Daniel practically sprinted away from the Central Core chamber, the echo of the previous explorer's final, chilling log entry bouncing around in his skull.
Consciousness… hungry… Yeah, no thanks. He wasn't planning on becoming high-energy Labyrinth chow today.
Nyx seemed contentedly asleep again in her pouch, blissfully unaware of the near-existential dread her owner was experiencing. Lucky pup.
The passage leading away from the Core felt different from the leaky, junk-filled Bypass Conduit.
This tunnel was clean, well-maintained, made of the same smooth, faintly glowing grey stone as the upper levels.
The air still hummed with power, but it was the clean, white energy of the Core, not the corrupted blue static from before.
It felt less like a forgotten basement and more like a restricted hallway near the main engine room.
His map showed this passage leading upwards, likely connecting back to the standard Labyrinth levels closer to whatever objective Phase Two had in store.
He moved quickly but cautiously, his [Aura Sense+] constantly scanning ahead, amplified by the clean energy here.
He didn't want any more surprises like sentient power cores or exploding guardians if he could help it.
His new passive skill, [Energy Siphon], was already working, a tiny trickle of mana flowing into him from the ambient energy, a comforting feeling after the drain of the Sentinel fight.
After about ten minutes of walking through the pristine, silent corridor, his senses flared. Two signatures ahead, moving fast, low to the ground.
They felt sleek, predatory, and artificial. Not clumsy junk Golems or slow Crawlers. These felt… purpose-built.
He flattened himself against the wall, activating [Ghoststeps+], blending into the dim light just as the sources rounded the corner ahead. They looked like metallic panthers.
Each was about the size of a large dog, bodies made of smooth, overlapping chrome plates that barely made a sound as they moved.
They had no visible eyes, just smooth heads with sensor slits, and their tails ended in whip-like energy projectors.
Their claws looked incredibly sharp, designed to rip through metal. They moved with a silent, fluid grace that spoke of high agility.
Daniel scanned them quickly.
[Labyrinth Custodian - Hunter Model]
Level: 3
Stats: High Strength, Moderate Vitality, Very High Agility, Moderate Spirit (Networked Targeting).
Abilities: [Silent Movement (Passive)], [Rending Claws], [Energy Whip], [Coordinated Pounce], [Wall Adhesion Claws]
Threat Assessment: Fast, Agile Pack Hunters. Designed for interception and takedown. Claws can likely scale walls. Vulnerable points may exist at joints or sensor slits.
Level 3, but Very High Agility and designed as pack hunters. These would be tricky.
They hadn't spotted him yet, still moving cautiously down the corridor, scanning from side to side.
Daniel decided to strike first and disrupt their coordination. He targeted the trailing Custodian.
He drew his D+ bow, nocked an arrow, and channeled kinetic energy into it, aiming for the hip joint.
"[Kinetic Pulse] – Arrow!"
Twang-WHUMP!
The arrow flew silently thanks to his skills, the kinetic pulse embedded within it hitting just before the arrowhead.
The impact wasn't huge damage-wise, but the kinetic shockwave slammed into the Custodian's hip, throwing its precise movement off balance!
It stumbled with a surprised metallic yelp, its chrome plates grinding.
The lead Custodian instantly whirled, its head snapping towards Daniel's position even though he was visually hidden by [Ghoststeps+].
Its sensors were good. It hissed, a sound like escaping steam, and leapt – not at Daniel, but straight up the wall!
Its [Wall Adhesion Claws] dug into the smooth stone, and it clung there sideways, like a giant metal spider-cat, its tail cracking like a whip as the energy projector charged up.
The second Custodian recovered quickly from the stumble and charged Daniel directly on the ground, claws extended, aiming to pin him down while its partner attacked from the wall. Classic pincer move.
Daniel grinned. Time to dance.
He dropped the bow, no time for ranged attacks now. He drew his Twin Fang daggers (C+).
As the ground Custodian lunged, Daniel didn't retreat. He activated [Ghoststeps+] burst.
"Boom!"
He exploded forward, sliding low on the smooth floor right under the Custodian's leap! Wind shrieked past him. Sharp claws slashed the air inches above his head.
He came up from the slide behind the Custodian, spinning instantly. He drove one dagger towards the back of its knee joint, channeling [Venomous Strike+].
Shink!
The blade bit into a seam between the plates!
Sparks flew, and the faint green energy of the poison flared briefly before fizzling. Poison didn't work well on constructs, but the physical damage was done.
The Custodian hissed in pain, its leg movement hampered.
Crack-Zzzzap!
The Custodian on the wall fired its [Energy Whip]! A thin line of crackling blue energy lashed down towards Daniel.
He reacted instantly. No time to dodge conventionally. He jumped, kicking off the back of the injured ground Custodian, launching himself upwards in a twisting flip.
The energy whip sizzled through the space where he'd been, scorching the floor.
He landed silently further down the hall, immediately pushing off the floor and running horizontally along the opposite wall for three steps, his incredible Agility and focused kinetic control allowing the brief adhesion.
This put him above the injured ground Custodian and gave him a new angle on the wall-clinging one.
The wall-clinger reacted fast, detaching from the wall and flipping in mid-air to land facing him, its whip already cracking for another strike.
The injured one limped towards him, trying to flank.
Daniel used the momentum from his wall run, pushing off into a backflip. As he spun upside down in mid-air, he fired a point-blank [Mana Bolt+] from his free hand straight down at the injured Custodian below him.
