The sun was just a faint glow on the horizon as Aidan entered the mine the next morning. The air was thick and damp, smelling of earth and metal. He could hear the faint hum of distant drills echoing through the narrow tunnels. His heart wasn't pounding from the physical exertion, but from the excitement of using the Luminarite scanner again. It had already proven its worth, and he was determined to make the most of it before anyone else noticed his sudden success.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadow trailed his every step.
---
The night before, in a dimly lit corner of the outpost, one of Barrack's lackeys leaned close to his boss. The man's voice was low but tinged with excitement.
"I saw him, boss. That kid, Aidan. He sold a haul for ten credits. Ten! No way he's pulling that much from standard mining."
Barrack's eyes narrowed, his scarred face twisting into a scowl. "Ten credits? That runt must've found something valuable. Treasure, maybe."
The lackey nodded eagerly. "Could be. Whatever it is, he's keeping it to himself. We should... you know, have a talk with him."
Barrack's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Tomorrow. We'll follow him into the mines. If he's hiding something, we'll take it." He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing ominously.
One of the lackeys, a wiry man with a scar running down his cheek, chimed in. "What if he tries to bolt? Kid's quick, and these tunnels are a maze."
Barrack snorted. "Then we make sure he doesn't get the chance. Spread out if we have to, but don't lose him. And if he's lying..." His knuckles cracked again, louder this time, as a wicked grin spread across his face. "We'll make sure he regrets it."
---
Aidan moved deeper into the mine, the scanner in his hand humming softly. The device's screen showed a weak signal, but he knew that with patience, he would find what he was looking for. He reached a fork in the tunnel and checked the scanner's readout. The right path showed a faint glimmer of potential, so he adjusted his gear and continued on.
As he delved deeper into the mine, the air grew heavier and more oppressive. The overhead lights became sparser, leaving long stretches of the tunnel shrouded in darkness. Aidan slowed his breathing, focusing intently on his work. He didn't hear the soft footsteps behind him until it was too late.
"Well, well. Look who's working so hard," a mocking voice called out.
Aidan spun around, his heart sinking as he saw Barrack and his lackeys stepping out of the shadows. There were five of them in total, their faces twisted with malice.
Barrack himself stood at the front, his broad frame blocking the tunnel.
"Barrack," Aidan said, trying to keep his voice steady. "What do you want?"
Barrack chuckled darkly. "Oh, nothing much. Just curious how a scrawny kid like you managed to pull ten credits in one day. Care to share your secret?"
Adam's heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm. He knew someone would eventually discover his activities, but he hadn't expected to be caught so soon. And by Barrack of all people.
Aidan's grip tightened on the scanner, which was tucked into his bag. "I got lucky," he said, forcing a casual tone. "Found a good vein."
"Lucky, huh?" Barrack's smile vanished, replaced by a cold glare. "I don't believe in luck. Hand over whatever you're hiding, and maybe I'll let you walk out of here."
Aidan's mind raced. He knew Barrack wouldn't let him go, not after seeing the scanner. His only chance was to run.
"Sorry, Barrack," he said, taking a step back. "I've got work to do."
Before Barrack could respond, Aidan turned and bolted down the tunnel.
"Get him!" Barrack roared.
The chase was on. Aidan sprinted deeper into the mine, his boots pounding against the rocky ground. The lackeys were close behind, their shouts echoing through the tunnels. He dodged around jagged rocks and ducked under low-hanging beams, his heart hammering in his chest.
The tunnel narrowed, forcing Aidan to slow down. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the glint of a knife in one of the lackeys' hands. Panic surged through him, but he forced himself to stay focused. He needed a plan.
Up ahead, a faint glow caught his eye. It was coming from a side passage, a soft, otherworldly light that seemed out of place in the dim mine. With no other options, Aidan veered toward it.
The passage twisted and turned, and Aidan navigated it as quickly as he could. The labyrinthine layout worked to his advantage; the lackeys' shouts grew fainter as they struggled to follow him through the maze of tunnels. The walls here were different, lined with streaks of crystalline formations that seemed to pulse faintly with light. The ground was smoother, almost polished, and the air here was startlingly pure, a sharp contrast to the dusty, oppressive atmosphere of the mine outside. It felt as though he had stepped into another world entirely, untouched and pristine.
As he entered the passage, the air seemed to change. The oppressive heat of the mine gave way to a cooler, almost electric sensation. The scanner in his bag started to emit a series of erratic beeps before falling silent. Aidan pulled it out, frowning as the screen flickered and then went dark.
"Great," he muttered, shoving it back into his bag. Whatever was causing the strange glow was also interfering with the scanner.
