With a fierce grin, he charged up and over the wall, his body thrumming with power, his mind sharpened to a singular purpose. He saw the wyvern again—its skeletal form hunched in the darkness, hollow sockets burning with unholy light.
For the first time since waking in this nightmare, he felt it—not just survival. Not just desperation.
A thrill.
The rush of pure, unfiltered exhilaration.
For once, he wasn’t just a guy playing a hero on a screen. He was the hero, facing the beast.
The wyvern snarled, its hollow throat reverberating with a bone-rattling growl. The moment it saw him, its jaw unhinged, wisps of putrid green energy curling between its teeth.
Here it comes.
Jace braced himself, ready to dodge the familiar fiery breath, muscles tense, eyes locked onto the wyvern’s gaping maw. But instead of a roaring blaze, the creature emitted a sharp, piercing shriek, and from its throat burst a concentrated bolt of deathly green energy.
The attack slammed into Jace with devastating precision, catching him square in the chest. The force hurled him backwards, tumbling violently back over the edge and plunging back into the bone pit below. His body smashed into the piled remains, bones splintering beneath him, pain exploding through every nerve.
Warning: Health Critical – 50% Remaining
He gasped, coughing out dust and fragments of bone. Shaking his head, he groaned bitterly, "Okay, note to self—undead wyverns don’t have just one attack. Who would’ve guessed?"
Slowly, he forced himself up from the jagged heap, grimacing at the smoking hole in his chest plate. Pain radiated from the impact point, sharp and biting, but beneath it surged determination—a stubborn refusal to lose.
There was a chuff thatbalmost soynfednlike laughter coming from above the edge of the pit.
“So. You think that's funny huh. Alright, I guess this is round three…" he muttered, adjusting his grip on the blade.
He climbed swiftly back up, pulling himself out of the pit, eyes burning with defiance. He knew what to watch for now, knew the telltale signs.
Jace’s eyes locked onto the creature’s skull. He had seen this attack before. He knew the moment—the exact half-second of eerie green glow in its sockets before the death bolt launched.
The instant the light flared, he moved.
He threw himself sideways, the crackling bolt searing through the air inches from his face. It struck the ground behind him, erupting in a spray of shattered rock and bone dust. The impact rattled his ribs, but he didn’t stop.
Keep moving. Keep pressing.
The wyvern reared back, preparing its next attack. Jace saw it—the way its elongated skull tilted, the mist gathering deep in its throat. This was the breath attack.
He had seconds.
His body reacted before his mind finished the thought. He sprinted, spears tight in his grip, heart hammering against his ribs. If he didn’t time this perfectly, he’d be nothing more than a charred husk rotting in this empty wasteland like all the other remains.
Then, just as the wyvern’s neck snapped forward, Jace took his shot.
He planted his foot, steadied his aim, and threw.
The spear whistled through the air—
—and missed.
It clattered off the wyvern’s skull, bouncing uselessly to the ground.
"Shit!"
The wyvern's eyes sharpened but that didn't change anything. It was still gathering breath as if it was sure to be the end of him.
No time to hesitate. No time to line up the perfect shot. He was already cocking back the second spear as the wyvern lunged forward. He threw.
This one struck true.
The sharpened bone buried itself deep inside between the wyvern’s jagged teeth. It flew spearing straight into its maw and impaling itself in bone.
The creature reared back, its guttural screech shaking the air around them. It thrashed, choking, its entire skeletal frame rattling as the spear jammed against its throat. The green mist that had been building up sputtered—then backfired.
Putrid energy flowed from its rib cage in erratic bursts.
Jace smirked, chest heaving. "First try."
The wyvern staggered, its clawed feet scraping against the stone floor. It jerked its head, still trying to dislodge the spear.
In pain the creature twisted and writhed until the pressure from its attack but with no outlet. Then it exploded from within.
Jace wasn’t sure if it could actually hurt itself, but the sheer force of the explosion sent the beast stumbling. Its entire body shuddered, its movements sluggish, unsteady.
Now’s my chance.
He wasn’t about to waste it.
Jace bolted forward, closing the gap. The last thing he needed was for this thing to take flight. If it got airborne, he’d be screwed.
“Take out the wings. Keep it grounded.” He repeated aloud.
He set his sights on the wing joint. The point where bone met sinew, reinforced by whatever dark energy kept the wyvern standing. It wasn’t much, but it was a target.
Unhooking the Draugr arm from his belt, he poured five souls into it.
20/100 souls remaining.
