The Mage's Path: Chapter 33

Hi all, 

Here’s the fourth chapter for the week. The final chapter will be out in the next twenty-four hours.

Chapter 33

Harry’s fingers tightened on the windowsill, unable to believe his eyes.

An Umbra Fairy hovered over a cluster of potted plants inside the hut, tending them with a miniature watering can. The creature matched Celeste's species in every detail—the same translucent wings, the same purple-black colouring.

"No way!" Celeste shot past Harry's ear.

The Umbra Fairy whirled around at the shout. His watering can clattered to the floor, and he stared at them with an expression of pure shock.

Harry pushed the door open, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. "Hello. We didn't mean to startle you."

The fairy didn’t respond.

“Scan,” Harry whispered.

====== Noctis | Level: -- | Type: NPC | Non-Hostile 

Description: An ancient Umbra Fairy bound by oath to serve his Queen even in death. Though his body remains animated through powerful enchantments, his spirit exists in a state of suspended animation. Only the completion of his final task will grant him the release he seeks. ======

Celeste began circling the motionless fairy, examining him from every angle. "I thought I was the last one."

Harry stepped inside. "Celeste, it's not what you think."

Noctis finally spoke. "You are the last one, technically speaking. If I didn’t have a task to complete, I would already be dead."

"No way." Celeste halted mid-air, her tiny fists clenched. "Are you saying you'll die as  soon as you've completed it?"

Noctis shrugged. "Don't feel bad for me. After being around for so long, I welcome death."

"How are you still alive?" Celeste asked. "Are Umbra Fairies really that long-lived?"

"Not really." Noctis touched the metal collar encircling his neck. "This keeps me alive. It uses my magic to fuel the enchantment."

Harry focused on the collar, activating Appraisal. Now that he had reached thirty in Intelligence, he gained a new ability for his Appraisal skill. This new feature enabled him to uncover hidden properties or details of objects. This was the first time the effect had triggered.

====== Eternal Binding Collar | Level: -- | Epic | Type: Cursed Item

Description: A device that anchors a soul to its physical form by continuously siphoning the wearer's magic. The enchantment maintains life at the cost of perpetual exhaustion and prevents natural death until specific conditions are met.

[Hidden Detail] The collar's enchantment is intrinsically linked to an oath sworn by the wearer. Upon completion of the sworn task, the collar disintegrates, immediately severing all life-sustaining magic and allowing the long-delayed death to occur. ======

Such a cursed existence. Who would do such a thing to the fairy?

"What's this task you have to complete?" Harry asked.

"I'm staring at it,” Noctis said. “My task is to guide the player and his familiar to the Queen's burial chamber, so she can absorb her essence and gain the potential as the new Queen."

Celeste's wings stuttered. "This Queen knew we would come here one day?"

"My Queen was all-powerful and all-seeing. I knew if I waited long enough, you would come."

Harry crossed his arms. "If she's that omniscient, why couldn't she prevent the collapse of the Shadowlands?"

"It was inevitable. Nothing could stop it."

"What do you mean?"

"You will understand soon enough. Let me finish tending the plants, and then we can be off."

Harry bit back a response about the futility of watering plants when the fairy wouldn't return. Instead, he watched as Celeste flew out the window. He followed her to the edge of the platform, where she hovered in uncharacteristic silence.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Celeste didn't turn. "Why shouldn't I be? I'm relieved. I get to keep my status as the only Umbra Fairy remaining."

"You're always boasting about being one of a kind. But I get the sense you're not as happy with that status as you appear to be."

Celeste wiped her eyes with the back of her tiny hand. "What would you know? It's better to be alone than dead. If I hadn't been stuck in that familiar's egg, I would have become another victim of this cursed place."

"That's your argument?" Harry kept his voice gentle. "Just because you were spared the same fate as your brethren, it doesn't stop you from wanting them in your life. Look how you latched onto the Dusk Fairies, simply because they were descendants of the Umbra Fairies."

"It's not fair." Celeste's shoulders slumped. "Who put me in that egg? Why didn't others get the same chance as me?"

Before Harry could respond, Noctis appeared beside them. "Our race isn't as doomed as you may think. My Queen took precautions."

Celeste spun to face him. "What do you mean?"

"You will find out soon enough."

Celeste waved her fist angrily. "If you say that one more time, I'm going to clobber you."

Noctis smiled. "You remind me of the Queen. Shall we get going? The sooner we reach the Queen's burial chamber, the sooner your questions will be answered."

