Xeno and his two servants had darted out of the restaurant, directed toward his apartment. As soon as he got further away from it, the strange feeling of guilt he felt disappeared. However the ringing headache was gradually increasing, clouding his cognitive capabilities with pain.

Once arrived, they picked up Dock along with all of the most relevant objects inside of the three rooms. In particular Xeno carefully conserved the notes he wrote about his experiments. He was, indeed, planning to leave the capital for at least a few months. He was already expecting something fishy after the smuggler had told him about Dacid. To confirm his suspects, he had sensed some observers spying on him at a safe distance. They were probably testing the waters before preparing a definitive ambush.

He obviously couldn't know the true reason behind their actions, as he had never directly attacked the merchant faction.

Anyway, the situation wasn't looking that good, between his weakened mental state and assassins looking for his head. He had to find answers, albeit in this very moment of need, the only one that could really help me wasn't responding to his calls. It was none other than Aiduth, if there was someone capable of helping him with his suffering state it was her. Yet since her speech during the day of awakening she had never spoke again.

Consequentially Xeno decided to go and find his desired explanations by himself. He clearly remembered her telling him that inside of the 'dungeon' there still was an important Azoth artifact. Thus he had set it as his next priority, disregarding his spaceship project, for the moment.

Firstly Xeno wanted to reunite with Vix and the rest of the team. He had ordered her to hunt in the arid steppe, as it was a hunting ground quite defiled and distant from the capital. It was a flat zone covered with low grass and random small bushes, rending the chances of surprise attacks very low. Yet thanks to their senses, Xeno and his team had no problems in nocturnal hunting. They mostly preyed on packs of herbivores to satiate their hunger. In fact, Xeno once arrived there, was immediately directing toward the nearest entrance of the dungeon.

This particular structure is actually the prison utilized from the system to punish the various criminals of the planet. Often if captured and not killed, these criminals would be judged through a kind of trial hosted by the system. Being confined into the dungeon was one of the worse outcomes one could expect from said trial. This place was considered a true abyss, a bottomless pit filled with dangerous and mystical creatures. The dungeon was structured in different strata. As you went in deeper, the environment started to change and the beasts inhabiting it became more dangerous. This wasn't a one way out kind of place, because the system valued any form of profit. It the criminals could become strong enough to get out of it on their own, they would automatically be cleansed of their transgressions.

Nonetheless it was dangerous place, an agglomeration of dangerous individuals and powerful monsters. Furthermore while the entrances scattered around the world would lead you to the first strata, all the exits were positioned at the third one. As such you had to survive at least this two stratas to come back to the surface.

[Vix we need to increase our pace, we have visitors tailing behind us. If you feel tired of carrying Dock you can switch with Zaha.]

The eight figures of Xeno and his teammates were quickly approaching an arched stone portal. It was a gray structure resembling the form of a door, it was five meters tall and in the inner part of it there were strange blue patterns. It wasn't hard to guess it as a teleportation formation.

"We need to go in all together, otherwise I will port us in different locations!"

Dock shouted an important reminder, probably scared of the possibility of ending up alone.

At the same time three individuals clothed with black robes were approaching the team. Taking count of both the speed of of Xeno's team and hat of heir pursuers, Xeno should be able to secure everyone inside.

[Everyone hold your hands tight and run straight into the portal. Vix you will lead the charge.]

A hundred meters away from the portal, Xeno had ordered to his servants to lead the charge through it.

Yet Vix felt the situation quite strange. While being under their new master, they had never seen him doing nothing unnecessary, he had always gone straight to the point. Right now wouldn't have been better for him to go first while leaving for last a simple lesser? Has their master always been so benevolent toward his slaves? However, as it was a direct order, Vix had no other choice but to execute his orders. She quickly mind communicated with the other lessers, and led them through the portal. Then, the group of aliens started to gradually disappear. However just as only Xeno and the last lesser of the chain remained, he quickly wiggled his hand out of No.4 grasp and threw him into the portal.

Furthermore, just now, his persecutors had just arrived and having seen the scene unfold between their eyes they were quite startled. Was this guy crazy or stupid enough to underestimate them?

Yet they weren't as deeply shaken as Xeno himself, since his body had just acted on its own.

During these few seconds his arm had completely ignored him and moved alone, as if it wasn't part of his body anymore.

Still shocked, Xeno did not see that three individuals that were once behind him, now had relocated between him and the portal.

Soon after two of the them took a few steps forward and took off their hoods. They were about two meters of height, with a rather bulky physique. Their facial features were pretty rough, signed with scars and a hard expression that anticipated their battle experience. The two seemed rather coordinated, as the one in the front materialized a huge oval shield, while the one behind held within his two arms a long lance.

