Chapter 9: The Dungeon Boss

Ethan picked it up and a hint of anticipation flashed across his eyes.

"A Strength Variant..."

He looked toward the passage beyond the Waykeeper.

With this Essence, his chances against the boss had increased.

But Ethan didn’t rush forward.

The Waykeeper had refreshed his memory on how dangerous this dungeon could be.

More than twenty Shadow Wraiths had fallen in that battle.

He wasn’t going to make the same mistake against the boss.

Instead, Ethan opened his panel.

[Panel]

Name: Ethan

Race: Human

Level: 3 (80%)

HP: 200/200

Profession: Legion Summoner (EX)

Innate Talent: One Mind, One Legion

Attributes

Strength: 60

Agility: 60

Constitution: 60

Spirit: 80

Unassigned Attribute Points: 0

Skills

• Shadow Veil (Divine)

Ethan’s gaze lingered on the panel.

When he had first awakened his profession, his attributes had only been ten each.

Completing his first level had given him another ten points in every attribute, along with ten additional points that he had placed into Spirit.

Reaching Level 2 had given him another twenty points in every attribute.

And twenty more free points.

All of them had gone into Spirit.

But the changes weren’t limited to his attributes.

Ethan’s gaze returned to his profession.

He opened the description.

[Legion Capacity: 200]

[Note: Legion Capacity doubles with every increase in level.]

Ethan nodded in understanding. When he had first awakened the profession, his Legion Capacity had been only fifty.

After reaching Level 2, it had doubled to one hundred, and now that he was at Level 3, it had doubled again.

Two hundred legion members.

That meant the 20 Shadow Wraiths he had lost could easily be replaced.

Ethan closed the panel.

"Legion Formation."

The familiar formation appeared beneath his feet.

One after another, new Shadow Wraiths emerged from the formation.

The number continued to rise.

Fifty.

One hundred.

One hundred and fifty.

Two hundred.

Only when the formation finally stopped did Ethan lower his hand.

His entire legion stood before him.

Two hundred Shadow Wraiths.

Ethan glanced across the silent figures.

The Waykeeper had forced him to lose more than twenty soldiers, but Ethan had entered the dungeon with fifty. Now, he had two hundred

Ethan looked at the two hundred Shadow Wraiths surrounding him, then glanced at the Variant Strength Essence in his hand.

Two hundred Shadow Wraiths. A Strength Variant.

His chances against the Goblin Boss were much better now.

"...This should be enough."

"Let’s go."

The two hundred Shadow Wraiths disappeared into the surrounding shadows.

Ethan turned and walked through the passage.

The narrow passage suddenly opened into a large underground chamber.

It was much wider than the area where he had fought the Waykeeper.

The ground was mostly flat, with several large rocks scattered across the chamber. Thick stone pillars stood at different points, creating plenty of places to hide.

There were also several narrow openings along the walls.

At the center of the chamber stood a stone pedestal with a crystal resting on top of it.

It was about the size of a fist, completely transparent and glowing with a faint golden light.

Even from a distance, Ethan recognized it: A talent strengthening c,rystal.

His mouth twitched.

It was one of the most valuable treasures a player between Level 1 and Level 10 could obtain.

A single crystal could strengthen an existing talent.

For someone with a very ordinary talent, it could completely change their future.

It was very tempting.

But Ethan didn’t move as his gaze simply shifted away from the crystal.

At the edge of the chamber, a small figure was chained to a stone pillar.

It was a thin, fragile goblin. Its green skin was covered in dirt and small wounds.

Its arms were bound behind its back, chained to the pillar, and its head hung weakly toward the ground.

It looked like it could barely stand.

Ethan’s gaze settled on the chained goblin.

His mouth twitched.

"You cunning bastard. This trick won’t work on me."

The goblin remained motionless, its head still lowered as though it hadn’t heard him.

Ethan raised his hand.

"Kill it."

Several Shadow Wraiths emerged from the surrounding shadows, their dark blades shooting toward the chained goblin.

Just before the blades reached it, the goblin suddenly raised its head.

The weakness in its eyes vanished.

A wide grin spread across its face.

"Ah..."

Its voice was surprisingly calm.

"So you saw through it."

The chains around its body snapped apart.

The goblin stretched its arms and looked at Ethan with amusement.

"That’s disappointing. I was actually hoping you’d reach for the crystal first."

"That would have made things more easier"

The Goblin Boss chuckled.

"But I suppose this is more interesting."

The Shadow Wraiths closed in from every direction, but before they could reach it, its figure disappeared, leaving their blades to strike empty air.

A moment later, the Goblin Boss appeared several meters away.

The instant it reappeared, a brilliant light surrounded its body, covering it from every direction. Even beneath its feet, there was no darkness left. Not even his shadow formed

Ethan’s brows furrowed.

The Goblin Boss grinned: "I watched your fight with the Waykeeper."

It casually brushed the dust from its clothes.

"That was fascinating."

"All those shadows binding its body, cutting off its movements, attacking from every direction..."

Its grin widened.

"I’ve never seen anything quite like it."

The Goblin Boss raised the small crystal hanging around its neck.

"But fortunately, I came up with this little light trinket just in time."

It tapped the crystal with one finger.

"As long as this light surrounds me, your little shadows can’t reach me."

Ethan stared at the crystal.

The Goblin Boss lowered its hand from the light device and reached into its robe.

A small metal device appeared in its hand.

It looked crude, with several tiny switches covering its surface.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

The Goblin Boss grinned and pressed one of them.

Click.

Several mechanisms hidden around the chamber immediately activated.

Bright lights suddenly burst from the walls and ceiling.

One after another, they illuminated large sections of the chamber.

The Shadow Wraiths caught within the light immediately became faint.

They tried to move through the surrounding darkness, but the light weakened every shadow they approached.

The Shadow Wraiths quickly retreated.

The Goblin Boss watched with satisfaction as the Shadow Wraiths were forced toward the darker areas of the chamber.

"That’s right. Stay there."

It pressed another switch.

Click.

The Goblin Boss smiled. "You thought that was all? There’s still more."