Moyo crouched in the shadows, his eyes locked on the chaotic movements of the hive. The Queen loomed in the background, her grotesque bulk pulsing rhythmically as she laid egg after egg. Workers scurried about, ferrying the glistening white orbs into dark crevices along the hatchery walls. The scene was a grim reminder of the overwhelming odds stacked against him.
Still, a primal thrill coursed through Moyo's veins. His grip tightened on Ida, his resolve hardening. The odds might be laughably against him, but the fight ahead sang in his blood.
With deliberate movements, he descended into the heart of the hatchery. Sticking close to the walls, he moved with a predator's patience, his senses sharp and focused. The sticky mucus lining the walls clung to him, an added layer of revulsion he endured for the sake of masking his scent.
The strategy worked. The smaller Razorbacks remained oblivious to his presence, their single-minded tasks keeping them too busy to notice the intruder among them. Moyo's heart pounded as he crept closer to the center of the hatchery, keeping a wary eye on the Warrior Razorbacks patrolling the perimeter.
Finally reaching a vantage point, he crouched low, producing a Refined Aether Shard from his pouch. Crushing it in his palm, he allowed the surge of power to course through him, drawing the attention of nearby Razorbacks like a magnet.
In one fluid motion, Moyo sprang to his feet and activated Blade Storm. A cyclone of bladed intent exploded outward, shredding through the egg clusters and slicing apart the lesser Razorbacks in a symphony of shrill screams.
The carnage was immediate and devastating. Egg after egg burst under the onslaught, their level 1 occupants obliterated before they could even hatch. Moyo paid no mind to the notifications from his HUD—the kills were meaningless, contributing nothing to his progress.
The workers scattered, but their cries had already drawn the attention of the Warrior Razorbacks. A shrill, deafening screech tore through the cavern as the Razorback King bellowed orders from its platform.
Moyo staggered, clutching his ears as the sound hammered into his skull, nearly driving him to his knees. His vision blurred, and his head throbbed, but he didn't have time to recover.
The ten Warriors turned their collective attention to him, their bladed limbs glinting with lethal intent. With a chorus of clicking shrieks, they charged.
Moyo didn't hesitate. He turned on his heel and sprinted deeper into the hive, pumping his legs as fast as his enhanced Dexterity allowed. The tunnels ahead offered little in the way of refuge, their tight confines coated in webs and slime.
His blade lashed out at any lesser Razorbacks that crossed his path, slicing them apart with casual ease. They were nothing more than obstacles in his escape.
Behind him, the cacophony of pursuit grew louder. The Warriors moved with terrifying speed, their blade-like limbs tearing through the walls and floor in their relentless chase.
Suddenly, an explosion boomed behind him. Moyo glanced back, his eyes widening at the sight of the mucous-lined walls igniting. Flames roared to life, the sticky substance burning like oil and forcing the Warriors to veer around the inferno.
"Too well," Moyo muttered under his breath, realizing his plan had worked almost too effectively. Now the entire cadre of Warriors was after him.
He veered into a narrow offshoot, pressing himself against the wall as the Razorbacks thundered past, their single-minded pursuit leaving them momentarily blind to his location.
With a sharp breath, Moyo sprang into action. Grabbing the carapace of the last Warrior—a Level 76—he drove Ida into its weak spot with a surge of Titan's Edge. The blade punched through its skull, killing it instantly as its shrill scream was abruptly silenced.
The remaining Warriors turned on him, venom spraying from their mandibles in a coordinated attack. Moyo winced as the toxic liquid seared his skin, Titan's Vitality struggling to keep pace with the damage.
A rumbling below caught his attention, and before he could process the danger, a geyser of molten lava erupted from the floor. Two Warriors caught directly in the blast shrieked in agony as they were engulfed, their chitinous bodies melting into slag.
The remaining Razorbacks paused, momentarily startled by the eruption. Moyo didn't waste the opportunity. Activating Titan's Edge, he dashed toward the injured spiders, slicing through their thrashing bodies with precision.
The respite was short-lived. A bladed limb punched through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground with a white-hot flash of pain.
Moyo screamed, his free hand gripping the limb as venom poured onto him in torrents. His robes dissolved under the onslaught, leaving his skin sizzling and raw. Gritting his teeth, he slammed his legs into the ground, breaking the limb off with a sickening crack.
