The Core Sentinel hesitated, its form solidifying but its movements less certain.
Daniel channeling the ambient energy directly seemed to confuse its programming, or perhaps divert power it needed to fully reform.
This was his chance. With his mana reserves rapidly refilling thanks to [Energy Conversion], he could afford to try something big.
He stopped actively converting energy, letting the passive mana regeneration from the skill continue ticking away.
He needed his focus for offense. His idea was simple, maybe crude, but potentially effective: If hitting the Sentinel directly was hard, and hitting the Core was suicide, maybe he could overload the connection, the glowing symbols on the floor.
He targeted a symbol near the Sentinel, one that wasn't directly beneath it but clearly part of the circle feeding it power.
He gathered energy, not just for a simple [Mana Bolt+], but weaving kinetic force into it as well, trying to replicate the disruptive effect of his [Kinetic Hammer] shockwave but with ranged magic. Could he make a Kinetic Mana Bolt?
He focused his intent, visualizing the crackling purple energy of the mana bolt merging with the invisible force of the kinetic pulse. It felt unstable, difficult to control.
"[Kinetic Mana Pulse!]" he yelled, pushing the combined energy out through his hand.
FZZZZZZT-WHUMP!
A crackling purple bolt, visibly thicker and more distorted than a normal mana bolt, shot across the chamber and slammed into the targeted floor symbol!
The symbol flared violently, then flickered and died, the light extinguishing completely! A small tremor shook the floor.
The Core Sentinel immediately reacted. Its form flickered again, dimming slightly, and it seemed… slower.
Its connection was definitely weakened by destroying one of the nodes!
It worked! Daniel felt a surge of triumph. He just needed to destroy the other symbols!
The Sentinel seemed to understand his plan. It abandoned its direct attacks on Daniel and moved with renewed speed towards the remaining active symbols, trying to physically stand on them, protect them with its body and its Light Spear.
"Oh no you don't!"
Daniel activated [Ghoststeps+].
"Boom!"
He became a grey blur, racing the Sentinel to the next symbol. He was faster now, his Level 4 Agility exceeding the Sentinel's baseline speed, especially now that it was weakened.
He reached the next symbol fractions of a second before the Sentinel. He didn't have time for another unstable Kinetic Mana Pulse.
He just slammed his fist down. "[Kinetic Hammer] – Shockwave!"
WHUMP!
The symbol flickered under the kinetic blast. The approaching Sentinel staggered as the shockwave hit it too.
Daniel immediately fired a quick [Mana Bolt+] at the flickering symbol, finishing it off. Pop! Another node went dark.
The Sentinel's light dimmed further. It let out a silent shriek of energy, raising its spear not to attack Daniel, but firing a beam of pure white light at the Core!
Daniel watched, confused for a second. Was it trying to draw more power?
The Core pulsed brightly, and a wave of energy flowed back down the beam, hitting the Sentinel.
Its light flared back to near full brightness! It could recharge directly? That made things much harder.
He couldn't just chip away at it; he needed to destroy the nodes faster than it could recharge!
The fight became a frantic race around the circle.
Daniel used his superior speed with [Ghoststeps+] to dart from symbol to symbol, using [Kinetic Hammer] shockwaves or focused [Mana Bolt+] shots to extinguish them.
The Sentinel pursued him relentlessly, trying to block him, trying to recharge from the Core, firing Light Spear beams that Daniel dodged by millimeters.
The chamber filled with the WHUMP of kinetic blasts, the FZZZT of mana bolts, the ZZZZAP of the Light Spear, and the shrieking wind from Daniel's high-speed movements.
The floor cracked and scorched under the onslaught.
He destroyed a third symbol, then a fourth. The Sentinel dimmed again, its movements becoming sluggish.
It tried to recharge, but Daniel was too fast, hitting it with a [Mana Bolt+] to interrupt the connection, then destroying another symbol while it recoiled.
Fifth symbol down. Sixth. Seventh. There were maybe twelve symbols in the circle total. He was halfway there!
The Sentinel was noticeably weaker now, its light flickering like a dying bulb, its spear strikes slower, easier to dodge.
It changed tactics again. Instead of trying to recharge or block Daniel from the symbols, it gathered energy, its whole body glowing brighter and brighter.
The Core behind it pulsed in sync. Uh oh. This looked like a final, desperate move. Maybe that [System Overload] ability?
Daniel didn't wait to find out. He had destroyed enough symbols that the Sentinel felt significantly weaker.
Time to end this. He ignored the remaining symbols and charged directly at the glowing guardian.
He activated [Ghoststeps+] for speed, drew both C+ Twin Fang daggers, and channeled [Venomous Strike+] onto both blades, hoping the poison might finally affect the weakened energy form.
More importantly, he gathered power in his fist for his strongest physical blow.
He reached the Sentinel just as it was about to unleash its overload burst. It swung its Light Spear in a desperate defense.
Daniel ducked under the swing, slid closer, and drove both poisoned daggers deep into the Sentinel's flickering chest cavity where its energy seemed most concentrated.
SHIIIIINK-CRACKLE!
The daggers plunged into the energy form, disrupting it significantly! The Sentinel spasmed, its overload burst sputtering.
Daniel roared, bringing his other fist around, charged with the full power of [Kinetic Hammer] and his near-110 Strength.
"BOOM!"
The kinetic punch connected squarely with the spot where the daggers were embedded.
The combined force-piercing daggers, disruptive poison energy, and a massive kinetic explosion – was too much for the weakened guardian.
With a final, silent scream of tearing light, the Core Sentinel shattered. Not exploded, but fractured into a million tiny motes of white light that faded instantly into the air, leaving nothing behind.