FZZZT!
The bolt slammed into its head, making it stagger back, sensors flickering.
He landed gracefully from the flip, facing the now-grounded wall-climber. It lunged, claws first.
Daniel sidestepped with [Quick Dodge], letting the Custodian rush past. As it went by, he spun low, sweeping one dagger in an arc, aiming for its ankle joint.
Clang-Shink!
Another hit! This one stumbled too.
Now both were slightly damaged, their coordinated attacks disrupted. But they were still dangerous.
They circled him warily, their movements fast and fluid despite their injuries. The air crackled as their tail whips charged again.
Daniel kept moving, never staying still, a grey blur weaving between them. His [Energy Siphon] skill hummed quietly, pulling ambient energy into him, keeping his mana topped off for more bolts and skills.
He ducked under a low whip crack, jumped over a leg sweep, parried a claw swipe with crossed daggers that sent sparks flying.
His D-grade [Shield Mastery] even seemed to subtly deflect a glancing blow from an energy whip, turning a potential burn into just a light sizzle against his vest.
He needed to finish one quickly. He focused on the first one he'd injured, the one with the bad hip joint. It was slightly slower.
He feinted towards the other one, then exploded back towards the first using [Ghoststeps+].
He slid again, this time aiming his daggers upwards towards its underbelly, where the plating looked thinner.
The Custodian anticipated the low attack, leaping backwards, firing its energy whip down at him as he slid.
Crack-Zzzzap!
The whip lashed across Daniel's back! Pain flared!
Even through his D+ vest and passive [Grit Guard] resistance (20% physical, maybe minor energy too?), the whip burned through the fabric and scorched his skin underneath. He gritted his teeth, rolling through the slide, ignoring the pain.
[Warning: Torso Armor Integrity Lowered. Minor Damage Sustained.]
"Annoying cat," he growled. He finished the roll, coming up onto one knee.
The injured Custodian landed awkwardly from its backward leap due to its bad hip. Daniel saw his chance.
He slammed his free hand onto the floor. "[Kinetic Hammer] – Shockwave!"
WHUMP!
The shockwave erupted right under the landing Custodian. Its already damaged legs buckled! It crashed to the floor in a tangle of chrome limbs.
Before it could recover, Daniel was on it, driving both daggers down into the sensor slits on its smooth head.
Shunk-CRACKLE!
Internal systems shorted out. The Custodian spasmed, then went limp, its faint energy signature dying out.
[You have slain: Labyrinth Custodian - Hunter Model (Level 3)]
[EXP Gained: 90]
[Level 4: 606/1200 EXP]
One down. The other Custodian watched its partner fall, then let out a furious hiss. It abandoned caution, charging Daniel with blinding speed, claws extended, tail whip cracking erratically.
Daniel met the charge head-on. He dodged the first frantic claw swipe, parried the second with a shower of sparks, then used the Custodian's momentum against it.
He grabbed its outstretched arm near the elbow joint, planted his foot, and used a hip throw combined with his enhanced Strength.
CLANG-CRASH!
He flipped the heavy construct over his hip, slamming it hard onto the metal grating floor! It landed awkwardly on its back, momentarily stunned. Daniel didn't hesitate.
He leaped onto its chest, pinning it down with his weight and strength. He raised a dagger high and plunged it down repeatedly into the joints connecting its head to its neck.
Shunk! Shunk! Shunk! Crackle!
Sparks flew. The Custodian thrashed beneath him, but couldn't dislodge him. Finally, with a last metallic shudder, it went still.
[You have slain: Labyrinth Custodian - Hunter Model (Level 3)]
[EXP Gained: 90]
[Level 4: 696/1200 EXP]
Daniel pushed himself up, breathing a little heavily.
The burn on his back stung sharply. He quickly checked his vest, definite scorch mark and a tear through the outer layer. He grimaced.
He briefly considered using [Scrap Armor Patch], glanced at the broken Custodian parts, then shook his head.
He wasn't that desperate yet, and patching his armor with killer robot cat parts seemed like asking for trouble. Maybe later, if things got worse.
He knelt and assimilated the two Custodians. The energy felt clean, precise, focused on agility and predatory instinct.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Construct: Labyrinth Custodian (Level 3).] x2
[Total Gain: Agility +16, Strength +8, Adaptability +6]
[Acquired Skill Fragment: Wall Adhesion (Partial)]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (14/20 Remaining).]
More Agility! He was well over 160 now. He felt even lighter, faster. The skill fragment was interesting too, maybe with more fragments, he could gain the wall-clinging ability himself? Useful.
He stood up, stretching carefully, testing the burn on his back. It hurt, but wasn't crippling. He looked down the pristine corridor.
This section of the labyrinth felt different, less chaotic, more controlled, guarded by faster, more efficient predators.
His map showed this path continuing upwards for some distance before reaching what looked like a major checkpoint or barrier.
He checked his Nexus Interface. Any updates on Phase Two? A small timer icon was visible in the corner, steadily counting down.
Approximately 18 hours remaining in the assessment phase. Still plenty of time, but he couldn't afford to waste it fighting every patrol.
He needed to reach the objective, whatever it was, that the Academy had set. Likely something beyond the upcoming barrier shown on his map.
He reactivated [Ghoststeps+], his enhanced Agility making his movements utterly silent now, and continued deeper into the high-security zone, the memory of chrome claws and cracking energy whips fresh in his mind