Elias continued his descent into Level 2, the air growing heavier, smelling of minerals and an almost metallic tang that was strangely exhilarating.
The vast chamber where he'd defeated the Cavern Lurker gave way to a labyrinthine network of narrower passages, some barely wider than his shoulders, others opening into vast, echoing grottoes.
His Low-Light Vision now felt like a natural extension of himself, painting the subterranean world in nuanced shades of grey and deep blue, allowing him to discern every crack and outcrop.
He moved with a new confidence, his pickaxe held ready, its weight familiar and comforting.
The Armored Hide he'd gained from the Lurker was an invisible shield, a subtle resilience that made his skin feel less vulnerable, less human.
He found himself occasionally clenching his jaw, testing the strange power of his Crushing Bite, a primal urge lurking beneath his consciousness.
The passage opened into a larger cavern, its ceiling lost in the gloom, but its floor was a chaotic terrain of jagged rock formations, sharp stalagmites like petrified trees, and shimmering pools of still, cold water.
The silence here was different – not absolute, but a tense quiet, broken only by the drip of water and the distant, almost imperceptible hum of something alive.
His Enhanced Olfaction flared, picking up a new scent: a sharp, acrid odor, mingled with the familiar damp earth. It was different from the Lurker's musk, more chemical, more insect-like.
His Perception thrummed a low warning. The danger wasn't directly in front of him this time, but dispersed, hidden amongst the rocks. He extinguished his lantern again, relying solely on his enhanced senses.
He pressed himself against a cold, slick wall, straining to identify the source of the scent and the subtle movements his low-light vision was now picking up.
A shadow detached itself from a cluster of stalagmites. It was fast, spindly, and unnervingly agile.
This creature was a Dungeon Strider. Its body was roughly humanoid, but elongated and disturbingly thin, covered in a chitinous exoskeleton the color of wet slate. It moved on four long, jointed limbs that ended in razor-sharp talons, scuttling across the uneven terrain with impossible speed. Its head was small, triangular, with multiple, faceted black eyes that seemed to drink in the ambient light. It also had two additional limbs near its thorax, ending in wickedly barbed forelegs held coiled, ready to strike.
The Strider hadn't seen him, but it was actively patrolling. Elias watched, his heart pounding a steady rhythm against his ribs.
The acrid scent grew stronger as it passed, a chilling indication of its proximity. He needed to strike first, and hard. The Lurker taught him that hesitation was death.
As the Strider moved past a narrow gap between two large boulders, Elias lunged. He didn't bother with stealth; he exploded from his hiding spot, bringing the pickaxe down in a wide, powerful arc aimed at the creature's fragile-looking midsection.
The Strider reacted with astonishing speed, its faceted eyes swiveling. It shrieked, a high-pitched, grating sound that grated on Elias's ears, and dodged back, but not entirely. The pickaxe grazed its chitinous armor, producing a shower of sparks and a sharp crack. A small section of its exoskeleton shattered, revealing glistening, pale flesh beneath. The acrid scent intensified, now mixed with a fresh, pungent odor of injured insect.
The Strider retaliated instantly. Its barbed forelegs lashed out, impossibly fast, aiming for Elias's chest. Elias felt the impact, a jarring blow that would have ripped through his old clothing. But his Armored Hide absorbed most of the force.
He still stumbled back, a sharp pain blossoming where the barbs scraped, but the skin remained unbroken.
The creature scrambled, trying to find distance. Elias pushed through the pain, seizing the opportunity. He didn't let it recover. He charged forward, closing the gap before the Strider could fully reorient itself. He swung his pickaxe again, this time aiming for one of its spindly legs. The sharp point bit deep, severing the limb with a wet snap. The Strider screeched, falling sideways, its long limbs thrashing wildly.
It tried to scuttle away on its remaining three legs, but it was hampered. Elias didn't give it quarter. He was no longer the naive boy from Sapporo. He was a force of grim efficiency.
He stomped on one of its thrashing limbs, pinning it, then brought his pickaxe down repeatedly on its head, aiming for the faceted eyes. Chitin cracked, and viscous, green fluid sprayed onto the cavern floor. The Strider's thrashing slowed, then ceased.
Elias stood over the twitching corpse, his chest heaving. The fight was quick, brutal, and effective. He examined the creature. It was smaller than the Lurker, but far faster and had possessed a surprising sting. He felt a different kind of hunger now, not just for sustenance, but for the raw power that awaited him.
He activated his notification tab.
[Notification]
You have defeated a Dungeon Strider (Mutated Insectoid)!
Experience Gained: 75 EXP
[Notification]
Ultra-Rare Magic: Monster Assimilation - Active!
Description: You have slain a monster suitable for assimilation. Consume its flesh or essence to gain abilities and permanent strength.
The act of consumption, though still abhorrent, was becoming less agonizing.
He knelt beside the Strider, its chemical odor strong in his nostrils. He found a soft spot where the chitin had shattered and tore away a piece of its pale, moist flesh. It felt spongy, almost cartilaginous. He forced it into his mouth.
The taste was strange: metallic, bitter, with an unsettling hint of something akin to ammonia. It was tough, rubbery, and the fine hairs on his tongue reacted to an almost electric tingle.
He chewed, the sound sickening in the quiet cavern, swallowing despite the rising gorge. It was vile, but the familiar warmth began to spread through him, a sign of the change.
He consumed a few more mouthfuls, forcing it down with grim determination, the sheer revulsion slowly giving way to the cold logic of gaining strength.
[Notification]
Ultra-Rare Magic: Monster Assimilation - Active!
Description: You have consumed the flesh of a Dungeon Strider. Your unique ability is absorbing its essence.
[Notification]
New Ability Acquired: Enhanced Agility!
Description: Your reaction speed and overall bodily agility have increased by a minor degree. You feel lighter on your feet. Permanent effect.
[Notification]
New Ability Acquired: Chitinous Spikes (Passive)!
Description: Small, almost unnoticeable chitinous growths reinforce your knuckles and elbows, increasing blunt force trauma from unarmed strikes. Permanent effect.
Elias felt a subtle shift, a lightness in his limbs he hadn't possessed before. He moved his arm, and it felt quicker, more fluid.
He clenched his fist, and though he saw no visible changes, there was a faint, almost imperceptible hardening, a slight sharpness beneath his skin at his knuckles. Chitinous Spikes. It was disgusting. It was perfect.
He glanced around the cavern. This level was proving to be far more diverse and dangerous than Level 1. He knew he couldn't stay in one place.
The whispers of the dungeon called him deeper, and with each new grotesque meal, he felt himself becoming more suited to its embrace. He adjusted his grip on the pickaxe, its familiar weight a counterpoint to the alien enhancements within him, and continued on.