The abyss was endless.
Kael had wandered its tunnels for forty-eight hours now, though "time" was a fragile thing here. There was no sun, no moon—only the soft pulse of glowing fungi, the distant howl of unseen beasts, and the faint blue shimmer of his system interface.
If not for the hunger gnawing at his stomach and the exhaustion pressing into his bones, he might have believed he was caught in a timeless void.
Still… he lived.
He had carved a routine out of madness. Every time they cleared a cavern, he searched it thoroughly: breaking off edible fungi, stripping bone fragments from fallen monsters to craft crude spikes, and saving the small core fragments Pyraflame hadn't devoured.
Rations were running low. The pack that had once been heavy on his back now rattled with emptiness. He chewed slowly whenever he ate, forcing his body to adapt to hunger.
But where his flesh weakened, his will grew harder.
He had learned to move with silence, to blend his footsteps into the rhythm of the abyss. He had learned to watch for the faintest shimmer of eyes in the dark. And most of all, he had learned to trust his summons.
The flame beast was no longer a fragile ember. It roared like a living forge, its fire feeding on every fragment it devoured.
Kael remembered the first time he saw Devour activate. Pyraflame had bitten into the chest of an abyssal crawler, flames sucking in the fragment like a black hole. His system had flickered instantly:
[Pyraflame has used Devour.][Mana Capacity increased by +20.]
And again. And again.
Now Pyraflame stood taller, its eyes burning with a relentless hunger. Every time it exhaled, sparks scattered across the stone floor like a wildfire waiting to happen.
[Pyraflame – Current Progress]
Level: 6 → 8
Skills: Flame Burst unlocked.
Devour capacity: 3/5 Abyssal Core Fragments consumed.
Evolution Condition 1: Complete.
Condition 2: Endure 3 battles against Elite-class abyssal monsters. (0/3)
"Not bad," Kael muttered, watching it curl flames across its claws. "You've grown greedy… but in the abyss, greed is survival."
Aquara's growth was subtler, but no less impressive. The water spirit had always been fragile, her strikes hesitant, but Kael had made her deliver the final blow—again and again.
The last kill had been brutal. A twisted hound, all jagged teeth and writhing tendrils, had pinned Kael down. Pyraflame had held it with fire, and Kael himself had stabbed into its side to weaken it.
Then he had shouted:"Aquara—finish it!"
The little water-being had condensed, her form tightening into a sharp lance, piercing directly through the hound's skull. The body collapsed, twitched once, then stilled.
[Aquara has delivered the Final Blow.][Condition Progress: 10/10 complete.][Evolution Condition 1 Complete. Condition 2 Unlocked.]
Aquara had trembled faintly as the notification appeared. Her body rippled brighter, clearer. She was no longer a simple drop of water—she was becoming a stream.
[Aquara – Current Progress]
Level: 2 → 4
Skills: Tidal Pierce unlocked.
Evolution Condition 1: Deliver 10 final blows. (Complete)
Condition 2: Absorb and Purify a Corrupted Water Source. (0/1)
Kael placed a hand near her. She pulsed softly, almost shyly.
"You've earned it," he whispered. "One step forward… but we'll need to find that water source soon."
He pulled open his system menu while resting.
[Kael – Current Status]
Level: 9
EXP: 980/1000
Remaining to Next Level: 20 EXP
Summons: Pyraflame (Lv. 8), Aquara (Lv. 4)
Just 20 more experience stood between him and his next step.
He clenched his dagger. "One more fight. That's all it takes."
On the dawn of the third day—if one could even call it dawn—the cavern trembled. Loose stones tumbled from the ceiling, cracks splintered across the walls, and a sound unlike anything Kael had heard yet echoed through the tunnels.
A low, guttural growl. Deep. Heavy. Ancient.
Pyraflame stiffened, flames surging instinctively. Aquara rippled, forming sharpened points across her body.
The system flickered to life.
[Warning: Elite-class Abyssal Presence Detected][Danger Level: High]
Kael's heart pounded, but his lips curved into something close to a grin.
"Finally."
He stepped forward, dagger in hand, summons bristling with power at his side. He was twenty experience short. His summons had conditions waiting to be tested.
This fight would decide everything.
The abyss had sent an Elite.
And Kael was ready to meet it.