SHADE-BOUND Ascention System

Leveling up

The Lesser Crawlers didn’t give Henry a moment to breathe. They weren’t waiting for him to strategize or catch his bearings—they were out for blood.

He tightened his grip on his sword, the cheap blade already slick with sweat and ichor. A Crawler lunged, its jagged jaws snapping. Henry swung wildly, the blade scraping across its armored shell with a shower of sparks. The creature recoiled, stunned but alive.

No time to hesitate. He stepped forward, throwing his weight into a desperate strike. The sword found a weak point—the soft joint where the Crawler’s head met its body. It sank in with a sickening crunch. The creature screeched, thrashing before collapsing in a twitching heap.

[Progress: +10 experience.]

One down. Four to go.

The others swarmed, moving as a pack. Henry swung again, but a Crawler latched onto his leg, its claws digging into his flesh. Pain flared, sharp and hot, stealing his breath. Another slashed across his back, tearing through his jacket. Blood trickled down his arm, his vision blurring for a split second.

[Vitality: -5.] [Vitality: -5.]

Panic clawed at his chest, but he shoved it down. Focus. He kicked the Crawler off his leg, ignoring the sting, and swung at the next one. His form was messy, untrained, but it didn’t matter. The creatures were fast, dodging and weaving, their claws flashing in the dim, moss-lit cavern.

Every hit he landed came at a cost. A claw raked his side. [Vitality: -5.] Another grazed his arm. [Vitality: -5.] His body ached, blood soaking his torn clothes, but he refused to stop. He couldn’t.

He drove his sword into another Crawler’s skull, the blade crunching through bone. [Progress: +10 experience.] Three left.

His muscles screamed, his arms trembling under the sword’s weight. Another swing, another kill. [Progress: +10 experience.] Two to go.

The final two came at him together. Henry’s breath came in ragged gasps as he dodged one claw, then another. His body was slowing, the pain dragging him down. But he gritted his teeth, slashing wildly. The blade caught one Crawler’s underbelly, spilling its guts. [Progress: +10 experience.]

The last one lunged. Henry sidestepped, barely, and drove his sword through its head. It collapsed, silent.

[Progress: +10 experience.]

Henry stumbled back, chest heaving, blood dripping from gashes across his arms, legs, and sides. His clothes were shredded, clinging to his skin with sweat and blood. The pain was real—sharp, unrelenting. This wasn’t a game. But he was still alive.

The dungeon’s air shifted, a low hum vibrating through the stone. Henry forced himself to stand straighter, his hand trembling on his sword.

Something moved at the far end of the cavern.

A tall, gaunt figure emerged from the shadows, draped in tattered robes that seemed to swallow the light. A cracked, blood-smeared mask hid its face, and its bony fingers gripped a gnarled staff. The air around it crackled with a dark energy.

Henry’s stomach twisted. A Dungeon Priest. Unlike the Crawlers, this thing used magic—and the aura radiating from it screamed danger.

Before he could move, the Priest raised its staff. A pulse of energy surged forward, slamming into Henry’s chest like a hammer. [Vitality: -5.] He flew backward, crashing against the stone floor, coughing as pain radiated through his ribs.

The Priest began chanting, its voice a guttural rasp. A sickly green glow enveloped its staff, growing brighter with each word.

If that spell finished, Henry was done.

He pushed himself up, his body screaming in protest. His legs wobbled, but he forced them to move. The Priest was slow, its focus on the spell. Henry was faster.

He lunged, closing the distance, and swung his sword with every ounce of strength he had left. The blade sliced through the Priest’s torso, cutting deep. It let out an inhuman shriek, the sound echoing off the cavern walls before fading into silence.

[Progress: +30 experience.]

Henry dropped to one knee, his body trembling. Blood dripped from his wounds, pooling on the stone. His head pounded, his throat raw from gasping for air. But he’d won.

Then, a low growl rumbled behind him.

His stomach sank. He turned, his heart racing. More monsters—dozens of them—emerged from the shadows, their claws glinting in the moss’s faint glow.

The fight wasn’t over.

Henry gripped his sword and charged, pain and exhaustion forgotten in the rush of survival. The battle was a blur of blood and instinct. He swung, dodged, struck again. Claws tore at him, each hit chipping away at his strength. [Vitality: -5.] [Vitality: -6.] [Vitality: -5.]

His vision darkened, his arms heavy as lead, but he kept going. One by one, the creatures fell, their screeches fading until the dungeon was silent again.

Henry stood, swaying, drenched in sweat and blood. His body was a map of cuts and bruises, but he was still standing.

[All enemies defeated.]

A faint glow caught his eye. Scattered among the creatures’ remains were small, pulsing crystals—Beast Crystals, the dungeon’s currency of power. Henry knelt, wincing, and pried one free. It thrummed in his palm, warm and alive.

[Absorb Beast Crystal for experience?]

He hesitated, then nodded. The crystal dissolved, a rush of warmth flooding his veins. [Progress: +25 experience.] He grabbed another. [Progress: +25 experience.] And another. [Progress: +25 experience.]

The energy built inside him, a pressure growing in his chest. He was close—close to something big.

More Crawlers appeared, their chittering filling the cavern. This time, Henry was ready. His movements weren’t perfect, but they were sharper, guided by the Core’s hum. He dodged a claw, then another, slicing through a Crawler’s underbelly. [Progress: +10 experience.]

Another lunged, its claw grazing his shoulder. [Vitality: -5.] “Damn it,” he hissed, driving his blade into its head. [Progress: +10 experience.]

The battle stretched on, each swing draining him further. Blood dripped, his breath ragged, but he fought until the last creature fell.

Silence returned.

Then, a surge of warmth flooded his body, golden light flickering across his vision. His wounds stung less, his limbs felt lighter.

[Congratulations! You have reached F2 Rank. All attributes increased by +10. Vitality increased to 150. New Skill: Recovery, Level 1. Effect: Restores vitality and stamina instantly, boosts healing speed. Skill Points: +50.]

Henry exhaled, a shaky laugh escaping him. He’d done it. He’d survived. The Core was changing him, making him stronger. For the first time, he felt a spark of hope—not just for himself, but for Lily and Tom.

But the dungeon wasn’t done. A deeper rumble shook the cavern, and Henry’s grip tightened on his sword. The boss was still out there.