Bari crouched atop a jagged coral outcrop, his figure half-hidden among the thorny branches. Below him, the clash of two nightmare creatures shook the barren reef, each blow rumbling through the stone like an earthquake. He had arrived in time to see the fight drag on far longer than it should have. That alone was shocking.
One was clearly stronger — the Depth Eater. His eyes scanning its name as it shimmered above its head in silver runes, sharp and menacing. The creature was a serpentine horror, a slick body coiling like a snake sculpted from liquid shadow. Its elongated torso rose upright on two sinewy arms, claws curling like cruel hooks. Rust-coloured fins flared down its spine and tail, rippling with every subtle movement. Its length stretched nearly forty meters. Rows of needle-like teeth gleamed in its split jaws, sharp enough to saw through coral and bone alike. A Fallen creature — dangerous, cunning, merciless.
Its opponent was only Awakened, the runes above it reading: Large Lottle. Towering on two legs, it resembled a monstrous axolotl carved from red coral and muscle. Its thick body radiated raw power, every arm corded with sinew. Blood-red gills flared along its neck like banners of war. Six arms sprouted from its torso — the upper two tipped with claws, the lower pairs gripping the ground with crushing force. Its mottled scales shimmered faintly, blending with the reef whenever it chose to vanish.
Both were demons, each housing three soul cores. Yet by rank alone, the Depth Eater should have overwhelmed its foe. And still, the battle remained undecided.
The Lottle had struck first, ambushing its prey by camouflaging into the coral wall until the serpent slid close enough. Surprise and footing on land gave the axolotl its initial edge over its two-limbed opponent. Even still, Bari could see the cracks. The Depth Eater was faster. It lacked the axolotl's bulk, but every movement carried refined precision. A higher rank meant more essence in every strike, and the difference bled through each exchange.
Bari leaned forward as the duel swelled to a crescendo.
The Depth Eater twisted, jaws snapping shut on one of the Lottle's six arms. Its teeth tore deep, ripping scaled flesh. The serpent shook the limb like a predator savouring meat, then tilted its head, studying the axolotl's grimace with cruel amusement.
From his perch, Bari smirked. He silently cheered for the axolotl's victory, but he respected the serpent's intelligence. It wasn't just fighting to kill — it was fighting to break its opponent's will, to bait its enemy into a reckless fury.
Sure enough, the Lottle's throat bulged. A guttural croak rumbled free, less a roar and more like tectonic plates grinding together in rage. The coral vibrated under Bari's boots, the sound rattling in his bones. Blood poured from the wounded limb as the beast hurled itself into a reckless charge, black sand scattering beneath its crimson steps.
The Depth Eater's tail whipped high, slicing the air as it surged to meet its aggressor. At the moment of impact, the serpent veered aside, ducking beneath the Lottle's swing and retaliating with claws that carved across the axolotl's pale underbelly, tearing soft flesh. Its true strike followed an instant later — its tail came crashing down like a hammer toward the creature's skull.
CRACK! The sound echoed through the reef like thunder. The Depth Eater's tail, used as a whip, delivered a devastating strike — the kind of blow capable of reducing even a Master into red paint on the ground.
The Lottle reeled, jerking its head at the last possible instant. Even so, the strike burst one of its eyes. Crimson blood poured down its cheek as cracks spidered across its armoured skull.
Bari's eyes viewed the scene with utmost clarity. The axolotl didn't falter. Its spiked tail lashed back in a brutal counter, splitting the Depth Eater's chest wide. The serrated edge tore through flesh, shredding one of the serpent's arms and collapsing one of its lungs.
Both monsters screamed — the Lottle in savage triumph, the Eater in a choking, ragged gag.
The Lottle steadied itself, chest heaving, its one remaining eye burning with primal fury. It lifted its head, preparing a victory roar, a distorted bellow that swelled in its throat like a storm breaking loose.
And then — steel flashed.
A spear streaked toward its face, slicing across its last remaining eye. A deep scar burned across the socket before the beast jerked away. Darkness claimed it.
