Chapter 48: The Ghoul’s Downfall

---

Gabriel watched intently as the engraving process began on his new shield. Unlike previous attempts, this time the process was quicker, as it was the first slot being engraved. Moments later, a notification flashed on his screen, confirming the engraving's success. Gabriel exhaled in relief—there had been no real reason for concern, given the shield's 100% success rate.

He eagerly checked the boosted status of his shield:

---

[Name: Crimson Shield] 

[Type: Shield] 

[Defense: 96]

[Health Points: 500]

[Grade: White] 

[Description: A magnificent shield that protects its wielder. Faded runes are etched into its surface, providing an additional layer of protective grace. Over time, this shield has regressed, locking away most of its abilities. To unlock its full potential, the wielder must offer specific items as sacrifices. Doing so will automatically initiate the shield's evolution.]

[Additional Attributes: 

+100 VIT 

+60 Defense 

+10% HP]

[Special Effect: +25% Damage Reduction] 

[First Rune: 0/10, Green Rank Shield] 

[Engravement: 0/1] 

[Durability: 360/360]

---

He then checks is updated status

[Name: Gabriel Heart] 

[Class: Cleric] 

[Level: 12, Bronze Early Stage] 

[Health Point: 7,930/7,930(+7,930)] 

[Mana: 8,420/8,420] 

[Experience: 17,321/350,000]

[Magic Attack: 1,850 (↑1006)] 

[Defense: 1,124(+60)] 

[Attributes: STR: 25, AGI: 21, DEX: 41, INT: 103 (+157), VIT: 83 (+167)]

[Skills:

Light Hurricane Level 10

Healing Totem Level 10

Goddess Blessing Level 9]

[Tome Skill:

Tail Wind

Blessings of the Ocean]

[Talent [☯]: Yin-Yang Soul Harmony (D)]

[Harmony Essence: 62,200]

[Equipment: Golden Staff, Gold Robe, Gold Boots, Gold Mitten, Gold Mitra, Gold Trouser, Crimson Shield]

[Equipment Effects:

+140% Healing

+100% Max HP

+300 HP

+200 Mana

+50% Mana Regeneration

+40% Matk

+15% Movement Speed

+40% Cooldown Reduction

+60 Defense

+25% Damage Reduction

+600 Magic Attack]

[Engravement Effect:

+500 HP

+15% Matk

+15% Magic Penetration]

----

"Hahahaha... Hahahaha..." Gabriel couldn't contain his laughter as he discovered an unexpected bonus attribute alongside the shield's upgraded defense. The sheer surprise and excitement overwhelmed him, causing him to laugh uncontrollably for several minutes before he finally managed to regain his composure.

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel reassessed his overall status and power level. Previously, he estimated that he would need to cast [Light Hurricane] a second to defeat a single Fallen Knight. However, with this newfound enhancement, he only needed to cast the skill twice—or within just 1 second—to bring down a knight. His average damage per hit had now increased to 69,117 and a total damage of 207,351 per round of skill.

Thrilled by this development, Gabriel set a new goal for his adventure: to acquire more [Engravement Daggers] and [Engravement Stones] to further increase his battle power, and to hunt for cores to replenish his stock of Harmony Essence points.

Finally, he assessed his ace skill. "My [Healing Totem] DoT is starting to fall behind," Gabriel mused, realizing the need to prioritize finding an [Engravement Stone] that could enhance his healing rate. Although his [Healing Totem] summoning damage had increased significantly, the DoT, when the skill mutated into [Curse Totem (☯️)], did not see a proportional increase, dealing 32,871 points of damage.

---

After completing his pre-battle assessment, Gabriel stood up, feeling a surge of energy coursing through him. He knew his strength had increased, and with this newfound power, he decided to focus on farming for experience points.

However, the Valley of the Fallen was already crowded with other adventurers, making it difficult for Gabriel to find an ideal spot to farm efficiently. Despite the challenge, he pressed on, determined to make the most of his time.

Over the next 30 minutes, Gabriel killed at least 15 Fallen Knights, each kill adding 18,000 points to his experience bar. Although exhausted from the relentless combat, he knew he was far from reaching his goal. Gabriel required significantly more experience points to level up than an ordinary person. While his kills had earned him 270,000 points, he needed a total of 400,000 experience points to advance. This realization filled him with anxiety, knowing he would have to face even stronger monsters to close the gap.

As Gabriel pondered his situation, he realized the urgency of speeding up his progress. He feared that if he didn't, he would fall further behind in his quest for power. The thought of facing a Silver-Stage monster just to increase his efficiency in gaining experience points sent a chill down his spine. He wasn't sure if he was strong enough to match even the lowest-level Silver-Stage monster.

