Present
Dark's blade carved through the air with lethal precision, scattering the pack of wolves that circled him. Their glowing eyes burned with hunger, their growls reverberating through the dense forest. Each step he took was heavy, his movements strained yet calculated. Sweat trickled down his brow as he sidestepped another lunging beast, his sword slicing upward in a clean arc.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENEMY DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED: +50.]
Dark glanced at the glowing message, his crimson eyes narrowing as he gritted his teeth. Another wolf lunged from the shadows, claws outstretched. He raised his blade, deflecting the attack with a metallic clang that echoed through the desolate clearing. The beast staggered, its snarl interrupted by Dark's counterstrike—a precise thrust that ended its life in an instant.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: LEVEL UP.]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 5.]
Dark: (thinking, bitterly) Level five. All this effort for nothing.
The wolves regrouped, growling and snapping as they encircled him once more. Their movements were coordinated, their glowing red eyes flickering with malice. Dark gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.
Dark: (muttering) Come on, then. Let's see what you've got.
The pack surged forward, claws and teeth flashing in the dim light. Dark pivoted, shadows trailing his blade as he struck one down, then another, but their numbers didn't dwindle fast enough. One wolf darted past his defenses, its claws raking across his side. He staggered, pain flaring, but he didn't falter.
Dark: (thinking, frustrated) Damn it. Why does this feel harder than it should?
Just as another wolf lunged for his throat, everything around him froze. The growls, the movements, even the faint rustle of the wind—all stopped. His vision blurred, and a voice, calm and omnipresent, echoed in his mind.
???: (calmly) You claw at scraps of power, yet you fail to see the bigger picture.
Dark's eyes widened as the world spun, dragging him away from the chaos of the present and into something else entirely.
Earlier
The infinite void shimmered with life as Cosmic stood amidst its swirling depths. Threads of golden light stretched infinitely, connecting worlds, realms, and dimensions in an elaborate web of existence. His form radiated an undeniable authority, his gaze calm but weighed with centuries of unspoken regret.
Cosmic: (softly, to himself) I gave them freedom once. A chance to shape their own fate.
He raised a hand, his fingers tracing the threads before him. With a single movement, the strands vibrated, responding to his will. Towers of light formed across countless realms, gates shimmering into existence, and runes glowing faintly in the fabric of space itself.
Cosmic: (thinking) Instead, they turned it into chaos.
He sighed, his voice carrying the weight of countless failures.
Cosmic: (murmuring) This time... it will be different.
The web of existence pulsed as he released his energy, spreading the System across every corner of creation. Towers erupted from the ground, dungeons materialized in forgotten places, and notifications filled the skies.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[BALANCE PROTOCOL RESTORED.]
Cosmic's voice carried across all realms, reaching every sentient being.
Cosmic: (calmly) The System returns, not to punish, but to guide. Rise, or be consumed. The choice is yours.
The message etched itself into reality, forcing every soul to acknowledge its weight. Across the worlds, chaos erupted as beings scrambled to understand the implications.
10 Minutes Ago
Dark sat in his room, his fist slamming against the stone wall as the notifications flickered before his eyes. His breath came in ragged bursts, anger bubbling beneath the surface.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: GLOBAL RESET INITIATED.]
[WELCOME BACK, USERS.]
Dark: (muttering angrily) Cosmic, you bastard.
He opened his menu, his hands trembling slightly as he navigated the interface. His eyes scanned the stats, each reset value another insult.
[USER: DARK.]
[LEVEL: 1.]
[CLASS: NONE.]
[STATS: RESET.]
Dark: (thinking, bitter) All that work. All that power. Gone.
His jaw tightened as he read further, his anger briefly giving way to surprise. At the bottom of the menu, faint text glowed.
[UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE RETAINED: LIMITLESS SHADOW.]
[UNIQUE SKILL RETAINED: VOID ASCENDANT.]
Dark: (thinking, smirking faintly) So, I'm not starting from nothing after all.
The tension in his body eased slightly as he stood, gripping his blade tightly.
Dark: (murmuring) If this System thinks it can control me again, it's got another thing coming.
He turned, his shadows coiling around him as he left the room, heading for the forest.
Present
The growls returned, louder and more ferocious. Dark shook his head, the voice from earlier still lingering in the back of his mind. He raised his blade, steadying himself as the pack of wolves surged forward once more.
Dark: (muttering) No distractions.
A wolf lunged, its teeth snapping inches from his face. Dark ducked, spinning on his heel and driving his sword into its flank. The beast yelped, collapsing into a cloud of shimmering fragments. Another charged from behind, but Dark sidestepped, slashing upward in a fluid motion.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENEMY DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED: +50.]
The remaining wolves hesitated, their glowing eyes flickering with uncertainty. Dark smirked, his confidence returning.
Dark: (calmly) What's wrong? Not so brave anymore?
He tapped his chest, the menu flickering to life. A new notification caught his eye.
[ABILITY SLOT UNLOCKED.]
[AVAILABLE ABILITIES.]
[1. NIGHT'S EMBRACE (UNCOMMON).]
[2. ECLIPSE STRIKE (RARE).]
[3. VOID REQUIEM (EPIC).]
Dark: (thinking, intrigued) Epic. Don't mind if I do.
He selected Void Requiem, the energy surging through his body like a cold fire. The shadows around him twisted unnaturally, responding to his every thought. The wolves growled, sensing the shift in his aura.
Dark: (coldly) Come on, then. Let's finish this.
The pack lunged as one, their claws and fangs flashing. Dark activated his new skill, a wave of shadow energy erupting from his blade and consuming the clearing in an instant. The wolves disintegrated, their howls fading into the void.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENEMIES DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED: +200.]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 6.]
