Lucien stepped deeper into the Vault of Shadows.
The second floor was darker than the first. The air felt heavier, and the shadows moved slowly across the walls like they were alive.
Suddenly, movement appeared ahead of him.
Twenty Shadow Fang Hounds rushed toward him.
Their glowing red eyes locked onto him as they moved like a dark tide.
Lucien remained calm.
He remembered what he had read in the books inside the mansion.
Shadow Fang Hounds were wolf-like shadow beasts that moved in packs. They could leap from shadows to ambush their targets, and their bites drained stamina.
I have to be careful. If I can avoid fighting them, that would be better… but I have to clear them now.
The wolves attacked.
Lucien moved instantly.
His body twisted and shifted through their attacks. Their claws sliced through empty air as he dodged with incredible precision.
Then he counterattacked.
One strike.
A powerful punch landed on the first wolf's neck — its weakest point.
The shadow body shattered.
Lucien moved faster.
His movements became a blur as he struck one wolf after another with surgical precision.
Reading those books really helped me.
Soon, the entire pack turned into dissolving shadow mist.
---
Lucien continued forward.
He soon reached the territory of the Umbral Lurker.
From what he knew, the Umbral Lurker's weakness was a glowing core inside its chest. The core only became visible when it attacked.
But when he arrived, he stopped.
Three adventurers were already fighting the monster.
A healer, a mage, and a swordsman.
They were young and clearly struggling.
Lucien stayed hidden in the shadows.
Someone got here before me… How did they reach this place?
The Umbral Lurker attacked again.
Its chest core briefly glowed.
Now.
Lucien moved like lightning.
In a single burst of speed, he struck the core.
The monster screamed silently before shattering into darkness.
The adventurers froze in shock.
Liora stepped forward first.
"Thank you! I am Liora Vensyl. This is Nyra, our mage, and Kael, our swordsman. How did you defeat that monster so easily?"
Lucien stayed quiet for a moment.
Nyra frowned.
"How can a kid be this fast? And I can't sense mana from him…"
Lucien replied calmly.
"I waited for the right moment. You distracted it. I attacked its weak point."
Kael nodded slowly.
"You are very strong for your age."
Lucien simply said,
"I push past my limits."
---
They decided to travel together to clear the floor faster.
With teamwork, they defeated:
Void Mantis
Night Terror Stag
Several smaller shadow creatures
---
Phantom Duelist Fight
The Phantom Duelist appeared from the darkness.
A shadow warrior carrying a spectral sword.
Lucien raised his hand.
"I will fight this one alone."
Kael looked surprised.
"Are you sure?"
Lucien nodded.
"I want to test myself."
The duel began.
The Phantom Duelist vanished instantly.
Lucien focused his breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Behind him.
He twisted his body as the spectral blade passed his shoulder.
Fast.
The Duelist attacked again.
Lucien blocked with his fist, feeling the shockwave of the impact travel through his arm.
The Duelist was skilled. Every strike was precise like a master swordsman.
But Lucien studied its movement patterns.
I need the core.
The Phantom Duelist lunged.
Its chest core glowed faintly.
There.
Lucien dashed forward, dodged the blade, and struck the core with a powerful blow.
The monster dissolved into shadow dust.
---
Shade Berserker Boss Fight
A barrier suddenly formed around the boss chamber.
Lucien was trapped inside.
Kael, Nyra, and Liora tried to break the barrier but failed.
Inside the chamber, the Shade Berserker (C+ Class) appeared.
The monster roared and turned invisible.
Lucien felt fear for a moment.
Then he breathed slowly.
He activated his ki circle.
This was a martial arts technique his father taught him.
The ki circle allowed him to sense movement around him.
The Shade Berserker could no longer hide.
The monster attacked again.
Lucien turned and struck its chest core with a single powerful blow.
The boss shattered into shadow fragments.
Lucien exhaled.
That was harder than I thought.
He drank his healing potion.
But the barrier did not disappear.
Then suddenly—
The ground beneath him vanished.
He was teleported.
---
Third Floor Boss Room
Lucien landed inside a massive chamber.
He had been teleported directly to the third floor boss room.
Before him stood the Elemental Shadow Tyrant.
A monster that controlled all seven elements.
Fire burned around its body.
Wind blades spun around it.
Water chains floated in the air.
Earth spikes rose from the ground.
Light and shadow energy circled its core.
Lucien clenched his fists.
This is it.
The boss attacked first.
Lucien dodged, using martial arts footwork taught by his father.
He grabbed a stone, infused it with ki, and threw it like a bullet — destroying a fire attack.
He jumped through wind blades, closing distance.
"One strike will end this."
He jumped high into the air.
Then he struck the core.
The boss shattered into light, fire, and shadow fragments.
Lucien landed slowly.
Breathing heavily.
But smiling.
This was only the beginning of his journey.