Michael and Valencia slowly advanced through the dungeon floors. Each battle while unchallenging slowed their progress even more. The 20th floor was suffocating. The air was thick with the stench of decay, clinging to Michael and Valencia as they descended deeper into the heart of the dungeon. The ground beneath their feet felt unstable, uneven with jagged rocks and remnants of old, forgotten battles. Every shadow seemed alive, flickering in the dim, unnatural light cast by the glowing runes that lined the walls.
Michael's grip tightened around the coilgun, now an extension of his arm. The weapon had changed drastically since its crude beginning. It still bore the same skeletal appearance, but its form had grown sharper, more refined. The elongated barrel shimmered with dark energy, while the skeletonized stock, though light, hummed with latent power. The coilgun was no longer just a weapon—it was evolving with him, feeding on his mana and absorbing the darkness that lingered within the dungeon's walls.
Valencia moved beside him with silent grace. Her crimson-tipped hair swayed slightly as she stepped forward, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Her vampiric transformation had made her stronger, and it showed in her every movement. The spells she used now required a fraction of the mana they had before, but their impact had grown exponentially. A quiet confidence radiated from her as she prepared for whatever came next.
Ahead, the path opened up into a massive chamber. A towering stone door marked the entrance, etched with runes of ancient power. The air buzzed with an almost palpable energy, the kind that made Michael's instincts scream of danger. This wasn't just another floor—this was a boss chamber.
They paused for a moment, exchanging a glance. Valencia's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Michael replied, his voice steady despite the tension that coiled in his chest.
The stone door groaned as it opened, revealing a vast arena beyond. At the center of the chamber stood their foe.
The creature was monstrous—twice the height of a man, its body a grotesque amalgamation of flesh, bone, and metal. Its skin was leathery and covered in jagged scars, while its arms ended in thick, iron-plated claws that could tear through stone with ease. The monster's eyes glowed with a sickly yellow hue, burning with ancient rage. Chains clinked against the ground as it moved, each step sending tremors through the floor. A hulking golem-like abomination, a fusion of organic and mechanical parts—this was the guardian of the 20th floor.
Michael exhaled slowly. "This is going to be a tough one."
Valencia summoned a shimmering barrier around them, her fingers deftly weaving a spell. "We've faced worse."
The beast roared, a guttural, echoing sound that reverberated through the chamber. Without hesitation, it lunged forward, its massive claws slicing through the air with deadly intent. Michael dodged to the side, raising the coilgun and aligning the shot.
The shot has to count.
He triggered the coilgun.
A loud crack echoed through the chamber as the weapon fired, a metal disk launching from the elongated barrel. The disk was imbued with a dark, glowing energy, darker than usual. Something was different this time—Michael could feel it. As the disk shot toward the monster, it seemed to ripple with shadowy tendrils that extended from its surface.
The disk struck the boss square in the chest with a resounding clang, but instead of disintegrating or staggering back like the lesser monsters, the abomination tanked the hit. It barely flinched. Its eyes narrowed, glowing brighter as it advanced. But Michael wasn't focused on the lack of damage—the disk was still there, embedded in the monster's flesh, and something strange was happening.
The metal disk, darker than it should have been, began to pulse with a sinister glow. Tendrils of dark energy, barely visible at first, started to creep out from the disk and wrap around the creature's body. These tendrils slithered across its flesh like snakes, tightening and coiling as they expanded over its form.
"What's happening?" Valencia asked, her voice tense as she watched the scene unfold.
Michael didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the dark tendrils, watching as they began to pulse in rhythm with the dungeon's energy. The monster let out another roar, this one filled with confusion and rage. The tendrils glowed brighter, and Michael could feel it—the coilgun wasn't just firing shots anymore. It was absorbing something from the monster.
The tendrils seemed to dig into the creature, siphoning energy from its very core. The boss's movements slowed, its massive body trembling as the dark tendrils wrapped tighter and tighter around it. The glowing in its eyes dimmed, its strength visibly draining.
"It's... feeding off the monster," Valencia whispered, her eyes wide with both awe and fear.
Michael nodded, though he barely heard her. His focus was entirely on the coilgun, the dark energy coursing through it. The weapon had changed again. It was no longer just evolving—it was consuming. The mana it had taken from him was now feeding back into the dungeon, pulling something from its prey. The longer the disk stayed embedded in the monster, the more energy it absorbed.
But the creature wasn't going to go down without a fight.
With a sudden surge of strength, the boss ripped the tendrils off its body, shattering the dark energy that had wrapped around it. The disk was flung across the room, clattering to the ground as the monster regained its footing. It bellowed, its yellow eyes burning with renewed fury. The chains that dangled from its body glowed with heat as it swung one of its massive arms toward Michael.
He barely dodged the attack, the chain whistling past his ear as it smashed into the stone wall behind him. The impact left a crater in the rock, sending debris flying in all directions.
Valencia reacted immediately, sending a torrent of flame toward the monster. The spell was quick, efficient, and powerful—a stark contrast to the mana-intensive spells she had used in the past. The flames licked at the monster's skin, searing through its flesh, but it only seemed to enrage the creature further.
"It's still standing," she muttered under her breath, frustration edging into her tone.
Michael raised the coilgun again, preparing for another shot. The weapon felt heavier now, almost as if it had drained a part of him along with the monster. But he couldn't stop. This thing had to go down.
The coilgun hummed with energy, darker and more foreboding than before. He fired.
This time, the disk struck the monster in the shoulder, and again the dark tendrils began to emerge. But now they moved faster, wrapping around the creature with renewed intensity. The glow from the tendrils brightened as they pulsed, drawing even more energy from the boss. It roared in pain and frustration, its movements growing sluggish as its strength was siphoned away.
The creature lashed out with its remaining strength, but its blows were slow, uncoordinated. The dark tendrils coiled tighter, and the monster began to crumble under their grip. Bit by bit, its power drained, until finally, with a last, ragged breath, the abomination collapsed to the ground. The dark tendrils pulsed one last time before retracting back into the disk, leaving only a lifeless husk behind.
Michael lowered the coilgun, panting. His whole body ached, his mana reserves depleted. But they had won. The boss was dead.
Valencia walked over to him, her eyes lingering on the weapon in his hands. "That wasn't normal," she said quietly.
"No," Michael agreed, staring down at the coilgun. The dark energy within it still pulsed faintly, as if satisfied from the feast it had just consumed. "It's changing again. I don't know where this is going, but... it's growing stronger."
"And so are we," Valencia replied, her voice firm. "We have to keep pushing forward. Whatever this dungeon is doing to us, we can't stop now."
Michael nodded, though a lingering sense of unease gnawed at him. The coilgun had evolved again, and with each change, it felt more dangerous. But for now, it was their greatest weapon—and he had no choice but to rely on it.
Together, they turned toward the next passage, ready for whatever awaited them on the floors below.