The door slid open with a low rumble, revealing a narrow passage that twisted into the darkness. Kael stepped inside, his shadow flickering against the faint glow of the corrupted runes lining the walls. Each rune pulsed faintly, their patterns jittering like a glitching screen.
Elira followed close behind, her bow drawn. “This place feels wrong,” she said, her voice a near-whisper.
“Feels like everything else in this dungeon,” Kael replied, stepping carefully over a loose stone tile. “Creepy, broken, and out to kill us.”
As they rounded a corner, the passage opened into a large, circular chamber. At its center stood a massive pedestal, fractured and unstable, with streams of dark energy radiating outward. Suspended above it was a Node—larger than the shard they’d found before. Its golden light pulsed erratically, and Kael felt a strange pull deep within him, as if the shadows at his feet were trying to reach for it.
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[Node Detected: Fractured (Corruption Level 74%)]
Warning: Unstable Nodes may trigger unexpected environmental effects. Proceed with caution.
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Kael grimaced as the notification flashed in his vision. He felt a sudden pressure in his chest, his breathing quickening.
“Kael, your shadow,” Elira said sharply.
Kael glanced down. His shadow wasn’t behaving naturally—it stretched toward the Node, twisting and writhing like a living thing. The same cold energy he felt when using Shadow Stitch rippled through his veins.
“What the hell is this?” he muttered, stepping back.
Elira frowned, lowering her bow slightly. “It’s reacting to you.”
“Reacting?” Kael repeated, his voice laced with unease. “Is that good or bad?”
“Does it matter?” Elira asked, gesturing toward the Node. “We need to figure out how to stabilize that thing—or destroy it—before it destabilizes everything in this area.”
Kael opened his status screen for answers, hoping for a clue.
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[Player Status – Kael Drayth]
Class: Edgeweaver
Health: 135/150
Mana: 60/80
Skills Available:
* Shadow Stitch (Rank II)
* Shadow Bind (Locked)
* Shadow Dagger (Locked)
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Before Kael could analyze further, a faint, guttural growl echoed through the chamber. He froze, scanning the shadows at the room’s edges.
“Elira,” he said quietly, “we’re not alone.”
The growl grew louder, echoing off the chamber’s walls. Kael and Elira stood back-to-back, her bow trained on the shadows while his fingers twitched near his dagger, ready to summon Shadow Stitch.
“Whatever it is,” Elira said, her voice taut, “it’s circling us.”
Kael’s heart pounded as the air grew heavier, the Node’s unstable pulses making the entire room feel like it was on the verge of collapsing. Just as he braced for an attack, a voice called out from the darkness.
“Hold your fire, stranger.”
The deep, steady voice carried a calm authority, and a moment later, a heavily armored figure emerged from the gloom. The man’s armor gleamed faintly, engraved with intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer in sync with the runes on the walls. A massive shield rested on his back, and his hand gripped the hilt of a wide-bladed sword.
“Another Bound?” Kael asked, his stance relaxing slightly.
The man nodded, stepping closer. His face was weathered, his beard neatly trimmed, and his expression held the weariness of someone who had seen too many battles. “Name’s Torran,” he said. “Tank-class. And you?”
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Kael exchanged a glance with Elira before answering. “Kael. Edgeweaver. This is Elira.”
Elira kept her bow raised, her eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”
“Same thing you are, I’d guess,” Torran replied. “Tracking the corruption. The Node’s destabilization drew me here. And judging by the two of you, I’m not the only one trying to fix this mess.”
Kael scanned Torran’s armor, noting its dents and scorch marks. “Looks like you’ve already had your share of problems.”
Torran smirked faintly. “You could say that. But this Node’s a bigger issue than anything I’ve seen so far. I take it you’re not just sightseeing?”
Kael gestured to the unstable Node. “We’re trying to figure out how to deal with it. Elira seems to think it can be stabilized.”
Torran frowned, stepping closer to inspect the glowing pedestal. “Stabilizing it might not be enough. Corruption this bad usually means...”