After carefully considering his options, Gabriel decided to check his gains. To his surprise, one of the Fallen Knights had dropped a [Fallen Knight Core], which he promptly converted into Harmony Essence points, boosting his stock by a whopping 190,000 points and bringing his total to 252,600 points.

Gabriel could hardly believe his fortune. The excitement in his eyes was unmistakable as he realized how much he had gained from just one 10★-Bronze core. He felt more motivated than ever to hunt down more enemies and continue leveling up.

---

Mysterious Realm, Border of Fallen Undead Valley

As Gabriel raced through the dark, dreary forest, his heart pounded—not with fear, but with excitement. He was eager to hunt for more cores.

Suddenly, he halted, spotting a new figure emerging from the shadows. The creature was unlike any he had encountered before, and he knew this battle would be challenging. It was a ghoul—a terrifying creature often described as a hideous, corpse-like being. With its decomposed or emaciated body, elongated limbs, and sharp teeth, the ghoul looked like something straight out of a nightmare. Its eyes glowed with an eerie light, and Gabriel could sense that it possessed supernatural powers beyond his comprehension.

But despite his initial shock upon seeing the ghoul, Gabriel knew he had to confront it head-on if he wanted to continue on this path.

He opened his system and quickly assessed the enemy's status.

---

[Name: Ghoul]

[Health Points: 450,000/450,000] 

[Mana: 5,000/5,000]

[Physical Attack: 15,000] 

[Defense: 2,500]

[Rank: Silver Grade ★] 

[Talent: High Speed]

[Skills: Corpse Devour, Infectious Bite, Rotten Claw, Undead Roar]

[Description: Fallen warriors of the Azeal Empire who valiantly fought against their enemies, consumed by an overwhelming darkness that left them completely lifeless. Despite their honorable deaths, their bodies were infused with a potent undead energy, transforming them into ghoulish creatures. Once-proud warriors, they are now mindless bloodsuckers, driven by an insatiable hunger for fresh blood. Though their movements may appear sluggish, they have abandoned their armor and weapons in favor of increased speed and agility in battle.]

---

Gabriel's face lit up with excitement as he locked eyes with the ghoul. "It's a ghoul! I hope it drops what I need," he murmured to himself. With lightning speed, he readied himself for battle, his fingers dancing over his staff as he cast the mutated skill [Darkness Grip (☯️)], aimed directly at the ghoul. The skill immediately reduced the ghoul's speed, leaving it vulnerable to Gabriel's next move. Without hesitation, he cast [Demon's Curse (☯️)], choosing to retain the shield buff for himself while reversing all other effects of the mutated skill.

Despite the speed reduction, the ghoul moved with frightening agility. It collided with Gabriel's barrier, sending shockwaves through the air.

---

BAAANG!!

-5,582 HP

[Prompt! Shield withstood the attack!]

---

Gabriel remained unshaken, his eyes locked on the ghoul. He had anticipated this scenario, which had prompted him to enhance his DEX stats beforehand, allowing him to cast his skills faster. With a sudden burst of energy, Gabriel simultaneously cast [Curse Totem (☯️)] and [Light Hurricane], unleashing a powerful combination of light and a gloomy green aura that enveloped his body.

As the aura intensified, particles of light and green energy began swirling around Gabriel, creating a majestic appearance that would be unforgettable to anyone witnessing it. Suddenly, a massive explosion occurred as a gigantic totem was summoned onto the field, dealing -27,844 HP damage to the ghoul.

But the ghoul's ordeal was far from over. It was immediately struck by the [Light Hurricane], with particles of light gathering in Gabriel's hand before shooting toward the ghoul, engulfing it in a flurry of light that hit three times in rapid succession, causing a total of -207,375 HP damage. The ghoul staggered, struggling to remain upright under the onslaught of Gabriel's relentless attacks.

This barrage reduced the ghoul's health by a staggering 47%. Despite the severe damage, the ghoul was not yet defeated. Gabriel, however, had the upper hand, thanks to the almost non-existent cooldown of his [Light Hurricane] skill.

Without wasting a moment, he cast the spell again, inflicting even more damage on the ghoul. The first hit dealt -60,300 HP, the second -65,500 HP, and the third -69,130 HP. To further add to the ghoul's suffering, the DoT effect of the totem inflicted an additional -31,800 HP.

The ghoul, despite being severely weakened, refused to give up. It attacked once more, but Gabriel was ready. He easily dodged the attack, the ghoul's moves made predictable by the [Silent] effect, which prevented it from using its skills. Although the ghoul was fast, Gabriel had prepared for this, using the [SpeedDown] debuff to reduce the ghoul's speed by 30%, allowing him to anticipate and evade its attack.

A second later, the ghoul collapsed to the ground, defeated.