[Vorn's Apartment - Morning Decision]
The mask sat on the kitchen table, dark material catching the morning light in ways that seemed to bend shadows toward it. Vorn picked it up one more time, studying the craftsmanship that went beyond simple disguise into something approaching art.
"Scan this," he said to the slime.
His shadow stirred as the slime's consciousness focused on the artifact. Several minutes passed while it analyzed the mask's construction and embedded properties.
"No harmful effects on the wearer," the slime reported. "But there are traces of memory interference magic woven into the surface. Anyone who sees you wearing it will have trouble remembering specific details about your face, your presence, even your location."
"How strong?"
"Weak but intentional. Probably enough to operate in public without worrying about being traced later."
Vorn turned the mask over in his hands, considering the implications. "There's a high possibility they change masks according to your rank in the organization. Higher ranks probably get stronger effects."
He set the mask down and reached for his gear bag. "Fine. I'll join. But not until I know we can survive it."
"Today?" the slime asked.
"Today, we head to the dungeon, strength first choice after." Vorn shouldered his equipment and headed for the door. "I need to know what my limits actually are before I start taking contracts that could push me past them."
---
[Temporary Dungeon - Entrance]
The dungeon entrance looked normal from the outside - just a maintenance tunnel that led underground, the kind of access point that city workers used for utility repairs. Dusk had scouted it earlier and confirmed it was a temporary formation, probably lasting another week before dissolving naturally.
"Safe entry, estimated duration four hours for full clearance," Dusk reported as they approached.
"Monster density?"
"High, but manageable threat levels. Good training environment."
The entrance felt too quiet as they descended. Vorn's enhanced senses should have detected movement, territorial sounds, the usual activity of dungeon creatures establishing hunting patterns. Instead, there was just silence that felt deliberately maintained.
"Something's waiting," he said to his soldiers as they spread into formation.
They entered the main chamber and immediately understood why the entrance had been so quiet. The space was packed with monsters, but not the usual scattered territorial arrangement. These creatures were organized, coordinated, moving with purpose that suggested intelligence beyond normal dungeon behavior.
Dozens of upright boar-like creatures filled the chamber, but they weren't the clumsy brutes Vorn expected. They moved with agility that ignored their bulk, positioning themselves to cut off retreat routes while maintaining attack formations.
"D-rank monsters on the verge of breaking through to C-rank," Grain observed. "And there are too many of them for direct engagement."
Vorn drew his daggers and studied the enemy formation. Head-on attacks would be suicide against these numbers and coordination levels.
---
[First Wave - Tactical Approach]
"Legs first," Vorn decided. "Mobility kill, then cleanup."
He moved faster than the boar creatures expected, silk threads trailing behind him as he wove between their positions. Instead of going for killing strikes, he targeted their legs with slashing attacks that cut halfway through bone and muscle.
The effect was immediate. Creatures that had been coordinating complex movements suddenly became stationary targets struggling to maintain balance. Their formation collapsed as individuals focused on their own injuries rather than group tactics.
"Now," Vorn called to his soldiers.
Ash, Dusk, Grain, Mire, Scarlet, and Saber manifested simultaneously, dividing the remaining creatures among themselves. Each soldier took a section of the chamber and began systematic elimination of the disabled enemies.
The cleanup took less than ten minutes. What should have been a challenging fight became a tactical exercise in applied physics and coordinated teamwork.
But when Vorn began absorbing the dead creatures, something different happened.
His usual absorption process expanded, pulling not just biological materials but fragments of something else - traces of consciousness, memory, intent. The power increase was immediate and noticeable, like adding high-quality fuel to an engine that had been running on basic gasoline.
"Soul fragments," the slime confirmed. "Your absorption capability just evolved. You can now extract and integrate pieces of their essential nature, not just their physical characteristics."
Vorn felt the change in his body - stronger muscles, sharper reflexes, enhanced sensory processing. But more importantly, he could sense tactical knowledge that had belonged to the creatures, understanding of coordination and group combat that hadn't been there before.
"One batch down," he said, checking his equipment. "Let's see what else this place has."
---
[Second Wave - Territorial Conflict]
The next chamber was chaos before they arrived. Werewolves and spiders were engaged in territorial warfare, both species fighting for control of hunting grounds with the kind of vicious intensity that left the floor covered in blood and broken carapaces.
When Vorn's group entered, both factions stopped their internal conflict and turned toward the new threat with unified hostility.
"Interesting," Scarlet observed. "They recognize us as a greater threat than each other."
