Secret Passage
"Nice, it is slowly dying. Looks like it won't be that much trouble after all" Mia gasped, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Yep," Liam grunted. "And now it's angry."
Shadowfang's growl echoed through the cavern, the sound vibrating through the floor. Its fur bristled, tendrils of shadow rising from its paws like mist.
"It's entering Phase Two," Liam said grimly, backing away. "Mia, get ready. Traps incoming!"
"Void Sense!" Liam shouted.
Vix's eyes glowed violet as the shadows around him shimmered. He padded forward, leaving faint glowing pawprints where it was safe.
"There, and there!" Liam barked, pointing at the marks. "Stay between those, or you're toast."
"Toast sounds good," Mia muttered, skidding behind one of Vix's safe zones just as a black puddle materialized under her previous spot.
[Shadow Trap triggered] – 3,000 True Damage avoided.
"Okay, now what?" she yelled, voice slightly panicked.
"We keep the pressure on. Fifteen seconds of downtime, and it heals," Liam said, sprinting forward again.
Being unable to get close due to the traps, Liam activated Waveforce.
[Waveforce] — 50x Weapon Damage
Stormcaller slammed into the beast's ribs, lightning exploding outward.
-5,000 (Physical), -3,000 (Lightning)
Shadowfang yelped but retaliated immediately. It twisted, using its tail to swat Liam mid-dash.
[Tail Swipe – 6,500 Physical Damage]
"Ugh!" Liam skidded across the stone floor, armor sparking.
"Hang on!" Mia raised her wand. "Healing Light!"
+1,500 HP over time
Liam's HP ticked back up slowly.
"Waveforce again in five. Just keep me topped off," he said, pushing himself upright.
Suddenly, the wolf stopped moving. Its eyes glowed red, and it opened its jaws—
[Shadowfang is casting: Devour Light]
"Wait, what is that?" Mia cried.
"That's new… Wait—It's casting an AOE spell! MOVE!"
A beam of darkness launched toward her.
"Radiant Pulse!"
The spell hit the darkness mid-air, light and shadow colliding in a blinding flash.
-1,000 (Light Damage)
It wasn't enough. The shadow beam pierced through, grazing her side.
[Devour Light] – 4,000 Shadow Damage. Target is Weakened (-30% healing received for 10s. Willpower reduced to 0 for 10s)
"Agh!" Mia fell to her knees, coughing. "That's not fair! I am out of mana. Potions are not working."
"It never is," Liam growled, reaching into his inventory. "With zero willpower, you can always have 0 mana. Just try to stay out of agro for a while."
He pulled out the Dagger of Madness.
"What are you—"
"Mad Dance!" Liam activated the skill.
The dagger pulsed with a dark red glow. Liam's veins seemed to burn beneath his skin.
[Mad Dance Activated: All damage +500%. Spells unusable for 5s]
"Vix, distract it!"
"Woof!" Vix vanished into the shadows again.
As Shadowfang turned to follow the wolf's movement, Liam moved.
He blurred across the battlefield, each step surging with deadly intent.
[Normal Attack: 2,000 x 6.0 = 12,000 Damage]
[Normal Attack: 2,000 x 6.0 = 12,000 Damage]
Shadowfang HP: 44,000
"Aoooo," The boss howled, and tried to retreat.
5s had passed and the effects faded. But the effects of Devour Light had also faded. Liam could use his skills now. He put the dagger away and used a slew of skills.
[Overhead Strike – 75x Damage = 15,000]
[Waveforce – 50x = 10,000]
[Lightning Proc – 3,000]
In five seconds, Liam became a storm of blood and steel. The wolf reeled back, each blow cutting deep, breaking bones.
Shadowfang HP: 44,000 → 18,000
"Come on, just a bit more!" Liam shouted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Shadowfang roared and leapt, jaws wide open.
Soulrend Claw.
CRITICAL HIT!
