Alex and Alice materialized at the fifth floor of the [Tower of Destiny], a desolate expanse known as the [Canyon of Death].
The air was heavy, dry, and carried the faint scent of decay, probably from the many monsters that fought one another.
It was rare for monsters and NPCs alike to enter the [Tower of Destiny] after all, as it would only be revealed much later in the game in a future zone.
Towering cliffs flanked them on either side, their jagged peaks stretching toward a gray, cloudless sky.
Shadows shifted unnaturally, creating an eerie atmosphere that hinted at unseen dangers.
They didn’t spawn that far from one another though, and so Alex easily found the archer girl.
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“It’s not that difficult,” he smiled at Alice after they met up, “Just follow closely, the only possible problem is if we meet dragons.”
“D-Dragons?!”
At this point, Alex was able to take care of level 600 monsters with a bit of struggle, meaning that anything under that would be easy.
Alice nodded, her expression serious as she held her newly fused [Divine Requiem of the Frost Angel].
The bow radiated a frosty glow, its power almost palpable.
“What about that [Secret Realm] or whatever?”
“[Helping Light] is always right, no matter what, it could probably even inform us on how to kill a god if the situation is right,” he sighed.
The [Lights], as said before, as insanely powerful entities, and as they were unique; almost no one in the game could beat them, even some gods.
“Let’s go,” Alex grinned.
The two began their journey deeper into the canyon.
The winding paths were treacherous, lined with sharp rocks and unstable footing.
Occasional whispers of movement echoed through the air, putting Alex and Alice on edge.
Not long into their exploration, a group of grotesque creatures emerged from the shadows.
These monsters were towering, humanoid abominations with leathery skin and glowing red eyes.
Each one was at least Level 580, their power evident in the sheer malevolence they radiated.
[Shadow Revenants – Level 580]
[HP: 35,000,000]
These were not considered as boss monsters, though, meaning that extracting wasn’t certain.
“Damn it, no time to ease into this,” Alex growled as he slashed his own palm, summoning his [Blood Blades].
A dozen crimson blades materialized around him, their edges gleaming menacingly.
Thanks to his training, Alex was now able to comprehend the exact amount of blood needed for each blade, meaning he was able to summon them with much more efficiency.
That still didn’t upgrade his [Mastery] though.
Alice wasted no time either.
She nocked an arrow, the frosty glow of her bow intensifying as she unleashed a [Frost Barrage].
Arrows of ice rained down on the monsters, freezing every single one of them in place.
The battle was easy afterward, as each of them had received the [Frostbite] effect, not only were they stunned, but their movements were incredibly slow.
Alex darted between the creatures, his agility unmatched as he weaved through their attacks.
His [Bleeding Strike] cleaved through their thick hides, leaving deep, gushing wounds.
And the Undead finished the job after that.
But after the initial army of beasts, more of them began appearing.
“Above!” Alex shouted as they dropped from above, and a new type of monsters appeared.
[Stone Warden Golems – Level 590]
[HP: 40,000,000]
One of the monsters roared and charged at Alice, its claws glowing with dark energy.
She dodged gracefully, flipping backward and retaliating with a charged shot.
The arrow struck the creature’s chest, exploding in a burst of icy shards that sent it sprawling.
“Focus on the smaller enemies!” Alex shouted, spotting a larger, more menacing creature at the back of the group.
[Cragbone Crusher – Level 600 – Legendary Boss]
[HP: 90,000,000]
It wielded a massive bone club, and its glowing eyes suggested a higher intelligence.
Alice nodded, firing a volley of arrows at the other monsters while Alex closed the distance with the boss.
The creature swung its club with devastating force, the ground cracking under the impact.
Alex leaped over the attack, landing on the monster’s shoulder and plunging his dagger into its neck.
Ding!
[Bleed dealt on weak point, causing 50% of health!]
-45,000,000!
“Holy shit?!” Alex’s eyes widened.
[Bleeding Strike] only had a 5% chance to deal bleed, and it was obvious at this point that attacking a monster’s weak point, like it’s neck, head, or even core, dealt more damage.
So if you combined the two at the same time and got lucky, then the [Bleed] effect would be terrifying!
The battle after that became fairly easy afterward, with Alex simply spamming his spells, ending the boss’s life quickly.
With a final, guttural roar, the leader collapsed, its massive body crashing to the ground.
The remaining creatures faltered, and Alice quickly dispatched them with precise shots.
As the dust settled, Alex crouched by the leader’s body, searching for any clues.
