Jack barely dodged the jackal's lunge, its teeth snapping shut with a sound that echoed through the narrow tunnel. He spun quickly, evaluating his situation. One jackal to his right, another to his left, and the third, still sluggish from the Corrupted debuff, behind them. His mind raced. Time was running out before the second jackal recovered and joined the fray. He needed to finish this fast.
He tightened his grip on his spear and decided to make use of his nearly full mana reserves. With a flick of his left wrist, Jack launched a volley of Overcharged Ember Darts at the jackal on his right. The fiery projectiles blazed through the air, the heat palpable as they slammed into the beast.
The jackal let out a pained yelp as the darts exploded on impact, engulfing its fur in flames. The smell of burning hair filled the tunnel, and the creature staggered back, disoriented and howling in pain. Smoke curled up from its charred flesh as it flailed to extinguish the flames.
At the same time, Jack pivoted on his right foot, his left arm swinging his spear in a fluid motion. The blade aimed for the jackal on his left, thrusting downward in a swift, deadly strike. The spear punctured the creature's hide, sinking deep into its side. The jackal snarled, the guttural sound cut short as Jack twisted the spear, widening the wound before yanking it free. Blood sprayed across the rocky ground as the creature stumbled back, limping and circling cautiously now.
Jack took a brief moment to assess. His health had improved, his Lifeleech ability restoring his vitality to 160/280, but his stamina was flagging—just 30% remained. His Ironhide skill had protected him, but it had also drained his reserves. He couldn’t afford to let this fight drag on much longer.
The second jackal, its movements jerky and unnatural from the Corrupted debuff, finally began shaking off the paralysis. Its sickly, green-black veins pulsed ominously under its skin, a clear sign of the necrotic energy still coursing through its body.
As the three jackals coordinated to encircle him, Jack formulated a plan. He had to exploit the weakest link before they overwhelmed him. He feigned a strike toward the first jackal, causing it to flinch, then swiftly pivoted, driving his spear into the second, debuffed jackal with all his might. The blade plunged deep into its side, puncturing vital organs.
The jackal collapsed, its legs twitching in a final convulsion before it lay still. The accumulated damage from its wounds and Corrupted had been too much for it. Jack received a mental notification as he pulled his spear free:
[You have defeated Shadowspinner Jackal. You gain 400 XP.]
Jack had no time to savor the victory. The remaining two jackals attacked in unison. The first jackal lunged from the front, while the third circled to strike from behind. Jack dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the front jackal’s snapping jaws. But he wasn’t fast enough to dodge completely—the third jackal’s claws raked across his shoulder, tearing through his armor and drawing blood. He winced but rolled to his feet, the pain a dull throb in his mind as adrenaline kicked in.
Breathing heavily, Jack activated his Berserk skill. Power surged through him, his muscles bulging as his strength speed doubled. The pain dulled, replaced by the rush of battle. He lashed out at the jackals with renewed ferocity.
He feinted toward the first jackal again, forcing it back, and then spun to face the third one, which was trying to flank him once more. Jack delivered a crushing sidekick to the creature’s ribs, leveraging his enhanced Strength to send it crashing into the cavern wall. Stunned, the jackal lay dazed against the rocks, its body limp for a moment.
Jack didn't waste the opportunity. He lunged forward, his spear descending in a vicious arc. The blade pierced the jackal’s chest, driving straight through its heart. The creature let out a final, agonized growl before its body went limp. Another notification flashed:
[You have defeated Shadowspinner Jackal. You gain 400 XP.]
Only one remained.
The first jackal, its fur charred and eyes wild with fury, rose to its feet, snarling. The flames still clung to its body, the Burning status effect eating away at its remaining strength. It lunged at Jack again, claws outstretched, desperate to take him down.
Jack sidestepped with ease, his body moving with a fluidity born of experience. As the jackal stumbled past him, he slammed the butt of the spear into it with all his might, sending it sprawling across the cavern floor. The beast skidded to a halt against a jagged rock formation, breathing heavily as it struggled to rise.
Jack knew this was his chance to finish it. He closed the distance in a blur, his spear raised high. With a final, decisive strike, he drove the blade deep into the jackal’s head, right between its eyes. The creature’s eyes glazed over as it let out one last, pitiful whine before going still.
[You have dealt 100 Piercing damage to Shadowspinner Jackal.]
[You have dealt 29 Fire damage to Shadowspinner Jackal.]
[You have dealt 37 Necrotic damage to Shadowspinner Jackal.]
[You have slain Shadowspinner Jackal.]
[You have gained 400 Experience Points.]
The fight was over.
Jack took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline slowly drain from his body as the notifications continued to pop up:
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[Congratulations! Spear Mastery has gained a level.]
[Congratulations! Fire Magic has gained a level.]
He wiped the blood from his spear and looked at the lifeless forms of the jackals around him. It had been a hard-fought battle, but he’d come out victorious. He couldn’t afford to relax, though. The depths of this cavern held more dangers, and he was certain there were tougher fights ahead.
As Jack continued to make his way through the Nest, he reflected on his progress. He had survived so far, but it was clear to him that he couldn’t rely solely on brute strength and raw determination. He needed to refine his approach, to turn his hard-won skills into a cohesive fighting style that would give him the edge he needed in battles to come.
