Bloodred Skrill

Noir stepped out of the forge, the scent of scorched iron and burning coal still clinging to his cloak. In his hands, he held the Fangs Monlit Twin—a pair of daggers that looked like they were pulled from the underworld.

Each blade pulsed faintly with magenta light, their edges shimmering green like mercury in motion. The craftsmanship was inhuman—jagged, beautiful, and cruel. Just holding them made his palms itch with anticipation.

"Perfect," he murmured, sheathing them with a soft click.

He opened his stat window, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Noir – Level 9

Class: Assassin

AGI: 43 (+20)

STR: 15

INT: 13

DEX: 13

Still under the EXP multiplier.

But the training grounds felt too dull. He needed something that hit back.

"I'll bully those Cursed Humans again," he muttered.

He veered toward the Forest of Seldom. Trees stretched high above like bony fingers. Shadows dripped between the branches. Somewhere in that silence, something waited to be killed.

As he slipped between trees, he caught sight of someone ahead.

Solo.

Noir halted, fading into the shadows. Shadow Cloak pulsed over his body—his outline blurred, footsteps muffled, presence dimmed. The player didn't notice him.

Korb777 – Scythe Class – Level 8

The guy moved with precision. No lag. No panic. He knew what he was doing.

Korb lured eight Cursed Humans into a tight cluster, then activated his first skill—Discarlo. A pulse of cursed energy burst outward in a wave of red, sending the enemies staggering.

He followed up with Rotona, slashing in wide, vicious arcs. Then came Scythe Blast. He planted his feet, spun the weapon, and sent a shockwave ripping through the last of the mobs.

All eight burst into pixels.

Noir blinked. Clean. Sharp. No wasted movement.

"He's not just strong," Noir thought. "He's seasoned."

And thank Sage the PK system was still off. If Korb wanted to clear the area, Noir would've had to retreat or die trying.

Silently, Noir turned away and slipped deeper into the forest.

He didn't come here to watch.

Soon, he found his own targets—six Cursed Humans lingering near a jagged stone outcrop. He crouched, letting them spot him just enough to give chase. They followed blindly. He led them to a corner of ruined wall, then struck.

Critical Dash Slash.

He blurred forward—eight strikes in a blink. Four were criticals, slicing through flesh and bone. The moment they staggered, he vanished.

Shadow Feint.

His clone remained behind, flickering with unstable energy, repeating the attack. Noir reappeared behind the last mob as they all exploded into dust.

"Hell yeah." His breath hitched. His heart pounded. This—this was the thrill.

He farmed like that for thirty straight minutes. Fast, quiet, efficient. Eventually, Korb approached from the trees, his scythe resting across his back.

"Yo," he called out. "You're cracked, man. Higher level than me and I started days ago."

Noir looked up. "Do I know you?"

Korb grinned. "Nah, but I saw you kill the Forest Spider near Seldom. First try. I thought you were some NPC until your name popped up."

Noir raised a brow. "That thing? Yeah, I killed it. Why's that surprising?"

"Took me three tries," Korb admitted. "That thing shredded me. I thought I was cursed or something."

Noir chuckled. "Maybe I just got lucky."

They shared a quick laugh—warriors bonding over digital blood.

After a beat, Korb leaned in. "Listen, I found a cave—two kilometers west. Scouted the entrance but didn't go deep. Looks untouched."

"What's inside?"

"Redbloods. Mages and Fighters. Mages launch slow spells—bright blue, high chance to reduce movement speed. Fighters are tanks. Agile, too. They hit hard. All Level 5, dark green tags."

"And the boss?"

Korb hesitated. "Bloodred Skrill. Ten-foot skeleton. Carries a massive axe. I found a post about it online. Barely anyone's cleared it."

Noir's eyes narrowed. "You scared?"

"Yeah," Korb admitted. "Little bit."

Noir smirked. "Then let's clear it."

Korb blinked, then laughed. "You're serious?"

"Of course. It's just a game."

But inside, Noir felt it—that quiet heat. The pull of a real challenge. The pressure that made his instincts sharper.

This was more than a game.

This was where he came alive.

 *****

 They made their way toward the dungeon, the forest growing quieter with every step. Fallen leaves crunched beneath their boots, and neither of them said much at first.

After a while, Korb broke the silence.

"You solo a lot?"

"Yeah," Noir replied. "More efficient that way."

Korb gave a short nod. "Makes sense. I used to solo too. In a couple of older games."

Noir didn't answer right away. The conversation wasn't hostile—just cautious. They didn't know each other yet, and both seemed content keeping it that way.

Soon, they reached a low cliff covered in moss and roots. At the base was a small, narrow entrance carved into the rock—barely high enough to crouch through.

"This is it," Korb said.

Noir glanced at the opening. "That's the dungeon?"

"Yeah. Weird entrance, I know. Doesn't look like much, but it gets worse inside."

Before moving forward, Korb opened his party menu.

"Let's form a party. Just in case."

Noir accepted the invite.

[System Notice: You have joined a party with Korb777.]