The fairy zoomed off without waiting for a response.

“Is that how Umbra Fairies are really supposed to act?” Harry asked. “All dignified-like. You could take a leaf out of his book.”

“Shut it.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Harry and Celeste follow Noctis across the swaying platforms for the next several minutes. He tried to ask Noctis more questions, but the fairy remained silent, determined to complete his task.

His mini-map flashed, revealing a chest inside a nearby hut.

"Hold up," Harry called out. "There's something in that hut."

Noctis paused mid-flight, turning with an annoyed expression. "Do you really have to?”

"Won't take long," Harry said, already moving toward the door.

The hut's interior was sparse, containing only a simple chest pushed against the far wall. Harry knelt beside it, working the rusty latch until it popped open. Inside, he found a familiar item. 

A wind essence. One more and he could upgrade his Wind Dash skill. He stored it in his inventory and headed back outside.

"Noctis," Harry said. "Are there more treasure chests around here?”

The fairy tilted his head, considering. "Two more chests, if memory serves. But we—"

"Can we take the longer route? Pick them up on the way?"

"If we must,” Noctis sighed. “What's another half hour against centuries of waiting to die?"

Harry leaned toward Celeste. "Was that sarcasm?"

"Do you even need to ask?" 

They resumed their journey, Noctis leading them along a more circuitous path through the aerial village. The next chest sat inside what might have once been a storage shed, half-collapsed but still accessible. Harry pried open the chest, expecting the usual assortment of potions.

A flash of light erupted from the chest as his Treasure Hunter skill activated. Where three potions had been, a delicate piece of equipment now lay. Harry was pleasantly surprised. The skill had levelled up to two, but the odds of the effect triggering were still low. He had a seven percent chance that the item inside the chest would transform into a piece of equipment.

Harry picked up the tiny arm sleeves. They were clearly for Celeste.

"Appraisal," he said, examining the item.

======Solo-Levelling Sleeves | Level: 15 | Rare | Type: Armour | Enchantment Slots: 0 

Description: Lightweight arm guards designed for an Umbra Fairy. These sleeves enhance the wearer's experience gains while providing modest protection.

*Defence: 5

*Increases experience gained from solo kills by 30%

*Durability: 150/150 ======

It was the first time he had seen such an enchantment. Earning thirty percent more experience was overpowered, so long as you could fight alone. Was this a result of the treasure hunter's ability activating?

Harry handed them to Celeste, fighting off a bout of envy. Celeste needed this type of equipment more than he did. 

She snatched them and slid them onto her arms. "This dungeon is profitable for this gal. Too bad we only have limited time here."

Harry shrugged. “If we miss anything, we could always come back.”

They continued moving towards their destination, only stopping for the final chest. It yielded a standard collection of healing potions. With their treasure hunting complete, Noctis led them deeper into the massive labyrinth of platforms until they reached a carefully hidden spiral staircase carved directly into the trunk. They descended for several minutes, guided by enchanted torches set into the walls. Finally, they emerged into a vast chamber.

"The Queen's burial chamber," Noctis announced.

Harry scanned the chamber, his eyes widening at the sight. Display cases stood sentinel along the curved walls. Each glass case held miniature weapons, armour and accessories. 

Celeste rocketed forward, slamming her tiny hands against the nearest case. "Look at this whip! And that crown!" 

"They belonged to the Queen," Noctis said. "They will serve you now—if you prove yourself worthy."

Harry crouched beside the first case, which contained an epic-looking dress set. A brass plaque beneath bore the inscription: 'Level 30 Required.' 

He activated Appraisal, but the skill failed; it couldn’t penetrate through the glass.

He moved on to examine the other glass cases and discovered even stricter requirements, up to level one hundred. It looked like Celeste's equipment needs were well covered for the foreseeable future. 

Celeste zipped to his shoulder. "We are definitely coming back here."

The chamber's centre drew Harry's attention. A crystalline coffin rose from the floor, its faceted cover hiding whatever lay inside. It was big enough to hold a human but too large for an Umbra Fairy. 

His Mana Sense tingled, detecting a huge influx of mana inside. Harry edged closer, the hair on his arms standing on end.

Celeste landed on the crystal coffin and pressed her body against its surface. "I can feel the Queen's magic bleeding through the coffin. It's pulsing like a heartbeat, as if she were still alive."

Without warning, Celeste vanished.

Harry jerked back, his hand instinctively reaching for the space where she'd been. "What the bloody hell?"

