[06: 07: 29: 54]
...
<< Current stats boost: Creation: HP POOL → 531/531 ? 631/631(Holy) >>
<< Current stats boost: Destruction: Strength → 65 ? 85(Holy) >>
"Haa… goddamn, it’s finally over," Cassian exhaled sharply, letting the tension drain from his shoulders, but there was a wild grin on his face.
His body buzzed with power. Now, with two fully formed reservoirs and his core well topped off, he finally had a decent essence pool to work with. What struck him as strange yet somehow reassuring was the way he could feel the reservoirs inside him. Unlike his essence core well, which he could only perceive during focused meditation, these two felt like actual, tangible batteries nested within his body.
Familiar yet foreign.
Closing his eyes, Cassian eased himself into a steady rhythm of breathing. Within seconds, he slipped into meditation. And there, behind his closed eyelids, he saw them—two glowing orbs of light, hovering near his heart. Each orb pulsed softly, tethered by delicate threads of essence to the vast network of energy veins running through his body.
The feeling is sure mystical. Also, I just noticed, that this card is really good for future training in perceiving Essence.
When he broke from his trance, Cassian traced the infinite symbol and summoned his Soulkeep. The grey grimoire flipped open with a familiar rustle. He tapped his card presets, and deleted the second preset which had only held the Creation attunement and a single Heal card.
No point in it now… but just to be safe I’ll put Heal in Preset III.
The duplicating over his current main loadout from Preset I and swapped smite for the lightning bolt.
He’d almost forgotten about the preset feature entirely. And truth be told, Lightning Bolt had proven to be incredibly useful at crowd control. It made more sense to use up the remaining charges of his older cards instead of burning through the newer, more valuable ones before the sinkhole.
The card did say bonus damage against destruction attuned monsters, good I’ll use it on Mother of kalrachs.
Satisfied, Cassian stood up, brushing off his clothes just as his stomach gave a loud, disgruntled growl.
I should ask Dr. Elira if they have any decent stuff to eat.
…
“Okay, people. Listen up.” Dorian stood tall, fully geared, his voice sharp with command. His eyes scanned the room with a stern intensity. “This mission’s success is critical. You all know what’s at stake and why we’re doing this. I’m laying down a few rules, and you will follow them until we’re back on the surface.”
Little Mara and Lian snapped to attention with salutes, their small voices rising in perfect sync.
“Sir, yes, sir!”
A rare smile tugged at Dorian’s lips. He gave them a nod. “Good. Very good. Soldier Lian, Soldier Mara—you two are already more disciplined than your other two comrades”
Then the smile faded, replaced by his usual severity. “Rule one: Lian and Mara, you’ll both be with me at all times, and you’ll do exactly as I say.”
“Sir, yes sir!” they chorused again.
“Good,” he said with finality before turning to Dr. Elira.
“And rule two: no heroics. I don’t have to explain what that means, Elira, and especially you, Cassian.”
Cassian opened his mouth, but Dorian cut him off before he could speak.
“No, don’t give me that look. I’ve only known you for a day, but I know what a suicidal person looks like. You’ve got a life to live; don’t throw it away for some half-assed noble idea.”
Cassian’s jaw clenched. His gaze dropped to the floor, teeth grinding silently as the words hit harder than expected.
Then Dorian stepped in and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward until their eyes locked.
“Is that understood, Cassian?”
“…Crystal,” he replied, voice low.
Dorian didn’t move for a moment, then nodded and let go. “Just be safe, alright? I’d hate to lose the only friend I probably have left.”
Cassian felt the corner of his lips turning up at that. “That was a nice thing to say! Thanks, I’ll try my best”
“just don’t do any stupid stuff” Dorian muttered, turning away.
Cassian’s eyes moved on Dr. Elira. She was suited up in similar armor, a combat shotgun strapped across her back, and a sidearm on her hip. The cold, calculating air she carried hadn’t faded since the moment they met, but now, it felt even more lethal.
Dorian clapped once, loud and sharp, regaining the room’s attention. “Final briefing. Listen close.”
He pointed to the map spread across the table. “I’ll be escorting Lian and Mara through the emergency tunnels. Our job is to clear the extraction routes and ensure the lifts are powered for escape. Elira will head for the core terminal systems. Once Cassian destroys the crystal fragments, she’ll activate the failsafe and start the self-destruct sequence. She’s trained and armed—don’t worry about her.”
He turned to Cassian. “And you… You’ve got the toughest job. Your task is to get into the sinkhole, sneak, or sprint your way past as many Kalrachs as you can. Don’t waste your strength before the real fight.”
Elira nodded, stepping beside Dorian. “The hole’s deep. Used to be accessible by freight lifts, but they’re dead now. Fall from that height is instant death.”