The roar that followed was one of agony and rage rather than victory.
For an instant, the faint echo of rapid footsteps was heard as the attacker vanished into the shadows.
POV: Bari
The moment I foresaw the end, I was already moving. The Lottle's guard was wide open, drunk on triumph.
I leapt, Sunset arcing high before crashing down in a vicious slash across the axolotl's face. Its scales deflected the worst of the blow, sparks spitting where steel scraped armour, but the strike carved a burning line across its features. It wasn't the wound I sought — it was the eye. And in that instant, the creature's last vision was stolen, a scar seared deep as punishment for its negligence.
As I landed, I was already darting past the blinded axolotl. My true target writhed nearby, the Depth Eater choking on its own blood.
I didn't hesitate.
One clean swing — its head rolled across the sand.
[You have slain a Fallen Demon, Depth Eater.]
Black sand sprayed under my boots as the spell's voice echoed in my head. A grin stretched across my face. Behind me, the Lottle's blinded wails of agony and rage tore through the reef. They weren't frightening, they were more amusing than anything.
I couldn't waste time.
Kicking off the coral, I rushed straight at the wounded behemoth. The beast sensed me, instincts flaring. With a roar, it dropped onto all fours, several arms clutching its underbelly in defence. Its armoured tail whipped the air in a frenzy, striking with bone-crushing force.
But my eyes caught every motion. Time stretched thin and slowed to a crawl. The moment its crimson tail swept in a lethal arc, I sprang upward, landing square on the beast's broad back. The axolotl lurched, rising from all fours to its full height in a violent attempt to throw me off. But I was already braced, anticipation curling my lips into a grin. Every movement was exactly as I had foreseen — a creature of instinct, easy to read, manipulate, and exploit.
I had noticed it during the fight — the reason I wanted the Lottle to win was because it was not only the weaker of the two, but also the most predictable and manageable.
The Depth Eater, in all its collapsed glory, might not have seemed much of a threat compared to the Lottle, but that was only because the crimson axolotl could tank its strikes. The Eater was not the nimblest opponent, but it was cunning, and its killing weapon was unmatched: its tail.
Jumping from the Lottle's back, I replayed the moment in my mind — the devastating strike of the Depth Eater's tail. With a mere graze, it had split flesh and fractured armoured scales, tearing through its foe's skull as if it were brittle alloy. The serpent had turned its body into a living whip, moving with such ferocity the strike cracked the very air, a sound like the sky itself breaking. Against most opponents, that blow would have left nothing but a gaping hole in their chest long before they even realized they'd been struck.
I knew I could see that tail coming — and still be helpless against it. Unlike me, the axolotl had been able to endure it.
But that was all there was to it. While the Depth Eater was untouchable, the axolotl was unbearably slow in comparison, its only advantage being its defence. Now, with both eyes popped like balloons, it was left a sitting duck, waiting to be killed. And I would savour its last remaining breath.
The beast stood on its two feet, three arms wrapping protectively around its underbelly while two reached outward to ward off an attack.
I didn't need my Aspect to see the glaring flaw. The Depth Eater had done me a favour, crushing its skull and severing an arm. Its defences had holes — and my spear would find them.
I did not dash in straight away. I walked forward in silence, stooping to pick a black stone from the sand. Step by step, I closed in, then flicked my wrist. The stone clattered far to the right, echoing with a crunch.
The Lottle whipped its head toward the sound in haste — blind, desperate.
Perfect.
Its bloodied stump and exposed underbelly laid bare. I wasted no time, thrusting Sunset at blinding speed. The spear drove deep — scales, skin, and lung pierced in one ruthless strike.
I leapt back immediately as one of its remaining arms swept in a wide arc, gouging the reef wall with sparks. The swing missed, but its momentum carried it into a spin. Its tail whistled through the air, sweeping past my ducked head with a force that would have splattered me against the coral wall.
But I had already seen it. The moment its tail passed, I was dashing forward again, plunging my spear twice more into its guts in quick succession.
