The air in the room was heavy with humidity and old smoke, as if the wood in the walls had soaked up decades of sweat, extinguished candles, and poorly whispered conspiracies. The floorboards creaked under any firm step, emitting dry cracks like old bones breaking. The light came from two oil lamps, with small and unstable flames, casting long shadows, twisted like snakes waiting to strike.
Hagan was seated in a chair too large for someone who hated feeling small. The high backrest had primitive carvings of leaves and claws, worn down by nervous nail marks. The tabletop before him was covered in scratches, stains of spilled drink, and hardened wax, like an improvised altar to vice and violence.
He drummed his thick fingers on the wood, each tap echoing in the room like a hammer nailing the final boards of a coffin.
Perched on the backrest, like a bored courtesan, the small fairy watched him with a crooked smile. Her wings fluttered slowly, spreading a golden dust that settled on the melted wax like sinful glitter. She wore a very short green fabric, leaving bare thighs and shimmering shoulders under the yellow light. Her feline eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.
"You'll break the table if you continue" she whispered, her voice sweet, almost a moan. "Want me to massage your hands?"
Hagan did not reply. His eyes were half-closed, fixed on the hooded figure emerging from the darkest corner of the room.
The assassin moved like an oil stain spreading. The black cloak absorbed any light, turning him into a silhouette cut against the stained boards. He made no sound — no metal clinking, no leather creaking. Even his breathing seemed contained, as if the man were less a person and more a tool sheathed.
Hagan lifted his chin slightly.
"Speak."
His voice came out like a stone rolling over wet gravel, unhurried and cold.
The Executor tilted his head in a minimal, respectful gesture.
"I confirmed the rumors."
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the crackle of the lamp swallowing oil.
"He really has the monster?" Hagan murmured, his chapped lips twisting into a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.
The Executor didn't blink.
Yes. Not an exotic prostitute. Not a forest woman. It's a transformed slime. Perfect humanoid form. Total obedience. Capable of molding the body.
The fairy on the backrest flapped her wings once, chuckling softly.
"Oh, what a delicious thing... imagine the use..."
Hagan allowed himself a larger, cruel smile. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened, creating dark crevices. He inhaled the rancid air of the room, eyes fixed on the Executor with the hungry gleam of someone already seeing stacks of coins.
"Property by contract, then?"
"Yes. Absolute consent. Active contract. High affinity. He controls her with a command."
Hagan drummed his fingers more slowly, as if chewing over the information.
"Strange... usually Monster Tamers struggle to get obedience. Even with a contract, these creatures escape, betray. You know that."
The fairy on the backrest stretched, smiling lazily.
"Maybe she's... well-behaved. Hehehe."
Hagan ignored the comment, frowning deeper.
"And how does a low-level Tamer manage something like this? Such an exotic, so... obedient monster?"
He snorted, the smile turning to scorn.
"Must have gotten lucky. Found a rare, semi-domesticated variation. These things happen. The kid probably doesn't even understand the real value."
The Executor remained still. His eyes were deep and opaque pits, but there was a contained, calculated gleam. He did not disagree, but neither did he confirm.
Hagan either didn't notice or didn't care. He let out a hoarse laugh, almost satisfied.
"A lucky idiot Monster Tamer."
The fingers drummed once more, more firmly, sealing the fate that was already being drawn in the room's heavy air.
The fairy shifted on the backrest, lying on her side, her elbow planted on the wood to support her head. Her thin, bare legs swung in the air, and she bit her lower lip with dirty amusement.
"Mmm... if I were you, I'd sell her high. I imagine nobles paying fortunes to play with her..."
Hagan didn't take his eyes off the Executor.
And the boy?"
"Tamer. Low class."
Hagan sighed. The sound was heavy, as if it wanted to suck all the air from the room.
"Then he won't be a problem."
The Executor did not move.
The fairy laughed again, rolling onto her back and kicking the air with delicate feet.
"I'd love to see you break him completely..."
Hagan raised his hand, silencing her with a sharp gesture. She fell silent, but the smile didn't disappear.
He looked back at the Executor.
The thick fingers drummed more slowly, more heavily. Each tap seemed like a hammer blow on an idea he was burying alive.
Finally, his voice came out deep, low, without a hint of mercy.
"Kill the boy."
The Executor merely inclined his head.
"As you wish."
The fairy stretched, purring softly.
"Ooh! So serious..."
Hagan leaned back, the chair creaking like a tired beast. His half-closed eyes glimmered in the flickering lamp light.
────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────────
The stone door groaned as Eren pushed with his shoulder, opening into a wide, dark hall. Twisted roots formed grotesque arches above them, like fossilized bones refusing to die.
