The Corrosive Behemoth reared, its massive gelatinous body splitting into whip-like tendrils that lashed through the air. Acid dripped from each pseudopod, sizzling on the stone floor and filling the cavern with choking fumes. Level 8 on Hellish—equivalent to a mid-tier D-rank threat. One wrong move and Yang would melt.
He didn't hesitate.
Shadow-Infused Strike still hummed in his grip; the rusted sword now gleamed with dark veins, edges sharper than before. Mana at 45/60 after the earlier fusions—he had room to maneuver.
The Behemoth lunged. A thick tendril slammed down like a falling tree.
Yang rolled left, Agility 3 carrying him just clear. The impact cratered the floor, spraying acid.
He countered—leapt onto a jutting rock and slashed downward. The fused blade bit deep into a tendril, severing it cleanly. Black ichor sprayed; the severed limb dissolved into sludge.
The monster roared—a wet, bubbling screech. Remaining tendrils whipped faster.
Yang dodged again, breath steady. Don't panic. Feel the shadows. The Abyss was dim, low light boosting his new passive. Shadow Affinity reduced costs further; every swing felt lighter.
He darted in close—too close. A tendril grazed his shoulder. Acid burned through fabric, searing skin.
Pain flared. Health dropped (system flashed: HP 68/100).
He gritted his teeth. Not enough to stop me.
"Shadow Blade—full manifest!"
He dismissed the fusion momentarily. Pure shadow sword reformed in his right hand—longer, denser. Mana cost 20, but worth it.
He spun, blade trailing darkness like smoke. Two tendrils fell in one arc.
The Behemoth recoiled, core exposed—a pulsing green orb deep in its mass.
Yang charged.
Tendrils converged to block. He feinted left, then right—Agility letting him slip through the gap. He plunged the shadow blade straight into the core.
The monster convulsed. Acid exploded outward.
Yang twisted away, but splashes hit his legs—burning agony. HP dropped to 42/100.
The Behemoth shuddered once… twice… then burst in a final gush of corrosive slime.
[Critical Kill!]
+450 EXP
[Level Up! Level 4 → Level 5]
Strength → 5
Agility → 5
Intelligence → 6
Mana max → 80
New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Step (Lv.1) – Teleport short distance through shadows (10m max). Cost: 30 Mana. Cooldown: 60s.
Passive Upgrade: Shadow Affinity (Lv.2) – Shadow skills cost 20% less in low light; minor resistance to dark/poison effects.
Power flooded him like cool night air. The acid burns on his skin cooled, fading faster than natural healing. His body felt lighter, stronger—muscles denser, reflexes sharper.
He stood amid the dissolving remains, breathing hard but smiling.
This is what it feels like.
He checked his status:
[Status]
Level: 5
HP: 52/120 (regenerating)
Mana: 35/80
Skills: Shadow Blade (Lv.1), Shadow-Infused Strike (temp), Shadow Step (Lv.1)
The corridor ahead split: left toward faint echoes of combat—Yuan and Cheng's group still farming safely with their escorts. Right—deeper, darker, toward the mini-boss stage.
Yang chose right.
As he moved, shadows clung to him thicker, almost protective. The Abyss itself seemed to recognize him now.
Deeper in, the tunnel widened into a larger chamber. Stalactites dripped acid. In the center: a glowing return stone pedestal—safety checkpoint before the boss room.
But something else waited.
A larger slime variant—Level 10 Devourer Slime—lurked in the gloom. Bigger than the Behemoth, with multiple glowing cores and writhing tentacles tipped in jagged bone-like spikes. It sensed him immediately.
Yang gripped his blade.
One more. Then the boss.
He activated Shadow Step—body dissolving into black mist, reappearing behind the Devourer in a blink.
Mana dropped to 5/80.
The monster whirled, tentacles slashing.
Yang slashed back—Shadow Blade carving through one core. It popped; the beast shrieked.
He danced in shadows, Step on cooldown but Agility 5 letting him weave through attacks. Each strike chipped away, EXP ticking up.
Halfway through the fight, distant voices echoed from the left tunnel.
"Cheng, that last goblin pack was easy—your lightning cleared them in seconds!"
Yuan's laugh rang out. "Keep it up. We'll hit Level 8 before the mini-boss."
They hadn't noticed him yet.
Yang finished the Devourer with a final infused thrust—core shattering.
[Level 6!]
Strength → 6
Agility → 6
New Passive: Shadow Regeneration (Lv.1) – Regenerate 1% HP per minute in darkness.
He dismissed the blade, breathing steady. HP climbing slowly.
Then footsteps—closer.
Yuan rounded the corner first, flame-lit sword in hand. Cheng behind her, spear crackling.
They froze.
Yang stood amid dissolving slime remains—alone, unscathed (mostly), shadows still clinging faintly to his form like a cloak.
Yuan's eyes widened. "You… you're still alive?"
Cheng gripped his spear tighter. "How? With that trash sword?"
Yang met their gazes. No smirk. Just quiet certainty.
"I leveled."
Yuan laughed—nervous this time. "Impossible. Hellish difficulty. No team. You're bluffing."
Yang glanced at the boss room entrance ahead—dark portal swirling with ominous energy.
"Believe what you want."
He turned toward it.
Yuan stepped forward. "Wait—where do you think you're going?"
"To finish what I started."
Cheng snarled. "You think you're some prodigy now? We'll see how long that lasts when the real boss—"
Yang didn't wait for the rest.
He walked into the boss portal.
Shadows swallowed him.
Behind, Yuan and Cheng exchanged uneasy looks.
For the first time, the Lion House prodigies felt something unfamiliar.
Doubt.
And in the depths ahead, something ancient stirred—sensing the Shadow God's mark.
The true test was coming.