After practicing for a while with my new powers, I stepped out of the evolution room with confidence.
The dark dungeon corridor now felt different, every shadow seemed to whisper to me, providing information about every nook and cranny.
The walls of the dungeon, made of ancient gray stone, were adorned with faded ancient carvings. Pale blue crystals embedded in the walls emitted a dim light, creating a dance of shadows along the corridor. The air felt damp and cold, carrying the scent of earth and minerals.
Not far from where I stood, I heard a squeaking sound. Three Giant Rats. Rats the size of dogs with glowing red eyes were sniffing around in the distance. They had not yet noticed my presence.
'What a great opportunity to test my new power' I thought as I activated [Dark Embrace].
Thick shadows immediately enveloped my body, making me almost invisible in the darkness. With [Shadow Step], I glided through the shadows, appearing right behind one of the Giant Rats.
SLASH! CRACK!
[Claw Strike] hit precisely at the first rat's spine, sending it crashing against the wall with a horrifying sound.
The other two rats noticed my presence and immediately attacked with their sharp, glistening teeth in the darkness.
'Too slow!'
Using [Shadow Control], I formed dozens of shadow tentacles that gripped the bodies of the two rats.
With a brutal spinning motion, I slammed them to the ground repeatedly until their bones shattered. 'Heheheh, Shadow Control is an incredible skill!'
You Level Up!
I heard the system notification that I had leveled up. I immediately allocated my points to 2 STR and 3 AGI.
After a brief pause, I continued my journey deeper into the dungeon. I traversed corridor after corridor, dispatching small monsters like Poison Spiders and Lesser Slimes with a combination of [Shadow Step] and deadly [Swift Strike].
After several hours of exploration, I arrived at a large circular room. Unlike the previous areas, this room was illuminated by purple crystals that emitted a mystical glow. In the center of the room stood a massive stone door, three meters tall.
The door was adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and serpents entwined, as if dancing in the dim light.
In the center, there was a symbol shaped like a crescent moon that radiated a threatening purplish light.
'What kind of door is this?'
'[Appraisal]'
[Ancient Door]
{???)
'Hah? No information from the system?'
I walked closer to the door. As I approached, the crescent moon symbol shone brighter. The air around me turned icy cold, and the shadows in the room began to whirl wildly like a black tornado.
GRRRRRRR.... RAAAAWWRRRR!
A growl reverberated throughout the room. Slowly, the stone door creaked open with a horrifying sound, revealing a pitch-black darkness that seemed alive behind it.
I stepped inside cautiously. The room beyond the door was much larger than I had imagined. Tall black pillars soared up to an unseen ceiling, adorned with ancient carvings that glowed in the darkness.
Giant purple crystals decorated the walls, creating a chilling atmosphere that made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CRACK!
Heavy footsteps echoed in the room, causing the stone floor to crack with each step. From the darkness emerged a massive figure.
A monster standing five meters tall with a wolf-like body made of solid shadows and an aura of darkness that billowed like black flames. Its red eyes glowed in the darkness like hellfire, and its black fangs, sharp as swords, were dangerously gleaming.
The shadowy muscles rippled beneath its skin as dark as night.
'!?'
'What is that?'
'[Appraisal]'
[Alpha Dark Dire Wolf]
Level: 15
HP : 1200
MP : 300
STR : 78
'It's so strong... its stats are higher than mine'
'It seems to be the leader of the direwolves I previously defeated'
'This will be a fight for my life!' I thought as I took a fighting stance.
ROOOOAAARRR!!!
The wolf roared, sending a wave of dark energy that shattered several pillars around it. I quickly activated [Dark Embrace], boosting my defense just before the wave hit.
The monster lunged forward with impossible speed for its size, creating a sonic boom that shattered the small crystals in the walls.
Its massive shadowy claws, enveloped in dark energy, swept toward me, but I used [Shadow Step] to evade.
CRASH! BOOM!
The floor where I had just stood shattered into pieces, creating a large crater. Before its attack was over, the wolf's tail moved like a whip, cracking the air with a deafening sound.
[Swift Strike] activated! I launched a series of consecutive strikes at the wolf's hind legs, my claws shining in the darkness.
My attacks left deep wounds in its shadowy body, but the wounds quickly closed up with a hissing dark energy.
'What!? Its regeneration is too fast!'
The wolf spun around with unbelievable speed, its tail, made of solid shadows, sweeping across a wide area with destructive force.
I jumped to dodge, but the tip of its tail still struck my shoulder, sending a searing pain through me. I was sent flying, crashing into the dungeon wall.