The first step in developing his style was understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the tools at his disposal. His spear, with its reach and precision, was a formidable weapon, but it wasn’t enough on its own. The Ember Darts spell, while effective at range, lacked the raw stopping power needed to bring down a foe instantly. His spells and Skills, like Flame Gout and Berserk, provided a powerful boost in combat, but they drained his stamina and mana reserves quickly. He needed to find a way to balance these elements, to blend them into a seamless fighting style that would allow him to conserve his energy while maximizing his offensive potential.
Jack turned his attention inward, visualizing the flow of mana through his body. He had used Fluid Grace before almost every fight, and each activation had been smoother than the last. The spell had become second nature to him, almost as if his body was learning to move with the magic rather than against it. That was the key—he needed to integrate his spells and Skills into his physical movements, allowing them to complement and enhance his natural abilities rather than simply using them as separate tools.
He began by focusing on his spear techniques. Jack practiced thrusts, sweeps, and parries in the tight space of the tunnel, feeling the weight and balance of the weapon in his hand. As he moved, he activated Fluid Grace, allowing the spell to guide his movements, making them faster and more fluid. He found that by timing the activation of Fluid Grace with the execution of his first attack, he could strike with blinding speed, catching his opponents off guard. The spear felt like an extension of his body, moving with a grace and precision that he had never experienced before.
Next, Jack considered how to incorporate his spells into his fighting style. The Overcharged Ember Darts had proven their worth in dealing damage at range, but their true potential lay in their versatility. He could use them to harry and distract his enemies, forcing them to react to the threat of fire while he closed in for the kill. He practiced launching the Ember Darts while simultaneously advancing with his spear, finding the rhythm that allowed him to seamlessly switch between ranged and melee attacks. The key was in the timing—firing off a quick volley of Ember Darts to force his opponent into a defensive stance, then closing the distance with a powerful spear thrust before they could recover.
As he continued to practice, Jack experimented with combining his Skills in new and creative ways. He found that by activating Berserk at the peak of his Fluid Grace-enhanced movements, he could deliver devastating attacks that combined speed, strength, and precision. The surge of power from Berserk amplified his already heightened reflexes, allowing him to strike with such force that his spear seemed to cleave through the air itself. He envisioned a scenario where he would use Berserk to break through an enemy’s defenses, followed by a series of quick, precise strikes with his spear, leaving his opponent reeling and unable to counterattack.
Jack also realized the importance of positioning in combat. The narrow confines of the tunnel had limited his mobility, but they had also forced the Jackals who tried to attack him there to come at him one by one. He needed to use his environment to his advantage, whether it was a tight space that funneled his enemies into a kill zone or an open area where he could maneuver freely. He practiced quick dodges and feints, using the tunnel walls to push off and gain extra momentum in his strikes. The combination of his physical agility and magical enhancements allowed him to move unpredictably, making it difficult for his enemies to land a solid hit.
Finally, Jack considered how to integrate his defensive Skills into his fighting style. Ironhide had saved him from serious injury during the battle, but it had also drained his stamina at an alarming rate. He needed to be more selective in its use, activating it only when absolutely necessary. He practiced timing the activation of Ironhide to coincide with his spear parries, using the enhanced durability to absorb the impact of heavy blows while conserving his energy for counterattacks. He also experimented with layering his defenses, activating Ironhide just before an enemy strike while simultaneously dodging or deflecting the blow, reducing the damage he took while positioning himself for a counterattack.
As the hours passed, Jack’s confidence grew. He could feel his fighting style taking shape, each movement and spell flowing into the next with a fluidity that felt natural, almost instinctual. He was no longer simply reacting to his enemies’ attacks—he was dictating the flow of battle, using his spells and Skills to control the pace and direction of the fight. Every step, every thrust, every spell was part of a larger strategy, a dance of death that left his opponents no room to breathe, no opportunity to recover. Or at least that was the intention. He was still relatively new at this and he took some wounds while attempting to develop his nascent fighting style. Lifeleech kept his health from dipping too low, however.
[You have completed the Class Quest:
Path of the Warrior II
Objective: Defeat 10 strong foes without help
Rewards:1500 Exp, 25 CP]
[You have completed the Class Quest:
Path of the Warrior III
Objective: Defeat 15 strong foes without help
Rewards:1500 Exp, 35 CP]
The EXP he got for finishing those Class Quests remained disappointingly low but the CP more than made up for it. In a short time, he had gone from having no Class Points to having 60. He considered buying more Class Skills but quickly dismissed the idea seeing as how his current fighting style was proving so effective. Better to save those Points for when he needed them.
It wasn’t long before Jack made his way to the final Chamber in the Nest.
[You have cleared the Nest of all monsters save the Boss. If you do not wish to fight it simply stand in place for 1 minute and you will be transported to the entrance to the Lord of Shadows chamber. You will receive the reward for clearing the Nest but not the reward for defeating the Boss. Should you wish to proceed you will have the opportunity to receive both rewards and the opportunity to gain unique loot and additional experience. Beware: the Boss is a formidable opponent, and you should prepare yourself accordingly.]