Aeron stared at the glowing system screen before him, his pulse steady despite the tension that still clung to the air. The Abyssal Hound's corpse lay motionless at his feet, its three red eyes dimmed, its grotesque form slowly dissolving into the dungeon's ambient energy.
[Boss Defeated.]
[Analyzing…]
[Choose Your Reward.]
Three options materialized before him, each radiating its own ominous presence:
1. Abyssal Core Fragment - A piece of the Abyssal Hound's power, capable of strengthening the user's physical attributes permanently.
2. Predator's Instinct – An ability that enhances battle awareness, allowing the user to anticipate attacks more effectively.
3. Echo of the Abyss – A skill imbued with abyssal energy, granting temporary access to shadow-based abilities.
Nyxus's voice rumbled in his mind, laced with intrigue. "Interesting choices. But choose wisely, boy. Power always comes with a price."
Aeron exhaled, his body still aching from the fight. Each option held its own appeal, but he didn't have time to debate. He needed something that would give him an immediate edge.
Predator's Instinct
As soon as he made his choice, a surge of energy coursed through his veins. His vision momentarily blurred before sharpening, his senses heightening to an almost unnatural degree. The subtle shift of air, the faintest sounds everything around him felt clearer, more vivid.
[Ability Acquired: Predator's Instinct.]
Aeron clenched his fist, testing the newfound sensation. The ability wasn't just reflex enhancement—it was a fundamental recalibration of how he perceived battle.
"A decent choice," Nyxus mused. "It will serve you well. But remember this world does not reward hesitation. Only strength."
Aeron ignored him, turning his attention to Kael. The warrior had managed to prop himself against the cavern wall, his breathing heavy but steady.
"You still alive?" Aeron asked.
Kael gave a dry chuckle. "Barely. That thing nearly tore you apart."
Aeron glanced at the fading remains of the Abyssal Hound. "Yeah. But it's dead now."
Kael pushed himself up, wincing slightly. "So, what now?"
Aeron hesitated. He hadn't forgotten why he was here. This dungeon was supposed to be a simple test an opportunity to gain experience and resources while staying under the radar. But now, with a corrupted beast, a system reward unlike anything he'd seen before, and Nyxus's cryptic warnings, things were far more complicated than he had anticipated.
And then there was his true goal.
He clenched his jaw. He still didn't know how many dungeon bosses he would need to defeat before he could find what he was looking for the cure for his sister's condition. But he was certain now that the answers lay deeper in the abyss.
"We move," Aeron finally said, sheathing his sword. "This was just the beginning."
Kael exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Because that was so easy."
Aeron smirked slightly before motioning for them to leave. He had a feeling that whatever came next would be even more dangerous.
But that was fine. He had no intention of stopping now.
---
Aeron and Kael moved through the darkened corridors of the dungeon, the remnants of the battle still fresh in their minds. The walls pulsed with an eerie blue glow, the mana-infused veins within the stone casting ghostly reflections on the damp floor.
Despite his exhaustion, Aeron could feel the subtle changes within him. Predator's Instinct wasn't just a passive skill it was active, constantly fine-tuning his perception. The softest echoes of movement, the faintest shifts in air pressure, the barely noticeable tension in Kael's stance—it was all so clear now.
"Your body is adjusting," Nyxus murmured in his mind. "But the real test will come when you're against something far more cunning than a mindless beast."
Aeron ignored him. He was already scanning the path ahead. They had barely taken ten steps when he felt it—something was off.
"Wait," Aeron said, holding out a hand.
Kael stopped immediately, his own instincts honed from years of battle. "What is it?"
Aeron narrowed his eyes, focusing. The corridor was too quiet. The usual hum of mana was dampened, almost as if something had siphoned the energy from the space ahead.
Then, the temperature dropped.
Aeron barely had time to react before shadows erupted from the walls.
A blur of darkness shot toward them silent, lethal. Aeron twisted, narrowly avoiding the jagged claws that sliced through the space where his head had been a second ago.
Kael wasn't so lucky.
A sharp crack echoed through the corridor as the warrior was thrown against the stone wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Aeron didn't hesitate—his blade was already out, slicing toward the shadowy figure that had ambushed them.
His sword met nothing.
The figure melted into the darkness, vanishing like smoke.
Aeron's mind raced. A phantom-class entity? No… something else.
"Kael!" he called out.
"I'm fine," the warrior grunted, pushing himself up, his eyes sharp despite the pain. "What the hell was that?"
Before Aeron could respond, the shadows moved again.
This time, they took form.
