Then they moved.
The woman blurred forward, her twin daggers flashing. Kael’s Eclipse Step kicked in—shadows cloaked him, dodging her first strike. Steel screeched as he parried the second, but her third blade nicked his thigh, blood welling.
Kael grunted, sweeping low. She flipped over his dagger, landing like a specter. The sickle-wielder swung, chain whipping through the mist. Kael ducked, the blade grazing his cloak.
The sentinel roared, stomping forward. Its steps cratered the ground, dust billowing. "Scatter!" the sickle-wielder shouted. The assassins split, weaving through the mist.
Kael didn’t scatter. He charged the sickle-wielder, Abyssal Fang gleaming. The man’s eyes widened, the chain snapping back. Kael slid under, closing the gap.
Slash! Slash!
Blood sprayed, the dagger biting flesh.
[Critical Hit! Enemy HP: 30%]
The assassin swung wildly. Kael sidestepped, then drove his elbow into the man’s chest. One of his ribs cracked. Kael kneed his chin, then buried the dagger in his gut.
"One down," Kael panted.
No ti to breathe. The woman was back, her daggers a blur. Kael blocked one, missed the other—pain lanced his shoulder, blood soaking his mantle.
[Status: HP 79%]
A third assassin lunged from behind, sword aid at Kael’s ribs. Before Kael could react—
THOOM!
The sentinel’s fist slamd down, missing Kael but obliterating the ground. The swordsman scread, crushed under stone and tal.
[Enemies Remaining: 3]
Kael rolled, heart pounding. "Thanks for the assist," he muttered, scrambling behind a boulder.
The mist choked the air, visibility dropping. A new threat erged—a fourth assassin, his hands weaving sigils. Dark energy crackled, shadows coiling like snakes around him.
[Scan: Spellcaster – Lvl 24. Dark-Type Magic]
A bolt of black wind slamd into Kael’s cover, shattering the boulder. He dove, shadows binding his arms. His Devour Essence stirred, hungry for the spell’s energy. He let it loose—a sliver.
[Skill Activated: Devour Essence – Absorbed 10% Magic Energy. HP Restored: 84%]
Kael grunted, staggering. He barely caught his balance before the caster launched another burst. Shadows wrapped around Kael’s limbs, trying to bind him.
He slashed through the bindings and dove behind a stone pillar as the next attack exploded where he’d stood.
anwhile, the sentinel turned again. Its head scanned the battlefield. Its eyes locked on the caster.
A hum sounded.
Then—BOOM!
A crimson pulse of energy fired from the sentinel’s chest, slamming into the spellcaster mid-chant. The assassin scread, flying backward into a rock wall. Smoke trailed from his chest. He didn’t rise.
[Enemies Remaining: 3]
Kael peeked out from behind cover, panting. "Two left. Not bad."
"Hey..." he called out, voice dry. "Still wanna keep playing?"
The woman limped through the mist, blood dripping from her leg. The leader stood between Kael and the sentinel, his green eyes burning with rage. "You got lucky," he said, voice cold.
Kael wiped blood from his lip. "You call that lucky? I’m one bad hit away from kissing dirt."
The assassin said nothing. But his stance shifted, blade rising. Kael matched him, Abyssal Fang steady despite his burning arms.
They clashed—sparks flew, steel screaming. The assassin’s strikes were precise and heavy. Kael parried, but each block sent shocks through his bones. He could barely keep up; his arms burned with each deflection.
The woman joined again, her daggers flashing. Kael was now flanked. He ducked, weaved, and kicked. But the speed of both was suffocating. A dagger clipped his side. Another slashed across his ribs.
[Status: HP 76%. Minor Bleeding Debuff]
Kael roared, spinning with a wild slash. His dagger caught the woman’s arm, cutting deep. She hissed, retreating. The leader pressed harder, blade aiming for Kael’s throat.
THOOM!
The sentinel lood over them, twin blades extending from its forearms. Its runes blazed, locking onto both Kael and the leader. The ground quaked as it charged.
The assassin leapt back. Kael dove forward, tucking into a roll. The sentinel’s blades slamd down, shattering stone. Shrapnel rained like live bullets, one shard slicing past Kael’s cheek, drawing blood.
Kael coughed, dust choking him, his vision blurring slightly. "Damn... still alive..." He staggered up, his sight clearing slowly.
The woman limped toward the edge of the mist, trying to regroup. The lead assassin stayed between Kael and the sentinel, eyes burning with hate, unfazed by the sentinel’s rampage.
[System Ping: Countdown Complete – Final Phase Fully Active]
[New Condition: All Entities within the Trial Zone are classified as Hostile by the Primal Sentinel]
Kael grinned despite the blood on his teeth. "Guess you’re on its list now, pal."
The sentinel’s blades whirred, runes pulsing. The canyon walls trembled, and loose rocks fell. Kael’s Night Predator scread—the dangers weren’t just the assassins or the sentinel. The trial itself was shifting.
[System Alert: Trial Zone Instability – Environntal Hazards Increasing. Collapse Risk: 13% and increasing. Kill ti limited]
The ground cracked beneath Kael’s boots, mist swirling faster. A faint hum grew—primal energy spiking, like the canyon was waking up. Nightshade Valley’s presence wasn’t random. They’d probably triggered sothing by entering soone else’s trial, and Kael was caught in the crossfire.
———
[Side Quest Unlocked: Nightshade’s Gambit – Uncover Nightshade Valley’s Purpose in the Trial and the masterminds behind your assassination.
> Reward: 5000 XP]
———
Kael’s mind raced. ’Nightshade wants dead, but why now? Why here? The lotus from the tomb—did they know about it? Were they also after its power, or sothing deeper?’
No ti to think. The leader charged, his blade a blur. Kael t him, Eclipse Step, pushing his limits. Sparks flew—slash, parry, stab. The assassin was like a machine, each strike was well calculated. Kael’s arms scread, his HP dropping with every graze.
[Status: HP 63%. Bleeding Debuff Worsening]
The woman reappeared, limping but still a threat. Her daggers aid for Kael’s back. He spun, kicking a loose rock into her path. She stumbled, giving him a second to focus on the leader.
The sentinel roared, its blades swinging. Kael ducked, letting the massive blade clip the leader’s cloak.
The assassin cursed, rolling away. Kael seized the mont, Devour Essence flaring to life. He siphoned a sliver of the sentinel’s energy—raw and overwhelming.
[Ability Activated: Devour Essence – Absorbed 5% Sentinel Energy. HP Restored: 77%. Temporary Buff: 10% Overall Attributes]
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