The air inside the hidden passage was thick with dust and the scent of something old something that had been sealed away for too long.
Aeron stepped forward, his boots barely making a sound against the worn stone floor. Behind him, Lena followed, her breaths steady but controlled.
"This place shouldn't exist," she muttered.
Aeron glanced at her. "And yet, here we are."
The tunnel sloped downward, the walls lined with faint, ancient markings symbols Aeron didn't recognize. Not just dungeon script, but something older. The deeper they went, the colder it became. The oppressive weight of the underground pressing against his senses.
A faint hum vibrated through the stone. The dungeon was awake.
"We need to move fast," Lena said. "If Orion's already on his way, we don't have much time."
Aeron nodded. The relic was here, and if it was connected to Nyxus, he couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands.
They walked in silence, their surroundings shifting. The tunnel widened into a cavernous chamber, and for a moment, Aeron thought they had entered an open ruin.
Then he saw the remains.
Scattered across the floor were bones twisted, broken, and too fresh to belong to the original explorers.
Lena swore under her breath. "We're not alone."
Aeron drew his dagger, muscles tensing. The silence wasn't natural. Something was watching them.
Then, a shadow moved.
A deep, guttural snarl echoed through the chamber. Something big. Something hunting.
And then it struck.
---
The snarl reverberated through the cavern, bouncing off the jagged walls. Aeron moved on instinct.
Step left. Pivot. Blade up.
Something massive lunged from the shadows. He caught a glimpse of pale, sinewy flesh, elongated limbs, and a mouth filled with too many teeth.
Lena cursed and dove to the side as the creature slammed into the ground between them, stone shattering under its weight.
Aeron barely had time to react before it whipped around, its hollow eyes locking onto him.
It wasn't just a dungeon beast. This thing had been here for a long time.
And it was hungry.
Aeron gritted his teeth and activated his system's analysis.
> [Unknown Entity Detected]
Name: ???
Threat Level: A-Class (Mutated)
Abilities: Enhanced Speed | Adaptive Regeneration | ???
He barely had time to register the information before it lunged again.
Aeron dodged, rolling to the side as clawed fingers raked across the air where his throat had been.
Lena fired a shot from her sidearm, the bullet hitting its shoulder with a sickening thud.
The creature barely flinched.
"Great," she muttered. "Bullets are useless."
Aeron tightened his grip on his dagger. If physical attacks weren't enough, then he'd have to get creative.
Nyxus' voice rumbled in his mind, amused.
"Try harder, Aeron. Or are you going to die here?"
Aeron's eyes narrowed. Not a chance.
He lunged forward. This time, he wasn't running. He was attacking.
---
Aeron surged forward, his blade flashing in the dim light.
The creature hissed, its hollow eyes narrowing as if recognizing a true threat. It twisted unnaturally, its elongated limbs bending in ways that shouldn't be possible.
Lena fired again this time aiming for the creature's knee. The bullet hit home, staggering it slightly. But the moment was brief. The wound sealed almost instantly.
Regeneration.
Aeron clicked his tongue in frustration. If conventional attacks weren't enough, then
Nyxus' voice rumbled in his mind.
"Strike deeper. It's not just flesh you need to cut."
Aeron's grip tightened around his dagger. Deeper?
The monster lunged. This time, Aeron didn't dodge.
Instead, he stepped inside its attack, lowering his stance. The claws barely missed his head as he drove his dagger into its ribcage then twisted.
A sickening screech tore from the creature's throat.
It felt that.
The wound pulsed with something dark, something almost alive. The monster staggered backward, its regeneration faltering.
Lena's eyes widened. "What the hell did you do?"
Aeron pulled his dagger free. Its blade was darker than before, a faint energy humming around it.
Nyxus chuckled.
"You're starting to understand. Now finish it."
The creature lunged again, but this time Aeron was ready.
---
The creature shrieked, its elongated limbs convulsing as it stumbled backward. The wound Aeron inflicted pulsed, black veins spreading outward from where his dagger had pierced its flesh.
It was working. The regeneration was failing.
Lena reloaded her gun, her sharp eyes flicking between Aeron and the monster. "That blade of yours whatever you just did keep doing it."
Aeron didn't need to be told twice.
The mutated beast roared and lunged again, but this time, Aeron met its attack head-on. He twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding a clawed swipe, then drove his dagger deep into its abdomen.