The air was still, saturated with the acrid smell of ancient mold. A heavy silence dominated the environment, broken only by the damp, low sound of Nyssa's breathing, who trembled behind him, clutching the torn fabric against her translucent breasts.
Boss Room. Classic design. Trap likely.
He forced the mental interface to generate the enemy data.
[Boss Dungeon: Rooted Guardian]
[HP: 520 / 520]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 4]
[Vitality: 14]
[Intelligence: 5]
[Abilities:]
- Constriction Root
- Projectile Thorns
- Partial Regeneration
[Weaknesses:]
- Fire
- Limited Movement
Eren gritted his teeth.
High vitality. Low agility. Area control. Danger for the unprepared.
From the center of the hall, a mass began to rise, creaking like ancient trees breaking in the wind. Roots unraveled in a grotesque spiral, forming a semi-human figure with a cracked trunk, from which green eyes shone with vegetal malice. Thorns rose in rows, clinking like thin blades.
He heard Nyssa gasp, her voice trembling.
"M-master... it's... it's big..."
Eren took a deep breath.
Elasticity intact. Affinity 120%. Properties optimized.
"Draw its attention."
Nyssa's eyes widened, hesitating. But seeing his look, she obeyed. She stepped forward, her bare feet sinking into the damp earth, and let out a hesitant scream, her hands spreading like thin tentacles to distract the enemy.
The Guardian roared — a sound of wind forcing its way through hollow trunks — and whipped a thick root in her direction.
Eren moved at the same time.
Elasticity: 130% temporary increase.
His arm stretched like a snake, wrapping around the thick root and holding it tightly. He felt his muscles twist grotesquely.
"Now, Nyssa!"
She molded herself on the ground, spreading like a living puddle, and infiltrated through the creature's cracks. The wood groaned, the roots trying to expel her. But she climbed, enveloping the joints, using Advanced Digestion to corrode the connections.
The boss screamed, a muffled sound that shook the walls. Smaller roots shot in all directions, but Eren jumped to the side, stretching his legs to latch onto a column of roots and avoid the impact.
*Attack pattern predictable. Lateral dodge efficient.*
He took a deep breath, calculating.
"Nyssa, segment!"
She groaned inside the monster, her body glowing blue-green, before splitting into smaller portions that slipped between the trunk's fibers. He heard the wet cracks of Advanced Digestion.
The Guardian roared, thorns projecting chaotically — Eren leaped, arm stretching to grab a root above and swing back, avoiding a barrage that struck the ground like a storm of daggers.
Low intelligence. Predictable movement.
He forced the elastic arm to contract, pulling himself forward like a slingshot. With the momentum, he spun in the air and descended forcefully on the cracked trunk, leg extended like a living blade.
The blow shattered the already weakened shell. Nyssa took advantage, expanding from inside out, exploding in a viscous mass that dripped like acid over the internal sap.
The Guardian groaned one last time and shuddered. The roots withered, drying with a crackling snap until the creature collapsed like rotten wood.
Silence.
Eren landed on his feet, his arm still creaking as it returned to normal size. He turned to Nyssa, who slowly recomposed herself, panting with exhaustion. Her body trembled, still stained with green sap.
Efficient execution. Adequate coordination.
He pulled up the system visor.
[Items Obtained]
- Enchanted Sap x3
- Ancient Root Core
- Hardened Thorns x5
- Gold Coin x4
He took a deep breath, collecting the items with calm, methodical movements. His narrow eyes gleamed with coldness, a dark and imposing aura forming around him like heat distorting the air.
Conclusion: boss eliminated with minimal resource loss.
Nyssa looked at him with pure admiration in her eyes, her lips trembling in an adoring smile.
"M-master... you were incredible... so strong.."
He didn't respond. He just turned his face with the same indifferent look, carefully storing the items.
The sound of something breaking behind them shattered the atmosphere.
Nyssa stopped smiling.
"M-master... watch out!"
She threw herself over him without hesitation, her gelatinous arms and legs wrapping around his torso like a living barrier.
The sound of the blade piercing flesh filled the room. Nyssa screamed.
Eren felt her weight slacken, her body trembling. He widened his eyes — a translucent liquid dripped like blue ink, pooling on the ground.
He caught her before she fell, her eyes brimming with tears.
[Bound Monster: Nyssa]
[HP: 54/108]
[Critical Damage]
"A blow capable of injuring a gelatinous body. Probably magic. Or perhaps training. Could it be a higher-level monster?"
Eren looked back.