"Don't worry," Noctis said. "She needs to do the next part on her own."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Celeste drifted in a void of nothingness. The sensation reminded her of floating in still water, except there was no water, no air—nothing but endless emptiness stretching in all directions. Alien thoughts frequently invaded her mind—fragments of memories and emotions that weren't her own.

Time lost all meaning as she floated through the emptiness. Was she drifting for minutes? Hours? Centuries? The void offered no reference points, no way to measure the passage of moments.

A sudden compulsion tugged at her mind. She turned toward the pull, and the feeling grew stronger as she moved in that direction.

The massive tree from the fairy village materialised in the distance, its branches stretching impossibly wide. As she drew closer, a gigantic Umbra Fairy appeared, perched among its canopy like a goddess surveying her domain. A crown adorned the fairy's head.

An enormous pressure bore down on Celeste as she approached, crushing her from all sides. It felt like the weight of an entire mountain was pressing down on her.

The fairy raised a hand, gesturing for her to come closer.

Celeste inched forward until she hovered before the fairy's face. Up close, she could see the lines of age and wisdom etched into features that held an otherworldly beauty.

"It's nice to finally meet you, child. My name is Selethis, the former Queen of the Umbra Fairy race."

"Where are we? How am I speaking to you?" Celeste asked.

"You're currently absorbing what remains of my essence. "It'll take a while, so I thought we could discuss a few things."

"Well, I've got a lot of questions." Celeste crossed her arms, regaining her confidence. "Why am I being chosen to be the next queen? What does that even mean? I'm going to be queen of a fallen race."

Selethis's expression softened. "I don't know why you were chosen. Let's assume that it's the vagaries of fate, and nothing more. But I had a vision of your importance to the survival of our race, which is why I placed you in the familiar's egg. It was to preserve your life."

"You did it? Not Gaia?" Celeste flared with indignation. "Why do I feel like she's manipulating things behind the scenes? You got used, Selethis."

"Perhaps. But it doesn't change the fact that you are needed."

Celeste wanted to argue, to rail against the unfairness of it all, but something in Selethis's tone stopped her. "What do I need to do?"

"After you finish absorbing my essence, you will find several eggs in my burial coffin."

Celeste wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Calling it a coffin is not really accurate. There is no body resting inside. Only the remainder of my essence."

"Still creepy."

Selethis ignored her comment. "I placed children in the familiar eggs, but altered them so they operated differently from the typical ones. They will break open at your touch, but won't form a familiar connection with you. They will be your responsibility going forward, as they are the key to reviving the Umbra Fairy race."

The words hit Celeste like a physical blow. "Are you serious? You're putting all that responsibility on me?"

"I know you can handle it."

"If you knew the Shadowlands would collapse, why did you not save more of us?"

Selethis's form dimmed slightly, as if the question caused her pain. "I didn't have enough time. The knowledge of our demise came to me much too late. I did what I could, but could have done so much more."

"So much for your omnipotence. Noctis will be so disappointed."

"I regret doing what I did to him, but I had to ensure you arrived at this place. He will soon get the rest he deserves."

"Why don't you tell me what happened to the Shadowlands?” Celeste asked. “The mystery is driving me crazy."

"Alright. Get comfortable. This will take a while to explain."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Harry paced the chamber floor. An hour had passed since Celeste vanished, and his patience wore thin. He turned to Noctis, ready to pester him with more questions, when movement caught his eye.

The crystal cover had disappeared without a sound.

Harry rushed to the coffin and peered inside. Celeste slept inside, her tiny chest rising and falling with each breath. Thirteen eggs surrounded her, each looking similar to the familiar egg that she had hatched from.

Harry reached towards her, intending to wake her, when Noctis appeared at his side.

"I have finally fulfilled my task," Noctis said, his voice carrying a note of relief. "I will leave the rest to the new Queen."

The collar around Noctis's neck started dissolving, causing his body to turn translucent.

Harry's head snapped up. "You don't even get to say goodbye to Celeste?"

"It's okay. It will take some time for her to fully assimilate her new transformation."

"How long? Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"Would it have changed anything?"

Harry's hands clenched into fists. "You do realise we have limited time here, right?"

"You'll figure it out."

Noctis's body had almost completely disappeared.

Harry sighed. "It was nice knowing you, as brief as it was.”

"Likewise. Take care of the queen for me."

Noctis vanished completely.

Before Harry could process the fairy's demise, notifications flooded his HUD.

======The Umbra Queen quest has been completed!

