The sound of shattering crystal tore through the silence of the night, echoing in the hollow belly of the long-abandoned warehouse. In a single instant, the crystal fractured—splintering into dozens of jagged shards that rained across the dusty floor. The once-vivid violet light that pulsed within it sputtered out, leaving behind only faint flickers, like dying embers on the verge of extinction.
Arkan staggered back, his shoulders trembling, breath ragged and uneven. A crimson trail dripped steadily from his arm, staining the cold, grit-strewn ground. The wound wasn't from any enemy's strike but from the shards themselves, sharp enough to carve deep into flesh when the crystal exploded. Gritting his teeth, he pressed his left hand tightly against the gash, blood seeping stubbornly between his fingers.
"Arkan, are you alright?" Elara's voice cut through the chaos. Her footsteps were sharp and swift as she closed the distance, silver hair swaying under the dim light. Her eyes burned with resolve—not fear, not hesitation, only vigilance.
But before he could reply, a shriek split the air.
"KIIIIEEEHHHHH!"
The sound was piercing, like nails being driven directly into his skull. Arkan winced, his face twisting against the auditory assault.
Out of the violet haze that clung stubbornly to the corners of the warehouse, the creatures emerged—the dimension gnawers. Small in stature, no larger than hounds, yet their presence was suffocating. Crimson eyes glared from the mist, sharp enough to make his skin crawl. Their metallic fangs clattered and screeched, promising violence. They had lost their source of power… and now, their frenzy turned on him.
A blue panel blinked into existence before Arkan's eyes, cold and merciless in its clarity.
[Side Quest]
Destroy Object — Dimensional Beast Creation Crystal.
— Completed —
[Side Quest Remaining]
Defeat the maddened Dimensional Gnawers.
Combat ability increased by 30%.
Red-Eyed Vermin slain: 0/75
Rewards:
2,000 EXP
Expert's Sword lvl.1 → lvl.2
Dash lvl.1 → lvl.2
$1,000
Arkan's throat tightened as his gaze swept across the numbers. Seventy-five. An absurd count for any seasoned fighter—let alone him, still stumbling through the weight of his blade techniques. Worse yet, their combat boost. Reflexes sharper, attacks swifter, movements deadlier.
He swallowed hard, bitterness pooling at the back of his tongue. How am I supposed to survive this… with a sword that's one strike away from breaking?
His trembling hand reached down for the weapon at his side. The blade, once proud, was fractured through with spiderweb cracks. One solid clash, and it would shatter in his grip. And yet… there was no other option. Surrender wasn't survival—it was death.
"This is going to be rough…" His voice was barely a whisper.
Then, in a flash, blue light erupted around his frame.
Dash [lvl.1] activated.
His body blurred, leaving behind a faint afterimage as he launched forward. In an instant, he was upon the swarm, sword raised high.
The blade arced downward, a gleam slicing through the air. His strike cleaved one gnawer clean in half, the corpse collapsing into a pool of writhing black blood before crumbling into violet dust.
"KIIIEEEHHHH!"
More shrieks filled the air as Arkan pressed on. Every swing of his sword weighed heavy at first, his body straining to keep pace. But soon—gradually—something shifted. His movements flowed smoother, sharper, as though muscle memory born from endless practice finally broke free of its chains. Each slash carried the rhythm of training turned instinct.
And then, a new panel flickered before him.
[System]
Host has achieved 1,000 "perfect" sword swings.
New skill unlocked.
Swordsmanship lvl.1 (Passive): +2% Critical Chance, +10% Attack.
Slash lvl.1 (Active): +30% Attack. Stackable up to five strikes. (Cooldown: 10s, -20 MP).
Golden light shimmered around him, cloaking his form. Strength surged through his limbs, like a storm pouring into his veins. His sword arm steadied, his breath aligned, his strikes doubled in speed and weight.
Arkan's eyes widened. The world itself seemed to shift—his blade no longer a burden but an extension of his will.
Without hesitation, he triggered his new skill.
Slash [lvl.1].
