Noah's eyes shimmered with an eerie green light, flickering like candles as a glowing mist enveloped the fallen reptilian monster. Its chest ascended and then, to Noah's astonishment, the creature's flesh dissolved into radiant green embers, leaving only the skeleton behind. The skeletal figure rose to its feet, its empty eye sockets now glowing with a green light, mirroring Steve's.

Once more, Noah sensed a drain on his vitality, though it wasn't as severe as when he had first commanded Steve to rise; then, he felt as though he was dying.

Dizziness swept over him, making it difficult to stay on his feet as he observed his newly acquired minion.

Some aspects of its skeleton were humanoid in nature, yet it maintained its elongated reptilian skull, bristling with jagged teeth, and its hands and feet were armed with formidable claws, along with its tail, of course.

Noah understood Steve being a skeleton, on account of... Steve already being a skeleton when they met.

'I don't really understand my power... I wish there was a manual.'

"Whatever, follow and protect me."

Feeling weak and drained, Noah sought a spot to rest for the night. The immense cavern, where the river coursed through, branched into a myriad of smaller cave systems. Eventually, he discovered a seemingly isolated alcove illuminated with the soft blue radiance of luminescent moss clinging to its walls. There, Noah settled down.

The cuts he had endured in this fight, to his stomach, hands and shoulder, weren't as bad as the gashes he had on his face and back, but they still hurt. Noah's shirt was a torn, filthy and bloody rag.

With his rage subsiding, fear had seeped back in.

'That abomination was straight out of a horror movie.' And Noah didn't even like horror films.

Noah recalled the dark entity speaking and not being able to understand a single word.

'It must have been a language spoken in the other world.'

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Noah shivered, something about the abomination being at the very least, a several centuries old relic from another doomed world, made it even more terrifying. Now, at least he had two powerful guardians. That raised another question, however – Steve was also from the other world. How is he able to understand what Noah was saying?

'For that matter, the overgrown lizard, as well.'

Noah mentally commanded the reptilian skeleton to come and sit before him – and it obeyed. The slain monster strode over and settled down, its glowing eye sockets fixed on Noah.

'Yeah, okay. I could have figured that one sooner.' Noah facepalmed himself. 'They are linked to my mind and understand my thoughts.'

"I better give you a name, I suppose."

The truth was that Noah was still quite resentful. The reptilian monster and its pack hadn't just sought to devour him; they had figuratively kicked him while he was down, still traumatized by his encounter with the abomination. Now, Noah brimmed with a sense of petty vindictiveness.

"How about..." Noah was mulling over the most nefarious ideas he could come up with. "B... Butt Lizard!"

Noah immediately felt awful and regretted it.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He looked at the skeletal reptile who appeared indifferent.

The battle they had fought was undeniably brutal.

Noah had joined the armed forces of Arcturus city when he was 17 and served for four years. Not out of a sense of patriotic duty, but because it was the best paying job a 17-year-old could get, and after completing his contract, the city financed his university degree. While receiving some training in hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship, Noah had spent the majority of his service wearing a VR headset, operating drones. Noah actually had quite a monster kill count, but it was like playing a virtual game. Certainly not as brutal as punching a fist through the abdomen of a living creature.

"Look..." Noah sighed. "Let's start over, okay?" He thought for a moment. "How about... Claws? Seems fitting, I suppose."

Claws seemed fine with its name.

***

Noah eventually succumbed to exhaustion and drifted into an uneasy slumber, his weariness winning over the lingering dread from the encounter with the abomination. Throughout the night, Steve and Claws stood guard, watching over him.

Feeling somewhat rejuvenated, Noah pressed on with his ascent along the river the following day. Though they encountered a few unavoidable monsters along the way, Steve and Claws dispatched them swiftly, and Noah found that the strength he had acquired from the kills had renewed his vigor.

While scouting ahead, Noah spotted a rodent-looking monster drinking from the river. Once more, something lunged from the churning waters and dragged the creature under. This time, Noah managed to get a clearer view. Whatever it was, it appeared to be large—very large. It was difficult to discern its color in the dim light cast by the luminescent flora, but it appeared dark, perhaps black.

'I have to get out of here...'

Unbeknownst to Noah, today would be his last day in the Hollowed Depths.