SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33 - Midnight Killer

Damon immediately got prepared to dodge the attack, but before he could activate Shadowstep, the beast was already in front of him, a sleek pitch black panther. Its eyes golden in color. It mauled him in the chest before vanishing into smoke right in front of his eyes.

Damon stumbled back, blood splattered from his torn chest, soaking into his clothes. He gritted his teeth, quickly becoming alert once again. What the hell was happening? He knew every beast in this dungeon, the mobs, the elites, and the final boss. Every single one. This panther was not in the list. So why was it here?

It was stronger. It was faster, and its mastery of shadow magic was at another level. Then a thought struck Damon. Perhaps it was also an evolved beast? Or a beast on the verge of evolution to tier 2? That was the only thing that could explain its strength, speed, and power.

It was unheard of for hidden bosses to appear in dungeons under level 30, but the beast he had faced just now was unmistakably a hidden boss.

A hidden boss on the verge of evolution!

Damon narrowed his eyes as his breathing steadied. Unlike the fights before, this one was going to be a challenge. That's what made it so much more exciting.

He immediately conjured a blood lance and waited with bated breath, his senses sharp, looking and listening for any signs of the black panther. For a few seconds, it was just Damon and his breathing sound, but then, a flicker.

Damon's eyes snapped to the right, where a sliver of darkness peeled away from a tree trunk. The panther was there—just for a moment—before its body re-emerged with the shadows. It was coming!

Damon could feel it. The blob of darkness was bouncing here and there and approaching him with a ridiculous speed. A beast in level 15 dungeon shouldn't possess stats or skills like this but just like him, this damned thing was also an exception.

Unfortunately for the big kitty, he still had a few more tricks up his sleeve. Damon knew the beast was too fast for him to react as it was, so he unleashed a basic technique every vampire, or rather every mana user, would soon learn.

[Innate Enhancement]

He activated his blood essence and his mana that was circulating in his body, and focused every bit of essence in his eyes. _{frёeweɓηovel.coɱ}

In an instant, the world snapped into high clarity.

The shadows no longer blended together—they peeled apart like layers of silk, and through them, Damon saw it. The panther. A flicker of movement. A ripple in the dark. What was once a blur was now as clear as day.

[Ding! You have acquired a new skill, 'Innate Enhancement']

[Ding! Your vision is currently boosted by 300%. The effect lasts for 10 seconds]

The skill came at a mana cost and left a slight burning in his temples, but it was worth it. Damon could now read the twitch of a muscle, the shift of a paw, the dilation of the beast's eyes—he could see its kill strike forming before it even began.

"There you are," Damon whispered, voice low and lethal. He purposefully did not reveal that he was now able to see its movements. The panther lunged again, its entire form a curved arc of shadow and fury, aiming for his throat.

However, this time Damon reacted perfectly. He moved slightly, taking the hit in his shoulder instead of his throat, and at the same time, he drove the spear into the beast's neck. The blood lance struck true.