The walls trembled, a low mechanical clunk echoing through the chamber. Many vertical lines appeared from the center of the dome, then extended downward all the way to the ground. A horizontal line followed, carving a square pattern across the entire wall.
Before they could react, each square started shifting outward. The surface turned red, followed by a pattern of white spots appearing over it. Another horizontal line formed, but unlike the ones before that cut through the concrete, this one twisted into a mouth. It curled upward, stretching into an eerie grin. An array of sharp, white teeth emerged from it. "Elvira, stay where you are. I'll take care of this," Ben muttered, pulling out his pickaxe.
Hundreds of these weird block monsters had appeared. But he wasn't worried. Judging by their appearance, they didn't seem to have any long-range attacks. Seconds ticked by. The cube monsters began shifting horizontally, each row moving in different directions. Their speed turned them into a blur.
Then, suddenly, numbers flickered into existence in the air.
***
LEVEL 1
0/4
00:10
***
The final line displayed a countdown, decreasing with each passing second. "What the fuck, is this a game?" Ben blurted out.
"My beloved, what do you mean by that? This is probably some kind of test," Elvira replied, tilting her head.
Ben frowned. The mechanical clanking, the blocky shapes, the musical chime from before—it all felt way too familiar. He couldn't shake the thought of a classic game from his childhood, the one where a mustached guy kept jumping around to save a princess. 'Will I have to fight a dragon turtle as the final boss too?' But before he could respond to Elvira, the countdown hit zero.
Four cube monsters shot forward like meteors. Ben didn't even move. He simply gave a command. One of the Krell scouts leapt upward, raising its sharp claws. With a sharp downward swing, it sliced through the first cube monster mid-air. The red surface split apart, revealing a hollow inside filled with glowing white energy. The moment it was cut, the creature froze, its body trembling before bursting into pixel-like fragments that scattered across the ground.
The second Krell scout crouched low, its claws scraping against the floor. The next two cubes shoot toward Ben, their mouths snapping open and shut like hungry beasts. The scout didn't hesitate. It twisted its body and slammed its clawed arm into the nearest cube, sending it flying against the floor. The moment it made contact, it shattered into the same glowing fragments. The last cube tried to veer away. But the first scout was faster. It landed from its previous attack, then dashed forward. Its clawed foot stomped down on the cube, pinning it in place. A clicking sound came from its throat before it drove it's sharp claw straight through the cube's core. The creature let out a distorted, mechanical screech before it disintegrated.
***
A chime echoed through the air.
LEVEL 1 COMPLETE
A moment of silence followed before the numbers flickered again.
LEVEL 2
0/8
00:20
***
Ben barely had time to process before the entire chamber began shifting again. The square patterns on the wall rearranged themselves, forming new rows. Then, one by one, the blocks detached, floating off the walls and into the air. The red color deepened, their eerie grins stretching even wider. Then they dropped. Eight cube monsters shot toward the ground like living meteors, the impact shaking the chamber. This time The moment they landed, they surged forward, moving even faster than before. "Ah, great. They got an upgrade," Ben muttered, tightening his grip on his pickaxe.
"My beloved, you need backup," Elvira commented, unfazed as she observed the approaching creatures.
Ben clicked his tongue. "No need." The first cube lunged straight at him, its mouth snapping open like a bear trap. Ben sidestepped just in time, swinging his pickaxe in a wide arc. The tip of the weapon struck the cube's side, sending cracks running through its red surface. It faltered for a second, but didn't break apart completely. Before Ben could follow up, two more cubes came at him from different angles. But the Krell scouts were already moving.
The first scout intercepted one of them mid-dash, swiping its sharp claw straight through its body. The cube exploded into shards before it could even react. The second scout dealt with another in a more brutal fashion. It grabbed the cube by the edges, claws sinking into its shifting form. Then, with a sharp twist, it tore the monster in half. The two pieces disintegrated before they even hit the ground.
Ben saw an opening. He twisted his pickaxe and drove it straight into the cracked cube from before. The moment the sharp tip struck its core, the monster let out a garbled screech before shattering into digital fragments. 'Five down. Three to go.'
The remaining cubes suddenly stopped in place. Their white spots flickered erratically, and then Without warning, their bodies started spinning. The air around them distorted, a mechanical whirring sound filling the room. Their red surfaces blurred as they began to rotate at insane speeds. Ben's eyes twitched. "They got a spin attack too?"
The cubes shot forward like deadly saw blades, cutting through the air with terrifying force. One of them barely missed his face as he ducked, the sheer speed sending a gust of wind past his ear. Elvira chuckled softly. "Still not need any help?"
Ben gritted his teeth. "Nope, save your mana."
The Krell scouts didn't flinch. Instead, they adapted. The first scout jumped backward, letting one of the spinning cubes pass by before dashing forward and striking it from behind. The moment its claws connected, the monster shattered instantly.
The second scout, rather than dodging, charged straight at the spinning cube. Just as it was about to collide, the scout flipped its body mid-air and brought both of its bladed arms down like a guillotine. The cube split in half, breaking apart in a flash of white light.