guardian's Bark Armor (D-Rank), 700 Reputation Points, and Energy Core.]

Qin Sheng stood over the Guardian's corpse, feeling a surge of power. A dark mist swirled around him as the Eclipse Dominion activated.

[System Notification: Would you like to extract the Forest Guardian's soul and bind it as a minion? This process will consume 1 Energy Core.]

Without hesitation, Qin Sheng confirmed.

[System Notification: Extraction successful! Forest Guardian has been bound as your minion.]

The Guardian's body disintegrated into particles, reforming into a spectral version of itself beside Qin Sheng. Its moss-covered frame now radiated a faint ethereal glow.

"You're with me now," Qin Sheng said, feeling the strength of his growing army.

The Mysterious Egg in his inventory pulsed violently before shattering. A small, ethereal creature floated before him—a dragon-like being with shimmering silver scales and wings.

[System Notification: The Mysterious Egg has hatched! You have obtained a Pet: Silverwind Hatchling (C-Rank).]

The hatchling chirped, fluttering around him before settling on his shoulder.

"Not bad," Qin Sheng mused, examining its stats. The pet provided minor buffs to agility and could release small bursts of wind magic.

As he admired the hatchling, Lia's message popped up.

[Lia: Found a new quest line in the town! It leads to another hidden dungeon. Interested?]

Qin Sheng replied quickly.

[Qin Sheng: Send me the coordinates. I'm on my way.]

Pocketing the loot, he made his way back to the town, his new pet fluttering above him and his three minions following behind. The world was growing more dangerous, but with each battle, Qin Sheng only became stronger.

The shadows around him deepened, hinting that greater threats awaited beyond the horizon.