The Warriors shrieked in rage, scuttling along the walls and ceiling as they rained webs down on him. Moyo grabbed the sticky strands, his eyes narrowing with grim determination.
With a final surge of effort, Moyo dragged the seven remaining Warriors down into the fiery pit below. The webs snapped taut as he fell, pulling the shrieking creatures with him into the molten depths.
Heat enveloped him, his skin blistering as the lava roared around him. Titan's Vitality worked overtime, repairing the damage even as it occurred, keeping him alive where no one else could have survived.
The Warriors weren't as fortunate. Their agonized screeches echoed through the chamber before they were silenced forever, their bodies consumed by the lava.
Moyo's vision blurred, his body a tapestry of pain and exhaustion. He clawed his way to the edge of the pit, collapsing onto solid ground as his HUD lit up with a flood of notifications.
[Congratulations, you have slain Warrior Razorbacks Level 65, 70, 72, 74, 76, 77, and 79.]
[Level 75! You have obtained 50 points +10 bonus points.]
[Titan's Vitality has reached Level 5!]
[Skill: Titan's Ascent (U) unlocked!]
[Titan's Ascent: Leap with the might of a mountain, crushing your foes beneath you.]
[you have obtained 1000 credits]
[+50 chitin shells]
[blade storm level 7]
[endure agony level 50!]
Lying on his back, Moyo stared at the cavern ceiling, his breath ragged and his body screaming for rest. A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
"Well," he muttered weakly, "that was... something."
Moyo sat at the edge of the magma pool, staring into its molten depths as the realization of his survival settled over him. Underhanded tricks or not, they had worked. The Warrior Razorbacks now lay at the bottom of the pool, their deaths paving the way for the next, far deadlier challenge.
His battered body screamed in protest, the remnants of his tattered robes barely clinging to his frame. The taste of ash and venom lingered in his throat, but all he could think about was the fight ahead. He flexed his coarse hands, staring at the calluses and scars. Had the system numbed him to the horrors of his existence? Perhaps, or maybe he'd simply grown too accustomed to pain.
Shaking off the thought, Moyo glanced upward. The thick strands of webbing that now spanned the cavern told him everything he needed to know. The Razorback Queen or the King—perhaps both—had reinforced the hive in response to his assault.
He didn't have time for doubts or regrets. Hunger gnawed at him, his thirst burned, but none of that mattered now. Drawing a deep breath, he crouched low and triggered Titan's Ascent.
The skill launched him skyward like a cannonball, Ida held at the ready as he sliced through the sticky webs with precision. He landed with a heavy thud on the webbed platform, the vibrations alerting the hulking forms of the Razorback King and Queen.
The King stood in front of the Queen, its humanoid frame radiating lethal intent, bladed limbs twitching in anticipation. The Queen loomed behind, a grotesque mass of pulsating chitin and mucous, her colossal body shuddering with each labored breath.
Moyo didn't hesitate. Dumping his 60 accumulated points into his attributes equally, he felt the rush of power flood his body, pushing him to Acolyte Rank.
The realization struck him belatedly—he had ascended without even noticing. There should have been a moment of triumph, but instead, a chilling thought gripped him: Was this all for nothing if he died here?
The King moved.
The first strike came faster than Moyo could track, a bladed limb tearing a shallow wound across his right shoulder. Venom hissed into his flesh, the raw potency of it almost dropping him to his knees. Only Titan's Vitality kept him standing.
Ida shot up in a desperate parry, the sheer force of the King's blow sending him tumbling across the webbed floor. Gritting his teeth, Moyo activated Blade Storm and Titan's Edge simultaneously. The storm of bladed intent harried the King, the sharp bursts pinging harmlessly off its superior chitin.
The King retaliated with calculated ferocity. Each strike of its serrated claws forced Moyo further onto the defensive. His every swing of Ida was met with overwhelming power.
Blows that would shatter a Blood Troll merely glanced off the King's armored form. It was toying with him.
The realization hit like a punch to the gut. He was outclassed.
A backhanded strike caught him off guard, the force cracking his jaw and sending him spiraling into the cavern wall. Moyo hit with a sickening thud, his vision swimming as pain lanced through his body.
The King didn't relent. Its bladed appendages pinned him to the wall, venom dripping dangerously close to his exposed neck. Its multifaceted eyes glinted with sadistic glee as it clicked its mandibles, savoring its victory.
