Lucas stepped into the mouth of the abandoned mine, a darkness that swallowed even the light of his most powerful flashlight. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the scent of decaying earth, minerals, and something more primal, something from the Abyss. The scar on his palm throbbed constantly, not from pain, but like a living compass, guiding him deeper underground, towards the purplish-blue glow the Husk-Brute had "seen" in its memory.
The new solidity of Lucas's body, combined with the enhanced night vision absorbed from the Night Beetle, helped him navigate the crumbling corridors and treacherous fissures. He felt every ground vibration, easily avoiding unstable areas. Each step was cautious, yet unwavering.
As he ventured deeper, Lucas began to hear strange sounds. Not the familiar growls or scuttling of low-tier Abyssal Creatures, but a continuous murmuring, like rushing water and constant clicking noises. He cautiously approached, pressing himself behind an old stone pillar.
In the faint beam of his flashlight, Lucas saw them. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Spore-Crawlers were swarming across the damp cave floor. They were a new type of Abyssal Creature he hadn't encountered before. They looked like giant, glossy black cockroaches, but their backs were covered in swollen, purplish-green pustules that constantly released tiny clouds of dust. Their eyes were not red, but a dull, lifeless yellow.
Lucas immediately sensed the danger. The Husk-Brute's memories, though not directly about Spore-Crawlers, had warned him about softer, yet deadly, threats. The dust they emitted was not harmless. It was toxic spores. Inhaling even a small amount was enough to corrode the lungs, causing agonizing pain followed by death. This was a type of enemy that required a completely different approach.
He couldn't confront them directly. The Husk-Brute's resilience would help him withstand blows, but it wouldn't protect him from airborne toxins. The Spine-Crawler's agility would help him dodge, but not enough to escape such a large swarm in the confined space of the cave.
Lucas retreated, his mind quickly analyzing the environment. The cave had many nooks and crannies, cracks in the ceiling, and an underground stream flowing through it. He needed a plan. He recalled his ability to sense water currents from fragmented memories of an aquatic monster he had once absorbed.
He discovered a small fissure in the cave ceiling where a small amount of water was seeping down. Above that fissure was another cave level, which seemed unstable. Lucas knew he couldn't cause a flood, but he could create a strong enough current to sweep away or disperse the Spore-Crawlers.
He began to climb, using his climbing skills and sense of footholds from the Stone Centipedes. He moved as silently as a Shadow Stalker, staying out of sight of the Spore-Crawlers below. His goal was a large rock strategically positioned to block the underground stream above and accumulate water.
Once he reached it, Lucas felt the faint trembling of the ground. As expected, this cave level was unstable. He placed his hand on a large rock blocking the underground stream. Memories of the Husk-Brute's sustained strength and the Stone Centipede's ability to sense structural weaknesses allowed him to accurately calculate the necessary force. He didn't need to break it, just shift it enough to create a sudden rush of water.
The clicking noises of the Spore-Crawlers grew closer. They were moving.
Lucas put all his strength into it, pushing hard against the rock.
CRACK! RUMBLE!
Rocks and earth fell, the underground stream was blocked, and water began to rise rapidly. Lucas quickly retreated. Just a few seconds later, a large volume of accumulated water broke through the temporary barrier and poured down the fissure.
CRASH!
A powerful torrent of water cascaded into the cave below, sweeping away hundreds of Spore-Crawlers. Their clicking cries were drowned out by the sound of water and their bodies hitting the rocks. The toxic spores were also carried away by the current, clearing the air.
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. He had succeeded.
He waited until the water receded, leaving behind only muddy puddles and the remains of a few trapped Spore-Crawlers. He cautiously climbed down, trying to avoid inhaling any lingering spores.
After ensuring his safety, Lucas ventured deeper into the cave. This time, the scar on his palm glowed brighter, pointing towards a narrow, dark passage. This was the place the Husk-Brute had been drawn to.
As he entered, the air became strangely colder. The cave walls seemed to be made of a different type of rock, glossy and pitch black. And then, he saw it.
It wasn't a monster, but a colossal crystal formation, glowing faintly with an ethereal, deep purplish-blue light. The crystals grew from the wall, taller than a man, and from its center, Lucas felt a pure, powerful energy, many times stronger than the Obsidian Shard he possessed.
He approached, touching the giant crystal mass.
WHOOSH!
A burst of memories erupted, not of monsters, but of something far more ancient, something that had existed here long before the Great Collapse. He saw vague images of massive machines, deep tunnels lit by similar crystals. He felt a terrible truth: the Obsidian Shards were not random. They were fragments of something far grander, a structure, a power source that had been destroyed.
And then, a voice echoed in Lucas's mind, not in words, but in an ancient, spiritual language. It carried no hostility, but a deep sorrow and a warning: Danger… The Great Collapse… coming again…
Lucas stumbled back, gasping for breath, trembling all over. He had found a crucial clue. The shard he had was not the only one. They were part of something much larger, and they seemed to be "reawakening."
He looked at the colossal crystal formation, then out at the deeper passages where the purplish-blue light continued to lead. Lucas knew that his journey had only just begun. The secrets of the Great Collapse, of the Obsidian Shards, and of his own abilities, were slowly being unveiled. And he, a weak Scavenger, was now at the center of a mystery that could change the entire world.