As his consciousness began to slip away and his vision darkened, Jeff desperately tried to remember what he had read in that book in the library…something about composite and advanced forms of mana, and how high-Grade cultivators could safely store and make use of them.
The details eluded him no matter how hard he tried to recall them.
Diving into the depths of his Core one last time, with a herculean effort, he desperately made a last ditch attempt to directly manipulate the mana in the pool.
At first, his efforts seemed in vain, but then, just when he was about to admit that all hope was lost, he felt something. A response, as if a muscle or ability he hadn’t known he possessed had suddenly activated.
As the malevolent Necrotic energy continued circulating through his pathways, Jeff—through an application of pure willpower—issued an unspoken command.
At first sluggishly, then with increasing speed, his meridians began to shift and change. A strange sensation passed through every cell of his body, one akin to teeth revolving on a cog, meshing and turning some inner mechanism, or the gears of a safe clicking into alignment.
Jeff felt a new-found ability unlock inside of him.
He had somehow managed to recode the inner workings of his Core Space. This reprogramming birthed a slender, membranous ring on the periphery of the pool, flowing contrariwise from the main gyre.
The newly-created metaphysical structure acted as a sieve, designed to filter and sort all of the streams of mana pouring into the pool through his pathways.
As the continuous flow of mana cycled into and through the pool in his core, the mechanism he had intuitively crafted began to perform its function.
First, the toxic Necrotic energy was meticulously diverted, filtered out of the main flow. Then it became effectively quarantined in the pool’s newly crafted outer ring.
This breakthrough marked a turning point. The Necrotic energy which had permeated the pathways and cells of his body was drawn out and trapped in the outer ring of the pool, and his HP began to rise of its own accord.
The deathly pallor that had overtaken his skin gradually receded.
Meanwhile, the confined ring of Necrotic energy lay dormant within his Core Space. The dark energy spun slowly and perpetually around the edge of the pool, separate from, and not interacting with the rest of his unaspected, neutral mana.
Level up!
Congratulations. You have reached Level 12
After his near-death experience, Jeff found himself in a state of utter exhaustion, his physical and mental energies sapped. He was also extremely pissed with himself for so recklessly endangering his life by messing with Necrotic energy, a substance he still did not fully understand.
He had gotten lucky…this time.
But he knew from his conversations with Misty and his long study sessions in the library that he had achieved something significant—a breakthrough in Cultivation and mana manipulation—a feat rarely achieved by players at his Grade.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, resolving to be more cautious in future.
Toggling his ring, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a Potion of Healing.
Slurping it down, Jeff managed to push his HP back up to a safer level, giving him the energy to carry on. For good measure, he allocated the five free attribute points he had been awarded earlier to Vitality, feeling an instant boost.
Cautiously, Jeff stooped down, his fingers gingerly picking up the other concentrated Necrotic energy dungeon drops scattered in the mud around him.
Necrotic energy—some composite of Death and Obedience, or perhaps Coercion?
It seemed almost to have a ‘life’ of its own. Was this how the corpses were controlled? He did not recall reading of a form of mana that exactly matched the description.
He quickly placed each one of the drops into his ring storage, for further study later.
Jeff continued on.
Now that he had figured out the predictable movement patterns of the Kobols, he made short work of shredding the remaining undead scattered across the battlefield in front of him.
His strategy—a deceptive feint to one side, followed by a swift flanking maneuver and a decisive beheading—worked every time. He became adept at corralling the Undead Husks together, forming thickly bunched groups, ready for decapitating with his [Cutting Edge] skill.
Methodically he plowed his way across the battlefield, only stopping to retrieve the shiny black dungeon drops as they fell.
Finally, Jeff arrived at the battlefield’s far end, where an ancient barrow-like structure loomed ominously. A gash in its rough stony exterior presented a single entrance which beckoned him forward.
As Jeff cautiously ducked down to pass through the low doorway, he had to brush away cobwebs that clung to his face.
Stepping inside the barrow and down some steps, he discovered a grand, elongated throne room, with a distinctly antiquated, almost medieval air to it. The torch-lit walls were draped with faded tapestries depicting ancient battles between alien species, alongside coats of arms bearing fantastical, heraldic devices.
Dominating the space was a majestic banquet table, stretching from one end of the room to the other. Seated around the long table were the skeletal remains of a company of knights, still clad in rusting armor.
