That wasn’t too bad. If only I was just clearing this dungeon…

I refilled my gun and headed towards a tunnel that was heading upwards. I wasn’t given any directions. There probably wasn’t any to give me.

As I walked, I noticed something different with my eyes. I turned off my terahertz vision and noticed I could see in color in the complete darkness. When I blinked, everything went completely dark.

My eyes were constantly illuminating a small amount of light. Orange, what changed?

Your eyes now project a minor level of light. You can change the frequency of it so that it is beyond the range most people can see. Also, with the projector, you can use it to turn any wall into a mirror.

How much changed?

I stomped over to a wall that I noticed looked a lot more like a tree root. Am I inside tree roots? How? Nevermind. That’s not important right now. Activating the projector was as simple as thinking about viewing myself.

It worked as I was suddenly looking at a splitting image of myself. Before I focused on my face, I reduced the length of my hair until it was to the middle of my back. Its almost light absorbing halo made my glowing green eyes all the more striking.

They weren’t just glowing; they were solid orbs of light with no features, just two globes of glass, sensors, and mana. My ears were gone, like I expected, and instead flat steel plates with small reverse dimples sat in their place. Then there was my nose. It was smaller, flatter, and wider all at the same time. It looked a lot like a cat’s nose, but the color was still the same as my normal skin.

I turned off the projection. It was a little unnerving to see myself like that. The walk through the hall was weird now that I didn’t require my terahertz radiation to see. What little light my eyes gave off was enough for me to see. Which means others might see me coming.

My ears picked up on more scratching. Unlike before, where it sounded slow and methodical, this was frantic, and there were several sources of it. I paused and focused on sorting through the different channels of sound.

It sounds like there are multiples of the scorpion or whatever insect moving around, and are they fighting someone?

It is possible.

I ran towards the sounds of fighting. If there is someone else in this dungeon, they could have information I need. I slowed as I neared the end of the tunnel.

I crouched to avoid being seen as I poked my head around the corner. There was a wide room ahead. Four ant-like creatures were fighting against a humanoid creature in white robes.

His skin was green, and he had hair that looked more like leaves on vines. In his hands was a polished white stick. The wood bent as he swung it at the nearest ant, bashing it in the side.

The other three closed in as the one he hit fell to the ground. Two of them tried to grab him with their pincers while the last one charged forward.

The green man ducked under and dodged the other before spinning away from the charging ant. The one that charged turned around and headed back towards him.

But the green man was already in the air, jumping high above the ant. As he landed, he brought his stick down, and a small branch sprouted from its side. The branch pierced the ant, driving it into the floor and crushing its center segment, killing it.

The other ants closed in as the green man pulled the branch out. He raised it up, and it started glowing with a faint green light. The glow grew brighter as the branch grew longer and thorns sprouted from the sides.

One ant lunged forward, and the branch whipped out, striking it across the face. The thorns ripped the ant apart, but the other two were undeterred. They moved in, forcing the green man to dodge away from them.

The ant on the left lunged forward as the other circled around. The green man dashed towards the one that tried to flank him. The other ant followed. As the green man neared the first ant, he jumped and used it as a springboard, leaping over the other ant.

But as he jumped, the branch shot forward, and the thorns impaled the ant, tearing it in half. The green man landed as the other ant turned around. He curled his hand into a fist. The branch then balled up and dropped down on the insect’s head. The ant‘s head exploded into a spray of gray goo across the ground.

After putting my gun in its holster, I stepped out of the hall and into the room. My eyes were locked on the green man.

He turned to me with his staff raised. “Who are you?”

I raised my hands to show I was unarmed. “My name is Rina. I’m lost. Could you help me find my way out of here?“

His fist tightened around his staff with an audible groan. “What are you doing here?”

I held my hands higher. “Same thing you’re doing, killing to get stronger.”

He relaxed the grip on his staff slightly. “I’m Brier. I’m not familiar with you. Where are you from?”