Finally, he reached a small chamber, the walls lined with strange, luminous crystals. At the center of the room was a large, glowing rock, its surface pulsing with an inner light. Aidan skidded to a stop, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He crouched near the edge of the chamber, pretending to inspect one of the smaller crystals. His hand brushed against the wall, feeling the strange, cool texture of the crystalline surface. The lackeys' voices grew louder as they searched for him in the twisting tunnels outside. As he shifted slightly to stay hidden, his shoulder brushed against the large glowing rock at the chamber's center. A sudden jolt shot through him, a sharp stimulation in his brain that made him gasp. The sensation faded quickly, leaving him disoriented but unhurt. Unaware of what had just occurred, Aidan grabbed a loose shard of the glowing crystal and pocketed it, hoping it might prove valuable later.
The ground beneath him began to tremble.
"What the hell?" one of the lackeys shouted as the tremors reached them.
The ground began to tremble violently, and the walls cracked open. Rocks rained down from the ceiling, and the chamber was filled with the deafening roar of the cave-in. Panicked shouts echoed as Barrack's lackeys scrambled to escape, the shaking ground forcing them to flee towards the surface.
Aidan ran, the collapsing tunnel chasing him like a living thing. He didn't dare look back, focusing all his energy on escaping. The tunnel sloped upward, and he pushed himself harder, his legs burning with effort. Just as the last of his strength began to wane, he saw the faint light of the surface ahead.
He burst out of the mine, collapsing onto the ground and gasping for air. The cool evening breeze washed over him, a stark contrast to the stifling heat of the mine. He barely had time to catch his breath before he realized he wasn't alone.
Barrack and his remaining lackeys stood in a semicircle around Aidan, their faces contorted with rage. Nearby, other miners who had fled to the surface during the tremors gathered cautiously, drawn by the commotion. Their expressions were a mixture of confusion and fear as they watched the confrontation unfold.
"You think you can run from me?" Barrack growled, stepping forward. "You've got nowhere left to go, kid."
Aidan's mind raced, but his body was frozen with exhaustion. He could only watch as Barrack drew a knife, the blade glinting menacingly in the fading light. Before Barrack could strike, a senior miner, a grizzled veteran with a commanding presence, stepped forward from the crowd. "Barrack, what in blazes is going on here?" he demanded, his voice booming through the tense silence. Barrack hesitated, his grip tightening on the knife as he glanced between the senior miner and Aidan. "Stay out of this, old man," he growled, but his bravado faltered under the miner's unwavering gaze.
Before he could strike, the ground began to shake again. This time, the tremors were more violent, and a deep, guttural roar echoed from beneath the surface. Everyone froze, their eyes widening in fear.
The ground erupted, and a monstrous beast clawed its way from the depths. Its body was sheathed in jagged scales that shimmered like obsidian, and its eyes burned with an unnatural, malevolent light. A deafening roar shattered the air as the creature erupted from the earth, its powerful limbs crushing the ground beneath its immense weight.
For a moment, a suffocating silence descended upon them. Eyes widened in terror, every breath held. The beast's guttural growl seemed to reverberate through the very rock, paralyzing them with fear. Its jagged scales glinted ominously in the fading light, and its glowing eyes, burning with malevolent intelligence, scanned the huddled group with predatory intent.
"BEAST!!!" shouted one of the lackeys, his voice cracking as he finally broke free from the trance. His panicked cry seemed to jolt the others awake, and chaos erupted. They scrambled in all directions, some tripping over loose rocks in their desperation to escape. The first lackey who had shouted sprinted toward the shelter, his arms flailing wildly as though the beast's shadow was already upon him.
Chaos erupted. The beast lunged at the nearest lackey, its massive jaws snapping shut with a sickening crunch. The others scrambled to escape, their fear overriding any sense of loyalty to Barrack.
Aidan's heart raced as he stared at the creature. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, a nightmare made flesh. But as he gazed at it, something strange happened. A faint, translucent screen appeared in his vision, filled with glowing text.
[System Activated.]
[Analyzing Target...]
[Name: Obsidian Ravager]
[Strengths: High durability, powerful melee attacks, subterranean mobility.]
[Weaknesses: Sensitive to light, vulnerable underbelly.]
Aidan blinked, disoriented. The words seemed to hang in the air before him, clear and distinct. He wasn't sure what he was seeing and he thought exhaustion was playing tricks on his mind.
The beast turned its glowing eyes toward him, its massive form casting a shadow over the clearing. Aidan's muscles tensed as he prepared to face the unimaginable.