Walking through the eerie, silent tunnel, the only audible sounds were the soft footsteps of Lennox, Kira, and Theo. The drone, despite its keen sensors, revealed nothing significant along their path. However, they encountered multiple crushed bodies scattered on the ground, a grim sight that puzzled them. Nadia, Kage, and Vayuna's insights suggested that Voragor might be in a human form now, slowly regaining his powers, making the method of crushing bodies seem unusual.
Arriving at the end of the tunnel, a faint source of light illuminated signs of recent human activities. They noticed remnants of both old and fresh food, scattered books, and clothes strewn across the ground. The presence of such items heightened their suspicion that Voragor or someone else had been in the vicinity.
"There was definitely someone here," Kira said, scanning the room. Her eyes darted from one corner to another, a furrow forming on her brow as she assessed the surroundings. "It looks like they've been here a while," she continued, her gaze lingering on various clues.
Kira crouched down to inspect a makeshift campsite, her fingers lightly tracing over the remnants of a hastily abandoned meal. The air held a faint, lingering scent of someone's presence, and disturbed dust particles danced in the beam of her flashlight.
As Theo peered further into the tunnel, he caught a glimpse of a slight wisp of shadow. Uncertain of what he saw, he decided not to mention it immediately. Yet, a peculiar sensation lingered, as if someone was glaring at him with intense anger.
"What should we do? Wait for whoever it is to return, plan ahead, and set up a couple of traps, or go further down?" Lennox suggested. He felt that waiting might be a waste of time, especially if Voragor doesn't return and causing him continues to more destruction.
Kira walked forward, ready to express her opinion when Theo cut her off. "I need to pee," Theo said, holding his crotch.
Kira and Lennox looked at Theo bewildered. "So do it. Why are you telling us? Also, didn't we specifically tell you to do whatever business you had to do before putting on the suit?" she said, as Kage had explained that the stealth suit rarely ever needed to be taken off.
Theo moved to the side by some grates on the ground. "Ahh..." he sounded in a hurry and in pain, as the suit zipper didn't want to open. Finally, when it did, he released his water with a slight moan of happiness.
Amidst Theo's unexpected interlude, Lennox and Kira exchanged glances, a mixture of amusement and impatience evident on their faces.
Theo, with a mischievous smirk on his face, aimed his water at a specific spot beneath the grates, revealing the lurking presence of Shadow the Shadow Ninja, Voragor's subordinate.
'Damn it, it's you again. I, Shadow, will have my revenge,' Shadow thought in anger as he watched Theo. The lingering resentment from his past defeat fueled his desire for retaliation.
However, before Shadow could react, water suddenly flowed onto his head, shocking him. In an instant as he was about to scream, his body transformed into a shadow wisp, forcefully being pulled away. Theo had already recognized the sensation of the intense gaze, confirming the presence of the Shadow Ninja.
'How is he still alive... Hmm, is it possible for Voragor to revive him?' Theo wondered.
Theo's knowledge delved into various types of magic, including forbidden magic like rituals. Revive magic, although having potential for both good and bad applications, held a certain level of taboo.
Theo zipped back up his suit and walked back over to Lennox and Kira. "Right, I'm good," he said.
Kira looked at Theo. "Alright. As I told Lennox, it's better if we continue moving. We never know when Voragor will return, and maybe it's not even him who's living down here," she said.
Nodding with understanding, they prepared to proceed further into the tunnel. However, a sudden ground vibration akin to an earthquake halted their steps. Peering down the tunnel, they witnessed an enormous, uneven shadow slowly advancing. Racing thoughts pondered the identity of the approaching force that could shake the ground.
As they strained to see, a giant golem emerged, standing over ten feet tall, constructed entirely from shadowy crystalline obsidian. Its eyes glowed ominously like burning orbs, and massive clawed hands exuded an intimidating presence.
"Now, a shadow golem fitting down here?" Kira said in surprise. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the shadow golem. "Theo, this golem seems to be just like the shadow ninja from before."
"Do you believe by defeating Shadow you can defeat me?" the golem said loudly, its voice echoing through the tunnel.
"You guys go ahead; I will go deal with this golem. We don't have time to stay back," Kira said, determination flashing in her eyes.
"Puny woman, I will crush you," the Shadow Golem declared.
Theo patted Kira's shoulder. "Hey, big guy, don't underestimate her. She's a...stalker," he said.
Lennox and Theo, without looking back, dashed past the shadow golem, their focus on pressing forward. Meanwhile, Kira hesitated, torn between the belief that she could survive and the stubborn side that resisted asking for help. Ultimately, she chose not to slow down Lennox and Theo, seeing them as the primary fighter against Voragor.
As a Semi Nexus Adept with a power level in the F- Grade is someone who is and individuals that has honed their bloodline abilities through intense training or discipline, Kira sensed the shadow golem's presence, recognizing it as another Semi Nexus Adept same as her. She deduced this by detecting the release of its Nex energy from its body and considering Voragor's limited power to fully restore his subordinates.
Pulling out her Shadowstriker bow, an Advanced A-ranked weapon, Kira aimed to test one of her new normal attacks called 'Fake Shadow.'
"You think that bow is going to hurt my body?" Shadow Golem taunted, a hint of arrogance in its voice.
Notching an arrow, she infused it with her shadow and sent it soaring at the golem. The initial arrow didn't affect the golem, but suddenly, two shadow arrows materialized, embedding themselves halfway into the golem's body upon impact. Kira's experimental attack demonstrated a new level of control over her shadow abilities.
The shadow golem, unfazed by the two shadow arrows embedded in its body, advanced relentlessly. Each step sent tremors through the ground, and it unleashed a massive fist towards Kira. Demonstrating her agility and flexibility, Kira executed a graceful sideflip, narrowly avoiding the impact that created a small pit upon hitting the ground.
Again, the golem swung at her, but once more, she side-flipped out of the way. "Stop moving, you cat," it taunted, growing frustrated with Kira's agility.
Despite Kira's attempts to impede the golem's progress with multiple shadow knives, they merely entered halfway into its body, dealing minimal damage. Realizing the limitations of the confined space and her inability to inflict significant harm, Kira opted for a strategic escape, employing her 'Shadow Web Bind.'
Gritting her teeth and holstering her bow, Kira extended her hand towards the approaching Shadow Golem. Swiftly, shadows erupted from her palm, weaving into tendrils that coalesced into an intricate web of darkness. The tendrils ensnared the golem, restricting its movements as it struggled to break free. However, the resistance was more alarming than expected, and the tendrils began to break.
Sensing the imminent breakage, Kira made a swift decision to sprint away, not waiting for the golem to free itself.