The world shrank to a metal box.
Kael crawled on his hands and knees, the coarse texture of the ventilation shaft scraping against his issued pads. The air was stale, tasting of dust and rust. Behind him, Siti's nervous breathing was a soft rhythm, and ahead, Joko's bulk filled most of the narrow space. It was intensely claustrophobic.
Soon, a faint, ethereal glow appeared around a bend. As they rounded the corner, they saw it. Patches of Glow-Fungus clung to the walls and ceiling of the duct, pulsing with a soft, beautiful light that shifted from deep blue to violet. It was strangely beautiful, an alien garden growing in the guts of a building.
"There it is," Joko grunted, his voice muffled by his mask.
As they drew closer, Kael noticed a sweet, cloying scent, like overripe fruit. A pleasant lethargy began to settle over him, the desire to simply stop and watch the pretty, pulsing lights growing stronger. He saw Siti's pace slow, her head tilted in fascination.
The spores.
He immediately activated [Code Perception]. The new [Data Analysis] skill kicked in, and the information flooded his mind, sharp and clear.
// Flora: Hypnotic Glow-Fungus (Cluster) // Quality: Common // Effect: Passively releases [Soothing Spores] into the immediate area. // [Soothing Spores]: Mild neurotoxin. Causes mild confusion and drowsiness upon inhalation. Prolonged exposure may lead to unconsciousness. // Hidden Attribute: Spore dust is highly flammable when aerosolized in high concentrations.
Kael's eyes widened behind his mask. Flammable. That was the key. That was the exploit.
"Don't stare at it," he said, his voice sharp enough to cut through the haze. "Siti, focus."
His warning came just in time. From the largest patch of fungus, several small creatures skittered out. They looked like silverfish crossed with beetles, their carapaces glowing with the same blue light as the fungus, providing them with perfect camouflage. [Spore-Mites].
Joko was in the lead. "I see 'em," he growled. He swung his fist in the tight space, trying to crush one against the wall. He hit it, but the angle was awkward, and two others scurried past him.
"There's no room to fight!" Siti cried out, trying to aim her long spear down the duct. The tip clanged uselessly against the ceiling. One of the mites leaped onto her leg, its mandibles starting to chew through her thick trousers. She yelped and frantically tried to swat it off.
They were in a deathtrap. Their conventional fighting styles were worthless here.
But Kael wasn't a conventional fighter.
"Get back!" he commanded, his voice filled with a new authority. "Press yourselves against the floor and cover your faces!"
Confused but seeing the urgency in his eyes, Joko and Siti obeyed, flattening themselves as much as possible.
Kael focused on a large patch of fungus just ahead, where three mites were nesting. He used his [Lamplighter] ability, not to create light, but to 'excite' the fungus. He imagined the energy flowing into it, agitating it. The fungus pulsed violently and released a thick, shimmering cloud of spores directly over the mites.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered.
He pulled out his [Crude Goblin Blade]. He didn't try to attack with it. Instead, he angled the flat of the blade against the metal wall of the vent and, with a sharp, powerful motion, scraped it hard.
SCRAPE!
A shower of orange sparks flew from the steel-on-steel friction. One of those sparks shot directly into the dense, waiting cloud of spores.
The result was not an explosion but a sudden, contained ignition.
FWOOSH!
A ball of brilliant blue flame roared to life, engulfing the fungus patch and the mites within it. The fire lasted only a second before consuming its fuel and vanishing, leaving behind a patch of blackened, smoldering metal and the charred husks of the mites. The sweet smell was replaced by the odor of burnt sugar.
[You have defeated a Spore-Mite. EXP +8] [You have defeated a Spore-Mite. EXP +8] ...
Joko and Siti slowly lifted their heads, staring in disbelief at the scorched wall. The immediate danger was gone, neutralized in a single, brilliant flash.
Joko looked back at Kael, his eyes wide above his mask. "Kid... how in the hell did you know that would work?"
"Lucky guess," Kael lied smoothly, his heart hammering. "I saw a spark from my blade hit a puff of spores earlier and it flared up. Figured it was worth a shot."
It was a plausible lie, the kind of quick-witted observation a survivor might make.
"A lucky guess that just saved our asses," Joko conceded, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're full of surprises, Lamplighter."
Kael gave a noncommittal shrug, but internally, he was already calculating. He surreptitiously absorbed the cores from the dead mites during the moment of stunned silence. He now had a safe, repeatable method for clearing this dungeon. He was no longer just the support. He was the solution.
He looked further down the dark, glowing tunnel. This place wasn't a deathtrap anymore. It was a treasure trove of experience points, and he was the only one with the key.