Jack was examining his newly upgraded Class Skills. Advancing his Class had upgraded every Class Skill he currently had. Berserk, Ironhide, and Lifeleech had evolved into Soulrage, Ironsoul Aura, and Soul Drain respectively.

Soulrage

Requirements: Soul-based Class

Type: Active

Cooldown: 120 seconds

Stamina Cost: 80 Soul Points

Effect: Increases Strength, Agility, Dexterity, and Constitution by 150%. Restore 10% of damage dealt as Soul Points. May gain the Frenzied status effect.

Duration: 40 seconds

Description: Tapping into a deeper, more controlled fury, Soulrage transforms your rage into focused power. While the boost to physical strength is immense, it also allows for precision in battle. Each strike drains the life force of your enemies, restoring your own vitality with every successful hit. Though ferocious, the rage is more controlled than Berserk, keeping your mind sharp even as your body reaches peak combat prowess. Use Soulrage to overwhelm foes while maintaining enough stamina to endure prolonged engagements.

Ironsoul Aura

Requirements: Soul based Class

Type: Passive/Active Aura

Cooldown: 180 seconds (for activation)

Stamina Cost: 100 Soul Points (on activation)

Effect: Increases physical durability and provides lesser resistance to magical attacks. When activated, it extends to allies, providing a portion of the same durability boost to nearby teammates.

Duration: 60 seconds (on activation)

Description: Ironsoul Aura not only hardens your own body but also extends its protective embrace to those around you to a lesser extent. Passively enhancing your resistance to physical and magical damage, this aura allows you to endure devastating blows with ease. When activated, it radiates outward, forming an aura that grants allies a portion of your resilience. In times of desperation, you can intensify the aura, focusing it on yourself to become a nearly unstoppable force or expand it to shield your comrades from harm.

Soul Drain

* Requirements: Edged or Piercing Weapon, Soul based Class

* Type: Active

* Cooldown: 90 seconds

* Stamina Cost: 80 Soul Points

* Effect: Absorbs health and a portion of the target's soul essence, transferring it to the wielder as health and temporary buffs. Reduces the target's overall vitality, weakening their abilities.

* Duration: 90 seconds

* Description: By channeling the power of capturing souls, your weapon becomes a method of empowering yourself. Each strike not only drains the life force of your enemy but also siphons a fragment of their soul, invigorating you with newfound power. The stolen essence can also provide a temporary buff depending on the strength and type of creature in question giving you a crucial edge as you drain the energies of both body and soul from your foe. Using this Skill on a foe will make it less likely for Soul Trap to work on it.

The newly upgraded Skills were interesting, to say the least, and Jack was looking forward to trying them out. He had decided to accept the Soulforger Profession for now, though he was still a bit leery about actually using it. Worst comes to worst, I can always change it during my next Advancement.

He looked around at his companions. They had all made their way towards the third-floor boss room entrance. Lyla had channeled her healing magic to mend their injuries although it had taken several hours to completely heal everyone. It was a particular relief to see Goldeyes fully healed of his wounds thanks to Lyla’s magic. His powerful muscles rippled beneath his silver-gray fur, and his sharp eyes scanned the entrance to the boss room.

Jack chuckled as the wolf padded up beside him, sniffing the air with cautious alertness. "Feeling better, buddy?"

Goldeyes gave a soft growl of affirmation, his tail swishing with anticipation. The bond between them was strong, and Jack could sense the wolf’s eagerness for the coming fight.

The massive black stone doors of the third-floor boss room loomed before them, etched with arcane symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light. Jack could feel the oppressive weight of the magic that guarded the room, but it only stoked the fire inside him.

Lyla, standing behind them, held her staff with steady hands. Her face was set in determination, though Jack noticed a flicker of something darker in her expression. The magic she had channeled earlier to heal the party was potent, but there seemed to be an edge to it now—a shadow lingering in the light.

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“Ready, Lyla?” Jack asked, his voice cutting through the silence as he hefted his weapon, and prepared for the fight ahead.

Lyla didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze was distant, fixated on something Jack couldn’t see. Her hands gripped her staff, but her usual calm focus was absent, replaced by a furrowed brow and flickering energy around her fingers.

“Lyla?” Jack pressed, a hint of concern creeping into his voice. He took a step closer, trying to catch her eye.

She blinked, as if pulled from deep thought, and looked at him briefly, her eyes clouded with distraction. “I am,” she said quietly, though her voice lacked its usual confidence. Her focus quickly returned to the task at hand, but Jack could sense something was off.

“What’s going on?” he asked, lowering his weapon slightly. “You seem... distracted.”

“I’m upgrading one of my new Class Skills,” she muttered, her attention drifting back to whatever internal menu she was navigating. “I earned enough Class Points recently, but I haven’t had the chance to allocate them until now. It’s taking more focus than I thought.”

Jack frowned, glancing around the chamber, the tension in the air thickening as the shadows pressed in. “Now’s not exactly the best time, you know.”

“I know,” Lyla said, her voice tight. “But it’s going to help, trust me. Just... give me a moment.”

