The asphalt of the parking lot vibrated.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It sounded like a pile driver hitting the ground. I crouched behind a sedan, peering through the shattered windows. My remaining nine Abyssal Stalkers were spread out in a wide arc, clinging to the shadows like oil.
In the center of the lot stood the monster.
[Blood Knight - Lvl 15 (Elite)]
[HP: 2500/2500]
[Status: Enraged]
It was a walking tank. Seven feet of crimson plate armor that looked like it had been forged from frozen blood. A tattered red cape hung from its shoulders. In its hands, it held a greatsword that was longer than I was tall.
At its feet lay a pile of black dust. My tenth minion.
The Knight wasn't just patrolling. It was hunting. Its helmet, shaped like a screaming skull, turned left and right. Red steam hissed from the visor.
"Trouble," I whispered.
Level 15 wasn't just a number. At Level 15, mobs gained "Armor Proficiency." My Stalkers had claws that did physical damage. Against that plate, they would be scratching paint.
I checked my stats.
[Mana: 180/200]
[Fireball: Ready]
[Dash: Ready]
I needed to crack the shell.
"System," I thought. "Analysis."
The Glitch trait flared. The red text burned over the Knight.
[Weak Point Detected: Neck Joint (Rear)]
[Armor Thickness: 0.5mm]
[Probability of Penetration: 12%]
Twelve percent.
If I missed, the greatsword would cut me in half. There were no second chances against a heavy hitter like this. If it connected, my 150 HP would vanish in a single frame.
But the reward.
My eyes drifted to the Knight's belt. Hanging there was a flask glowing with a deep ruby light.
[Vial of Blood Essence]
I needed that.
"Stalkers," I commanded silently. "Bait formation."
I stood up.
"Hey!" I shouted.
The Blood Knight snapped its head toward me. The red steam hissed louder. It roared, a sound like metal tearing, and charged.
It was fast. Terrifyingly fast for something that heavy. It covered ten yards in a second, the greatsword dragging sparks along the pavement.
"Now," I ordered.
My nine Stalkers erupted from the shadows.
They didn't attack the Knight. They threw themselves at its legs.
They were small, agile, and weightless. They grabbed the Knight's greaves, locking their skeletal arms around its ankles.
The Knight stumbled. The momentum of its heavy armor worked against it. It crashed forward, sliding on the asphalt.
It didn't fall completely. It caught itself on one hand.
"Attack!"
The Stalkers swarmed. They climbed the armor like ants. They clawed at the joints, the elbows, the back of the knees.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Sparks flew.
[Damage: 0]
[Damage: 1]
[Damage: 0]
Useless.
The Knight roared again. It stood up, shaking the skeletons off like water. It spun in a circle, the greatsword acting as a centrifuge.
CRACK.
Three of my Stalkers shattered instantly. Their bones turned to powder.
[Unit Destroyed.]
[Unit Destroyed.]
[Unit Destroyed.]
"Keep it busy!" I yelled.
I ran. I sprinted to the right, circling the melee.
The Knight was focused on the annoying skeletons scratching at its armor. It raised its sword to smash another one.
This was it. The exposed back.
I had one shot.
I didn't use Fireball. Fireball was impact damage. It would spread out over the armor. I needed piercing.
I reached into my inventory space. I pulled out the iron rod one of my skeletons had dropped. It was a jagged piece of the library chandelier. Pointed. Heavy.
I activated Dash.
The world blurred.
I cleared the twenty feet in a heartbeat. The Knight was mid-swing. The gap at the back of its neck was open. A thin line of black chainmail between the helmet and the chest plate.
I jumped.
I landed on the Knight's back. The metal was hot to the touch.
The Knight thrashed, trying to reach behind itself.
"Open wide," I snarled.
I drove the iron rod down.
I didn't just stab. I put my entire body weight behind it, reinforced by my 12 Strength.
SHUNK.
The rod punched through the chainmail. It sank three inches into the meat of the neck.
[Critical Hit!]
[Damage: 450]
The Knight screamed. It dropped its sword. It reached back and grabbed me by the jacket.
Its grip was like a hydraulic press.
"Oh no," I gasped.
It ripped me off its back and slammed me onto the asphalt.
CRACK.
My vision whitened. My HP bar plummeted.
[HP: 45/150]
[Status: Stunned]
[Status: Bleeding]
I coughed. Blood sprayed onto my chin.
The Knight loomed over me. The iron rod was still sticking out of its neck, but it wasn't dead. Its health bar was at 60%.
