Shadow Totem Warrior (2)

Niderland lay unconscious. In his mind, he was falling into a vast, freezing pit. His body shuddered, and he was on the verge of freezing to death.

Just then, he saw a lifeline dangling from above. Startled and overjoyed, he grabbed it. His hand closed around something solid, and he began to climb.

But at that instant, wisps of black energy seeped from the "lifeline" and coiled around his wrist, then crept up his forearm toward his elbow.

Niderland's heart sank. As a high-level Formal Rank Transcendent, he could still sense that he was dreaming, even in this deep coma. He could also tell that the black energy winding around his wrist was eroding his soul.

Instinct told him to resist, but reason told him that if he let go of the rope, he would certainly freeze to death. There was no doubt about that. If the black energy corrupted his soul, however, he might survive.

Niderland was no fool. He understood now that this so-called final test required him to let the black energy corrupt his soul.

Once he realized that, he stopped hesitating. He let the black energy spread and clung to the rope, climbing with all his strength. Eventually, he lost track of how long he had been climbing. The cold around him gradually faded, and his soul was almost completely transformed. Then a point of light flashed above him. It rapidly expanded downward into a passage that enveloped him.

The next moment, Niderland, now a Shadow Totem Warrior, snapped his eyes open. The frozen stiffness in his body was gone, though he felt oddly cold, so unlike his usual self that it took some getting used to. His warrior instincts took over, and he activated his Totem Power.

With a hum, powerful Totem Power erupted. A