The air was cool when Lucas stirred.
He blinked slowly, the fading embers of last night's fire just a faint glow against the stone floor. Above, the stars in the false sky still shimmered, painting the ceiling of the vast underground dome in a blanket of silver and violet hues.
He sat up with a groan.
His joints cracked, his muscles ached… but not in the same way as before. It wasn't exhaustion from starvation, or pain from wounds. Just fatigue. The kind that came from finally relaxing, if only for a moment.
To his left, Lyss was already awake. She stood near the edge of the platform, arms crossed, watching the river in silence.
Lucas followed her gaze.
The water shimmered in the soft morning light, a thin layer of mist floating above it like a ghostly veil. The river looked calm, quiet, almost welcoming. Small ripples spread across its surface, and the occasional splash broke the silence—perhaps a fish, or something else.
He rubbed his eyes and let out a breath.
'Still alive… somehow.'
Lyss glanced over her shoulder when she noticed his movement. "Morning."
"Barely," he muttered, voice raspy. "What time even is it?"
She shrugged. "No idea. But it feels like morning."
Lucas pushed himself to his feet, stretching his arms behind his back with a grunt. "You know what sounds amazing right now?"
Lyss raised an eyebrow.
He pointed toward the river. "A damn bath."
Her lips curled into a small smile. "I was thinking the same thing."
They didn't say much else.
There was no need.
After everything they'd been through—climbing the mountain, surviving beasts, and descending into the unknown—they both deserved five minutes of peace.
Without another word, the two of them began walking toward the river's edge, steps light on the stone.
Soon, they would be clean.
And for just a little while… human again.
The river was clearer up close, its water smooth as glass, barely disturbed by the gentle current. Despite being underground, the strange star-like glow from above reflected off the surface, giving it an ethereal shimmer.
Lucas knelt by the edge, dipping a hand into the water.
It was cold.
Not freezing, but enough to make him flinch slightly. Still, after everything they'd been through, cold water felt like a luxury.
He looked over his shoulder at Lyss, who was a few meters away, standing near a patch of boulders that offered a bit of privacy.
She gave him a glance, then turned around.
"Don't peek."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'm not that desperate."
She smirked faintly and stepped behind the rocks.
With a quiet breath, Lucas desummoned his Deathfang Carapace. The armor dissolved into a soft ripple of shadow, vanishing from his body like mist under sunlight. Now naked, he waded into the water, the cold biting against his skin immediately.
He gasped, teeth clenched.
'Fuck that's cold…'
But once he was in, the sensation turned refreshing. The grime, blood, sweat, and dirt from days of travel peeled away under the river's flow.
For the first time in weeks, he felt clean.
He dunked his head under the surface, running his fingers through his hair to rinse it. The silence underwater was complete—calm, untouched.
It gave him a strange kind of peace.
On the other side, Lyss had slipped into the water as well, hidden by the rocks. She moved quietly, not saying a word, focusing only on cleaning herself.
Lucas stayed where he was.
He didn't dare look.
Not because of modesty, but because it wasn't worth the trouble. Especially with someone like her.
He floated on his back, eyes closed, letting the current rock him slightly.
'Still underground… still stuck in this insane place. But at least I don't smell like death anymore.'
And for now… that was enough.
Lucas was waist-deep now, scrubbing at his arms when he felt it.
Something brushed against his leg.
He froze.
The movement was subtle, like a current… but wrong. Too warm. Too deliberate.
He glanced down, squinting into the clear water—but saw nothing. Just his legs, the pebbled riverbed, and gentle ripples from his own motion.
Then something touched him again.
Longer this time. Thicker.
His entire body tensed.
'What the actual—'
Suddenly, a large shape darted past beneath him. Sleek, silver, and at least a meter long.
His heart nearly stopped.
"Shit!" he hissed, stumbling backward toward the shore, water sloshing violently as he splashed out in a hurry. "Lyss!"
No answer.
"Lyss! There's something in the river!"
Still no response.
He turned toward the boulders—just in time to see her stepping out from behind them, bare shoulders glistening under the soft starlight, her long silver-blonde hair sticking to her skin. She was radiant in that moment. Ethereal. Like she belonged to this place far more than he ever could.
His brain short-circuited.
His legs stopped moving.
Lyss froze too, her golden eyes going wide as she realized what just happened.
"Turn around!" she barked.
Lucas immediately spun on his heel, throwing his hands up. "Shit—sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"Don't look back."
"I'm not, I'm not!"
His heart was hammering in his chest. 'Smooth. Real smooth.'
Behind him, he heard the whisper of her voice. Clothes being summoned. Fabric rustling into existence.
Lucas took a breath and lifted his arm.
Dark smoke curled around his limbs as he summoned his Deathfang Carapace. The armor wrapped around him like liquid shadow, light and flexible, yet strong. It clicked into place with a low hiss, settling comfortably against his skin.
No way he was walking around half-naked again. Lesson learned.
