Becoming the Dark Lord

Luke’s Spectral Beast vanished, retreating back into its core. He had exhausted the octopus.

The octopus tires out faster than the serpent.

But he had reached the island. He was swimming beneath it now, staring at a surprisingly beautiful ecosystem. Stones floated below the island, and blue flowers glowed among them. One enormous rock supported what looked like a mushroom, except it was semi-transparent.

The island is floating. That’s how it keeps pace with the rising tide.

The underside of the island was made of plants. Thick roots hung down everywhere, and Luke spotted fish nibbling at something growing along them. As he swam, he used telekinesis to shove floating stones out of his way.

What the hell is that?

Something had caught his attention. A structure that clearly was not natural. A massive stone ring, gray and covered in symbols. Luke swam closer. Then, suddenly, the stone ring lit up.

[Witch’s Thread activated]

He threw a knife into a rock he had yanked loose with telekinesis, and the thread pulled him away from the ring. A blue glow appeared inside the stone circle. It filled with a crackling blue surface that made noise even underwater.

A portal?

“This is giving me serious Stargate vibes,” Artemis said.

Whatever it is, I’m not in the mood to go on a road trip with Colonel O’Neill.

Luke swam upward. When he broke the surface, he finally saw the island up close. Nothing inside it was visible from the shoreline. Tall trees rose everywhere, and dense jungle choked the interior.

“So far, nothing dangerous attacked me on the way here,” he said as he climbed out of the water and looked back at the ocean.

It was already daytime. The tide had gone back out. Luther’s warning had been simple: nobody who tried to reach the island had ever returned.

“Maybe they came here and just kept going toward the Beacon. I wouldn’t go back either just to update a group I don’t even know.”

Luke moved through the trees. Two steps in was all it took for him to find...

“A dead body? Yeah, your luck is terrible,” Artemis said.

A corpse hung from one of the trees.

[Island Challenge detected...]

A notification appeared in front of him.

[Mission “Event Guide” has received an update]

Luke already had both kukris drawn.

Too bad the Spectral Beast is useless out of water.

[Event Guide]: A Guide is available, a tool that may be useful in helping participants navigate Sunken Realms.

Update: You are close to the Guide, but reaching it will not be easy. Many have tried and died. Reach the center of the island.

(Time Remaining to Find It: 1 Days : 09 Hours : 11 Minutes : 23 Seconds)

[Hint: The Guide will be in a place that does not visually belong here, yet will still be familiar to you.]

“Yeah, that really cleared things up.”

Luke stepped closer to the body. There were claw marks all over it.

“Probably been dead a day.”

He moved through the area in his assassin’s outfit, then picked up speed, running and leaping between the trees. He used [Witch’s Thread] to pull himself forward, throwing knives into trunks and yanking himself along from one point to the next.

“Okay, that’s unexpected,” he muttered from high in the branches.

There was a building on the island. A modern building. Concrete. Glass. Some of the windows were shattered, but it was unmistakably modern. As he moved farther in, he spotted what looked like amusement park rides. A broken carousel. Little horses. Everything was half-swallowed by the forest, as if it had been abandoned there for decades.

These things definitely don’t belong here. Or do they?

“An event guide...” Artemis murmured. “If I was something added to your tutorial from the outside, then it’s possible people high up, people outside this world, could’ve inserted structures like these here. Not literally by hand, I mean. More like they had the system do the work and scatter them around.”

A tree crashed down. Then another. Something was moving in the brush, loud and heavy. Luke threw a knife. A sharp metallic sound rang out, like the blade had struck armor or a shield.

Then it came out of the undergrowth. A large brown bear, scar across its face, claws wickedly sharp.

[Metal Automaton Bear - Lvl 100]

The bear roared and charged.

“Level one hundred?”

Luke thrust out a hand toward the carousel horses and yanked them into the bear’s path with telekinesis.

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It’s too close. No way I can use Shadow Mana Explosion now.

