Noah sported a nasty gash across his face from the monster's three claws, but his greater concern rested on the condition of his undead guardian. Without Steve, his chances of survival were slim.

"Oh no... Look at you."

Steve's ancient plate armor was torn, revealing missing sections of his rib cage underneath.

'Huh?'

The tips of the missing bones were coated in a sickly green glow, resembling a layer of eerie foam.

'I have so many questions...'

Now was not the time for it, however. Noah was worried that the shrieks emitted by the hulking monstrosity and the scent of its fresh corpse would attract more monsters.

"Steve, we have to keep going."

The fallen warrior's Greatsword was embedded deep into the monster's tough carapace, its ancient blade glistening with remnants of the creature's ichor as it was withdrawn. With the weapon in hand, the undead warrior trailed closely behind Noah as they ventured deeper into the cave.

Noah had a lot of time to think as they marched on. Too much, perhaps. It was the early morning hours, now. He should have been back home, the previous evening. The image of his grandmother's worried face flashed in his mind. Had she resorted to calling the police? It hardly mattered; he was deep underground, far from the city's protective walls.

As Noah wiped the blood from his injured face, his thoughts turned to Voidstrider. Despite her weakened state, he had little doubt that she had survived her encounter with the monsters, the night before. Was she now out here, in search of him, bent on finishing her murderous task? Or had she returned to The Arc, inquiring about his identity?

And what of Steve? The skeleton trailed behind him stoically, seemingly unfazed by the brutal fight they had just endured. But how much more punishment could his guardian withstand? And what of the moral implications? Did Steve retain any semblance of consciousness from his former life, and was now compelled to serve Noah? The fallen warrior had certainly retained his swordsmanship skills.

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"Hey, Steve?" Noah turned his head backwards. "Are you okay with all of this?"

The skeleton fixed his gaze towards Noah, his eye sockets glowing with an eerie green light. Noah was taken aback, as it was the first time his minion had reacted to his questions. However, after a moment, Steve turned his head forward again and continued marching.

'How long is this path?'

The pair pressed on for another hour, the cave gradually inclining and branching off in different directions. With no clear indication of the "correct" path, Noah simply followed his first instinct, lacking any better alternative.

This prompted Noah to consider the changes he was experiencing. Despite hours passing without food or water, and enduring a significant beating, he found himself marching forward effortlessly. Normally, he'd be out of breath and drenched in sweat by now.

'I probably also "absorbed" that green mist from the six insectoid monsters Steve had slain while I was unconscious. That's why I woke up feeling better and stronger.'

"Yikes!"

A slithering, pink, fleshy worm-like creature emerged from a crevice in the cave, lunging at Noah, who instinctively leaped backwards. Swiftly taking action, Steve dispatched the monster, cleaving it in half and stomping its still-twitching head.

"Good job, Steve!"

Noah gently patted his guardian's back, observing as a familiar shimmering green mist emerged from the creature's now lifeless corpse, and drifted towards him, absorbing into his body. Noah couldn't help but notice the difference in size between this mist cloud and the one he had absorbed from the hulking tunneling monster, nor the lesser sense of strength this one had provided.

'So, the amount of power I gain is relative to the monster's strength?

As Noah contemplated the matter, he thought he heard the distant sound of flowing water. He dismissed it, attributing the noise to his own imagination, due to his growing thirst.

"Wait, I'm not imagining it!"

Noah bolted forward, heedless of caution, with Steve's worn armor clattering against his bones as he followed closely. They veered down a path within the cave, and what lay ahead left Noah utterly enthralled.

Perched atop a cliff-like ledge, Noah and Steve surveyed a vast cavern below. A subterranean river cascaded into its depths, its banks adorned with lush, bioluminescent flora casting a blue and purple glow. Despite the presence of numerous monsters throughout the cavern, Noah couldn't contain his excitement. He placed an arm around his skeletal companion in his excitement.

"Water, Steve! Its water!"