The long-dead warriors, now skeletons, looked like they had all met their end while taking part in a lavish feast. The remnants of what must have been a sumptuous spread now lay moldering on ornate golden plates, while finely wrought crystal goblets, their contents now merely dust, lay scattered haphazardly across the table.
Making his way warily past the immobile skeletal diners, Jeff’s steps echoed through the dust-laden hall as he marched across the flagstones to the far end. There, a massive throne, which appeared to be constructed from solid gold, rested on a raised dais.
As he approached the end of the room, an intimidating figure seated on the throne stirred.
Fully nine-foot tall, the giant—a blue skinned colossus with a skull-like face—was clad in fine ebony armor intricately detailed with neat gold filigree, over which it wore a long cowled cloak.
Clutched in one skeletal hand was a scythe of truly massive proportions, its black, iron blade glinting in the torch light.
DUNGEON BOSS: Urstap Vongolay (A.K.A ‘The Bone-Baron’)
Grade: I
HIT POINTS (HP): 50/50
MANA POINTS (MP): 50/50
REWARD: 100 Coins
“That time hath cometh again, so soon?” Whispered the skeletal figure in a querulous, doom laden voice.
His cadaverous visage lifted slowly, the eye sockets, full of what Jeff now recognized as pure Necrotic energy, glowering at him balefully from the throne.
“Once more, my deathly brigade, arise once more,” murmured the Bone Baron, his voice a ghostly murmur.
Raising his cloaked arms and pointing his crooked fingers, he activated a Skill, unleashing twin torrents of what Jeff recognized as Necrotic energy. Not aimed at Jeff as he initially assumed, but at the gathering of assembled skeletons around the banquet table.
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With [Mana Essence] active, Jeff was able to clearly see the streamers of dark Necrotic energy twist through the air, snaking around the hall, tendril-like.
The black tendrils, which contained firefly sparks of blue energy, threaded through the skeletal forms of the knights, weaving through clavicles, rib cages and jaws, momentarily caressing their spinal columns and skulls before slithering onward to the next figure.
“Awake! Return ye from the valley of death. Slumber no more! Yours not to reason why, yours just to make Jeff die…”
The Bone Baron cackled, a maniacal, gleeful note entering his previously gloomy voice.
The chamber was soon echoing with an unearthly groaning chorus as the skeleton knights stirred, answering the Bone Baron’s call.
Their eye sockets began to glow with that same dark, blue-tinged light as they were brought back to a semblance of life by the sinister power of the Necrotic energy.
Once fully reanimated they rose from their seats—bones clinking and rattling—knocking over plates and goblets as they stood.
“Oh shit…” Jeff mumbled, taking a defensive stance as he watched the armor-clad skeletons form into a neat, well-ordered phalanx in front of him, creating an impenetrable wall of bone and steel, blocking any avenue of retreat.
Not waiting for the inevitable attack, Jeff slammed into the front row of knights, sword a blur as he struck multiple blows.
Each powerful strike struck its intended target, shattering bone and sending pieces of tarnished armor flying. Yet no matter how hard he swung, or how well he sliced through the assembled skeletal horde, they reformed, the insidious Necrotic energy which swirled around their bones pulling them back together as quickly as Jeff dismantled them.
Leech once again complained subliminally through their link, not liking the lifeless taste of these enemies either.
Three of the skeletal figures lunged at him simultaneously, their swords descending in perfect unison towards his head. Jeff barely managed to parry all three scimitars, straining with all his strength to hold back their advance.
Adapting his tactics on the fly, Jeff equipped his new steel bladed gauntlets and powered them up with [Mana Burst]. Spotting an opening, he ducked under a lethal swing and launched a ferocious punch into the ribcage of the nearest knight.
Boom! His mana empowered, glowing mailed fist impacted with the knight’s armor and sheered straight through.
The impact was thunderous, echoing through the hall.
The knight literally exploded, a cascade of bone shards showering across the table behind it. The disjointed remains of the skeleton collapsed to the floor, reduced to a pile of bones and rusty armor.
Congratulations! Your Combat Proficiency Skill has now reached Level 4
You have been awarded a new Sub-Skill: [Knockout Punch] Level 1
KO an opponent with a single blow. Your fist is inexorable. Unstoppable.
Level up!
Congratulations. You have reached Level 13
You have successfully used your Mana Burst Skill to slay an enemy!
