Noah watched in awe as Steve was conjuring flames out of his skeletal hands in order to roast the piece of reptilian meat.

'I guess it makes sense.'

Noah recalled originally finding Steve's corpse, surrounded by slain monsters. If normal people could kill monsters with swords, humanity wouldn't be on the verge of extinction. Steve was Touched. To begin with, whatever force is causing the changes and bestowing powers to people, originates from the other world. It was known that the now-extinct inhabitants of the other side also had Touched individuals among them.

Fire was a very common ability among the Touched, alongside various other elemental powers. Nonetheless, the rarity of one's abilities didn't necessarily correlate with their strength. Arguably, the most formidable Touched individual in The Arc, Stormbinder, the Vanguard's leader, wielded lightning powers.

'Wait, that's really bad for me, isn't it...?'

As Noah hoped that Voidstrider acted independently rather than under the Vanguard's orders, his attention was diverted by the enticing scent of roasted meat.

'So good!'

Noah almost teared up as he took a bite out of the large slab of roasted meat. As long as he didn't think about the fact that he was dining on the meat of a nightmare inducing monster, this might have been the best meal Noah has ever had.

Noah looked at his skeletal guardian and spoke with a mouth full of roasted reptilian meat.

"I'd offer you some, but you don't have a digestive system."

While Noah was gorging himself after two days of not eating, he tested Steve's ability. As expected, it wasn't particularly impressive, otherwise the undead warrior would have implemented it on his own while fighting. This raised the question of whether the current undead Steve was as powerful as he was while he lived. Noah suspected not and wondered if he had ways to use his ability in order to strengthen Steve's power.

Mostly, Noah contemplated the strangeness of his circumstances: dining on a monster's leg, prepared by an undead skeleton warrior, deep within the earth's Hollowed Depths.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

'Not your average Saturday night.'

***

After a restful night, or as restful as can be when sleeping in a monster-infested cave, underground, the duo continued their journey along the river.

Reading about the expansive underground caverns was one thing; experiencing them firsthand was entirely different. Noah couldn't have fathomed the river's vast expanse below the surface until he saw it with his own eyes.

As Noah observed the ghastly spectacle of monstrous beings quenching their thirst by the river, a sudden movement caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, he witnessed something massive rise from the water, seizing one of the larger creatures and dragging it beneath the surface in a swirl of bloodied water. Noah shivered as he recalled his little dip in the river.

'Just when I sort of gotten used to this place...'

The unlikely duo continued their journey, ascending carefully, while avoiding the many dangers of the Hollowed Depths.

'Huh? What's this?'

Noah's gaze caught a metallic deposit jutting from the cavern wall, its ebony surface gleaming amidst the luminescent flora that filled the grotto.

'Is that... Dark Steel?'

Dark Steel, a metal originating from the other world, was renowned for its exceptional density and durability, far surpassing any earthly counterparts. It found applications in crafting armor, melee weapons, and specialized ammunition, designed to pierce the tougher hides of formidable monsters.

The government, private enterprises, and independent factions such as The Vanguard, frequently organized expeditions beyond The Arc's walls in order to extract and procure the precious metal.

'Huh, if I had a way to carry this with me back to The Arc, I'd be rich!' Noah chuckled. 'Kinda greedy, I should focus on making it back alive...' Noah then heard someone else chuckle.

"What the...?"

Noah's gaze frantically scanned the area, the chuckle morphing into childlike laughter. When he finally spotted the source of the laughter, Noah was frozen in place with pure terror. A dark, humanoid figure, hunched mischievously behind a boulder, its gaze fixed on Noah.

"A...Ab...Abomination..."

That was the name given to Touched who have lost their mind, perhaps due to the power coursing through their bodies and have become... monsterized, corrupted, somehow, while still maintaining some of their human intelligence and personality.

During the Great Fall, when the two worlds had merged, humanity had to contend not only with the hordes of monsters, but with the abominations of the other side. While the monsters preyed on humans for sustenance, the abominations reveled in cruelty, often finding pleasure in tormenting their victims.

The horrific being rose to its feet. It was twice the height of Noah, but impossibly slender. As much as Noah looked upon the abomination, he couldn't actually make out any discerning details. So utterly frightened, Noah couldn't even command Steve, as the creature began strolling towards him, laughing joyfully.