Alex took a steadying breath, drawing his hand over the air in front of the fallen demon’s remains to trigger his Extraction Talent.
A faint glow surrounded his fingers as he touched its body.
Ding!
[Extraction talent activated!]
[Chains of Hatred (Legendary)]
[Can be used as weapons if wielded right.]
[“Spirit Shackles” Skill (Epic)]
[Demon Lord Horns (Epic)]
[Great material for weapons and potions.]
…
Alex didn’t even hesitate: he selected the skill.
After all, with his growing mana supply, he would need more skills to use it all.
Ding!
[You have extracted a new skill!]
[Spirit Shackles (Basic): Powerful magic chains that bind enemies in spiritual constraints will emerge from your staff, reducing their speed by 60% for 10 seconds even after getting out. Once shackled, targets also receive 100% of spirit as damage; Mana Cost: 20,000 Cooldown: 3 minutes.]
But actually, Alex decided to use some of his skill points this time around.
Ding!
[You have leveled up “Spirit Shackles” to level 10, it can evolve to “Spirit Chains” by consuming 10 skill points.]
Ding!
[“Spirit Shackles” has evolved to “Spirit Chains”!]
[Spirit Chains (Intermediate): dozens of transparent chains come out of your staff, though this time, not only do they receive an 80% speed reduction, they also get stunned for 3 seconds. Once shackled, targets also receive 200% of spirit as damage; Mana Cost: 40,000 Cooldown: 2 minutes.]
[Skill Points: 68]
He still had lots of them, but when you reach [Intermediate] level for skills, it starts costing 2 skill points per level.
The higher tier you went, the more skill points it took, and he wanted to save some for later.
Satisfied, he tightened his grip on his staff and continued onward, his eyes glinting with determination as he approached the door to the 25th floor.
The lock clicked as he used the key, triggering a slow, foreboding creak as the door swung open, revealing the dim, sloping path beyond.
The path sloped downward, twisting and narrowing, like an artery leading to a dark heart at the center of the dungeon.
Alex moved forward, his undead forces close behind.
The steady, rhythmic clanking of armor marked their descent into the suffocating shadows.
“Going deeper,” he murmured, feeling the unsettling shift in the atmosphere. m_v–freewebnovel
As they ventured deeper, the environment shifted: the walls seemed to breathe, and the once-slick surfaces took on a grotesque texture, appearing as if stitched together from skin.
Finally, a notification appeared before him.
[You have entered the 25th Floor.]
Soon, Alex felt the familiar tug of hostility as a dense cluster of higher-level demons appeared in the distance.
But this time, they weren’t just random demons—each bore a distinct mark on their foreheads, glowing with a faint crimson aura.
“Guardians of the Pit,” Alex muttered, these weren’t random monsters—they were level 250 elite minions.
[Minions sworn to the demon lord within. Organized and battle-hardened.]
There were at least thirty, their blackened armor and cursed weapons gleaming under the faint red glow of the dungeon’s walls.
They formed up defensively, crafting a formidable wall, clearly well-trained for defense.
“Strong, organized, and expecting me,” he mused, eyeing the enemies as they approached.
His undead forces mirrored his formation, the Skeletons and Bony Knights falling into line at his side.
Alex nodded, whispering an order to his Spectral Wraiths, who melted into the shadows to take a wider arc behind the demons.
It was time to test his new skill.
He raised his staff, his voice firm as he invoked, “Spirit Chains!”
Barely visible chains burst from his staff, weaving through the air before latching onto several Guardians, momentarily binding them in place.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
-15,782! -15,782! -15,782!
The shackled demons fought against the restraints, but they were slowed enough for his Bony Knights to strike, lunging forward with weapons raised.
The clashing of swords and shields reverberated, filling the corridor with echoes of metal meeting metal.
The Guardians that weren’t stunned counterattacked, tearing through several Skeletons in a single blow.
Grimacing, Alex quickly re-summoned replacements, fortifying his line.
The Guardians’ crimson marks flared, each thrust of their spears charged with dark energy as they closed in on his forces.
From the shadows, his Spectral Wraiths struck, tearing into the Guardians from behind.