Vorn placed his foot forward to charge into combat, and something shifted in his perception. Not just enhanced awareness, but a feeling of invulnerability against opponents at this level. Like his body and mind had synchronized into a state where defeat was temporarily impossible.
He charged forward anyway, and his speed increased beyond anything he'd achieved before. His thinking accelerated to match, processing combat information faster than conscious thought could follow.
Time seemed to lag as he danced through the first group of enemies in a flash, then the second, then the third. His movements were fluid, precise, efficient - more like a force of nature than individual combat techniques.
But just as he finished the last kill, their environment began changing.
---
[Boss Transformation]
The chamber walls shifted, expanding upward into a space that felt like a cathedral built for giants. Vorn's senses immediately recognized the change - this wasn't random dungeon architecture, but a boss room formation.
What emerged from the shadows was unlike anything he'd faced before.
A giant troll, but not the crude brute he'd fought in the underground facility. This creature moved with grace that ignored its massive size, carrying a katana-style weapon that looked custom-forged for its proportions. Every movement was controlled, precise, suggesting combat training rather than instinctual aggression.
The troll ignored Vorn completely and walked to a statue that hadn't been there moments before. Ancient stone carved in the shape of some forgotten warrior, positioned where it could oversee the entire chamber.
The troll knelt before the statue, bowed with formal respect, and stood up slowly.
Its aura exploded outward with such force that Vorn's enhanced senses were momentarily overwhelmed. This wasn't just a strong monster - it was something that had earned recognition from whatever power had created this dungeon space.
Vorn could see immediately that any mistake would lead to death. But more concerning, even avoiding mistakes might not be enough if his timing was wrong or his tactics inadequate.
There was no retreat option. The chamber had sealed itself when the boss appeared.
---
[Initial Engagement]
Instead of panicking, Vorn analyzed the situation tactically. The troll's size and weapon suggested certain limitations in attack patterns. If he could force it to fight in ways that negated its advantages...
He bent low, dropping his center of gravity to change the engagement parameters. From this position, the troll would be forced to limit its attacks to straight downward slashes or bending motions. Better than allowing it to fight with its full range of techniques.
But he underestimated his opponent.
The troll's speed wasn't just about ignoring its body weight - it had been enhanced beyond normal physics. When it moved, the air displaced around it in ways that suggested supernatural acceleration.
The katana came down faster than Vorn could evade, aimed at a spot where he would be rather than where he was.
It was the slime that saved him, throwing up a shadow barrier using darkness manipulation techniques. The barrier shattered on impact, but it bought precious seconds for Vorn to roll away from what would have been a killing blow.
His brain kicked into overdrive, processing combat information at speeds that caused physical stress. Instead of seeing things normally, he began perceiving real-time data streams - attack vectors, probability calculations, timing windows, structural weak points.
The effort was literally hurting him. Blood trickled from his eyes like tears as his enhanced nervous system pushed beyond safe operating parameters.
---
[Web Gambit]
While his brain was processing combat data, Vorn had been laying silk threads across the chamber in predetermined patterns. Not random placement, but calculated anchor points for advanced movement techniques.
When the monster vanished and reappeared behind him - exactly as his tactical analysis had predicted - he was ready.
He pulled himself with the silk threads, gaining momentum while changing direction mid-air. The troll, committed to its attack pattern, was briefly vulnerable during the repositioning phase.
Vorn struck while both of them were airborne, using his web leverage to deliver force that his muscles alone couldn't generate. The blow cracked the troll's defensive posture and opened a gap in its guard.
For a moment, he thought the fight might be winnable.
---
[Berserk Phase]
Instead of going down, the troll entered a state that was somehow worse than its previous aggression.
It sheathed its katana with deliberate calm, movements that suggested complete emotional control despite the damage it had taken. Then it slapped toward Vorn with terrifying casual force.
Vorn barely dodged, but the air pressure from the missed strike was enough to throw him against the chamber wall with bone-rattling impact.
He lay still against the stone, even though he had the strength to stand up. This was his last gamble - letting the enemy believe he was more injured than he actually was, buying time to plan a final approach.
The troll approached slowly, each footstep shaking dust from the ceiling. Its eyes showed intelligence that recognized deception but was confident enough in its superiority to indulge the prey's final attempt at survival.
Vorn gripped his dagger and prepared for whatever came next. His enhanced senses tracked the creature's approach while his tactical mind calculated odds that weren't encouraging.
But he'd survived worse situations by refusing to accept defeat until the moment consciousness ended.