Power surged through him, raw and electric. His grip tightened around the weapon as he leapt, bringing it down in a brutal arc.
The first strike connected—hard. Even though the arm flopped a little it was still brutally effective. A sickening crack echoed through the air, but the joint didn’t shatter. The wyverns bones were thicker than he expected, reinforced by whatever eldritch magic animated this thing.
Jace gritted his teeth. “Fine.”
The wyvern was still jerking its head, struggling to dislodge the spear, its movements clumsy and unfocused. Jace didn’t waste the moment.
He swung again.
And again.
Each strike rattled through his arms, jarring his bones, but he didn’t stop. He slammed the mace down with everything he had, every ounce of strength, until—finally something cracked.
The joint gave way with a deafening creak, the sound of brittle bone snapping under pressure. The wyvern's wing, already weakened by the previous onslaught, buckled completely. The skeletal structure collapsed like a house of cards. The shattered remains scattering in all directions as the beast lurched sideways.
It let out a sound that, disturbingly, almost resembled a pained scream—a shriek so guttural and raw it made his skin crawl.
Suddenly, the wyvern bucked, sending him flying off its back and landing hard on the ground not but ten feet away.
Breathless, Jace let out a strained laugh, his chest heaving with exertion and the lingering ache of his bruised ribs. "Who's laughing now?" he muttered, eyes fixed on the wyvern. His laugh was short-lived as his mind quickly sharpened. This creature was still far from finished, and the fight wasn't over yet.
Despite its crumbling form, the wyvern was still moving, dragging itself along the ground with disturbing force. Its bloodshot eyes were locked on Jace, and the madness in those eyes reminded him of a beast driven by instinct and rage, not reason.
Jace’s gaze quickly scanned the wyvern, looking for any signs of weakness he could exploit. That’s when he saw it—a pulsing glow that his core called out too, a corrupted heart nestled beneath its exposed ribcage. The heart throbbed, a sickly glow radiating from it, dark energy swirling around it like a malignant fog, twisting unnaturally, as if resisting the very essence of death itself.
‘That’s the weak point.’ He could feel it, a strange, powerful draw, urging him to strike. If he could destroy that heart, it would end this fight. But getting close would be another matter.
His muscles screamed in protest, but Jace surged forward with determination. His makeshift weapon held firmly in his hand, raised high preparing for the final blow.
The wyvern, however, wasn’t about to go down without a fight. It let out a low, guttural snarl, its skeletal mouth opening wide, the space between its jagged teeth yawning like a cavern.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Then, with a horrific display of brute strength, the wyvern violently dislodged the spear embedded in its mouth, sending it flying through the air with a sickening clang.
Before Jace could even react, the beast's massive tail—long, twisted, and lined with razor-sharp bone—whipped toward him.
Jace saw it coming too late.
The tail crashed into his chest with a force that nearly shattered his ribcage. The world seemed to freeze as his breath was knocked from him, and pain exploded across his body. The impact sent him hurtling through the air, his body spinning wildly before he crashed into the jagged rocky ground. He could feel the sharp stones digging into his back, but it was the searing pain in his chest that overwhelmed him.
His Crude Bone Breastplate had shattered upon impact, the fractured pieces flying off him like broken glass. The force of the strike had left him winded, disoriented, and barely able to think. His vision blurred, and the ground seemed to tilt beneath him, his body refusing to obey his commands.
Warning: Health Critical – 25% Remaining
The notification flashed, pulling him out of his haze for a brief second. He coughed up blood, the metallic taste burning his throat. Struggling to breathe, Jace tried to push himself up, but his limbs felt like lead, shaking violently from the pain. His ribs screamed at him, each breath feeling like a thousand needles piercing his side.
His health was dangerously low. He could feel the wyvern closing in, its heavy footsteps growing louder, its massive skeletal jaws widening in preparation to finish him off.
No… not like this. Not again. Panic clawed at his chest, tightening around his heart. He needed to act, and fast.
His eyes darted around frantically, searching for anything—anything that could give him the edge. The wyvern's roar reverberated through the air, a chilling sound that filled him with dread. His mace... Where was his weapon?
His hands scrambled through the debris, feeling the jagged rocks and broken bone fragments as he searched for the weapon. His heart pounded in his ears, the wyvern’s roar growing louder as it closed in on him. He couldn't afford to lose this fight. Not now, not after everything he'd fought through.
But the Draugr arm was nowhere to be found. He must have lost it when he was thrown.
