Assimilate All Talents

Name: N/A

Race: Shadow Crawler

Talents: [Shadow Affinity], [Shadow Bringer], [Living Shadows]

Level: 130

Sol gave a quick glance at its status page to make sure it was the boss and not some other entity. Seeing that it was the normal boss, he said, “You can speak as well? Can only you speak, or can every other Shadow Crawler talk? Do the normal enemies past your floor also speak?”

He found it more intriguing that the Shadow Crawler spoke directly to him, unlike the Zomest, which had spoken through the turtle head of the Zombeast. Not only that, but unlike the Handless Fiend, this one wasn’t restricted to a single sentence.

The Shadow Crawler rolled its glowing purple eyes. “Of course we can. The buffoons from the last floor can also understand you, but for different reasons, they can’t talk.”

Sol thought back to the skill he briefly obtained from the Laughing Skull and shuddered. In exchange for empowering its dark magic, it could only laugh endlessly when not casting spells. And though Sol didn’t know it, the Zomest were unable to speak due to a simple biological difference in their larynx, which prevented them from speaking like humans. Though both could understand the common language, neither could vocalize it, and the other two undead also couldn’t speak for their own reasons.

“So why are you talking with us if you know how this will end?”

He would have been somewhat disappointed if the boss had simply given up and let them pass. Not only would he miss out on the Zomest’s skills, but the boss’s as well.

'Maybe I should have disabled its incomplete law technique from the start and killed it quickly…'

Initially, they had been cautious, suspecting there could be multiple bosses. But once Sol illuminated the entire room, it became clear that there was only one. He knew it would be simple to disable its skill and slay it. He refrained, though, wanting to experience its law technique to broaden their horizons and improve. If they steamrolled through everything without resistance, when they eventually faced a real challenge—like the recent horde of undead—they’d struggle to fight back.

The Shadow Crawler awkwardly placed its hands behind its back and tapped its foot. “Is there any chance I can convince you to return the void root?”

“No,” Sol replied with a deadpan expression. Even if they had asked nicely, setting aside the fact that their first attempt to take it had involved trying to kill him, he needed it.

“C’mon, please? I’ll even let you in on a huge secret if you do.”

“A secret?” Sol was intrigued but, after thinking about it for a moment, shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. No secret is worth an A-rank weapon.”

The Shadow Crawler persisted. “On the contrary! I’m sure the humans and other races would love to know the full list of rules that dungeons abide by! You could sell that information for whatever you desire!”

“All... the rules? And no one else knows them?” As far as Sol knew, nobody had a comprehensive understanding of the guidelines dungeons followed. Dungeon guides had been compiled through the efforts of countless adventurers who risked or even sacrificed their lives to learn more about them. But nations might already know more than what was publicly available.

The Shadow Crawler shook its head confidently. “It’s impossible, at least for this kingdom. If they knew our rules, they would have formed a pact with Mother centuries ago.”

'It’s possible to cooperate with dungeons?' While Sol didn’t know what kind of cooperation was possible, he understood the potential value of this information. If he reported it to Commander Zaman, he’d surely be rewarded with a ludicrous amount of merit and benefits. Even so, he could only shake his head.

“Sorry, but I still can’t trade the void root. It’s too important right now.”

If he gave it away and the harbinger came, he’d be helpless. Knowing the dungeon’s rules would be worthless if he was dead. Diana had said she’d protect him, but there was little she could do if the attack came by surprise. Besides, she couldn’t stay near him 24/7. When he reached A-rank, he might consider returning it, but for now, that wasn’t an option.

“Fight now?” Amber asked, noting Sol’s refusal.

The Shadow Crawler despaired—not because it would die to them, but because it couldn’t retrieve the void root for its mother. Though it hadn’t been explicitly tasked with obtaining it like the Zomest had, it still acted in its mother’s best interest. Seeing Amber unsheathe her daggers, it prepared to fight, until a final idea came to mind.

“Wait! How about we make a bet? If I win, you hand over the void root. If you win, I’ll tell you all the rules.”

Sol gently placed a hand on Amber’s shoulder, signaling her to lower her weapons. “What’s the bet?”

There was a chance to walk away with both the void root and the dungeon’s rules. He’d be a fool not to at least hear the boss out.

“We fight one on one, but with some additional rules. We can only use three skills. No pseudo-law techniques, no using that void root weapon, and no disabling skills or whatever it is you guys do to prevent us from using ours. Also, no passive skills unless they’re attributes that can’t be turned off. How about it?”

The Shadow Crawler had been briefed on some of Sol’s more annoying abilities, which is why it added the last stipulation. If one or more of its chosen skills were disabled, it wouldn’t stand a chance.

'Only three skills... I have a few good combinations, but considering its abilities, light magic is a must...'

It didn’t take long for Sol to come up with a few advantageous combinations. The risk of accepting the bet seemed low, so he nodded.

“Sure. Should I state what skills I’ll be using?”

The Shadow Crawler shook its head.

“You misunderstand, human. By ‘we,’ I don’t mean you and me... I mean her!” It said, pointing its tail directly at Amber.