Chapter 138 — The Dark Cave

Kael descended through the stone passage with his blade resting against his shoulder.

The moment his feet touched the second floor, the atmosphere changed.

There was no wind.

No sound.

Not even the faint dripping of water.

Kael stood completely still.

The passage behind him had already vanished.

He turned around.

Nothing.

Only a wall of black stone.

"Great."

Kael sighed.

"So this really is a dungeon."

He had expected something dangerous after entering the next floor, but the silence bothered him more than the monsters on the first floor.

At least monsters made noise.

A growl.

Footsteps.

The scraping of claws against stone.

Anything.

Here, there was nothing.

Kael tightened his grip around his normal blade and slowly advanced.

The cave was enormous.

The ceiling disappeared into darkness, while countless sharp formations hung from above like the teeth of some gigantic creature.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

His normal vision was nearly useless.

He could barely see three meters ahead.

"Darkness magic..."

He muttered.

The words immediately reminded him of what Lynx had said months ago.

His shadow wasn’t ordinary.

It was connected to one of the concepts of Darkness mana.

But Kael had never really taken the time to understand what that meant.

He had mostly relied on his physical abilities, swordsmanship, and the strange adaptability granted to him.

Xavier had spent the past months forcing him to fight monsters.

C-rank monsters.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Kael had complained.

Xavier had ignored him.

Now, standing in a cave where he couldn’t see his own hand properly, Kael finally understood why.

"This bastard probably knew I’d end up here."

A low growl interrupted his thoughts.

Kael’s expression changed.

His hand immediately moved toward his sword.

Something was nearby.

He couldn’t see it.

But he could hear it.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Claws dragged across stone.

Kael lowered his stance.

"Come out."

The sound stopped.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then—

BOOM!

Something crashed into him.

Kael barely managed to raise his blade.

A massive creature collided with him and sent him sliding several meters across the ground.

His boots scraped against the stone.

"What the hell?"

Kael steadied himself.

The creature disappeared into the darkness.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

"Fast."

He hadn’t even seen its movement.

Another sound came from his left.

Kael immediately turned.

Nothing.

Then another from his right.

Nothing.

Another behind him.

Kael spun around.

Still nothing.

His expression became serious.

"It’s playing with me."

A sudden pressure appeared above him.

Kael jumped backward.

A massive claw slammed into the ground where his head had been.

The impact shattered the stone.

Kael landed several meters away.

For the first time, he caught a glimpse of his opponent.

Four legs.

A long, muscular body.

Black fur that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.

Its eyes were pale blue.

Its claws were almost completely transparent.

Kael recognized the general appearance.

"A Shadow Fang..."

He had encountered similar creatures in the game.

But something was different.

"This thing is invisible in darkness."

The monster disappeared again.

Kael immediately raised his sword.

"Celestial Star Art..."

His breathing slowed.

His senses sharpened.

"First Form: Guiding Light."

He thrust forward.

The blade shot through the darkness.

CLANG!

Kael’s eyes widened.

His sword struck something.

The Shadow Fang was forced backward.

"So the technique can still track you."

Kael smiled.

The creature snarled.

Then it vanished.

Kael didn’t chase it.

Instead, he stood completely still.

He closed his eyes.

If he couldn’t see the monster...

Then perhaps he didn’t need to.

Kael focused on his mana.

He reached inward.

His Darkness mana responded almost immediately.

It flowed through his body.

But instead of forming around his blade, Kael allowed it to spread outward.

At first, nothing happened.

Then—

A faint sensation appeared around him.

Kael opened his eyes.

He could feel something.

Not see.

Feel.

A presence.

Approximately eight meters away.

Behind him.

Kael smiled.

"There you are."

The monster lunged.

Kael turned.

SHING!

His blade intercepted the creature’s claws.

The impact pushed him backward.

But this time, Kael could follow its movements.

Not perfectly.

But enough.

"So that’s it."

Kael looked at the darkness surrounding him.

"Instead of using Darkness mana to attack..."

He concentrated.

"I can use it to sense everything inside its range."

The concept was crude.

The range was tiny.

His control was terrible.

But it worked.

The Shadow Fang moved again.

Kael felt it.

He ducked.

The claws passed over his head.

Kael immediately countered.

"Second Form: Falling Star!"

His sword descended with explosive force.

BOOM!

The Shadow Fang narrowly avoided the strike.

The blade smashed into the ground.

Stone exploded around Kael.

The creature moved again.

Left.

Then right.

Then behind.

Kael tracked it through the Darkness mana.

"Third Form: Constellation Dance!"

His sword moved.

One strike.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The attacks flowed together without interruption.

The Shadow Fang dodged the first.

Then the second.

It narrowly avoided the third.

The fourth grazed its shoulder.

Black blood splattered across the ground.

The creature roared.

Kael grinned.

"Got you."

The Shadow Fang suddenly disappeared from his sensory range.

Kael’s smile vanished.

"What?"

He immediately expanded his Darkness mana.

Nothing.

The creature had vanished.

Kael’s heartbeat increased.

Then—

BOOM!

Something struck him from behind.

Kael flew forward.

His body crashed into the cave wall.

Pain spread through his back.

He coughed.

"Damn..."

The monster had escaped his sensory range by moving beyond eight meters.

