The creature, which his skill identified as an Eyeless, turned to face him with its horrifying visage. Due to its lack of eyes, it obviously couldn't see him, but its massive ears and twitching nose made Xarion realize he'd been spotted. Rising from his crouched stance, he took a fighting posture and spoke with a cocky smirk, "I'm a bit stiff, mind helping a guy out?" His words carried confidence as the beast let out a low screech and charged straight for him on all fours.
Xarion didn't flinch. Instead, he smirked, unaffected by the creature's aggression. The moment it moved, he could almost see each motion in slow detail. He was so accustomed to battling enemies far stronger and faster that watching this thing rush him felt like watching a toddler chase after a ball. After what felt like a painfully long windup, the creature finally reached striking range and leapt to pounce.
With minimal effort, Xarion evaded the attack. In the same movement, he grabbed the monster mid-air and flung it toward the stone wall, using its own momentum against it. In his eyes, there was no fear or surprise, only the composed demeanor of someone who had weathered countless fights.
The monster struck the wall with a heavy thud, and Xarion was certain he heard the snap of bones. The beast shrieked in pain, writhing on the ground, before dragging itself upright, looking even angrier than before. It lunged again, with the exact same attack as before.
This time, Xarion was almost bored. To amuse himself, he put his arms behind his back, standing casually as if inspecting the creature. "Here, I'll help you out a bit. I won't even use my hands," he said smugly as the monster leapt again, and again he sidestepped it with the ease of someone barely paying attention.
"Really? Come on!" he said, yawning theatrically as the creature repeated its attempts, each time attacking with no variation. Xarion's subtle, effortless dodges made it look like a joke. The beast was quickly exhausting itself, its breathing growing ragged and labored.
"Is that all?" he asked flatly. This time, he brought his arms back down. "Okay, my turn." With that, he dashed forward. The monster raised its long limbs in a desperate swipe, but Xarion dipped low and delivered a series of rapid, punishing punches to its chest, each strike targeting a vital area.
The creature howled in agony, attempting a last-ditch effort to bite him, but Xarion responded with a precise uppercut, dislocating its jaw in a single blow. It collapsed backward, stunned by pain. Without hesitation, Xarion stepped onto its neck and stomped, delivering a final, resounding crunch that ended the creature's life.
"Damn, I really am rusty," Xarion muttered, disappointed that he'd needed to use that much effort on such a low-level monster. Still, the fight was won. He felt the satisfying rush of growth as his experience ticked upward. Checking his Soul Status, he grinned. [Exp: 52%]
"That much?" he murmured, reminded how fast progress came at lower levels. He was used to grinding through entire armies to earn even a sliver of experience. The nostalgic ease was refreshing. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a new notification blinked into existence. [Obtained: 1 Aspirant Rank Energy Core]
Xarion paused. "Huh?" he said aloud, staring at the prompt. Apparently, he had acquired one of the resources needed to upgrade the labyrinth. He didn't know what Energy Cores were exactly, but he knew they were important.
Looking down at the monster's corpse, he realized how to obtain these Energy cores and let out a small chuckle. "Just kill nine more of those things? This'll be easy." He was beginning to feel more in control of the situation.
Then something unexpected happened.
A dark vapor began to rise from the monster's body, curling and coalescing into a floating orb of shadow. It hovered in midair above the corpse, pulsing slightly. Xarion immediately tensed, shifting into a defensive stance as he watched it, wary of any sudden movement.
The strange gas ball remained still. Its presence was ominous, but it didn't act aggressively. Gaining confidence, Xarion stepped forward. "What now?" he muttered, reaching out to touch it.
[Obtained: 1 Aspirant Rank Death Essence]
Another prompt. Xarion narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Great. More nonsense without explanation," he muttered. Another question added to the growing pile. "What is Death Essence, and why did I collect it?" Maybe it had something to do with that hidden skill he couldn't access yet. The thought frustrated him more.
Giving up on figuring it out for now, he refocused. He had a goal: find nine more monsters like this one, kill them, collect their energy cores, then leave and activate the labyrinth.
Wait.
He froze.
"How do I leave this place?" he said, the question hitting him like a rock. The initial high of victory gave way to a sobering reality. He had no map, no clear exits, and no answers. The Abyss, or whatever it truly was, had brought him here with no instructions, no support, and no guarantee he could get out once he did what was needed.
Although he didn't know the way out or any method of escape, Xarion resigned himself to continue onward. There was no use in fretting or standing still. Whatever this place was, he had already accepted that the only path was forward. The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing in the distance. Stone surrounded him on all sides, a jagged fortress of shadows that offered neither comfort nor guidance.
