The moment Zihad—known in-game as Phantom Reaper—stepped into the dungeon's second floor, a wave of stale, cold air greeted him. The stone corridor ahead shimmered with faint blue runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The walls whispered ancient secrets in a tongue the system couldn't translate—one of the hidden lore languages Zihad had coded into Dream Land Fantasy but left inaccessible to normal players.
This place wasn't part of the public map. Even high-level players wouldn't be able to enter it yet. But Zihad wasn't just a player—he was the architect. And right now, he was testing the limits of his own creation.
He stepped forward silently, twin scythes unsummoned and folded into shadow around his hands. With every step, the floor beneath him changed subtly—from carved stone to cracked marble, then to glowing bone tiles, as if the dungeon itself had a memory.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed ahead.
[BOSS DETECTED: Forsaken Devourer – Level 35 (Awakened Variant)]
Zihad's eyes narrowed. "Awakened...?"
This wasn't supposed to appear yet. Only players with a karma score below -300 should've triggered this boss, and even then, not until floor five. His character's karma was balanced, neutral. And yet...
The shadows around him pulsed. His class—Phantom Reaper—reacted to the abnormal magic. Not with fear, but hunger.
The shadows slithered along the walls, whispering back in the same forgotten tongue.
"You awaken us... Child of the Code..."
Zihad summoned his scythes. Twin weapons of bone and cursed steel materialized in his grip, dripping violet energy. His undead summons flickered into form behind him: Wraith Knights, Bone Crows, and a new summon he had unlocked—Hollow Warden, a level 28 elite tank with high magic resistance.
"Formation Delta," he commanded.
The undead responded instantly, forming a V-formation with Hollow Warden at the front. The corridor began to rumble. From the far end, a beast emerged—twelve feet tall, half-skeletal, with insect-like mandibles and a coiled snake-like lower body. Its claws scraped sparks from the stone, and its eye sockets burned with a blue fire.
[Forsaken Devourer: HP 198,000]
Zihad smiled faintly.
"Let's see how far the system's evolved on its own."
Combat Engaged.
The boss lunged forward, body blurring with unnatural speed. Zihad didn't move. His summons intercepted the charge—Hollow Warden raised a massive bone shield, absorbing the impact. The corridor exploded with energy, shaking the walls and throwing dust into the air.
Zihad activated Phantom Phase, disappearing into smoke and reappearing behind the boss mid-attack.
[Critical Hit – 2,984 Damage]
Not bad—but the Devourer's HP bar barely moved.
The creature roared, spinning and striking with its tail. Zihad ducked, rolled, and sliced with both scythes in a spinning arc.
His HUD lit up.
Combo Skill Unlocked: Reaper's Descent
Effect: Deals 450% damage in a multi-hit chain. Bonus effect on cursed enemies.
He activated it without hesitation.
The corridor filled with streaks of purple and black. The Devourer reeled backward as dozens of hits landed in a rapid barrage. Cursed chains erupted from the ground, binding its limbs temporarily.
But then something strange happened.
The boss adapted.
Its next move wasn't part of its programmed pattern. It used one of Zihad's own skills—Soul Fracture—a high-tier necromancer ability no boss should've had access to.
Zihad's heart skipped a beat. He jumped back, activating a mana shield just in time. The blast scorched the entire area, leaving ghostly echoes burned into the walls.
"How did it...?"
Then it clicked.
The adaptive AI.
He'd added that function for certain late-game raid bosses—AI capable of mimicking a player's moves after seeing them enough times.
But it wasn't supposed to activate here.
Unless...
"The game is evolving without me."
He gritted his teeth, pushed away the thought, and reengaged.
This was no longer just about testing mechanics.
This was survival.
Thirty-five grueling minutes later...
[Boss Defeated: Forsaken Devourer – EXP Gained: 92,000]
Zihad dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. His summons were gone. His mana was almost empty.
The boss's body disintegrated, leaving behind a glowing crystal shard and two scrolls. He inspected them.
[Forbidden Crystal: Shadow-Memory Fragment]
[Scroll of Lost Echoes – Language Unlock]
[Dungeon Key: Depths of Ethernox – Floor 3]
He frowned.
The scroll... it would allow him to understand the runes on the wall. Something that wasn't supposed to be obtainable until the next expansion update.
The game's systems were generating new progression paths.
Zihad stood, gripping the crystal.
"I need to recheck the AI sandbox logs," he muttered.
Then, with a flash, he teleported out of the dungeon, back to his private in-game hideout.
Real World – 1:44 AM
The streets of Dhaka were quiet, but Zidan was wide awake, watching his brother's gameplay replay on a second monitor.
"Man... he really did it solo."
He opened a Discord server filled with elite players and modders. They were all buzzing about the "Phantom Reaper."
"This guy's a monster."
"He soloed a hidden boss at level 18! No way."
"Is it a dev account?"
"Nah. No dev would play this clean."
Zidan smirked.
If only they knew.
Then, a message popped into Zidan's private inbox. No sender name. No icon. Just a blank gray box.
"Do not interfere. The Reaper is marked."
Zidan stared at it, confusion flashing across his face.
"What the hell...?"
He reached for his phone to tell Zihad—but then paused.
His door creaked open.
And in the hallway, for a brief second, he thought he saw a floating HUD symbol—just like in the game.
Then it vanished.
End of Chapter 18
Sorry for late update I ran out of my internet pack and need to recharge it so I was not able to update my book and I know I shoud not ask but i am steel asking for some power stone if you have them plas vote me