The Sunken Ruins of Aethelgard were exactly as advertised: wet, miserable, and strangely beautiful.
Silas and Elena waded through knee-deep water that smelled of ancient algae and secrets. Around them, the skeletal remains of a once-great city poked out of the murky depths. Crumbling spires reached toward the grey sky like skeletal fingers, and the silence was broken only by the distant drip of condensation falling from the vaulted ceilings of drowned temples.
"My boots are ruined," Silas lamented, lifting a foot and watching the muddy water drip off. "These were limited edition. I haggled for twenty minutes for these."
"You stole them from a dead goblin," Elena corrected, her eyes scanning the shadows of a nearby colonnade.
"I liberated them," Silas insisted. "And they were in pristine condition. Now they look like swamp rags. This is why I hate nature. It's so... sticky."
He kept his complaints to a low whisper, however. His Intelligence stat (46) was buzzing with a sense of unease. The mana in the air here was thick, heavy, and wrong. It wasn't the natural mana of a forest; it was stagnant, like water that had been sitting in a dark basement for centuries.
They reached a large circular plaza. In the center stood a massive, weathered fountain. The statue in the middle was headless, holding a trident that looked sharp enough to still be dangerous.
"We're looking for the Abyssal Gate," Silas whispered, pulling out the scout's map. "According to this, the entrance is beneath the Royal Plaza. This looks royal enough. Lots of pretentious stonework."
He knelt by the fountain, running his hand over the stone. [Sovereign's Gaze] flickered to life.
The world turned grayscale. Suddenly, the water in the fountain didn't look like water. It looked like a thick, swirling vortex of dark energy. And carved into the base of the fountain were runes—not of light, nor of elemental fire, but of the Void.
"Jackpot," Silas murmured. "It's a Void Lock. Same frequency as my class."
He reached out to touch the runes.
Splash.
A sound echoed from the darkness of the colonnade to their left.
Silas froze. He stood up slowly, drawing Requiem of the Void. The black blade hummed, vibrating with a hungry anticipation.
"Elena," Silas said softly. "Company."
"I see them," she whispered.
From the shadows of the pillars, figures emerged. They were humanoid, but stretched thin, their skin pale blue and bloated. They wore rusted armor that looked ancient, and their eyes were empty sockets filled with glowing blue water.
[Target Analysis]Target: Drowned Warden (Undead)
Level: 34
Rank: D-Rank (High)
Strength: 35
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 5
Weakness: Blunt Force, Void (High)
Immunity: Water, Ice
"There's... a lot of them," Elena noted, gripping her dagger tightly.
A dozen of the creatures shambled out of the gloom, encircling the fountain. They didn't breathe. They didn't speak. They just raised rusted swords and tridents, moving with jerky, waterlogged precision.
"Level 34," Silas calculated rapidly. " They hit harder than me. But..."
He looked at his Agility.
"They're slow," Silas smirked, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Elena, stay close. Don't get cornered. This is a dance."
The Wardens charged. It wasn't a roar of fury; it was a silent, rushing wave of metal and decay.
Silas didn't brace. He moved.
[Void Step]
He vanished, reappearing behind the first Warden. Requiem sang through the air. The black blade met the rusted armor of the creature's back. With the [Void Edge] passive active, the armor offered no more resistance than wet paper.
Slice.
The Warden bisected, its body turning into splashes of water and dust before it even hit the ground.
"One down, eleven to go," Silas counted.
Two more lunged at him from the front. Silas spun, parrying the first trident with his sword—the impact sent a shockwave through his arm, reminding him of their superior strength—and ducked under the second.
He wasn't strong enough to block them head-on repeatedly. He had to be fluid.
He slapped his free hand onto the chest of the second attacker.
[Void Consumption - Touch]
A pulse of violet light. The Warden's momentum instantly died as its mana—its unholy animation—was ripped away. It collapsed into a pile of wet bones.
"Silas, left!" Elena shouted.
Elena was a blur of motion. She wasn't fighting fair. She used [Shadow Meld] to sink into the shadow of a pillar, reappearing behind a Warden to hamstring its knee. The creature fell, and she was gone before it hit the water.
Silas kicked a Warden into the fountain, buying himself a second of breathing room.
"They don't feel pain," Silas noted, dodging a heavy sword swing that would have taken his head off. "And they don't get tired. Very rude."
He needed to end this quickly. His mana was draining fast from the constant use of Void Step and Consumption.
He gathered the shadows around him. The Wardens closed in, forming a tight circle.
"Elena! Get to high ground!" Silas ordered.
Elena scrambled up the side of the fountain, perching on the headless statue.