“Huh? Then how am I supposed to get down there?” Cassian asked, raising an eyebrow at the two.
Dorian and Elira exchanged a look, then shrugged in unison.
“You’re the one with magical powers,” Dorian said dryly. “Figure it out.”
Cassian stared at them, dumbfounded. “Wow. That’s really helpful. Thanks.”
He sighed, already regretting asking.
“Here,” Dorian grinned slightly and tossed him a small device. “These are specialized comms. A few were still lying around the facility. I’ve matched the channels. Clip that to your collar—there’s a slot. The earpiece goes in your right ear. Light press to talk.”
“Thanks”
Dorian replied with a shrug. “Alright. That’s everything. Elira and I will move once you enter the sinkhole. We’ll guide you via the security cams for now.”
Cassian took a deep breath. “Guess that’s my cue.”
He looked at Lian and Mara, giving them a small smile. “Keep them safe, Dorian. I’ll see you all on the surface.”
With that, he turned, adjusted his gear, and stepped through the reinforced doors.
…
It had been ten minutes crawling through the vents. Under Dorian and Elira’s instructions, he’d navigated through the upper vents, crawling in silence until finally reaching the designated exit.
Finally ~ I hate vents.
With a sharp kick, he knocked open the vent’s gate and dropped down, landing with a wet squelch. His boots sank slightly into the pulsing, fleshy floor of B4.
His expression darkened.
Damm…
The entire corridor was warped beyond recognition. Alien terraforming—dark, wet vines had overtaken the walls, and floor, and the ceiling twisted and slithered like living veins, their slick surfaces dotted with glowing red bulbs that pulsed with a slow, rhythmic light.
Cassian exhaled slowly. “Not a good sign, but what can I do” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned ?sindivinity?, the dagger manifesting midair before landing in his dominant hand with a whisper of restrained hunger. In his offhand, he gripped his handgun, cold and steady.
Tapping the comm clipped to his collar, he spoke. “Dorian, I’m in position. Ready for ‘Into the Hole.’”
Dorian's voice buzzed in his ears a little static but enough to get the message. “Copy. Go ahead.”
Fuuu~ no turning back, now
Cassian reached into his essence from temporary reservoir #1 and used it to tap into his cards.
“[Holy Blessing].”
? You have used [Holy Blessing] incantation, gained [Faithful Strength (strength ? +20)], [Unwavering Mind (mental focus? +20, Resistance to mental attacks increased)], [Strengthened Vigor(HP? +100)] buffs for 300 seconds ?
Golden light shimmered briefly across his skin, warm and steady, like the embrace of the sun. He felt it instantly the rush of power filled his body, his thoughts sharpened and he could feel a faint veil covering and protecting his mind.
Cassian smiled faintly. “Nice.”
Smiling at the buffs and seeing the countdown already started, Cassian broke into a sprint, boots squelching with every stride on the twisted, organic terrain. As he ran, the red bulbs along the walls began to pulse in response.
Stretching his senses instead, Cassian focused—ears sharp, mind calm. He heard them then: low hisses, the scrape of claws against flesh-covered walls, guttural growls echoing from just ahead.
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They were coming.
He gripped Sindivinity tighter.
“Okay,” he muttered, a savage grin spreading across his lips. “This is it.”
“[Mana Shield]”
? You have cast [Mana Shield] spell, Gained a LVL 0 Mana shield 10/10 DMG absorption ?
? You have fed 10 Essence points to your mana shield spell, Current saturation: LVL 10 Shield 100/100 DMG absorption ?
The moment his foot hit the ground, he exploded into motion. It was like the world slowed down around him while his body accelerated… every enhanced stat, every upgrade, every boost surged to life. His muscles coiled and released like compressed steel; his perception stretched to limits, sharpening details most eyes would miss. The horde was just up ahead, Smiling wildly he crashed right into the swarm.
…inhale, exhale and strike.
Inhale, exhale, and strike…
Weaving between the clicking jaws and thrashing appendages
Becoming one with ?Sindivinity? and the experiences from his [A Knight’s squire] card, he moved like a shadow, weaving between their ranks. His instincts and the ingrained battle experiences from [A Knight’s Squire] guide his every move.
.
.
.
As he slaughtered his way, Cassian felt ?Sindivinity? evolving. There was no other way to describe it. Every strike that found flesh, every slash that spilled black-hot Kalrach blood, deepened the bond between them. The matte-black blade vibrated with a hunger all its own. The red veins pulsing across its surface beat in rhythm with his own heart, almost as if the dagger had learned to breathe with him.