From the shadows among the roots, emerged a short, slender silhouette, cloaked in a mantle that absorbed all the light. A hand in a dark glove still held a thin blade, dripping with mixed sap and blood.
The Executor's eyes shone like slits in the darkness.
Eren pulled up the system visor:
[Enemy Detected]
[Name: Kaelin Voss]
[Position: Executor of the Hagan Guild]
[Class: Shadow-Blade (Class C+)]
A C-class assassin. Probably specializes in ambushes. Slim, agile. That explains the fear and surprise tactic.
[Skills:]
- Shadow Cut (12s cooldown)
- Shadow Leap (20s cooldown)
- Mortal Mark (35s cooldown)
- Shadow Clone (45s cooldown)
- Passive: Blade Dance
Assassins usually have absurd mobility and high burst. But they lack physical defense. I need to buy time to think of something.
"Did the head of the Hangar guild send you?"
Kaelin wiped the blade on the black mantle.
"Orders are orders."
The heavy silence of the chamber returned to reign, broken only by the slow, wet sound of Nyssa's blood dripping onto the ground.
The heavy air seemed to chill the bones from inside out. Eren Vale kept his gaze fixed on the slender, shadow-cloaked figure approaching among the dry roots, the Executor's blade shining with a wet sheen.
Nyssa whimpered low on the ground, her gelatinous body trembling in slow waves, as if she no longer knew how to hold her shape. Her color was more muted, less vibrant, leaking small translucent streams that seeped into the earth and disappeared.
"Nn... master..." she whimpered, her voice weak and wet. "It hurts..."
He didn't respond. There was no compassion in his gaze. Only calculations.
Estimated HP: 50% remaining. Offensive capability compromised. Reduced defense.
His hands clenched into slow, controlled fists.
Executor: Class C+. High burst. Low physical defense. Relies on cooldowns.
He tilted his head just enough to study Kaelin.
The Executor didn't seem in a hurry. He was slender, all wrapped in a black mantle that seemed to swallow the sparse light from the flickering torches. The gloves were soaked with Nyssa's blood, but he didn't wipe them further. He held the blade as a natural extension of his arm, without tension, but also without care.
Kaelin circled to the side slowly, his feet making no sound on the damp ground.
Repositioning. Preparing angle. Assessing blind spots.
Eren didn't move.
Approximate cooldowns. Last strike about 20 seconds ago. Mortal Mark potentially charged.
He inhaled slowly. The sound filled the chamber like a menacing whisper.
Objective: Buy time. Observe movement pattern.
Nyssa groaned again, trying to raise an arm that collapsed into weak jelly.
"M-master... please..."
He ignored her. Instead, he took a step forward.
Kaelin stopped immediately. The assassin didn't speak, but his eyes glowed like slits in a mask.
Eren raised his chin.
"I understand."
Kaelin didn't respond, but the blade turned slightly in his hand — a small, almost lazy adjustment, but loaded with intention.
Eren continued, his voice low, cold.
"I'm already dead, right?"
Silence.
Kaelin didn't deny it. Eren intertwined his fingers behind his back.
Relaxed posture. Provocation.
"So before I die, I have the right to ask one question."
Kaelin lightly rotated his body to adjust his center of gravity.
"Speak."
The voice came out low, controlled, as if each word was tested before being allowed to exist.
Eren didn't blink.
"Why?"
A second of silence. A drop of water fell from a root in the ceiling, breaking the tense air.
Kaelin slightly tilted his head to the side.
"Order."
Nyssa groaned louder, trying to drag her body toward Eren. A piece of her body detached, sinking into the mud.
Kaelin glanced at her for a moment, before returning his focus to Eren.
Eren raised an eyebrow.
"Because of her?"
Kaelin didn't deny it.
"High value. Capable of generating profit. Rare."
Eren's fingers moved slowly behind his back, a minimal movement that helped him analyze angles and estimate distances.
Executor is holding cooldown. Doesn't want to waste. Conversation extends preparation.
"Hmm." Eren let out a humorless sound. "So you killed me before even negotiating."
Kaelin rotated his wrist, making the blade shimmer in the darkness.
"You are replaceable. And the monster is the priority."
Eren tilted his head to the other side, eyes narrowed.
"You think Hagan will like receiving a damaged monster?"
Kaelin didn't blink.
"Better with limited mobility. Easier to contain."
The voice came out so cold it chilled the air. Nyssa shuddered with a wet sob.
"M-master... I... I don't want..."
Eren kept his eyes on Kaelin. He couldn't look away even if he wanted to.
He wants to partially incapacitate her. Reduces escape risk. Standard method.
