“Finally….”
“Miaow!” (A-AMAZING!)
[Congratulations! Leveled up!]
[You’ve accumulated enough Soul Points!]
[Pride Demon Stats Have Drastically Improved!]
Damon and Cat had been so diligently hunting that they had seemingly turned the entire pyramid into bone dust and scrap metal. Still, it had been completely worth it, for the cat had leveled up!
Without waiting, Damon hurriedly brought the pet screen out…
[STR +1, AGI +2, VIT +1, MAG +1, SENSE +2, WILL +2]
One had to know that the first level up for a Magical Beast was always the most important. Was it for the STATS themselves? Nope! It was actually for the information it brought with it!
In this case, it showed that his Pride Demon had an inclination toward three specific stats: Agility (speed), Sense (perception), and Willpower (magic resistance).
“Miaow?!” (M-Master, how is it, how is it?!)
“Triple stat focus. That’s pretty good. Some Magical Beasts out there only have 1 or 2…” Damon praised, not mentioning that some legendary beasts had an affinity for ALL stats.
By the side, the cat glowed pridefully. Yet, amidst that prideful glow, there was incredible relief. This was good, no great. With this, it would be able to help its master! With this, it’d be able to—
“That’s great and all, but we’re running out of skeletons. Next one that we defeat, don’t absorb it, alright?”
“Miaow!” (Will do! Are we gonna cook them like the rats? They’re white just like flour!)
Why was it so excited about this?! It was so excited, in fact, that it ran from room to room, finally finding a few ones they hadn’t looted already. Then, they did the same as usual…
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
This left Damon with a bunch of bone dust still filled with Soul Power, and a cat nearby watching intently. What was he gonna do with that?!
Damon approached it, extended his hand, and…
[Congratulations! Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
[Congratulations! Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
[Congratulations! Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
Was he absorbing it directly?! As soon as it saw that, a certain cat felt like its brain was about to explode out of its little head. Were Tamers even supposed to do that in the first place?!
“Hehe. Don’t look so surprised. That’s how an Awakened would do it, and all Tamers are, by definition, Awakened too. It’s just that most prefer increasing their Pet’s power…”
After all, that much was normal. Spending Soul Power on one’s Magical Beast would be far more efficient, even allowing it to crush multiple Awakened at the same time.
There just happened to be something Damon really wanted…
| Demonologist! |
[20 SP] → Improved Soul Link
[25o SP] → Demonic Tongue
[575 SP] → Demonic Grasp
[1050 SP] → Demonic Bolt
Demonic Bolt… 1050 SP?! It was as if the System was taunting him for not picking it. Luckily, he had little interest in that ability in the first place. In fact…
[Ding! Bought Improved Soul Link!]
[For Better Or Worse, You are Now Linked!]
[This System Declares You Demonologist and Magical Beast!]
What was this? Marriage vows?! Damon couldn’t help but chuckle as he turned to his confused pet, turning grave. “With this, we’ve cleared it all. It’s time…”
Then, he resolutely went toward the only room they had avoided like the plague. Were they even ready for it? He had trained his pet to fight all this time, but even then….
Golden riches, a ginormous sarcophagus, and that damn glowing ritual with tons of candles everywhere. Spoiler alert: magic's involved if the candles are still lit after decades!
“Remember, there are 12 skeletons in that room. This ain’t a duel, but war. Get surrounded, and it’s Game Over. Get distracted? Game Over. Use too much energy? Game Over.”
Damon grimly stated, his cat nodding resolutely as the two shared one last glance. That’s when the little one started the fight, rushing at the slumbering enemies!
Skeleton? DEAD!
Skeleton #2? DEAD too!
It kept rushing, destroying skeleton after skeleton until….
[5 Undead Soldiers have Appeared!]
[Spawnkilled 60% of them?! This is unfair!]
[They Lament Their Fallen Brethren and Swear Revenge!]
As they say, all is fair in love and Dungeon clearing! The Cat didn’t lose a single second, rushing next to one of the remaining skeletons… just in time for another to join the fray!
A skeleton leaped at the cat… only to collide with its skeleton brother! That opening was enough for the cat to smash both of their skulls, slashing twice at once!
[Successfully Executed Double Attack!]
[Destroyed Two Skeletons… Only Three Left?!]
What should have been a deadly ambush from 12 skeletons had quickly turned into a one-sided massacre. Damon’s detection? Insane! The cat’s ability to capitalize on it? Crazy!
