Chapter 44: Silver Chest

Words : 1019 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Silence falls over the cavern. Sorin exhales softly, flicking her wrist to shake the blood from her blade. The fight lasted mere seconds. The bodies around her lay still, their blood pooling against the cold stone floor. She lifts her gaze. The bandit leader remains seated on his throne, his grin unfazed, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He chuckles. "Now this," he murmurs, "is interesting." Sorin doesn't hesitate. She vanishes. A sharp gust rustles the torches as she reappears behind the bandit leader, her dagger aimed for his neck in a killing strike. Clang! A massive arm swings back, his greatsword blocking her blade in a shower of sparks. "Fast," the leader muses, his grin widening as he twists his grip and shoves her back. "But predictable." Sorin flips mid-air, landing lightly on her feet. Her golden eyes narrow. She has fought countless foes, but his reaction speed was unnatural. Before she can reposition, he retaliates. "Titan Fang!" His greatsword blurs, its weight multiplying as it descends toward her like a falling mountain. Sorin moves. Shadow Step. She flickers out of existence, appearing just beyond his reach. The stone where she once stood explodes, jagged cracks splitting the cavern floor. 'I need to be careful not to get hit.' She lunges again, her daggers glowing with Night Piercer, a skill that ignores armor and strikes directly at vital points. The leader reacts instantly. "Steel Fortress." A faint shimmer envelops his body, and Sorin's blades scrape uselessly against his skin as if striking solid iron. He laughs. "An assassin with weak strikes? Disappointing." His counter is brutal. He swings the flat of his blade toward her midsection, aiming to crush her ribs. Sorin bends backward, the wind of the strike rushing past her face. She kicks off the ground, flipping over the blade's path. In mid-air, she vanishes again. She reappears at his side, her leg whipping out in a precise arc. "Phantom Fang." Her heel slams into his temple, the force amplified by her skill. The impact reverberates through the cavern, sending a shockwave outward. The bandit leader stumbles, his grin faltering for the first time. Sorin lands, adjusting her stance. "Not bad for a brute." The leader straightens, rolling his neck. The skin where she struck him is bruised, but he looks more amused than angry. "Not bad for a rat." They stare at each other for a heartbeat. Then they move. The cavern erupts into chaos. Sorin disappears into the shadows, striking from unpredictable angles. The leader swings with monstrous strength, tearing through stone and air alike. Every clash sends shockwaves rippling through the cavern, embers dancing in the torchlight. They are evenly matched. But Sorin knows—she only needs one perfect strike. The fight stretches on for a full minute, each exchange a deadly blur of motion. Sorin darts through the shadows, striking from every angle. Yet, each time, the bandit leader either blocks, dodges, or counters with terrifying precision. Damn... this human has good reflexes. She hides now, her breathing slow, her presence erased by stealth. Her golden eyes flicker from the darkness, observing. The bandit leader stands in the open, greatsword resting on his shoulder, his grin still there—but now there's something sharper behind it. "Running already?" he taunts, his voice echoing through the cavern. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Come on... you can't hide from me forever." Sorin grits her teeth. It's not just his reaction speed. He has an unnatural sense—almost like an animal tracking its prey. If this keeps up, he'll wear her down. She needs to end this. Silently, she grips her dagger, activating her Tier 3 skill— "Abyss Fang." A suffocating stillness fills the air. The shadows around her deepen, stretching unnaturally, twisting toward her as if drawn to something primal. Her blade drinks in the darkness, turning void-black, its edge humming with lethal intent. Her presence vanishes completely. The bandit leader's eyes widen slightly. His instincts scream at him. Danger. He moves—too late. Sorin reappears behind him, her blade already plunging toward his exposed back. He spins, swinging his greatsword wildly— But Abyss Fang ignores defense. Her dagger pierces his side, sinking deep. A black ripple spreads from the wound, devouring his protection, bypassing his Steel Fortress. "Gah—!" The leader staggers, his body locking up. His muscles tremble, his limbs sluggish. Abyss Fang doesn't just pierce the body. It devours movement. Sorin doesn't hesitate. She pivots, twisting the blade, and in the same motion—slashes upward. A dark arc of energy erupts from the strike. The bandit leader's body jerks violently. Blood sprays. His greatsword slips from his fingers, crashing to the ground. His legs give out, and he drops to his knees. His breath comes ragged now. He clutches his wound, his grin gone, replaced by something between shock and... laughter? "Heh... heh... Not bad," he rasps. "I actually lost..." Sorin watches him, dagger still in hand. Then—she moves. A final blur. Her dagger flashes. And the bandit leader's body slumps to the ground, unmoving. Silence. Sorin exhales, rolling her shoulders as the shadows retreat from her form. The skill fades, the eerie pressure lifting from the cavern. She flicks the blood from her dagger, stepping over the corpse. Just as she turns to leave, a voice echoes inside her head. "Congratulations on clearing the dungeon. Please proceed to the reward. You will be teleported out shortly after claiming it." Sorin freezes. Her eyes dart around the cavern, her body tense. 'What the—?' She tightens her grip on her dagger, scanning the shadows. No movement. No presence. Yet, the voice was clear as day, reverberating inside her skull. "The voice in my head just said something about a reward," she mutters, her brows furrowing. Her instincts scream at her—she doesn't like unseen forces dictating her actions. But there's no immediate threat. Her gaze sweeps across the cavern. That's when she sees it. At the center of the room, a silver-colored chest shimmers faintly, as if appearing from nowhere.

Chapter 44: Silver Chest

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