Shadows of Ascension

The walls of the dungeon seemed to pulse with an eerie, otherworldly glow as Kael moved deeper into its depths. His footsteps echoed, faint and hollow, swallowed by the endless shadows that surrounded him. The last encounter had shaken him more than he cared to admit, but the Dreitailen had vanished back into his shadow, leaving him alone to process the aftermath.

Kael's heart was still pounding from the unexpected ease with which the Dreitailen had torn apart the low-tier creature. He hadn’t even needed to fight, hadn’t even had the chance to test his own strength or skills. It was the Dreitailen who had acted, striking from the shadows, lethal and swift. Kael had expected some level of autonomy from his soulbound creature, but this… this was something else.

The deeper he walked, the more the weight of the Shadow Corruption pressed down on him, subtle but insidious. It wasn’t enough to overwhelm him—not yet—but he could feel it creeping in, like a whisper at the back of his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, focusing instead on the path ahead.

The tunnel split into two. One passage seemed relatively clear, its walls wide and well-lit by the dim, glowing crystals embedded in the stone. The other was narrower, cloaked in darkness, the light barely reaching a few feet beyond the entrance. Kael stood at the crossroads, hesitation gnawing at him.

"The easy path or the hard one?" he muttered under his breath.

But it wasn’t really a choice, was it? The Dreitailen had come from the shadows, and the shadowed path was where it thrived. Kael wasn’t sure if it was his decision or something darker within him urging him on, but his feet moved toward the narrow, darker passage. The Dreitailen felt more comfortable here, and somehow, Kael knew he would be, too.

The shadows seemed to close in around him as he ventured deeper, his body tensing with each step. The air grew colder, the silence more oppressive. It was in this moment, surrounded by darkness, that Kael felt it—the flicker of a presence up ahead. His instincts kicked in, honed by years of living in the streets, surviving on little more than his wits.

He crouched low, peering into the darkness, and that’s when he saw them—two creatures, hunched and grotesque, with spindly limbs and hungrily glowing eyes. They were larger than the last one, more dangerous-looking. Their claws scraped the ground as they moved, their low, guttural sounds reverberating through the tunnel.

“Combat initiated.”

The System's prompt echoed in his ears as his body tensed. He quickly pulled up his status screen to assess his abilities.

Status Screen

Attribute Value

Name Kael

Soulbound Creature Dreitailen

Rarity Tier Unique Rarity

Level 1

Evolution Stage 1

Health Points (HP) 100/100

Mana Points (MP) 80/80

Stamina 90/90

Strength 12

Agility 14

Intelligence 9 (-1 Corruption)

Endurance 13

Perception 11

Luck 8

Shadow Corruption (SC) 5%

Synergy Bonus None

Kael’s eyes flicked over his stats, his mind quickly sorting through his options. He had chosen Shadow Meld and Shadow Strike in the last chamber. Now was the time to see if he could make them work.

One of the creatures caught sight of him, its eyes narrowing as it growled and slinked toward him, claws outstretched. The other followed close behind, moving in tandem, clearly used to hunting in packs.

Kael’s pulse quickened, and his instincts screamed at him to run, to retreat and regroup. But he didn’t. Instead, he focused on the Dreitailen, silently willing it to help, to strike from the shadows as it had before. But nothing happened. No movement from the darkness. No sign of the Dreitailen.

Did it abandon me?

Panic clawed at his chest, but Kael forced it down. He couldn’t rely on the Dreitailen every time. If it wasn’t going to fight, then he would have to do it himself.

The creatures charged.

Kael’s muscles coiled, and he activated Shadow Meld. The world around him flickered, and in an instant, he felt the shift—the cold embrace of the shadows swallowing him whole. His body blurred, melding into the darkness. It wasn’t just the Dreitailen that could disappear now. So could he.

The Dreitailen can merge with the shadows, becoming invisible for a short time. So can you.

The creatures froze, confused, their glowing eyes searching the spot where he had been just moments before. Kael could feel his heart pounding, but they couldn’t see him. He was part of the shadows now, indistinguishable from the darkness around him.

He moved silently, creeping behind the larger of the two creatures, his footsteps barely a whisper in the stone cavern. His hand clenched into a fist, preparing to strike. The knowledge of Shadow Strike burned in his mind—an instinctive understanding of how to channel the darkness into his attack.

He focused, feeling the cold energy pool in his arm, and then he lashed out, his fist coated in shadow as it connected with the creature’s back. The impact was swift, brutal. The creature let out a choked roar of surprise, stumbling forward as dark energy surged through its body.

