Book 12: Chapter 4 (2)
When Dark Summoners are spawned, they are always accompanied by monsters named Shadow Stalkers, which have the ability of “swimming” in shadows, as if these shadows were bodies of water. Shadow Stalkers thus had the ability to freely move through the darkness created by Dark Summoners, from which they also received stat boosts.
They were an annoying combination to combat, since, without a suitable strategy or sufficient stats, it would take a long time to defeat them.
“There’s something huge too.”
After cutting down a hideous Shadow Stalker, shaped like a wingless bird fused with a praying mantis’ scythes, Shin noticed a sort of pitch-black puddle of darkness, much larger than the other monsters. It was an indication that a Shadow Stalker was lying in wait: the shadow’s size directly correlated to its strength. While such puddles were normally about 60 cemel in diameter, the one Shin discovered was easily over 1 mel wide.
“A Dark Stalker, huh.”
Two red lights glowed in the puddle of darkness. Those were a Dark Stalker’s blood red eyes. In front of Shin’s party, the darkness inside the circle swelled and took shape.
The Dark Stalker’s upper body rose from the pool of darkness. While shaped like a Shadow Stalker, its body was covered by a sort of black metallic exoskeleton and it had four arms, each shaped like sharp blades. Unlike the Shadow Stalkers, which always attacked from the shadows, Dark Stalkers were powerful enough to face players head on.
【Dark Stalker Level 649】
Judging from the fact the monsters the party was fighting were around level 200, this new enemy was a significantly higher threat.