It raised a massive armored fist to crush my skull.
I couldn't move. The stun status had paralyzed my legs.
"Rise," I whispered.
The Knight paused.
Behind it, the black dust of the three destroyed Stalkers swirled.
I didn't have to wait for a corpse to cool. The Glitch removed the cooldown. The dust was still bone. Bone was still material.
[Mana: 120/200]
Three black skeletons formed out of thin air directly behind the Knight.
They didn't attack. They jumped.
They grabbed the iron rod sticking out of the Knight's neck and pulled.
The Knight jerked backward, its head snapping up. The fist missed my face by an inch, cracking the pavement next to my ear.
The leverage was too much. With three skeletons hanging off the lever in its neck, the Knight lost its balance. It fell backward.
CRASH.
It landed on top of the skeletons, crushing them again. But it was down.
The stun wore off.
I rolled away, scrambling to my feet. I backed up, gasping for air.
The Knight was trying to stand up, but the rod was jammed deep into its spine now. Its movements were jerky. Paralyzed.
It was helpless.
But it had 1500 HP left.
I looked at my mana. 120.
I looked at the Knight.
"You like fire?" I asked.
I held out both hands.
"Fireball."
BOOM.
The flame hit the Knight in the face. The helmet glowed orange.
[Damage: 80]
"Fireball."
BOOM.
[Damage: 82]
"Fireball."
I turned myself into a turret. I didn't stop. I poured every ounce of mana I had into the spell. The Knight thrashed and screamed as its armor began to heat up. It was cooking inside its own shell.
[Mana: 10...]
[Mana: 0]
The Knight stopped moving. The red glow in its visor faded. The armor was scorched black.
[Enemy Defeated: Blood Knight (Lvl 15)]
[Experience +8000]
[Solo Kill Bonus: +2000 XP]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
I collapsed. I sat on the asphalt, leaning against a tire. My chest felt like it was caved in.
I was Level 13.
My HP refilled as the level-up energy washed over me. The pain in my ribs vanished.
I stood up and walked over to the smoking corpse.
My skeletons—the ones that survived—gathered around. They chattered their teeth, clicking in excitement.
I reached down and ripped the ruby flask from the Knight's belt.
[Item: Vial of Blood Essence]
[Rank: B]
[Description: Pure vitality condensed into liquid form. Used for alchemy or high-tier Necromancy rituals.]
I pocketed it.
Then I looked at the sword.
The greatsword lay on the ground. It was heavy, black iron with red runes etched down the blade.
[Weapon: The Bloodletter]
[Rank: C]
[Requirement: 30 Strength]
[Effect: Causes bleed on hit. Heals wielder for 5% of damage dealt.]
I couldn't use it. My Strength was only 18 after the level ups.
But my minions...
I looked at Alpha. The skeleton was standing there holding a piece of rebar.
"Alpha," I said. "Drop that."
The skeleton dropped the metal rod.
"Pick it up."
Alpha stepped forward. It grabbed the handle of the massive sword.
It struggled. The sword dragged on the ground. The skeleton's stats were too low.
I frowned.
"System," I said. "Class Skills."
[Class: Abyssal Sovereign]
[Skill Points: 3]
[Available Skills:]
Bone Armor (Passive): Minions gain +20 Defense.Soul Link (Active): Share vision with minions.Abyssal Infusion (Active): Spend mana to permanently buff a minion's stats.
I stared at the third option.
Abyssal Infusion.
This was the money sink. In the game, this skill was useless for most players because it cost too much mana to maintain.
But I didn't have maintenance costs.
"Learn Abyssal Infusion," I commanded.
[Skill Learned.]
I walked up to Alpha. I placed my hand on its bony shoulder.
"Take it," I said.
I channeled my mana.
[Infusing...]
[Mana Consumed: 100]
Purple fire erupted from my hand. It flowed into Alpha's bones. The black bones grew thicker. Spikes erupted from the shoulders. The skeleton grew six inches taller.
[Abyssal Soldier evolved to Abyssal Warrior.]
[Strength: 10 -> 25]
Alpha roared. It was a silent, dusty sound.
It lifted the greatsword with one hand. It swung it through the air. Whoosh.
Perfect.
I looked at the rest of my squad. I had 6 skeletons left.
I had a tank now. A DPS unit.
I looked back toward the university.
The night was young. The "Midnight Feast" event was still active.
"Let's go," I said. "I want to hit Level 20 before breakfast."