As Ryusei slowly pushed open the heavy double doors, the scent of old wood and dust filled her senses. The room beyond was vast, with towering walls adorned with ancient carvings. The floor was covered in an intricate black marble design, shining faintly in the dim light.
At the far end of the room, under a dark, imposing throne, sat a figure shrouded in shadows. The throne was carved from obsidian, and the figure before it emanated an almost unnerving aura of power. The chamber was silent except for the distant sound of water dripping from somewhere above. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, as if the very atmosphere was holding its breath.
Kneeling in front of the throne, a knight shrouded in black armor.
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[Night Lord's Mad Dog]
[Level: 35]
[Abilities: Shadowstep, Night Slash, Berserker Roar]
(good luck)
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Ryusei's gaze flickered to the throne.
Sitting upon the broken stone seat was a shadowy figure, eerily shaped like herself, but adorned with a silver crown.
A shiver ran down Ryusei's spine.
"That's... me?"
The crowned shadow remained motionless, its featureless face watching in silence.
CLANG.
The knight slammed its greatsword against the floor, cracking the stone beneath it. Then, without warning it vanished.
"Shit-!"
Ryusei barely had time to react before the Mad Dog reappeared directly in front of her, sword already swinging.
She instinctively dodged, activating [Quick Silver] to blink to the side.
But the knight adjusted mid-swing.
A sharp gash tore through her side as she narrowly avoided a fatal blow. Blood splattered onto the cold floor.
The knight did not hesitate. It immediately lunged again, relentlessly, its attacks coming in a flurry of impossibly fast slashes.
Ryusei could barely keep up.
"This thing is way faster than the Abyssal Knight!"
She desperately parried, using her Light Spear to deflect as many strikes as possible. But each impact sent painful vibrations up her arms.
The knight pressed forward, forcing her back until her heel hit the base of the throne.
An eerie whisper that echoed within her mind.
"Overcome me... and take your rightful place."
Ryusei activated her [Quicksilver] skill, darting to the side with an almost inhuman swiftness, narrowly avoiding the knight's follow-up attack. But she knew she couldn't keep dodging forever. She had to counter.
The Black Knight lunged again, but this time, Ryusei was ready. With a twist of her body, she slammed her Silverine Sword into his side, the light magic she infused into it illuminating the room with a soft, pink glow.
He swung his sword back, slicing through the air in an attempt to catch her in the chest.
Ryusei dodged again, barely managing to avoid the full brunt of the attack, but the edge of his blade grazed her arm, a deep cut opening up as blood began to drip.
She gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain and pushing forward.
Ryusei used her shadow manipulation to sink into her own shadow, momentarily disappearing from sight, then reappearing behind the Knight. She didn't hesitate and unleashed a [Divergent Fist] straight into his back.
The Black Knight grunted, feeling the force of the blow, but his dark aura flared, and he spun around, delivering a brutal backhanded strike that sent her crashing into the stone wall. She winced in pain, but she refused to let him see her falter.
He charged again, moving so fast that Ryusei barely had time to react. She summoned another light spear, hurling it toward him in a desperate attempt to keep him at bay. The spear hit his armor with a loud clang, but it didn't pierce through.
"Divergent Fist!" She slammed her cursed energy-charged fist forward, trying to land a devastating blow, but the Black Knight anticipated it and parried with a quick, brutal counter. The impact sent a shockwave through her arm, and she staggered back.
She dodged again as his sword cleaved through the air in a horizontal arc, narrowly missing her torso.
She was getting tired. Every attack was met with counterattacks, every move carefully calculated. His speed, his power, it was all so overwhelming. Her quick silver couldn't keep her ahead for long.
Ryusei gripped both daggers tightly, her Kasaka's Venom Fang in her right hand and the newly acquired Darkfang in her left.
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[Darkfang Dagger (Rare)]
[Type: Dagger]
[Attack Power: +45]
[Durability: 200/200]
[Weight: 1.2 kg]
Effects & Abilities:
[Shadow Infusion: Increases damage by 20% when attacking from the shadows or at night.]
[Bleeding Edge: Successful strikes have a 15% chance to inflict a bleeding effect, dealing 5% of the target's max HP as damage over 10 seconds.]
