The cavern shook with the force of the beast's impact. Dust and loose stone rained down as Aeron pushed himself up, dragging Kael with him. The creature's violet eyes gleamed in the darkness, unblinking, locked onto its prey.
Aeron barely had time to react before it lunged again.
He rolled, pulling Kael with him just as the monster's claws shredded through the space where they had been. A deep, guttural hiss followed it was playing with them.
"It knows you're weak," Nyxus murmured in his mind. "And it enjoys the hunt."
Aeron gritted his teeth. No time to hesitate. He needed a plan. Running blindly would get them both killed, but fighting in these conditions was just as bad.
He stole a quick glance at Kael his breathing was steadier, but he was still out of it. His body bore deep gashes, bruises forming beneath his torn clothes. Even if he woke up, he wasn't battle-ready.
The monster prowled closer, its tail dragging along the stone, leaving deep grooves. Its body was reptilian, but the way it moved smooth, calculated was almost unnatural.
Aeron took a slow step back, keeping his movements controlled.
Then the system's interface flickered.
[ANALYZING ENEMY…]
[UNKNOWN CLASSIFIED ENTITY DETECTED]
[WARNING: THREAT LEVEL—EXTREME]
"No kidding," Aeron muttered under his breath.
The creature let out a sharp hiss, nostrils flaring.
[SUGGESTED COURSE OF ACTION: EVASION]
"Thanks for the advice."
Aeron's mind raced. He had seen dungeon bosses before, but this was different. It wasn't acting like a typical monster it was studying him, reacting to his movements.
It was intelligent.
And that meant it could be outmaneuvered.
He reached into his inventory, fingers brushing against the last of his smoke bombs. One chance.
He lunged forward, hurling the device at the ground. The small orb shattered, releasing a thick, black fog that swallowed the cavern.
The beast screeched, momentarily disoriented.
Aeron didn't wait. He grabbed Kael and sprinted, dodging past jagged rock formations as he searched for a way out.
The walls of the cavern were unnaturally smooth not natural, but carved. That meant there had to be an exit, some kind of passage leading deeper or out entirely.
Nyxus' voice echoed in his mind.
"This tunnel wasn't meant for humans."
"Then who was it meant for?" Aeron shot back, dodging a swipe from the blinded beast.
Nyxus didn't answer.
Aeron cursed under his breath, scanning the area then he saw it. A faint outline in the stone, almost imperceptible. A door.
With one last push, he surged forward, slamming his hand against the stone.
The wall shifted.
A deep click echoed through the chamber, and suddenly, the stone moved, revealing a hidden passage.
Aeron didn't hesitate he dragged Kael through just as the beast regained its senses.
The door slammed shut behind them, leaving them in complete silence.
---
Kael groaned.
Aeron exhaled heavily, resting against the cold stone. The passage was narrow, lit by dim, glowing symbols that pulsed faintly. The air was heavy with something ancient, something forbidden.
Kael's voice was hoarse. "Where…?"
Aeron didn't answer immediately. He turned to face the symbols, a creeping sense of familiarity settling in.
Nyxus stirred.
"This place… it wasn't meant to be found."
Aeron narrowed his eyes. Then why did it feel like he was meant to be here?
Aeron's breath came in ragged gasps as he steadied Kael against the wall. The dim glow of the symbols along the passage did little to quell the tension in the air. The silence was almost oppressive, and the deeper they moved into the passage, the more uneasy Aeron felt.
Kael's eyes fluttered open, but it was clear the young man wasn't fully aware of his surroundings yet. He leaned against Aeron for support, eyes squinting against the dim light as he tried to make sense of their new environment.
"What… happened?" Kael asked, his voice rough.
"Not much time," Aeron muttered, scanning the walls. The tunnel was narrow, its walls slick with moisture and aged by centuries of neglect. He could feel the weight of something old, something dangerous, pressing down on him. It was the same sensation he had felt when he first stepped into the dungeon, and it had only intensified since they entered the passage.
"Stay close," Aeron added, his voice low. "We've got to keep moving."
Kael nodded, though it was clear he was still disoriented. His eyes darted around, trying to process what was happening, but it wasn't long before they locked onto the glowing symbols etched into the walls.
"What are those?" he asked, his voice filled with awe and suspicion.
Aeron's gaze shifted to the symbols, their pale glow pulsing like a heartbeat. They were unlike anything he had encountered before each symbol intricate and detailed, as though they had been placed with intent. The markings looked ancient, older than anything in the known world.