Kael slowly stood.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"That’s annoying."

The Shadow Fang appeared at the opposite end of the cave.

Kael could barely see it.

The creature stared at him.

Then it disappeared.

Kael’s expression became cold.

He expanded his Darkness mana again.

Eight meters.

He needed more.

He pushed harder.

Nine meters.

His head immediately began throbbing.

Ten.

Pain stabbed through his skull.

Kael gritted his teeth.

"Come on..."

Eleven meters.

His vision blurred.

Twelve.

Blood began flowing from his nose.

Kael immediately stopped.

"That’s my limit."

For now.

He wiped the blood from his face.

The Shadow Fang attacked again.

Kael sensed it.

He moved.

The creature passed beside him.

Kael’s sword followed.

"Fourth Form: Astral Crossing!"

His body disappeared from its original position.

In an instant, Kael appeared behind the Shadow Fang.

The creature turned.

Too late.

Kael slashed across its back.

SLASH!

The creature screamed.

It immediately retaliated.

Its claws struck Kael’s chest.

Kael crossed his arms and was sent flying.

His body rolled across the ground.

His uniform was torn.

Four deep scratches crossed his chest.

Blood stained the fabric.

Kael stared at the wounds.

"That hurt."

The monster didn’t give him time to recover.

It attacked again.

Kael’s Darkness mana detected it.

He raised his blade.

"Sixth Form..."

His sword began revolving around his body.

"Celestial Orbit!"

The blade moved continuously.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The Shadow Fang’s claws collided with the rotating sword.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The creature attacked from different angles.

Kael blocked each strike.

But his arms were beginning to numb.

"This isn’t sustainable."

The Shadow Fang suddenly retreated.

Kael breathed heavily.

He had fought countless monsters during his training.

But this one was different.

It wasn’t stronger because of overwhelming physical power.

It was dangerous because it forced him to fight differently.

The creature disappeared.

Kael closed his eyes.

His Darkness mana spread outward.

He felt it.

The creature was approaching.

Slowly.

Then faster.

Kael’s eyes opened.

"Fifth Form: Meteor Shower!"

His blade erupted into a storm of strikes.

The Shadow Fang entered the range.

Kael’s sword immediately met it.

Strike after strike rained down.

The monster dodged.

Kael adjusted.

Another strike.

Another.

Another.

The Shadow Fang moved faster.

Kael’s sensory field followed.

But then—

The monster disappeared.

Kael froze.

His Darkness mana couldn’t find it.

"Again?"

His instincts screamed.

Kael jumped backward.

A claw ripped through the space where his throat had been.

The monster appeared.

Kael immediately attacked.

"Third Form!"

His blade connected.

The Shadow Fang staggered.

Kael followed.

"Fourth Form: Astral Crossing!"

He vanished and reappeared above the creature.

"Second Form: Falling Star!"

His sword descended.

BOOM!

The Shadow Fang crashed into the ground.

Kael landed.

He was breathing heavily.

The creature struggled to stand.

Kael raised his sword.

"It ends here."

The monster suddenly vanished.

Kael’s eyes widened.

His Darkness mana searched.

Nothing.

He turned.

Nothing.

Left.

Nothing.

Right.

Nothing.

Then he felt it.

Not eight meters away.

Not ten.

Right beside him.

Kael’s pupils contracted.

The Shadow Fang appeared directly in front of him.

Its claws were already moving toward his chest.

Kael didn’t have enough time to dodge.

SLASH!

Blood sprayed across the cave.

Kael stumbled backward.

His chest burned.

The Shadow Fang stared at him.

Kael looked down.

Three new wounds had opened across his torso.

His breathing became ragged.

"You..."

Kael slowly raised his head.

His eyes hardened.

"...really piss me off."

The creature crouched.

It was preparing to attack again.

Kael tightened his grip.

His Darkness mana expanded.

Eight meters.

Ten.

Eleven.

The pain returned.

Kael ignored it.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

His entire body trembled.

Then—

He felt the monster.

Not just its position.

Its movement.

Its intent.

The Shadow Fang launched itself forward.

Kael smiled.

"Got you."

He shifted his foot.

The monster crossed his sensory field.

Kael’s blade followed its movement perfectly.

"Seventh Form..."

Everything became quiet.

His breathing stopped.

His sword moved.

"Polaris Judgment."

SHING!

One absolute strike.

The Shadow Fang froze in midair.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a thin line appeared across its body.

Black blood spilled onto the stone.

The creature collapsed.

Silence returned to the cave.

Kael remained standing.

His sword trembled in his hand.

He stared at the corpse.

Then he slowly exhaled.

"C-rank..."

He wiped the blood from his mouth.

"And it nearly killed me."

Kael looked into the darkness surrounding him.

The lesson was obvious.

Strength alone wasn’t enough.

His swordsmanship wasn’t enough.

Even his adaptability wasn’t enough.

If he wanted to survive this dungeon, he needed to understand the power Xavier had been warning him about.

His Darkness mana.

Kael took another step forward.

Then stopped.

Something had changed.

His sensory field had expanded.

Not by much.

But enough for him to feel something much farther away.

Kael’s expression slowly became serious.

There was something else in the cave.

Something he hadn’t sensed before.

Something much stronger.

And this time...

It was moving toward him.