As Kaden focused his thoughts on activating the skill, a surge of unfamiliar energy coursed through his body. The ground beneath him trembled ever so slightly, and his surroundings seemed to darken as shadows coalesced around him. A faint, ominous aura emanated from his figure.
Kaden's breath quickened as he waited with bated breath. This was the first summoning skill he was executing, and he couldn't wait to see what was going to pop out, especially because the pomp and show were a bit too exaggerated. There was a goddamn black vortex forming in front of him.
The next second, with a sudden burst of energy, this vortex exploded, and the shadows dissipated, revealing a small and scrappy creature. Standing at a mere knee-high height, the creature possessed a compact and wiry frame, exuding an air of malevolence. Its skin, a deep shade of obsidian black, appeared slick and slightly iridescent as if perpetually coated in a thin layer of slick oil. Sinewy muscles hinted at its nimbleness, and its limbs, though thin, seemed to possess a deceptive strength, each digit ending in needle-like claws.
As the creature emerged from the dissipating shadows, it locked eyes with Kaden, its piercing gaze filled with intelligence. Its facial features were sharp and angular, and two glowing red eyes gleamed with an eerie aura.
A notification echoed in Kaden's mind, signaling the completion of the summoning process and the acquisition of his new companion.
"Well, hello there." Kaden grinned, giving the creature a thumbs up. "An imp, huh… Not bad. You look scary enough." He had heard about beast summons before, and he had also heard about dark mage skills that could summon demons for a short time period, but this was the first time he was seeing a demon being summoned for a permanent bond. That too, it was an abyss imp!
Kaden laughed in amusement at the imp's twisted grin, revealing a row of sharp, pointed teeth. With its small body frame, the pair of small, pointed horns that curved backward, and its pair of tattered wings, resembling the leathery appendages of a bat, the little guy looked particularly scrappy. "Let's call you Scrap."
The creature seemed to react to its newly given name, its eyes gleaming with approval. Scrap tilted its head slightly as if acknowledging the name, and a low rumbling growl emanated from its throat. It circled around Kaden, examining him with curiosity. It was also twitching and fidgeting as if it was restless and brimming with an irrepressible urge to do something. It hopped from foot to foot, its movements quick and jittery, never staying still for more than a moment. "He He. You like your name, huh? Let's see what you can do!" Kaden pulled up the status screen for the Imp.
Name: Scrap
Level: 1
Race: Creature of the Abyss
Health: 100/100
Mana: 150/150
Stamina: 50/50
Strength: 10
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 8
Defense: 5
Skills:
Claw Slash: Delivers a quick and precise claw attack, dealing damage to the target.
Dark Bolt: Unleashes a bolt of dark energy toward the target, dealing magical damage and potentially inflicting a debuff.
Evasive Maneuvers (Passive): Natural agility and nimbleness enhance evasive capabilities, increasing the chances of dodging incoming attacks.
Shadow Affinity (Passive): Affinity for the shadows grants increased effectiveness in dark and dimly lit environments.
Dark Affinity (Passive): Affinity for the dark element increases damage output by 5%
Kaden blinked in shock as he went through the skill list for the imp. The creature was only level 1, and it already had quite a good arsenal of skills. The thing had a better starting point than he ever had. How was this summoning skill so powerful?! "Alright, Scrap, let's put those skills to the test, shall we?" Kaden said, his voice filled with determination. His gaze shifted back to the guild group as he watched them keenly. The imp responded with a mischievous cackle, its voice high-pitched and filled with villainous energy. The two of them observed the group of players from the sidelines, but it looked like there was going to be some waiting time before the White wolf showed up.
Kaden decided to check out the title and the quest he received from the creepy place in the meantime. If the summoning skill was this overpowered, then the title and the quest should equally be overpowered? He first pulled up the title.
Mark of the Abyss: The mark of the abyss brands you as a bearer of chaos, forever entwined with the sinister forces that lurk in the shadows and darkness.
"Ok…" Kaden clicked his tongue and closed it. It did not seem to do anything in particular, at least for now. Maybe down the road, there would be some significance? He then opened up the quest.
Quest Description: The ancient and powerful Tome of Eternal Darkness, a repository of forbidden knowledge, has been sundered into scattered pages, lost to the ravages of time and chaos. Your mission is to embark on a perilous journey to seek out and retrieve these lost pages, piecing them together in the correct order to restore the complete Tome of Eternal Darkness. Delve into the darkest corners of the world, overcome challenges, decipher cryptic clues, and confront formidable guardians to unravel the secrets held within its pages.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Quest Progress: 1/100 pages collected
Quest Reward - ???
"Huh?" Kaden scratched his head. "Could this be any more cryptic?" What was this book? Where were these pages located? Where should he even begin to search for this? He knew absolutely nothing, and the quest didn't do much to help. However, Kaden could tell that the quest in itself was very valuable and a reward. His current progress was 1/100, which meant that there were a total of 100 pages, and he already had one page in his possession.
This one page had to be the parchment he looted from that creepy place. It was a page that belonged to the Tome, and at the same time, it had given him an amazing skill. If what he thought was correct, then every page should give him an equally overpowered skill? Well, overpowered could be too good to be true, but it should give him one or the other skill, at least. Kaden rubbed his chin in contemplation while his gaze returned back to the group of players. There seemed to be finally some sort of movement in that area. He closed the system interface and prepared to join in on the fun.
