Devourer of Echoes
As the party stood before the massive stone doors of the dungeon's final chamber, a chill wind seeped from the cracks—unnatural and electric.
Tyler stepped forward and opened his Stat Panel.
The screen flickered… then shook violently.
A line of text etched itself in glowing gold across the top:
NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: ANCIENT LIGHTNING
Due to Infinite Mana, this spell has no cooldown.
Warning: Power may affect the game world and reality.
Kaela peeked over his shoulder. "Wait… Did that say 'no cooldown'?"
Tyler didn't answer right away. His focus was on the numbers now appearing on the screen:
[Tyler Freedman – Level 13]
• Strength: 10,000
• Agility: 10,000
• Vitality: 10,000
• Mana: ∞ (Infinite)
• Luck: 10,000
• Charm: 100 (New Stat Unlocked)
The air around Tyler shimmered faintly as his body radiated a low hum of power. His tattoos crackled blue, crawling slightly like living lightning beneath his skin.
Kaela stepped back instinctively. "Tyler… you're glowing again."
Before he could respond, the doors began to tremble.
A voice—not from the game, but within it—whispered his name.
"Tyler Freedman… you are not yet ready, but you have been chosen all the same."
"Do you hear that?" Kaela asked.
"Yeah," Tyler said softly, "but… I think it's only talking to me."
The doors cracked and slowly creaked open.
From the shadowed interior, two piercing red eyes blinked into existence.
The fog thickened behind them as the voice returned once more, cold and deep:
"You've brought light into my sanctuary. Let me show you the weight of darkness."
BOSS ENCOUNTER INITIATED
Name: Devourer of Echoes
Level: 100
Type: Abyssal Echo Titan
Traits: Immortal Core, Voice of Madness, Adaptive Regeneration
The creature crawled forward—a massive hulking beast covered in a patchwork of black stone, silver flesh, and writhing shadows. It moved like a centipede but had the limbs of a gorilla. Its face was a single yawning maw filled with hundreds of whispering mouths.
The air distorted around it. Their HUDs flickered violently. Nysa dropped to a knee, holding her head.
"It's in my mind!" she screamed. "It's screaming!"
Tyler stepped in front of them.
"Get behind me."
The Devourer surged forward.
Tyler launched himself ahead, moving so fast the air cracked around him. He activated Ancient Lightning with a thought—blue arcs exploded from his body in a spiral, smashing into the beast's face.
CRITICAL HIT – 9999
CRITICAL HIT – 9999
CRITICAL HIT – 9999
The monster reeled back, its front claw crumbling.
But it regenerated immediately.
"It adapts," Kaela said, backing up. "It's learning!"
Suddenly, the Devourer shifted form—its limbs became longer, faster. It opened its mouth, and a sonic roar shattered the walls around them. Eryk and Nysa flew back and hit the stone hard.
"Cover them!" Tyler shouted, lightning crackling around his entire body.
He lunged again, striking the monster's chest.
This time it absorbed the lightning and laughed in a dozen voices.
"It's… copying your spell!" Kaela cried.
"Then I'll break it before it can use it."
He changed tactics, going in with pure melee—slamming the blade into the beast's shoulder, ducking its tail swipe, and spinning to carve down its leg. The monster flinched, but it didn't stop.
Its health bar was enormous, barely nicked.
They were in for a war.
"Tyler!" Kaela called, throwing a mana infusion his way. "We're not leaving until it's dead!"
Tyler stood tall, lightning building around him again, his tattoos glowing brighter.
"Then we better make sure we kill it fast… before it becomes unstoppable."