[Dark Step: Grants a temporary 10% increase in movement speed when striking an enemy from behind.]
[Cursed Fang: Has a small chance (5%) to ignore a portion of enemy armor upon a critical hit.]
Description:
A dagger crafted from abyssal metal, infused with the essence of shadows. Once wielded by the Abyssal Knight, it thrives in the dark, making it the perfect weapon for assassins or those who embrace the night.
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The Black Knight raised his blackened sword, its dark energy crackling. His armor creaked as he shifted into a berserker stance faster, stronger, but less defensive.
'This is my chance. If I play it right, I can finish this.'
Ryusei took a deep breath, then vanished into the shadows using Shadow Manipulation.
The Mad Dog snapped his head around, sensing her movement, and immediately swung his blade in a wide arc, sending out a shockwave of dark energy that shattered parts of the stone floor.
As Ryusei dodged another brutal swing from the Mad Dog, she frantically spun the Gacha Wheel, hoping for a game-changing ability. Her daggers, Kasaka's Venom Fang and Darkfang, twirled in her hands, their edges gleaming under the dim torchlight. The wheel spun rapidly, the glowing pointer flickering between options.
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[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: Satan's Gravity - Gravity Ether Gear!]
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Ryusei inverted her own gravity, launching herself into the air at impossible speeds, avoiding the attack entirely. She flipped midair, landing upside-down on the ceiling like it was solid ground.
The Mad Dog's helmet tilted upward, his soulless eyes narrowing beneath the visor as he readjusted his stance.
"Tch, let's see how you handle this!" Ryusei grinned, planting her feet on the ceiling before releasing her personal gravity, dropping at an accelerated rate straight towards the knight.
She spun in the air, her daggers infused with cursed energy and shadow magic, aiming directly for the weak spot in his armor.
The knight barely had time to react. He raised his sword to block, but Ryusei increased her body's weight exponentially. Her speed and power multiplied, her daggers slamming into his sword, creating a shockwave that cracked the stone beneath him.
The force knocked him back, skidding across the throne room floor.
He vanished, his Berserk Fury activating again. He reappeared behind Ryusei in an instant, his black sword slicing horizontally, aimed at her midsection.
"Gravity Fist!"
Her right fist glowed with a deep purple energy as she twisted midair, aligning herself perfectly. She threw her punch.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire throne room, the sheer gravitational force sending shockwaves through the stone floor. The Black Knight's armor buckled, cracks spreading along his breastplate, his feet digging trenches into the ground.
Ryusei didn't stop she landed smoothly, flipped Darkfang into a reverse grip in her left hand while keeping Kasaka's Venom Fang in her right.
"Not so tough now, huh?" she taunted, rolling her shoulders.
The Mad Dog responded by stomping forward, his aura growing darker Berserk Fury was still active, and his movements became even more erratic.
Ryusei barely had time to react before he was already on top of her, swinging his massive sword in rapid, brutal slashes.
She dodged backward, flipping midair, shifting her personal gravity to move sideways across the wall like it was the floor.
He threw his sword at her.
A burst of anti-gravity energy exploded from her palm, sending the sword flying backward before it could reach her.
The Mad Dog rushed forward anyway, summoning a black dagger from his belt. He went in for a vicious stab.
CLANG!
Ryusei parried with Darkfang, twisting her body to drive Kasaka's Venom Fang into a weak spot in his damaged breastplate.
"Take this!"
She activated Kasaka's venom, injecting its paralyzing poison into the Mad Dog's body.
The effect was immediate his movements slowed, his body trembling as the venom took hold.
Seeing her opportunity, Ryusei flipped her dagger backwards, clenched her left fist, and focused all her gravity power into one final attack.
'Time to make a new move for Satan's Gravity.'
"Gravity Ether Gear: Meteor Crash!"
She launched herself downward at full force, accelerating with gravity magic. Her fist connected with the Mad Dog's chest, sending an explosive gravitational shockwave through his armor.
CRACK!
The Mad Dog crashed into the ground, his body caving the stone beneath him, armor shattered, and the dark energy around him faded.