But it wasn’t dead.

Kael cursed under his breath as the second creature turned, spotting him just as the Shadow Meld effect faded. He barely had time to react as it lunged at him, claws outstretched, aiming for his throat. He ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the attack, but he wasn’t fast enough to escape entirely. The creature’s claws raked across his arm, drawing blood.

Pain flared, but Kael gritted his teeth and pushed through it. He wasn’t out of the fight yet.

The first creature recovered from his Shadow Strike and joined the second, both of them circling him now, snarling and snapping. Kael’s mind raced, desperately trying to think of a way out. Two on one wasn’t good odds, not for someone at his level.

And that’s when he felt it—the flicker of movement in the shadows, just behind the creatures. His heart leapt as he realized the Dreitailen hadn’t abandoned him after all. It had been waiting. Watching.

The creatures were so focused on Kael that they didn’t see the shadows moving behind them, didn’t notice the sleek, dark shape of the Dreitailen creeping closer, its three tails coiling like serpents ready to strike.

One of the creatures lunged at Kael, teeth bared. He braced himself, but before it could reach him, the Dreitailen pounced.

In a blur of movement, it wrapped one of its tails around the creature’s neck, yanking it backward with terrifying force. The second tail slashed through the air, cutting deep into the creature’s side, and the third tail lashed out, knocking the other creature off its feet.

Kael staggered backward, wide-eyed, as the Dreitailen tore through the creatures with lethal precision. It was over in seconds. The creatures were left in crumpled heaps on the dungeon floor, lifeless.

The Dreitailen melted back into the shadows, its presence still lingering in Kael’s mind. He exhaled, his entire body trembling with adrenaline and the aftershock of the battle.

“Enemies defeated. Awarding experience points.”

Level Up

| Soulbound Creature: Dreitailen | | Level 1 → Level 2 | | New Creature Ability Unlocked: Venomous Strike |

The System’s voice rang out, calm and detached, even as Kael’s heart was still pounding in his chest. He had leveled up, and with that, the Dreitailen had grown stronger. But Kael hadn’t chosen the ability—Venomous Strike had simply been unlocked as the creature grew more powerful.

The Dreitailen wasn’t just a reflection of his soul. It was evolving on its own, gaining power with each fight, each kill. Kael wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He wasn’t in control, not really. The Dreitailen was something separate, something he couldn’t fully command.

But he had more immediate concerns. Blood dripped from the gash in his arm, the pain a dull throb now that the adrenaline was wearing off. He’d need to bandage it soon, but first, he pulled up his status screen to check on his progress.

Status Screen

Attribute Value

Name Kael

Soulbound Creature Dreitailen

Rarity Tier Unique Rarity

Level 2

Evolution Stage 1

Health Points (HP) 90/110

Mana Points (MP) 75/85

Stamina 85/95

Strength 13

Agility 15

Intelligence 9 (-1 Corruption)

Endurance 14

Perception 12

Luck 8

Shadow Corruption (SC) 6%

Synergy Bonus None

His Shadow Corruption had risen by 1%, a creeping reminder of the cost of his power. With each fight, each victory, the Dreitailen’s influence seemed to grow. It was subtle now, but Kael could feel it, lurking just beyond the edge of his mind.

He would have to be careful. The corruption might be manageable for now, but it was clear that the Dreitailen's presence was not without its price. And though his bond had made him stronger, the changes to his mind and body were undeniable.

Still, he couldn't afford to dwell on that right now. He needed to focus on surviving. The dungeon stretched out ahead of him, and this was only the beginning. There would be more chambers, more challenges, and if he didn’t stay sharp, his fate might not be as lucky next time.

Kael flexed his fingers, feeling the cold energy of the shadows still coiled within him, ready to be used. But without more Skill Points (SP) or Ability Points (AP), he knew he'd have to wait before expanding his arsenal. The System was strict—SP and AP only came with significant milestones, every five levels. He'd have to make do with the skills and abilities he had for now: Shadow Meld and Shadow Strike.

With a deep breath, Kael wiped the blood from his arm, the pain dulled but persistent. There was no time to waste. The dungeon wasn’t finished with him yet, and if he wanted to survive—and get stronger—he’d need to push through whatever lay ahead.

The Dreitailen’s presence was still there, silent but watchful, ready to strike again when Kael needed it most. Even though Kael felt a gnawing uncertainty about the creature and what it represented about his soul, he knew it was his greatest asset. For now.

As he set off deeper into the dungeon’s shadowy corridors, Kael steeled himself for what was to come. The darkness wasn’t his enemy anymore. It was his weapon.