The shield seemed very sturdy, in the center of it was represented the symbol of a white flower. The lance was at least three meters long, it had the handle totally black in color with, in the middle, a simile emblem to that of the shield. Its blade was quite long as well, shining with a silver luster.

The incoming fight had heated Xeno's fighting intent, helping him to distract from his current mental and cognitive problems.

He suddenly lunged forward, his tendrils unwrapped and full of energy, shining with all colors. Xeno modified the extremities of his tendrils making them pointy, finally he empowered them with little amounts of deep purple nano-energy.

As soon as his legs started to glow of a blue light, Xeno disappeared from his enemies sight. The celidre with the shield promptly raised it towards the sky, as he probably had a sort of radar or tracking tool that indicated him Xeno's position.

Klang! Klang! Klang! Klang!

Soon after the sharp tendrils had impacted against the firm shield of the celidre, some of them even perforating it directly. A few seconds later Xeno himself had landed onto the metallic shield, his weight not being as light. As such the shield wielder empowered both his legs and arms as well with blue energy, resisting the impact. Yet some of the tendrils that did not stop at the shield had hit him in various points, creating random bleeding holes into his body. The lancer behind him jumped high, his boots oozing of blue light, then he quickly stroke down his lance. However its tip didn't just shine with energy, but rather it seemed to solidify it around the blade.

Seeing the blade incoming Xeno infused his right arm with purple energy, hoping to block it. It was indeed a risky move, but parrying it, even if resulting with an injury, would be a small victory.

Xeno gritted his teeth as the blade of the lance penetrated his hand, directly impacting against his bones, yet it didn't slice it completely. The hit he had been able to land onto the alien made the celidre rise a smug smile of his face. However the pained scream he expected didn't come from the black monstrosity.

In fact, Xeno's long black tail had lunged down, piercing into the abdomen of the shield wielder. The latter wasn't able to move at the moment, as he was sustaining both the lancer and Xeno's weight, furthermore the tail had silently jerked of in one swift movement, remaining unnoticed until the end.

AARGHHH

The screams continued as the long tail continued to ravage the celidre insides. At the same time Xeno had started to assault the lancer with both his corrosive bites and his sharp tendrils. However the celidre had materialized a blue shield of energy parrying most of the alien's attacks. The shield wielder was sweating and bleeding profusely, he was probably at his limit.

As such he had no other choice but to start and utilize what most would refer as final moves, the likes that you would conserve for critical situation. Suddenly crystal purple energy started to regularly ooze out of his body. Then at once his body started to slowly turn into hard black stone!

Noticing this Xeno quickly retracted his tail out of the celidre abdomen, yet its bladed end didn't make it in time, and remained trapped inside of the now rock-man.

As such Xeno jumped off the shield, he needed to free his tail, or his mobility would remain rather restricted. The lancer followed just after him, freeing his companion from the burdensome weight. Xeno's tendrils flashed with power once again, trying to damage and indent the rocky body of his enemy. As pebbles started to dart out of the shield wielder, the latter apparently didn't show any kind of pain. Then without much care he made appear a short metallic dagger and empowered it with solid blue energy, madly swinging it at the black tail still stuck inside his body.

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The ability of the now stony celidre, had surely surprised Xeno. He held not such an advantage in the fight anymore. The pain of his tail being almost cut made him roar with anger.

KIEEEEEKK

This powerful scream of his had been enhanced with purple energy, amplifying its effects. However at the same time Xeno reserves of this more dense and strong energy started to deplete. Soon after, Xeno exploited the chance he had just gained, as his enemies were momentarily stunned, covering their bleeding ears. With a swift twist of his torso, he completely ripped off his already severed connection with the rest of his tail. Finally free he lunged forward, biting hard at the lancers neck, corroding with his saliva before tearing it off with his sharp teeth.

However just as his first victim perished, the third of his enemies, that had yet to fight, appeared before his senses. In truth, Xeno had been heavily absorbed against his two first opponents, and as such he had not noticed this individual's action. This new enemy at the start of the fight had used a powerful cloaking tool, remaining unnoticed to Xeno's keen senses until now.

Suddenly a barrage of purple luminescent blasts rained against the alien. Xeno tried to resist, overcharging his tendrils with blue energy, using them as a shield. Yet many of them had melted or burned under the bombardment of the two tier two nano-handguns of the hooded celidre. While holes bleeding with purplish blood started to appear on his body, another intense deal of pain invaded Xeno's head. The stonman did not stand still and penetrated his dagger deep inside of Xeno's back.

