Beyond the door was a larger chamber—clearly a mini-boss arena.
Sitting on a throne of bones was a [Crypt Lord – Level 27 Elite], a skeletal figure wearing ancient armor and wielding a massive greatsword. Its crowned skull turned as Max entered, eye sockets igniting with green fire.
[CRYPT LORD VEX'THOR – Level 27 Elite]
HP: 15,000/15,000
"ANOTHER FOOL SEEKING THE DEPTHS," the Crypt Lord's voice echoed. "YOUR BONES WILL JOIN MY COLLECTION."
Max didn't bother responding. He summoned Night fully and charged.
The Crypt Lord was fast—much faster than its size suggested. Its greatsword swept through the air with devastating force.
-187 HP! (Max)
Max Shadow Stepped away, drinking a health potion, and attacked from behind. Voidreaver's blade bit deep into the Crypt Lord's spine.
-534 HP!
[Crypt Lord: 14,466/15,000 HP]
Night engaged from the opposite side, its Shadowforged Blade finding gaps in the ancient armor.
The battle was intense but manageable. The Crypt Lord had powerful attacks but could be easily predicted. Max's increased agility allowed him to dodge most strikes, and Night's drain ability kept it easily sustained.
The Crypt Lord hit 50% health and entered a second phase.
[PHASE 2: SUMMONING THE FALLEN]
Skeletal warriors erupted from the ground—ten of them, all level 25.
"Shit," Max muttered.
Managing the boss and adds simultaneously was challenging. Max directed Night to focus on the Crypt Lord while he handled spawns—exactly the role he'd played in the Obsidian Depths raid.
Shadow Step, strike, dodge, strike. Max wove through the skeletal warriors, his blade effortlessly finding critical points,
But there were too many. Three warriors closed in on him simultaneously.
Max made a decision.
[Shadow Slave – Activated]
[-200 MP]
[MP: 550/750]
Darkness erupted. The two demonic shadow slaves tore themselves from the abyss, their skeletal forms manifesting with that same disturbing shriek.
[SHADOW SLAVE #1 – SUMMONED]
HP: 500/500
Attack Power: 180
[SHADOW SLAVE #2 – SUMMONED]
HP: 500/500
Attack Power: 180
The slaves immediately attacked the nearest enemies—which happened to be the skeletal warriors. Their claws ripped through bone brutally, their attack speed terrifying.
-189 HP! (Slave #1)
-194 HP! (Slave #2)
-201 HP! (Slave #1)
The skeletal warriors fell within seconds. Then the slaves turned toward the Crypt Lord, joining Night in the assault on the boss.
Max coordinated all three entities and the Crypt Lord's health dropped rapidly: 7,000... 5,000... 3,000...
[ENRAGE MODE ACTIVATED]
The boss's attacks became frantic, desperate. But with three entities harassing it constantly, it couldn't focus on any single target long enough to deal lethal damage.
Max delivered the finishing blow—Voidreaver's blade piercing the Crypt Lord's skull.
[CRYPT LORD VEX'THOR DEFEATED!]
[MINI-BOSS COMPLETE]
[EXP Gained: 2,400]
The shadow slaves shrieked one final time before dissolving back into darkness.
Max stood panting, his sanity at 64/100, his health at 298/620, but victorious.
A treasure chest materialized where the Crypt Lord had stood.
[RARE LOOT DETECTED]
Max opened it:
[Crypt Lord's Crown] – Epic Helmet
Defense +45, Intelligence +20, Corruption Resistance +25%
Special Effect: "Whisper Immunity" – Immune to sanity loss effects
[3,500 Gold]
[Shadow Essence] x15
The helmet was perfect for this dungeon—immunity to sanity loss would let him explore without worrying about the mechanic.
Max equipped it immediately and felt the whispers fade to distant background noise. His sanity meter locked at its current value, no longer decreasing.
"Now we're talking," Max said, grinning.
He ventured deeper into the catacombs. More puzzle chambers, more elite enemies, more treasure. The dungeon was massive—easily three times larger than the Crimson Spire.
After two more hours of exploration and combat, Max found the final boss chamber.
[ENTERING: THE HEART OF THE CATACOMBS]
[FINAL BOSS: THE WHISPERING KING]
The chamber was enormous, with hundreds of carved pedestals containing skeletal remains. In the center sat a throne, and upon that throne...
[THE WHISPERING KING – Level 29 Elite Boss]
HP: 35,000/35,000
A massive skeletal figure, easily fifteen feet tall, wearing a crown of blackened gold. Its bones were covered in ancient runes that glowed with sickly green light. In its hands was a staff topped with a human skull.
"SO LONG SINCE A LIVING SOUL ENTERED MY DOMAIN," the Whispering King's voice was different from other bosses—quieter, more insidious, seeping into Max's mind despite the helmet's protection. "YOU HAVE IMPRESSED ME, WALKER OF SHADOWS. BUT YOUR JOURNEY ENDS HERE."
Max drew Voidreaver and summoned Night.
This would be his true test.
A solo clear of a Rank B dungeon.
"Let's dance," Max said, and charged, Night moving alongside him.
The Whispering King rose from its throne with unsettling grace for something so large. Its staff struck the ground once, and the entire chamber shook.
[BATTLE INITIATED]
[THE WHISPERING KING – PHASE 1]
The boss didn't attack immediately. Instead, it raised its free hand, and the hundreds of skeletal remains in the pedestals began to stir.
[LEGION OF THE DAMNED – SUMMONING]
Bones rattled and clattered as skeletons pulled themselves from their resting places. Twenty, thirty, forty—Max counted at least fifty skeletal warriors materializing around the perimeter of the chamber.
[Damned Warrior – Level 26] x50
HP: 2,000 each
"You've got to be kidding me," Max muttered.
The skeleton army charged.
Max immediately activated Shadow Slave, knowing he'd need all the help he could get.
[Shadow Slave – Activated]
[-200 MP]
[MP: 550/750]
The two demonic entities erupted from the darkness and immediately engaged the nearest skeletal warriors.
-187 HP! (Slave #1)
-194 HP! (Slave #2)
[Damned Warrior defeated!]
-201 HP! (Slave #1)
[Damned Warrior defeated!]
But even with the slaves' devastating attack speed, fifty enemies was overwhelming.
Max Shadow Stepped into the thick of the horde, Voidreaver spinning in wide arcs. His legendary sword cut through multiple skeletons with each swing.
-823 HP! (Cleave – 3 targets)
-756 HP! (Cleave – 3 targets)
Night fought relentlessly as well, its Shadowforged Blade finding critical points. Its drain ability kept it sustained despite taking constant hits from multiple angles.
The chamber became chaos. Bones and weapons clashing, the shrieks of the shadow slaves, the rattle of skeletal warriors, and through it all—the Whispering King watched from its throne, not yet engaging directly.
Max's stamina drained rapidly. He was fighting twenty warriors simultaneously while his summons handled the rest. Shadow Step was on constant cooldown, allowing him to dodge the most dangerous attacks.
[Stamina: 287/410]