"Let me finish," she said, poking his arm. "But then I saw your combat logs—the damage appearing from nowhere, the way you fought like you had backup even when you were solo. That's when I knew you had something unique going on."
Max tensed slightly. "I told you about the contract synergies—"
"I know what you told me," Velara interrupted. "And I know you're not telling me everything. But that's okay. Everyone has secrets, especially in Phoenix. Half the people in this raid have unique builds or hidden mechanics they're not sharing. It's part of the game."
She stood, offering him a hand up. "Just know that when you're ready to share your secrets, I'll listen. No judgment."
Max took her hand and stood. "Thanks, Vel."
"Velara."
A voice called across the chamber. Ayame was gesturing. "Vel, come here. Need your input on the Phase 2 positioning."
"Duty calls," Velara said, squeezing Max's shoulder. "Get ready. Final boss is going to be hell."
She walked away, and Max was left alone with his thoughts.
And then he noticed it.
A notification had been blinking in the corner of his vision. He had been too exhausted to notice before, but now—
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
Seven level-ups. All at once.
[You are now Level 20!]
[Night has reached Level 20!]
Max stared at the notification. Level 20. He had jumped from 13 to 20 in a single dungeon run.
The experience from killing over five hundred enemies—most of them higher level than him—had accumulated into a massive burst of progression.
He pulled up his character sheet:
MAX THORNE – Level 20 Soulbinder
HP: 520/520
MP: 650/650
Stamina: 410/410
Stats:
STR: 38 | AGI: 47 | INT: 58 | VIT: 42 | LUK: 20
Corruption: 12/100
Unspent Skill Points: 35
NIGHT – Level 20 Shadowbound Warrior
HP: 780/780
Attack Power: 247
Agility: 68
The stat increases were massive. Max felt stronger just looking at the numbers.
But then another notification appeared—one that made his heart stop.
[MILESTONE REACHED: Level 20]
[CHAINS OF ETERNITY – PART 3: DOMINION OF SHADOWS]
Quest Updated:
Objective: Your bond has deepened beyond mortal comprehension. To unlock the true power of the Soulbinder, you must prove your dominion. Shadow is not merely servant—it is extension, it is army, it is legion.
New Ability Unlocked:
[SHADOW SLAVE – Rank B]
Skill Description:
Tear fragments from the abyss itself and bind them to your will. Summon two demonic shadow slaves—violent, brutal entities of pure destructive force. These slaves exist only to destroy, unable to distinguish friend from enemy in their hunger. Only your will keeps them focused on your targets.
Cost: 200 MP
Duration: Until destroyed or dismissed
Cooldown: 10 minutes
WARNING: Shadow Slaves are unstable. Excessive damage taken may cause them to enter Frenzy state, attacking indiscriminately.
Slave Stats (Each):
HP: 500
Attack Power: 180
Attack Speed: Very Fast
Special: Cannot be healed. When destroyed, explodes dealing 300 AOE damage to nearby enemies
Max read the description three times.
Two additional combat entities. Both with 180 attack power—nearly as strong as Night. Fast attack speed. Persistent until destroyed.
The downsides were significant—the massive MP cost, the risk of friendly fire if they took too much damage, the explosion on death. But the raw offensive power...
This was devastating.
Combined with Night, Max could field three combat entities simultaneously. His effective DPS would triple.
And nobody would see two of them.
Max dismissed the notification and took a deep breath. He wouldn't use Shadow Slave tonight—not in the final boss fight when he didn't understand the ability fully. But later, when he could test it safely...
"Alright, everyone!" Kaito's voice cut through his thoughts. "Final boss time. The Obsidian Overlord. This is it—last fight, winner takes all. Everyone understand their roles?"
Max checked his gear one last time. Level 20 now. New skill unlocked. Stats significantly improved.
He was ready.
"Let's kill a god," Ayame said, her sword gleaming with enchantments.
The raid moved forward, through the final doorway, into the boss chamber.
THE OBSIDIAN OVERLORD'S THRONE ROOM
The chamber was massive—easily the size of a football stadium. The floor was polished obsidian. And at the far end, seated on a throne of volcanic rock and shadow, was the boss.
[THE OBSIDIAN OVERLORD – Level 45 Mythic Elite]
HP: 1,000,000/1,000,000
The creature was immense—twenty feet tall. Its body was living obsidian, constantly shifting and reforming. Lava flowed through cracks in its body like blood. Its eyes burned with hunger, and when it stood from its throne, the entire chamber shook.
"MORTALS," the Overlord's voice boomed, echoing with unnatural reverb. "YOU DARE CHALLENGE THE MASTER OF THE DEPTHS? YOUR BONES WILL JOIN THE THOUSANDS WHO CAME BEFORE."
"Engage formation!" Kaito commanded.
The tanks charged forward. The battle for the Obsidian Depths' final boss had begun.
And Max, now level 20 with a devastating new ability waiting to be unleashed, prepared to prove his worth.