Just like that, it seemed like they’d clear up the room easily, or so they had thought…
— CREAK! CREAK!
It came… from the sarcophagus in the middle of the room?! The lavish-looking resting place trembled, its cover… moving?! Then, with one last push, the lid flopped on the floor.
That’s when it appeared…. A hand came out of it, one so old and dry it would have made a desert look wet. Then followed a being, one so mummified it scared the living shit out of the cat.
“Miaow?!” (How ugly?! Why have skin if it’s like that?!)
It was an ancient priest-looking mummy. One so old that it had probably lived through the dark ages of humanity, back when they still fought over races and countries.
Its empty eyes glowed golden, a golden that became red with rage as it saw the state of its guards. Opening a cavernous mouth, it roared and…
— SKKKRRRRAAAAAA!
“SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK!”
Called by their master, the fallen skeletons suddenly rose again. Bone dust? It coagulated, bubbling up until it created new skeletons that couldn’t wait to kill!
“Goddamnit. It’s a summoner type! They’ll revive endlessly as long as this shitty priest’s there!”
“Miaow!” (Dead shitty priest coming right up)
Minions? What minions? The cat ignored them all, leaping a the main honcho. It would remove its smug head from its body and—
— THUD!
It was the sound of a certain cat colliding headfirst against a golden barrier. At this moment, it looked like a bird that had just flown into a window.
What the heck was this?! It could have sworn that thing wasn’t there before?!
“A magical barrier! It only activates when danger is detected! Careful!”
Damon warned just in time as 12 bloodthirsty skeletons slashed at the cat, eager to reduce it to food. But at the very last second, it did a backflip on the barrier, landing to safety.
— Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
It seemed the barrier was WAY stronger than the undead claws. Not only wasn’t it chipped in the least, but there wasn’t even a change to the Priest’s expression.
That little damage? It may as well have been no damage at all!
Seeing this, a certain cat couldn’t help but curse. Those skeletons aimed very awkwardly, but their power was no joke. If even they couldn’t break the barrier… It augured badly.
As if that wasn’t enough, that’s when the priest waved a mummified hand…
[Ding! You’ve Been Cursed! Curse of Lethargy!]
[AGI Reduced by 0.5! Good Luck Surviving!]
This thing could debuff and revive?! It wouldn’t have been that bad… if it hadn’t been for that crazy shield! What were they supposed to do now?!
“Focus on the minions for now. Better not let them roam free…” Damon advised.
Perhaps there was a limit to the number of times the priest could revive? The cat went on a rampage, with hope within its heart as it dashed from Skeleton to the skeleton.
Fight them directly? It wasn’t strong enough for that! No, instead, it was following its master’s teachings and using their own power against them!
Multiple enemies? Screw their coordination up, and then destroy them! There was only one thing it couldn’t evade no matter how skillful it was….
[Vitality Going Down Thanks to Life Drain!]
[Thank You For Feeding the Skeletons!]
Thank your ass! Still, it didn’t take too long for the cat to clear the 12 Skeletons. While they were super strong, their movements were predictable after it had fought so many of them.
“Quick! Absorb their Soul Power! Then they won’t be able to revive!”
[Congratulations! Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
[Congratulations! Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
[Congratulations! Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
But it seemed like Damon had been wrong…
The priest once more waved his hand, the 12 Skeletons rising… how?
Not giving up, the Cat went on a rampage again, doing the same thing…
[Congratulations! Absorbed 0 Soul Power!]
[Congratulations! Absorbed 0 Soul Power!]
[Congratulations! Absorbed 0 Soul Power!]
That’s when Damon finally understood what was happening. In the sarcophagus, the priest clutched a bloody gem, aiming at its minions. It was raising them thanks to this thing!
As long as they didn’t get rid of the priest…
“Miaow?!” (They’re endless?! What’s with that barrier, too?! It’s way too sturdy!)
The cat complained once again as it smashed its paws against the golden barrier. But that’s when Damon noticed it… the red gem pulsating slightly with every hit!
Skeletons and shield… both had the same power source?! If they could get in there, they’d be able to wreck this goddamn priest utterly! As for how to do that…
“Keep killing the Skeletons! If we kill enough of them, it will run out of Mana!”
“Miaow!” (Roger that, Master! It’s slashing time!)
