Without hesitation, he activated Blank once more and vanished into the darkness of the cave, leaving behind a horde of enraged, bloodthirsty wolves...
---
The dim cavern swallowed all light as Morca stepped forward, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. Shadows clung to the jagged rock walls like ghosts, and the damp air smelled of blood and decay. The only sounds were the soft dripping of water and the distant echoes of unseen creatures shifting in the darkness.
Raising his guard, Morca scanned his surroundings carefully. Before he proceeded deeper, he decided to check his status. With a quiet murmur, he muttered:
"Status."
A transparent screen materialized before his eyes, glowing faintly in the gloom.
-----
Name: Morca Sherman Nihility
Age: 16 years
Rank: Awakened
Level: 3 -> 6
EXP: 6/150
---
Attributes:
Strength: 10.5 -> 12
Agility: 11 -> 12
Endurance: 8.9 -> 11.5
Intelligence: 6.4 -> 7.6
---
Affinity/Class: Darkness, Shadow
Bloodline: Infinity Nihility
Talent: Unique SSS+
Unique Skills: Blank, Oblivion Blade
---
Mission: Defeat the Peak Star One Dungeon Boss
Objective: Kill the boss before it completes its breakthrough to Star Two.
Rewards:
1. Instant upgrade of two levels
2. 20 EXP points
---
Curse: Eternal Doom
-----
"If I can eliminate all the monsters in this dungeon, my level should increase significantly…"
The thought lingered in Morca's mind before he shook his head, dismissing it. These weren't just any monsters, these were Bloodthirsty Thorn Wolves. An entire pack, numbering in the thousands. If dungeons were so easy to clear, Eden would be rid of them long ago.
Exhaling slowly, Morca steadied himself and continued deeper into the cave. The deeper he ventured, the more frequently he encountered wolves lurking in the passageways. Their crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness, their fangs bared in silent snarls. But Morca was swift, his sword an extension of his will, cutting through them with efficiency.
However, as he approached what he believed to be the boss room, he encountered something unexpected.
A massive stone door loomed before him. Steeling himself, he pushed it open and stepped inside, only to freeze.
At the center of the chamber lay the dungeon boss.
Dead!
Morca's eyes narrowed as he approached cautiously. The corpse of the Bloodthirsty Thorn Wolf Boss sprawled across the stone floor, its body bearing deep, vicious wounds. Its monster core had been ripped out. Blood still oozed from the wounds, indicating that it had died recently, perhaps while Morca was still battling wolves outside.
His mind raced. If the boss was dead, why hadn't the dungeon portal opened?
Usually, when a dungeon boss was slain, a portal gateway would manifest, allowing the surviving challengers to return to the outside world. But now… nothing.
A terrible thought struck him.
"Could this be a double dungeon?"
A rare phenomenon, one that only occurred when two different monster species shared a dungeon, separated by an invisible boundary. If the balance between the two species was disturbed, the dungeon could transform into something far more dangerous.
Morca's grip on his sword tightened. The wolves outside had shown no signs of realizing their boss was dead. Which meant...
"Another monster species must have invaded this territory and killed the boss."
Activating Blank, his unique concealment skill, Morca melted into the shadows. His form blended seamlessly with the surrounding darkness, becoming undetectable. He moved silently, his sharp eyes scanning the Boss room for clues.
Then, he saw it.
A barely visible rift behind the boss's corpse.
Or rather… a door.
It had been forced slightly open, revealing a narrow passage beyond. Cautiously, Morca approached, his blade, Avoc the Black Blade, firm in his grip.
With measured force, he pushed the door wider.
A deep hiss echoed from within.
Inside, a monstrous figure coiled around an object on the floor. The dim light from the cave revealed its grotesque form. Its lower body was that of a massive, green-scaled serpent, twisting and flexing with an eerie grace. Its upper body bore vague similarities to a human, but was far too rough and distorted to be mistaken for one.
It had four muscular arms and a bony face covered in green scales. Instead of hair, fin-like structures extended from the sides of its head, resembling those of a deep-sea monster. Its slitted golden eyes gleamed with cold intelligence as it remained focused on whatever it was coiled around.
A Green-Scaled Snakeman.
Morca's stomach tightened. A monster that thrived in aquatic environments. It had no business being here in a land-based dungeon, which confirmed his suspicions. This was, without a doubt, a double dungeon.
Morca smirked slightly. "Well, at least I don't have to go looking for it. It came straight to me."
However, this monster was far more dangerous than the Bloodthirsty Thorn Wolves. It had not only killed the boss, but had done so without alerting the wolf pack outside. That meant it was either highly skilled… or extremely powerful.
Morca formulated a plan. A sneak attack.
He wasn't fond of ambush tactics, but he wasn't foolish enough to fight something this dangerous head-on. If he wanted to win, he needed an advantage.
Slowly, he maneuvered through the shadows, drawing closer. With a swift motion, he swung his blade in a powerful arc
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the room.
Blood sprayed as the snakeman let out a sharp, ear-piercing hiss. Though Morca's blade hadn't severed its skull, the sheer vibrational force of the impact caused blood to gush from its eyes, ears, and nostrils.
The monster whipped its massive tail forward in retaliation, striking blindly. Morca barely evaded the attack, using Blank to stay concealed.
Moving with deadly precision, he aimed for the monster's throat.
CLANG!
The snakeman reacted faster than expected. All four of its arms moved at once, intercepting Morca's attack. One of its arms was severed cleanly, but the creature barely seemed to register the pain.
Green blood sprayed across the chamber.
Morca wasted no time. He activated his second unique skill, Oblivion Blade. A dark aura surged around his weapon, distorting reality itself. With one final, decisive strike, he aimed for the creature's head,
Then his skill deactivated.
His Blank ability had reached its time limit.
For the first time in over two hours, Morca was visible.
His red eyes widened as the snakeman's massive tail swung toward him at full force. With no time to dodge, Morca changed the angle of his blade, aiming at the tail instead..
BOOM!
The impact sent him hurtling backward, crashing hard into the cavern wall. A sharp pain erupted in his chest as blood dripped from his lips.