The moment the blade sank in, the energy surrounding it flared.
The creature convulsed violently, its hollow eyes widening in pain.
This power… it's different.
Aeron yanked the dagger free and slashed again, this time across its chest. The black energy left a lingering mark, burning through its flesh like acid.
The monster shrieked and stumbled back, its body twitching unnaturally.
Nyxus' voice rumbled in his mind, a mix of approval and intrigue.
"Do you feel it, Aeron? The power of a fallen god… it resonates with you."
Aeron exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on the dagger. This wasn't just ordinary weaponry anymore this was something deeper. Something connected to Nyxus.
Lena took a step closer, her gaze fixed on the fading wounds. "That energy… it's stopping its healing. That means we have a chance."
The creature snarled, its form trembling as its body mutated further.
New spikes burst from its back, its arms extending unnaturally, its hollow eyes glowing with a dangerous red light.
Lena cursed. "Never mind. I think we pissed it off."
Aeron clenched his jaw. He wasn't backing down. Not now.
"Then break it, Aeron. Show me your resolve."
The mutated beast charged.
And Aeron met it with everything he had.
---
The mutated beast charged with reckless fury, its elongated limbs blurring as it closed the distance. The spikes protruding from its back shimmered with an unnatural glow, pulsing with raw energy.
Aeron barely had time to brace himself before it swung a clawed hand straight for his throat.
Too fast!
He twisted his body at the last second, barely avoiding the attack as he felt the air shift violently beside him. Even a glancing hit would have been fatal.
Lena opened fire, her bullets striking the creature's exposed side. But this time, the bullets didn't just pierce its flesh they ricocheted off.
Aeron's eyes narrowed. The mutation hardened its body…
Lena gritted her teeth. "It's adapting."
The creature swung again. Aeron ducked low, his instincts screaming at him to counterattack.
But Nyxus' voice cut through his thoughts.
"Wait. Watch."
Aeron hesitated for only a split second, but it was enough to see what Nyxus meant.
The beast wasn't just attacking mindlessly it was predicting their movements. Its body twitched before each attack, adjusting its strikes based on Aeron's positioning.
It had learned.
Lena cursed as she reloaded. "This thing's evolving faster than I've ever seen."
Aeron's grip on his dagger tightened.
If brute force wouldn't be enough… then he had to outthink it.
He took a slow step back, adjusting his stance. The creature snarled, crouching low, watching him with those burning red eyes. It was waiting for him to act first.
Nyxus' voice hummed with amusement.
"It believes itself superior. Let it think that."
Aeron exhaled. Then, he made his move.
He lunged forward but at the last moment, he feinted. Instead of striking head-on, he shifted his weight and slid underneath the creature's arm, aiming for its exposed ribcage.
His dagger sank in deep.
A guttural scream tore from the monster's throat as black energy pulsed violently from the wound. Unlike before, the corruption didn't stop it spread, creeping through its body like wildfire.
The beast spasmed, its entire form convulsing violently.
Lena's eyes widened. "What the hell?"
Aeron didn't hesitate. He twisted the dagger deeper, and the creature's body locked up, stiff as stone.
The glowing spikes along its back dimmed, its monstrous strength faltering.
Nyxus chuckled darkly.
"Now...breakit."
Aeron gritted his teeth and yanked the dagger upward in a brutal slash.
The creature let out a final, ear-piercing shriek before its body collapsed inward, dark veins bursting outward before disintegrating into ash.
Silence.
Only the faint hum of the dagger remained, its blade still pulsing with the remnants of stolen power.
Aeron stood over the ashes, his breath heavy.
Lena holstered her gun, exhaling sharply. "Okay. That was… different." She eyed the dagger warily. "And so was that. What the hell did you just do?"
Aeron studied the weapon in his grip. It felt heavier. More alive.
Nyxus' voice was low, almost pleased.
"You are beginning to understand, Aeron. But this is only the beginning."
Aeron exhaled slowly, his thoughts racing. If he could do this… what else was waiting to be unlocked?
Lena crossed her arms. "Next time, let's not fight something that gets stronger every time we hit it."
Aeron let out a dry chuckle. "Agreed."
But deep down, he knew this fight was a warning.
The dungeons were evolving. And so was he.
---