His intuition perked up as he noticed a faint glimmer in the creature’s chest cavity.
Alex placed his palm firmly against the creature’s chest, muttering, “Extraction.”
The moment he did that though, a dark orb emerged, swirling with ominous energy.
“What’s that?” Alice asked, peering over his shoulder.
Before he could respond, the orb shimmered and twisted, reshaping itself into an ornate key with intricate runes glowing faintly along its shaft.
Ding!
[Shadowheart Sanctum Key Acquired!]
[The entrance to the secret realm lies where shadows merge with the sun’s final light.]
“!!!” Alex’s eyes widened, “I got it!”
“Got what?”
“The key to the Secret Realm,” he grinned, “Now I just need to find the actual thing!”
Of course, he decided to extract whatever other panels had appeared from the leftover monsters, gaining attribute points.
[+47 Strength, +37 Spirit, +13 Agility…]
Ding!
[You have slain x46 “Shadow Revenants” and gained 236,500,000 experience points!]
[You have slain x13 “Stone Warden Golems” and gained 174,000,000 experience points!]
[You have slain “Cragbone Crusher” and gained 120,000,000 experience points!]
Ding!
[You have leveled up to level 364!]
[You have leveled up to level 365!]
[Level: 365 (143,334,821/247,000,000)]
As they ventured deeper into the [Canyon of Death], the environment grew more hostile.
The cliffs loomed higher, casting long shadows over the path.
The temperature dropped slightly, and the wind carried a low, mournful howl.
The monsters also grew stronger.
Packs of Level 590 and even Level 600 creatures roamed the canyon, each encounter testing Alex and Alice’s limits.
Despite that, they pressed on, determined to reach the furthest part of the canyon.
“That’s probably where the Secret Realm is,” Alex theorized.
The last time he did reach far into the canyon, but it was mainly thanks to Alphox.
At one point, they stumbled upon a massive chasm cutting through the canyon floor.
A narrow bridge of stone spanned the gap, but it was guarded by a pair of gargantuan stone golems.
Each one was Level 600, their bodies radiating an unyielding strength.
“We’ll have to take them out,” Alex said, cracking his neck. “No way around it.”
Alice nodded, already drawing her bow. “Let’s make this quick.”
The battle happened rather quickly.
The golems were nearly impervious to physical attacks, their stone bodies shrugging off even Alex’s strongest strikes.
But fortunately, they had one small weakness: if you broke their legs, then they would immediately crumble and die.
A single [Demonic Spear] was enough to one shot them both.
With that, Alex leveled up to level 366 and Alice to level 329!
After hours of navigating treacherous terrain and fending off relentless monsters, Alex and Alice finally reached the furthest part of the canyon.
[+238 Strength, +219 Spirit, +183 Vitality, +195 Agility, +2 Dark Golem Core, +2 Empty Scrolls]
They had managed to reach the [Canyon of Death Teleportation Point] by the way, but went the other way as Alex didn’t feel like going to the sixth floor yet.
After around an hour, the landscape opened up into a wide, barren expanse.
The ground was cracked and blackened, as if scorched by some ancient fire.
In the center of the expanse stood a massive, shadowy archway carved into the cliff face.
The air here was suffused with a dark energy that made Alex’s skin crawl.
He could feel the immense power emanating from the archway, it was undoubtedly the entrance to the secret realm.
“So this is it,” Alice said, her voice barely above a whisper.
She clutched her bow tightly, her eyes fixed on the ominous structure.
Alex approached the archway cautiously, the key from earlier glowing brighter with each step.
As he held it up, the runes on the archway began to light up, one by one, until the entire structure was bathed in an eerie glow.
Ding!
[Secret Realm Discovered: Shadowheart Sanctum]
[Difficulty: Abyssal]
[Warning: Entering this realm will lock you inside until the boss is defeated.]
[Dying inside the Secret Realm will make it disappear, and won’t be accessible anymore even with the World Map!]
“Abyssal difficulty and can’t come back,” Alex muttered, his lips tightening into a grim line. He turned to Alice. “You ready for this?”
She nodded firmly. “Let’s do it.”
Without hesitation, Alex stepped through the glowing archway, Alice right behind him.
The world around them shifted, the canyon fading away into darkness.
When the light returned, they found themselves in a vast chamber lined with obsidian walls.
The air was thick with an oppressive energy, and the faint sound of a heartbeat echoed through the chamber.
[Welcome to the Shadowheart Sanctum!]
[Good luck! For your soul is now trapped within these walls!]