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “I’m not with the Antennae Alliance, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m... a freelancer of sorts, trying to navigate this place. I didn’t expect to find anyone else down here.”

Brier’s eyes narrowed, the green glow from his staff dimming slightly as he apprised me. “Freelancer, huh? And what is your objective in this dungeon? Who sent you?”

I decided to keep as close to the truth as possible, hoping honesty would build some trust. If I tell him what I’m really here for, he’ll try to kill me instantly. “I wasn’t sent by anyone. I’m here because I’m trying to climb the Nexus. There’s just an obstacle that I’m not strong enough to defeat. Someone very dangerous.”

Brier’s stance softened slightly, though he didn’t lower his staff. “And this dangerous person—who are they?”

I clenched my fists, feeling Elveil’s collar around my neck. “Don’t worry about it. It’s my problem. Are you looking to climb the Nexus too?”

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His gaze softened, though skepticism still lingered. “Many people don’t act this casually around a dryad. But yes. There is a wish I want granted.”

I shrugged. “You seem like a normal person to me. Look, I’ve been in this dungeon for more days than I’d care to admit. I’d like to get out.”

Brier studied me for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, lowering his staff. “I’ve been down here a couple of days too. My skin misses the warm, gentle kiss of the sun. You really should’ve remembered what path you took to get down here.”

I nodded slowly. “You’re right. If I hadn’t fallen down, that would’ve been possible.”

He relaxed further; the thorns retracting back into his staff. “Very well, Rina. I’ll help you. It’s been a while since I’ve had some decent conversation.”

“Agreed,” I said, relief washing over me.

“Good. First, how did you end up in this place?” He waved his hand to another hallway. “It should take us the better part of two days to get back to the surface.”

I gave him a weak smile as I lowered my arms and walked up to him. “It’s been a rough few days. It’s been really hard to keep track of everything. I got ambushed almost immediately after entering. Then there was this two-headed creature that breathed fire. After all that, all the halls and rooms look the same. If it wasn’t for the gravity, I wouldn’t know which way was up.”

Brier shrugged. “Ah, bad with directions, I see. Although, you look quite exotic. What are you exactly?”

I rolled my eyes. That’s a very difficult question to answer. “Simple answer: I’m complicated.”

He looked at me questioningly for a moment before continuing. “Well, I think you’re definitely not a regular human. Your lack of breathing is also concerning. And the mana coming from your hair is terrifying.”

I didn’t say anything.

Brier gave me a look but didn’t press the issue. “Alright then. It’s good you are so resilient. The monsters down here can be brutal. I’ve been fighting against them for a couple of days now, and I’m no closer to my goal. I’m getting stronger, but I doubt it will be enough. Not if what I’ve heard is true.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “What have you heard?”

He sighed. “When I first got down here, I ran into a couple of humans that were part of the Antenna Alliance and they said there was a minotaur that challenged anyone who had more than seven wins. After he killed all of them, he moved on to killing random people shoved into the arena with him.”

His head dropped forward. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to kill him at this rate.”

I scrunched my face. “Well, I have some good news for you.” He turned to me. “I killed him.”

Brier’s eyes went wide. “You? But how?”

I ran my fingers through my hair. “With a magic power that makes me much stronger. I just can’t use it for very long.“

He distanced himself from me. “Are you some kind of mage? I can sense the mana, but I can‘t tell what you are.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m something else. I can’t really explain what I am. But I don’t want to hurt you. So please, don’t panic.“

His heart was racing, and he was giving off a strange odor that reminded me of alcohol and feces.

Brier’s eyes narrowed. “And why would you hurt me?”

I waved my hands, shaking my head. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean... you don’t seem like a bad person. People have been all too eager to kill, capture, and torture me before. It’s something I don’t like about climbing the Nexus. It always brings out the worst in people.”

Brier stared at me, his eyes narrowing further. Finally, he exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders loosening slightly. “You’re right. Climbing the Nexus brings out the worst in people. It turns them into something they’re not... or maybe something they’ve always been. It’s hard to tell.”

