The whispers started as we delved deeper into the cave system, a subtle chorus of voices that made Chad's drunken tavern singing seem pleasant by comparison. Each step took us further from the relatively safe areas we'd cleared, into tunnels that felt older, more primal. The kind of place that screams, here there be monsters, in every RPG ever made.
Zaro's Void Sense pinged like a radar picking up an incoming meteorite. "Hold up," he raised his hand, stopping the team. Something felt wrong. Not your typical, we forgot to bring health potions, wrong, but more like we're about to trigger a boss fight wrong.
"What is it?" Ezra whispered, her bow already drawn.
He focused his Void Sense, letting it expand outward. The energy patterns were unlike anything he'd encountered before, a swirling mass of corruption that made his teeth ache. "There's something ahead. Something big."
Ramrod grinned, hefting his hammer. "Finally! I was getting bored with these trash mobs."
Chad adjusted his hat, because apparently even impending doom couldn't break that habit. "The corruption readings are off the scale," he muttered, magical instruments whirring. "This could be the source we've been looking for."
They had been tracking the corruption's spread through the caves, following the trail of twisted creatures and tainted crystals. Each step had led them deeper, following a gradient of increasing void energy that even Chad's magic could detect. Now it felt like they'd hit paydirt.
"We should proceed with caution," Ezra suggested, ever the voice of reason. "Whatever's causing this corruption, it's powerful enough to affect the entire cave system."
Zaro nodded, channeling void energy into his Void Skin. The familiar shadows swirled across his skin, a comforting weight against the oppressive atmosphere. "Standard formation. Ramrod, you're on point with me. Ezra, watch our flanks. Chad... try not to set anything on fire."
"That was one time," Chad protested. "And that goblin's eyebrows grew back. Mostly."
As we rounded the final bend, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber that would have made a cathedral feel inadequate. Ancient columns stretched into darkness, their surfaces etched with symbols that hurt to look at. The air itself felt wrong, like reality was holding its breath.
And in the center of it all, a swirling vortex of shadows pulsed with malevolent energy, growing larger with every passing second. The whispers reached a fever pitch, a dizzying array of voices that seemed to want to claw at his very soul.
"Well," Zaro muttered, "I think we found what we were looking for. Anyone else getting major final boss vibes?"
The vortex swirled faster, shadows condensing into something that definitely wasn't coming over for tea and cookies.
Time to see what this thing was made of. Hopefully something that died when you stabbed it.
The swirling vortex of shadows pulsed in the center of the cavern, growing larger with every passing second. The whispers reached a fever pitch, a dizzying array of voices that seemed to want to claw at Zaro's very soul. The air crackled with energy, a tangible manifestation of the encroaching darkness, and the crystals lining the cave walls glowed with an eerie, pulsating light, casting dancing shadows that distorted the already unnerving surroundings.
Fear, cold and sharp, pierced through Zaro's attempts at bravado—a chilling reminder of his own mortality. Yet, he felt almost a kinship to the shadows, like they strengthened him in some way.
"What in the abyss is that?" Ramrod exclaimed, his booming voice barely audible over the excitement. He gripped his hammer tightly, his knuckles white against the worn leather of the handle.
"I don't know," Ezra replied, her voice tight with apprehension. "But I don't think it's friendly." Her hand instinctively moved to the quiver of arrows slung across her back, her eyes darting around, searching for an escape route that didn't exist.
Chad, for once, was speechless. He stared at the vortex, his face pale, his pointy hat askew—a stark contrast to his usual air of arrogant confidence.
Zaro's Void Sense screamed a warning, a primal urge to flee, to hide, to escape the impending doom. It felt like a thousand icy needles pricking at his skin, urging him to run. But his feet felt rooted to the spot, frozen by a morbid fascination with the unfolding chaos.
The vortex reached a critical mass, its swirling shadows moving as if breathing slowly, coalescing into a monstrous form. A creature of pure darkness emerged, its eyes burning with malevolent intent twin points of crimson fire in the swirling mass of its body.
