2026-08-05 02:06:57"We're not going to win if it's just me alone."
The Withered Treant stood three times his height, its decaying bark cracked open, revealing streams of toxic green light flowing beneath.
[Withered Treant detected] [Level: 22]
The Erebus Guardian stood ready at his side, its wings of darkness fully spread, waiting for a command.
"This time, I need you from the start," Nox said, his voice firm even as his heart pounded.
The Withered Treant roared, slamming its wooden arm into the ground. A shockwave spread instantly, forcing Nox to leap back as far as he could, the impact tearing a shallow trench through the dead grass. The Erebus Guardian met the next attack head-on, its claws bracing against the second strike, but even a creature that powerful struggled to face an elite monster alone. Splinters of bark rained down around them, some still glowing faintly with residual toxin.
"Shadow Capacity is still one unit," Nox muttered, watching the blinking status display at the corner of his vision. "I need more."
Something within him stirred, energy that had long been locked away, waiting for the right moment to break free. The shadows around him began to tremble, as if alive, pooling at his feet like ink refusing to settle.
"If I can't win alone, then I won't be alone."
[Shadow Capacity: 2/2 units reached] [New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Summon]
Dark violet light burst from the shadows surrounding him. Two small figures emerged, Shadow Wisps, black mist with a single eye, small and fragile, but capable of multiplying.
"There it is."
He did not waste a second. "Left Wisp, distract it. Erebus, hold it from the front. I'll take the rear."
The Shadow Wisps moved quickly, circling the Withered Treant's legs. It swiped at them clumsily, its massive limbs too slow to catch something so small and erratic. The Erebus Guardian endured the next blow with its body.
Nox slipped into the shadow of a nearby tree, his body merging through Umbral Veil. Each step carried him a little further and faster as though the ability itself was learning alongside him.
He appeared behind the Withered Treant, right at the weak point he had been observing from the start, the gap in its trunk where the toxic green light flowed the strongest.
"The pattern always leaves a half-second gap. That's the opening."
The Withered Treant had just finished striking the Erebus Guardian when Nox burst from the shadows, his blade driving straight into the glowing gap on the monster's back. The blade sank deep, and for a moment the light inside the creature flickered like a dying ember catching one last breath.
"ROARR!"
The Withered Treant twisted violently to counterattack, its trunk cracking audibly under its own force, but the Shadow Wisps circling its legs threw it off balance for a fraction of a second, long enough for the Erebus Guardian to slam into its side with full force.
The massive monster collapsed, its body cracking into charred wooden fragments before dissolving into particles of light. The clearing fell silent, save for the faint hum of dissipating energy drifting upward like dust caught in sunlight.
[Level Up!] [Level: 7 → 18]
Nox dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, the smile on his face no longer thin or uncertain like before. It was the kind of smile that came from somewhere deeper, something that had been missing since the day his old account was stripped from him.
[STATUS WINDOW] Level: 18 HP: 640 Shadow Energy: 410 Shadow Capacity: 4 units New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Summon (fully active)
"Four units." He looked at the two Shadow Wisps hovering around him, almost as if they were eagerly waiting for his next command. "Not just a single high-tier shadow anymore. I can build a real army now."
He stood up, brushing virtual dust from his clothes, ignoring the faint ache still radiating through his shoulder from the last impact. The Erebus Guardian approached, lowering its head, a gesture that was beginning to feel like a habit between them, something closer to trust than obedience.
"Thank you," Nox said softly, touching the creature's snout. "If you hadn't held it back earlier, I wouldn't have found the opening."
The Erebus Guardian let out a low snort, a sound that almost resembled satisfaction, its red eyes narrowing briefly before it settled back onto its haunches, watching him with something unreadable.
"I used to be strong because I was alone," Nox murmured, glancing toward the dead forest stretching ahead. "Looks like the system that reset me didn't realize it just taught me how to become even stronger. In a completely different way."
He stepped forward, moving deeper through the thinning forest, where faint light began to break through the gaps between the trees. The Shadow Wisps trailed behind him, weaving between the roots like curious children exploring somewhere new, occasionally darting ahead before circling back to his side.
Something flickered at the corner of his vision. A tall shadowy figure stood far among the dead trees, watching him with a gaze he could not read. When Nox blinked, it was gone.
"Erebus, did you see that too?"
The creature let out a low hiss, its deep red eyes fixed in the same direction, a silent confirmation that whatever they had just seen was real. Someone had been watching him from the very beginning.
Nox stood still for a long moment, scanning the tree line, but the forest offered nothing further, only the low creak of dead branches shifting in a wind he could not feel. Whoever it was, they hadn't wanted to be seen for long. That, more than anything, unsettled him.
"Whoever you are, you'll have to do better than that."
He sheathed his sword, though his hand lingered on the hilt a moment longer than necessary, and turned back toward the deepening light ahead, the Erebus Guardian falling into step beside him, the two Shadow Wisps trailing close behind like faithful shadows of his own making.
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The Person Who Should Have Disappeared
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"Thanks a lot. You really saved us back there."Ironwall patted Nox on the shoulder as they stepped out of the city gates, his grin still wide after their victory in the Old Root Dungeon."No problem," Nox replied briefly, though the corners of his lips lifted slightly."We're going to grab something to eat at the tavern nearby," Brightpetal said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Want to come?"Nox hesitated for a moment. His old habits as a solo player nearly made him refuse, but something held him back."Sure," he finally replied.The small tavern was nowhere near as crowded as the main street. Simple wooden tables were scattered throughout the room, and the aroma of warm soup filled the air. The four of them sat in a corner, ordering simple meals as they rested."That was seriously crazy," Swiftfeather excitedly told the tavern server who happened to walk past. "We cleared the dungeon that fast, even though it usually takes more than two hours.""It was nothing. You're just s
The Beginner Party
"Hey, you! Want to join our party? We need one more player!"Nox turned and found three young players waving enthusiastically from in front of the beginner dungeon bulletin board."Me?" Nox pointed at himself, making sure they had not mistaken him for someone else."Yeah, you!" A muscular young man with a large shield strapped to his back stepped closer, flashing a wide grin. "My name's Ironwall. I'm the tank for this party. We're about to enter the Old Root Dungeon, but we're short one DPS."A girl in a white robe nodded behind him. "I'm Brightpetal, the healer. The one over there is Swiftfeather, our archer."Swiftfeather raised his bow slightly and offered an awkward smile. "Nice to meet you. What level are you?""Twenty-four," Nox answered briefly."Perfect!" Ironwall exclaimed excitedly. "This dungeon is recommended for levels twenty to twenty-five. So, what do you say? Want to join?"Nox actually wanted to refuse. The easiest excuse was already on the tip of his tongue. But some
Selling the Loot
"Let me see the items first. Don't rush into negotiating a price before you know what they're worth."The material shop owner, an elderly man with a thick beard and glasses perched at the tip of his nose, held out his hand, waiting for Nox to place his goods on the counter.Nox took out several items from last night's dungeon and placed them one by one on the worn wooden counter."Three Bone Reaver feathers, and one crystal core from a Bone Sovereign."The old man picked up one of the feathers, turning it beneath the lamplight as his brows slowly drew together."This quality is too good," he muttered, eyeing Nox suspiciously. "Ordinary Bone Reaver feathers aren't this clean, especially when they still have energy residue that hasn't dissipated.""It's from a Bone Reaver, I killed it last night," Nox replied flatly."What level are you?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes."Twenty-four."The shop owner let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "The Bone Reavers in the dungeon I'm thinking of
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