Jin logged into the game and felt a rush of excitement as the familiar sights and sounds of the virtual world greeted him. He checked his messages and saw that Hood had left him a few updates on what had been happening while he was away.
Surprisingly, the game was pretty normal, as odd as it sounds for a game where there are countless creatures capable of destroying the world nearly everywhere. The Immortal Titan guild had stopped being bad guys and now were a good helpful guild and in turn became famously known for being reformed, although this seemed to mainly be because they were scared of Jin. This inspired many other strong guilds to help out some newbies and all of a sudden the game had became really good. Of course, this would only for a short period of time but it was good while it lasted.
As he made his way through the crowded city, Jin overheard some whispers of random players discussing a powerful boss monster who had been seen completely annihilating a whole party of level 300 players.
Jin was slightly intrigued by the rumours and decided to investigate further. He spent a few hours just chatting with players, gathering information and trying to piece together the truth behind the whispers. Surprisingly it seemed to him like the rumours were actually true.
He had heard some stories of a team that was researching the boss but as they delved deeper into it, they soon realised that the boss monster took on the stats of the opponent, meaning that in order to defeat it you would need good skills and control or else it would completely destroy you.
Jin was a bit nervous about this since he wasn’t a smart or lucky player. He only managed to reach his high rankings due to a lot of hard work, focus and determination.
Jin spent the next few days exploring the game world, searching for any clues or information about the rumored boss monster. He talked to various NPCs and players, but no one seemed to know anything concrete like its whereabouts of what type of a monster it could be.
Just as he was starting to feel discouraged, he received a message from Hood.
"Hey Jin, I've heard some rumors about a new dungeon that's appeared in the game. Some players are saying that it leads to the lair of the boss monster we've been hearing about. I'm going to check it out, and I thought you might be interested in joining me.”
Jin felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of finally getting some answers. He quickly messaged Hood back and arranged to meet up with him at the dungeon entrance.
As he approached the dungeon, Jin felt nervous. There was something unsettling about the atmosphere, like the air was charged with an otherworldly energy.
He shook off his unease and followed Hood inside. The dungeon was dark and maze-like, with twisting corridors and deadly traps at every turn.
As they progressed deeper into the dungeon, they encountered some fierce monsters and powerful mini-bosses. Jin fought with all his might, using his skills he had acquired from his new god and some fearsome strategies generated by Hood to overcome each obstacle.
Finally, they reached the heart of the dungeon. In the center of a massive chamber stood the boss monster, a towering figure wreathed in dark energy.
The figure stood up from his throne of darkness and surprised the party by talking which very few boss monsters had the ability to do.
“So, you have finally reached the end of your journey, and now you stand before me, the great and powerful ruler of this domain. You think you can defeat me? You think you can triumph over my armies, my magic, my strength? Ha! You are but insects compared to me.”
“For centuries, I have watched as adventurers like you enter my domain, seeking to claim the treasures that lie within. And for centuries, I have crushed them beneath my heel, leaving nothing but their broken bodies and shattered dreams in my wake.”
"You see, I am not merely a monster to be vanquished. I am a force of nature, a power beyond your understanding. I am the darkness that lurks in every corner, the fear that grips your heart in the dead of night. I am the ultimate expression of chaos, the harbinger of destruction.”
“And now, you stand before me, hoping to claim some paltry reward for your efforts. But let me tell you this: there is no reward here, only death. Death, and the sweet release of oblivion. For I am the end of all things.”
“So come, then, and face me if you dare. But know that your defeat is already assured. You are nothing, and I am everything. And in the end, I will reign supreme, as I always have and always will.”
This speech seemed to be some kind of fifth grader speaking with those cringey lines, however the aura emanating from the mysterious boss sent shivers down their spine. They quickly realised the terror that this boss could inflict upon the world.
[You have felt immense fear from the boss]
Jin felt the wave of fear wash over him as he faced the final boss of the dungeon. He had never felt an emotion so intense before, and he could feel his body reacting to it. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were shaking uncontrollably.
As he stood there, frozen in terror, he heard the boss speak. Its voice was deep and menacing, filling the room with a sinister aura.
"You foolish mortals," the boss said, its voice dripping with malice. "You thought you could challenge me? You thought you could defeat me?”
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Jin tried to muster up the courage to respond, but his voice caught in his throat, as if the boss's words were draining his very essence.
"You have no idea what you're up against," the boss continued. "I am the master of this domain, and you are nothing but insignificant insects in my eyes. You will pay dearly for your arrogance.”
Jin knew that he had to act fast. He couldn't let this boss continue to taunt and weaken him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing all of his energy on the task at hand.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt a newfound sense of determination. He knew that he had to face this boss head-on, no matter the cost.
"You may be powerful," Jin said, his voice steady despite the fear still lingering within him. "But we have something that you don't. Me.” He said with a cocky grin.
The boss let out a mocking laugh. "Ah, how sweet. But do you really think you can stand against me? You are nothing but fools.”
Jin began to showcase why aside from being called “Shadow” he was also known as that “Trash talking piece of shit”.
“Says the guy who just gave us a 30 minute long evil villain monologue. Lmao Imagine being that annoying. Also, did you choose to have that face on purpose? I feel so sorry for the person who created you, I mean they probably lost their job given how ugly you look. Oh damn, how ugly must your parents be for you to look like this?”
The other members of the raid party were staring at Jin in a weird mix of shock and admiration
The boss looked shocked and angry at Jin’s provocation. Jin realised that the boss had probably never been exposed to trash talk before so it was very weak to it.
Jin raised his weapon and charged forward, ready to face the boss and all the terror it represented. He knew that the battle ahead would be difficult, but he was determined to absolutely beat the living crap out of him.