“Fuck!” His voice cracked as he screamed in frustration, his hands still desperately reaching for something—anything that could be wielded as a weapon. His breath came in ragged gasps, his panic escalating with each passing second.
And then, just as the wyvern's shadow loomed over him, something familiar brushed against his fingers.
A spear. The same one the wyvern had dislodged earlier.
His heart skipped a beat as he grabbed it, his fingers closing around the cold metal shaft. He could feel his pulse in his throat, his mind racing. His eyes flickered to the wyvern, which was already closing the distance. The creature’s jaws were widening, its skeletal maw aimed directly at him.
He needed to act fast.
He reached deeper—deeper than before—into the well of soul fragments pulsing within him, into his Soulreaver Core. It tore at him, pulled him apart. And in the space between pain and power…
He heard her.
“You don’t have to fight alone, Jace.”
The voice was melodic, soft—almost tender. Like a song remembered in a dream.
“Let me help you. Let me share the weight. Just one soul… one gift… and you’ll never fall again.”
His fingers trembled around the spear.
“You were made for more than this. They will never understand you. But I do. I know the pieces as well as any.”
The warmth in her tone belied the chill that slid along his spine.
“Give me one fragment. Just one. And I’ll make you a weapon no god could break.”
The world blurred. His chest heaved. His limbs screamed.
It would be so easy…
“NO! FUCK THAT!” He screamed into the barren wasteland and clenched his jaw, pouring everything into the spear. His mana. His souls. His rage.
Instinctively, Jace’s hand reached for the souls he had harvested, pulling at the energy like a string, ready to infuse the spear with power. He knew it wouldn’t be enough. The wyvern was still too fast, too massive. His heart raced, and his mind churned with desperate thoughts. He needed something more, something stronger.
Without thinking, he reached deep into himself, into the very core of his being. His soul-reaver abilities flared to life. He pulled—not just from the souls in his possession, but from the very essence of his power.
Pain.
A wave of it. It crashed into him like a tidal wave, searing through his body with excruciating force. For a moment, Jace thought he had made a fatal mistake. The world spun wildly, his vision flickering. He felt his body tear at the seams, his muscles burning, his very soul stretching in ways it was never meant to.
Then, just as quickly, the pain vanished.
It was replaced with something else—a feeling of overwhelming power, a surge of energy that flowed through him like wildfire. His body hummed with the intensity of it, and he could feel the spear vibrating in his hands, now imbued with an otherworldly strength.
Jace grinned, blood still dripping from his lips, but the grin was fierce now, driven by something more than fear. The wyvern was almost upon him, but now, with the power of the souls coursing through him, he was ready to end this fight. The spear felt like an extension of his will as he raised it, eyes narrowing.
This time, he wouldn’t miss. He cast Soulrend Just as he poured the power into the spear.
Improvised Bone Weaponry and Makeshift Bone Armor have merged…
Updated Spell Acquired: [Bone Manipulation] (Rank 1) – Allows the user to reshape, reinforce, or merge bone into crude weapons, armor, or tools by expending Mana or Soul Fragments. Bones can be sharpened, hardened, or fused to the user’s body or surroundings. As rank increases, control, complexity, and durability of constructs improve.
Jace grinned, blood still dripping from his lips, but the grin was fierce now, driven by something more than fear. The wyvern was almost upon him, but now, with the power of the soul fragments coursing through him, he was ready to end this fight. The spear felt like an extension of his will as he raised it, eyes narrowing.
He dumped his entire mana pool into the spear and ten of his 25 remaining souls, willing it to change.
15/100 Souls Remaining.
Warning: Soul Fragment Threshold Breached – Core Growth in Jeopardy
Going below the minimum number of Soul Fragments will halt Soulreaver Core development. Continued depletion may result in irreversible consequences.
Fear gripped Jace’s chest, cold and creeping, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the roaring storm of adrenaline already coursing through him. His heart pounded. Raw panic and the weight of his survival instinct fighting to stay above the tide of imminent death. But this was it—this was his last chance. The wyvern’s jaws were already opening, an abyss of death barreling down toward him with terrifying speed. He was running out of time.
As if reading his thoughts, a pulse of energy surged from deep within him. There was no time for hesitation. No room for second-guessing. The moment his mind set upon it, the weapon responded to his will.
It was like trying to grasp a storm—something pure and untamed, ancient and powerful—but he held on.
The spear, still clutched in his hands, trembled once. Then, it grew.
And it grew.