He backed away as the creature came at him. The bear swiped with its paws. Luke dodged, jumped, and activated [Crimson Fang]. His strike landed from above. The moment his blade hit, a harsh metallic clang rang out.

Luke was thrown backward. Midair, he used [Witch’s Thread] to pull himself farther away from the bear.

“A robot?”

He stared at the wound he had opened. Under the surface, there was no flesh. No bone. Only metal. The bear opened its mouth. Its snout split apart like a carnivorous flower, and it let out a shrill, piercing cry as it charged straight at Luke.

A sonic attack.

By the time it got close enough to strike, a knife was already flying toward it.

[Burst Throw activated]

[Telekinetic Impulse activated]

The impact against the bear’s snout exploded with a violent crack. Luke rushed in at once, carving into the creature with his kukris until the thing finally collapsed.

[You have slain a Metal Automaton Bear - Lvl 100]

“That’s weird. Technology exists in this place?”

“Technology exists, yes, but not the kind you know.” Artemis sounded almost amused. “Yours is primitive. The closest thing here would be technomancy. Not electricity as fuel. Mana.”

Luke pried the bear open and pulled out a core. It really was a beast core.

“Anne Grimhart is some kind of automaton. That makes sense.”

“Organic life isn’t the only kind of life in the multiverse,” Artemis said. “You’re just one form among many.”

[You absorbed a Rank D core]

Rank D Cores: [3/1000]

Luke headed toward the building. The door stood open. Inside, it looked a lot like a corporate office, except everything was old, broken, and half-destroyed. The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridors.

Then he saw them. Two silver knights holding spears. Their eyes lit up red.

“If I use Shadow Mana Explosion on a large scale here, I could bring the entire building down.”

The moment the first one raised its spear, a knife struck it in the face. Then the second.

[You have slain an Automaton Watcher - Lvl 75]

[You have slain an Automaton Watcher - Lvl 75]

“I’ve already had enough experience with Midnight Wardens.”

Luke moved through the hallways. Behind nearly every door, another silver knight stood guard. Then he reached the end. A massive room. Everything was dark, though that hardly mattered. He could still see perfectly.

“I can see you. You’re standing right there waiting to kill me.”

The creature moved without a sound.

“Okay. So you don’t believe me.”

[Burst Throw activated]

Luke hurled two knives. The knight knocked them aside with its shield and charged. He leapt out of the way and came back in spinning. More knives formed around him, floating in the air, and he sent them flying into the knight’s helmet.

[Shadow Mana Explosion activated]

A small explosion burst across the knight’s face. Luke dropped from the ceiling, hanging by a thread.

[Crimson Fang activated]

The helmet took the hit. The blade punched deep, tearing a hole through the knight’s body.

[You have slain an Automaton Guardian - Lvl 90]

[An item has been added to your inventory.]

Your second class [Arcane Witch] has reached Level 68! (+12 Intelligence, +10 Wisdom, +7 Perception, +6 Willpower, +5 Agility, +3 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +10 Free Points.)

A system item? It’s been a while since that thing was this kind to me.

[Tamn Rift Bracers (Epic)]:

A pair of dark leather bracers forged by an ancient tribe of insectoid beings from the lands north of Tamn. Worn by time yet still unyielding, they carry the quiet resilience of artifacts made for war. After the rebellions and the merging of worlds, they ended up in a place where they were never meant to exist. In Tamn, wearing them may be mistaken for a sign of allegiance to the kingdom’s old enemies.

Enchantments:

[Stinger Launch (Epic)]: Each bracer can store a throwing knife and fire it at great speed. Even if the knife is made of mana, it will not dissipate while held within the bracer. The more stamina infused into the bracer, the more powerful the shot becomes. The bracer also functions as a magical extension of its wearer, allowing skills to be applied to the knife without direct physical contact.

Information:

Rarity: Epic

Core: E

Type: Equipment

Bonus: +100 Dexterity, +50 Lethality, +50 Toughness

Requirement: Level 70+ Assassin Class.

