Before Vas could react, Morgan smashed the tablet against the ground. The device shattered into a thousand pieces, sending a strange pulse through the room. Her smirk widened as she stepped back. "This one's different," she purred, her voice thick with arrogance. "It's designed to respond to immediate threats."

But Vas only smiled, the coldness never leaving his eyes. "No," he corrected, the atmosphere around them shifting as he spoke. "You've misunderstood the threat."

Suddenly, the walls of the bunker seemed to pulse, the very fabric of reality warping around them. The lights flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced across the room, and the walls began to drip with a thick, viscous liquid, a strange oily substance that oozed from the cracks in the stone. The air grew heavy with a sense of impending doom, the temperature plummeting.

Both Axel and Morgan looked around in growing panic. "What's happening?" Axel stammered, his voice trembling as the oppressive atmosphere pressed down on him.

Morgan took a step back, her earlier confidence crumbling into wide-eyed fear. "What the hell is this?" she demanded, her voice shrill as the puddles of liquid on the floor began to ripple and swell.

Vas remained calm, his hands rising slightly as he summoned his blades. The familiar, cold metal formed in his grasp, the green wire at his back beginning to dance like it had a life of its own, glowing ominously in the now-darkened room.

The puddles of liquid on the floor began to shift, merging together in unnatural movements, as if they were being pulled by an unseen force. Slowly, something began to emerge—a twisted, malformed figure crawling out of the darkness.

It was monstrous. Half man, half woman, the figure was grotesque, its limbs elongated and twisted, its body a horrific amalgamation of human parts. One side of its face was smooth, beautiful even, but the other was mangled beyond recognition, as if melted and reformed by some perverse force. It crawled on all fours, its body dripping with the black, oily substance, its eyes gleaming with an unsettling hunger.

Morgan stumbled back, her voice caught in her throat. "What... what is that thing?" Her bravado was gone, replaced by pure, unfiltered fear.

Vas's grip on his blades tightened, his gaze fixed on the abomination before him. "You wanted to see a threat," he said coldly, his voice cutting through the growing tension like a blade. "Now you have one."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The creature let out a low, guttural sound, a mixture of a hiss and a moan, as it dragged itself closer to them. The stench of decay filled the air, thick and suffocating. Its mouth opened, revealing rows of jagged, rotting teeth, dripping with the same black liquid.

Axel was frozen, paralyzed by fear, but Vas stepped forward, his body tense, ready for the fight. This was not just another enemy; this was something far worse, something pulled from the depths of nightmares. The monster's gaze locked onto him, its movements jerky and unnatural, like it was struggling to maintain its form.

Vas raised his blades, the green wire flaring with energy behind him. "You summoned it," he said, his voice steady, "now watch what happens next."

The monster lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive form an amalgamation of twisted muscle and jagged bone. Its eyes glowed with a sickening light, and the sharp, gnarled claws extended toward Vas in a deadly arc. Vas sidestepped effortlessly, his body moving with the fluid grace of a shadow. The attack missed him by a hair's breadth, the force of the blow cracking the ground where he had been standing.

Vas didn't flinch, his cold, calculating gaze locked on the creature as he analyzed its movements. He spun one of his twin blades in his hand, the faint hum of the green wire that connected them reverberating in the air as it danced around him.

The monster growled, frustrated by its failed attack, and swung again—wild, frenzied. It lunged, clawed arms thrashing violently, but Vas was already moving. He ducked low, rolling beneath the beast's attack and flicking his wrist. The wire shot out, coiling around one of the monster's legs like a snake.

"Got you," Vas muttered under his breath, pulling hard.

The creature stumbled, its balance thrown off as Vas yanked the wire with a quick twist, bringing it to the ground. But even as it hit the dirt, the monster roared, a deep, guttural sound that shook the walls of the bunker. It thrashed against the wire, trying to free itself, but Vas remained calm, his movements precise, controlled. He circled around it, his blades flashing as he struck with deadly efficiency.

Every strike from Vas was calculated, cold—Morrigan's training had taught him not to waste movement, to think three steps ahead of his opponent. His blades sliced into the creature's flesh, the wire constricting around its limbs, binding it tighter with every move.

Axel and Morgan watched from the sidelines, their faces pale with fear. The sheer power emanating from the monster was overwhelming, but Vas didn't seem fazed. In truth, he didn't care about them. They were pawns in a larger game, useful only for the information they held. But they would remain alive for now—as long as it suited his goals.

The monster roared again, its monstrous form heaving as it tore through one of the wires binding it. It reared up, swinging a massive arm toward Vas with alarming speed. This time, Vas wasn't able to dodge entirely. The creature's claws grazed his side, the sharp tips slicing through his coat and drawing blood.

Vas hissed in pain, but his expression remained impassive. "Tougher than I thought," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the beast's growls.

The monster didn't relent. It surged forward, using its weight to charge at him, the ground shaking under its sheer mass. Vas flicked his wrist again, the wire wrapping around the beast's other arm. He yanked hard, pulling the monster off course, but this time, it wasn't enough. The creature's sheer strength ripped the wire loose, and it lunged again, its claws aimed straight for Vas's throat.

For the first time in the fight, Vas narrowed his eyes in genuine focus. He threw himself back, his body twisting mid-air as he barely avoided the attack. The creature's claws grazed his chest, close enough to tear through his coat.

"Damn," Vas muttered, rolling to his feet just as the monster roared again. This fight wasn't going to be as easy as he'd initially thought.

Morrigan's voice echoed in his mind. "Stay detached, stay focused. Every opponent has a weakness, even this one."