"So," Sarah began, breaking the silence in the now dim chamber, "your power doesn't just copy. It can absorb fundamental properties from... things? Energy signatures?" She touched the now dull crystal. "This changes everything we thought about Dungeons. And about you."
Aarav shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Yeah, well, I told you it was annoying. Always doing weird stuff."
"Annoying, yes. But also, potentially game-breaking," Sarah countered, a glint of strategic thought in her eyes. "If Dungeons hold more of these 'Resonance Crystals,' and if your Adaptation can pull skills from them... that's a massive advantage. No one else can do that."
[SARAH ANDERSON]
[SCANNING: DUNGEON LAYOUT]
"The path continues deeper," Sarah announced, pointing towards another dark corridor. "We should finish this Rank 1. We need the XP, and who knows what else we might find."
Aarav groaned. "More walking. More dark, smelly corridors."
"Less whining, more walking," Sarah shot back, already moving.
They pushed on. The Shadow Blights became a little more frequent, sometimes appearing in groups of three. Aarav's [DUNGEON RESONANCE] slowly but surely nudged his EP up, making a small difference. He relied more on Sarah's [LASER PULSES] and [FORCE FIELDS] at first, saving his own Adaptation for when he truly needed it.
When a group of four Blights cornered them in a wider cave, Aarav quickly adapted Sarah's [ENERGY SHOCKWAVE] again, pushing them back. He followed up with a focused [LASER PULSE], while Sarah efficiently dispatched the others.
[AARAV SHARMA]
[LEVEL: 3 (550/1000 XP)]
[EP: 25/50] (slowly rising)
[SARAH ANDERSON]
[LEVEL: 1 (180/1000 XP)]
"Getting better," Sarah commented as the last Blight dissolved. "Still messy, but faster."
Finally, they reached a large, open space that seemed to be the end of the dungeon. In the center, a larger, darker version of the Shadow Blight pulsed with an angry red aura.
[HOSTILE ENTITY: SHADOW LORDLING (LEVEL 5 - MINI-BOSS)]
"Oh, great. Another boss," Aarav muttered, readying himself. "And my EP just barely recovered."
The Shadow Lordling was faster and hit harder than the regular Blights. It phased through some of Sarah's [LASER PULSES].
"It's phasing!" Sarah yelled. "My direct energy attacks aren't as effective!"
Aarav quickly scanned his memory. Phasing. How did the Martial Artist fight the Scarabs? Physical hits. Aarav still hadn't adapted any direct melee combat skills.
He looked at Sarah, then at his own options. He needed a reliable physical attack. He saw a faint shimmer around the Shadow Lordling as it phased, a tiny disruption in the air. It's a temporary effect. It needs energy to phase.
He focused on the disruption, not the phase itself. He needed to adapt something that could interfere with energy.
[ADAPTATION: ENERGY DISRUPTION (TEMPORARY MIMICRY) - ACTIVE]
[COST: 18 EP]
[DURATION: 7 SECONDS]
Aarav extended his hand. An invisible wave hit the Shadow Lordling. Its shadowy form flickered violently, and its phasing stopped. It solidified.
"Now!" Aarav yelled.
Sarah immediately launched a barrage of [LASER PULSES]. Without its phasing, the Lordling took full damage. Aarav followed up with his own [LASER PULSE], then, with a surge of frustration, he picked up a loose, sharp stone from the ground and hurled it at the creature. It bounced off harmlessly.
The Shadow Lordling roared, but it was already too late. Sarah's continuous [LASER PULSES] brought it down. It dissolved into a larger cloud of dark dust.
[SHADOW LORDLING (LEVEL 5) DEFEATED]
[DUNGEON CLEARED: THE SUNDERED RUINS (RANK 1)]
[XP GAINED: 500]
[LOOT: 1x SHADOW CORE (RARE), 1x COMMON SKILL BOOK: MINOR ENERGY SHIELD]
[AARAV SHARMA]
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 4]
[XP: 0/1500]
[HP: 100/100, EP: 15/50, SP: 100/100]
[GAINED: 1 ATTRIBUTE POINT, 5 EP, 5 SP]
[SARAH ANDERSON]
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 2]
[XP: 0/1000]
[HP: 100/100, EP: 30/50, SP: 100/100]
[GAINED: 1 ATTRIBUTE POINT, 5 EP, 5 SP]
Aarav breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally."
Sarah picked up the loot. "A 'Shadow Core' is good. We can use that for higher-level crafting. And a skill book for me!" She grinned, then quickly absorbed the [COMMON SKILL BOOK: MINOR ENERGY SHIELD]. "This is better than the basic [FORCE FIELD]," she explained. "More durable, less EP drain."
[SARAH ANDERSON LEARNED: MINOR ENERGY SHIELD]
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: DUNGEON CLEAR BONUS: 10 HOURS ADDED TO BREAK PERIOD. TOTAL TIME REMAINING: 10 DAYS, 10 HOURS.]
"Ten extra hours!" Aarav said, a rare note of genuine pleasure in his voice. "Nice. Now can we go home? I'm starving."
Sarah gave him a look. "Already? We just got here." But she didn't argue. They had a lot to discuss. The Resonance Crystal, the new [DUNGEON RESONANCE] skill, and the fact that Dungeons were clearly more than they appeared.
As they walked back through the portal, leaving the ominous ruins behind, Aarav felt the familiar, jarring shift back to his street in Nagpur. The sun was setting, painting the sky in fiery oranges and purples.
"Okay, Sharma," Sarah said, once they were safely back on the familiar pavement, "we need to talk strategy. And I need a shower. My place or yours?"
Aarav stared at her. "Yours. Definitely yours. My mom is probably still freaking out."