The Executor didn't move, but the blade lowered an inch — not in a gesture of peace, but in preparation for the next strike. Eren took a deep breath, his chest rising slowly.
Conversation bought seconds. But no more than that.
Kaelin took a step to the side, trying to circle. Eren rotated along, always keeping his torso facing, eyes fixed.
Mortal Mark almost ready. Need to bait.
Kaelin frowned slightly.
"Ready to die?"
Eren narrowed his eyes.
"You're going to fail."
Absolute silence.
Kaelin didn't respond, but the murderous glint in his eyes said it all.
The lamp in the corner crackled, casting shadows that moved like specters over the dry roots. Nyssa whimpered softly, the sound almost swallowed by the damp earth.
The tension in the chamber was a rope stretched to its limit, creaking under the weight of two wills ready to crush each other.
Kaelin Voss stopped moving in circles. His cloak rose like a black bird ready to strike. The gleam on the blade was a promise of certain death.
The silence shattered like glass being stepped on.
He lunged.
Eren didn't move until the last instant.
Right angle. Weight on left heel. Direct lunge.
A step to the side. The blade sliced through the air where his neck had been. Kaelin didn't hesitate — his arm turned for a lateral cut, the blade spinning like a viper trying to bite.
Predictable.
Eren ducked, the blade passing millimeters from his disheveled fringe. Kaelin growled and thrust upward. Eren leaned back, the blade only cutting a thread of his tunic. The Executor stepped back, eyes narrowed, cold, analyzing.
Short cooldowns. He's burning resources.
Eren just breathed. Kaelin raised his free hand, fingers opening. A dark energy coiled around the blade.
Shadow Cut. 12-second cooldown.
The blade expanded into an ethereal form and projected forward like a shadowy whip.
Eren twisted his body, bending the elasticity inherited from the slime to its limit. The shadow blade passed centimeters from his waist, dissipating against the stone.
Kaelin retracted his hand with a snap, eyes widening with frustration. Eren didn't smile.
Estimated time for Shadow Leap: almost charged. Mortal Mark still held.
The Executor breathed heavily. He had nothing left at that moment. Eren launched forward.
Kaelin tried to retreat, but Eren was pure economy of movement. The elastic arm stretched, grabbing the assassin's wrist and twisting it to the side. The blade fell, clinking on the damp ground.
Eren's first punch sank into his lean belly, knocking the air out with a dull thud.
Kaelin hissed, doubling over, but Eren didn't stop. The left fist — softer, more flexible — turned into a moist club, striking the Executor's temple.
The sound was of flesh breaking.
Kaelin staggered, spitting blood.
Eren advanced again, stretching his arm like a whip to hit his knee from the side. The Executor screamed, falling to one knee.
Eren spun, his elbow bending impossibly to strike the jaw with an upward blow.
Kaelin fell back, gasping.
[Name: Kaelin]
[Critical damage]
Minimal physical defense. 60% of HP drained. Cooldowns nearly restored.
Eren felt his blade sink an inch into the soft skin of his chest during a desperate retaliation attempt. The blade slipped, not piercing as it should have.
He merely grunted.
"Slime Property: elasticity. Reduces lethal penetration."
Kaelin was bleeding from his nose, mouth, and a cut on his forehead. But his eyes were open, alive, still shining with pure coldness.
He gritted his teeth and leapt backward.
"Shadow Leap."
He vanished in a dark blur, reappearing ten meters away.
The Executor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, spitting out a piece of tooth.
"Bastard..."
Eren was breathing heavily. A quick glance at the system.
[Current Status]
[HP: 105/158]
I lost 30% of my life. Tolerable.
He saw Kaelin draw another smaller blade from his belt.
Cooldowns recycled.
Kaelin was irritated now. His eyes trembled in a subtle pattern, revealing the adrenaline.
" Enough playing around."
He raised his fingers. A black rune formed between them.
Death Mark.
Kaelin advanced. There was no way to dodge it.
The rune exploded on Eren's chest. He screamed, feeling the seal engrave into flesh and bone, burning like red-hot iron. Kaelin didn't stop, striking him three times in succession, each cut adding to the mark.
No way to avoid the damage.
The rune flickered.
Explosion.
The air filled with black smoke, shards of dark energy tearing into Eren's torso in deep cuts.
He fell to his knees.
[Status]
[Name: Eren Vale]
[HP: 60/158]
Kaelin was panting.
Executor: all cooldowns recharging. Vulnerable.
Eren wiped the blood from his mouth, smiling coldly.
He's going to reposition. Predictable. I know where.
He rose with a burst of energy, drawing the boss's Hardened Spikes.
