The creature howled, a deafening screech that shattered the silence of the corrupted dawn.
"⟪Boss Monster: Veil-Touched Abomination⟫
Rank: Elite | Type: Aberrant Hollowborn
HP: 9,000/12,000
Status Effects: Enraged (+25% attack speed), Partially Rooted (-15% movement speed)⟫"
Leo gritted his teeth as his blade met chitin. It sparked uselessly against the creature's armored hide, deflecting off a limb covered in shifting plates of bone and tar.
Aerin rolled beneath a swing the size of a tree trunk and hurled a vial toward the monster's exposed flank.
It exploded in a burst of emerald fire.
"⟪Item Used: Alchemical Flask – Sunblight Resin⟫
Effect: Burns away Tier I–II corruption armor. Duration: 10 seconds⟫"
"Now!" she screamed.
Leo lunged, activating his cloak's passive with a thought.
"⟪Passive Triggered: Whisperveil Cloak⟫
Effect: Movement noise nullified. Shadow Step cooldown reduced.⟫"
Then—
"⟪Skill Activated: Shadow Step⟫
Rank: C
Effect: Dash through shadows within 5 meters. Leave behind a shadow afterimage that distracts enemies.
Cooldown: 7 seconds⟫"
He reappeared behind the abomination, Verdant Fang raised. He plunged it into the sizzling, unarmored flesh.
"⟪Verdant Fang Effect Triggered⟫
+5 HP Restored
Target inflicted with Verdant Bloom: Deals nature damage over 6 seconds.⟫"
The beast flinched — and roared.
Its tail swept outward, catching Leo mid-recoil. He slammed into the tower wall, coughing blood.
"Leo!" Aerin shouted.
But she couldn't reach him — Kaelgrun was keeping the monster's second head at bay with hammer swings so heavy they shook the ground.
"Hold the front!" the dwarf barked. "Veyra! I need cover!"
"On it!" Sylari's incantation completed, and a stream of arcane bolts hammered the creature's upper back, drawing its attention.
"⟪Skill Activated: Arcstream⟫
Rank: D
Effect: Fires a barrage of magical projectiles. 10% armor penetration. Duration: 4 seconds⟫"
The Veil-Touched shrieked, turning toward her.
Leo forced himself up, blood trickling down his temple. The system blinked.
"⟪Health Warning: 28%⟫
Suggested Action: Retreat or Heal Immediately⟫"
"Screw that," Leo growled.
He broke another Verdant Charm. Golden light laced through his wounds.
"⟪Item Consumed: Verdant Charm⟫
Effect: Heals minor injuries and purges Tier I corruption.⟫"
The tide turned—briefly.
Then the ground shifted beneath them.
A red sigil burned into being under the boss's feet.
"⟪Boss Skill Detected: Veil Rupture⟫
Effect: Unleashes corrupted essence in a 10-meter radius. Causes Blind, Soul Sear, and Knockback.⟫"
"Cover your eyes!" Aerin shouted.
Too late.
The pulse blasted outward. Lightless and searing, like shadow compressed into a scream. Leo's vision went white, his ears ringing. He felt his soul burn.
"⟪Status Effects Gained⟫
– Soul Sear (HP degeneration: -7/sec, Duration: 20s)
– Blinded (Accuracy -60%, Duration: 10s)⟫"
Kaelgrun roared, swinging blindly. Sylari collapsed to one knee, blood dripping from her nose.
Leo staggered, weapon trembling in his grip.
They were losing.
But then—
A voice echoed through the tower. Cold. Measured. Inhuman.
> "Soul Resonance detected. Override protocol initiating..."
Leo's vision flickered. A new interface overlaid the system's usual HUD.
"⟪Condition Met: Resonance Threshold 25%⟫
New Skill Unlocked: Soul Chain⟫
⟪Skill: Soul Chain⟫
Rank: ???
Effect: Bind yourself to an ally or enemy. Share health, perception, and momentum for 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 1 hour⟫"
He didn't question it. He chose Aerin.
Chains of white light lashed between them.
"Leo…?" she breathed, eyes glowing faintly now with his.
