“What are you going to do next?” Val asked.
Val paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before saying, “I am going to hunt down their chief. He is the pillar that holds their organization together. Once he is dead, their morale will plummet. With no one to lead them, they’ll be lost, descending into chaos. That will be the ideal moment for my undead to swoop in and overwhelm them.”
“But with us having made such a loud entrance, they must already be on high alert. They’ve likely bolstered their defenses around their chief. How do you plan to break through and reach him?” Voidslayer questioned.
Val smirked, his confidence evident, “That, my friend, is something you’ll see soon enough. Against an Eldritch Slayer, every defense has a flaw.”
Out of thin air, a shovel materialized in Val’s free hand.
Seeing this, Voidslayer felt curious and slightly puzzled. It inquired, “What is that?”
Hearing its words, Val raised an eyebrow, looking both amused and surprised. Feeling a bit surprised, he couldn’t help but ask, “You seriously don’t know?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I did,” Voidslayer retorted with a hint of impatience, “Given the vastness of my knowledge, there are few items that escape my recognition. But this… this is indeed unfamiliar. I can feel that it contains immense power, but I don’t know what it does. I have never come across another item like this in my life.”
Val scratched his chin before speaking, “Given that you don’t recognize it, this mystical item must’ve not existed in the past. I guess it’s an exclusive item from my era. It’s called the Mystical Shovel. I earned ownership over it after I killed its previous master. Before you think I am an evil guy who kills people for their treasure, let me tell you it was an Eldritch that was haunting me.”
“That thought didn’t even cross my mind. I know you’re a good guy!” Voidslayer said innocently.
‘Good guy? Oh, only if you knew what I was capable of, you would’ve never related me to that,’ Val internally smirked.
“Anyways, enough with the explanation.” Voidslayer said, “You still haven’t told me how the mystical shovel is going to help us in the upcoming fight.”
“See for yourself,” Val said as he brought the shovel down, tapping it on the tunnel floor.
The action he performed was simple.
But the effect it had was profound.
In fact, it was so mystical that it left Voidslayer shocked to the core.
Slowly, a doorway to another dimension manifested in front of Val, seemingly cutting through the fabric of reality itself to manifest.
“Truly, it is an incomprehensible sight!” Voidslayer exclaimed, “I mean, how can a mere tool have the effect to tear open a tunnel to another dimension? This shovel… it’s amazing!”
“When I used it for the first time, I also felt excited. And to be honest, you’re just beginning to understand what it is capable of,” Val said to Voidslayer as he stepped through the dimensional door.
As he did, the environment on the other side greeted him. It was eerily similar to the tunnel he just left. However, it was submerged in a depressive atmosphere that could wipe the smile off the brightest faces.
In Voidslayer’s own words, “It was like stepping into a world mirroring their own, where everything was a shade darker, a tone sadder.”
No sooner had Val entered this realm that the doorway behind him faded, leaving no trace of its existence.
At the same time, a group of powerful variants of the Shadow Drake entered the tunnel he was in a moment ago.
Unable to see Val’s figure or even feel a hint of his presence, they felt confused.
“The intruder was supposed to be in this tunnel, right? Where did he go?”
“I am certain he was here a moment ago, but I can no longer sense his presence. It’s like he simply disappeared.”
“Let’s return and report this to the chief.”
“We can’t do that. The chief won’t be happy with such a pathetic answer. And you know what he does when he is unhappy. I don’t want to become his next meal, nor do I want to see any one of you being eaten alive by him.”
“We feel the same way.”
“But what should we do?”
“Let’s spend some time in the tunnel before returning and lying to the chief that we have taken care of the intruder.”
“Alright.”
Because the Sorcerer of the Twilight Abyss was a cannibalistic bastard, the variants made a decision that would change the fate of their tribe forever!
Meanwhile, after bringing the spirit sword to a new dimension, Val asked, “So, what do you think?”
Voidslayer didn’t answer at once. Instead, it took in its surroundings in silence.
Though at first glance, everything seemed identical to the place they had been a moment ago, subtle differences soon became apparent.