In a swift motion, he scattered them on the damp ground, embedding them in the mud at the exact points where the Shadow Leap pattern usually projected the target.
Kaelin vanished in a blur.
Eren whispered.
"Go."
Kaelin reappeared on top of the spikes.
His scream was horrible — the spikes pierced through the soles of his boots, stabbing flesh down to the bone. Kaelin staggered forward, the blade trembling in his hand.
Eren advanced. Kaelin tried to raise his hand.
"Clone—"
Eren knew him too well by now. He drew the dagger. Twisted his wrist, launching the blade with brutal force. Kaelin looked up at the last moment, surprised. The dagger flew through the air, spinning once, twice — and sank into his neck with a wet sound.
Kaelin took half a step back, black blood flowing.
His eyes widened — then lost their shine. The blade fell from his hand.
Kaelin Voss toppled over, blood trickling in slow rivers onto the dungeon's damp earth. Eren did not smile.
But his eyes shone with something cold, hungry.
He took a deep, slow breath, his chest rising and falling like the bellows of a forge where not iron, but pure calculation was tempered. The moist vapor of the cold air escaped his lips in an almost reverent whisper.
He didn't move for a long moment. He just let his gaze sink into the twisted body of the Executor, each detail of that death engraving itself like a completed work.
Blood oozed slowly from the neck wound, pooling into dark puddles on the damp ground. One of Kaelin's eyes remained half-open, glassy, stupid.
Eren regarded him as one would a trophy.
Despite taking damage, I made the perfect moves.
The dungeon's shadows shifted around him, as if recognizing a new predator occupying the space.
He tilted his head slightly, dirty hair sticking to his forehead, the only visible eye glinting in the dimness.
[Target eliminated]
As soon as the system confirmed, Eren exhaled a long, slow breath — satisfied. As if finally appreciating his own art.
He turned his face to Nyssa, who was sobbing on the floor. She lay on her side, trembling. Her translucent skin had lost much of its glow, with opaque blotches like bruises spreading over her body. Her face bore a twisted expression of pain.
He approached until his shadow covered her entirely.
"Can you walk?"
The question came out dry, without inflection. Nyssa tried to lift her torso, her thin arms trembling like unset jelly. She fell again with a wet thud.
"Nn... n-no..." her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "M-master... I can't..."
Eren sighed.
Mobility zero. Slow and dangerous transport.
He rolled his sore shoulder.
Solution: vitality redistribution.
He summoned the system with a thought.
[Current HP: 60/158]
[HP Transfer Initiated…]
[Confirm? (Y/N)]
He thought Y.
The sensation was immediate — a burning warmth left his chest and flowed down his arm to his hand, which he pressed against Nyssa's limp shoulder.
[Nyssa]
[HP: 69/108]
She arched her back in a spasm, letting out a wet moan, colors slowly returning to her body.
[Eren Vale]
[HP: 45/158]
He withdrew his hand slowly, fingers stained with blue sap.
Nyssa was breathing more steadily now. Her legs moved slowly, her eyes glistening with tears.
"M-master... you... you helped me.."
He did not respond.
She raised a trembling hand, touching his cheek with cold, gelatinous fingers.
"Thank you... truly..."
He moved her hand away without aggression, but firmly.
"Get up."
She bit her lower lip but obeyed, staggering, still weak — but alive.
Eren turned away without waiting.
Next priority: loot.
He kneeled beside Kaelin's corpse. The Executor's eyes had already lost all shine. Blood pooled in thick puddles around the neck severed by the makeshift blade.
Eren searched methodically.
[Loot Obtained]
- Dark Steel Dagger (High Quality)
- Silencer Cloak (Passive Ability: Sound Reduction)
- Coin Pouch (14 Gold, 39 Silver)
- Paralytic Poison Vial x2
- Blade Belt (Capacity 4)
He stored everything coldly, eyes gleaming with calculation.
Assassin items. High resale value. Tactical use for me.
He stood up without looking at the dead again.
"Let's go."
Nyssa took a hesitant step, then another. She followed him like a living shadow, her tattered cloth even less dignified than before, clinging to her damp body.
"M-master... where to...?"
He did not look back.
Initial city compromised.
Higher-level targets will come.
Unsustainable risk profile.
"Away."
Nyssa sniffed, clutching the fabric against her chest.
"I-I'll go with you... always."
He ignored it. The corridor of roots creaked as they began to walk, the sound muffled by the earth. With each step, Eren calculated escape routes, available resources, and possible contacts.
Plan: disappear. Reappear only when strong enough.
And the dungeon swallowed them both in heavy shadows, with nothing but the sound of Nyssa's bare feet and Eren's determined stride, planning his next move.