As the misty remains of the Shadow Wolf faded into the air, Alex—still using the in-game name "Void"—held the first key in his hand. The cold, metallic feel of the black key sent a shiver through him, not just because of its temperature, but because of the sheer sense of accomplishment it represented. He had defeated a level 5 creature while still a level 1 player, and now he was one step closer to completing the mysterious hidden quest.
Alex stuffed the key into his inventory and checked his map again. The two remaining keys were marked in separate areas of Darkwood Grove, both likely guarded by equally dangerous creatures. But Alex felt a growing confidence. He had learned from the Shadow Wolf fight that brute force wasn't always the answer. Strategy and quick thinking were just as important.
Before heading out, Alex sat on a nearby fallen tree trunk and pulled up his interface, navigating to his skill screen. The new skill, Shadow Slayer, was listed alongside his basic combat skills.
"Ten percent more damage against shadow creatures, huh?" he murmured to himself, tapping the skill icon to read its full description. "That'll definitely come in handy."
As Alex closed the skill menu, he suddenly remembered something important—the game wasn't just about grinding for levels and loot. The real power came from leveraging knowledge and information. In The Infinite Quest, there were countless hidden quests, rare items, and unique strategies that players could discover, and those who knew how to find them held the advantage.
Alex grinned to himself as an idea began to form. He wasn't just going to rely on strength and combat skills to get ahead. If he could find hidden quests like this early on, he could become a valuable source of information for other players—and make a profit off of it.
But first, he had to survive this quest.
-----
After taking a short break, Alex rose to his feet and headed toward the next location marked on his map. The dense forest grew darker as he moved deeper into the grove. His senses were on high alert, every crack of a twig or rustle of leaves making him pause and scan his surroundings. The air had grown heavy, the smell of damp earth and decay stronger the farther he ventured.
He passed under the gnarled branches of an ancient tree, its bark covered in dark moss. As he walked, his perception skill triggered again, alerting him to the presence of something nearby. Alex crouched low, peeking through the underbrush to spot his next challenge.
In a small clearing ahead, a shadowy humanoid figure loomed over a cluster of dark, glowing mushrooms. Its body was made of the same swirling mist as the Shadow Wolf, but this creature was taller and more menacing, with long, claw-like fingers that twitched as it examined the mushrooms.
Shadow Gatherer
Level 4
"Looks like it's guarding the second key," Alex muttered under his breath.
The creature's slow, deliberate movements made it seem less aggressive than the wolf, but Alex knew better than to assume it would be an easy fight. He needed a plan.
Quickly opening his inventory, Alex scanned his items. He had a few healing salves left, some dried meat for stamina recovery, and a couple of stones for his sling. Nothing particularly special. His rusty dagger would be next to useless against this creature's misty form. Then his eyes landed on a small vial of oil he had picked up during a quest in Valewood.
"Perfect."
Alex coated the blade of his dagger with the oil, hoping it would help the weapon bite deeper into the creature's shadowy body. He wasn't sure how effective it would be, but it was worth a shot.
With his preparations complete, Alex slowly crept forward, staying low to the ground. The Shadow Gatherer seemed entirely focused on the mushrooms, oblivious to his approach.
When he was close enough, Alex launched a stone from his sling, aiming directly for the creature's head. The stone struck the side of its misty form, causing the creature to jerk upright, emitting an eerie, hissing sound. It turned to face Alex, its glowing red eyes locking onto him with a predatory gaze.
"Here we go," Alex muttered, tightening his grip on the oiled dagger.
The creature lunged forward, its claw-like fingers swiping through the air. Alex rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. He slashed at the creature's side, and to his relief, the oiled blade seemed to cut deeper than before, the misty form briefly dispersing around the wound.
The Shadow Gatherer let out a screech, turning toward Alex with renewed aggression. It lashed out with both arms, forcing Alex to dodge and parry with his dagger. Each time the blade connected, the creature's form flickered, but it wasn't enough to bring it down.
"Damn, this thing's tougher than the wolf," Alex muttered through gritted teeth.
As the creature's claws came down in another vicious swipe, Alex ducked under its arm and slashed upward, landing a solid hit on its chest. The creature staggered back, its body wavering.
This was his chance.
Without hesitation, Alex launched another stone at the creature's head, following up with a quick strike to its torso. The Shadow Gatherer let out one final screech before collapsing into a pile of mist, leaving behind a second black key on the ground.
Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead, his heart still racing from the fight. He knelt down and picked up the key, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over him.
Key of Shadows (2/3) obtained.
"Two down, one to go," Alex said, standing up. "Now for the last one."
-----
As Alex continued deeper into the grove, he couldn't shake the feeling that the final challenge would be even more difficult. The two shadow creatures he had faced so far had been tough, but manageable with careful strategy. However, the final key would undoubtedly be guarded by something far more dangerous.
He followed his map to the final location, his footsteps light and cautious. The forest around him grew eerily quiet, the oppressive atmosphere weighing on his shoulders. Every instinct told him that something was wrong.
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled, and a low growl rumbled through the air. Alex froze, his hand instinctively reaching for his dagger.
From the shadows ahead, a massive figure emerged, easily twice the size of the Shadow Wolf or the Shadow Gatherer. Its body was made of swirling black mist, but its form was more solid, its eyes burning with an intense red glow.
Shadow Guardian
Level 8
"Level 8?" Alex muttered in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me."
He was still level 1. There was no way he could take down a creature this powerful—at least not through conventional means. But he wasn't going to back down now. This was his trial, and he intended to see it through.
As the Shadow Guardian lumbered toward him, Alex's mind raced. He needed to find a way to outsmart it—just like he had with the other creatures. He scanned the environment, searching for anything he could use to his advantage.
That's when he spotted it—a large, rotting tree nearby, its branches hanging low over the path. If he could lure the creature toward the tree and bring it down on top of the Guardian…
"It's worth a shot," Alex muttered, backing away slowly.
The Shadow Guardian let out a roar and charged at him, its massive claws tearing through the underbrush. Alex sprinted toward the tree, hoping his plan would work.
As the creature closed in, Alex spun around and slashed at one of the tree's weak branches with his oiled dagger. The branch groaned and cracked, but it didn't fall.
"Come on, come on," Alex muttered, slashing at the branch again.
Just as the Shadow Guardian reached him, the branch gave way, crashing down on top of the creature and pinning it to the ground. The misty form writhed and screeched, struggling to free itself.
Without wasting a moment, Alex dashed forward and struck the creature's exposed body with his dagger, dealing as much damage as he could. The creature let out one final roar before its form dissolved into mist, leaving behind the final black key.
Alex collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
Key of Shadows (3/3) obtained.
He had done it. The trial was complete.
"Time to get my reward," Alex said with a grin, feeling the excitement of his victory as he prepared to return to the mysterious NPC.
.
.