"You can turn around now."
Lucas turned, eyes carefully avoiding her face.
"I swear it was an accident."
Lyss didn't respond immediately. Then, with a slight roll of her eyes, she muttered, "Whatever. What did you see in the river?"
He latched onto the change of subject like a lifeline. "Something big. Looked like a fish. A damn huge one. Like… meter-long huge."
Lyss raised an eyebrow. "Edible?"
"Looks like it."
Her lips curled into a small grin. "Then let's catch it."
Lucas blinked. "Wait. You want to go back in the water?"
She summoned Starlight Fang into her hand, the blade glinting with a faint azure glow. "You found food. You don't get to complain now."
Lucas sighed.
'I swear, this better be the tastiest fish I've ever eaten.'
With a flash of black mist, the Abyssal Reaper formed in his hand once more.
Time to go fishing.
The water lapped gently at their knees as they stood at the river's edge once more, weapons drawn. Silence stretched between them—tense, expectant. The starlit dome above shimmered faintly in the rippling surface, fractured by the current.
Lucas scanned the river, gripping the Abyssal Reaper with both hands. The scythe's obsidian blade gleamed like ink, almost humming as it sensed danger. His eyes flicked to the shadows beneath the water, sharp and patient.
Something moved.
A ripple. Then another.
"There," Lyss said, already shifting her stance. Her sword—Starlight Fang—glowed faintly, white light pulsing from its edge.
A flash of silver beneath the surface. A blur.
Lucas tensed.
Without warning, a large creature erupted from the water—long, serpentine, with glowing eyes and needle-thin teeth. It darted straight for his leg, jaws wide.
"Soulrend," he hissed.
The scythe moved in a clean arc, slicing through the creature's neck mid-air. The head rolled to the side and splashed into the water while the body dropped like a stone.
[Target slain: River Maw]
Lucas stared at the twitching corpse. "It was a monster…"
Lyss crouched beside the body, nodding calmly. "River Maws. They like to lurk near the edges at night. We're lucky it was alone."
Lucas looked down at the scaled beast. Nearly a meter long, slick and muscular, with bioluminescent streaks running down its spine.
He placed a hand on the chest. "There it is. Soul Core's inside."
"Don't consume it yet," Lyss said. "We've got food now. That's the priority."
He nodded.
Together, they dragged the monster to the shore. Lucas knelt beside it and unsheathed a short dagger—nothing special, just a small tool he had picked up in the city. He cut carefully along the chest, searching through the dense tissue.
A faint glow answered him.
"There," he muttered.
He reached in and pulled out a smooth, violet orb. It pulsed faintly with energy, warm in his fingers.
He held it up.
"Not bad."
Lyss inspected it. "We'll divide the next one. You take this."
Lucas tucked it into the small pouch at his side, careful not to damage it.
They stared at the corpse for a moment longer. Then, with a sigh, he stood.
"Guess we're eating scaly bastard stew tonight."
Lyss smirked. "Better than starving."
The fire crackled softly beside the river, flames dancing low over a pile of dried moss and wood shavings. The light cast warm shadows on the ruined stone wall where they sat, their legs stretched out and boots steaming faintly from the damp.
Lucas rotated the spit slowly, watching as the thick cuts of River Maw meat sizzled over the fire. The scales had proven tough to remove, but once skinned, the flesh underneath was pale and dense—almost like fish, but with a richer, gamier smell.
For the first time in days, it actually smelled like food.
He leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose as the warmth from the flames chased away the chill that clung to his skin.
'God, I needed this.'
Lyss sat nearby, sharpening her dagger against a small whetstone. The rhythmic scrape was oddly soothing. She glanced up once, her silver-blonde hair catching the flicker of firelight.
"Still can't believe you decapitated it in one blow."
Lucas shrugged. "Lucky shot."
She gave him a faint smirk. "Or maybe you're finally learning."
He didn't answer—just turned the spit again.
When the meat looked ready, he handed her a skewer. She took it without a word, biting into the steaming chunk with calm efficiency. Lucas followed, teeth sinking into the roasted flesh.
It was chewy. A little tough.
But warm. And real.
"...Not bad," he muttered through a mouthful.
"Better than roots," Lyss replied.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Lucas reached into his pouch and pulled out the Soul Core he had taken earlier. It still glowed faintly, the pulsing violet light casting reflections on his fingers.
He held it up for a second, then looked at Lyss.
"Mind?"
She shook her head. "Go ahead. You earned it."
He nodded once and brought the core to his chest. It pulsed, then dissolved into light, flowing into his skin like mist.
[Soul Core absorbed: +2 Soul Energy]
[Current Soul Level: 1 (90/1000)]
Lucas let out a quiet breath as the warmth spread through his limbs. It wasn't a big increase, but it was something. Every bit mattered.
He leaned back again, letting the firelight wash over him.
"Not a bad day," he said quietly.
Lyss looked over. "One of the better ones."