Korb activated two buffs. First, Dark Circle—a violet aura spread across them, thickening the air with cursed energy.

[Party Buff: +10% Attack for 10 Minutes]

Then, Helion's Blessing. A golden light settled onto their armor, warm and steady.

[Party Buff: +10% Max HP and Stamina for 10 Minutes]

They both stepped into the entrance.

The air inside was heavy. The narrow passage opened into a wide, circular corridor. The walls were unnaturally smooth, as if carved by some forgotten force. Faint torchlight flickered along the stone, casting shadows that stretched too far and bent at wrong angles.

Noir scanned the corners. "Feels like there should be traps."

"There are. Some are random," Korb said. "Stick close."

They reached the first chamber—a wide room with cracked stone pillars and a vaulted ceiling. Eight Redbloods roamed the space—half Fighters, half Mages.

Korb eyed them. "You ready?"

Noir unsheathed his daggers. "Yeah."

"I'll gather them and open. Try not to get clipped."

Korb darted forward, circling the room in a tight loop to aggro the Redbloods. As they grouped together, he slammed his scythe into the floor.

Curse Guillotine.

A massive ghostly blade shot up from beneath the mobs, slicing through several with a howling screech.

Noir activated Swift Step, blurring across the field. In one fluid motion, he unleashed Critical Dash Slash—eight precise strikes tore into the clustered enemies. Shrill cries echoed through the room, but they still stood, bloodied but alive.

"Tougher than I expected," he muttered.

He vanished in a blink—Shadow Feint—leaving a phantom behind. The clone repeated his last skill, mimicking his dash-slashes while Noir reappeared at their flank.

The Redbloods dropped to 30% HP—but still refused to fall.

Korb didn't hesitate. "Rotona!"

His scythe spun in wide arcs, battering the group.

Then—Discarlo.

A wave of dark energy pulsed out from his weapon, exploding through the cluster of monsters.

[You have defeated: Redblood Mage x4 | Redblood Fighter x4]

[EXP Gained.]

Silence returned, broken only by the sound of their breathing.

"They're built different," Noir said quietly.

"Yeah," Korb replied. "It only gets harder."

They moved on, clearing room after room. The Redbloods kept coming—more coordinated, more aggressive. Some ambushed from behind walls. Others spawned mid-fight. They fought nonstop for nearly two hours, keeping pace without saying much more than quick battle calls.

By the end of the run, they were both bloodied, breathing hard—but alive.

[Noir – Level Up! → Lv. 10]

[Korb777 – Level Up! → Lv. 9]

Noir checked his stat screen. A new level. Another step forward.

Korb leaned his weapon against the wall. "Good run."

Noir nodded. "Yeah. Solid."

They didn't celebrate. There was still one room left.

And they both knew what was waiting behind that door.

*****

They stepped into the final chamber.

The doors groaned open, revealing a cold, circular arena carved from black stone. Braziers lined the walls, their blue flames casting eerie shadows across the ground. And in the center of it all stood the boss.

A ten-foot-tall skeletal figure, wrapped in rotting armor, with veins of crimson light pulsing through the gaps in its bones. Its massive axe was taller than either of them.

Above its head, the nameplate burned with color:

Bloodred Skrill – Lv. 9[The One That Never Dies](Dark Pink Nameplate)

Both Noir and Korb froze. Even at this distance, the pressure it gave off was real.

"…Dark pink?" Korb muttered. "Is that—"

"Yeah," Noir replied. "Named. Rare. Maybe even immortal."

As if responding to their fear, the boss raised its head.

Despite the skeletal structure, its voice rang out deep and ancient.

"Who dares enter my realm uninvited?" it boomed. "A shadow… and a scythe? Hah... amusing."

Its hollow laughter echoed through the chamber.

"I have not drawn blood in over a century. You will not leave this place. This realm shall be your grave."

The moment it finished, a dark wave pulsed out from its body.

[Bloodred Skrill has released a Malevolent Aura.][-10% Armor | -3% Movement Speed | Duration: Permanent while in boss room]

The effect hit immediately. Noir's stance shifted slightly, armor heavier, steps slower. Korb adjusted his grip on the scythe.

"Debuff aura," Noir muttered. "Persistent."

Before either of them could plan, the boss lunged forward—quicker than expected for its size. The massive axe came crashing down toward Noir.

But he was ready.

Shadow Feint.

Noir flickered out of view a split-second before impact. The boss's axe slammed into the stone, cracking the floor where Noir had just been.

"Agile, aren't you?" the boss growled, turning to track him.

Noir reappeared at its side. "Didn't know Halloween props came with a voice box."

He vanished again—Backstab triggered.

Noir blinked behind Skrill in an instant and drove both daggers into its exposed spine.

The Fangs Monlit Twin pierced deep. Venom hissed into the bone as poison took hold. The system text flashed across his screen.

[Backstab Successful – Critical Hit!][Poison Applied: -5 HP/sec for 10s][Dizzy Effect: -20% Movement Speed for 8s]

The boss roared, stumbling a step forward.

Korb seized the opening.

