CHAPTER 65: RANK 10

The impact rang through the chamber like a bell tolling doom. Corvin’s Shadow Strike ability allowed him to partially phase through physical attacks, but the Minotaur’s weapon was clearly enchanted with magic that could affect incorporeal targets.

The raven was sent tumbling through the air, his form flickering between solid and shadow as he fought to regain control of his flight. Dark blood dripped from his beak, and Jack could feel the creature’s pain through their soul link like a knife in his own chest.

"Corvin!" Jack’s shout echoed through the chamber as he watched his companion struggle to stay airborne. Rage kindled in his chest, lightning beginning to gather around his form with increasing intensity.

The Minotaur’s laughter was like the sound of grinding stone, deep and rumbling and utterly without mercy. "HAHAHA! Your pet bleeds, little mage! Soon, you both shall feed the stones with your blood!"

Jack’s vision went red around the edges, electricity arcing between his fingers as fury overrode tactical thinking. The beast had hurt Corvin, and for that, it would pay.

"Soul Restoration!"

Jack channeled healing energy toward his wounded companion, watching as dark light enveloped the raven’s injured form. The magic flowed through their bond, mending damaged tissue and restoring strength with each pulse of power.

[Soul Restoration activated]

[Corvin healed for 252 HP]

[Mana cost: 25]

The healing took effect immediately. Corvin’s flight steadied, his wing becoming strong and sure again. Through their soul link, Jack felt the creature’s gratitude and renewed determination.

But the momentary distraction had cost him. The Minotaur charged across the chamber with thunderous footsteps, its hooves striking sparks from the marble floor as it closed the distance between them with terrifying speed.

"THUD! THUD! THUD!"

Each step shook the ground beneath Jack’s feet, making it difficult to maintain his balance as the three-meter-tall mountain of muscle and fury bore down on him.

"Lightning Steps!"

Jack teleported sideways just as the warhammer came down where he’d been standing. The weapon struck the floor with enough force to crater the marble, sending a spider web of cracks radiating outward from the point of impact.

"CRASH!"

Stone fragments exploded upward like deadly confetti, several pieces catching Jack across the face and arms as he materialized nearby. The cuts were shallow but stung like fire, blood beginning to trickle down his cheek.

But his positioning was perfect for a counter-attack.

’Thundershock!’

Lightning erupted from Jack’s palm, striking the Minotaur’s side while the beast was still recovering from its devastating hammer blow. Purple electricity danced across the creature’s hide, making its muscles spasm and convulse.

[-1,719 HP]

[Dungeon Lord Taurus: 1,596/5,000 HP]

"BELLOW!"

The Minotaur’s cry of pain was music to Jack’s ears, but the beast was far from finished. Instead of retreating or showing any sign of weakness, the creature’s eyes began to glow with an inner fire that spoke of abilities Jack hadn’t yet seen.

Red energy began to seep from the Minotaur’s form, coiling around its massive frame like liquid flame. The air in the chamber grew noticeably warmer as the beast’s fury transformed into something more dangerous.

[Warning: Berserker Rage activated]

[Enemy stats increased by 50%]

[Duration: 5 minutes]

[Enhanced aggression and damage resistance]

’Oh, fantastic,’ Jack thought sarcastically, backpedaling as the now-enhanced Minotaur fixed him with a gaze that promised swift and violent death. ’Because this wasn’t challenging enough already.’

The transformed beast moved differently now, its previously calculated attacks replaced by wild swings that nonetheless carried devastating power. The war hammer whistled through the air in great arcs, each missed blow cratering stone and sending debris flying in all directions.

Jack found himself in a deadly dance, using Lightning Steps repeatedly to stay just ahead of the Minotaur’s relentless assault. Each teleportation drained his mana reserves, but standing still would mean certain death.

’Need to end this quickly before my mana runs out,’ Jack realized, his breathing becoming labored from the constant magical exertion. ’One good hit should do it, but I need an opening.’

That opening came from above as Corvin dove once again, this time targeting the Minotaur’s eyes with surgical precision. The raven’s talons raked across the beast’s face, drawing deep furrows that sent blood streaming down its muzzle.

"ROAR!"

The Minotaur’s bellow of rage was cut short as it raised both hands to protect its face, the war hammer temporarily forgotten as primal instinct took over.

Jack didn’t waste the opportunity.

"Branded!"