Jin quickly checked his status,
[Jin Lv. 45]
Class: Assassin
Blessing: Phantom
Title(s): None
Str- 110
Agi- 310
Stm- 10
Int- 10
Dex- 60
Rem- 0
Skills: {Tracking}, {Shadow Shield}, {Shadow Strike}, {Shadow Force}, {Stealth}, {Advanced Dagger Arts}, {Critical Strike}, {One Strike}]
All of Jin’s stats were the same visually but he noticed that he felt a tiny bit slower and weaker than before, he realised he must’ve gotten a bit rusty in the time since his god was killed, however despite this his skills were still just as polished as when he was the strongest ranker. The good thing about rankers is that their skills and stats are just guidelines for what they can actually do.
With a fierce determination, Jin charged at the boss, his body moving with grace and precision. As he approached, he activated his {Shadow Shield} skill, a protective barrier of darkness forming around him.
He then vanished into the shadows with {Stealth}, reappearing behind the boss in a flash. With a swift strike of his dagger, he unleashed {Shadow Strike}, a deadly attack that knocked the boss backwards. The boss had to slam his sword into the ground in order to not get flung back.
But Jin wasn't done yet. He gathered his strength and unleashed {Shadow Force}, massively boosting his speed as he charged forwards while using an odd movement pattern to avoid the bosses attacks. The boss stumbled back, surprised by the sudden shift in combat style.
Jin saw his opportunity and struck again with {Critical Strike}, a skill that increased his chance of landing a critical hit. His dagger glinted in the light as he struck the boss again and again, his movements becoming a blur.
Finally, with a shout of triumph, he unleashed his ultimate move, {One Strike}. His dagger glowed with an otherworldly light as he struck the boss with incredible force. The sound of shattering glass filled the room as the boss shattered into a million pieces.
Jin stood there, panting and covered in sweat, but he was alive. He had defeated the boss… Or so he thought.
As he looked up, he saw that the boss was still standing, its health bar barely dented. Jin's heart sank as he realised that the boss had recovered his health.
The boss laughed, a deep and menacing sound that echoed through the dungeon. "You foolish human…” it said. "Did you really think you could defeat me so easily? I am the dark knight, the unkillable entity who destroys weak humans like you, the only human who had even even managed to nearly kill me was that pathetic fool Parvu and his items.”
Jin gritted his teeth and readied his daggers once again, he knew that he had to be even more careful now since the boss had entered his second stage.
The boss charged at him, swinging his massive longsword with deadly precision. Jin rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike and launched himself at the boss once again.
This time, he was more cautious. He made sure his {Shadow Shield} was applied so that he could block the boss's attacks and used {Stealth} to slip behind it and strike at its weak points. With each blow, he could see the boss's health bar slowly diminishing.
But the boss was still fighting with all of it’s might. It unleashed a barrage of attacks, each one more ferocious than the last. Jin felt his strength fading, his body struggling to keep up with the boss's relentless assault. Jin cursed himself for those few months when he had barely played the game, if he had taken better care of himself then he would be stronger and be able to win this fight.
Just when he thought he couldn't go on any longer, he saw an opening. The boss had raised his sword into the air to perform a downwards strike and Jin seized the opportunity to counterattack. He unleashed his {Shadow Force} to move as light speed and struck with all of his might using {Shadow Strike}, followed by a {Critical Strike}.
The boss stumbled back, its health bar almost depleted. Jin knew that he had to quickly finish it off in one blow, or his health would quickly drop to 0 . He gathered all of his strength and launched a {One Strike} at the boss's heart.
There was a moment of silence, as the boss staggered and then fell to the ground. Its health bar disappeared, and Jin knew that he had won.
The boss let out a sinister chuckle as its body began to fade away into the ether. Its eyes met Jin's as it spoke its last words.
"You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over," the boss said in a low, menacing tone. "I am merely a servant of a greater power, one that will stop at nothing to achieve its goals.”
Jin realised that he had just scratched the surface of a much larger and more dangerous threat. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning of an eternal quest that would challenge him like never before. He felt extremely excited for it, If he could battle against even stronger opponents then he would be able to make more money.
The boss's words echoed in his mind as he stood there, watching the last remnants of the boss disappear into the void. He knew that he had to prepare himself for whatever lay ahead, for the sake of the world.
However saving the world comes after checking out the rewards for clearing the boss.
[You have obtained the title {Made Evil Retreat}]
[Made Evil Retreat]
[You have made a fraction of the great evil retreat
*+25% damage against evil enemies]
Jin approached the massive chest at the center of the room. As he opened it, his eyes widened in amazement.
The loot was quite good for a low level boss raid. There were a few high rank weapons, armor, and accessories that you could only pray to get as a rare drop. Jin quickly pulled out his sword and said “Dibs.” Of course, the others had a conscious and weren’t planning on taking anything since Jin did all the work but they reasonably felt a bit pissed off at him for this.
And as he sifted through the pile, he noticed a small, shiny object at the bottom.
It was a plain-looking, black orb. Jin picked it up, and as he did, he felt a jolt of energy surge through his body. He examined it closely, trying to figure out what it was, but there were no markings or symbols to give him any clues.
He decided to keep it, knowing that it was something special. He snatched up the rest of the loot and made his way back to the entrance of the dungeon.
Jin felt a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over him. He felt that his senses from when he was a ranker had partially returned, if his skills before were 5% of the original then now he was at 8%.
But as he looked up at the sky, he knew that this wouldn’t be enough. There were still more dungeons to conquer, more quests to complete, and more bosses to kill. Jin knew that his quest would never truly be over, but he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
He had the determination to overcome them all, but to do that he would need a weapon.