The growl returned, louder and more guttural this time. Torran drew his sword, his body tensing.
“Means it’s already attracted company,” he finished grimly.
The guttural growl reverberated through the chamber, low and menacing. Kael gripped his dagger tightly, the edge of his vision flickering with faint warnings from the System.
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[Hostile Entity Detected: Corrupted Shadow Beast]
Threat Level: High
Abilities: Phase Shift, Corruption Aura
Weakness: Light-based Damage
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The shadows at the chamber’s edges rippled, shifting unnaturally. A moment later, the beast emerged—a towering, sinewy creature cloaked in darkness. Its form twisted and flickered as if it couldn’t fully manifest in the physical world. Red eyes glowed like embers, locking onto Kael with predatory intent.
“That’s a Shadow Beast,” Elira said, her voice tense. “It’ll phase in and out. Watch your footing and don’t let it get close.”
“Got it,” Kael replied, his heart pounding.
Torran stepped forward, his shield raised. “Stick behind me. I’ll draw its attention. You two hit it while it’s focused on me.”
The beast roared, its guttural cry shaking the room. With a burst of speed, it lunged at Torran, claws outstretched.
“Shield Wall!” Torran bellowed. A faint blue glow surrounded him as the Shadow Beast’s claws slammed into his shield, sending sparks flying.
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[Skill Activated: Shield Wall]
Effect: Absorbs 80% of frontal damage for 10 seconds.
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“Now!” Torran shouted.
Kael summoned Shadow Stitch, black threads lashing out from his shadow and coiling around the beast’s legs. The threads strained as the creature thrashed, its flickering form making it hard to maintain the hold.
“Elira!” Kael called out.
She had already nocked an arrow, the tip glowing faintly with rune energy. She loosed the shot, and the arrow struck true, embedding itself in the creature’s chest. The beast recoiled, snarling in pain as flickers of light danced along its corrupted body.
“It’s phasing!” Elira shouted.
The Shadow Beast shimmered, its form vanishing into the darkness. Kael’s threads snapped uselessly against the empty air.
“Stay close,” Torran ordered, his shield raised defensively. “It’ll reappear when it attacks.”
Kael scanned the room, his breathing quickening. His shadow flickered unnaturally, twisting toward the edges of the room as if sensing the creature’s movements.
There—a ripple in the air.
“On your left!” Kael yelled.
The beast emerged in a blur of motion, claws swinging toward Elira. Torran intercepted it with a crushing blow from his sword, the blade glowing faintly as it connected with the creature’s side. The impact sent the beast staggering, but its body began to flicker again, preparing to phase.
Kael felt the cold energy of his class stir within him. His hands moved instinctively, summoning a new skill—one he hadn’t unlocked before.
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[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Dagger]
Effect: Creates a ranged weapon of pure shadow energy. Deals bonus damage to corrupted targets. Mana Cost: 20.
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Dark energy coalesced in his hand, forming a dagger of flickering black light. With a sharp motion, Kael hurled it at the beast just as it phased back into view. The dagger struck its chest, sinking deep into its corrupted form.
The Shadow Beast let out a distorted roar, its body convulsing violently before collapsing in a heap. Its flickering form disintegrated, leaving behind a faint glow of corrupted essence that quickly faded.
Kael staggered, his energy drained. His Mana bar flashed low, a reminder of how taxing the skill had been.
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[Mana: 10/80]
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“That was new,” Kael muttered, rubbing his temples as a dull ache pulsed through his head.
Elira lowered her bow, exhaling sharply. “Good timing. That thing almost had me.”
Torran inspected the remains of the beast, his sword still at the ready. “These corrupted creatures are getting stronger. That Node,” he said, nodding toward the pedestal, “might be the reason why.”
Before Kael could respond, the Node pulsed violently, its glow intensifying.
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[Warning: Node Instability Critical. Immediate Action Required.]
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Kael exchanged a look with Elira and Torran, the tension in the room rising. “I don’t think this place is going to hold much longer,” he said grimly.
“Then we’d better act fast,” Elira replied, drawing another arrow.