As the timer neared 00:00, DK's body, though battered, was no longer failing. His breathing evened.
His mind was clear. The moment the system registered the quest completion, the shockwave of absorbed mana finally settled inside him. He exhaled, rising to his feet. He had survived. No. He had evolved.
—
SYSTEM QUEST COMPLETED: ENDURANCE OF THE DAMNED
+7 Mana (Total: 57)
+5% Core Stability (Total: 75%)
New Skill: Corruption Flow (Tier 1)
—
DK turned back to Lucy, his once-fatigued eyes now sharper, more aware.His body still felt like it had been through hell, but the power inside him was stable.
Lucy stared at him, arms still raised cautiously, as though she wasn't entirely sure the DK standing in front of her was the same one she had walked into the cave with."What the hell did you just do?" she asked.
DK looked down at his hands, where traces of dark energy flickered in and out of existence—controlled, restrained, obedient.
He met her gaze, his expression both exhilarated and unnerving. "I figured it out," he said simply.
DK let the sensation of power settle within him, feeling the equilibrium between mana and corruption inside his Nexus Core. The volatile energy that once threatened to consume him now pulsed in steady waves, under his control—at least, for now.
Lucy still had her arms raised, her staff glowing faintly as she stared at him with something between caution and intrigue. Her voice was steady but carried a note of uncertainty. "DK… what the hell just happened? You were moments away from dying, and now you're standing there like you just figured out how to breathe fire."
DK exhaled slowly, lifting his hand and flexing his fingers. The dark tendrils of corrupted energy that once lashed out wildly now hovered around his skin, controlled and contained. He could feel the weight of the power inside him, like a new limb he was just learning to use.
"I think I can control it now," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Before, it was just raw power overwhelming my core, but I've figured out how to regulate it. Corruption and mana… they're supposed to reject each other, but if I treat them like opposing forces in balance rather than enemies, I can use both."
Lucy scoffed, but there was no real humor in it. "That's insane," she muttered, crossing her arms. "I don't know anyone else who can do that. You're not supposed to be able to do that."
"Maybe I'm not supposed to," DK admitted. "But I can."
He closed his eyes and brought up the system interface.
—
SYSTEM INTERFACE
New Skill Acquired: Corruption Flow (Tier 1)
Allows controlled use of corruption energy without immediate destabilization.
Currently limits excessive absorption, preventing corruption loss of control.
—
DK focused on the skill, activating the system's mental training mode. A new simulation appeared in his vision, showing a projection of himself channeling corruption energy through his limbs. He followed along in his mind, letting the energy flow naturally, directing it rather than suppressing it.
It was strange—before, corruption had always been something he fought against, something chaotic and uncontrollable. Now, it responded to him like an extension of his will.
He opened his eyes. "Time to test something."
DK reached to his side, gripping the familiar hilt of the Darkmoon Blade and drawing it in one swift motion. The moment it left its sheath, he could already feel how it responded to him differently.
"Before, the corrupted energy made the sword uncontrollable," he muttered to himself, glancing at the blade. "Let's see what happens now."
Closing his eyes, he focused on drawing out the corruption—not all of it, but a controlled sliver. Instead of letting it run wild, he guided it, forming it along the edge of the blade like a thin coating of dark mist. Unlike before, when the entire weapon pulsed violently with uncontrolled dark energy, this time, the corruption formed a razor-thin edge, subtle but deadly.
The moment he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was Lucy's expression.
She wasn't just watching—she was staring. Wide-eyed, her usual smirk replaced with something closer to disbelief.
"You're using corrupted energy," she said slowly, her tone cautious. "And also mana. I don't know anyone who can do that, DK." She hesitated before adding, "This isn't normal."
The black edge of the Darkmoon Blade shimmered faintly, its corrupted energy perfectly aligned with his controlled flow of mana. He gave the sword an experimental swing, and the very air around the edge hissed as if the blade itself was cutting through reality.
Lucy let out a breath, shaking her head. "Great. You're a walking anomaly. Now can we please get the hell out of this cavern before you get any more bright ideas?"
DK chuckled, sheathing his sword as the dark energy dissipated back into his Nexus Core. "Fine, fine. Let's go."
After leaving the mana cavern, DK and Lucy resumed their journey toward Dragondale. The road stretched before them, four days of travel through forests, small settlements, and open plains. The tension of the past battles faded into the background as DK focused on something equally important—understanding his new stats and skills.
Each night when they camped, DK spent hours going through his system interface, analyzing his improvements and refining his abilities.
—
System
DK's Updated Stats
Level: 6 (20% completion for next level)
Nexus Core 1: 75% Stability
Nexus Core 2: (???)
Corruption Integration: Controlled (Tier 1)
Attributes:
Strength: 25 (+3)
Dexterity: 24 (+3)
Health: 20 (+4)
Mana: 60 (+10)
Luck: 2 (+1)
Attack: 25 (+3)
Defense: 10 (+4)
Magic Attack: 5 (+2)
Magic Defense: 5 (+3)
Skills:
Swift Strike (Tier 2):
Enhanced speed-based attack, mana-infused blade movements.Damage Absorption (Tier 1):
Converts 10% of damage taken into mana recovery.Corruption Flow (Tier 1):
Controlled usage of corruption energy without immediate destabilization.
Allows infusion of corruption into attacks for enhanced lethality.
—
Woah! another level up and my stats have all increased by a significant amount. Over the next few days of recovery on their way to Dragondale DK was focussing on recovery and getting back to his top shape. He also spent a lot of time on looking at his stats and skills to prepare for his next battle.