Rewards: 50,000 XP and 5 PP awarded to Celeste. ======

Harry read the next notification, which detailed the changes to Celeste.

====== Celeste's Occupation has changed to Umbra Princess: +2 SPI per level; increases the potency of dark spells/skills by 50%; grants Celeste access to three skill paths. 

Celeste has gained +10 to all attributes! 

Celeste has unlocked a new path!

Resource Annihilation Path: The path allows Celeste to sacrifice items and resources for powerful effects.

The following titles have changed:

Harry Potter's Familiar has changed to Harry Potter's Partner: Celeste can now fully access the Gamer System and receive personal quests. 

One of a Kind has changed to Matriarch of the Next Generation: Celeste finds herself responsible for reviving the Umbra race. New skills and opportunities will appear related to raising the next generation.

Celeste has gained a new Burden - Sleeping Princess (temporary): Celeste will need twelve hours to completely assimilate the Queen's essence. ======

"Quite the upgrade," Harry murmured. "Although she might cry at the new path she unlocked. Sacrificing items? With her obsession with loot? Would she even use the path?"

Harry frowned when he read the last paragraph. He hadn't anticipated Celeste being out of action for twelve hours. That was the majority of the time they had left to explore the dungeon and find the exit. He'd have to do it alone, all while keeping Celeste safe.

He turned his attention to the final notification.

======New Main Quest: Acolyte Mage

Description: Celeste’s evolution has created an imbalance in Harry’s progression. While Celeste has advanced to Umbra Princess, he remains an Apprentice Mage. Can he bear to suffer the shame of being left behind? 

Main Objectives:

1. Find and unlock the final skill on the Acolyte Path.

2. Master the skill.

3. Complete the upgrade to Acolyte Mage.

Rewards: 25,000 XP; Occupation upgrade to Acolyte Mage. 

Time Limit: Before level thirty

Quest Difficulty: Moderate 

Failure: Player will lose out on bonus AP.

======

Harry closed the menu and examined the eggs surrounding Celeste. He wondered what purpose they served. Had Celeste found a bunch of familiar eggs? He activated Appraisal on the nearest one:

======Preservation Egg: Umbra Fairy 

Description: A modified familiar egg containing an Umbra Fairy child in suspended animation. Unlike standard familiar eggs, these have been altered to prevent familiar bonding. The child inside will emerge when specific conditions are met, requiring no magical connection to awaken. Each egg represents hope for the Umbra Fairy race's survival. It can be safely stored in inventory without harm to the occupant. ======

"Celeste has some explaining to do."

Harry carefully gathered each egg, storing them in his inventory. He lifted Celeste's sleeping form and placed her in his pocket, making sure she was comfortable.

He headed for the exit. He still needed to find the way out of this dungeon and complete his quest. The last objective was to find out what happened to the Shadowlands. Celeste may have the answers, so he'd have to wait until she woke up.

Harry climbed back up the endless spiral staircase, his legs burning by the time he reached the aerial village. The fairy settlement seemed even more desolate now that Noctis was gone. Without his guide, Harry had to rely on his mini-map to navigate the confusing network of platforms.

As he crossed a particularly narrow bridge, a distant screech echoed through the trees. Harry quickened his pace, not wanting to face more wraiths without Celeste's support magic. The sound of beating wings grew closer.

He sprinted across the swaying platforms, each step threatening to pitch him into the void below. The screeching multiplied—not just one wraith, but several.

Harry reached a wider platform and spun around, drawing the Inferno Blade. Three wraiths materialised from the shadows, their forms writhing with dark energy.

Harry had to rely entirely on his abilities. He summoned one of the Groves from his inventory, positioning the golem between himself and the approaching wraiths.

The first wraith phased through Grove's wooden body, reforming just in front of Harry. He slashed upward with the Inferno Blade, black flames erupting along the creature's form. It shrieked and retreated, but the other two pressed their attack.

Harry activated Wind Dash, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to dodge their synchronised assault. He countered with a horizontal slash that caught one wraith across its midsection. The creature dissolved into wisps of shadow.

Grove's roots shot out, entangling the third wraith long enough for Harry to deliver the killing blow. As the last enemy faded, Harry quickly gathered the loot they dropped.

He checked on Celeste in his pocket. Still sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the battle.

"Some partner you are," Harry muttered.

He continued across the platforms until he reached the edge of the massive tree. The wraiths would have alerted other monsters to his position. He needed to move before they swarmed him.