I nodded, understanding the sentiment all too well. “It’s a cruel place. But we all have our reasons for being here.”

His eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw something in him that I hadn’t expected—empathy. “We do. And maybe, just maybe, we can help each other.”

I tilted my head. “You think so?”

Brier nodded, his gaze drifting towards the tunnel ahead. “You seem strong. Stronger than anyone I’ve met down here. If what you say is true, and you’ve really killed the minotaur, then maybe things aren’t all bad.”

There was the beginning of a smile curling on his lips. “From the moment I stepped foot in the Nexus, people have been doing whatever they can to backstab and take advantage of others. They all think that you have to hoard your power to reach the top. You’re the first person that’s challenging that philosophy.”

I considered his words carefully. Trust is a rare commodity in the Nexus, and alliances are often short-lived and usually end in betrayal. But Brier seems genuine, or at least desperate enough to cling to the hope that someone like me could be an ally rather than a threat. That makes what I’m doing all the worse.

I hung my head. My first mistake was learning his name.

But as we walked, something was coming up behind us. I held up my hand. “Stop, I think something is following us.”

His eyes flicked back to me. “What? How do you know?”

I pulled out my gun. I guess I shouldn’t expect him to be as good at sensing things as me. “My hearing is really good.” The closer the sounds got, the more it sounded like there wasn’t just one thing following us. It sounded like hundreds… no, more.

I aimed down the hall, firing a single shot. The bullet tore through the air and exploded against a massive ant.

5 stat points and 4,215 shards were added to my system as it fell dead. Twenty more appeared behind it, stampeding towards us.

Brier stepped away from me, his staff raising defensively. But he quickly lowered it as he turned to run as even more ants came into view. They crawled on every inch of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

They weren’t that hard to kill, but I needed Brier to stay alive so he could take me to the Antennae Alliance’s base. So I took off after him and scooped him up as I caught up with him. He let out a rather embarrassing yelp as I carried him to the next intersection.

I put him down. “If you don’t move, I’ll be able to protect you.”

He looked at me and then down the hallway of swarming ants. “You’re fast and powerful, but even you can’t stop that many.”

I extended my arm blades. “They aren’t the problem. Something is chasing them. Those ants are running for their lives.”

The color drained from his face. “Please tell me it isn’t a legion centipede.”

I turned and imbued the muscles in my arms and legs with my mana. “I couldn’t tell you. Whatever it is, it’s big, and it’s moving fast. Plus, I have no idea what a legion centipede is.”

Brier stepped next to me, thorny vines wrapped around his staff. “If it is, then running is pointless. It’ll catch us.”

Not really. I can run faster if I use my magic to imbue myself. And my werewolf form would make that thing look completely harmless now. But I can’t use it. My mana is limited, and I need to save it for when I really need it. Now isn’t one of those times.

The ground trembled beneath us. The swarm of ants surged forward in a chaotic tide, their legs skittering in a frantic race to escape. Brier’s eyes widened, and I could see and smell the fear in him as he gripped his staff tighter, his knuckles turning pale.

I turned towards the source of the tremor, and that’s when I saw it—a massive shadow slithering through the darkness, its segmented body undulating with a sickening grace.

That is a legion centipede.

Its body stretched impossibly long, each segment covered with chitinous plates that clashed together in a deafening cacophony. The creature’s head was a nightmarish mass of mandibles and feelers. Its glowing red eyes revealed an intelligence that sent a shiver down my spine as it focused on me.

Great. It’s a deviant.

A high-pitched screech that tore through the tunnel preceded the legion centipede’s arrival. The sound reverberated off the walls, making the air vibrate with its intensity. I had to turn my ears off before they exploded.

The ants were mere fodder in its path, being crushed under the centipede’s advancing bulk, their bodies snapping like overripe grapes beneath its weight.

Let’s get this over with.

I charged.