The gates to the high-class dungeon loomed like the mouth of a dead god, carved into the jagged cliffs northeast of the city. Its aura was suffocating, thick with malice and age. Even the ground around it had turned pale and cracked, as though nature itself had recoiled from what lurked inside.
Leon stood at the front of the group, his cold stare fixed on the dark abyss ahead. His black coat billowed in the wind, and the frost clinging to his boots crackled with each step forward. Behind him were Kaelis and a squad of elite hunters, each seasoned in combat, each well aware that they were walking into something beyond reason.
And then, there was Vale Arven, the so-called hero forged by Darius. He wore armor inspired by Leon's old designs, mimicking even the stance and posture Leon once made famous.
Leon gave him a single glance, then looked away. "Stay out of my way."
Vale bristled but said nothing.
The descent into the dungeon was steep and relentless. The deeper they ventured, the colder it grew. Shadows whispered through the walls, the very stones groaning as if haunted. Ice spread unnaturally across the floor and ceiling, and the deeper they went, the more corrupted the mana became.
At last, they reached the heart of the dungeon.
A massive cavern opened before them, and in the center of that frozen tomb coiled a grotesque creature: a corrupted frost wyrm, born of twisted mana and unholy death, but not affiliated with the Eternal Empire. Its scales shimmered with a sickly blue glow, and its three heads hissed in unison, breathing out clouds of venomous frost.
One of the hunters stepped forward, trembling. "That's… that's not just a dungeon boss. That's an execution."
Leon didn't hesitate.
He unsheathed his sword, and his shadow flickered to life behind him. "Then it dies."
The battle erupted.
The wyrm lunged, its massive body slamming into the ground, sending icy shockwaves in every direction. Leon moved like a phantom—his blade cutting through the frost. His magic surged through him, a perfect blend of shadow and ice, coating his strikes with bone-chilling precision.
Kaelis fought at his side, their swords dancing in unison. Though Kaelis matched Leon in form and technique, Leon's edge came from the unrelenting power of his magic, he carved through the wyrm's attacks with ease, never losing that unnerving cold in his expression.
Vale and the others struggled to keep up. They struck when they could, but their hits barely scratched the creature's hide. The wyrm only roared louder, angered that mere mortals dared challenge it.
Leon leapt into the air, shadow and ice gathering around his blade. With a single strike, he severed one of the wyrm's heads. It screeched, rearing back, but Leon pressed on.
Kaelis followed, slashing deep into the creature's underbelly, while Vale, pushed to desperation, launched a final barrage of mana-infused blades.
The wyrm collapsed to the ground with a trembling wail, its remaining heads thrashing as its strength waned.
Leon didn't give it a chance to die slowly.
He stepped forward, lifted his hand, and summoned the shadows.
Dark tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around the wyrm's corpse, coiling like snakes around prey. The others watched in horror and awe as Leon began to consume it.
The beast's flesh turned to ash, its soul pulled into the shadow vortex swirling at Leon's feet. A pulse of freezing air burst outward as Leon absorbed the final trace of its essence.
[System: Corrupted Frost Wyrm Consumed.]
[Shadow Stored.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Venomous Ice Breath – Dormant.]
Leon opened his eyes. They now glowed faintly, one blue, one pure black. Ice crept across his gloves, but he didn't flinch.
Kaelis sheathed his sword, watching him quietly. "You've grown again."
Leon nodded. "It was weak."
Vale stepped forward, panting, his armor scraped and cracked. "Did he consume that wyrm with his sword?"
Leon turned to him slowly, his gaze piercing. "You wear my shadow like a costume," he said, voice low. "But you'll never be me."
Vale stiffened, fists clenched, but said nothing.
Leon looked at the other hunters. "We're done here. Take what remains. This dungeon belongs to no one now."
The group exited the dungeon, the tension thick, the silence heavier than when they'd entered.
Kaelis walked beside Leon as they emerged into the moonlight.
"So your shadows… they're immortal?" Kaelis asked.
Leon answered without looking. "They are mine. What's mine cannot die."
Kaelis gave a faint smile. "We're not ready for the Eternal Empire, are we?"
"No," Leon said flatly. "Not yet. But I will be."