Along the way, Lucas unleashed every one of his new abilities, reveling in the thrill of his exclusive skillset. Compared to the generic assassin techniques he had relied on before, these newly awakened powers were worlds apart. Each strike, each movement felt sharper, heavier, more final. For the first time in a long while, he found himself enjoying the act of chaining skills together rather than simply cutting foes down with raw power.
It struck him just how rare this was. Ever since awakening and changing class, Lucas had never needed to use so many skills in succession. Most of the time, his enemies died in a single swing of his Pale Blade. Even the nightmare-tier dungeon bosses had never been able to withstand more than a couple of burst skills before falling to pieces.
With his extraordinary attributes and the godlike attack power of his weapon, there had been no need for extended duels or complicated combos. The bosses that terrified other adventurers were nothing but one-hit kills for him.
But now, here in the mines of the dwarves, things were different. The miners and overseers weren't strong enough to challenge him—but they survived long enough to let him actually use his full arsenal. To them, it was a curse. To Lucas, it was a gift.
"Instant Shadow Strike!"
He vanished in a blur, reappearing behind the final dwarf miner of yet another cluster. His dagger flashed once, and the creature's health bar dropped to zero instantly.
That marked the twelfth wave of enemies he had cleared, including two Elite-tier overseers. Not a single one had survived a head-on encounter. Unstoppable. Invincible. That was Lucas.
Even surrounded by mobs of miners in the narrow confines of twisting tunnels, where dodging should have been impossible, he never once faltered. Others would call it reckless. Lucas called it freedom. He sprinted, slashed, and carved through the dungeon as if it were a playground, leaving behind corpses and silence.
What others saw as insurmountable challenge was, to him, nothing more than walking across flat ground.
That was, until his stamina bar caught his attention.
"Uh… not good." He winced. His once-glowing stamina gauge had dropped to a pitiful double digits—barely 100 points left.
He dug into his space backpack and pulled out a bottle of shimmering blue potion. The cork popped, and he tilted it back.
"Hm. Lemonade."
The tangy flavor filled his mouth as energy coursed through his body. The fatigue in his limbs melted away. He took another bottle out, uncorked it with his thumb, and downed that one too. The recovery rate wasn't perfect—each potion restored only about 30%—but with two in quick succession, he was back in fighting shape.
Wiping his mouth, Lucas exhaled sharply. "Alright. Back to work."
The tunnel opened wider ahead, and he knew from his maps and research that this was it—the deepest chamber of the Level 40 dungeon, 'The Dwarf Mine.'
And waiting inside was the ruler of this underground world. The dungeon's leader boss.
The Dwarf King.
Lucas's lips curved into a grin. Perfect. A worthy test subject.
It was time to unleash his second-awakening talent skill—Shura Blood Rage.
He stepped into the chamber, and the first thing to strike him wasn't the enemy, but the treasure.
A dazzling radiance filled the cave, brighter than daylight, reflecting off every wall. Gems and rare ores were piled high in glittering mounds, more radiant than mountains of gold. Rubies, emeralds, sapphires, all spilling from the earth as if the mine itself bled jewels.
For a moment, Lucas shielded his eyes. "Tch… too bright."
Any adventurer seeing this hoard would have collapsed in awe. And indeed, if these riches could be taken out, one could live like royalty for the rest of their life. But Lucas knew the truth—dungeon treasure was system-locked. It couldn't be carried beyond the instance. No matter how valuable, it would vanish the moment he stepped outside.
A shame. Baoshan within reach, yet leaving empty-handed.
Lucas didn't linger. He tore his gaze from the riches and fixed it upon the throne.
There, seated high and proud, was the Dwarf King. A squat but imposing figure clad in ornate armor, a golden crown upon its brow. In one hand, it held a massive gem, stroking it with greedy fascination, its eyes glazed in worship of its own prize.
Then it noticed Lucas.
Shock. Rage. Its face twisted into fury as it roared, the guttural sound echoing across the chamber.
"Where did this robber come from?! Do you seek to steal my treasures? Over my dead body!"
It seized the colossal gem-studded war hammer that rested beside the throne and rose to its feet. The ground shook as the hammer slammed down once, the echo reverberating like a thunderclap.
"Damn thief," it bellowed in dwarvish, "you will find only death here!"
Lucas, of course, didn't understand a word of it. To him, it was just angry gibberish.
But he responded anyway, casually. "Hello, King of the Dwarves. I'm just here to… test a few new skills. Don't take it personally."
His dagger spun lightly in his hand, his smile cold. "Try to survive one move."
"God-Slaying Blade!"
He didn't bother with Shadow Stealth. No need to cripple himself. The passive talent was active, primed, and ready.
"Delusion-Breaking Eye!"
Lucas's eyes glowed faintly as he focused on the Dwarf King. In an instant, its weak point was revealed—directly over its stout heart.
"Shura Blood Rage!"
A wave of crimson mist erupted from his body, swirling around him in violent, bloodthirsty tendrils. His eyes glowed red as the berserker state consumed him. His aura was no longer human—it was that of a demon drenched in carnage.
Flash!
The Pale Blade's special effect activated, propelling him across the chamber in the blink of an eye. In less than a second, he was standing directly before the Dwarf King.
His dagger thrummed with darkness.
"Netherworld Assassination!"
Power condensed, thick and heavy, until his weapon seemed forged of pure shadow. With one motion, he struck—dagger plunging directly into the King's heart.
The dark light pierced not just flesh, but bone, throne, and stone behind it. A burst of ominous mist poured out as the cavern shuddered.
–408,256!
The number floated above the King's head in a massive crimson font. Four hundred thousand damage.
The Dwarf King shrieked once, but its body was already collapsing. Despite its defenses of over 1,800 and health pool nearing 100,000, it was nothing. The Pale Blade tore through it as if cutting paper.
Its health bar plummeted to zero in an instant.
The Dwarf King died before it even had the chance to swing its hammer.
Lucas straightened, twirling the dagger idly in his hand. His crimson eyes slowly dimmed as Shura Blood Rage faded.
"Four hundred thousand damage… hm. Acceptable."
He nodded in satisfaction.
Even a leader-level nightmare boss, a melee powerhouse famed for endurance and defense, had fallen in a single strike. No counterattack. No second phase. No tricks. Dead before it could even move.
He chuckled. "If the Dwarf King could revive, he'd probably cry to whatever fire god he worships. What a pathetic way to go."
This was the true power of Lucas at full strength—stacking his three awakened talents, exploiting weaknesses, and unleashing the most devastating assassination technique in his arsenal. Against such overwhelming force, no boss could stand.
Now came the part that mattered most.
"Come on," Lucas whispered, crouching down beside the corpse. "Time to test my luck. Show me the light."
He clenched his fist and stared at the fallen body with burning anticipation.
More than the kill, more than the fight, this was the moment every adventurer longed for.
The drop.
Would the Dwarf King bless him with treasure?
His heart raced as he prayed silently. "C'mon, baby. Shine for me."
And then—
From the Dwarf King's corpse, two radiant beams of light shot skyward…
The loot had appeared.
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