Their steps halted in a wide chamber, the walls reflecting a bluish glow from luminous stones embedded in every corner. A dense aura filled the air, making Darwin's breath feel heavy. In the center of the room stood a large, anciently carved chest, guarded by a monstrous creature.
The figure lay still, but its body was grotesque—nearly four meters tall with bulging muscles and skin stitched crudely together as if made from the parts of other creatures. Its closed eyes slowly opened… The troll rose.
Darwin swallowed hard.
"A creature like this… has never been defeated before?"
Zero shook his head. "Never. This dungeon has never been conquered. And at its deepest point… there's something far worse. But this one alone was enough to trap me here for years."
Darwin took a deep breath and shouted, "Then it's time to set you free."
The troll roared, its bellow shaking the chamber. It charged forward.
Darwin activated [Intimidation], but...
[Skill Failed. Power difference too great.]
"This is bad," Darwin muttered, just before the troll's massive fist smashed into the ground and hurled him backward.
"Darwin!" Zero shouted.
"I'm fine," Darwin replied as he rose slowly, blood trickling down his temple, but his body still steady.
"[Bone Strength] is a real lifesaver."
Suddenly, Darwin vanished. He had activated [Stealth], slipping into the shadows and darting behind the troll. With his serpent dagger, he slashed a deep wound across its back. The creature howled, black blood spurting—but the wound closed again.
"He's regenerating?!" Darwin exclaimed.
Zero nodded. "Go for the core. If you don't, he won't die."
Darwin tried to target the weak point, but the troll counterattacked. With a sweep of its arm, it unleashed a blast of wind that slammed into Darwin. The troll let out a deafening roar.
"MY EARS!!!" Darwin screamed, clutching his head.
Zero moved swiftly. Flesh armor flowed from his body and wrapped around Darwin. "We're moving to Plan B. I'll assist with [Parasite Armor], but it only lasts five minutes. Use that time wisely."
Darwin grinned. "Five minutes is more than enough. Let's make him beg for mercy."
With enhanced speed and strength, Darwin shot forward like a bullet. His fist slammed into the troll's jaw, sending it reeling. But the troll wasn't done. It lifted a massive stone and hurled it, filling the air with dust.
Darwin dashed through the dust like a shadow, driving his dagger into the troll's chest. The troll thrashed, flailing wildly and crashing into the wall, but Darwin dodged with incredible agility, leaping onto its shoulder and punching its eye.
Yet the wound healed again.
"I'm so done with this regeneration!!" Darwin snarled.
The troll went berserk, grabbing Darwin and slamming him into the ground. Cracks spread from the impact. Darwin coughed blood.
"Darwin!?" Zero called out, panicked.
"I… I'm still alive…"
The troll moved in to finish him, but Darwin raised a hand and ordered Zero to extract the core from its body. Suddenly, a light flared from within the troll. The core had been absorbed.
The troll groaned… but stood back up.
"Why is it still alive?" Darwin asked.
Zero froze, then his eyes widened. "It… has two cores!"
The troll began to convulse, its wounds closing again. Its body grew larger and faster.
"If you don't absorb the second core now, it'll fully recover!" Zero yelled.
"Wait… If I absorb it now, I could get a skill. But… I might also suffer excruciating pain… or get nothing…" Darwin said.
Zero grit his teeth. "If you get nothing, fine. But if you do get a skill, your brain will be overwhelmed, and you'll lose focus—we're both dead."
Darwin paused, then grinned wildly. "Then… let's gamble. Absorb it, Zero. I'll hold him off."
Zero looked at him. "...Alright, partner."
Zero formed a mouth and swallowed the core.
A sound like molten metal being devoured by lava echoed in the room.
Darwin's body jolted as wild energy surged through every nerve. His muscles tightened. Bones cracked—then realigned. His eyes turned red, blood flowing from his nose and ears.
[New Skill Acquired: Body Strength]
But at that moment, the troll smashed Darwin into a wall. Zero screamed, "DARWIN!"
But… Darwin stood again.
His eyes gleamed sharply. A feral grin stretched across his face. His breathing was deep… and calm.
"Finally… the pain stopped. This feels... refreshing," Darwin said with a relaxed tone, but his gaze was that of a beast unleashed.
Zero sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that, idiot!"
"Sorry… but now it's time to really kill him."
