Ethan's boots echoed on the dark stone as he stepped into the chamber.
The door slammed shut behind him with a booming thud.
He froze, eyes widening.
At the center of the vast circular chamber stood a colossal skeletal warrior, twice the height of any
normal man. Its ivory bones were laced with black metal, and a ragged crimson cape billowed
from its bony shoulders.
Twin pinpricks of eerie blue fire burned in the sockets of its skull, and its ribcage pulsed with
crimson light as if a furious heart still beat inside. It held a monstrous black greatsword in one
hand — a perfect twin to Ethan's own Warlord's Fang.
The creature radiated a suffocating aura of slaughter and ancient pride.
Ethan swallowed as cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"What…the…fuck…?" he breathed, voice barely audible. "The mini boss was not this in the
game. What is this bullshit?!"
A ping chimed in his mind, and his system screen flickered into existence in front of his eyes.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[ENEMY IDENTIFIED: WARLORD'S REMNANT — Soulbound Revenant]
[Level: 40]
[Health: 5,000 / 5,000]
[Class: Warlord Revenant]
[Traits: Extreme Physical Prowess, Unholy Swordsmanship, Partial Soul Memory of Vandelion
Greythorne]
[Note: This creature is a partial fragment of the legendary warlord's soul, twisted into an undead
guardian. It retains memories and battle instincts of its living self.]
[Warning: Enemy Level is 10 levels higher than Player. High chance of death.]
Ethan stared at the screen, jaw dropping.
"WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK?" He slapped a hand against his forehead. "Why the hell is a
remnant of the warlord in here?! This isn't a mini boss — it's a fucking death sentence!"
He flicked his gaze from the monstrous creature to the sword at his hip. A twisted grin pulled at
the edge of his mouth.
"So… this was your sword, huh?" Ethan whispered to himself, resting his hand on Warlord's
Fang's hilt. "Sorry, big guy. But it's mine now."
The Revenant tilted its skull sideways as if recognizing him.
In a voice like scraping iron, it rumbled:
"Return…my blade…"
Ethan sucked in a shaky breath.
"Sorry. No returns policy."
And with that, he lunged.
He surged forward with a roar, Warlord's Fang raised high. The Revenant met his attack without
flinching.
CLANG!
The two identical blades collided, the shockwave booming through the chamber like a cannon
blast.
Ethan stumbled back three steps, arms vibrating from the force.
"Holy hell…" he gasped. "That's some strength…"
The Revenant advanced, cloak swirling. It swung the greatsword with blinding speed. Ethan
ducked, the black blade slicing a hair's breadth above his head. Sparks exploded where it struck
the stone floor, carving a deep trench in the marble.
Ethan rolled sideways, trying to gain distance, but the Revenant was already on him, swinging
again. He barely deflected the strike, his sword rattling like it might shatter.
His HP bar dropped by nearly a third just from the impact.
The Revenant shoved him backward, eyes blazing like twin stars.
"Weak…unworthy…"
"Eat shit," Ethan spat, gritting his teeth.
He dashed in low, aiming for the Revenant's spine. But the creature spun and kicked him square
in the chest.
Ethan flew across the room and slammed into a pillar, stone cracking under the impact.
"Gh—haaah!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he crumpled to the floor, vision spinning.
"Fuck…this…thing's insane…"
He staggered up, sword trembling in his grip.
The Revenant advanced again, sword raised for a killing blow.
Ethan's mind screamed.
'If I die here… it's game over… No Dark Mage class… No harem… Nothing…'
He forced himself to breathe.
"System…" he rasped. "Activate Battle Focus…"
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Dominion Warlord Trait Active — Battle Focus]
[+20% Speed and Perception for 10 seconds.]
The world slowed.
Each flicker of blue flame in the Revenant's eyes became visible. Ethan watched the minute shifts
of its ribcage, the slight twist of its feet before each swing.
"I can see it…" Ethan whispered. "I can see every fucking move…"
The Revenant swung horizontally. Ethan ducked low, feeling the wind of the blade rush over his
hair.
He darted in and slashed upward across the creature's ribcage. Sparks exploded, bone cracking.
But the Revenant barely staggered, countering with a vicious backhand that caught Ethan across
the jaw and sent him spinning.
Ethan hit the ground hard, gasping, blood dripping onto the cold marble.
The Revenant advanced again.
Desperate, Ethan forced himself to his feet.
"All right, you undead bastard…" he snarled, wiping blood from his mouth. "Time to end this!"
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Knight Aura — Active]
[Battle Pressure — Active]
A white-gold aura exploded around Ethan's body, swirling like wildfire. The air thickened with
oppressive weight.
The Revenant froze. Its blazing eyes flickered as if the soul inside recognized the pressure.
"Impossible…"
Ethan roared and dashed forward.
He feinted left. The Revenant shifted to block—exactly as Ethan wanted.
He pivoted right and drove Warlord's Fang straight into the Revenant's chest. The blade sank
deep, the shadows around it twisting violently.
Crimson soul-light poured from the Revenant's ribcage. The creature staggered backward,
clutching at the wound.
"M…my…sword…"
Ethan twisted the blade and ripped it free.
A final shriek echoed through the chamber as the Warlord's Remnant dissolved into black ash.
Silence crashed down like a wave.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[LEVEL UP! → Level 35]
[+20 Stat Points Earned]
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Conqueror of the Remnant]
Ethan dropped to his knees, panting, sweat pouring off him.
"Fuck… me…" he gasped. "I'm gonna die… from a heart attack… not the fight…"
He slumped backward, sprawled on the floor, staring up at the high ceiling.
"At least… I look cool…" he whispered, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath, feeling the lingering heat of victory burn in his veins.