Brrukk!! -300 HP!
'Ughhh...'
'Damn... one attack, and my HP drops by almost half!'
I used [Shadow Control] to form layered shadow shields, blocking the next claw strike. But the monster's power was too great, and my shield shattered into pieces like glass hit by a sledgehammer.
The monster opened its mouth wide, gathering dark energy so dense that it absorbed the surrounding light.
A pitch-black energy ball the size of a car formed between its jaws, emitting a buzzing sound that made the air tremble.
'This is bad! If this hits, I'm done for!'
BWOOSH! KRAKOOM! A dark energy beam shot toward me like a death laser. In the last moment,
I used [Shadow Step] to avoid it, letting the attack hit the wall behind me. The thick stone wall didn't just have a hole, it was completely disintegrated, creating a long tunnel that was smoking.
The battle raged on at a breakneck pace. I kept moving like a black lightning bolt, using a combination of [Shadow Step] and [Swift Strike] to land quick hits from various directions, then retreating before the monster could retaliate.
But every wound I caused healed within seconds. I was starting to get exhausted, and my MP was rapidly depleting.
The wolf's regeneration was too fast, and my attacks weren't dealing permanent damage. Meanwhile, one strike from it could end the fight.
'There has to be a way... anything!'
My eyes landed on the giant purple crystals in the walls.
'The monster... it avoids those crystals.'
'And the crystals are emitting light... Could they be the wolf's weakness?'
A crazy plan formed in my mind. It was extremely risky, but it might be the only chance I had to win.
'I have no choice... I have to take the bet.'
I ran toward one of the nearest pillars with the largest crystal, deliberately drawing the wolf's attack.
The monster struck with a combination of claws and its tail, exactly as I had hoped. At the last moment, I used [Shadow Step] to dodge.
CRASH! BOOM! CRACK!
The monster's attack destroyed the pillar and struck the massive crystal in the wall, cracking it severely. Purple light erupted uncontrollably like a waterfall of energy.
'Perfect!'
Using [Shadow Control], I formed dozens of shadow tentacles to grab the cracked crystal and pulled it with all my strength.
The crystal detached with a deafening sound, its light becoming highly unstable, flickering with blinding intensity.
The wolf realized my plan. It howled in rage, its dark aura exploding like blazing black fire. With speed surpassing its previous strikes, it charged at me, each step crushing the floor beneath it.
'Now! Or never!'
I activated [Dark Embrace] for maximum protection, then [Swift Strike] for speed like I had never reached before. With all my strength and perfect timing, I hurled the unstable crystal into the wolf's wide-open mouth.
FLASH! KRAKOOM! BOOM!
The crystal exploded in a blinding flash that filled the entire room. The wolf howled in excruciating pain, its shadowy body becoming unstable and cracking, its dark energy running wild.
This was my last chance! Using every bit of remaining MP, I activated [Shadow Control] to form a massive shadow spear that spun like a drill, then used [Shadow Step] to appear directly above the pained monster's head.
'DIE, MONSTER!' I roared.
JLEB! CRACK! BOOM!
The shadow spear pierced straight through the center of the wolf's head with crushing force, driving through to the floor beneath.
The monster let out one final roar that shattered the remaining crystals in the room before its body started to crumble into pieces, breaking apart into fragments of shadow that vanished into the air.
Ting!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
Congratulations!! The skill [Shadow Control I] has leveled up to [Shadow Control II]
Congratulations!! The skill [Shadow Step I] has leveled up to [Shadow Step II]
Congratulations!! The skill [Shadow Embrace] has leveled up to [Shadow Embrace II]
I immediately sat down, exhausted, ignoring the system notifications ringing in my head, my breath heavy and my body trembling from the adrenaline.
But a satisfied smile spread across my face. This deadly battle had proven that I was growing stronger.
In the now-silent, ruined room, the body of the Alpha Dark Dire Wolf that had been destroyed left behind a glowing object.
A necklace with a crescent-shaped pendant radiating a strong dark aura.
'What is this?'
'[Appraisal]'
[Dark Crescent]
{An ancient artifact containing part of the power of the Alpha Dark Dire Wolf. Increases shadow control by 50% and MP regeneration by +20%. Grants the passive skill [Shadow Blessing] - Increases all shadow-based damage by 30% for 30 seconds.}
'Wow!? Since this is the boss room, I got a loot drop, and this is a reward well-earned for this fight' I thought
taking the necklace and immediately putting it around my neck. As I wore it, I could feel the dark power flowing through my body, strengthening my connection to the shadows.