[You have slain: Core Sentinel (Manifested Energy Guardian - Level 5)]
[EXP Gained: 400!]
[Level 4: 516/1200 EXP] (Level 4 needs even more EXP!)
Daniel stood panting heavily in the sudden silence, his daggers still extended. He'd done it. Another Level 5 boss defeated. The 400 EXP was huge, pushing him almost halfway to Level 5 already.
He looked towards the Core. It still hummed peacefully, maybe even slightly brighter now that the guardian wasn't drawing power.
The destroyed floor symbols slowly began to repair themselves, glowing faintly as energy flowed back into them. It seemed killing the guardian didn't damage the Core itself.
So, what now? He approached the glowing circle around the Core again. This time, no guardian manifested.
He stepped onto one of the repaired symbols. Nothing happened. He walked closer, right up to the edge of the giant sphere of light.
The warmth and energy washing over him felt incredible, soothing his aches, rapidly restoring his mana thanks to [Energy Conversion] working overtime in this energy-rich environment.
Could he assimilate the Core directly? Probably still a bad idea. But maybe… the ambient energy?
He focused his intent, not on the Core itself, but on the intense field of pure energy surrounding it.
He still had plenty of charges (around 18/20 after the fight and level up refill).
An overwhelming flood of pure, clean energy poured into him. It felt like basking in sunlight after a long winter, invigorating every cell in his body.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Ambient Central Core Energy.]
[Warning: Assimilating high-density pure energy. Adaptability check (47) passed. Body undergoing beneficial energy saturation.]
[Gain: Strength +5]
[Gain: Vitality +5]
[Gain: Agility +5]
[Gain: Spirit +10]
[Gain: Adaptability +5]
[Skill Enhanced: Energy Conversion upgraded to Energy Siphon (B-Grade)!]
[Skill Enhanced: Minor Shield Proficiency upgraded to Shield Mastery (D-Grade)!]
[Assimilation Charge Consumed (17/20 Remaining).]
Wow!
Just the ambient energy gave him across-the-board stat boosts, especially Spirit, and upgraded two of his skills! He quickly checked the improved skills.
[Skill: Energy Siphon (B-Grade):] Passive Skill. Absorbs ambient environmental energy at a moderate rate to regenerate mana.
Can actively convert Stamina OR ambient energy (if available) into mana at a high rate. Minor passive energy resistance.
[Skill: Shield Mastery (D-Grade):] Passive Skill. Deepened understanding of energy shields. Increases effectiveness of shield equipment/skills by 15%.
Allows minor manipulation of personal energy fields for brief, weak deflection (requires focus).
Energy Siphon was a huge upgrade! Faster passive regen, better active conversion, and energy resistance!
Shield Mastery now offered a tangible defense boost and even a hint of active deflection. This was amazing!
He could probably just stand here and keep assimilating the ambient energy, getting stronger and stronger… but he felt a subtle shift.
The energy flow seemed slightly less intense than the first time. Maybe there was a limit? Or maybe it adapted? Still, he used another charge.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Ambient Central Core Energy.]
[Gain: Strength +2, Vitality +2, Agility +2, Spirit +4, Adaptability +2]
[Assimilation Charge Consumed (16/20 Remaining).]
Diminishing returns. The gains were much smaller the second time. Okay, so just farming the air wasn't the path to godhood. Pity.
What else was here? He looked around the vast chamber. His eyes fell on a small alcove directly opposite the entrance he'd used.
It was previously hidden in shadow, but now seemed subtly illuminated by the Core's light. Inside, resting on a simple stone pedestal, wasn't a book or a crystal, but a skeleton.
Humanoid, clad in the tattered remnants of sophisticated, non-Vanguard armor, the same type the scorched boot and torn plating belonged to. This was the previous explorer.
Daniel approached cautiously. The skeleton lay slumped against the back wall, one bony hand still clutching a dark, cracked datapad.
No life signature, obviously, but maybe… he could assimilate the skeleton? Or the datapad? He reached out towards the datapad first.
[Target Acquired: Damaged Datapad (Encrypted Log Files).]
[Attempting Data Extraction via Soul Assimilation...]
[Data Corruption Detected... Bypassing... Decrypting...]
[Data Extraction Successful.]
[Gain: Advanced understanding of Labyrinth Systems & Theoretical Core Energetics.]
[Recovered Final Log Entry:]
"...Core chamber breached. Sentinel bypassed using conduit overload… foolhardy. Energy readings off the charts.
The legends were true… unlimited power… enough to bridge the dimensions… go home… But the Core… it resists direct interface… defenses adapting… feels like it's… learning? Sentinel reformed, stronger… draining my shields… armor failing… Have to attempt forced resonance… channel it through the datapad… If this fails… warn others… Core is not just power… it's a consciousness… it's… hungry…" Log End Abruptly.
Recording corrupted by massive energy surge.
[Assimilation Charge Consumed (15/20 Remaining).]
Daniel stared at the log entry, a chill running down his spine despite the Core's warmth. Unlimited power… bridging dimensions… consciousness… hungry?
This place wasn't just a power source; it was potentially a sentient, dimension-hopping energy being? And the previous explorer hadn't just died; they likely got assimilated or destroyed when they tried to force a connection.
Okay. Time to leave. Now. Before the Core got any hungrier or decided Daniel looked like a tasty snack.
He had the power, the EXP, the skills, the map data, and a dire warning. He wasn't going to make the same mistake.
He turned towards the exit passage marked on his map, the one leading back towards the main labyrinth levels, deciding that discretion was definitely the better part of leveling up right now.
He scooped up Nyx (who had somehow slept through the entire boss fight and subsequent revelations) and hurried away from the tempting, terrifying glow of the Central Core.