Harry pulled his broom from his inventory and kicked off hard. He climbed above the tree canopy and started flying in the direction of the final quadrant.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The desolate landscape rolled beneath Harry's broom as he pushed forward, wind whipping through his hair. Two hours had vanished since he'd entered this quadrant, and his search had turned up nothing but endless wasteland and prowling monsters. He banked sharply to avoid a cluster of shadow creatures below, their heads swivelling to track his movement.

Harry didn’t have time for a methodical search of every ravine and outcropping. He needed landmarks, structures, anything that might signal the gate's location.

A structure appeared in the distance, breaking the monotony of the wasteland. As Harry drew closer, the building resolved into a massive open temple. He descended, landing fifty metres from the entrance.

The moment his feet touched the ground, a wave of power washed over him. The sensation hit like a physical force, raising goosebumps along his arms. Every instinct screamed danger.

Harry froze, hand moving to the Inferno Blade's hilt. He had the distinct impression of being watched by something vast and predatory.

He crept forward, muscles tense. Through gaps in the columns, he glimpsed the familiar shimmer of a dungeon gate at the temple's centre. He couldn’t see the monster that gave off a powerful aura, but it had to be there somewhere. Since it was hanging around the gate, it had to be the boss monster.

"Not without Celeste," Harry decided, backing away. Facing it alone would be suicide.

He retreated into the sky, searching for a safe place to wait until Celeste woke up. After ten minutes, a small structure caught his eye—an abandoned building with thick walls and a long, narrow chute leading to the entrance. He flew down and explored the building with growing excitement. The structure offered a solid defensive position, but that wasn’t the best part. An idea began to form in his mind as he took a closer look at the chute. 

The chute's roof created perfect cover and had a heavy iron gate at the exit that could seal the passage. The choke point would force enemies to approach in a single file, and the gate could control their flow. 

"This'll work," he said, checking the gate mechanism. "Time for some farming."

Then he mounted his broom and hunted for a wraith.

Finding one took mere minutes. Harry baited it into chasing him back to the structure, leading it straight into the chute. The wraith, focused entirely on its prey, followed without hesitation.

Harry spun at the chute's midpoint, the Inferno Blade flashing in the dim light. The strike caught the wraith across its shadowy form, black flames consuming it instantly.

As expected, the dying wraith released its piercing wail.

"Now we wait," Harry said.

He placed Celeste in the structure's central room, ensuring she remained safe and undisturbed. He summoned both Groves and positioned them by the gate mechanism. 

"Grove One, you control the gate. Grove Two, be ready to hold whatever comes through."

The ground trembled. Something approached—something big.

A massive spider-like creature scuttled into view, its body the size of a small car. Harry's stomach lurched at the sight of its grotesque form.

"Gate!" he commanded.

Grove One pulled the lever, and the iron gate slammed shut after the spider passed through it. Grove Two’s branches lashed out and snared the spider.

"Scan!"

======Shadow Weaver | Level: 24 | Type: Normal | Shadow Beast | HP: 500/500 | MP: 200/200 

Primary Attributes: Strength: 35 | Agility: 35 | 

Defence: 20 

Primary Skills

Web Spray: Shoots sticky webbing that immobilises targets for 5 seconds. 

Venomous Bite: Inflicts poison damage over time, and reduces the target's agility by 20%. 

Shadow Step: Teleports short distances through shadows. 

Razor Legs: Slashing attacks with bladed appendages. 

Monster Traits

Eight-Legged Horror: Can climb any surface and move with unnatural agility. 

Predator's Instinct: Gains a 30% damage boost when attacking from behind. 

Blindspot: Easily loses sight of its opponent when they’re in its blind spot.

Assimilation: ????

======

Exp: 109 [Base 85 + 1 per level]

Loot: 30 pounds; Shadow Silk; ??? 

Bestiary Entry: 0/10 defeated. 

Description: Shadow Weavers are apex predators that combine arachnid physiology with shadow magic. Their eight legs end in razor-sharp points capable of piercing armour, while their sleek black carapace deflects most physical attacks. They hunt by creating elaborate traps with their webbing before finishing prey with precise strikes. ======

The spider's strength proved overwhelming. Grove Two stumbled backwards as the monster broke free.

"Leave it to me!" Harry shouted. "Groves, only intervene if I'm in danger!"

The Shadow Weaver charged towards him. Harry met it head-on, the Inferno Blade already moving in a defensive arc.

The spider's forelegs struck like spears, forcing Harry to dodge left. He rolled under another leg sweep and came up slashing, his blade scoring a line across the creature's carapace. Black flames erupted along the wound.