"Let's go!"

His scythe ignited with cursed energy as he launched into his rotation.

Korb moved in a flash. His scythe dragged behind him like a comet tail, cursed energy spiraling around its edge.

"Curse Guillotine!"

A massive, spectral blade ripped up from beneath Skrill's feet, cleaving upward through bone and armor. The skeletal boss reeled from the strike—but it didn't fall. Instead, it spun with unnatural speed, swinging its axe in a wide arc.

"Back!" Noir called.

They both leapt away. The axe missed by inches, its weight leaving a crater in the floor. Dust and chunks of stone scattered across the arena.

"Rotona!" Korb shouted again, slashing forward in a deadly spin. His blade struck the boss's torso twice, then rebounded. Sparks flew.

"Armor's too thick!" Korb said through clenched teeth. "We need to wear it down!"

"I've got poison in play. Keep applying pressure."

The boss lunged again—this time for Korb. Its axe came crashing down in a brutal vertical slash.

Korb dodged late.

The edge of the blade scraped his shoulder, flinging him into the wall.

[Korb777 – HP -42%]

"Korb!" Noir shouted.

"I'm good!" Korb coughed, standing. "I just need a second."

Skrill turned its hollow gaze back to Noir. "You're faster. I'll kill you first."

Noir didn't flinch. He activated Swift Step, circling the boss's left, then triggered Critical Dash Slash.

He darted in, striking eight times in less than two seconds. The last two hits went deep, cracking bone. As the boss tried to counter, Noir vanished again—Shadow Feint.

A decoy burst forward, slashing again in his place.

Skrill turned—but the real Noir had already blinked behind him.

Backstab.

Both blades sank into its spine a second time. This time, the poison stacked. The dizziness effect deepened.

[Poison Stack x2 – -10 HP/sec for 10s][Movement Debuff Intensified -30% Movement Speed]

"…Wait. It stacks?" Noir blinked in surprise, watching as the debuff timer reset.

He hadn't seen this mechanic in any of his earlier fights. This wasn't just a strong dagger—this was broken. If poison effects could stack on high-HP bosses, it changed everything.

Skrill staggered. Its swing missed wide. Its steps became sluggish.

Korb used the moment. "Discarlo!"

A shockwave burst out from his scythe, slamming into the boss's chest and blasting it backward.

The boss crashed into a pillar, shattering half of it.

It groaned—deep and mechanical—and raised its axe again. The aura around its body started to pulse.

"He's about to enrage," Noir said, eyes narrowing.

"Then we finish this now."

Korb activated his final skill—Helshadow Break.

His entire body pulsed red. The scythe in his hands glowed like it was forged from blood and lightning.

He dashed.

One clean strike.

Straight across the boss's chest.

Noir followed immediately with one last Backstab, landing the dagger into the back of its skull.

Skrill landed on one knee.

His HP bar dropped to 10%.

And then—everything changed.

The boss slowly raised its axe. Its body glowed, not red, but pale gray—flickering, flickering—then blinding.

[Bloodred Skrill has activated: Image of 10,000 War Experience]

The arena vibrated.

Crimson symbols lit up across the stone floor, and with a flash of white light, Skrill split into six.

Six skeletal warlords, each with the same armor, the same axe—but burning with distorted energy.

[Skrill Clone x6 – Each at 40% Damage Output]

Noir stepped back instinctively. "No way..."

"They can do that!?" Korb barked. "They didn't mention this online!"

The clones moved like soldiers, each one executing disciplined, heavy strikes. Two flanked Korb. One leapt from above. Noir dodged clean—barely—but the sheer volume of attacks began to choke the arena.

They couldn't counter. They couldn't find an opening.

The aura thickened. Even their breathing felt heavier.

Korb took a direct hit to the side, his HP dropping dangerously low.

[Korb777 – HP: 22%]

Noir ducked, rolled, slashed—and still got clipped. He stumbled back, hands shaking from the parried impact.

This wasn't a fight anymore. This was suicide.

"They're not going down!" Korb shouted, panting. "We can't keep up!"

"We're not supposed to win this. Not now," Noir growled. "Fall back. Now."

Korb didn't argue.

They turned and made a break for the dungeon entrance. The clones roared behind them—two gave chase, their heavy steps thundering like drums.

[System Notice: Exit now to escape dungeon instance.]

They leapt through the cracked doorway just as a clone's axe struck the wall inches behind them, blasting stone into dust.

The darkness swallowed them.

Then light.

They reappeared at the dungeon's edge, gasping for air. The oppressive aura was gone, but the tension still lingered like cold sweat on their backs.

Korb collapsed to one knee, scythe dragging in the dirt.

"Okay," he muttered, breathless. "That was not a regular boss."

Noir stood still, looking back at the dungeon's black entrance. His expression wasn't fear—it was focus.

"That ultimate," he muttered. "Image of 10,000 War Experience… That wasn't listed anywhere."

"We're not doing that again," Korb muttered.

"We are," Noir said, still breathing heavily. "But not as two."

Korb looked up.

"We need to form a raid party."