"I've gotten stronger," he muttered to himself, "But I need more. I need to push further, to show them all."
The Seeker Points were already piling up—he had earned enough to purchase several powerful skills from the store, but he knew this was just the beginning. The Wailing Crypt dungeon was his proving ground. The hidden objective—a mystery—would be his next tool, a way to bend everything to his will. He had already activated the Soul Extraction skill on a bird, but this next step would bring real danger. Yet, he was eager.
Yanluo's fingers tapped rhythmically on the hilt of his Soul Dagger, its dark energy pulsing with anticipation. He was already several steps ahead in his mind. He would use his new skills—Illusion Maker, Soul Extraction, and Teleportation—not just to survive, but to manipulate the dungeon and those around him.
The next morning, Yanluo stood at the entrance of the Wailing Crypt, an ominous fog rolling around his feet. The dungeon's energy was oppressive, as if the very air had been soaked with the cries of the damned. The Seeker System's message blinked in his vision:
Mission: Survive for 20 minutes Optional: Extract the soul of the dungeon boss Bonus: ???
It was a typical survival challenge, but the hidden bonus caught his attention. "I don't need to survive," he whispered to himself. "I need to control."
Without hesitation, he stepped inside. The darkness enveloped him, and the distant sounds of wailing ghosts filled the air. There were no monsters in sight yet, but the dungeon’s very atmosphere was a threat.
Yanluo closed his eyes for a moment, tuning in to the Seeker System. Mission Active, it displayed.
The first wave came almost immediately—skeletons, armed with rusted weapons. They charged at him, slow but relentless. Yanluo didn’t flinch. He let them get closer, watching their movements, analyzing their weaknesses. He knew they were no match for him.
With a smirk, Yanluo used Illusion Maker. In a flash, a false version of himself appeared several meters away, standing perfectly still.
The skeletons, confused, turned toward the illusion, their movements jerky and disoriented. Yanluo used Teleport to move behind them, quickly dispatching each with a swift cut from his Soul Dagger. The dagger’s dark energy leached into the bones, breaking them into dust. His enemies fell without a sound, their wails silenced by the power of his blade.
The ghosts' cries grew louder, but they were nothing compared to the thrill of seeing his illusions work perfectly. Illusion Maker wasn’t just a tool for deception; it was a weapon, a psychological tool that rendered his enemies powerless.
As Yanluo ventured deeper into the dungeon, he finally reached the central chamber. The walls were covered with eerie, glowing symbols that pulsed in sync with the wailing sounds. At the center of the room stood the Wailing Crypt's Boss—a massive, ethereal figure cloaked in tattered rags, its face hidden in the shadows. It radiated power, but also an overwhelming sense of sorrow.
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The Seeker System flashed with an update:
Dungeon Boss: Wailing Spirit Level: 35 Skills: Soul Drain, Wail of Despair, Ghostly Charge
Yanluo grinned. "A simple ghost. I'll make this quick."
The Wailing Spirit raised its arms, summoning a powerful wave of despair. The room trembled as the boss launched its Wail of Despair, a scream so powerful that it made the air around Yanluo vibrate with fear. Yet, Yanluo stood unaffected. Soul Extraction had already been activated, and the wailing was absorbed into the air around him, feeding his powers.
"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath. With a single motion, he teleported behind the boss. The Wailing Spirit spun around, trying to land a blow, but it was too late. Yanluo had already used Illusion Maker to create a duplicate of himself in the center of the room.
The real Yanluo slashed at the Wailing Spirit’s back with his Soul Dagger, draining its ethereal essence. The spirit shrieked as its energy was consumed, its body flickering in and out of existence. Yanluo didn't even hesitate. He pressed the dagger deeper, extracting the soul.
As the spirit let out its final, heartbreaking wail, Yanluo looked at the wisp of energy floating in his palm. "Such desperation," he said, a sadistic grin forming on his lips. "Let’s see what I can use from you."
As the Wailing Spirit disintegrated into dust, the system beeped again, signaling the completion of the mission:
Objective Complete: Survive for 20 minutes Optional Objective Complete: Soul of Dungeon Boss Extracted
A new message appeared, just as Yanluo expected:
Bonus Objective: Hidden
The air around him seemed to freeze, the dungeon’s energy shifting. The stone walls rumbled as the crypt began to collapse, and from the shadows, a new figure emerged—an even darker, more powerful being.
Yanluo’s eyes narrowed. This was not part of the original challenge. The real test had just begun.
The new figure was a shadowy entity, a being of pure malice, far beyond the Wailing Spirit. The boss was dead, but something had stirred in the darkness—something far more dangerous. Yanluo's heart raced with excitement, knowing that this was where his true power would be tested.
"I should've known," Yanluo said, chuckling darkly. "The real game begins now."
The entity lunged at Yanluo, but he was ready. He immediately used Soul Extraction again, this time on the shadow’s essence, but it fought back with incredible speed and force. The dungeon shook with the collision of their powers.
Yanluo’s eyes gleamed with ruthlessness as he dodged the shadow’s attacks. "You dare challenge me?" he sneered. "You are nothing."
In an instant, he activated Doppelganger, creating multiple copies of himself. The shadow couldn’t keep up as they surrounded it, overwhelming it with a barrage of attacks from every direction. Yanluo’s laugh echoed in the crypt as he continued to exploit his powers, showing no mercy.
The entity, realizing its defeat, began to fade, but not before leaving a final, vengeful strike aimed directly at Yanluo. He didn’t flinch.
He let the attack hit him. The shadow’s energy crackled across his body, but it didn’t faze him. Yanluo smirked. "Is this all you have?"
As the entity's energy dissipated, Yanluo pulled out his Soul Dagger one last time, striking at the heart of the shadow and absorbing its essence. The final boss collapsed, and the dungeon quieted.
The Seeker System’s final message flashed:
Dungeon Clear Bonus Objective Complete New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Control
Yanluo stepped out of the collapsing dungeon, victorious. His body was unharmed, his power increased, and his confidence was immeasurable. He now had control over the shadows, a power that would allow him to manipulate the very darkness itself.
"I’ll break everyone who stands in my way," Yanluo muttered, his eyes glowing with a dangerous gleam. "And they’ll never even see it coming."
This was just the beginning. Yanluo’s ruthlessness and evil continued to grow as he gained more power, pushing him closer to his ultimate goal of domination.