He could see again — through her eyes. Feel her heartbeat, time his movements with her rhythm.
Together, they moved.
Spear and knife, shadow and flame.
Even the boss faltered under the twin assault.
But it didn't fall.
Not yet.
The white chains binding Leo and Aerin pulsed with resonance—heartbeats syncing, perception sharpening. It wasn't just coordination. It was communion.
The Veil-Touched Abomination recoiled, both of its heads twisting toward them with feral recognition.
"⟪Boss Monster: Veil-Touched Abomination⟫
HP: 5,600 / 12,000
Status Effects: Verdant Bloom (active), Soul Pulse Disruption (-10% magic resistance), Enraged⟫"
Aerin lunged first, her bone dagger finding the scorched tissue between the monster's spine ridges. Simultaneously, Leo surged from her blind spot, the Verdant Fang gleaming green as it plunged into corrupted flesh.
"⟪Skill Triggered: Soul Chain – Dual Strike⟫
Effect: Coordinated assault grants bonus critical chance (+20%)⟫"
A geyser of black ichor erupted from the wound. The creature bellowed, its massive limbs flailing.
"Keep the pressure on!" Kaelgrun shouted. He rejoined the front, slamming his hammer into the rear leg with a thunderous crack.
Sylari was up again, weaving energy through the air with desperation and grace.
"⟪Skill Activated: Rift Flare⟫
Rank: C
Effect: Rips a minor tear in ambient magic. Causes erratic damage pulses over 5 seconds.⟫"
The rift exploded behind the boss, drawing its right head's attention.
"Now!" Leo and Aerin moved in unison again, shadows and flame dancing between them. The system pulsed.
"⟪Soul Chain Duration: 3 seconds remaining⟫"
The resonance began to fade, their thoughts untangling—but the damage had been done. The boss was staggering.
Then it shrieked.
The corrupted armor sloughed off its shoulders in molten sheets. Beneath, muscle gleamed with void-infused sinew. Its form bulked, pulsing with unnatural regeneration.
"⟪Boss Status Update⟫
Phase Two Initiated:
– Passive Gained: Hollow Resurgence (+2% HP regen/sec)
– New Ability: Shadow Maw⟫"
Kaelgrun stepped back, breathing hard. "It's mutating!"
"⟪Warning: HP Recovery Detected – Immediate Suppression Required⟫"
Leo's mind raced. They couldn't outpace its healing like this. He broke another Verdant Charm, stuffing the broken shards into a breach in the boss's hide.
Aerin's eyes widened. "That's insane!"
The charm detonated inside the wound, unleashing radiant green fire from within.
"⟪Effect: Internal Bloom – Corruption armor bypassed
+10 Soul Resonance⟫"
The Veil-Touched Abomination howled in agony, writhing, collapsing onto a forelimb.
Then its eyes—both sets—snapped toward Leo.
The sigils on its chest flared crimson.
"⟪Boss Skill: Shadow Maw⟫
Effect: Summons a spectral void beast. Single-target execution attempt.
Warning: Mortal threat detected⟫"
A rift opened beneath Leo's feet.
A spectral jaw erupted upward—serrated and vast, aiming to close around him.
He couldn't dodge in time.
The world seemed to slow.
But Aerin stepped in.
Chains still faintly glimmering between them, she shoved Leo aside. The fangs closed around her instead.
The system screamed.
"⟪Critical Alert⟫
Soul Chain Severed by Lethal Interference
Shared Vitality Consumed⟫"
Leo hit the stone floor, rolling. He rose instantly—but Aerin was gone.
No blood. No body. Only a mark scorched into the floor in the shape of her soulmark.
Kaelgrun swore violently.
Sylari gasped, staggering back.
Leo stood motionless. Eyes wide. Breath short.
The boss reared up for another attack—but Leo didn't flinch.
"⟪Status Updated: Soul Bond Fragmented⟫
New Quest Triggered: 'Echoes of the Veil'
Objective: Discover what happened to Aerin⟫"
Leo's hand closed around the Verdant Fang with quiet finality.
The shadows around him thickened.
His soul had been touched by something beyond this world.