The sun had long since faded behind the crimson wasteland, leaving the skies soaked in shadow. The scent of blood lingered in the air — thick, metallic, alive.
Hours had passed since Jordan had brought down the Shadow Wolf Alpha. The ground around him was littered with corpses — wolves upon wolves — their lifeless eyes glinting under the pale light of twin moons.
Jordan knelt among them, his knives dripping with black ichor. His breathing was rough but steady. He had grown stronger. He could feel it in his bones, in the rhythm of his strikes, in the way his vision sharpened under the dark.
He ripped another fang free and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Since I unlocked Shadow Instinct, these wolves… they move slower. Or maybe I've just gotten faster," he murmured.
The system's familiar blue text flickered before him:
< 14 WILD WOLVES DEFEATED >
< 750 XP GAINED >
< LEVEL UP: 7 — > 8 >
< STRENGTH +8 /AGILITY +8 / STAMINA +8/ INTELLIGENCE +8 >
< REWARD: 1x HP RECOVERY POTION / 1x MP RECOVERY POTION >
Jordan blinked at the screen. "Wait… MP? I didn't even have mana before."
He opened his inventory, and there it was — a glowing, pulsing orb floating gently within a transparent slot. It shimmered like liquid night, whispering softly, like a heartbeat in the dark.
The Shadow Core.
"Right," he whispered, staring at it. "This is what the Alpha dropped… an item only given by mini-bosses."
He reached toward it. The orb pulsed brighter, as if it could sense his hesitation.
"If I break it and let the energy merge with me, I might evolve even further. Maybe… I could become something else entirely. A shadow king, maybe." He chuckled softly to himself, though the sound felt hollow in the stillness. "Once I do this, there's no going back."
He took a deep breath. "Let's do it."
He crushed the orb in his palm.
The world erupted into black light.
A pulse of dark energy surged through his veins, sharp as lightning, cold as death. The ground beneath him trembled. Black smoke coiled around his limbs, twisting into shapes that whispered of claws and wings. For a moment, Jordan's own shadow lifted from the ground — watching him with red, flickering eyes.
Pain lanced through his body. He gritted his teeth, screaming as the power dug deep into his bones.
Then— silence.
The darkness sank into him.
< CONGRATULATIONS. YOU ARE NOW THE SHADOW TYRANT. >
< NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: SHADOW STEALTH >
Jordan dropped to his knees, gasping. His reflection shimmered in a puddle nearby — his eyes faintly glowing violet, the mark of a Shadow-bound.
"Shadow… Tyrant?" He laughed weakly. "That's one hell of a promotion."
He raised his hand. Darkness flickered around his fingers like liquid smoke.
"System. Display my status window."
< STATUS WINDOW >
* Username: Jordan Lethal
* Job: Hunter
* Title: The Shadow Tyrant
* Abilities:
– Shadow Instinct: Detect danger, attacks, and hostile presence within a 220m radius.
– Shadow Stealth: Enter stealth mode in exchange for MP.
* Level: 8
* XP: 750 / 1500
* HP: 22%
* MP: 2500
"Alright…" Jordan breathed out. "Let's fix that HP first."
He uncorked a red vial from his inventory and drank. The taste was bitter, but warmth spread through him instantly as the potion stitched his wounds from within.
< HP +55% RESTORED >
He looked down at his still-bloodstained armor. "Only fifty-five percent? Guess miracles aren't cheap."
He was about to rest when the world around him froze — just for a heartbeat.
A faint whoosh sliced the air.
Jordan's instincts screamed. He turned his head — and an arrow sliced past his cheek, grazing skin. Blood trickled down.
The system blared a warning:
< PLAYER THREAT DETECTED >
* Username: Assault
* Level: 15
* Job: Hunter
* Title: Long-Ranged Killer
* Abilities:
– Shooting Amplification: Amplifies strength and agility during ranged attacks.
– Shooting Accuracy: Arrows lock onto target once sighted.
Jordan's heart skipped a beat. "Player… threat?"
He spun, scanning the treeline — and there, standing atop a rock formation, was a figure clad in dark combat gear. A crossbow rested in his hands, gleaming under the moonlight.
Assault smirked. "You're the rookie who killed the Shadow Wolf Alpha, huh? Bad luck. You're standing in my hunting zone."