They took life force from the enemies, who writhed under the assault, letting out guttural howls. Seeing an opportunity, Alex prepared another spell.
“Meteoric Blaze!” he called, feeling the pulse of mana surge through his hand.
He cast a massive fireball, which hurtled toward the monster, detonating on impact in waves of flame and searing heat.
The air thickened with the smell of scorched flesh as several Guardians fell, disoriented, opening up pockets in their formation.
Just then, Alex spotted the leader—a hulking, four-armed demon with serrated blades.
It towered above the others, its four burning eyes locking onto Alex.
[Guardian Leader – Elite – Tier 5]
[Level: 250]
[HP: 1,200,000]
[Skill: Four-armed swing, Elite Demon, Leadership, Demonic Dash…]
Without hesitation, Alex activated [Spectral Chains] again, launching dozens of spectral chains from his staff.
The chains latched onto the leader’s limbs, momentarily restraining it.
“Attack, now!” Alex ordered, seizing the opening.
With a loud crash, his Bony Knights surged forward, their swords aimed at the demon leader’s exposed torso.
In quick succession, they struck, chipping away at the demon’s defenses.
But it was tough—the chains held only for moments before the demon tore through them, snarling as it broke free.
“Alright, tough one.” Alex’s smile didn’t falter as he maintained his spells, not stopping for even a single second.
The demon roared, retaliating with vicious swings that forced Alex’s army back.
His Spectral Wraiths darted forward, circling the leader and depleting its remaining energy.
The fire in its eyes dimmed as its life force waned, and with a final, enraged cry, it collapsed under the combined weight of the onslaught.
[You have defeated a “Guardian Leader”, and gained 83,238 experience poits!]
As the commander fell, the remaining Guardians hesitated, their morale visibly shaken.
“He beat the boss!”
“What do we do?!”
Sensing the shift, Alex commanded his undead to press the advantage, launching a decisive counteroffensive.
His army pushed forward with relentless strikes, driving the Guardians back until the last of them crumbled.
Panting, Alex surveyed the notifications flashing before him.
He quickly extracted everything he could.
[+Demonsteel Ingot (Epic Material), +75 Strength, +47 Spirit]
And finally, he approached the leader, touching its body and extracting something from it.
[+Fragment of the Guardian’s Crest (Mythical)]
Alex eyed the crest fragment.
[Description: grant temporary immunity to demonic energy or the ability to forge a weapon capable of piercing even demonic defenses.]
He stored it carefully, but not before trying to synthesize it with his [Whispers of Shadows].
[You cannot add this property to that weapon.]
“Damn.”
Just as he turned to press onward, a soft clicking echoed through the corridor.
He halted, signaling his undead to ready themselves.
That sound was coming from somewhere on the floor.
The sounds grew louder as he approached, rhythmically advancing toward it from the depths.
They weren’t alone.
The corridor eventually opened into a vast chamber, its walls towering far beyond what should be possible for an underground dungeon.
Across the room, Alex saw it—a massive figure seated on an obsidian throne.
Two burning red eyes glared at him from a chiseled face as the creature stood, revealing an imposing frame wreathed in dark energy.
The demon was carrying a massive scythe in his right hand, tapping it repeatedly on the ground.
[You have encountered the 25th Floor Boss: Demon Warden]
The words flashed before his eyes: it was the [Dark Dungeon]’s boss.
[Demon Warden – Mythical – Tier 5]
[Level: 250]
[HP: 2,000,000]
[Skills: Summon Minions, Dark Magic Affinity, Aura of Despair, Warden Smash, Dark Dungeon Master, Scythe Flash…]
With a bellow that shook the very walls, the Demon Warden roared, the sound reverberating through the chamber.
Around him, hundreds of lesser demons slithered forth, each eager to throw itself into battle.
“Your journey ends here,” the warden rumbled, getting up from his seat and gesturing for the demons to stand back.
“Hundreds, really?” Alex muttered, his mouth curving into a grin.
Far from intimidated, he only tightened his grip on his staff and dagger, feeling the hum of his magic surge to life.
His undead formed a defensive line around him, ready to answer his command.
“Alright,” he murmured, determination gleaming in his eyes. “Let’s end this quick.”