"I don't know," Aeron admitted. "But I have a feeling they're not here by accident."
As they continued down the passage, the air grew heavier. It was colder, as though the stone itself had absorbed the chill of the ages. Aeron felt his pulse quicken, the tension tightening in his chest. Something wasn't right.
Kael staggered, barely able to keep his feet under him. His head lolled back, eyes unfocused as the world around him seemed to spin.
Aeron gritted his teeth, quickly pulling Kael to a stop. "Stay with me, Kael." He gripped his companion's shoulders firmly, trying to steady him.
But Kael's breathing was shallow, his skin pale. He was struggling to stay conscious, his strength rapidly draining.
"I can't… I can't hold it…" Kael whispered, his words slurring.
Aeron's stomach twisted. This wasn't good. Kael's injuries were severe, and it seemed the pressure of the environment was taking its toll on him.
Without wasting another moment, Aeron reached into his pack and pulled out a vial of healing ointment. It wasn't much, but it could stabilize Kael long enough for them to get out of here.
He uncorked the vial, quickly applying the ointment to Kael's wounds. The air around them seemed to grow colder still as the ointment began to glow with a faint light. Slowly, Kael's breathing steadied, though his eyes remained glazed.
"Come on, stay with me," Aeron muttered, a flash of frustration crossing his mind. He couldn't afford to lose Kael now not when they were so close to something big.
The passage narrowed even further, forcing them to move single file. The glow of the symbols flickered, almost as if they were alive, responding to their presence.
Suddenly, a low rumble reverberated through the walls. Aeron's muscles tensed as a series of sharp, eerie echoes filled the tunnel, making his hair stand on end.
"Do you hear that?" Kael whispered, his voice hoarse with fear.
Aeron's grip on his sword tightened. He nodded slowly. "Something's coming."
The rumbling grew louder, more intense. The very stone beneath their feet began to tremble, as though the entire passage was shifting in response to an unseen force.
"Run," Aeron ordered sharply, his eyes scanning the passage ahead. They needed to move fast something was stirring.
Kael nodded weakly, managing to stay on his feet as they pushed forward. The rumbling intensified with every step, and the faint glow of the symbols grew brighter. The walls seemed to close in on them, the air thickening with an unnatural weight.
Then, at the end of the passage, they saw it.
A large door, ancient and imposing, stood at the end of the narrow hall. It was covered in the same intricate symbols, but they were now glowing with an eerie light, brighter than before. The door itself seemed to pulse with power alive.
Aeron's eyes narrowed. This wasn't just a door. It was something more.
"This is it," Aeron muttered, his voice grim. "We're about to find out what this place really is."
Kael let out a ragged breath, his face pale. "Do you think we can handle it?"
Aeron didn't answer right away. He studied the door carefully, noting the faint vibrations in the air that only intensified as they approached.
"We don't have a choice," he said finally, his voice steel. "Whatever's behind that door, it's connected to everything. We need answers."
Kael looked uncertain, but he nodded. "Right. Let's go."
The door loomed before them. Aeron took a step forward, his hand hovering over the ancient symbols. As his fingers brushed against the stone, the ground shook violently beneath them. The door creaked, its edges glowing brighter, almost as if it were alive.
Aeron stepped back, watching as the massive doors slowly began to open revealing what lay beyond.
The world held its breath.
Aeron's heartbeat thundered in his ears as the ancient doors groaned open, revealing a vast chamber bathed in an eerie, pulsating glow. The symbols that had guided them through the passageway now adorned the walls in larger, more elaborate patterns, shifting subtly as if whispering secrets from a forgotten time.
The chamber itself was massive, its ceiling stretching far above, vanishing into darkness. The walls bore deep claw marks, gouges in the stone that hinted at something monstrous that had once called this place home or perhaps still did.
Aeron tightened his grip on his sword, stepping forward cautiously. Kael, still weak from his injuries, hesitated before following, his breath ragged.
"Are you sure about this?" Kael murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
"No," Aeron admitted, scanning the chamber, "but turning back isn't an option."
The floor beneath them was uneven, covered in ancient debris shattered bones, rusted weapons, remnants of those who had come before them and failed. A faint, acrid scent lingered in the air, the stench of decay and something else something unnatural.
Then, a low growl rumbled through the chamber.