Darwin surged forward, every step cracking the stone floor. His first punch slammed into the troll's chest, sending it flying. It tried to get up, but Darwin was already there, leaping onto its head and smashing it into the ground.
Zero summoned his energy, growing flesh from the floor to pin the troll in place.
The troll roared… but couldn't move.
With heavy breaths, Darwin raised his fist one final time.
"THIS ENDS NOW!"
The punch tore the second core from the troll's body.
BOOM!
The troll went still. And his body collapsed, dead.
Silence filled the chamber.
Darwin collapsed, panting. "Finally… it's down…"
Zero looked on in awe. "You're completely insane."
"But alive, right?" Darwin smiled.
Zero snorted. "For now."
After the giant Troll was truly defeated, Zero wasted no time. He quickly absorbed both of its cores.
Darwin's body instantly tensed, and a wave of pain surged through him like a tsunami. "AAARGHH!" Darwin screamed loudly, clutching his head. His muscles throbbed violently, and it felt as if the blood in his body was boiling.
"DARWIN! JUST HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER!!" Zero shouted while keeping watch around them.
Darwin's body dropped to his knees, trembling, but then… he laughed.
"Heh… Hahahaha… HAHAHAHA!"
Zero looked at him warily. "Are you—okay?"
Darwin lifted his head. His eyes glowed with a new fire, and his wounds began to heal naturally.
"I got it…" he muttered through heavy breaths. "Regeneration skill. I can heal… like the Troll."
Zero's jaw dropped, then he shook his head with a grin. "You're seriously lucky… That's the fourth time you've gained a skill from a core I absorbed. The odds of that are insanely low. It's like the world itself is rigged in your favor…"
Darwin grinned. "Well… that's what a cheat is for, right?"
Zero just chuckled quietly. "You bastard."
Darwin stood and looked toward the center of the room, where a majestic chest stood tall. It was adorned with skull ornaments that shimmered with a faint red glow. A sinister aura surrounded it, as if opening it might unleash something straight from hell.
"All right… time to open our reward." Darwin stepped forward and slowly lifted the chest lid.
A soft click echoed. Its contents made Darwin's eyes light up:
A purple fruit shaped like an apple, with a strange aura wafting off its skin.
A sparkling blue skill crystal labeled "Speed."
A skull-themed dagger, with a pitch-black blade and mysterious carvings.
A small herbal plant, radiating a gentle natural energy.
An artifact in the shape of a small shield, made of antique metal etched with foreign runes.
And lastly, a pile of gleaming gold coins.
"This… is a jackpot!" Darwin exclaimed with a wide smile.
"Is this a fruit?" Darwin asked, holding up the purple apple.
Zero eyed it and replied, "That's a 'Sensory Fruit.' It boosts one of your senses at random—sight, hearing, smell, touch… but no way to know which. Risky, but the effect is incredible."
"And this?" Darwin pointed to the herbal plant.
Zero shrugged. "No idea. I don't have much data on plants. But if we hold onto it, it might come in handy."
Darwin nodded and picked up the small shield.
"Try dropping your blood on the artifact," Zero suggested.
As Darwin pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the shield, it immediately glowed and was absorbed into his body. A warm sensation flowed through him.
"What just happened?"
"That artifact is now embedded inside you," Zero explained. "It'll summon an energy shield to block one lethal attack. But… it has a one-day cooldown. So think of it as an extra life."
Darwin cheered, "Ha! Like getting a 1-up! I love it!"
But as he looked at the pile of items, Darwin looked puzzled.
"Now… where do we store all of this?"
Zero looked up casually. "Leave that to my stomach."
Darwin immediately stepped back. "Are you crazy? You're going to eat this stuff?"
Zero sighed. "Oh, come on—not literally. I can store items inside my body. Like a personal storage space. But it's limited. If it gets too full, it can affect my combat performance."
Darwin stroked his chin. "Hmm… like a portable inventory, huh? All right, keep the important stuff for now. I'll carry the rest."
Zero nodded and slowly absorbed the items Darwin pointed out into his body.
Darwin looked around the room once more. The signs of their battle were still evident: blood, cracks, and the slowly rotting corpse of the Troll. But amidst the chaos, they had won. And more than that—they had grown stronger.
With a deep breath, Darwin looked ahead. "Alright, let's get out of here alive."