The room was shrouded in gloom, barely lit by the flickering glow of a magical lamp swaying weakly from the ceiling. Three figures stood—an elite group sent to capture Kael—kneeling before an irregular throne forged of onyx and blackened silver.
The god who occupied it lounged with theatrical nonchalance, one leg crossed over the other, fingers toying with a handheld mirror of dark crystal that reflected only distortions. His eyes, a brilliant and mocking violet, blinked with irritation at the sight of them.
"Well?" he asked in a honeyed voice, though it carried a latent threat.
The dark-skinned woman at the front, her damaged magic net still hanging from her belt, bowed her head.
"We failed. The creature… escaped. It slipped through a crack too narrow even for us. We believe it descended to the middle floors."
A deadly silence followed.
The mirror stopped spinning.
Snap.
"Useless," Ikelos muttered, his smile vanishing for the first time. He stood in one fluid motion, his robe falling with supernatural elegance. His eyes gleamed with a cruel glint. "I gave you simple instructions: capture the phenomenon. And now… do I have to send Dix to clean up your mess?"
The woman didn't reply. The burliest of the group swallowed visibly.
"Bring him," Ikelos ordered without turning. "I want to speak with him now."
One of the men disappeared down a side passage, and after a few minutes, the leader of Ikelos's followers appeared: Dix Perdix, his arrogant stride and sunken, paranoid eyes unmistakable. A thick scar ran down his cheek.
"Once again, your whims slip through your fingers, my god?" Dix said with a crooked grin, though he knelt respectfully.
"Silence and listen," Ikelos interrupted, sitting back down. "I found something. Something that shouldn't exist. An echo with no source. A soul that obeys neither gods nor the rules of Falna."
Dix eyed him warily, but when the god tossed him the mirror, and the distortions reshaped into a gaunt silhouette with ember-red eyes and bloodied claws, his expression changed.
"What is that?"
"I don't know," Ikelos whispered, his eyes shining with feverish excitement. "I was peering into the Dungeon, looking for something interesting with my ability… even if it's sealed, I can still glimpse a little. And I saw it. An aberration. No blessing. No record. And it's absorbing abilities, Dix. As if it's mimicking the Falna itself."
Dix took a step back, absorbing the information.
"A creature… capable of replicating the abilities of the monsters it absorbs?"
"And possibly those of humans too," Ikelos added, thrilled. "I've never seen anything like it. I want to study it. I want to know what it is. What it can do. What it could become if no one stops it."
Dix nodded slowly. His grin returned, darker this time.
"Then I'll send more men. Hunters. We won't treat it like prey… but like a runaway experiment."
"And Dix…" Ikelos added, resting the mirror on his lap once more, "…if you can capture it alive… so be it. But if it resists…"
"Then we'll tear it apart. Piece by piece."
They both laughed.
The hunt had truly begun.
Back with Kael
The Dungeon's darkness was absolute.
Kael fell to his knees, gasping. The creatures around him lay dead, and his body vibrated with the energy he had just absorbed. Invisible blood flowed under his skin like liquid fire. Something inside him cracked, broke… or was released.
And then, he felt it.
A pulse in his chest. A foreign heartbeat. An invisible rift opened in the air before him, and the familiar distorted glow appeared:
[Condition met]
New ability partially unlocked:
Status: Partial – Emotional stability compromised
Passive ability in development…
Kael trembled. Not from cold, nor even from fear. But from recognition.
Something inside him was igniting. Something wild. Something uncontrollable.
His pupils dilated. His breathing quickened. For a few seconds, his mind was swept up in a storm of uncontrollable emotion: rage, pain, thirst… the desire to destroy.
But then, as if an invisible hand pulled his consciousness back, he returned to himself. He collapsed to the ground, sweaty, exhausted, gasping.
"No…" he murmured. "I won't become that…"
The pulse of the Dungeon beat through the walls like a primitive drum, in sync with Kael's trembling as Berserk's awakening still echoed through him. Every step felt heavier, clumsier… as if the ground pulled at his soul with invisible chains.
But he didn't stop.
He had to reach Rivira, and the only way was to go deeper… even if that meant passing through areas that were beyond reason for someone like him—half-formed, incomplete.
And so he arrived.
A low hum warned him of danger before he even saw the place. The Goliath's Chamber. A mythical point in the middle floors, where one of the most feared bosses—a monster created to test the most promising adventurers—was summoned by the Dungeon's own system.
Kael slipped silently through the stone cracks, his body pressed against a damp wall. There was a massive natural stone bridge at the edge of the chamber, and from there he could observe… without being seen.
The creature was already there.
The Goliath.
A mass of muscle, taller than any beast Kael had ever faced, its skin dark and glowing like solidified lava, roared with a sound that shook the walls. Each step it took felt like a seismic threat. Its eyes gleamed with primal fury.
And in front of it, surrounded by a squad of young adventurers bearing the Loki Familia insignia, stood her.
Lefiya Viridis.
The elf held her staff with both hands, hair flowing with each magical surge. Her face showed absolute concentration, lips whispering a runic chant that summoned spells of great power. Behind her, other novices tried to maintain formation while attacking from the flanks.
An explosion of light engulfed the room when one of Lefiya's spells struck the Goliath's arm, forcing it to stagger back a step.
"Don't lose rhythm! Cover the flanks!" shouted an authoritative voice from behind.
Kael turned his head.
Riveria Ljos Alf. The Wise Princess. The strategic heart of the Loki Familia. Her mere presence filled the chamber with an indescribable magical pressure. She stood on an elevation, watching the battle with calculated calm, ready to intervene… but she didn't. She was testing her group.
Kael held his breath.
Too close.
She was one of the few who could sense energy without seeing it, who might notice something strange from even a flicker of intent. Every rumor his fragmented mind remembered spoke of Riveria as a born spell-hunter.
And he… was no longer human.
Kael tried to move with extreme slowness, like a damp shadow along the jagged edges of the cavern. His hands, still trembling from Berserk, clung to the floor to avoid even the slightest noise.
But then, he felt it.
A gaze.
Cold. Precise. Piercing.
Riveria had turned her head just a few degrees. Her face showed no surprise or fear. Only mild suspicion. Her eyes scanned the shadows where Kael hid, as if sensing something… different. Something that didn't belong.
Kael froze.
If he moved even once… he was finished.
But then, a shout broke the tension.
"Lefiya! Now! Launch it!"
A blast of explosive light shot from the young elf's staff, striking the Goliath's torso directly. The monster's roar echoed throughout the chamber. Riveria turned her gaze back to the battle.
Kael seized the chance.
He slipped through a narrow passage that curved around the chamber, escaping the oppressive presence of both the Goliath… and Riveria.
He didn't look back.
But he knew that gaze… had felt something.
Maybe she didn't know what it was.
Maybe she dismissed it as a reflection.
Or maybe… she simply chose not to act.
For now.