The white wolf, the field boss that commanded the attention of all present, stood as a majestic creature of unparalleled grandeur. Its pristine white fur contrasted sharply against the surrounding wilderness, radiating an aura of dominance. Towering above its counterparts, the white wolf was three times the size of a typical dire wolf, its imposing figure instilling both awe and trepidation in the hearts of those who beheld it. With each powerful stride, the white wolf's muscular frame flexed beneath its sleek coat, a testament to its formidable strength. Its keen eyes, a piercing shade of icy blue, darted across the battlefield with a predatory focus. Razor-sharp fangs protruded from its snarling maw, poised to rend flesh and bone with unparalleled ferocity.
Though its level was a mere 10, the white wolf's attributes transcended those of ordinary dire wolves. Its defenses were formidable, capable of withstanding a barrage of attacks, while its offensive capabilities surpassed that of its counterparts. Kaden watched as the dozen members of the Dark Gods guild skillfully arranged themselves around the beast without getting intimidated by its feral raw killing intent. They immediately started pelting it with attacks. Surprisingly, a couple of them had even picked up a skill or two. Their tank had the taunt skill, which got the attention of the beast, and their healer also had the basic healing skill. This meant that both of them had also reached level 10 since the skills and skill trees in 'Apocalypse Online' essentially opened up at Level 10.
"Impressive!" Kaden smirked, but this was not really surprising as the guild was one of the better guilds of the kingdom in his last life. However, he did not act just yet. He adjusted his position and waited for the fight to unfold, which was in full swing. Soon the white wolf's health dropped to 50%, and it howled, calling for its pack, its signature move. Immediately five dire wolves rushed out to the spot from the surrounding trees and bushes. This kicked the entire fight into high gear as the group of players became even more busy. Some of them focussed on these add-ons and tried to get rid of them quickly. However, this was easier said than done.
In 'Apocalypse Online,' a player's mana stat really only opened when they hit Level 10. In the beginning, no one knew why this was the case, but later on, it was revealed from the NPCs that the first ten levels were mainly to train the body so that it could start accepting mana. Only after this one was able to execute mana-related skills. And one can obtain these mana-related skills or skills in general by choosing a class. While this could be done even at the newbie village, the NPCs recommend the players travel to the city first before accepting a class. Most players tended to do this, as this opened up a lot of new paths.
Many also hoped to unlock special classes by waiting to choose a class and going to a city first after finishing the newbie zone. Of course, there were some who thought that the newbie village had a hidden class and tried their luck there. Because of this, the current group only had the tank and the healer with actual skills. The other players were mainly using their common-grade weapons to do damage. Still, the progress of the fight wasn't too bad.
While the white wolf was clearly superior to the players with respect to both stats and skill, the beast was outnumbered. The fighting abilities of the guild members were also not too shabby. Soon they took care of the little pack that had arrived to support the boss, and the whole team once again focussed on the white wolf. This mechanic repeated twice, and when the beast's health dropped to 30% and 10%, it once again called for backup. The second time six dire wolves arrived for support, and the third time a total of twelve arrived!
The dozen members of the guild were not fazed by this challenge and daringly stood up against the field boss. Just like they had the guts to claim this area as their spot, they also had the ability to finish the task and take the kill. The wolf's health was also steadily dropping from 10% to 8% to 6% and finally to the last 4%. The fight was almost over, and everyone had big tired smiles on their faces, clutching their shabby weapons in excitement.
However, out of nowhere, a faint whooshing sound pierced the air, followed by a resounding bang. Startled, a few party members whipped their heads around to investigate the source. To their bewilderment, the area appeared vacant, devoid of any visible threat. But when their eyes shifted downward, horror washed over their faces as they beheld their comrade sprawled lifeless on the ground, his face sizzling like a fried egg.
Confusion morphed into unease. While casualties were not uncommon in a field boss fight, this death seemed peculiar. The corpse bore the marks of scorching like it had been subjected to a flamethrower. "What the..." someone began, but before they could finish their sentence, the same ominous sound echoed through the air, followed by another loud bang. And just like that, another player crumpled to the ground, life snuffed out in an instant.
"Motherfucker! We're under attack!"
"Everyone, stay alert! There's an intruder! We're under attack!"
Shouts of warning rang out, but alas, it was too late. With the white wolf bearing down on them from the front, and deadly projectiles raining from the rear, chaos engulfed the battlefield. To make matters worse, another assailant joined the fray. "Hello again!" With swift agility, Kaden darted between players, methodically taking them down one by one. He first silenced the healer, then set his sights on those in close proximity, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake.
It hadn't even been a full day since the game's launch, and players were only just beginning to acclimate to its immersive nature and lifelike combat. The realization that they had to move physically and fight was still sinking in for most. But for Kaden, this was an old hat. He had already experienced it all in his previous life. While his fighting skills weren't exceptional compared to the greenhorns before him, he might as well have been a seasoned master.
Not to mention the abyss imp wreaking havoc amidst the chaos. How could the members of the Dark Gods guild stand a chance? The battle was over before it even began, and in the blink of an eye, every last member of the party lay lifeless on the ground. Naturally, Kaden didn't stop there. With the tank lying cold and motionless, he gleefully attracted the attention of the field boss and dealt a few final blows before vanquishing the beast as well.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Heh heh heh. Kaden grinned in satisfaction. "Now that's what I call a job well done." Just as he turned to check on his imp, a voice sliced through the air. "You've got quite a twisted personality, don't you?"