The shaft, once slender and long in his grip, stretched wide and tall. The lengthening wood thickened with each second, turning from something manageable to a weapon of colossal proportions.
At first, the weight was manageable, but soon the spear became an ungodly mass of bone, almost alive in its rippling growth. The sharp point of the weapon hummed with an unfamiliar energy, gleaming with a dangerous beauty.
It became heavier and heavier, impossibly so, yet Jace's grip never faltered. His hands ached, but he held on.
Each inch of its expanding form was both terrifying and exhilarating. The sheer size of the spear now dwarfed him; it threatened to become too much to handle, but still, he willed it forward, using the last shred of his remaining strength to keep it in his hands. The bone tip seemed almost to sing, vibrating with potential, eager to rend the very fabric of life.
He could feel the wyvern bearing down on him with unstoppable force, its massive skeletal jaws snapping open, but he was ready. The moment of truth had arrived.
Just as the wyvern lunged for him, its jaws wide enough to swallow him whole, the grotesque bone spear, now a towering, gleaming monstrosity, pierced the air.
In an instant, the wyvern’s massive body impaled itself on the shaft.
A sickening crack echoed as the weapon tore through the corrupted rotten flesh of the wyvern’s ribcage, plunging deep within, the dark energy swirling and writhing around the spear as though trying to fight against its power. But there was no resistance. The spear—his spear—was now a force of nature, slicing through the beast’s defenses as though they were paper.
The weapon didn’t stop. It punched through the wyvern’s chest, driving straight to the very heart of the corruption.
Jace could feel the pulse of life—no, undeath—reaching for him, but it was already too late.
As the wyvern’s ribcage shattered and its death shriek echoed across the dead plain, a soft murmur brushed against his collapsing thoughts—
“…Beautiful.”
Then silence.
The wyvern let out a horrific, guttural shriek, its skeletal frame shuddering violently. Dark mist poured from the wound like a broken dam, as if the very essence of death was fleeing from the wyverns core. Its body spasmed, a final death thrash, before it collapsed in a heap of broken bones and corrupted energy, its life force sucked into the void created by the Soulreaver’s power.
You have slain a Corrupted Undead Abyssal Wyvern of unknown level.
Massive XP Earned
Error…
Unable to gain Xp…
Xp forfeited…
Warning…
Signs of Deep Corruption Detected…
Soul is unstable. Soulreaver Core integrity may be affected.
You have gained +60 to Intelligence, +60 to Wisdom, +40 to Endurance due to extreme level discrepancy.
The notifications flickered through his mind, but Jace could barely process them. He was on the edge of consciousness. His body had already taken on too much, and now the crushing weight of exhaustion overwhelmed him.
A deep, resounding pulse of magic hit him like a tidal wave. His limbs felt like lead. His vision blurred at the edges, and all Jace could do was stagger, desperately trying to keep himself conscious. Each breath felt like a labor of love against the mounting pressure of pain.
Warning: You are now suffering from Severe Mana Exhaustion.
The world around him dimmed as another flash of light blinded him.
Spell Level Up! [Bone Manipulation] has reached Rank 2 -
Your control over bone has sharpened.
At Rank 2, you can now reshape bone with greater precision, allowing for the creation of more refined weapons, armor, or constructs.
Costs slightly less mana or soul fragments, and manipulation time is reduced.
Bone constructs are now more durable and can be reinforced with additional resources. You can now make minor structural adjustments to bone matter, allowing for enhanced shaping, reinforcement, and basic articulation.
Jace didn’t even register the message. His mind was a hazy fog, the weight of his own body too much to bear. His heart thudded erratically as he blinked rapidly, fighting the overwhelming darkness creeping in. Then, another flash of light hit him.
Soul Collected: Undead Wyvern
Rarity: Unique
Error…
Soul is corrupted.
Error…
Activating Soulreaver Class.
The corruption resisted, tendrils lashing out as if to take him with it. But the Soulreaver’s core flared—pure, searing light in the shape of his will. And the corruption screamed as it was torn apart.
Error resolved.
Corruption cleansed.
The words blurred together in his vision. Jace's breath hitched, the terror of the situation mixing with confusion.
His body was on fire, yet ice cold at the same time. His chest burned with the remnants of the wyvern's death, but all he could do was fall. Fall into the blackness.
The world around him buckled and then spun, his consciousness slipping from his grasp. His body, drained of everything, finally gave up.
How are we feeling after Jace’s first true boss fight with the Corrupted Undead Wyvern?