Shadow Weaver's HP: 426/500

The Shadow Weaver shrieked and retaliated with Web Spray. Harry dove behind a pillar, sticky strands splattering where he'd stood moments before. He couldn't afford to get caught—not with his healing potions at half effectiveness.

The spider vanished.

Harry spun, instincts screaming. The creature reappeared behind him, mandibles dripping venom. He threw himself sideways as its bite missed by centimetres.

The Inferno Blade carved through one of its legs. The severed limb hit the ground, twitching. The Shadow Weaver screeched and launched a furious assault, all seven remaining legs stabbing like piston-driven spears.

Shadow Weaver's HP: 376/500

Harry backpedalled, parrying desperately. A leg slipped past his guard, slicing across his thigh.

Harry's HP: 365/400

He grimaced but maintained his footwork, using the chute's narrow confines to limit the spider's angles of attack.

The creature tried to circle him, seeking his blind spot. Harry pivoted, keeping the spider in view while manoeuvring toward the wall. When the Shadow Weaver lunged again, he sidestepped and brought the Inferno Blade down on another exposed leg joint. The limb was severed cleanly, reducing its mobility further.

Shadow Weaver's HP: 301/500

Enraged, the spider attempted to climb the chute's wall to attack from above. Harry seized the opportunity, charging forward and driving his blade deep into its exposed underbelly. Black flames burst from the wound, spreading across its thorax.

Shadow Weaver's HP: 196/500

The creature lost its grip and crashed to the ground. Harry pressed his advantage, dodging a desperate bite attempt and plunging the Inferno Blade into the spider's head.

Critical hit!

Shadow Weaver's HP: 0/500

The monster collapsed, dissolving into darkness, and leaving the loot behind.

Harry caught his breath and checked his health. The leg wound stung, but the damage wasn't critical. The strategy had worked exactly as planned.

Something nagged at him. The monster's death—it hadn't dissolved into motes of light like in the other dungeons. He'd noticed it before but dismissed it as unimportant.

Every dungeon followed the same pattern: defeated monsters became light particles that scattered and vanished. Here in the Shadowlands, they returned to darkness.

Was there a reason? Or was he reading too much into it?

Harry shook his head. He had more pressing concerns than the aesthetics of monster deaths. The next wave would arrive any moment.

He glanced at his skill menu while another pack of shadow creatures gathered outside the gate. His Dagger Mastery sat at level three, providing a twenty-five percent damage boost with daggers. The new bleeding effect had a low trigger rate, but every advantage counted in this place.

His eyes moved to the Sneak skill. A thought struck him—why not train the two skills simultaneously?

He activated Sneak and positioned himself beside the gate. Another Shadow Weaver scuttled through the opening, its many eyes focused forward. Harry struck from the shadows, the Inferno Blade carving through its thorax. The strike tore away half its health in one blow.

The spider whirled, but Harry had already ducked under its retaliatory strike. Three precise cuts later, the creature collapsed into darkness.

"That was easy." 

Harry pulled a prepared meal from his inventory. The food improved his combat ability, preparing him for the next monster.

For two hours, the slaughter continued. Monster after monster rushed through the gate, falling into his ambush. He didn’t bother picking up the loot, and soon the ground was littered with the items. 

His stamina bar dwindled despite finishing the fights efficiently. He was forced to drink some stamina potions, but kept an eye on his consumption gauge. He needed to save it for the boss battle, in case he needed to use potions.

His Dagger Mastery and Sneak reached level four, sharpening his effectiveness further, but the monsters were getting more frenzied, pushing through the gate in twos and threes. 

"Grove One, close the gate," Harry commanded.

The iron barrier slammed shut. By this point, countless monsters had surrounded the building, pressing against the structure. The building stood firm. If it weren’t for the endless howling and scratching, he might have felt comfortable enough to take a short nap.

Harry retreated to the central room and dropped beside Celeste's sleeping form. 

A notification flashed across his vision.

The boss monster has finished assimilating the defeated monsters’ essence. It has been upgraded to an Elite Boss.

Harry's stomach dropped. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

He'd strengthened the very monster he needed to defeat. Every monster he'd killed had fed power directly to the boss. Now he knew what the mysterious monster trait meant. The dungeon had trolled him, deliberately hiding it until springing the surprise on him when it was too late. 

What had been a difficult fight before now bordered on impossible.  

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Harry and Celeste fight a difficult opponent, and something unexpected happens.

Thanks for reading.