Silas stood in the center of the circle of monsters. He closed his eyes for a split second.
"You want to drown me?" Silas taunted, his voice echoing. "Sorry. I don't swim."
He slammed Requiem into the ground.
[Skill Unlocked: Void Ripple]Rank: NoviceDescription: Displaces the space around the user in a shockwave.
It wasn't an explosion of fire or light. It was a sudden, violent displacement of reality. A ring of purple force expanded outward from Silas in a ten-foot radius.
WHUMP.
The air screamed. The Wardens were thrown backward as if an invisible giant had swatted them. They flew through the air, crashing into pillars and splashing into the deep water.
But Silas wasn't done. He targeted the ones struggling to rise. He moved like lightning, his Agility allowing him to traverse the distance in the blink of an eye.
Slash. Dodge. Consume. Slash.
It was a rhythm of destruction. He wasn't just fighting; he was harvesting.
By the time the last Warden fell, Silas was panting heavily. He leaned on his sword, sweat mixing with the mist.
[System Notification]
[Combat Victory.]
[Experience Gained.]
[Level Up! Level 30 -> Level 31]
He felt a rush of vitality. His fatigue lessened. His stats bumped up again.
Strength: 33 (+1)Agility: 41 (+1)Intelligence: 47 (+1)
"Level 31," Silas wheezed, wiping his brow. "Okay. That was a workout. I think I pulled a muscle in my charisma."
Elena dropped down from the statue, looking impressed. "You didn't get hit once."
"That's the secret to longevity, Elena," Silas said, sheathing his sword with a flourish. "Don't get hit. Also, having a legendary sword helps. Keeps the manicurist bills down."
He walked back to the fountain. The fight had stirred the water, but the runes were glowing brighter now, reacting to the Void energy Silas had expelled.
"Ready to see what's behind door number one?" Silas asked.
"Do we have a choice?" Elena replied.
"Technically, yes. We could go back and sell insurance. But where's the fun in that?"
Silas placed his hand on the runes. He pushed a stream of Void Mana into the stone.
K-CHUNK.
The sound of grinding gears echoed deep beneath the plaza. The water in the fountain began to drain, spinning into a whirlpool. The stone base of the fountain split open, revealing a dark, spiraling staircase leading down into the earth.
A gust of cold, ancient air blew up from the depths. It smelled of ozone and dried blood.
"After you," Silas gestured with a bow.
"Absolutely not," Elena crossed her arms. "You first. You're the tank."
"I am a Sovereign, not a tank," Silas corrected. "I am a delicate flower of destruction."
But he stepped forward anyway. "Fine. Stick close. If you see anything with more teeth than a shark, stab it."
They descended into the darkness. The stairs were slick, and the only light came from the faint violet glow of Silas's sword and the bioluminescent moss on the walls.
After five minutes of descending, the staircase opened into a massive cavern.
It wasn't a natural cave. It was a throne room. A subterranean palace that had been swallowed by the earth.
Pillars of obsidian supported a ceiling lost in shadow. And at the far end, on a dais of black stone, sat a throne.
But the throne was occupied.
A figure sat there, slumped over. It was a giant, easily twelve feet tall. It wore armor of black plate, etched with designs of tidal waves and stars.
[Sovereign's Gaze]
[Target: The Drowned King (Ancient Guardian)]
Level: 45
Rank: C-Rank (Boss)
Status: Dormant.
Threat Level: Lethal.
Silas stopped dead in his tracks. "Level 45."
"It's... sleeping?" Elena whispered.
"It's a boss room," Silas murmured. "And that's the loot box."
As if sensing their presence, the cavern rumbled. The torches on the pillars flared with ghostly blue fire. The giant on the throne shifted. Armor ground against armor.
Two eyes, burning like blue suns, opened.
"WHO DISTURBS..." The voice was like an avalanche. "THE SLUMBER OF AETHELGARD?"
Silas looked at Elena. "Quick. Check the map. Is there a back exit?"
"There isn't," she squeaked.
Silas sighed. He drew his sword and checked his hair in the reflection of a nearby puddle.
"Well," Silas shouted to the giant. "I was hoping for a guided tour, but I guess I'll have to redecorate myself. Morning, Your Majesty! Love what you've done with the subterranean crypt vibe. Very cozy."
The Drowned King stood up, drawing a massive anchor-like axe from behind the throne.
"INSOLENCE."
"Yep, that's me," Silas said, activating [Void Step]. "Elena, find cover! This is going to be loud!"
The King roared and swung his axe. The shockwave alone shattered the stone floor where Silas had been standing a millisecond before.
The boss fight had begun