Chapter 87: Shadows of Evolution

[14th Everdusk, 2103] – CGA Branch, Dyna Crest Country

Before me lay the aftermath of the battle—the remnants of the mini-boss and the treasure it left behind. But what met my eyes wasn’t what I expected.

The corpse was mangled beyond recognition. The alpha wolf’s once majestic form had been stripped clean—its skin and fur gone, several ribs exposed and broken, fangs and teeth entirely removed as if someone had harvested it piece by piece. But what truly captured my attention were the items beside it.

Especially... the armor.

My chest mail, once a humble chainmail vest for beginners, now looked transformed—embedded with darkened fur and scraps of toughened skin. Most of the metal links were hidden behind this wild new exterior, and just by sight alone, I could tell it had grown durable enough to resist even a powered blade strike, even one imbued with my flame skill.

And then there was the blade.

It shimmered faintly with a sinister hue—subtle, but undeniably present. A dark glint danced along its edge, almost as if flickering embers were tucked beneath the steel. I wasn’t exactly surprised. The alpha wolf was part of the Shadow Wolf King bloodline—monsters known for their affinity with the shadow element. Perhaps the weapon had absorbed traces of that power.

Curious, I opened the screen to check its updated stats—and immediately froze.

My jaw tightened as my mind struggled to process the details. These weren't just minor improvements. These were complete overhauls. If someone else saw these items now, they wouldn’t hesitate to fight for them. Items like these didn’t exist in the early stages. They were legends.

__

Duskfang Vest (Enchanted)

Type:

Armor (Chest)

Grade:

Tier 0, Vernis+ (Rank 0)

Description:

A beginner's chain mail chest plate evolved through expert craftsmanship and enhanced with a refined enchantment turning into a fine piece of art. Its defensive capabilities and durability have been significantly improved, offering protection comparable to higher-quality equipment while remaining suitable for novice adventurers.

Attributes:

Defence:

+20

Durability:

120/120

Weight:

Moderate-High

----------------------------------------

Ember Fang (Enchanted)

Type:

Weapon (One-Handed Sword)

Grade:

Tier 0, Vernis+ (Rank 0)

Description:

Once a simple iron sword, Ember Fang evolved into a weapon of legend after merging with the fiery and shadow-infused essence of an Alpha Wolf (Lv. 10) by an unknown power. This blade flickers with dark embers, embodying the destructive synergy of shadow and flame.

Attributes:

Attack Power:

+20

Durability:

100/100

Weight:

Light

Special Effects:

Enhanced Fire Strike:

25% chance to deal an additional 70% of the weapon's attack power as shady fire-based magical damage on hit.

Veiled Predator:

If the wielder attacks a target unaware of their presence (e.g., from stealth or surprise), the attack deals 50% increased damage.

__

The names alone stunned me.

Duskfang Vest

?

Ember Fang

? These weren’t just random upgrades. This was a new tier altogether—

Vernis+

, something that didn’t even exist in common knowledge.

Normally, items were graded like this: Vernis → Caldo → Erith for Tier 0. But none of them ever carried a suffix like "+" or "–". They were standard. Plain. What I had now… this wasn't in any manual or hunter report. Not once had I ever seen this Vernis+ grade.

Could this be the doing of my talent?

“Oi, Point Looter! Where’s my Caldo-grade weapon and armor, huh? Don’t go mute on me now!” I shouted, half-joking, half-serious. “Come on, answer meee!”

But silence. As always. Neither the system nor the talent said a word, treating me like some overly dramatic NPC. I grumbled under my breath, finally deciding to check my status one last time before stepping into the third stage.

That’s when something else caught my eye.

In the skill menu—something had changed.

Something... new?

In my excitement over the upgraded gear, I had completely forgotten to check if the talent had done anything else. As I hovered over the unfamiliar entry, a panel popped open before I could even select it.

{System has detected a skill that is unsuitable for the host and is about to be removed from the host's skills.}

{Process starts... error, talent <

Plunder

> is restricting the removal process. Talent is attempting to adjust the skill.}

[Talent has detected that the skill is not in a usable form for the host's body. The skill design is being modified to meet the host's needs. The process is ongoing, please wait for a moment.]

[

Process is complete, skill

<Shadow Pounce> --> <Shadow Leap>}

{System is generating the skill, <

Shadow Leap

>, information on the host's screen.}

__

Shadow Leap (Lv. 1)

Type:

Active Skill

Mana Cost:

25 MP

Cooldown:

12 seconds

Proficiency:

0%

Description:

Harness the agility of shadows to leap up to 10 meters toward a target with a precise strike. This swift movement allows for enhanced power, enabling agile combat maneuvers in both offense and defense.

Effects:

Leap Strike:

Instantly closes the distance, dealing

+10% of Base Attack

damage upon impact.

Shadow Momentum:

Slightly boosts attack power by

5%

for the next attack within 3 seconds of landing.

__

A slow grin spread across my face.

This... this was good.

Mobility, burst, and surprise—all in one. Combined with

Veiled Predator

, this would turn me into a true assassin in the shadows. A shadow that strikes before it’s seen.

I gave my new gear and skill one last glance before turning to face the portals that had quietly opened a few minutes ago after the alpha boss's fall. Two shimmering gates hovered in the clearing—each framed by a glowing border and a floating screen beside it.

The red one pulsed ominously—clearly the path to the third stage. The green one? The exit portal. A way out. Safety.

I walked up to the green gate, just to test it. A button hovered in front of it.

"Exit the trial?" it asked.

I stared at it for a second.

Then laughed.

“Do you really think I'd press that? Absolutely not.”

I shut the prompt and turned toward the red gate.

“No hesitation. I’ve come this far. I’m not backing down now,” I said aloud, more to myself than anyone else. “There’s something at the end of this trial—something worth the risk.”

And just as I raised my foot to enter, the system chimed again.

{System has detected that the host has yet completed another hidden task of killing all the wolf pack under the alpha boss, achieving the requirement to increase the mutation of the final boss, 30% --> 99.9%.}

{You're to be alerted to be cautious of the mutated boss.}

“Ha... Of course,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Can’t ever get the lucky 0.1%, can I?”

I sighed, accepting my cursed fate.

“If I was born with that kind of luck, maybe I’d be the main character of this story.”

With that, I dismissed the notification and stepped into the portal.

As my body disappeared into the void, the remains of the alpha wolf lay motionless behind me. The air turned eerily still. The ground trembled slightly, followed by a low rumble. A crack appeared in the sky above as if the heavens themselves were breaking.

But this wasn’t divine wrath.

It was the system collapsing the current stage—preparing it for the next challenger.

Meanwhile, I had already arrived.

The scenery changed.

The third stage… was unlike anything I had seen before.

–– To be continued ––

Author’s Note:

Thanks for reading, everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.