Jack sighed but nodded, gripping his weapon tighter as he scanned the area. The enemy wouldn’t wait forever.

Once Lyla was ready, the group pushed open the heavy stone doors. Cold air swept out and a chill crept over the group, seeping through their skin and settling in their bones. Jacks breath misted in front of him, the temperature dropping noticeably as they entered the cavernous space. The oppressive weight of the darkness pressed down on him like a physical force, making it hard to focus. He couldn't shake the sensation that the shadows themselves were watching, alive with malice.

The only sound was the soft crunch of boots on the uneven stone floor and the faint, distant dripping of water. Jack’s eyes strained to adjust, but the darkness was unlike anything he’d ever experienced—an all-consuming void that seemed to swallow even the faintest glimmer of light. The air was thick with an acrid, rotten smell, like the stench of decay mixed with old, stagnant water.

As they moved deeper into the chamber, he caught sight of the twisted pillars reaching upward, vanishing into the ceiling’s shadowy abyss. Jagged and etched with strange, glowing runes, they looked ancient, like they’d been here long before any living creature had ever set foot in this place. The runes pulsed dimly, their sickly violet glow barely piercing the surrounding blackness. Whatever magic coursed through them gave the air a weight, as if reality itself bent around the twisted power that resonated here.

Goldeyes growled softly beside him, his golden eyes flickering faintly in the dark. The wolf was tense, every muscle coiled as he moved carefully across the stone floor, his ears twitching, nose constantly sniffing the air. Jack’s grip tightened around his weapon, its faint glow offering little comfort in the oppressive gloom.

Lyla moved close behind him, her staff glowing faintly with a light that barely pushed back the surrounding shadows. Jack could sense her nervous energy—she’d healed them up after the last battle, but this place, this darkness, was something entirely different. It felt almost… alive.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence. It wasn’t loud—it didn’t need to be. The sound slithered into Jack’s ears like a whisper, but it burrowed deep, echoing inside his mind.

“You dare challenge me in my own realm? Fools...”

Jack froze. The voice was cold and hollow, like the rasp of dry bones scraping together. It came from nowhere and everywhere at once, reverberating off the walls, seeming to come from the very air around them. A ripple passed through the darkness, and for just a moment, Jack thought he saw something—a figure. A flicker of movement just out of sight.

His heart raced, adrenaline surging as he scanned the chamber, every muscle tensed and ready. He couldn’t see anything, but the weight of the creature’s presence was unmistakable. The oppressive air thickened, the chill deepening.

“Stay close,” he muttered to his companions, his voice low, steady, even though every instinct told him to run.

Goldeyes let out a deep, guttural growl, his golden eyes scanning the blackness as the hair along his spine stood on end. Jack didn’t need to tell the wolf twice—he knew something was wrong. Very wrong.

“What is that?” Lyla whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

“I don’t know,” Jack admitted, eyes darting around, “but it’s not good.”

The oppressive silence returned, but now it was worse. Every step felt heavier, and the shadows seemed thicker as if they were closing in, creeping along the edges of their vision. Jack’s pulse hammered in his ears, the tension gnawing at him.

The chamber was vast, far larger than any of the previous rooms they had fought through, and it offered too many places to hide. Deep alcoves lined the walls, shadowed ledges stretched high above, and the ceiling, if there even was one, was swallowed in impenetrable darkness. It was the perfect hunting ground for whatever was stalking them.

The flickering violet runes did little to illuminate the space, instead casting eerie, shifting shadows that seemed to move and twist on their own. Jack’s gut twisted with unease. He hated this. Fighting something he couldn’t see, couldn’t anticipate. His usual strategies wouldn’t work here. This thing thrived in the dark, and they were at a severe disadvantage.

He strained his senses trying to locate the creature. Nothing. Just the oppressive weight of the chamber pressing in on them. Whatever was here, it was either hiding itself or so deeply entwined with the darkness that it couldn’t be detected. Either way, it wasn’t good.

Jack’s mind raced. He had new Skills and upgraded abilities that made him stronger than ever, but none of that mattered if he couldn’t find the cursed thing.

Then, a sudden shift in the air—barely noticeable, but there. The hair on the back of Jack’s neck stood up as the temperature seemed to plummet further. Something was coming.

“Watch out!” Jack shouted, just as the shadows erupted in motion.

The darkness itself seemed to come alive, swirling violently in front of them. Out of the swirling void emerged a creature—grotesque, massive, and utterly terrifying. Its form was a twisted mockery of a gargoyle, its skin a shifting mass of shadow, blending perfectly with the void around it. Long, curling horns jutted from its head, and its face was flat, triangular, with lifeless, pale eyes that glowed faintly blue in the dark. Those eyes locked onto Jack with a soulless gaze, freezing him in place for a heartbeat.

The creature hovered, wings spread wide, the shadows beneath it twisting unnaturally as if the darkness itself was bending to its will. Its long, serpentine tail swayed slowly behind it, and the cold radiating from it was suffocating.