The further they ventured into the **Dungeon of Shadows**, the colder and darker it became. The flickering runes along the walls cast just enough light to guide them, but not enough to dispel the oppressive gloom that seemed to cling to everything. Each step echoed in the silence, the sound bouncing off the narrow stone walls and disappearing into the distance.

Alex tried to keep his focus on the path ahead, but his mind was a whirlwind of questions and doubt. The creatures they had just fought had been unlike anything he had ever seen, their twisted forms moving with unnatural speed and aggression. He had barely reacted in time, yet somehow his body had known what to do. It was like he had instinctively accessed the power locked within him, but without understanding how or why.

And that terrified him.

"What were those things?" Alex asked, his voice low as they moved through the dark corridors.

"Shades," Betsy replied, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Creatures formed from the residual energy of fallen players. They're part of the dungeon's defense system—programmed to hunt and kill anything that enters."

Alex shuddered. Fallen players. So, the creatures they had just fought were once people like him—adventurers who had come to this place and never made it out. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

"How many more of those are we going to face?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Betsy shrugged, her eyes scanning the shadows. "Depends on how deep we go. This dungeon adapts to the strength of the party. The further in we get, the stronger the enemies."

Drax grunted from ahead, his oversized sword resting lazily on his shoulder. "Good! Means we'll get more loot."

Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised by how casually Drax was taking the situation. The giant man seemed entirely unfazed by the danger they were walking into, as though this was just another day for him. And maybe it was. After all, both he and Betsy had done this dungeon before.

But for Alex, this was new. This was his first real test in **ALBEKO**, and already he felt like he was in over his head.

They continued down the narrow corridor, the air growing colder with each step. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional drip of water from somewhere deep within the dungeon. Alex's heart pounded in his chest, his senses on high alert. He kept his hands at his sides, ready to react if another wave of creatures attacked, though he still didn't know exactly how he would fight them. His power seemed to act on its own, but he couldn't rely on that.

Ahead of them, the corridor widened into a large chamber, its walls covered in strange, glowing symbols. At the center of the room stood a massive stone altar, its surface cracked and worn with age. The air around it seemed to hum with energy, a faint blue light flickering in the space above the altar like a dying flame.

"This is it," Betsy said, her voice tense. "The heart of the dungeon."

Alex felt a strange pull as he stared at the altar, as if something within it was calling out to him. The energy in the air was palpable, sending a shiver down his spine. He glanced at Drax, who was already grinning in anticipation.

"Finally," Drax said, his eyes gleaming. "Time for the boss."

Betsy took a step forward, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. "Stay focused," she said quietly. "This is where most players fail. The boss is smart—smarter than the shades. It'll test us before it strikes."

Alex swallowed hard, his heart pounding. The creatures they had fought earlier had been terrifying enough, but the idea of facing something even more powerful was enough to make his hands tremble. He flexed his fingers, trying to calm himself.

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"What do we do?" Alex asked, his voice tense.

"We fight," Betsy replied, her voice steady. "Stick to your strengths. Drax will tank the damage, I'll provide support from a distance, and you..." She paused, her eyes locking onto his. "You do what you did before. Whatever that was."

Alex hesitated, unsure how to respond. He didn't know what he had done before—his body had moved on its own, tapping into some hidden power he didn't understand. But he couldn't tell them that. Not yet.

"Got it," Alex said, nodding. He could only hope that his instincts would kick in again when the time came.

Drax stepped forward, his sword gleaming in the faint light. "Alright then, let's get this over with!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the chamber.

As if in response to his words, the air around the altar began to shift. The faint blue light flickered and pulsed, growing brighter with each passing second. The runes on the walls glowed in unison, casting eerie shadows across the chamber.

And then, from the center of the altar, something began to rise.

At first, it was nothing more than a shadow, a dark figure emerging from the flickering light. But as it took shape, Alex's breath caught in his throat.

The creature was massive, its form hunched and twisted, like a grotesque mockery of a human. Its skin was black as night, shimmering with an unnatural sheen, and its eyes glowed a sickly green. Long, clawed fingers extended from its hands, and its mouth was a jagged line of razor-sharp teeth.

But what struck Alex the most was the way the creature moved. It didn't lunge at them or attack immediately like the shades had. Instead, it stood perfectly still, its glowing eyes locked onto them with an almost curious gaze.

"Careful," Betsy whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's testing us."

Drax grinned, stepping forward with his sword raised. "Let's see what you've got, ugly."

Before Betsy could stop him, Drax charged at the creature, his sword arcing through the air with a powerful swing. The blade slammed into the creature's side with a deafening crash, sending sparks flying.

But the creature didn't even flinch.

Drax's grin faltered as the creature turned its head slowly to face him, its glowing eyes narrowing.

"Uh... guys?" Drax said, taking a cautious step back. "A little help?"

The creature moved faster than Alex thought possible. One moment it was standing still, and the next, it was lunging at Drax with terrifying speed. Its claws raked across his armor, sending the giant man stumbling backward with a grunt of pain.

"Drax!" Betsy shouted, drawing her bow and firing a volley of arrows at the creature.

The arrows struck the creature's back, but like Drax's sword, they had no effect. The creature didn't even seem to notice.

Alex's heart pounded in his chest. He had to do something. But what? His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan, but the fear that gripped him made it hard to think.

"Alex!" Betsy shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "We need you!"

Alex clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. He could feel the energy inside him, the same power that had surged through him when he fought the wolf and the shades. But this time, it felt different—stronger, more controlled.

He took a deep breath, his body tensing as he stepped forward.

The creature's glowing eyes flicked toward him, its attention shifting from Drax to Alex. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down, the air thick with tension. The creature let out a low, rumbling growl, its claws flexing in anticipation.

And then it charged.

Alex's body reacted before his mind could catch up. He sidestepped the creature's lunge with ease, his movements smooth and precise. As the creature passed him, he raised his hand, his fingers tingling with the strange energy that had been building inside him.

Without thinking, he unleashed it.

A blast of raw energy shot from his hand, slamming into the creature with a force that shook the entire chamber. The creature let out a guttural roar as it was thrown backward, crashing into the stone walls with a deafening impact.

The runes on the walls flickered and dimmed, and for a moment, everything was still.

Alex stood frozen, his heart racing. His hand still tingled from the release of power, and he could feel the energy coursing through his veins. But there was something different this time—he could control it. He had felt the power surge through him, but it hadn't overwhelmed him like before.

Betsy stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. "What... what was that?"

Alex swallowed hard, his mind spinning. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to explain what had just happened. All he knew was that he had somehow tapped into the glitch, the same glitch that had broken his stats.

"I don't know," Alex said, his voice shaky. "I just... reacted."

Drax staggered to his feet, his armor dented but intact. He glanced at Alex, his usual grin replaced by a look of bewilderment. "Mate, whatever you just did... keep doing it."

The creature lay motionless against the far wall, its body dissolving into the same black smoke that had consumed the shades. But even as it faded, the air in the chamber still felt heavy, like the dungeon wasn't finished with them yet.

"We need to keep moving," Bets

y said, her voice steady again. "This isn't over."

Alex nodded, though his mind was still reeling from the power he had unleashed. He didn't know what was happening to him, but one thing was clear—his glitch was more than just a broken stat system. It was something far more dangerous.

And if he wasn't careful, it could consume him.

---

As they pressed deeper into the dungeon, Alex could feel the weight of the challenge ahead. The first boss had been difficult, but the dungeon wasn't done with them. The deeper they went, the stronger the enemies would become, and the more his glitch would push him to the limit.

But something else lingered in the back of his mind—a whisper, a presence he couldn't shake. The presence of **K**. Even here, in the depths of the dungeon, Alex could feel it, like a shadow watching from the corners of the room. **K** was everywhere in this world, and Alex knew that whatever was happening to him, whatever this glitch was, **K** had something to do with it.

But for now, all Alex could do was survive.

And hope that when the time came, he would be strong enough to face whatever was waiting for him at the end of this journey.