I hope I won’t have to take off my greenhouse bracelet or the bracelet Allison gave me.

Luke opened the system interface.

Name: Luke

Level: 81

Race: Half-Demon

Rank: E

Core: [Spectral Beast (Rank E)]

Class: [Demonic Predator (Lvl 83)]

2nd Class: [Arcane Witch (Lvl 68)]

Profession: [Guardian Botanist of Mother Freya (Lvl 78)]

Titles: [Dark Lord], [Myth Slayer]

Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon]

Health Points (HP): 9124/9800

Mana Points (MP): 10578/12540

Stamina: 6349/7030

Soul Fragments: 705/1000

Stats:

Strength: 690

Lethality: 1253

Agility: 1139 (1249)

Dexterity: 514 (614)

Endurance: 703

Vitality: 980

Toughness: 453 (523)

Perception: 1079 (1089)

Wisdom: 1249 (1254)

Intelligence: 1185

Willpower: 933

Free Points: 38

Class Skills: [Advanced Blade Handling (Uncommon)], [Advanced Knife Throwing (Rare)], [Twin Blade (Common)], [Basic Dark Dash (Rare)], [Crimson Fang (Ultra-Rare)], [Predator’s Mark (Rare)], [Demonic Blade Dance (Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)], [Advanced Stealth (Rare)], [Assassin’s Tracking (Rare)], [Mana Infusion (Rare)], [Basic Archery (Common)], [Demonic Predator Hands (Epic)], [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife (Epic)], [Burst Throw (Epic)], [Stealth Critical Strike (Rare)], [Shadow Dive (Rare)]

Second Class Skills: [Basic Magic Conjuration (Common)], [Teleportation Pentagram (Legendary)], [Curse (Common)], [Cursed Weapon (Uncommon)], [Shadow Ball (Common)], [Enhanced Telekinesis (Rare)], [Witch’s Gaze (Uncommon)], [Cursed Weapon Throw (Rare)], [Telekinetic Impulse (Rare)], [Telekinetic Pull (Rare)], [Witch’s Thread (Rare)], [Despair Aura I (Rare)], [Clear Mind (Ancient)], [Shadow Mana Explosion (Ultra-Rare)], [Spell Grimoire (Epic)]

Profession Skills: [Herbology of Mother Freya (Ancient)], [Precise Extraction (Common)], [Advanced Potion Crafting (Uncommon)], [Corrupted Plant Growth (Rare)], [Plant Sensor (Uncommon)], [Botanical Bond of Mother Freya (Rare)], [Seed Conversion (Rare)], [Plant Manipulation of Mother Freya (Rare)], [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya (Ultra-Rare)], [Thorn Mutation (Uncommon)], [Soil Analysis (Uncommon)], [Botanical Purification (Uncommon)], [Acid Blood Arrow (Epic)], [Soil Guardian I (Ancient)], [Vegetal Respiration (Common)], [Stomach of Mother Freya (Ancient)]

Race Skills: [Identify (Common)], [Demonic Perception (Uncommon)], [Dark Blood (Uncommon)], [Advanced Meditation (Uncommon)], [Demonic Endurance (Uncommon)]

Rank Skill: [Soul Infiltration (Rank F)]

Bloodline Skill: [Servant of the Dark Lord (Unique)]

Servants: [Unavailable], [Unavailable]

Familiar: [Unavailable]

There was still one more door in that place, and whatever was waiting on the other side, he would rather be better prepared. So he distributed his Free Points. He put 10 into Lethality, 10 into Dexterity, 10 into Perception, and 8 into Willpower.

Luke walked to the final door. When he opened it, he found a small room. At the center, above a glowing square, a floating orb hovered in the air.

“Nothing dangerous, apparently.”

He had already checked with [Witch’s Gaze].

“So where’s the guide?”

The orb suddenly moved and turned toward him. A black circle on its surface lit up blue.

“Greetings, discoverer. My designation is CAD-047-MUS. I am one of many guides assigned to this event. But you may call me simply Cadmus.”