Novel Bin
Chapter 26 - Iron and Intrigue
The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 26 - Iron and Intrigue
Life as an Iron Rank adventurer settled into a new rhythm for Kael. The quests were more demanding, the monsters tougher, the risks higher. He joined patrols into monster-infested woodlands bordering the city, cleared out deeper sections of abandoned mines teeming with Shadow Crawlers (Tier 1) and Goblin Brutes (Tier 1), and even guarded a merchant caravan traveling through territory known for bandit activity.
He often found himself teamed with different adventurers each time, a rotating cast of hopefuls, veterans, and specialists. He encountered stoic Dwarven defenders ([Guardian Lv. 15]), nimble Wood Elf archers ([Marksman Lv. 16]), pragmatic Human mages ([Elementalist Lv. 14]), and occasionally more exotic races like Saurian crystal-users ([Geomancer Apprentice Lv. 12]). Each interaction was a test of his deception.
He honed the art of calculated mediocrity, performing consistently at the level expected of his fabricated Lv. 13 status. He used his scouting skills reliably, engaged in combat competently but without impossible flair, and occasionally produced a 'surge' attributed to the Resonance Stone during critical moments. He also started subtly incorporating his [Enhanced Mana Bolt Lv. 2], claiming the 'artifact' granted him this minor ranged ability. It was weak enough compared to true mages that it drew little comment beyond reinforcing his 'quirky artifact' persona.
His real power, fueled by the relentless x100 EXP multiplier, continued its astronomical climb. Hidden beneath the veneer of a low-level Iron Ranker, Kael reached Lv. 20 in [Swift Blade].
```
[ Swift Blade reached Lv. 20! ]
[ Attribute Points Gained: +2 (Allocate Manually: DEX +1, INT +1) ]
[ New Skill Available: [Swift Blade] - [Blade Honing Lv. 1] (Passive: Increases weapon sharpness slightly) ]
[ Class Evolution Ready: Choose Path (Duelist / Blade Dancer / Ghost Blade) ]
```
One particular quest involved investigating disappearances near an old logging camp north of the Mirewood. Several lumberjacks had vanished without a trace over the past few weeks. Kael was teamed with a gruff human tracker named Harker ([Bounty Hunter Lv. 19]) and a nervous High Elf healer named Elina ([Priestess Lv. 15]).
Harker, all grim efficiency, found faint tracks leading away from the camp, but they vanished abruptly near a cluster of unnaturally dark, shadowy rocks. Elina shivered, her [Detect Undead] and [Detect Corruption] skills picking up nothing specific, only a vague sense of unease.
Kael activated his own senses. [Detect Presence] registered nothing living. [Sense Mana] picked up faint, lingering traces of... shadow magic? Very faint, almost faded. He focused his [Enhanced Hearing]. A low, almost sub-audible *whisper* seemed to emanate from the shadowy rocks.
"Something feels wrong here," Kael said, playing up the 'artifact sensitivity'. "The shadows... they feel cold. And did you hear that? A whisper?"
Harker grunted, skeptical. Elina paled. "I hear nothing, but the air is unnaturally still."
Kael cautiously approached the rocks, hand near his sword, Resonance Stone held subtly forward. As he got closer, the shadow magic signature intensified slightly, and he felt a strange resonance, not with the Stone this time, but within *himself*. A cold, fleeting affinity.
Suddenly, a nearly invisible tendril of shadow lashed out from the rocks, aiming for Kael's chest. His reflexes, honed by countless hours and levels, reacted instantly. He dodged, the tendril whipping past him.
"Ambush!" Harker yelled, drawing his axe. Elina began chanting a protective ward.
More shadow tendrils erupted, whipping towards them. Kael realized these weren't cast by a creature, but were remnants of a powerful spell or entity, acting like automated defenses. He used his 'artifact speed' to evade, while Harker hacked furiously at the tendrils, his enchanted axe dispersing them temporarily. Elina's ward shimmered, deflecting some of the weaker lashes.
Kael noticed the source seemed to be a particular patch of darkness within the rock cluster. While Harker kept the tendrils busy, Kael channeled an [Enhanced Mana Bolt], aiming for the source. The bolt struck, and the shadow patch flared violently, then dissipated, the tendrils vanishing instantly. The cold feeling lifted.
"What in the blazes was that?" Harker panted, lowering his axe.
"Lingering shadow magic," Elina breathed, looking shaken. "A powerful binding, perhaps. Triggered by proximity."
Kael felt strangely invigorated. The brief exposure to the potent shadow magic, the resonance he’d felt…
A notification chimed, internal and profound, separate from the Weave or the Accumulator.
```
[ Shadow Affinity Discovered! ]
[ Latent connection to shadow energies established through exposure and resonance. ]
[ Evolution Path [Nightblade] for [Shadow Scout] class is now fully accessible. ]
```
He had it. The key to the [Nightblade] evolution. Found entirely by accident, triggered by proximity to powerful shadow magic his senses could detect. He quickly suppressed his excitement, focusing on the mission. They searched the area further, finding traces suggesting the lumberjacks were dragged towards the shadowy rocks, likely consumed or transported by whatever magic had been anchored there. They could do no more. The mission was grimly complete: disappearances confirmed, likely victims of residual shadow magic traps.
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Publishment Date: 8/4/2025
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