The deeper he went, the stronger that unsettling aura became.
It was as if tiny, invisible motes of black dust floated in the air, each breath he took carrying with it a cold, suffocating weight.
The forest was deathly silent—too silent.
No birdsong, no insects, nothing but the faint sound of Kiriya's own footsteps and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat echoing in his ears.
More and more wolf tracks and tufts of shed black fur littered the ground, guiding him toward his destination.
At last, he stood before a massive, inward-curving rock wall.
A cave entrance, tall enough for two men, yawned open before him like the gaping maw of some great beast.
The suffocating darkness within seemed almost tangible, spilling out of the cave mouth in slow, heavy waves.
This was it. The Shadow Wolves' den.
Bleached-white animal bones lay scattered around the entrance—some still fresh.
Deep claw marks scored the rock walls, evidence of constant traffic in and out of the cave.
Kiriya drew a deep breath, tightened his grip on the sword hilt, and stepped inside.
The cave was shrouded in darkness, lit only by the faint light that managed to sneak in from the entrance.
The floor was slick beneath his boots, littered with dried grass and unidentifiable filth.
But all of Kiriya's attention was locked on what lay deeper within—
At the far end of the cave stood a slightly elevated stone platform.
At its center was not, as he had expected, a wolf king or some other formidable beast, but a fist-sized, irregularly shaped, multi-faceted black crystal.
It floated silently, suspended half a foot above the platform, slowly rotating.
Thick, almost viscous waves of dark energy poured out from it like living tendrils, seeping into the surrounding rock and staining it black and brittle.
Those tendrils writhed and pulsed as if alive, exuding a cold, deathly malice that seemed to crawl beneath the skin.
[Corrupted Dark Core (Quest Item)]
[Description: A strange crystal radiating a baleful presence. It appears to be the source of the surrounding creatures' frenzy. Destroying or removing it may end the crisis.]
"…So this is the cause."
Kiriya held his breath.
Even just standing near it, he could feel a strange irritation and a faint, unprovoked urge to kill rising within him.
He had to deal with this—fast.
Kiriya strode forward and, with all his strength, brought his black-iron sword down on the crystal.
Clang!
A sharp, metallic ring echoed through the cave. The blade sparked against the crystal as though striking solid steel, sending painful vibrations through Kiriya's arms.
The crystal didn't so much as budge—there wasn't even a scratch on its surface.
[Invalid Attack]
"Physical attacks don't work?" Kiriya muttered, frowning.
He tried hacking from different angles, thrusting, even sending in his clones to strike—but nothing worked. The crystal was shrouded by a powerful, invisible force field that deflected every blow.
As he paused to think of another solution, the crystal suddenly reacted—
Its slow rotation sped up violently.
Hummmm—!
A low, soul-piercing hum reverberated through the cavern.
Thin cracks began to spiderweb across its surface.
Then, a torrent of even denser, pitch-black energy erupted outward, spilling over the ground like living tar, pooling and coalescing—
In seconds, three creatures rose from the shadowy sludge: amorphous silhouettes with glowing crimson eyes, bodies formed entirely of viscous darkness.
They opened their maws in a soundless roar and charged straight at Kiriya.
[Corrupted Shadow Fiend LV-9]
Higher level! And energy-based creatures!
Kiriya's heart gave a jolt as he instantly retreated, triggering "Blink Step" to widen the gap.
The Shadow Fiends' attacks were bizarre and deadly, their claws trailing streaks of black energy that carved deep, corroded grooves into the stone walls wherever they struck.
"Clone Summon!"
Two clones sprang to life and intercepted them, but the Shadow Fiends' claws ripped into them with horrifying efficiency—
-121! -118!
Their HP plummeted at a frightening rate.
"Tch… trouble."
Kiriya grimaced. Physical attacks had reduced effect on energy-based enemies, and worse still, the fiends completely ignored his clones' aggro—their focus was solely on defending the crystal and annihilating him.
All three fiends came at him like wraiths, attacks flowing in from every direction.
Kiriya pushed his use of Blink Step and clone-switching to the absolute limit, darting through the cramped cave space, sword flashing as he barely deflected or avoided one lethal strike after another.
-165! -82! -170!
His own damage output was noticeably lower than usual, turning the battle into a drawn-out, perilous war of attrition. MP drained rapidly, nearing empty.
"I have to find a way to destroy the crystal!"
Even while dodging, Kiriya's mind raced, eyes sharp as he searched for any clue.
Then he saw it—
Every time a Shadow Fiend attacked, the thin black tendrils linking them to the crystal would flare with faint light, and for the briefest moment, the crystal's glow would dim.
"When they attack… the energy is diverted? The shield weakens?"
A daring idea sparked through his mind like lightning.