Dark stood amidst the carnage, his blade resting on his shoulder as the forest grew silent once more. His breathing slowed, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Dark: (thinking, satisfied) It's all coming back. One step at a time.
The shadows around him pulsed, and he turned toward the deeper part of the forest, where something far more dangerous awaited.
Dark stepped deeper into the forest, his boots crunching against the charred underbrush as the oppressive heat seemed to intensify. Shadows flickered between the skeletal trees, and the air grew dense with malice. The System's notifications flickered in his peripheral vision, but he ignored them for now, focusing instead on the unnatural silence that blanketed the area.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: NEW OBJECTIVE ACQUIRED.]
[EXPLORE THE ABYSSAL GROVE.]
[REWARD: 5,000 XP.]
Dark: (muttering) Abyssal Grove? What kind of names are they coming up with now?
The tension in the air was almost suffocating, pressing against his senses like a coiled spring ready to snap. His hand gripped the hilt of his blade tightly as he continued forward, the faint hum of energy from Void Requiem coursing through his veins. He felt stronger than he had in years, and yet, the nagging sense of vulnerability lingered.
Dark: (thinking) This is too quiet. There's something watching me.
A faint rustling came from the shadows to his left. His body tensed, his instincts flaring as he pivoted, raising his blade defensively. A low, guttural growl echoed from the darkness, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes locked onto him from the underbrush.
Dark: (calmly) Another wolf? No... something bigger.
The creature emerged slowly, its massive frame stepping into the faint light. It wasn't a wolf—it was far more grotesque. Its twisted, canine-like body was covered in jagged, blackened fur that shimmered like obsidian. Its maw was lined with jagged teeth, and tendrils of shadow energy writhed around its limbs. The creature's health bar appeared, and Dark's eyes narrowed.
[ENTITY IDENTIFIED: ABYSSAL HOWLER.]
[LEVEL: 15.]
[THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE.]
Dark: (thinking, smirking) A mid-tier beast? Let's see how you handle me.
The Abyssal Howler snarled, lowering its body as its claws dug into the dirt. Its entire body seemed to shimmer and distort as it prepared to attack, the tendrils of shadow energy snapping like whips around it.
Dark: (muttering) Oh, so you've got some tricks. Let's see them.
The beast lunged, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Dark sidestepped just in time, his blade flashing as he countered with a horizontal slash aimed at the creature's flank. The Howler twisted unnaturally mid-air, avoiding the blow and landing a few feet away.
Dark: (thinking, impressed) Fast. I'll give you that.
The Howler didn't wait. It charged again, its tendrils lashing out as it closed the distance. Dark ducked low, rolling beneath the attack before pivoting sharply and driving his blade upward. The edge caught one of the tendrils, severing it with a hiss of dark energy. The creature howled in pain, staggering back as black ichor dripped from the wound.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: WEAKNESS IDENTIFIED.]
[ABYSSAL HOWLER: TENDRILS ARE VULNERABLE TO SHADOW-BASED ATTACKS.]
Dark: (smirking) Good to know.
The Howler growled, its movements becoming more erratic as it circled him. Dark watched its every move, his grip steady on his blade. When it lunged again, he activated Void Requiem, sending a pulse of shadow energy outward. The wave collided with the Howler, forcing it back with a pained yelp.
Dark didn't let up. He surged forward, his blade moving in a blur as he struck at the creature's tendrils. Each hit landed with devastating precision, and the Howler's movements grew more sluggish with every strike. Finally, with a final, upward slash, Dark severed the last tendril, leaving the beast vulnerable.
The Howler stumbled, its glowing eyes flickering as it tried to recover. Dark raised his blade, shadows coiling around him as he prepared to finish it off.
Dark: (coldly) You're done.
With a single, devastating strike, he drove his blade into the creature's core. The Howler let out a final, ear-splitting howl before its body dissolved into particles of light.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENEMY DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED: +500.]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 7.]
[ABILITY SLOT UNLOCKED.]
Dark exhaled, his breath visible in the cold, oppressive air as he opened his menu. The glowing interface appeared before him, displaying his updated stats.
[USER: DARK.]
[LEVEL: 7.]
[CLASS: NONE.]
[STATS UPDATED.]
[NEW ABILITY AVAILABLE.]
Dark: (thinking) Let's see what I've got this time.
He navigated to the abilities menu, scanning the options.
[AVAILABLE ABILITIES.]
[1. SHADOW FLARE (COMMON).]
[2. NIGHT'S EMBRACE (UNCOMMON).]
[3. PHANTOM VEIL (RARE).]
Dark: (thinking, intrigued) Phantom Veil. Sounds useful.
He selected the ability, feeling a surge of energy flow through him as the skill activated.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ABILITY ACQUIRED.]
[PHANTOM VEIL: INCREASES EVASION AND TEMPORARILY MAKES USER INVISIBLE TO NON-MAGICAL ENTITIES.]
Dark: (smirking) That'll come in handy.
He dismissed the menu, sheathing his blade as he took a moment to catch his breath. The forest was still again, the oppressive atmosphere lifting slightly now that the Howler was gone. But he knew better than to let his guard down.
Dark: (thinking) That was just the start. There's more waiting for me ahead.
He turned, his crimson eyes scanning the path ahead. The shadows seemed to stretch endlessly, the faint glow of runes etched into the ground leading deeper into the forest. He could feel it—the presence of something far stronger, watching him from the darkness.
Dark: (muttering) Let's see what this System really has to offer.
With that, he pressed on, the shadows around him shifting and coiling as he disappeared into the depths of the forest.
End Of Arc 3 Chapter 8.