Reward One Omega Energy Point
You have killed a Skeletal Knight, Grade I
Reward: Ten Omega Energy Points
Another group of knights advanced, their armor clattering as they swung their swords in synchronized arcs.
Jeff blocked all their strikes with Leech, then countered with a surprisingly effective [Infinite Sword] riposte.
The Skill sent a wave of sundering energy tearing through the air, momentarily shaking the Skeletal Knights and loosening the magical bonds holding their boney forms together.
Jeff seized the moment, surging forward to land a flurry of blows with his [Mana Burst] enhanced gauntlets, laying into the knights before they had a chance to fully reform.
The three knights detonated one after the other, their bones crumbling and spreading across the floor.
You have killed a Skeletal Knight, Grade I
Reward: 10 Omega Energy Points
You have killed 2 Skeletal Knights, Grade I
Reward: 25 Omega Energy Points
Level up!
Congratulations. You have reached Level 16
Jeff swiftly yanked one of the tapestries off the wall, its ancient threads releasing a cloud of dust as it fell on to two more advancing skeletal knights.
The heavy length of richly embroidered cloth completely covered the pair, tangling them up in its crusty fabric.
While they were immobilized, Jeff stepped in and used the twitching pile of cloth like an impromptu punch bag, battering the trapped knights repeatedly with his powered-up, gauntlet-clad fists, neon sparks of mana shooting out each time he landed a blow.
The two reanimated corpses soon gave up the ghost, collapsing inside their restraining tapestry, a literal bag of bones.
You have killed 2 Skeletal Knights, Grade I
Reward: 20 Omega Energy Point
Level up!
Congratulations. You have reached Level 17
With increased confidence, Jeff ran circuits around the hall, softening up the remaining knights with a combination of Skill enhanced sword strokes, followed with devastating punches—his gauntlets by this stage were strobing with rhythmic pulses of brilliant blue as he learned to improve the flow of the destructive mana.
After some trial and error with various tactics, Jeff discovered a killer combo.
Executing a ‘knife-hand strike’—a good old fashioned karate chop—at a vulnerable point in a knight’s armor with [Cutting Edge], whilst at the same time pushing max mana through the gauntlets proved to be particularly effective. The Necrotic energy which glued the dungeon mobs’ skeletal forms together was instantly nullified.
By the end, Jeff was almost beginning to enjoy himself, falling into the rhythm of the battle.
Each fatal blow sent a visceral rush through him, an intoxicating, toxic blend of adrenaline and rage-fueled power. The System notifications pinged in rapid succession, intensifying the surge of satisfaction as he racked up critical hits.
He underwent a subtle transformation—a reddish glow flickered in his eyes, and a feral smile curled his lips as he plowed through the antagonists before him, seeming to feed off the carnage.
He felt it—a coiled charge building up in him with each knight he destroyed.
Jeff instinctively knew he was near to completing another of the tests laid down by the System—the Rage Warrior tribulation.
He welcomed the sensation, letting the unrelenting battle rage take hold. Each successful strike fueled the tally, pushing him closer and closer to the tipping point, and then…
System Challenge: Eight becomes One—Break the Chains of Fate
Complete 4 More Tribulations to Rewrite Your Path
(Rage Warrior) 3/7 Complete
The cherry on top came when he deployed [Infinite Sword] to take out two of the last remaining knights, and received several more System notifications, including one he had been waiting some time for.
Skill Upgrade: [Infinite Sword]
Congratulations! Your [Infinite Sword] Skill has now reached Level 2
You have been awarded a new Sub-Skill: [Blade Storm]
The Area of Effect has now increased five-fold and there is a 10% chance of causing critical damage to an enemy. Damage up to six foes at once.
Finally, Jeff had dealt with all of the Skeleton Knights—nothing remaining but random bits of rusty armor and a shit ton of bleached white bones, strewn across the dusty floor of the great hall.
Jeff stood panting amidst the devastation, savoring the victory, when a sudden movement from the raised dais snapped his attention back to the throne room.
“Behold, I am become death, destroyer of Jeff!” The Bone Baron screeched in rage, his voice echoing through the hall, rising to his full towering height.
Descending from his golden throne with ominous grace despite his massive stature, the dungeon boss was a chilling spectacle.
The Baron advanced down the steps leading to the dais and marched menacingly across the hall, his black metallic scythe igniting sparks on the flagstones with each step as he dragged it behind him. The true size of the creature became more apparent, occluding the dim lamplight behind him.
