New World Online: The Forbidden Quest

New World Online: The Forbidden Quest

Kaze sat on the cold stone floor of the ruins, catching his breath. His body still tingled from the rush of battle. The Corrupted Guardian had been way above his level, yet he had managed to take it down using his wits instead of brute force. That alone told him that New World Online: The Forbidden Quest wasn't just a standard game it was something more.

[You have leveled up! Level 5]

His stats had improved, and he had unlocked a new skill:

[Phantom Step – A movement ability that allows the user to momentarily shift their presence, dodging enemy attacks with enhanced agility. Cooldown: 20 seconds.]

A smirk played on Kaze's lips. "Now this is my kind of skill."

He stood up and dusted himself off, turning to the massive stone door at the end of the ruins. The eerie blue runes covering it glowed softly, as if waiting for him.

If the Guardian was here to keep people out, then whatever is behind this door must be something big.

He stepped forward, hesitating only for a moment before pressing his palm against the stone surface. A soft hum vibrated through his body as the runes pulsed, then suddenly, a system notification popped up.

[Warning: You are about to enter an unregistered zone. Proceed with caution.]

An unregistered zone? That wasn't normal for a beta test. But at this point, Kaze had already broken every rule in the game. Why stop now?

"Let's see where this rabbit hole leads," he muttered and pressed forward.

The runes flared to life, and the door rumbled open, revealing a dark passageway leading downward. A gust of cold air rushed out, sending a chill down his spine. Whatever was down there… it had been sealed away for a long time.

Kaze took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The passage was narrow, the walls lined with ancient carvings that glowed faintly in the darkness. Strange symbols and depictions of warriors, beasts, and something… else filled the stone surface. Some of them looked human. Others did not.

The deeper he went, the more unsettling the carvings became. Scenes of battle turned into something more sinister figures kneeling before a towering shadow, their faces twisted in agony. A pair of glowing red eyes were carved into the final wall before the tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber.

Kaze swallowed hard. "Yeah… this definitely isn't part of the normal game."

Stepping forward, he scanned his surroundings. The chamber was massive, with towering stone pillars and an altar at the center. Floating above the altar was a black crystal, pulsating with dark energy.

A new notification appeared.

[New Quest Unlocked: The Forbidden Quest Begins]

Objective: Touch the crystal.]

Kaze narrowed his eyes. He had played enough RPGs to know that touching mysterious glowing objects usually led to trouble. But he hadn't come this far just to walk away.

With cautious steps, he approached the altar and reached out. The moment his fingers brushed against the crystal the world exploded into darkness.

The darkness enveloped Kaze instantly, swallowing the chamber, the crystal, and everything else around him. It felt as if time itself had stopped. His vision was clouded, and his senses were thrown into disarray. For a moment, he couldn't even tell if he was standing, sitting, or floating.

He tried to call out, but his voice was swallowed by the void. His heart raced, his body tense as if anticipating something terrifying.

Then, a voice echoed through the void, low and menacing.

"You have awakened the Guardian of the Forgotten. Do you understand what you have unleashed?"

Kaze froze, his pulse quickening. The voice was deep, but distant like a whisper carried on an untraceable wind.

"I didn't… I didn't mean to" Kaze began, but the voice cut him off.

"The Forbidden Quest is not for the faint of heart. You are not the first to come seeking its power. Many have tried, many have failed. And yet… you have chosen to walk the path that leads to the unknown."

The darkness seemed to tighten, squeezing in on him, but before he could react, another pulse of light shattered the void, illuminating the surroundings.

The scene shifted abruptly.

He found himself standing in the middle of an ancient, ruined city. Towering stone structures, crumbling but still imposing, surrounded him. Dark clouds swirled overhead, and in the distance, he could see the faint outline of a massive fortress, its walls crowned by jagged spires.

This was no ordinary game world. Kaze could feel the weight of history, of ancient secrets buried in the ground beneath his feet.

[New Objective: Find the Path to the Heart of the Forgotten]

[Warning: Your actions have triggered the Forbidden Quest. The outcome of your journey will shape the fate of this world. Proceed with caution.]

Kaze glanced around, confusion and excitement battling within him. This wasn't just a hidden dungeon. This was a whole new area—an entirely different realm within the game. And it had been locked away for a reason.

"Okay… this is crazy. What the hell is going on here?"

A sudden noise, like a low growl, interrupted his thoughts. He spun around just in time to see shadowy figures moving toward him from the ruins. Their eyes glowed red, and their bodies were warped and twisted, as if they had once been human but had been corrupted by something far darker.

[Corrupted Souls – Level 10]

Kaze's heart skipped a beat. Level 10? He was only Level 5! The odds were stacked against him, and the shadows were closing in.

With no time to think, Kaze reached for his sword. He didn't know what these things were, but they weren't going to wait around to explain.

He raised his sword and braced himself.

The first Corrupted Soul lunged at him, claws outstretched, but Kaze was faster. He sidestepped at the last moment, using his new Phantom Step ability. The world seemed to slow as he vanished from his original position and reappeared a few feet to the right. He swung his sword at the creature, hitting it with a clean strike.

The creature screeched in pain, its body crumbling into a pile of dark dust.

[Corrupted Soul – Defeated]

But there were more coming.

Kaze gritted his teeth. He didn't have much experience with enemies like these, and he was still adjusting to his new abilities. But he couldn't let fear control him. This was what he'd signed up for.

He continued dodging and slashing, using Phantom Step to avoid attacks and find openings. With each defeated Corrupted Soul, he could feel himself growing stronger. His heart pounded, but the rush of combat was exhilarating.

Then, just as he thought he was getting a handle on the situation, the ground beneath him trembled.

A massive, armored figure emerged from the ruins a towering Corrupted Knight, twice the size of the others. Its armor was etched with dark symbols, and its eyes burned with an unholy fire.

[Corrupted Knight – Level 20]

"Great… just what I needed," Kaze muttered, sweat beading on his forehead. This was bad.

The Corrupted Knight swung its gigantic sword in a wide arc, forcing Kaze to leap back just in time to avoid being cleaved in two. The ground where the sword landed cracked and splintered.

Kaze's breath came faster. If he didn't come up with a plan, he was going to die here.

He couldn't fight this monster head-on not yet, anyway. He needed to use his environment. He spotted a cluster of stone pillars nearby. Maybe he could use them for cover.

He dashed toward the pillars, hoping the Corrupted Knight would follow.

The Knight charged after him, and just as it raised its sword for another swing, Kaze used Phantom Step once more, reappearing behind the Knight.

Now!

Kaze rushed forward, slashing at the Knight's exposed back. His blade sank into its armor, sparks flying from the impact, but the Knight barely flinched. It spun around quickly, swinging its massive sword in a vertical strike.

Kaze barely managed to dodge, but the attack grazed his shoulder, leaving a sting of pain that made him grit his teeth.

He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.

"Think, Kaze. Think!" he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, he remembered something an old video game trick.

The Knight's armor was thick, but its joints were exposed. He could target those weak points.

He took a deep breath and ran at the Knight again, this time aiming for the joint where the armor met the shoulder. He slashed with all his strength.

This time, his sword pierced the gap, and the Knight roared in pain, stumbling back.

[Corrupted Knight – HP 50%]

It was working. Kaze pressed the attack, dodging and weaving through the Knight's strikes, carefully targeting the weak points in its armor. The battle raged on, Kaze's movements becoming more fluid as he got a feel for the rhythm of the fight.

To be continued.