It was vaguely humanoid, but its limbs were elongated and distorted, ending in razor-sharp claws that glinted in the eerie light. Its skin was a patchwork of shadows, constantly shifting and reforming, as if the very essence of darkness was struggling to contain itself within a physical form. From its gaping maw, the whispers poured forth, amplified, twisted, a chorus of torment that echoed through the cavern.
System Alert. Void Abomination Detected. Danger Level: High. Defeat opponent for an instant level-up.
The Abomination let out a deafening roar, a sound that seemed to tear at the fabric of reality, vibrating through the very bones of the cave. The crystals lining the cave walls shattered, sending shards of razor-sharp rock raining down on us.
"Incoming!" Zaro instinctively yelled. His Void Skin was already active and reinforced. Shards of crystal bounced harmlessly off the skin, but the impact still sent tremors through his body—a jarring reminder of the creature's raw power.
He recharged the Void Skin with a new activation of the skill and took a slow, deep breath to steady himself for the battle.
"Attack!" Ramrod roared, charging towards the Abomination with his hammer raised high above his head. Ezra followed close behind, her bow drawn, arrows finding their mark in the creature's shadowy flesh. Each hit was accompanied by a hiss as the void energy resisted the intrusion. Chad, snapping out of his stupor, began chanting, his hands and staff glowing with arcane energy, weaving spells of fire and force.
Zaro hesitated for a moment, unsure how to contribute. He had tested his new skills, but not in a real fight. And not against a beast like this. The sheer power of the Abomination was daunting. But he couldn't just stand there and watch his companions risk their lives. He had to do something.
Zaro made a decision and channeled void energy into his fist, feeling the familiar warmth spread through his arm, tingling with power. Activating Shadow Strike, he charged towards the Abomination, dodging its flailing claws and leaping over the fallen debris. He aimed for its torso, hoping to land a solid blow, to test the strength of his newfound power against this creature of darkness.
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His fist connected with the Abomination's shadowy flesh, and a shockwave of energy erupted outward, sending ripples through the air. Minus 20 mana. The creature staggered back, its form flickering, the solid darkness momentarily disrupted. His heart thundered in his chest, a wild grin spread across his face. For the first time, he felt a flicker of control, a sense of power rising within him. My attack had actually hurt it! he thought, astonished.
But the Abomination quickly recovered, its shadowy flesh knitting itself back together, the disruption fading as quickly as it had appeared. It lashed out with its claws, catching him off guard.
The claws raked across his arm, almost tearing through his Void Skin. It cracked in a few places and left some small cuts.
A searing pain from the cuts disrupted his concentration briefly, and he stumbled back. This get-out-of-jail-free card won't work again, he thought. Clutching his arm, he felt the jagged, crumbling shadow armor between his fingers. I can't let myself panic. Zaro mentally coached himself.
Just then, the Abomination stretched its arm out and slammed into Zaro, the impact throwing him back and slamming him into the cave wall. Minus 100 health. The beast let out a triumphant roar.
The system displayed a critical health warning, which he ignored. Mortal fear set in, but through that and the pain, a new sensation emerged—a cold fury, a determination to fight back, to survive.
"Zaro!" Ezra cried, her voice laced with concern. She fired another arrow, this one aimed at the Abomination's head, but the creature barely flinched, the arrow simply disappearing into the swirling mass of its form.
"I'm not feeling too hot," Zaro responded. He double-charged his Void Skin and started to slow his breathing, calming his thoughts. He knew he needed to leverage his skills and make every attack count.
Just then, Ramrod roared, his fury echoing through the cave. He hacked at the Abomination's legs with his hammer, each blow landing with a sickening thud, but the creature's shadowy flesh seemed to absorb the blows, its form constantly shifting and reforming, making it an almost impossible target.
Chad unleashed a barrage of fireballs, engulfing the Abomination in flames. The creature roared in pain, its form flickering and distorting under the onslaught of fire. But the flames quickly died down, and the Abomination emerged unscathed, the fire having no lasting effect on its shadowy form.
