Chapter 102: Arrival of the Second Dark Tide.

Thoren sat at the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

Since his return from the Uncharted Territory, he had barely allowed himself a moment of rest.

One crisis had followed another, leaving him constantly on the move investigating confronting enemies and investigating conspiracy.

Only now, in the quiet of his room, did he finally have time to consider what to do with the rewards he had obtained from the ancient city.

A significant haul.

Yet instead of excitement, he felt a strange calm.

“Right now, I don’t need to use the Skill Scroll or the Skill Evolution Orb,” he murmured softly.

The decision was not made lightly.

Skill Scrolls and Evolution Orbs were priceless resources, treasures many awakeners would kill for.

Using them improperly or at the wrong time could waste their true potential.

When he ascended to the second floor of the Abyss, that would be the optimal moment.

The second floor marked the beginning of the real war.

From what he had learned through Arin and other high-ranking awakeners, the environment there was far harsher than the first floor.

The monsters were stronger, smarter, and far more organized.

Even worse, humanity was losing ground with every passing day. Entire regions had fallen, and the casualty reports continued to climb.

On the second floor, powerful skills and enchanted equipment were no longer luxuries, they were necessities.

Fortunately, those things could also be purchased there, provided one had the strength and currency to do so.

That was precisely why Thoren chose to wait.

With his decision settled, he summoned his status panel.

A familiar translucent screen unfolded before his eyes.

[Name: Thoren Starfall]

[Occupation: Necromancer]

[Rank: Iron]

[Level: 15 (28,600/75,000]

[Attributes: Strength 20, Agility 14, Constitution 14, Intelligence 20, Perception 17, Charm 12]

[Spirit: 62.44]

[Skills: Undead Summoning, Bone Manipulation Skill]

[Talent: Ex-Rank Undead Space]

[Sub-Talent: SSS Rank Soul Lantern of Eternal Crypt]

[Abyss Market: Unavailable (Available at Bronze Rank)]

[Unassigned Attributes Points: 30]

[Inventory]

Thoren studied the panel carefully.

There hadn’t been much change since the last time he checked it, aside from his experience progress. His gaze lingered on the unassigned attribute points.

“There’s no reason to keep saving them,” he muttered.

Originally, he had planned to hold onto those points until he reached Level 20 and faced the final boss of the first floor.

But circumstances had changed.

Without hesitation, he made his choice.

“Let’s start with Intelligence.”

The ancient city had been a brutal lesson.

As a Necromancer, his strength did not lie in brute force but in control, commanding an ever-growing legion of undead while maintaining battlefield awareness.

The more undead he controlled, the greater the mental strain.

Intelligence was the foundation of that control.

Perception followed closely behind. No matter how powerful his servants were, failing to perceive danger in time would be fatal.

The remaining attributes were important, but secondary.

He distributed the points decisively.

[Intelligence: 20 → 35 (+15)]

[Perception: 17 → 27 (+10)]

[Constitution: 14 → 19 (+5)]

[Unassigned Attribute Points: 0]

The change was immediate.

Thoren inhaled sharply as a strange sensation surged through his body. It felt as though his skull expanded for a split second, as if his mind itself had grown larger.

His thoughts sharpened, accelerating at an astonishing rate.

Concepts that once required deliberate focus now felt instinctive.

Clarity washed over him.

At the same time, his perception expanded outward.

The world felt crisper, more vivid. He could sense the faint hum of mana in the air, the subtle creak of wood beneath the floorboards, even distant movements beyond the walls of the inn.

His perception range had increased by more than ten meters.

“What a marvelous feeling…” he whispered.

Now he understood.

This was why high-level awakeners felt fundamentally different from low-level ones. Their bodies and minds were no longer constrained by mortal limits. They were closer to weapons than humans, refined, lethal, and honed by countless battles.

[Name: Thoren Starfall]

[Occupation: Necromancer]

[Rank: Iron]

[Level: 15 (28,600/75,000]

[Attributes: Strength 20, Agility 14, Constitution 19, Intelligence 35, Perception 27, Charm 12]

[Spirit: 62.44]

[Skills: Undead Summoning, Bone Manipulation Skill]

[Talent: Ex-Rank Undead Space]

[Sub-Talent: SSS Rank Soul Lantern of Eternal Crypt]

[Abyss Market: Unavailable (Available at Bronze Rank)]

[Unassigned Attributes Points: 0]

[Inventory]

Satisfied, Thoren dismissed the panel and stood up. He intended to take a cold bath before going to sleep. His body needed rest and tomorrow would bring its own challenges.

He had gained a considerable amount of copper coins from both the Slave Trade Guild and the Silver Crest Guild.

For most awakeners, such wealth would have been life changing.

For him, it meant little. Now, money was not his problem.

True strength could not be bought with coins alone.

As he reached for his clothes, a sudden pricking sensation stabbed at his spirit.

Thoren froze.

His Spirit attribute was his highest, forming the foundation of his mental sphere. Because of that, his sensitivity to spiritual disturbances far exceeded that of ordinary awakeners.

Something was wrong.

Without hesitation, he moved toward the window and pushed it open.

The sight beyond made his pupils contract.

The world outside had changed.

It was unnaturally dark.

Every lantern that had illuminated the streets moments ago was gone, as if erased from existence.

The warm glow that once filled the town had vanished, swallowed by a vast, oppressive darkness.

Before he could react further, the small lantern inside his room flickered and disappeared.

The room plunged into pitch-black darkness.

With each passing second, the ominous presence intensified. The darkness pressed against him like a living entity, wrapping around his body like a second skin.

It seeped into his pores, crawled into his nostrils, and threatened to suffocate him.

It invaded his eyes.

Covered his ears.

He was cast into a world devoid of light.

The darkness was profoundly unsettling.

He could no longer sense the boundary between his body and the void. Even the concept of existence itself felt blurred.

His thoughts slowed, growing heavier, as if being dragged into an endless abyss.

Yet Thoren did not panic.

The moment the darkness descended, an answer had already surfaced in his mind.

“Dark Tide,” he murmured.

It was unmistakable.

Compared to the previous Dark Tide he had encountered, this one was far stronger, more refined, more malicious.

It made his skin crawl.

Yet despite its intensity, Thoren felt neither fear nor hesitation.

When the darkness stopped intensifying, he knew.

The Dark Tide beast had manifested.

Without wasting a second, he activated his sub-talent.

[Soul Lantern of Eternal Crypt.]

An illusory lantern appeared before him, its pale, ghostly flame igniting the darkness itself. The oppressive void recoiled instantly, retreating as if burned by an unseen force.

Light spread outward.

The darkness stood no chance.

Bathed in the lantern’s glow, Thoren’s perception pierced through the shadows—and he saw it.

[Night Reaver Stalker]

[Level: 15]

[Trait 1: Reaver Slash]

– A rapid, multi-hit strike that tears through armor.

[Trait 2: Shadow Glide]

– Moves at extreme speed by sliding through darkness.

[Trait 3: Fear Pulse]

– Releases a psychic wave that induces hallucinations.

Thoren’s eyes narrowed.

“So, you’re the one,” he said quietly, his eyes narrowed.

*****

[AN: Please support this book with your golden tickets and power stones. Thanks.]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep