Throughout the day, Noah and Steve marched and climbed their way along the subterranean river, skirting around large monster packs while taking out weaker, lone creatures that had crossed their path. As they stopped to scout ahead, the pair had eventually become the prey.

Catching them by surprise, a massive arachnid creature with dark, hairy legs, descended upon them with startling speed. Noah's heart raced as he instinctively dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's razor-sharp fangs. With a swift motion, Steve swung his Greatsword, slicing through one of the creature's legs as it lunged towards them.

As the ferocious battle unfolded, Noah could only watch helplessly from the sidelines as Steve engaged the monstrous arachnid. His skeletal body moving with a fluid grace as he deftly dodged the creature's strikes while delivering punishing blows of his own. However, the monster was relentless and powerful. Eventually one swift strike from the creature's massive pincer severed Steve's right arm, sending bone fragments scattering across the cavern floor.

'This is bad. This is really bad...'

The skeletal guardian Held his ground, clutching the Greatsword with one arm.

"Steve, run!"

Noah hurled a rock at the creature's head, targeting the cluster of its numerous eyes, hoping to divert its attention. With the monster momentarily distracted, he bolted towards the river, With Steve right behind him.

The arachnid horror followed in pursuit, but the damage done to its legs by the undead warrior had slowed down the monstrosity. Noah grabbed Steve and jumped into the flowing river, on account of steel armor plated skeletons not being known for their buoyancy.

Of course, Noah was concerned about what might be lurking in the water, the memory of the slimy tentacle being fresh in his mind, but he felt as though he truly had no other choice.

Struggling to remain afloat while hugging the skeletal warrior with one arm, Noah fought against the river's current, before he managed to cling desperately to a sturdy rock, gasping for air, on the other side of the riverbank.

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"Steve... Climb up and help me..."

***

An hour later, Noah sat at a small cavern he had located, hugging himself for warmth and feeling gloomy. The one-armed skeleton was standing guard beside him, as foamy green mist glowed on the fresh stump.

Noah regarded Steve's worsening state as being tied directly to his own dwindling odds of survival.

'I better try to sleep.'

Noah was exhausted, just a day ago, he wouldn't have had the strength for such a daring escape, without the power he had gained from various slain monsters. It still took a toll on him, however. Mentally and physically.

Curling into a fetal position, Noah shut his eyes, attempting to drift into sleep. Despite the vigilant presence of his undead guardian, a sense of unease lingered. At any moment a monster straight out of a nightmare could lunge at him, after all. At some point, Noah slipped into a restless sleep, plagued by feverish dreams.

"Huh...?"

A sudden thud startled Noah awake. As he opened his eyes, he found himself face to face with an open maw filled with rows of tiny, jagged teeth.

"ARRRGHHHH!"

Noah instinctively leaped backward, pressing himself against the cave wall. With a clearer view of the scene, he noticed Steve's armored skeletal foot planted firmly on top of the pink, fleshy worm, the same kind that had previously attacked him in the Hollowed Depths, before. A small puff of green mist left the creature and sipped into him.

'The little horror burrowed through the ground... And Steve saved my butt, yet again.'

Looking at the skeletal stumps of his undead savior, Noah saw something odd. He could have sworn that they had ever so slightly regenerated, still coated by the foamy green glow.

"Steve! You can heal?"

'No, wait, that's a silly thing to say about a skeleton... Besides, it's my power.'

Noah walked up to Steve and placed his hand on the fallen warrior's torn plate armor.

"Regenerate."

He could feel something stirring inside of him.

'Not enough...'

"Regenerate!"

Noah closed his eyes, doing his best to believe that it was possible.

'Huh?'

Feeling a strange sensation, Noah opened his eyes. He saw the familiar green mist, but this time it seemed to be emanating from him and enveloping Steve. The foamy green mist on his stumps shimmered brightly as the skeleton's missing bones started to slowly regenerate before Noah's eyes.

"Steve!"

Tears trickled down Noah's face, across his injured cheek, as he laughed with joy, overwhelmed by euphoric happiness.