Jack threw his arm up and a lightning bolt appeared on its back.

’Thunder Clap!’

He appeared directly beneath the blinded beast and brought his palms together with thunderous force. The electrical explosion that followed was confined by the Minotaur’s massive body, concentrating the lightning’s power into a devastating close-range attack.

"CLAP!"

"BOOM!"

"CRACKLE!"

Purple lightning erupted upward through the creature’s torso, cooking it from the inside out. The Minotaur’s muscles seized as electricity coursed through its nervous system, its massive frame convulsing as life fled from its eyes.

[-2,214 HP]

[Dungeon Lord Taurus: 0/5,000 HP]

The beast swayed for a moment like a felled tree deciding which way to fall. Then it toppled backward with a crash that shook the entire chamber, its war hammer clattering across the floor before coming to rest against a pile of rubble.

"THUD!"

The impact sent a final shower of dust cascading from the ceiling, and then blessed silence fell across the devastated chamber.

[Taurus eliminated]

[Reward: 2,500 EXP]

[Reward: Dread Core]

[Hidden Quest Complete: Defeat a Field Boss.]

[Reward: 2,500 EXP]

[You have leveled up!]

[Lightning Mage Rank 9 → Rank 10]

[Class Mastery Bonus: 25 Stat Points, 50 Skill Points]

The rush of power that accompanied maxing out his first class was unlike anything Jack had experienced before.

Lightning coursed through his veins like liquid lightning, every nerve ending singing with enhanced capacity. His muscles felt denser, stronger, while his mind seemed to expand to accommodate new depths of magical understanding.

But it was the system notification that followed that made his blood run cold with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

[DIVINE COMMUNICATION INCOMING]

[The Forgotten One wishes to speak with you]

Jack stared at the floating text, his pulse quickening with anticipation mixed with genuine concern.

Draven wanted to speak with him directly, not through the cryptic methods they’d used before. That suggested something significant was happening, something that required immediate divine intervention.

’System, what does this mean exactly? Is Draven going to appear here, or do I need to go somewhere specific?’

[Divine communion requires a sacred site or location with sufficient spiritual resonance. The dungeon’s magical density makes it unsuitable for safe contact with patron deities.]

[Recommended locations include: The Cathedral of First Light, the Ruins of Divine Convergence, the Moonwell Shrine, or other sites blessed by divine presence.]

Jack’s mind raced as he considered the implications. He needed to find a way to visit one of those sacred sites without alerting Aurelius or the other chosen ones to his activities. The last thing he needed was royal interference in divine communications.

But first, he had more immediate concerns to address.

[Soul Binding Opportunity Detected]

[Target: Taurus (Dread-rank)]

[Binding Cost: 50,000 Death Tokens]

[Current Balance: 450 Death Tokens]

[Insufficient funds for binding]

Jack’s heart sank as he read the notification. Fifty thousand tokens were more than a hundred times what he currently possessed. The Minotaur would have been an incredible addition to his growing collection of bound souls, a powerhouse capable of handling physical threats while Corvin provided aerial support and reconnaissance.

But the system’s revelation about soul binding sparked another realization that made his pulse quicken with excitement.

’Wait,’ Jack thought, his eyes widening as the implications hit him. ’If I can bind dungeon monsters, does that mean I can also bind souls from the real world? People who die in battle, creatures that are killed during conflicts?’

[Correct. Soul Warden abilities function in any location where death occurs. The binding process is identical regardless of whether the target dies in a dungeon or the mortal realm.]

The possibilities that opened before Jack’s mind were staggering. Every battlefield, every conflict, every location where death occurred became a potential recruiting ground for his growing army. The strategic applications were endless.

’But I still need those death tokens,’ Jack realized, glancing around the devastated chamber. The Minotaur’s corpse lay cooling in the center of the destruction, its massive war hammer glinting in the torchlight like a promise of power.

He approached the fallen beast cautiously, noting how even in death it seemed to radiate an aura of barely contained violence. The gold ring through its nose caught the light, and something about the jewelry made Jack’s analytical instincts prickle.

’Analyze.’

[Golden Ring of the Bull King]

[Rank: Unique]

[+15 Strength, +10 Endurance]

[Special Ability: Berserker’s Focus - Immunity to fear effects and mental manipulation]

[Value: Extremely High]

Jack whistled low, impressed despite himself. ’Now that’s what I call a consolation prize.’