Aeron froze. His eyes flicked to the shadows beyond the glowing symbols, his senses on high alert.
Something was here with them.
Kael took a shaky step back, his own blade trembling in his grip. "Tell me you heard that."
Aeron didn't respond. He didn't need to. The growl deepened, reverberating through the chamber, and then came the sound of movement heavy, deliberate steps echoing from the darkness.
And then, it emerged.
A mutated beast, easily twice the size of a normal dungeon monster, slithered from the shadows. Its body was a grotesque fusion of muscle and exposed bone, with dark, jagged spikes protruding from its spine. Its head, vaguely lupine, bore three glowing red eyes, each pulsating with an unnatural energy.
The creature's maw parted, revealing rows of serrated teeth, its breath thick with the scent of old blood.
Aeron's stomach twisted. He had fought powerful monsters before, but this thing was different. It wasn't just a dungeon creature it was something more, something twisted.
Nyxus's voice stirred in his mind, the fallen war god's tone unreadable.
"This is no ordinary beast. Its existence is a corruption… a product of something greater. If you fall here, I will not mourn you."
Aeron scowled but didn't respond. He didn't need Nyxus's taunts right now.
The beast lunged.
Aeron barely had time to react before it was upon them. He shoved Kael aside, raising his sword just in time to meet the creature's claws. The impact sent a shockwave through his arms, the sheer force behind the attack nearly knocking him off his feet.
Kael rolled to the side, coughing as he struggled to regain his footing. He was in no condition to fight which meant Aeron was on his own.
The creature let out a guttural snarl, its three glowing eyes locking onto him.
Then it attacked again.
Aeron sidestepped, narrowly avoiding another swipe. His instincts screamed at him this wasn't just a battle of strength. He needed to analyze its movements, find an opening.
His system flickered to life.
[Enemy Analysis: Initiated.]
[Subject Identified: Abyssal Hound (Corrupted Variant).]
[Threat Level: Extreme.]
[Weakness Identified: Core exposure during charge attacks.]
Aeron's eyes narrowed. The core that was his target.
The beast lunged again, its claws swiping through the air with deadly precision. Aeron ducked low, rolling beneath its attack, and slashed at its exposed ribs. Sparks flew as his blade met hardened bone, but the creature barely flinched.
"Not good," he muttered.
The Abyssal Hound whirled on him, red eyes gleaming with malice. It wasn't just attacking blindly. It was studying him, adapting.
And then, it did something unexpected.
The beast spoke.
A guttural, fractured voice echoed from its throat.
"You… are not… meant… to be here…"
Aeron's breath hitched. His fingers tightened around his sword.
"You can talk?" he murmured.
The creature's lips curled back in a grotesque snarl, as if amused by his shock.
"You… reek… of the fallen one…"
Nyxus stirred again. "Well, that's unsettling. You might want to kill it now, before it says something even more ominous."
Aeron didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, blade arcing toward the creature's exposed flank.
The Abyssal Hound anticipated the move.
It twisted mid-charge, its tail covered in sharp, jagged spines whipping toward him.
Aeron barely had time to react. The impact sent him flying, his back slamming into the cold stone floor. Pain exploded through his ribs, his vision momentarily blurring.
Kael shouted something, but his voice was distant.
The beast prowled forward, its steps slow and deliberate. It knew it had the upper hand.
Aeron coughed, struggling to push himself up. His sword was still in his grip, but his limbs felt sluggish, the force of the impact rattling through his bones.
He had to move. Now.
Summoning every ounce of willpower, he forced himself to his feet. His breath came in ragged gasps, but he steadied himself.
The creature lunged again.
But this time, Aeron was ready.
He pivoted at the last second, dodging the initial strike. The moment the beast overextended leaving its core exposed he struck.
His blade sank deep, piercing through the creature's ribcage and into its pulsating core.
A deafening howl ripped through the chamber.
The Abyssal Hound thrashed violently, its body convulsing as tendrils of dark energy burst from its wounds. The glow of its three eyes flickered wildly, its snarls turning into pained, guttural screeches.
Aeron gritted his teeth, twisting the blade deeper.
The beast collapsed.
For a moment, silence. Then
[Boss Defeated.]
[Analyzing…]
[Choose Your Reward.]
Aeron barely had time to process the words before a set of glowing options appeared before him.
His system was offering him something.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, his body still aching from the fight. Then, slowly, he looked over the rewards, his mind already racing.
This was just the beginning.
---