The alien situation was indeed looking dire, he was already heavily injured and his situation was only getting worse by the time. However even his enemies must have their limits. The rocky celidre was probably out of energy from the prolonged fight, he had now taken out a new dagger from his spatial objects, but he was only using it with his raw strength. The gunner too couldn't continue to shot without stopping, or his guns would start to overheat.

A few seconds later, finally the gunner had to swap his guns. Xeno decided to go all in, it was a do or die situation, he wouldn't resist another barrage of blasts. He channeled his remaining bits of purple energy onto his legs, while his teeth and claws started to give off a bluish glow. In the next instants he was already facing the damned gunner. His claws had successfully teared into his torso, making him bleeding profusely. As Xeno's deadly teeth were approaching his enemy skull, to gloriously munch and eat it, he had been suddenly interrupted.

A sturdy shield, made of solid purple energy had blocked him, showing the great resourcefulness of the rank three warriors that were opposing him.

Then Xeno sensed the inexorable dagger striking down at its neck, as well as the sound of the trigger of the gun pointed at his head.

Yet in this very hopeless moment, an external help announced his presence.

As in the next seconds Xeno did not find himself in the arid steppe anymore, but in a completely dark and thick forest. Instantly recognizing it as the first strata of the dungeon.

At the same time, just before the portal, the celidre that had helped Xeno to escape announced his presence.

"You! Why did you help him Dacid!"

Seeing the dumb face of the celidre that ruined his hunt, the gunner could not refrain himself from angrily shout at him.

"Tsk! Calm down, you know that I received exact orders from Delar. He will generously compensate you and your deceased comrades families."

With a calm and yet arrogant demeanor, Dacid responded to the irritated warrior.

"What do you mean-"

Before continuing his phrase, the gunner observed his companion's body slowly turning back to his fleshy appearance. Yet what remained of him surely wasn't a good sigh to behold. As all the damages he had accumulated while turned to stone were now being reflected on his normal body. His abdomen suddenly opened, spraying large amounts of blood and leaving off his intestines and viscera. Furthermore other chucks of flesh were missing from the rest of his body, scattered on the battlefield as simple stones. The painful screams of the celidre were being muffled from the blood oozing out of his mouth, however it didn't take long for him to finally perish.

The gunner took a look at the battlefield, realizing the pure brutality behind the powerful attacks of the alien they had tried to eliminate. Dangerous! They had seriously underestimated the creature, and this had caused two members of the team to die. Furthermore he couldn' know of Xeno's current instability that had caused his focus to decrease over the fight.

"You didn't tell us how perilous this thing was! I want some more remuneration, I had finally found a good team too."

In the end the gunner stated his final terms, as he had all the reasons to bargain. Since, his role was not yet concluded, as he had to testify of the failure of the mission. Giving all the responsibility to the bad intelligence provided by uncle Luse.

Anyway, going back to Xeno's situation, he was currently out of danger. As without asking himself that many questions, he started to pack his mouth full of food from his space. He was in need to regenerate and stop his bleeding body as soon as possible. Not only to heal himself, but rather he didn't want to attract any dangerous pack of beasts. After a few minutes he was already in his quadrupedal position, ready to run as fast as he could.

His body wasn't obviously completely healed, even if the most prominent injuries had stopped their bleeding his complexion was rather sickly and extremely skinny. Yet this zone was already reeking of blood, his blood. As such he quickly activated [Melanir black sponge] and erased most of his chemical traces, before starting his rush.

A few hours later Xeno's cynical mind had finally decided to have run off a far enough distance. Then he resumed to consume his reserves of dried meat, as soon as he regained his color and energies, Xeno started to evaluate his situation.

Until now he had sensed various packs of beast while running through the black forest. The strange part was that all of them were carnivorous, mostly were canine types of beasts. He also noticed the abundance of literal screams, they mostly belonged to celidres from the timbre of their voice. Probably the criminals that passed through the portals.

Yet these cries that echoed through the forest were of pure agony, fighting with these packs wouldn't result with such pains. Soon enough Xeno started to understand the reason behind this situation. First and foremost, these celidres didn't possess his senses and were probably having difficulties in even seeing in front of them, as it was completely dark. Furthermore, now that Xeno had carefully scanned the zone he was currently in, he finally understood. These pitch black trees were probably not that simple, as they resembled some kind of pine but their leafs were as sharp as a blade and sturdy like metal. Without the presence of sunlight in the strata, one could imagine of what these plants were feeding on. They exploited the continuous fights between criminals and beast, to absorb their blood once the ended up against their dangerous leafs on accident. Since it was permanently dark it wasn't that rare either.

As such Xeno stealthily avoided all the trees and various packs, employing his senses to the maximum of their capabilities.