[-12000]
"LIAM!" Mia screamed, raising her wand—trying to cast healing light again.
Abysal Roar!
Suddenly, Mia got stunned.
"Damn, how did this boss become so intelligent?" Liam muttered, pulling out a healing vial.
But to his horror, Shadowfang did not give him the chance.
Soulrend Claw.
CRITICAL HIT!
[-12000]
[Lethal damage taken]
[Lethal Damage Blocked by Ring of Protection]
Liam, taking advantage of the small invincibility frames of being revived, rolled underneath the beast, swinging upward with Stormcaller.
[Overhead Strike – 75x]
-15,000 Damage
[Waveforce - 50x]
-10,000
Ding!
Boss Slain.
The boss howled one final time. Its body turned into black mist and dissolved into the air.
[Boss Defeated: Shadowfang – Level 50 (Elite)]
+280,000 EXP
+2,500 Gold
+Item Drop: Shadowfang's Fang (Rare Crafting material), Cloak of Abyssal Mist (Epic)
Cloak of Abyssal Mist (Epic)
Blend into the shadows, becoming invisible for as long as you do not leave the darkness. You can still be detected by stronger enemies or magical artifacts
Achievement Unlocked - I am the bigger boss - Slay a boss monster while being at a lower level than the boss
+Item Drop: [Writ of the Undaunted - Passive skill. Permanently increases damage by 20% when fighting enemies above your current level. Can be upgraded by finding a writ with a higher tier skill.
Ding! Veteran's Knowhow triggered - 10x
280,000 exp-> 2,800,000 exp
Ding!
Level up!
Level up!
Level up!
'Use the Writ of the Undaunted'
Ding!
Writ applied. Damage against stronger enemies is permanently increased by 20% .
"Let us look at the levels later. We have a beast to tame." Liam turned to Mia
"Hmph. You have to explain yourself when we get back to the city. I am at level 35 now. No way in hell can you get 15 levels without cheating."
"Haha, I will explain later." Liam dusted himself off and glanced around the lair. "Vix, sniff around. There should be a hidden path nearby. This wasn't just a boss den."
"Woof," Vix responded, already on the move. His ears perked up as he sniffed the ground and circled around the jagged walls.
"I don't think there is anything there." Mia frowned as Vix went about in circles
"Trust me," Liam said with a small grin. "This place has a hidden guardian. I remember... reading about it."
Mia narrowed her eyes. "You say that a lot."
Liam just smirked and pointed as Vix suddenly let out a short bark.
There, behind a cluster of cracked stones, was a moss-covered wall. Vix tapped his paw on a specific slab.
Click.
A low rumble echoed as the wall shifted, revealing a dark corridor spiraling downward.
"Bingo," Liam whispered. "Told you."
Mia peeked into the darkness. "Why do I have a feeling this is where people die in horror stories?"
"You're not wrong," Liam muttered, stepping inside. "But there's loot. And a shortcut to the old ruins."
They followed the path downward. Torches lit up on their own as they walked past—a sign this wasn't untouched.
Eventually, they reached a dead end. A large stone door stood before them, with six rotating rings etched with strange symbols—each ring inscribed with letters from an ancient language.
"A puzzle?" Mia asked, tilting her head.
Liam stepped forward confidently. "More like a password for a lock. It looks like a pain, but the answer's actually stupid simple."
He began spinning the rings without hesitation.
Top ring: rotated twice to form the letter S
Second ring: adjusted to H
Third ring: stopped at A
Fourth: turned to D
Fifth: rotated to O
Last ring: locked into W
He tapped the center.
CLICK.
The rings aligned perfectly. The stone door shook and began sliding open.
Mia stared. "How in the world did you—"
"I read it in a book that the shadow fang is a guardian to one of the entrances of the shadow realm."
As the door fully opened, a cold wind swept over them. On the other side lay a vast underground chamber, illuminated by glowing blue crystals embedded in the walls. In the center was a collapsed temple-like structure, half-buried under rock and time.