Moyo roared in rage, slamming a punch into the King's hardened skull. Pain flared in his arm, but he didn't stop. Blow after blow rained down on the King's head, each strike chipping away at its armor.
His HUD flashed wildly as the Queen shrieked in the background, her cries cutting through the oppressive atmosphere. The King hesitated, turning slightly toward the sound.
That moment of distraction was all Moyo needed. With a final, desperate punch, he cracked the King's skull. Summoning the last of his intent, he drove his fist—now sheathed in raw power—straight into its head.
The King reeled back with an ear-piercing shriek, blood spurting from the wound as Moyo's HUD lit up:
[Blood Absorption has consumed the essence of the Razorback King. +50 to all attributes.]
Strength flooded Moyo's body, raw and unbridled. With a guttural roar, he broke free from the King's bladed limbs, delivering a thunderous blow to its cracked skull. The King staggered, its wings buzzing angrily as it righted itself in midair.
Then the pressure came.
A wave of palpable aura burst forth from the King, slamming into Moyo like a tidal wave. He dropped to one knee, his entire body trembling under the oppressive weight. The chittering sound of its mandibles mocked him, promising a swift end.
But Moyo refused to bow.
Screaming his defiance, he forced himself to his feet, meeting the King's charge head-on. The creature shot forward; its bladed appendages extended for a killing blow.
Moyo raised Ida, every ounce of his Strength Attribute focused into the swing. Titan's Edge surged through the blade, its intent resonating with a singular purpose: to cut.
The collision was deafening.
When the dust settled, Moyo stood with his back to the King, his blade held low at his side. Blood dripped from his cracked lips as his chest heaved with exertion.
Behind him, the King froze.
For a moment, neither moved. Then, the King's head toppled from its neck, its massive body collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Moyo dropped to his knees, blood pooling beneath him. His HUD flashed with a flood of notifications, but he couldn't muster the strength to read them.
In the distance, the Queen shrieked—a sound of mourning, of rage, of desperation.
Moyo forced himself to his feet, gripping Ida tightly. This wasn't over yet.
The Queen awaited.
[Congratulations, you have killed Razorback King Level 95!]
[Titles: Dungeon Pioneer & Slayer have fused to create a new title: Apex Hunter!]
[Apex Hunter: Grants +2 points to every level gained within dungeons and +75% damage to dungeon creatures below Level 70.]
[Level 85! You have obtained 50 points + 20.]
[Titan's Edge Level 20.]
[Blade Storm Level 15.]
[Titan's Vitality Level 10.]
[Titan's Ascent Level 5.]
[5,000 Credits!]
[20 Superior Chitin Shells.]
[20 Refined Aether Shards.]
Moyo staggered to his feet as the system's notifications flashed rapidly across his HUD. His body screamed in protest; his nerves still alight from the battle. Despite the ache in his muscles and the sting of venom that still lingered in his veins, his focus locked onto the towering Razorback Queen before him.
She screeched, her voice a piercing wail that echoed through the cavern, venom spilling from her mandibles in a torrent that poured over him. The acidic liquid sizzled against his skin, eating away at the webbed floor beneath him, but Moyo stood firm.
"I can't describe how revolted, yet grateful, I am for what your kind has done to me," he muttered, his voice low and even. His grip on Ida tightened as the queen uncoiled her massive frame, towering high enough to scrape the cavern ceiling. Her stinger, black and glistening with oily venom, extended from her abdomen, quivering as if anticipating the fatal strike.
"Your king protected you," Moyo continued, his tone almost contemplative. "And now he's dead. Does that make me the bad one?"
The queen struck with terrifying speed, her massive stinger slicing through the air like a black bolt of death.
But Moyo wasn't there.
In a blur of motion, he darted forward, Titan's Ascent propelling him into position. He appeared directly before her, his blade already glowing with the purple aura of Titan's Edge. The queen attempted to recoil, but she was too late.
Ida plunged into one of her massive, glowing eyes, the impact reverberating through the cavern. Before the queen could let loose another shriek, Blade Storm activated. Dozens of razor-sharp intent blades tore into her skull, ripping through her vulnerable flesh.
Her death was immediate.
The queen's massive body convulsed violently, venom gushing from every wound. Her final moments were marked by a cataclysmic explosion of energy that shattered the cavern's foundation. Rocks rained from above, the ground beneath him trembling as the cavern began to collapse in on itself.