Anyone else would have long turned hopeless, but the little cat had boundless trust in its master. So what if the skeletons seemed infinite? It would keep fighting for as long as it took!
Thus, it kept breaking bones, the priest reviving its fallen minions. But with every round, it would also curse it once more…
[Ding! You’ve Been Cursed! Curse of Atrophy!]
[STR Reduced by 0.5! Good Luck Surviving!]
[Ding! You’ve Been Cursed! Curse of Apathy!]
[WILL Reduced by 0.5! Good Luck Surviving!]
[Ding! You’ve Been Cursed! Curse of the Weary!]
[VIT Reduced by 0.5! Good Luck Surviving!]
The worst part was that they kept stacking and stacking! It didn’t take long for the poor cat to suffer from so many curses that its body and soul felt sluggish…. But even then, it kept fighting!
“Miaow!” (I’m not down yet! I’ll definitely defeat you!)
By now, it could barely defeat the skeletons, more rising than it was able to kill. Seeing this, the Priest chuckled coldly. It couldn’t help to turn this cat into its soulless undead servant!
The priest had already won, and it bloody knew it!
That’s when Damon acted. Just as the cat barely evaded a skeleton’s attack, he rolled in and picked his partner up. “At this rate, you won’t have any energy left. It’s now or never.”
Then, without waiting for his pet to acquiesce, he raised his arm and… threw the little critter?! The cat flew fast and true, straight at the enemy priest! What kind of stupid move was this?!
Seeing this, the priest didn’t just sneer, it cackled.
This last-minute attempt… utterly useless!
With so many debuffs, it was a miracle that the cat was even alive. Even if it DID make it through the golden barrier, it wasn’t even a threat anymore. It was the end of the line for it.
Cackling, the priest didn’t even bother raising the usual golden barrier. It grabbed the cat, the latter struggling to no avail in the deadly grasp. It was akin to a child held by a Titan… powerless!
“Ke-ke-ke-ke-ke….”
That’s when the priest started oozing Demonic Power…
[Your Pet Is Being Turned Into an Undead Slave!]
[Warning! You Will Soon Lose Control of It Completely!]
[Escape the Amber Tower and Accept Your Loss? Highly Suggested!]
Damon didn’t even read the notifications; he threw himself at the priest…
“Bastard! Give my friend back! What the hell are you doing?! STOP! You can’t…” He madly banged on the golden barrier that the priest had activated with a wave.
The creature ordered its minions to fall back, enjoying itself so much. It would turn the cat and then order it to kill its own master. How much fun would that be?!
But just as everything was about to end, it suddenly noticed something wrong. W-Why did it seem like the Tamer was smiling?! No one sane would ever smile in such a situation?!
“Activate Improved Soul Link!” Damon murmured right before crumbling.
[Ding! Activated Improved Soul Link!]
[You Can Now Share Debuffs Between Pet and Tamer!]
[Transferring… ALL debuffs?! Warning! Warning! You Shouldn’t—]
Even as he collapsed, Damon couldn’t help but grin. Get that fucker, will you! Seeing this, his pet didn’t waste any moment. Too weak to cause damage? Not anymore!!!
— SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
It slashed the priest’s head off, then his torso, and finally his legs. As if that wasn’t enough, the cat then destroyed the red gem and kept slashing at it all, reducing the once mighty priest into dust.
“SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK!”
With heart-wrenching shrieks, the skeletons clutched their heads, feeling the magic sustaining them disappear along with their owner.
In a wonderful cacophony of dying screeches, all bones crumbled, silence returning to the entire room, only leaving a panting Damon, who felt more dead than alive.
“Miaow?!” (Master, are you alright?! How did you know that that would work?!)
“Know? I didn’t. I just hoped. Remember — cough — cough — arrogance will always be your downfall, no matter how strong you are. Be prideful, but never — cough— cough—”
Even struggling for breath, Damon was still bloody teaching?! No, it was worse. By now, he was already falling into unconsciousness, the human body not equipped to handle so many curses…
[Ding! Cleared Floor 1 of the Amber Tower!]
[Congratulations! Succeeded the Academy’s Test!]
[Ding! Fallen Priest Has Dropped a Skill Fragment! Collect?!]
Good. It’d be fine if he rested for a little while, right? But just as he was slipping into oblivion, the world changed, and they reappeared in the Test Plaza.
So much for some rest….