This world lacked warmth.
It was unpleasantly cold.
This world wasn’t very bright either.
The luminous stones embedded within the tunnel walls, which had once emanated a pure white glow, now radiated a muted gray.
This change cast everything in a slightly dimmer and more somber light.
Moreover, there was something seriously odd about this dimension. However, Voidslayer couldn’t pinpoint it.
Voidslayer had never witnessed any dimensions other than the Abyss. It was the first time it was seeing that such an odd dimension existed, and it felt shocked but also amazed as if struck by a bolt out of the blue.
“It’s like we’ve entered a parallel world that is lacking in the concept of color and life. This place… Master, what is it called?” Voidslayer asked Val.
“The Other Side,” Val replied. 𝑜𝑽𝓁xt.𝗇𝓔t
“For a place that’s like a darker and more subdued reflection of our world, the name “Other Side” does sound suitable,” Voidslayer said in awe of his naming sense.
“Now that we are in the Other Side, our physical presence in the real world is nonexistent, making it an ideal environment to bypass obstacles and adversaries. The Other Side is like a veil over reality. And, while here, I can employ my skill to keep an eye on the real world without actually being there. The Mystical Shovel will be our bridge back,” Val explained to the spirit sword before asking, “Can you grasp my plan?”
“You plan to traverse this dimension until you’re directly positioned over the Chief. Then, in an instant, you’ll jump back into reality and strike the Chief before he even knows what hit him!” Voidslayer gave him a positive reply.
Val smirked, “You’re right on the mark, buddy. But I’ll need your assistance for this plan to be foolproof.”
“Just tell me what you need, Master,” Voidslayer said, its voice emanating determination. “I will do my best to live up to your expectations.”
“The moment we re-enter reality, I need you to execute the Crimson Slash Skill without waiting for a verbal command from me,” Val said.
Understanding dawned upon Voidslayer, “The Chief of the Shadow Drakes is an entity not to be trifled with. By employing our most potent skill right off the bat, we aim to neutralize it before it has a chance to react. Smart. But,” Voidslayer added with a hint of concern, “my rage meter isn’t full. Without it, it’s impossible to activate the Crimson Slash even if I use the power of my spirit. With my current power level, I can’t bend the activation condition of a cursed artifact’s skill.”
“Don’t worry, it’s a problem that can be easily solved,” Val said as he allowed blood from his personal reserve of blood, aka his blood bar, to flow into Voidslayer until its Rage meter was full.
“The crimson Slash Skill has become useable,” Voidslayer notified him.
“Keep the plan in mind,” Val instructed the spirit sword once again as he quickly crossed the tunnel.
The tunnel led to a vast chamber. Though the alternate dimension displayed it as desolate, Val with the help of his Heavenly Eye could see that in reality, this place was teeming with formidable creatures.
Standing amidst them was a colossal 3-meter tall creature, draped in a hooded robe that concealed most of its form. The only features visible were its eyes, which gleamed with malevolence, and its mouth, which was filled with jagged teeth that protruded like the gnarled roots of an old tree, reminiscent of the tusks of an ogre.
Val reached a point directly behind where the Sorcerer of the Twilight Abyss would be standing in reality. After taking a deep breath, Val called upon the power of the Mystical shovel once again. A flash of intention, and suddenly, the door back to reality opened up in the Other Side. It appeared just before him.
Without hesitation, Val stepped through it, appearing just behind the most formidable enemy of the first layer of the Class Advancement Dungeon.
The sudden assault of noise and color was almost disorienting, but he had no time to spare. He swung the spirit sword as hard as he could.
Voidslayer, sensing their return to reality, immediately unleashed the Crimson Slash Skill.
A brilliant, deadly arc of energy surged forward, finding its mark unerringly.
Before the Sorcerer of the Twilight Abyss could even register the unexpected threat, its head separated from its shoulders and tumbled to the ground.
The golden staff it had held clattered to the ground, echoing eerily throughout the chamber.
Then, there was pin-drop silence!