Jordan drew his blades. "Then I'll just have to take over the lease."
Assault chuckled. "Cute. Let's see how long you last."
He fired.
The arrow tore through the air — faster than sound. Jordan dove aside, rolling across the dirt as the projectile exploded behind him, shaking the ground.
< DAMAGE TAKEN: -12% HP >
"Explosive rounds?!" Jordan hissed.
Assault leaped from the rock, landing gracefully, another arrow already nocked. "You're not the only one with rare drops, kid."
Jordan dashed forward, closing the distance — but another arrow struck his leg mid-run, the impact spinning him off balance.
< HP: 40% >
Pain flared up his thigh. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to keep moving.
Think, Jordan. He's a ranged type. You can't fight him head-on.
He whispered under his breath. "Activate… Shadow Stealth."
The world dimmed. His body melted into shadow, fading from sight. His heartbeat slowed, his breath vanished from the air.
Assault's eyes narrowed. "Where did you—"
Jordan appeared behind him in a blur, blades flashing.
Clang!
Assault twisted, blocking with his crossbow frame, sparks flying as steel met steel.
Jordan grinned. "You can block, huh? Let's see how many times."
He spun low, slicing upward — Assault jumped back, narrowly avoiding the strike. Another arrow fired point-blank. Jordan parried it mid-air, but the explosion flung him backward, smashing him into a boulder.
"Gah!" He coughed blood. His HP dropped again.
< HP: 18% >
Assault slowly approached, his shadow stretching across the ground. "Not bad for a noob. But you're out of your league."
Jordan spat out blood and laughed weakly. "Maybe. But I've still got tricks left."
He pressed his hand against the ground. Shadows rippled outward from his palm — tendrils crawling across the terrain like living things. They lashed toward Assault, wrapping around his legs.
"What the—?!" Assault struggled, slicing through them.
Jordan lunged again, twin blades flashing like lightning. One slash caught Assault across the chest.
< ENEMY HP: -22% >
Assault snarled, stumbling back. "You little—"
He unleashed a volley of arrows in rapid succession. Each arrow split into three mid-flight, a rain of death screaming toward Jordan.
"Shadow Stealth!"
He vanished again, but one arrow grazed his shoulder, tearing through flesh.
Jordan reappeared behind him, driving a knife toward Assault's neck — but his weapon shattered on impact, the blade snapping in half.
Shit!
Assault smirked. "End of the line."
He kicked Jordan backward and raised his bow. The string hummed — glowing red with charged mana.
Jordan, bloodied and barely standing, whispered, "Not yet…"
The shadows around him stirred — whispering, alive. His eyes glowed faintly purple.
"Shadow Instinct… engage."
Time seemed to slow. He could see it — the exact moment Assault released the arrow, the path of its flight, the rhythm of the wind.
He sidestepped. The arrow sliced past his ear. In the same heartbeat, Jordan lunged forward, ramming his broken blade into Assault's side.
"Argh!" Assault howled, stumbling.
Jordan grabbed him by the collar and headbutted him, the impact echoing through the trees.
Both players tumbled into the dirt, panting.
Jordan tried to lift his weapon — but his other knife had cracked, nearly broken in two.
< WEAPON DURABILITY CRITICAL: 3% >
Assault groaned, clutching his wound. "You're… tougher than I thought."
Jordan staggered to his feet. His HP blinked dangerously low — 9%.
"Yeah," he muttered, turning away slowly. "But I'm not stupid enough to keep fighting someone twice my level."
He cast Shadow Stealth again and vanished into the forest.
Assault fired blindly into the darkness — explosions lighting up the trees — but Jordan was gone.
Only silence answered him.
Minutes later, Jordan collapsed behind a ridge, gasping for breath. His vision flickered — the health bar almost empty, his hands shaking.
He laughed softly, bitterly. "That… was insane."
He looked at the broken knives in his hands — jagged, useless metal glinting in the moonlight.
"Well," he murmured, leaning against the rock. "Looks like it's time for an upgrade."
The forest wind howled softly around him. Somewhere in the distance, wolves cried to the moon.
Jordan closed his eyes, exhausted — but deep inside, he smiled.
Because for the first time since entering Ultimate Warrior Online, he wasn't afraid of dying.
He was afraid of stopping.