Dreu lost track of what happened the day after he learned of Brornun’s death. He wasn’t even aware that he was in bed until he woke up. When he sat up, Dar looked at him concerningly. The juvenile bear was sitting beside the doorway to the room, focused on anyone or anything foolish enough to enter the hallway

  I wonder…

  The young man checked the prompt and was surprised to finally get information on the bear.

  < Lv 1 Juvenile Netherbear (Marun):

  Description: This ursidae creature has been exiled from her home due to her lack of talent. Bears cubs generally start with multiple spells and abilities but this bear was deemed worthless from birth. Through unknown methods, this bear was teleported into a tunnel. With the help of an underworld creature, this bear’s trigger was activated and thus it evolved into a netherbear. Netherbears are generally known to venture in hell and are deemed extremely powerful due to their almost limitless potential. Due to the unnatural growth of this netherbear, its evolution path is unknown.

  Recommendations:

  -Trust in this creature’s attack and defense

  -This creature is capable of dealing with foes normally deemed too dangerous to many

  Evolution:

  -???

  Skill:

  -Nether Claws (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants +100% attack. Can break through fragile underworld armor up to level 3.

  -Nether Thick Hide (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants +25% defense. Defense doubled against underworld and hell attacks.

  Status:

  +25% attack and defense from ferocity. >

  Netherbear? Fragile underworld armor? What is all of this?

  The prompt indicated that it had no additional data on all of the matters unless Dreu unlocked more clues. When he checked with Marun, she stated that she knew nothing about the underworld and hell except that she came from one of those places. Due to her not knowing anything from her past, Marun considered Dreu and his companions as her only family. Sadly, that also meant that Marun couldn't provide clues to many of Dreu's questions.

  If you ever need my help, I won’t hesitate to stand by your side.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Do you know what happened to Brornun? Maybe we can save him.

  I…I saw him vanish into dust. I don’t think anything can come back from that.

  With a sigh, the young man stood up and walked over to the door. He didn’t want to remain cooped up in the room because it reminded him of the room where he last saw the direwolf. He couldn’t help but wonder if leaving Isonron was the only way he could overcome his grief. He made his way downstairs to find it empty. Dar confirmed that the demonic children had left to train so they were the only ones in the residence. Dreu made his way to the location where his former residence vanished. The small group investigated the site but there was no sign of the direwolf. The young man walked to where he was supposedly found.

  “Aah!” he screamed as he collapsed to the ground.

  Memories of the odd encounter flood his mind. He recalled being told about training but he still couldn’t understand any of it. He initially thought the voice belonged to Brornun but it sounded nothing like the direwolf. Once the pain lessened, he comforted his companions as they watched him with worry.

  Something happened but I cannot explain it. I…I believe Brornun or something left me something.

  < Unlocked Ability:

  -Summon Demonic Creature (Lvl 1)

  -Fear Amplify (Lvl 1)

  -Curse Protection (Lvl 1)

  -Shadow Doman (Lvl 1) >

  Dreu selected the new ability for more information.

  < Shadow Doman (Lvl 1):

  Description: This ability is an active ability that creates a two meter radius Circular shadow domain with the user always placed in the center. While in the domain, the user gains a +10% boost to both attack and defense while foes suffer the same amount as a debuff. In addition, the user gets heightened senses. The buff and debuff are affected by the amount of shadow or darkness encompassed by the domain. The domain lasts ten minutes and can be extended by using one’s lifeforce.>

  Is this what Brornun gave me? A way to better protect myself against dangerous enemies?

  Dreu knew that close combat wasn’t his strong suit. Despite his training everyday, he never felt he was making any progress. As seen in his combat with the bull creatures, he was helpless when he was the last one standing. The shadow domain seemed to be a trump card for when he was in a pinch, especially with the short duration and the heightened senses. If this was level 1, then higher levels could only help his survival more.

  I won’t let your farewell gift go to waste. I will get stronger!

  To try out his new domain, the young man entered the shadow hall. He only activated his domain for a minute for different difficulties and noticed the difference to his senses. Dreu also learned the hard way that the ten minute limit was for an entire day. By the eleventh level, he felt his strength seeping away for every second he used his domain. This only confirmed his worry that the domain should be an ace and not something he should use regularly. When he exited the shadow hall, Marun suggested that they check the tunnels for the hitching post. While Dreu wished he still had durations left for his domain with no penalties, he understood the reasoning of the bear.

  If we don’t know the state of the hitching post, we might not be ready for the next attack.

  Confident that Marun could handle any foes coming their way, Dreu led the way. Once underground, Dreu summoned the bats who felt too cooped up during the whole ordeal. They reached their destination much faster this time and found what was left of the hitching post. The pieces were scattered with obvious bite and claw marks. They also found signs of a battle near the hitching post. The young man could only assume that Brornun had to defeat multiple strong enemies to break the hitching post. Their single attack caused a velo to come out. He could only imagine what other foes were guarding the post.

  Thank you, Brornun.