The air grew colder with every step Clay took down the narrow passageway, his boots scuffing against uneven stone. The oppressive weight of the dungeon pressed down on him, thickening the atmosphere until it was almost suffocating. His breath fogged in the chill, and faint echoes of distant, unearthly sounds slithered through the darkness like ghostly whispers.
He paused, scanning the shadows ahead. The eerie glow of runes on the walls provided faint illumination, casting flickering blue light across the jagged corridor. The unsettling patterns of ancient symbols pulsed faintly, as if alive—watching, waiting.
This place isn't just a dungeon—it's something worse, Clay thought grimly. A living nightmare.
Blood still clung to his blade, drying into a crusty black coating from the monstrosity he had slain earlier. His ribs throbbed with every breath, but he pushed the pain aside. Pain meant he was alive. And staying alive was all that mattered right now.
The path ahead split into three tunnels, each one disappearing into ominous darkness.
Clay knelt, examining the floor carefully. Subtle scuff marks and faint trails of ichor indicated movement through the center passage. Fresh blood droplets dotted the stone—a crimson breadcrumb trail.
Kael, he surmised. The coward was bleeding. Good.
Clay stood, his resolve hardening. If Kael thought he could escape after betraying him, he was sorely mistaken.
As Clay moved deeper into the center tunnel, the flickering blue runes began to fade, swallowed by an encroaching darkness thicker than any night. The air turned stale, heavy with the metallic tang of old blood and decay.
A sudden, distant scraping sound echoed through the cavern—a rhythmic drag, like claws scraping against stone.
Clay froze, every muscle tense. He gripped his dagger tightly, eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows.
The sound grew louder, closer.
Out of the darkness, a grotesque figure lumbered into view—a hulking abomination stitched together from mismatched body parts, its flesh oozing with black ichor. Multiple eyes blinked independently across its malformed face, and jagged bone spikes protruded from its swollen limbs.
Clay's stomach twisted, but he didn't flinch.
The creature let out a guttural snarl, thick ropes of saliva dripping from its misshapen jaws. Its claws gleamed wickedly in the dim light.
"Lovely," Clay muttered dryly. "And I thought Kael's goons were ugly."
The abomination charged with surprising speed, its massive bulk shaking the ground as it thundered toward him.
Clay dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a swipe that left deep gouges in the stone wall. The creature's strength was monstrous—one hit would be fatal.
Can't fight this thing head-on, Clay realized. I need to find a weakness.
Activating his Appraiser skill, ghostly lines of information flickered across his vision:
Abyssal Flesh Golem
Weak point: exposed spinal core (lower back). Highly resistant to physical attacks.
Clay's jaw tightened. The exposed spinal core was small and well-protected by thick layers of sinew and bone spikes. Getting behind the creature without being shredded would be near impossible.
The golem roared, slamming its fists into the ground. Shards of stone exploded outward, forcing Clay to dive for cover. Pain lanced through his side as a jagged rock fragment grazed his ribs.
Stay calm. Stay focused.
Clay circled the beast, feinting left before darting right. The golem followed his movements sluggishly, its multiple eyes struggling to track him simultaneously.
Slow but stupid, Clay noted. I can work with that.
He dashed forward, slashing at one of its legs. The blade skidded off thick muscle, drawing only a shallow wound that oozed black ichor. The golem roared in rage, spinning clumsily to swipe at him.
Clay ducked low, sliding beneath the creature's swinging arm. As he passed under its massive frame, he spotted the faint glimmer of the exposed spinal core—a pulsating mass of nerves and sinew protected by jagged bone.
That's my target.
The golem lashed out again, forcing Clay to backpedal quickly. Sweat dripped down his face as he struggled to catch his breath.
One chance. That's all I'll get.
The creature roared and charged again, its massive fists raised high.
Clay waited until the last possible second, then dove forward into a roll, coming up directly behind the golem.
With a savage cry, he drove his dagger into the exposed spinal core, twisting the blade with all his strength.
The golem convulsed violently, a horrific screech tearing from its malformed throat. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, coating Clay in the foul substance.
He gritted his teeth, driving the dagger deeper.
The creature's thrashing grew weaker until it finally collapsed, its massive body slamming into the ground with a bone-shaking thud.
Clay pulled his dagger free, breathing heavily. His entire body ached, and the stench of the golem's ichor clung to him like a curse.
But he was alive.
As the creature's body dissolved into black mist, a small crystalline shard remained on the ground, pulsating with a faint red light.
Clay picked it up, feeling a strange warmth radiate from the shard.
Dungeon core fragment, his Appraiser skill informed him. A source of immense power.
He tucked the shard into his pouch, eyes narrowing as he glanced down the darkened tunnel.
Kael was still out there, bleeding and running like the coward he was.
And Clay wasn't done yet.
With renewed determination, he pressed forward into the abyss, ready to finish what Kael had started.