novelraw Chapter 71: RIP Umbral Guards!
Chapter 71: RIP Umbral Guards!
Daniel sheathed his daggers. He didn’t need them for this. He wanted to test his raw power, to see what his Level 5 strength could do against an Elite.
The Guard hesitated for a microsecond, confused by the action. That was all Daniel needed.
"[Shadowsteps]!"
He blurred forward, moving so fast that the wind shrieked around him. The Guard raised its hand to fire a shadow bolt, attempting to [Phase Jaunt] away at the same time, but Daniel was already there.
He grabbed the robot’s arm before it could vanish. "No, you don’t," Daniel growled.
He pulled the construct toward him and delivered a brutal knee strike to its midsection.
The metal chassis dented inward with a sickening crunch. The Guard thrashed, trying to slash at Daniel with its free hand, but Daniel caught that wrist too.
He held the Elite construct in place with his raw Strength stat of over 180. The robot struggled, its servos whining under the pressure, but it couldn’t break Daniel’s grip.
He twisted the metal wrist until the joint broke free.
CRACK!
The blade fell from the guard’s hand. Daniel looked into the single glowing eye slit.
"Shutdown," he whispered. He released the robot’s wrist and pulled his fist back, channeling everything he had into it.
Mana. Strength. Kinetic energy.
"[Forceburst]!"
He punched the guard directly in the center of its face.
KA-BOOM!
The impact was devastating. The kinetic energy didn’t just dent the armor, it disintegrated it.
The shockwave traveled through the guard’s body, shattering its internal core and blowing out the back of its head.
The body went limp instantly, the dark energy that formed its essence dissipating into smoke.
Daniel let go, and the headless body crumpled to the floor. He stood over the wreckage, shaking his hand.
His knuckles were smoking, but he wasn’t hurt. He looked at the destruction he had caused. He had destroyed two Level 4 Elites in less than three minutes.
A notification chimed in his Databand, sweet and rewarding.
[You have slain: Keep Umbral Guard (Level 4 Elite)]
[EXP Gained: 180 EXP]
[Level 4: 1650/1700 EXP]
Daniel took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline fade. He was close. He was so close to Level 6, just fifty more experience points.
He retrieved his bow from where he had dropped it and checked his gear. Everything was holding up.
His [Energy Siphon] was already pulling mana from the air, refilling what he had used in the fight. He looked up at the spiraling ramp.
The path to the Central Hub was clear. "Next," Daniel said, stepping over the pile of scrap metal. He continued his ascent into the dark.
The battle with the Umbral Guards had been intense, but it was over now.
The two elite constructs lay on the floor of the ramp, their bodies shattered by the force of his last punch.
Smoke rose from their disjointed limbs, and the white light that had powered them flickered and died.
Daniel stopped after a few steps and turned back. He looked at the wreckage. He knew he couldn’t just leave them there because these weren’t normal enemies.
They were Level 4 Elites. They were fast, they were deadly, and they were full of power. He walked back to the first guard.
The construct looked like a ninja made of black metal and shadows. Its armor was sleek and thin, designed for speed rather than defense. Daniel knelt beside it.
He placed his hand on the smooth surface of its chest. "Let’s see what made you so fast," Daniel whispered.
He closed his eyes and focused his mind. He reached out with his SSS-Grade talent, [Soul Assimilation].
The reaction was immediate. However, it felt different from the other monsters he had consumed.
It rushed into his hand and traveled up his arm, moving like a shadow through his veins. It was cool and refreshing, but it also had a dark edge to it.
Daniel shivered as the essence merged with his own soul. He moved to the second guard quickly. He didn’t want to waste any time. He placed his hand on its broken head and repeated the command.
More of that cold, shadowy energy flooded into him. It swirled around his muscles, making them feel lighter and more elastic. It settled in his legs, making them twitch with the urge to run. It settled in his mind, sharpening his reflexes to a razor’s edge.
A series of bright blue notifications flashed in his vision, glowing in the dim light of the Red Keep.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Spire Umbral Guard (Level 4 Elite) x2]
[Gain: Agility +16]
[Gain: Spirit +14]
[Gain: Adaptability +20]
[Acquired Skill Fragment: Phase Jaunt (Minor)] [Assimilation Charges Consumed (7/15 Remaining).]
Daniel stared at the numbers, his eyes wide with surprise. The stat boost was massive. Gaining sixteen points in Agility was incredible. He felt light as a feather.
In addition to the speed, his Spirit had jumped by fourteen points. His mind felt expansive and clear. The range of his [Omnivision] pushed outward, cutting through the thick atmosphere of the Keep with ease. But the most interesting part was the skill fragment.
"[Phase Jaunt]?"
Daniel muttered. He tapped the notification to see the details.
[Skill Fragment: Phase Jaunt (Minor) - Passive/Active Hybrid. Allows the user to shift their physical form partially into the shadow realm for a split second.
Use: When dodging, the user can teleport a short distance (1-2 meters) in the direction of movement. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Mana Cost: High.]
"Teleportation," Daniel realized, a smile spreading across his face. "It’s a short-range blink."
It wasn’t a full teleport like the Sector Arbiter had used, but it was enough. In a close-quarters fight, moving two meters instantly could mean the difference between dodging a blade and getting cut in half.
He decided to test it immediately. He stood in the middle of the ramp. He focused on the spot two meters to his right.
He didn’t just jump, he willed himself to be there.
ZHOOM!
The world blurred for a fraction of a second. There was a sensation of cold air rushing past his ears, and then, he was standing two meters to the right.
He stumbled slightly, surprised by the sudden shift in perspective. It felt like he had skipped a frame in a video. One moment he was here, the next he was there.
"Incredible," Daniel breathed. He checked his mana bar. The jump had consumed a decent chunk of energy, but thanks to his [Energy Siphon] skill, the bar was already refilling. The ambient energy in the Red Keep was dense, feeding him constantly.
He clenched his fists, feeling the new power coursing through him. He was becoming a true monster.
"I am ready," Daniel said to the empty air.
He turned away from the dead guards and looked up the ramp. The path spiraled upward, disappearing into the shadows high above.
This place, the Primary Control Center, was different from the rest of the Astral Verge. It was called the Red Keep on the map, but it felt more like a silent tomb.
Thin lines of white energy ran up the walls like veins, pulsing with a slow, rhythmic heartbeat.
Thrum... Thrum... Thrum...
The sound was low, almost below the range of hearing, but Daniel could feel it in his bones. It was the heartbeat of the Keep.
The higher he went, the colder the air became.
Daniel kept his back near the wall, his eyes scanning the shadows above. His [Omnivision] was active, creating a 3D map of the surroundings in his mind. He passed several levels that were sealed off.
He saw glowing white barriers blocking the entrances to side rooms. Through the energy fields, he could see rows of strange machines and stasis pods.
Some of the pods were empty. Others were foggy, hiding whatever was inside.
"I wonder what they were making here," Daniel thought. The mysteries of the Astral Verge were deep, but he didn’t have time to solve them all. He had a mission.
"Focus on the objective," he reminded himself. "Get to the top. Get extracted. Save mom." He climbed for what felt like an hour.