He moved deeper into the vast cavern system, leaving the monster's corpse behind without a second thought. Perhaps a hunter could find use in its hide or meat, but Xarion was no hunter, and he didn't need to eat. It made more sense to abandon the remains than drag them with him. His body, a construct of undeath, had no need for food or rest. Efficiency guided his decisions now.
For over twenty minutes, he trekked through the winding tunnels. The darkness was near-total, broken only by patches of glowing moss that provided faint, eerie illumination. The air grew colder the farther he went, brushing against his skin like a ghost's whisper. Then, at last, his patience was rewarded, another monster.
He activated his Hero's Eyes ability, directing it toward the lurking figure ahead.
[Race: Lesser Eyeless
Level: 2]
Slightly stronger than the last one, though not significantly so. These creatures posed no real threat. They acted like mindless beasts, repeating the same behaviors without thought or strategy. They lacked the cunning that made labyrinth-born monsters such a menace, those creatures schemed, deceived, and adapted like men. This Eyeless, however, moved only on instinct, no smarter than a vermin.
Xarion picked up a small stone from the ground and gently tossed it to the side, deliberately avoiding the creature. The rock clattered lightly, just enough to draw attention. As expected, the monster hissed and turned toward the noise, utterly unaware that its doom crept silently from behind.
He moved like a phantom, each step calculated and quiet, a technique passed down from a formerly trusted comrade long ago. When he got within striking range, he didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and shoved the creature with force, sending it tumbling to the ground.
The Eyeless thrashed and snarled, trying to claw at him. But Xarion's strength held firm. He pinned the monster down, gripping each of its arms in one hand while planting his foot between its shoulder blades. With a sudden, brutal motion, he pulled. The creature's arms wrenched upward while his foot pressed down, creating a sickening crack.
It shrieked in agony, bones snapping beneath his grip, spine fracturing beneath his weight. Before it could react or drag out its suffering, Xarion twisted and snapped the spine completely, ending its life in a single, efficient motion.
The body went limp, and the notification appeared.
[Obtained: 1 Aspirant Rank Energy Core]
Xarion dropped the mangled corpse without a second glance. He didn't feel anything. There was no guilt, no hesitation. In this world, it was kill or be killed. That thing would have eaten him alive if given the chance. He watched as a black orb floated from the body, a condensed, ethereal wisp of darkness.
[Obtained: 1 Aspirant Rank Death Essence]
He reached out, and the essence flowed into him like a whisper of wind. Cold tingled against his skin, and then it was gone. The number next to "Death Essence" on his Soul Status ticked upward to two. He was thankful he didn't need to physically carry them; the soul status seemed to have inventory space that could handle this automatically.
And then he felt it, an intoxicating surge of power. It was difficult to describe, like being struck by clarity and lightning at once. His body felt lighter, stronger. Senses sharpened. He brought up his Soul Status.
[Name: Xarion Diamoriel
Faction: Undead
Race: Netherborn
Rank: Aspirant
Level: 2
Experience: 23%]
[Attributes
Strength: 2
Vitality: 2
Defense: 2
Agility: 2
Dexterity: 2
Intelligence: 2
Will: 2
Charisma: 2
Perception: 2
Magic: 2
Total: 20]
He had leveled up. Thanks to his Hero's Journey skill, every level granted him double the normal stat increase. He relished the feeling, knowing he was still far from his former glory but grateful for the progress. Eight more Eyeless to go. Time to keep moving.
An hour passed. Xarion wiped imaginary sweat from his brow as his fifth Eyeless collapsed at his feet. This one had been Level 5, a bit more troublesome than the others. Still, he emerged victorious and leveled again, now at Level 4 with forty total attribute points.
The routine was straightforward: explore the cavern, find a monster every ten minutes or so, kill it, and collect the core and death essence. It was repetitive and admittedly dull, but it served its purpose. His undead body required no rest, and he pressed forward with tireless resolve.
The monotony ended after another twenty minutes when the tunnels gave way to a wide, circular chamber. The air changed, becoming cooler and more stagnant. In the center of the space sat another Eyeless. Behind it, a crack in the stone wall emitted a faint beam of natural light, enough for a grown man to crawl through.
Light? Could that be an exit? Xarion's pulse quickened at the thought. One final obstacle stood in his way.
He didn't bother using Hero's Eyes. Instead, he stuck to his proven tactic. He threw a stone to distract the creature and prepared to strike from behind.
But this time, things went wrong.
Instead of investigating, the creature unhinged its jaw unnaturally wide. A pale, grotesque hand emerged from its mouth, complete with a second mouth in the palm. Then came the sound.
A scream, but more, a shriek so powerful and high-pitched that Xarion staggered, clutching his ears. The noise bounced off every surface in the chamber, building into a crescendo of agony.
The creature retracted its limb and growled, eyes locked on him. Worse still, Xarion could hear footsteps, multiple sets, approaching fast.
More monsters were coming.