Soon after Xeno noticed that he was subconsciously heading off a certain direction, he was heading off the opposite side from where he had teleported in. It was indeed very strange that his ringing headache had stopped and his mental capabilities had come back to normal. In fact with this cognitive handicaps he could have never been able to carefully analyze the environment of the first strata.

He soon realized that whatever thing was messing with his head didn't want him to go in that precise direction.

Consequentially he suddenly turned around and headed off the contrary route he had gone to until now. As expected his headache resumed, even stronger than before, continuously drilling into his brain. At the same time soothing and comforting voices echoed into his mind, promising him happiness and comfort if he obeyed. To such promises his old self would just scoff at! Since he normally couldn't feel such things. However they didn't just whisper to him, but made him taste small bursts of pleasure in between.

Nonetheless Xeno kept walking, relentless, days passed while he every so often consumed part of his reserves, silently marching forward without stopping. The seemingly eternal monotony of the first strata coupled with his mental torments, had started to take a toll on his psyche. However he was still holding on, fueled by the desire of revenge against the perpetrator of his sufferings.

Yet at a certain point he really began to fall apart. The problem being his own body that resumed to disobey him, as it had done in front of the teleportation gate. This time just in bigger proportions. At a certain point his left leg stopped running forward, and on the contrary it tried to stop Xeno's advancement. Unfortunately he had no other option than to brake it completely, as the said limb was just an obstacle.

He repeated this process with all of is limbs, his still blade-less tail included. He regenerated them in turns until he lost his control over them, then broke them again and so on. As such he had to proceed with an extremely cautiousness, cause of his weakened state.

After Xeno passed over two weeks inside of the strata, he was on the verge of collapsing. Yet his both mental and physical endurance could be considered memorable.

Finally the monotonous landscape of the strata changed, and before him presented a seemingly limitless straight rocky wall that abruptly cut the continuity of the dark forest.

Xeno accelerated his crawling pace, enhancing even more his right arm, hoping it not to rebel again. As he would be forced to break it with his teeth, in fact fortunately his senses and facial muscles had still remained under his control. Yet he couldn't know if it was only a matter of time before loosing even them.

Once arrived about a hundred meters from the wall Xeno noticed an actual structure. It resembled the aperture of a long tunnel. Yet the dark metal that composed the entrance of the tunnel was giving off the impression of being the hardest thing he had ever seen.

He quickly crawled until the entrance, just as he slithered his body completely inside of it a mechanical voice resounded in his head.

"Oh dear! What do we have here, an Azoth in flesh and bones! Yet you seem to be in a pretty bad shape..."

The voice was a metallic one, yet it seemed to carry the presence of wisdom.

Then a black figure appeared, it was a humanoid about 1,7 meters tall, yet Xeno didn't sense any heat signature from it. To prove his senses right, he quickly understood him being completely made out of metal. Also, its overall appearance resembled a normal lesser.

To Xeno's surprise the robot was actually levitating, while he seemed to be observing and analyzing Xeno himself.

"Mhh… I understand your situation now, you need to be transferred into the medical facility as soon as possible".

As the metallic alien said this, Xeno felt at last his mind going broke. His senses had stopped to respond him and his facial muscles were gone as well.

He felt his brain starting to madly twist, fighting to maintain its volition. The pain was literally unbearable, yet he could scream to relieve himself, as he couldn't control his body anymore.

Soon after the robot teleported he and Xeno into a white chamber and posed him over an open capsule of some sort.

"Young Azoth, this is gonna hurt, a lot. The parasite has almost taken control over your entire body and I don't have spare anesthetic to give you."

The robotic voice had stated Xeno's current predicament, almost in a sarcastic tone. Yet Xeno couldn't care less, as he didn't listen at all, being currently busy with his internal fight.

Then the two hands of the metallic alien transformed into a sand like metallic substance once could refer to nano-bots. They were essentially living micro machines capable of listening to their owners orders. Soon after the robot reformed his hands and held open Xeno's mouth, permitting the bots to enter it. Like a black stream they converged inside him, searching for a specific individual.

It didn't pass long before screams started to echo into the room.

SKRRRIEEECHHHHH

The bots that had become numerous little hands connected to the metallic alien's reformed arms, were currently pulling hard to extract the parasitic being that had invaded Xeno.

Slowly the accursed creature came to light. Its overall shape was that of a slim serpent, yet it had no scales, only a smooth withe skin that failed to cover its thick black veins.

The monstrosity was angrily twisting around as it was being removed for its delicious host. The bots had picked it from what seemed to be its tail, until finally arriving at its head. The creature was more than two meters long.

The various barbs covering its disgusting head were madly undulating, while it had no eyes but just a long stinger, probably utilized to mess with Xeno's nervous system.