The axolotl howled, or tried to — its lungs were already drowning in blood, its arteries shredded with perfect precision.
Leaping back, I watched the creature collapse, black dust rising around its bulk. My eyes locked onto its one destroyed eye and watched the life leave it with a twitch.
[You have slain an Awakened Demon, Large Lottle.][You have received an Attribute.]
As a smile tugged at my lips, it was instantly wiped it away as my eyes scanned the reef for any other threats.
Sure enough, nightmare creatures converged, drawn by the sound of battle.
Muttering a curse, I rushed back to the Depth Eater's corpse. A spear thrust split its chest, spilling dark blood and exposing three glowing soul shards. Heat rolled off them like smouldering embers. My fists smashed two, and the third slipped into my Deceiving Pouch.
Then to the axolotl. Sunset clattered to the ground as I bent, heaving. The carcass weighed several tons, but when I shoved, it rolled with shocking ease. My arms trembled. My heart raced.
'Stronger… I'm stronger? Was it the soul shards?'
The thought burned, but I shoved it aside. Time was short.
I crushed three more shards within the axolotl's chest and carved several pounds of meat for my pouch. The Depth Eater's body was mostly sinew and bone — poor nutrition compared to the axolotl.
By the time I climbed back to my perch, crab-like scavengers had swarmed the carcasses. Runes glimmered above their shells: Carapace Scavenger.
Bari frowned, muttering aloud."Can't these freeloaders find their own prey…?"
Still, he shook his head. 'Guess they need it more than me.'
The fight had lasted barely ten minutes. The dream realms sun still hung low, flooding the reef with morning light. Bari still had the whole day to feast and draw essence.
He glanced at his runes:
Name: BariTrue Name: Will-BornRank: DreamerSoul Core: DormantFragments: [157/1000]Memories: [Strider's Earrings], [Knight Armour 24], [Deceiving Pouch], [Sunset]
'Fifty fragments in a day, huh? Easier than I thought… and no injuries either. Better rewards than expected.'
A shimmer of new runes drew his eyes:Attributes: [Flames of Divinity], [The Fire], [Unique Being], [Divine Protection], [Strength II]
Strength II…
This was his innate ability — Unique Being. It granted him attributes of beings he killed. Strong, but chance-based. He had gained one from the Lottle, but not from the Eater.
Still, it confirmed what he had suspected as he thought back to the attributes the two creatures possessed.
Large Lottle: [Resistance III], [Strength II], [Absorption III]Depth Eater: [Strength II], [Nimble III], [Resistance I]
He could only smile darkly. The Strength attribute had already made him stronger than he realized. Another one, and it would ascend a rank — [Strength III.]
By the time Bari reached his coral refuge, he had already gathered driftwood and seaweed.
It took him fifteen minutes to coax a flame to life. The axolotl meat roasted, sizzling as rich scents filled the reef.
By the time he finished, Bari put everything into his pouch before climbing into his makeshift home.
Hours passed as he ate and absorbed essence, one hand holding meat, the other pressed to the insides of the coral.
When the sun reached its peak, he checked his runes again — and froze.
Soul Fragments: [943/1000]
"Come on…" His fingers twitched.
"998… 999… 1000!"
His voice cracked with triumph.
Then the spell whispered.
[Your Soul Core is overflowing with power.][Your Soul Core is taking shape.]
Bari staggered, clutching his chest. His eyes widened, unfocused.
A heat started bubbling up inside Bari's chest, it did not feel physical, more spiritual than anything else. Bari's soul had reached a critical point, and then exploded. It felt as though his core was being torn apart, drowning him with intense, indescribable pain. Disoriented and frightened, he tried to scream, but no sound came out of his mouth.
Something clawed outward from his soul, shredding it apart. Bari knew he couldn't stop it. All he could do was endure.
As his body writhed on the coral floor, the Spell whispered again:
[…Your Soul Core is complete.]
[You have received an attribute.]