They were losing. The Abomination was powerful, its shadowy form resistant to everyone's attacks.
Except for Zaro's. The void is the question and the answer, he realized. Desperation clawed at him. They needed a new strategy, a way to exploit its weakness. And Zaro realized that its weakness was him.
He sent a Void Bolt, just to see how it liked it, and just as he suspected, the spot blew open and stayed open for a few seconds until the healing started.
“I can use this, Zaro thought. Void Bolt Level 2 is stronger than before, and it costs less to use. I'll have to stay ranged to avoid getting squashed.”
Zaro came up with a plan. “I'll just send every Void Bolt I can and see if I can blow this thing apart before I die.”
Zaro activated Analyze and Void Sense.
The system displayed:
Corruption level: ???
Corruption is weak to void and shadow attacks. It has energy that needs to be released back into the world for balance. Voidwalkers can absorb some corrupted energy and repurpose it.
"I have an idea!" Zaro yelled. "Ezra, do you have any void arrows? Chad, conjure your strongest shadow attack. Ramrod, buy us time. And if anyone has a health and mana potion, toss them this way. I'm about to throw everything I have at it."
Ramrod flew into action. He jumped high into the air, slamming his huge weapon into the beast, then kicked it to withdraw from striking distance while slipping two attacks and spinning into a tornado of destruction.
Chad tossed a mana potion, and Ezra responded, "I have three arrows to use. And here," she threw a healing potion.
Zaro was reminded of a drinking contest he'd won recently and planned to double-fist the potions momentarily.
In the time Ramrod had bought, Zaro's mana was fully recharged.
The Abomination was a creature of void and shadow, corrupted somehow. Zaro wanted to find out what that energy was worth.
Zaro was ready. His plan was to fire off all the Void Bolts he could use—nine in total. That would leave him with five mana.
Then he would use his potions while Chad unleashed his attack. Afterward, he would overcharge his Void Bolt to nine charges and send as much damage as possible at his current level, hoping for a critical hit.
Worst case, Ezra could send her arrows and buy them time for a little mana regeneration.
"I'm ready!" Zaro yelled. "Pull back, Ram. Chad, get ready. Ezra, cover us after my second attack. I'm going to send everything I have. Use your potion and do it again!"
Chad yelled to Ezra, "I can enchant your arrows with shadow energy too. Come over here."
The Orc jumped and kicked with both feet to launch himself back out of striking distance as Zaro started to send nine Void Bolts at the monstrosity. His Void Sense lit it up red on the outer layer and greenish on the inside. There was almost a glimmer of orange at its chest where its heart would be and at the center of its head. Zaro sent nine Void Bolts center mass while strafing left toward Chad.
The Void Bolts were like polar-opposite magnets to its flesh. They seemed to blow it apart several inches deep. But they were adding up, and every fourth bolt seemed to really make a difference.
The inner green outline turned to yellow as Zaro's Void Sense indicated the beast had taken significant damage from the onslaught.
Chad didn't wait for an order and sent his best shadow attack. It was three orbs of crackling shadow lightning. Zaro had never seen anything like it. The form was dark and almost liquid, but also like three balls of thundercloud, the way they throbbed with power. They shot forward with speed and attached to the body of their target.
They began to destabilize and exploded.
Zaro took that as his cue and downed the potions. His mana and health were fully replenished. The mana potion was stronger than anticipated, and it overcharged his mana by 60. He had 200 mana to use this time.
He looked at Chad, and when their eyes locked, Chad winked at him while adjusting his hat.
"Ezra, go!" Zaro yelled as she sent three shadow-enchanted void arrows at the beast. It was looking like Swiss cheese from all the damage it had taken. Chad must be level 30 or 35 with his power—his attack alone took it from yellow to dark red.
The arrows impacted deep and lodged into the beast, making it howl even more. The arrows seemed to pulse outward upon impact, as if the energy was constantly radiating damage.