The fractured blade burst into radiance, each swing trailing golden arcs. Where once it felled one gnawer, now it carved through two, three at a time. Bodies split apart mid-screech, dissolving into streams of violet dust.
+50 EXP!
+50 EXP!
+50 EXP!
[Side Quest]
Red-Eyed Vermin slain: 9/75
Arkan glanced at the panel, panting, before a laugh escaped his lips—low, unsteady, half-delirious. Relief tangled with exhilaration, a dangerous cocktail that made his hands tremble not with fear but with hunger. Every slash, every death, pumped more strength into him.
"Elara… watch me now," he whispered.
From behind, Elara froze, her breath caught. The sight unfolding before her was nothing short of impossible. Arkan—who had staggered moments ago, bleeding and broken, clutching a fractured blade—was now transformed into a reaper. Each swing cut with unerring precision, as though guided by the hand of a swordsman forged in centuries of battle.
He wasn't merely surviving. He was turning the tide.
The battle raged on. Screeches, the grinding of metallic teeth, the whistle of a blade cleaving air—it all wove into a relentless symphony of combat. Sweat poured from Arkan's brow, blood still seeped from his wound, yet his gaze never wavered. The light in his eyes burned with unwavering focus.
Until at last—the final gnawer split in two. Its mangled body shivered once before collapsing into dust.
[Quest Complete: Red-Eyed Vermin slain (75/75)]
2,000 EXP
Expert's Sword lvl.1 → lvl.2
Dash lvl.1 → lvl.2
$1,000
Items Obtained:
x21 Dimensional Beast Creation Crystal Fragments
Arkan collapsed to his knees, chest heaving, lungs aflame. His entire body quivered from exhaustion. Yet… a smile, faint but resolute, curled across his lips. It wasn't just relief. It was pride. Against all odds, he had endured.
The sword in his grip glowed. Cracks melted away, reforging into a polished gleam. A panel appeared once more.
[Expert's Sword lvl.2]
+140 Attack
+2% Critical Chance
Cooldown reduction for attack-type skills: -3s
Arkan stared in disbelief. So this is what it feels like… when a weapon grows with me.
Another panel opened.
[Dash lvl.2]
+120% Speed
Cooldown: 4s
MP cost: 10 MP
Stackable twice (Speed doubled).
The text seemed plain, but to Arkan, every word sang with promise. They were more than numbers. They were survival.
He flicked to his inventory, eyes falling on the shimmering fragments—twenty-one shards pulsing faintly with a power beyond comprehension. He invoked Appraisal, but the system pushed back:
[Dimensional Beast Creation Crystal Fragment]
Forged by a high-tier Magician from the Magic Dimension.
Use: ???
Power: ???
Type: ???
Commonly found in Minor Domains.
[System Notice]
Host's Appraisal skill insufficient. Unable to analyze objects of higher status and strength.
His fist clenched around the fragments, frustration gnawing at him. He could feel the dormant power within, yet the truth remained veiled.
Elara approached quietly, her hand resting on his shoulder. Her silver strands shimmered faintly in the fading violet glow. Her gaze was sharp, unwavering. "You've grown stronger. But… I fear this is only the beginning."
Arkan met her eyes, reading the warning beneath her words. It wasn't fearmongering. It was truth.
"If they've already sent dimensional gnawers," Elara continued, her tone grim, "then this was no test. It was a foothold. The first step toward establishing a Domain. What we fought tonight… was nothing but pawns."
Arkan's gaze swept across the empty warehouse. The mist had dissolved, silence reclaiming the space, as though the battle had never been. Yet to him, this place would never be the same. It was no longer a forgotten ruin. It was a stage, waiting for the next tragedy.
His fingers tightened around the fragments. "Then I'll be ready. These quests… they're not just busywork. They're training. Tests for something much greater."
Far in the distance, the city lights blinked back to life. To ordinary eyes, the world looked untouched, peaceful. But only Arkan and Elara knew. Tonight marked the opening act of something far darker.
The war between dimensions… had only just begun.