A humanoid figure stepped forward, emerging from the darkness like a wraith. Its body was covered in sleek, obsidian-like armor, its face hidden beneath a featureless mask. But what drew Aeron's attention the most was the sigil glowing faintly on its chest.
A mark of the higher-tier organizations.
Kael cursed. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Aeron tightened his grip on his blade, his mind already working through the implications.
This wasn't just another dungeon entity.
Someone had sent this thing.
And that meant someone knew he was here.
---
Aeron kept his stance low, his blade angled, waiting for the shadowy figure to make its next move. Kael, still recovering from the impact, steadied himself beside him. The dim glow of the dungeon pulsed around them, casting long, shifting shadows that made it even harder to track their enemy.
"This one is different," Nyxus murmured in Aeron's mind. "Not just a dungeon entity. Something else is controlling it."
Aeron had already come to the same conclusion.
The masked warrior before them wasn't an ordinary monster. The sigil on its chest burned with arcane energy, a mark of a higher-tier organization.
That alone meant trouble.
With no warning, the figure lunged.
Aeron reacted on instinct. He twisted, raising his blade just in time to deflect the razor-sharp dagger that shot toward his throat. Sparks flew as metal scraped against metal. The force behind the attack was immense—far greater than any dungeon creature Aeron had faced so far.
Kael roared, driving his greatsword downward in a brutal arc. The masked figure vanished—a shadow dissolving into the darkness—before materializing a few meters away, completely unfazed.
"Fast," Kael growled.
"More than that," Aeron muttered, narrowing his eyes.
The entity wasn't just dodging—it was phasing.
Nyxus hummed in Aeron's mind. "It's an artificial enhancement. Whoever sent this assassin has fused dark-type mana with spatial manipulation."
That explained why Aeron's blade had cut through nothing earlier. This thing wasn't just moving quickly—it was disrupting space itself.
The assassin attacked again.
Aeron shifted, dodging a second dagger swipe aimed at his ribs. He countered immediately, activating Shadow Rend, his blade carving through the air in a dark arc.
The assassin flickered—almost as if trying to phase again—but this time, Aeron's attack landed.
A sharp crack split the air as the masked figure staggered back, a dark gash tearing through its armor.
Aeron didn't let up.
He surged forward, following up with a rapid combination of strikes. Every movement was precise, exploiting the slight delay in the assassin's phasing ability. His Predator's Instinct kicked in, reading his enemy's patterns, adjusting for the milliseconds of hesitation before it could vanish again.
Kael saw the opening and took it.
With a fierce battle cry, he swung his greatsword in a horizontal slash—too powerful to dodge completely. The assassin phased, but not fast enough. The blade grazed its side, drawing dark liquid from beneath its armor.
For the first time, the figure hesitated.
Aeron caught it—the briefest flicker of uncertainty in its stance.
"It's assessing its options," Nyxus said. "You wounded it. That wasn't supposed to happen."
Aeron smirked. "Then let's show it what happens when plans fall apart."
Without hesitation, he activated Phantom Step, his body flickering as he moved at impossible speed. The assassin barely had time to react before Aeron was behind it.
His blade sank deep.
A low, distorted hiss escaped the assassin as dark mist oozed from the wound.
For a moment, Aeron thought he had won.
Then, something shifted.
The assassin twisted unnaturally, ignoring the blade buried in its torso. Its free hand snapped up, grabbing Aeron by the wrist.
The temperature plummeted.
Aeron gasped as ice-cold energy surged through his veins, numbing his muscles, freezing his mana flow. His system screamed in warning.
Kael moved to intervene, but the assassin's other hand shot out, releasing a pulse of dark energy that sent him flying back.
Aeron's vision blurred.
His body felt like it was being drained—his own energy siphoned away through the assassin's grip. His knees buckled.
"This isn't good," Nyxus hissed. "Break free. NOW."
Aeron clenched his jaw, forcing himself to move despite the numbing sensation crawling through his limbs. He focused every ounce of strength he had left and
Activated Abyssal Surge.
Dark energy erupted around him, shattering the assassin's hold in an instant.
Aeron staggered back, sucking in a sharp breath. His vision swam, but he wasn't down yet.
Across from him, the assassin stilled.
Then, with a low whisper of shifting shadows, it stepped backward ,vanishing into the darkness.
A retreat.
Aeron's breath came hard and fast. His grip tightened around his blade. "It's gone?"
Kael pushed himself up, shaking his head. "For now. But that thing wasn't fighting to kill us, it was testing us."
Aeron knew Kael was right.
And that realization sent a chill down his spine.
Because if someone had sent that assassin just to test him
It meant they were only getting started.
---