Alex stepped through the stone archway, and the exit sealed shut behind him with a low, grinding thud that echoed down the passage like a warning.

Inside, it was utterly dark.

But for Alex, darkness wasn't an obstacle as his vision, was enhanced beyond that of ordinary.

He began to walk, and almost immediately, the sharp tang of sulfur and decaying minerals assaulted his nose. The air was thick, damp, and heavy, clinging to his skin like a wet sheet.

As he moved deeper, he realized he had entered some kind of underground cave network—its walls twisting into narrow, jagged tunnels. The way the place was formed seemed at odds with itself: half-natural, half-deliberate, as if some massive creature had burrowed through the earth with a purpose.

Veins of crystal glimmered faintly in the walls, offering just enough shimmer to make out vague shapes, but not enough to truly light the way.

This wasn't just a cave. It was a labyrinth.

The deeper he went, the more erratic the tunnels became, forking at strange angles, looping in on themselves like the coils of a predator waiting to strike. Yet Alex continued, undeterred, relying on instinct and sharpened senses—both leading him toward something... intentional. Toward one of the architects of this place.

Then he heard it: a wet, crunching sound ahead. He froze.

Something was feeding.

Careful to stay silent, he crept forward, footsteps light and deliberate. Then he saw it.

A massive, scorpion-like beast crouched over the corpse of another. Its pincers twitched with eerie precision, and its mandibles clicked as it tore into the remains of its fallen kin.

The creature's body was a grotesque blend of blackened chitin and molten amber, its armored shell ridged like overlapping plates of dark steel, glistening with viscous fluids. Its legs bent at unnatural angles, barbed and sharp, stabbing into the rock like driven spikes. The tail, long and whip-like, ended in a jagged stinger that pulsed with yellow-green venom, radiating heat that shimmered in the surrounding air.

Alex studied it carefully, waiting for his system to identify the beast.

Nothing.

He sighed. Right. His system was still down. He'd consumed two Essence charges earlier, pushing his system into flux. It hadn't recovered yet, leaving him blind to enemy information—no name, no level, no stats. Just danger.

And unfortunately, this path left him no other choice.

He hesitated, considering his options. He could try to avoid it... or test his strength. Adam had warned him never to engage unless he was sure he could win—but Alex felt confident.

Still, one thing gnawed at him. The beast gave off no aura. No mana signature. For a creature that size, that was unnatural. Dangerous.

Could it be hiding its power?

Avoiding it would be the smart move. The safe one.

But Alex couldn't shake the thought: what if it dropped something rare? A weapon, a root of essence, a skill shard?

Something valuable enough to push him even further. Walking away would mean wondering forever what he missed because of fear.

His hand hovered over his satchel. He could just plant an explosive disk on it and detonate from afar—safe, efficient, and revealing. But one look at the fractured ceiling made him reconsider. The cavern was unstable in places, its walls brittle with cracks. A large explosion might trigger a collapse—or worse, attract more predators.

No. He needed something quieter.

But a part of him didn't want quiet. It wanted blood.

He'd been itching for a fight since he defeated Malik. Ingrid hadn't counted—he'd gone down too easily. The shadow beasts on the bridge were more speed bumps than threats.

Alex was starved—for danger, for combat, for the thrill of the unknown.

And what was more thrilling than charging into a fight completely blind?

He stepped into the open.

The scorpion froze mid-bite.

Its head lifted slowly—an armored plate with no eyes, only slitted ridges and glistening mandibles that clicked with moist anticipation.

Then it shrieked, unleashing a piercing, metallic screech that carved through the air like a blade and drilled straight into Alex's skull.

He winced, but didn't retreat. Instead, he responded with a roar of his own.

"Sonic Scream!"

A concussive wave exploded from his mouth, slamming into the creature and hurling it against the tunnel wall. Dust rained down from above as cracks spidered across the ceiling.

The beast reeled, legs scraping for traction, but Alex didn't let up. He charged, blade drawn, and slashed down diagonally across its carapace.

*CLANG!*

The blow rang out like steel on steel. His arms jolted from the impact, the vibration numbing his wrists.

A shallow crack appeared, but the blade hadn't pierced. The armor was dense—almost metallic, as if forged rather than grown.

The creature retaliated without pause. Its tail snapped forward like a piston.

Alex dove to the side, rolling hard as the stinger struck the stone floor with a hiss. The rock sizzled, darkened, and melted where the venom touched.

His eyes widened. One hit from that, and he was done.

The tail lashed again, this time like a guillotine. Alex sidestepped just in time—the impact split the rock, and molten poison hissed against the floor, releasing curling tendrils of smoke that drifted upward like ghostly fingers.

Alex circled, keeping low, then darted in, slashing at the legs—but again, the blade bounced off.

The scorpion advanced, relentless as a tank, forcing him backward until his heel struck a jagged rise of stone.

It reared up, stinger poised to end him.

Alex whispered, "Dominus."

The air thickened. Sound died. Time itself seemed to pause.

The scorpion halted mid-strike, frozen, joints trembling as if struggling against invisible chains.

Alex moved.

He surged forward, leapt high—sword pulled back, breath held—and scanned the beast's back for an opening.

Then he saw it.

A narrow seam at the base of its armored helm. A joint. A weakness.

He grinned.

Two hands on the hilt, he brought the blade down with all his strength.

*CLANG.*

Steel met flesh.

The sword punched through the seam, slicing tendon, cartilage, and spine. The scorpion let out a twisted, gargled screech that fizzled in its throat.

Its legs collapsed. Its tail spasmed wildly.

Alex rode it down as it crashed to the floor, his blade still lodged in its neck.

The beast twitched, then stilled—lifeless.

Blood dripped from his weapon as he rose, breathing hard.

He stepped off the carcass, boots crunching over broken chitin.

Then—

A strange hunger stirred inside him.

The golden lines of his mana pathways lit up beneath his skin, humming softly. He dropped to one knee, placing a palm on the creature's cooling body.

It wasn't a decision. It was instinct.

A pull he couldn't resist.

And then—it began.

Like siphoning heat from a dying fire, raw, unfiltered *Emi* flowed from the beast into him. With his system offline, there was no intermediary. No filters. No breakdown process.

Just pure absorption.

He gritted his teeth as the energy filled his limbs, coursing through veins and into his core. It burned—hot, searing—and yet also cold, like ice on fire.

When it ended, the scorpion was nothing but a husk. Its once-glossy shell now gray, brittle, drained of all vitality.

Alex stood slowly, flexing his fingers, staring at the glowing pathway on his arm.

So this was what it felt like to absorb energy directly—without the system.

Pure. Potent. Immediate.

He preferred this method. But in a drawn-out battle, without time to absorb, it would be a weakness.

Maybe when the system returned, that would change.

He didn't get to finish the thought.

Click. Click. Click.

A chorus of legs skittering over stone. Dozens of them.

Alex narrowed his eyes.

More were coming.

And they weren't far.