Moyo barely flinched.
As the debris hurtled toward him, he swung Ida in a wide arc, intent blazing along its edge. The stones shattered harmlessly, disintegrating midair as he leapt upward. Titan's Ascent carried him through the webbing and into the cool night air, the remnants of the hive collapsing far below.
He landed with a grunt on the forest floor, naked save for the charred remains of his robes. The fresh air hit his skin, carrying with it the faint scent of smoke and blood. He staggered but remained upright, his breath ragged.
[Congratulations, you have killed Razorback Queen Level 100!]
[Level 95! You have obtained 50 points + 20.]
[10,000 Credits!]
[Congratulations! You're the first ascender in your system to kill a Level 100 aberrant. You obtain 1 Aurum!]
[Aurum has been changed into 100,000 Credits.]
[You have obtained 50 Refined Aether Shards.]
[You have obtained 50 Superior Chitin Shells.]
[You have obtained the title: Titan's Presence!]
[Titan's Presence: You have stared into the fate of those who walk this path and smiled amidst the carnage. Those who seek to stop your rampage will face annihilation at the end of your blade. The system will keep an eye on you.]
[Titan's Presence: All enemies below your level lose half the strength of their attacks and are struck with fear.]
Moyo blinked, his eyes darting across the stream of notifications. His chest rose and fell heavily, his exhaustion battling the adrenaline still coursing through him. He stared down at Ida, the blade glowing faintly with intent, its surface marred with the queen's blood.
A strangled sob escaped his throat, unbidden and raw. He stumbled forward, his feet dragging as he made his way to the river in the distance. The night air was silent, oppressive even, as if the world itself was terrified of the predator now walking among its denizens.
Moyo didn't care.
The cool water of the river glimmered ahead, promising a brief reprieve from the horrors of the dungeon. But deep inside, he knew there would be no rest—not for him, not now.
Ajax stood quietly, perched on the branch of a towering tree, his sharp gaze fixed on the figure by the riverbank. He watched Moyo crumble under the weight of his emotions, his sobs shaking his entire frame as he knelt at the edge of the cool water.
For a fleeting moment, Ajax considered admonishing him. Tears were a weakness, and in the unforgiving cosmos of the Archailect, such vulnerabilities could get you killed—or worse. But another part of him, one he seldom allowed to surface, held him back.
He understood.
Moyo's despair mirrored something buried deep within himself: the anguish of being the last. Ajax had been there before—a solitary child on a forsaken world, struggling against the relentless horrors that the system had unleashed upon him. He had clawed his way to survival, but the scars of that experience ran deeper than any wound a blade could leave.
Shaking his head, Ajax banished the thought. It wasn't the time to linger on the past. He watched as Moyo's muscles tensed, his head snapping up and his hand tightening around Ida. The boy had sensed something amiss, his honed instincts kicking in, and Ajax couldn't help but smirk in approval.
"Good," he murmured to himself. "He's learning."
Without a sound, Ajax descended from the canopy, his void step skill carrying him to the base of the tree closest to the riverbank. He placed a bundle of spare robes and a small pouch of food near its roots, his movements deliberate and careful not to disturb the boy.
For a moment, Ajax lingered, his silver eyes softening as he regarded Moyo's hunched figure. "You'll need this," he muttered, though he knew the boy couldn't hear him.
He allowed himself a faint, bittersweet smile before disappearing once more, his form dissolving into the shadows. A heartbeat later, he reappeared within the cavernous domain of the prime aberrant.
The Wyrm, a colossal serpentine creature, coiled deeper into its corner at the sight of him, its shimmering scales trembling with barely restrained terror. Ajax's gaze swept over the creature; his expression unreadable.
For the first time in what felt like eons, Ajax felt... content.
Moyo's meteoric rise baffled him—skill fusions, accelerated growth, and now the chilling titles the system had bestowed upon him. It was extraordinary, unprecedented even. But as Ajax gazed at the Wyrm, whose enormous eyes quivered under his scrutiny, a sense of calm settled over him.
He had forged a monster, one shaped by fire and agony, and honed with the sharp edge of survival. Whatever trials lay ahead, Ajax knew one thing for certain:
Moyo would thrive.
With that, Ajax turned away from the cowering Wyrm, his mind already planning the next step in his disciple's path. The boy would face greater battles, deadlier foes—but he would emerge victorious. Of that, Ajax had no doubt.