It was risky—absurdly so—but he had no choice.
He stopped trying to fight head-on and instead focused entirely on evasion, biding his time.
Finally, one of the fiends reared back, its claws gathering dense black energy before slashing forward.
"Now!"
Kiriya moved.
"Blink Step!"
He blurred forward—not away—skimming dangerously close to the edge of the claw strike as he shot straight toward the crystal.
At the same time, he sent one clone diving headlong into another fiend's attack, deliberately taking the blow.
For the brief instant when the fiends struck and the crystal's glow dimmed—
Kiriya drove every ounce of his strength, focus, and will into the tip of his blade and unleashed his strongest "Phantom Thrust" straight at the crystal's heart!
"Break!"
Shhhhk!
This time, the blade didn't glance off—it pierced through the fluctuating shield with agonizing slowness and struck the crystal itself.
Crack!
A sharp, crystalline sound rang out as a clear fracture appeared across its surface.
"Grrrr—!!"
All three fiends shrieked in unison, their bodies flickering violently as if unraveling.
It worked—but it wasn't enough.
Kiriya didn't hesitate. Using the momentum of his spin, he twisted his body mid-motion and delivered a second, perfectly placed Phantom Thrust directly into the crack.
BOOM!
The crystal could no longer withstand the assault.
It shattered with an explosive force, breaking apart into countless dull, black fragments that scattered across the floor.
The suffocating darkness that had blanketed the den vanished in an instant, as though a balloon had burst.
The fiends let out one last, mournful wail before their bodies dissipated like smoke in the wind, leaving behind only a few faintly glowing [Inferior Shadow Cores] as materials.
The cave fell utterly silent again, save for the sound of Kiriya's ragged breathing.
At last, sunlight pierced deeper into the den, chasing away the gloom that had lingered for so long.
All that remained on the floor were harmless, inert black crystal shards.
[Ding! Quest Updated: Investigate the Shadow Wolves' Anomaly (1/1)]
[Notice: Source of anomaly neutralized. Return to Green Town and report to the town chief to complete the quest.]
Kiriya slumped back against the wall, exhausted but filled with a powerful sense of accomplishment.
It had been a brutal, nerve-racking battle, but he had triumphed through careful observation and precise timing.
He gathered several of the larger crystal fragments as evidence (Quest Item updated to [Dark Core Shard]) and picked up the dropped materials.
Only then did he finally allow himself to relax, eating a piece of bread to restore his MP.
When he stepped back into the sunlight, the forest air felt fresher somehow, the oppressive weight lifted.
On the way back to Green Town, he noticed that the forest seemed to have regained a bit of its vitality. Birds were singing again.
Even the remaining Shadow Wolves' eyes had lost much of their red gleam, and their aggression clearly diminished. Some even backed away cautiously instead of attacking on sight.
Back in Green Town, Kiriya went straight to the mayor's office.
The town chief's anxious expression brightened with relief when he saw Kiriya return safely.
"Brave adventurer, you've returned! What news? Did you find the source?"
Kiriya didn't speak. Instead, he reached into his pack and withdrew the [Dark Core Shards], now completely devoid of their former malice, and handed them over.
The mayor's eyes widened as he examined the shards, then filled with awe and gratitude.
"This… such dense dark power! And you actually found it—and destroyed it! Thank you, truly! You've rid Green Town of its greatest threat and saved countless travelers and villagers. You are our hero! Please, take this reward—it is well earned!"
[Ding! Quest "Investigate the Shadow Wolves' Anomaly" Completed! ]
[EXP Gained: 1500]
[Silver Coins x 1]
[Green Town Reputation +100]
[Reward Received: [Random Uncommon Equipment]]
A beam of golden light descended upon him, filling him with the warmth of leveling progress and pushing him to Level 9.
A green-glowing item appeared in his pack—a pair of finely crafted leather boots.
[Boots of the Gale (Uncommon)]
Type: Boots
Defense: +18
Agility: +6
Movement Speed: +3%
Special Effect: Reduces fall damage by 10%.
(Equip Level: 5)
A very practical piece of gear—especially the agility and movement bonuses, a significant boost for someone who relied on mobility.
Kiriya immediately swapped out his novice boots and equipped them.
[Ding! Your reputation in Green Town has risen to 'Friendly'!]
Nearby NPC guards and even a few players glanced at him with respect.
Kiriya could feel it—the town now welcomed him warmly.
"Once again, thank you, adventurer," the mayor said earnestly. "Should you choose to keep aiding Green Town, we will always offer you the very best we can."
Kiriya nodded lightly in response, not one for excessive words.
Feeling the new boots' lightness under his feet, he turned toward the blacksmith's shop to repair his equipment and prepare for the next stage of his journey.