Jeff felt his confidence evaporating.
During a previous conversation, Misty had outlined the mechanics of dungeons: mini-bosses and dungeon bosses were formidable fighters, System-generated reincarnations of real beings renowned for their combat ability.
These System-generated avatars were not mere NPCs, they were copies of their originals—shadows of their full-fledged counterparts. Although their power was diluted, it remained formidable. They were still a force to be reckoned with, and Misty had warned him not to take them lightly.
Gird your loins… Jeff told himself, wondering briefly about the etymology of the phrase before snapping back into focus.
Jeff decided it was a bad idea to wait for the boss to get within striking distance with his wicked looking scythe. Preemptively, he launched a fireball with [Mana Burst], aiming directly at the advancing boss.
The blast struck the Baron full on, punching into the center of his broad, cloak-clad form. The attack however, had little effect, merely burning off his voluminous black cloak to reveal his full armored form.
The Baron, unfazed and sneering, continued his advance towards Jeff.
The giant suit of armor that covered the dungeon boss from head to foot was a wonder to behold. Every inch of plate, from the flared pauldrons on the shoulders to the barbed greaves and wickedly pointed sabatons on his huge feet was designed to protect as well as intimidate.
But it was the breastplate that held Jeff’s attention.
Engraved upon it was a complex blue rune, pulsing with a dark, sinister energy, which sent a primal shudder down Jeff’s spine when he glanced at it. [Mana Essence] kicked in, delivering fresh insight, and he knew instinctively that the fractal pattern was a runic representation of the Necrotic energy he had recently encountered back on the darkened battlefield, which had brought him to the brink of death before he narrowly subdued it.
As the ominous rune throbbed and pulsed darkly, he felt a resonance with the Necrotic energy trapped, spinning inertly (for now) around the pool in his Core Space.
Scuttling backwards to give himself a bit more time, Jeff launched another fireball at the Baron, this time at his head, the only part not covered by his dark armor.
The orb struck him full in the face—a direct hit, and this time there was a noticeable effect. The Baron’s skull-like head was stripped clean, the blast searing away the cyan skin which had previously stretched over his gaunt features.
The Baron raised his head and grinned maliciously at Jeff, a monstrous sight. A deathly skeleton, the grim reaper personified, and he was almost on top of Jeff.
The Baron’s health bar was completely unaffected by Jeff’s attack, his HP remained at 50.
“Thanks for the facial, maggot… Here’s your reward!”
With monstrous strength, the Bone Baron hoisted his massive scythe two handed, the blade arcing through the air, and brought it slicing down diagonally towards Jeff.
Jeff barely parried the blow, the scythe had been swung with such horrific power. Attempting to riposte, his sword clanged hollowly against the black armor, failing to find an entry point despite his use of [Cutting Edge].
The Baron straightened, his eye sockets glowing ominously again, indicating a Skill powering up. Abruptly, his boney jaw unhinged and he screamed at Jeff, “Aaarghh…!” simultaneously releasing a billowing dense cloud of thick black gas out of his mouth, which completely enveloped Jeff.
Similar to the Skill unleashed by the Kobol zombies but ten times denser, the noxious fumes suffocated him, and he felt once again Necrotic energy attempting to invade his body through his skin, the marauding particles poking at his ears and mouth.
What’s more, amidst the choking fog, Jeff felt a strange malaise creeping over him, sapping his will to fight. His resistance began to falter.
Leech fell to the floor with a clang as his numb fingers released their grip on its hilt involuntarily.
Struggling against the continuous deluge of poisonous gas, Jeff attempted once more to cycle the Necrotic energy invading his body into the newly crafted quarantine ring in his Core Space, but the flood of toxic gas which poured in a continuous stream from the Baron’s gaping mouth was too much for his pathways to process, and his nascent defenses were overwhelmed.
He felt that same, dark sickness again spreading through his cells.
Choking and wheezing, he staggered backwards, his legs striking the edge of the banquet table, desperately trying to keep his balance.
A system alert flashed urgently.
Warning! You have been poisoned.
As he stumbled, he caught a glimpse of the Baron through the swirling clouds of gas. Jeff’s eye was caught once again by the enigmatic rune embossed on the dungeon boss’s breastplate.
Suddenly, as the poison started to weaken his body and cloud his mind, he had an idea.