"Huh? Where is the guardian?"
Ding!
You have discovered: Northern Entrance of the Shadow
"What? More changes?"
"What changes, Liam? Is it not what you read about?"
"No, definitely not. We were supposed to face a shadow beast. Come on, let us continue, it seems like a long passage."
The temple ruins were eerily quiet as they exited the final hall. No more undead, no traps, no riddles—just the low hum of ancient magic fading behind them.
"Finally. Open skies." Mia exhaled as they stepped into an open plateau beyond the collapsed temple walls.
But the sky here was not like the one above.
Above them stretched a strange twilight—flickering between hues of violet and obsidian. The air was thin, and the distant howls sounded warped, as if echoing through multiple dimensions.
[You have entered: Shadow Expanse — Outskirts of the Shadow Realm]
Warning: Monster levels in this area are much higher than your own. Proceed with caution
Mia checked her system window and blinked. "Wait… this place isn't even recommended until Level 100?!"
"Yes," Liam replied, already scanning the terrain. "But somewhere around here should be a creature called the Tenebris Wyrmling. I need to tame it."
"Wyrmling?! That's a dragon! With wings. It probably eats parties for breakfast."
"Only if you let it," Liam said calmly. "There's a method. As long as you do not attack and approach it quietly, it won't attack. We just need to touch it with the charm."
"Wow," Mia muttered. "You're like a walking cheat engine. Please tell me which books you read as well"
"Thanks."
Just then, Vix's ears perked up. The wolf let out a low whine and crouched.
From the edge of a jagged cliff, a massive black silhouette emerged. Scales like polished obsidian, glowing red slits for eyes, and long, coiling wings that shimmered like they were stitched from darkness itself.
Tenebris Wyrmling
Level 200
Shadow Dragon
"What the fuck!!! It is at level 200?"
"What should we do now? That behemoth is completely out of our league."
"Well, the mechanics should still be the same. Here I go," Liam whispered, stepping forward slowly and raising his hands. "No sudden movements. I have exactly—"
ROAAAAAAAAAR!
The wyrmling's deafening roar cracked the nearby rocks. The force alone knocked Mia off her feet.
"Time! I've got twenty seconds—don't attack, just let it sniff!" Liam barked.
The dragon lowered its head slightly, eyeing Liam and Vix. Its breath smelled like charred metal and ice.
Then suddenly—
It lunged.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO TWENTY SECONDS?!" Mia screamed.
"I don't know! The patch notes lied!"
The beast's tail whipped toward them. Liam blocked with Shield Block but was still sent flying.
[Blocked 2000 Damage – Remaining: 15,000 taken]
Mia tried to cast Radiant Pulse, but the spell fizzled.
"Shadow suppression field!" she shouted. "Magic's down!"
Vix leapt at the beast, fangs bared. He bit down on the creature's leg, but it didn't even flinch.
The wyrmling batted Vix aside like a ragdoll.
[Vix: -17,000 HP]
"Vix!" Liam scrambled to his feet, only to be met with the beast's glowing maw, charging a dark orb.
"RUN!" Liam shouted.
Bang!
The dragon fired the orb, but Liam and his party were able to dodge it just in time.
"Mia, take this teleport scroll. Once the agro is completely driven away, use it to get out of here. Take Vix with you." Liam said, as he handed over a teleport scroll to Mia
"What about you?"
"I will be fine! I will distract the beast in some way and teleport as well. Trust me."
In reality, Liam still held some thoughts of taming the best. However, as expected, Mia and Vix would be in danger, and he had no way to protect them.
"Now come here, you big fat lizard," Liam Shouted
[Waveforce - 50x]
[-500] Damage negated due to level suppression
"Roar." The shadow wrymling gave a deafening roar and tried to catch Liam.
"Go! Now! Liam shouted as he used dodge to evade the dragon's claws."
Mia held Vix in her arms and teleported out.