Zaro was ready. He charged up his Void Bolt. A 10x Void Bolt was almost the size of his 27-inch gaming monitor back home. It was silvery purple and black energy, ready to leap from his hands. Zaro aimed carefully, using two hands to hold the power steady. His stance was wide and balanced.
Zaro remembered the time Goku mixed his Instant Transmission with his attack. So he Void Stepped to the beast's flank while pressing his hands on the beast for a point-blank shotgun void blast.
Time seemed to slow. Zaro glanced around him and saw the faces of his new friends. Slowly, Ramrod had the widest eyes and smile; he was so excited to see the carnage. Ezra was surprised and instinctively bracing for impact. Chad was intrigued—one hand holding his hat, the other in the middle of a shadow spell, his eyes focused on the void.
Just then, Zaro looked at his hands and felt the beast's body briefly as time seemed to snap back. The Void Bolt tore through its intended target.
It was so bright, and the explosion so strong, it threw Zaro back and blinded them all for a moment.
When they were recovering, Zaro saw the notification.
The Abomination's form had collapsed, its shadowy flesh dissolving into nothingness, its essence returning to the void from which it had come. It let out a final, phantom roar, then vanished, leaving behind a small shadowy crystal, a lingering silence, and a faint smell of ozone—the remnants of its disrupted energy.
"Everyone okay?" Zaro asked as he went to pick up the void crystal. When his fingers were near it, he felt a pull as the crystal was drawn to his hand. Almost like it flew into his hand as he was going to pick it up.
It stuck to his hand, and when he tried to grab it with his other hand, the crystal stuck to it as well. The crystal started getting absorbed through his hands into his veins. It was cold, and it burned, and then it was over.
System Update.
You have absorbed corrupted void energy. You have received a system upgrade.
Brevity: Provides a 25% slowdown of the world as you access the system. This allows for precise planning and acts as brevity for the user.
As he stood there using the system, he could see the world did seem slower. This is AMAZING!
Level Up!
Level 4 achieved.
10 stat points awarded.
5 skill points awarded.
9 stat points banked. 19 stat points available.
Zaro added 2 to each stat.
Level 4.
Class: Voidwalker
HP: 160
Mana: 160
Attributes:
Strength: 16
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 16
Vitality: 16
Stamina: 14
9 stat points banked.
Zaro took a look at the available skills and saw one that caught his eye. Void Control: Allows a Void user to craft with void materials as well as control the void more accurately. Three skill points.
He purchased the skill. 3 skill points available.
As he exited the system, he saw everyone panting, but they were excited.
"That was great, Zaro!" Ezra said. "I've never seen anything like that."
Chad chimed in, "You'll have to tell me more about that attack. I'm familiar with shadow attacks, but that other energy isn't something I'm able to use. Yet."
Ramrod just punched him in the arm and smiled.
Zaro thanked them for the potions and said, "You guys really saved me back there."
However, he noticed that every time he leveled up, he was completely renewed. He thought, It's like the void is giving me everything I need at just the right time.
The silence in the cave was deafening after the brain-melting whispers, a stark contrast that amplified the sense of relief and disbelief.
They had won, but they needed to stay ready, because this cave wasn't done giving up its treasures.
The encounter had left them shaken—a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the shadows of this world. Apparently, corruption was dangerous and powerful here. But Zaro was intent on learning more—anything to level up.
They set up camp and rested a bit. The team had some drinks and ate some fried meat while talking about the battle.
While sweeping the room for danger, they noticed two almost-hidden chests. The chests were made of cave material and almost looked like part of the cave.
Everyone jumped up. "It's looting time!"
So. Much. Gold.
200 gold coins each.
Potions, arrows, a dagger—which Zaro kept—and a helmet that Ramrod had to have.
The helmet was black with two horns curving out of it. There was a silver outline around the facial features and a black, shadowy-looking exterior. A fine helmet.
They looted up, stocked up, then rested up.
Zaro thought, “I don't know enough about the world or the system, but I'm starting to think it wants me alive.”
