Garfield's journey continued as he delved deeper into the world of the system. He had grown stronger by doing the job of the police for them, and he unlocked some new skills and abilities. His gold coins had piled up, and his Synergy Points weren't very high because he invested most of them into his abilities. But with great power comes great responsibility, and Garfield knew he had to keep pushing himself to stay ahead of the game.
One day, while browsing through the system's notifications, a key appeared in his hand, and the system notified him:
"Key to the Instance Dungeon"
"Quest: Defeat the Boss
Description: Use the key to unlock the Instance Dungeon in the Clocktower, and complete it."
"Rewards:
- Synergy points: +5000
- Gold Coins: +$50,000"
Garfield's heart raced as he read the quest. This was it – his chance to prove himself, to show what he was capable of, and to prepare himself for the arrival of the Catalyst. He accepted the quest and set out for the Clocktower with the key in his hand.
After walking a long distance, Garfield found himself at the city's abandoned Clocktower. He stretched the key and it unlocked an invisible door. As the door opened, he stood in front of the Instance Dungeon, his heart pounding with excitement and a hint of fear. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and entered the dungeon.
The Instance Dungeon was a labyrinth of twisting corridors and dark chambers, filled with fearsome creatures and treacherous traps.
When Gar got in and saw that he stepped into a labyrinth where he might not be able to find his way back, discouragement suffocated his excitement. "No way in hell am I navigating through a labyrinth! And I don't even know what monsters are behind each chamber. " Garfield said. "Bye-bye, Instance dungeon."
Just as he turned back, the system sent him a notification:
"You can't exit the dungeon.
The only way to leave is to defeat the boss."
"Great, I've just been played." Garfield hissed and began to walk into the labyrinth with his hands ready for action.
He walked through a chamber with twisting corridors. He cut his palm, and it began to bleed. He marked his way with his blood.
Garfield walked tirelessly and suddenly stopped when he reached a certain point. His perception had given him a feeling that he was being watched.
He quickly turned back and stretched his hands to the air. He could feel his hands holding something, and he could hear the heavy breathing.
He threw what he was holding, and the ground cracked. All of a sudden, he saw a panther-like creature appear from thin air. "What the..." Garfield was stunned.
The system displayed the information about the monster to him. It was a Shadowstalker, and it could turn invisible and become nearly undetectable. And from the looks of things, the monster was probably stronger than Garfield.
At first, he had doubts that he couldn't defeat the Shadowstalker, but he shook it off because he didn't have a choice. He couldn't exit the dungeon, so he had to fight off the beast.
He made fists and looked steadily at the Shadowstalker. He thought of possible ways to kill it. While still thinking, the Shadowstalker sent its dark tendrils to bind Gar. He grabbed the tendrils as they came, used them to lift the Shadowstalker and slam it to the ground. He rushed at it and delivered a punch to its jaw, cracking his left fist.
"Ow!" Gar groaned painfully and stepped back, then he noticed the steel jaw and fangs the creature had. His eyes widened, and the creature took the opportunity to use its stealthy ability. From different directions, invisible tendrils grabbed Gar and smashed him to the ground and walls of the labyrinth multiple times.
The tendrils flung him across that chamber, and his back hit a rough wall. He coughed out blood and stood up. He used his perception to sense where the next tendril would come from and used his dash skill to quickly grab the tendril, and he tied up the Shadowstalker with it.
Garfield strangled the beast until it became visible, and he ripped off its steel jaw. The Shadowstalker collapsed, and Gar used his first aid skills to heal and treat his wounds. Then he continued, deep into the labyrinth.
As he continued, he found another Shadowstalker directly in front of him. The beast walked towards him, and as it opened its mouth, Gar aimed at the beast. With his vital attack, he tore a hole in its stomach and ripped out its intestine. Just then, a group of Shadowstalkers began to approach Garfield.
"Holy hell!" Gar exclaimed. The Shadowstalkers surrounded him and attacked. Gar battled each of them fiercely. He defeated the Shadowstalkers and even the Fangrots and Goremaws, who also joined in attacking him.
When he was done destroying the creatures, the system notified him:
"Acquired:
- Skill: Shadow Step
_Description:_ This skill complements dash and enhances the user's mobility and evasion capabilities. A more advanced movement skill that enables the user to teleport short distances, effectively dodging attacks or ambushing enemies.
_Items:_
- Toxic Spores
_Description:_ Toxic spores are a lethal poison that can be imbued into a weapon, releasing a deadly poison that damages opponents. Upon contact with skin or inhalation, these spores inflict severe damage, including blisters, burns, and respiratory distress, potentially incapacitating enemies.
_Rarity:_ Epic
- Goremaw's claws
_Description:_ Claw was obtained from the defeated Goremaw. Check for it in the inventory; you can sell it in the store.
_Rarity:_ Common"
"Hmm!" Gar sighed. "I don't have a weapon, so I guess Toxic Spores are gonna be useless." He continued. He opened the system's inventory, and he saw Toxic Spores and Goremaw's claws, but the claws were numbered 4. He opened the store and sold the claws for 20 Gold coins, which was equivalent to $24. "Alright, time to head back in the game and deal with that boss so I can get out," Gar added and began to walk into the labyrinth.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Garfield reached the heart of the dungeon – the lair of the Boss. The Boss was a towering monstrosity, its body a mass of writhing serpents and steel plates.