He ducked a claw swipe, spun low, and sliced apart a creature’s hind leg in one fluid sweep. A second Kalrach lunged from his blind side—Cassian twisted, brought up the dagger, and rammed it through its underside. The blade pierced chitin and flesh like paper, and with a sickening crunch, the creature shrieked and collapsed.
…inhale, exhale and strike.
Inhale, exhale and shoot…
Another came from behind. He pivoted and fired a single shot at point blank straight through its head. The thunderous boom of the shot cracked the air, blood misting in its wake.
.
.
.
The more he fought, the more he killed he realized he was flowing. Between claw and fang, bullet and steel, his movements blurred into a single destructive rhythm.
Cassian grinned madly enjoying the flow. He wanted to kill more and so did ?Sindivinity?.
A heavy pressure slammed into his mind like a snake tightening around his mind—a sudden, overwhelming demand for blood. It wasn’t a voice, not quite, but something deeper. A need. A hunger that clawed at the edges of his consciousness, urging him forward, whispering for carnage, pleading for more echoes to consume.
The artifact pulsed in his hand, its red veins glowing brighter with each heartbeat, demanding blood. Demanding souls.
You little shit!
But Cassian wasn’t just some vessel. He gritted his teeth, the [Unwavering Mind] buff pulsing around his psyche like a fortress. His will clashed against the artifact's hunger and held firm.
“Fucker listen here,” he growled under his breath, eyes blazing as he gripped the dagger tighter. “You want their souls? Fine. Feed. But never… never—try that shit again.”
The dagger trembled in his grip. Then, slowly, its pulse leveled out. The red glow softened.
?ECHO CONSUMPTION (Stats) LVL 1: Bonus +10 to every stat till ability is activated?
Laughing as he raced through the chaos, “Now that’s more like it, Sindi,”
His legs blurred beneath him as he dashed forward, boots slamming against broken steel tiles, dodging leaping Kalrachs by hair-thin margins. Each strike he delivered came faster than the last—one moment he was slicing a beast’s throat, the next he was already spinning to disembowel another.
There was no time to strategize. No time to think.
Dash. Slash. Duck. Shoot. Vault.
.
.
.
A Kalrach dove from above—Cassian grabbed it midair, twisted its limbs mid-spin, and drove its skull into the floor with a brutal crunch before launching himself into another cluster of targets.
.
.
.
?Current saturation: LVL 10 Shield 76/100 DMG absorption?
Fortunately, his Mana Shield held firm, absorbing the worst of the blows and allowing Cassian to focus fully on the carnage.
Yet with every hit it tanked, claws raking across his shoulder, teeth snapping just inches from his throat… he felt a creeping realization settle in. This spell, useful as it was, could become his curse. He was already leaning too heavily on it, letting the magical barrier take hits he should have dodged.
That kind of habit? Deadly. He filed the thought away for later. For now, survival came first.
He ducked low under a lunging Kalrach and drove his dagger upward into its gut, twisting sharply as the creature shrieked. Another one came from behind, Cassian sidestepped, rotated his body, and slashed in an arc. The blade sang through the air and tore through the creature’s chest.
But no matter how many he killed, more surged forward to take their place. The deeper he pushed into B4, the thicker the swarm became. For every ten he killed, twenty more would appear, snapping and shrieking in bloodlust.
“Cassian,” His comms buzzed. “You’re about to run into two big elites soon and I think I spotted a couple of those mental-types lurking. You’ve got maybe thirty seconds at your pace.”
“Understood!” Cassian shouted between a parry and a sidekick that launched another Kalrach into a nearby pipe.
With a fluid motion, he raised his hand and channeled his essence tapping into his old and reliable [Lightning bolt] card 5 times in quick succession.
“[Lightning Bolt]!” he barked.
Red lightning arced from his fingertips and exploded across the corridor, vaporizing a cluster of Kalrachs mid-charge.
“[Lightning Bolt]!”
Again and again, he unleashed the spell in rapid succession, red arcs snaking through the dark like angry veins of destruction.
?Current saturation: LVL 10 Shield 31/100 DMG absorption?
.
.
.
Agonized shrieks and guttural hisses echoed down the steel corridors, the sound distorted by arcing waves of crimson lightning crackling from one monster to the next, roasting them in their exoskeletons.
Smoke curled in the aftermath, thick with the stench of ozone and charred flesh.
Keep moving… Hit the elites first, no point in wasting time with these.
He took the opportunity, sprinting into the devastation he had carved. His dagger flashed with every step, slashing open throats and slicing through necks. Heads rolled. Arms dropped. Viscera spilled in steaming bursts as he carved his way forward.
He burst from the narrow corridor into the massive, open expanse of B4. It was nothing like the levels above—no offices, no containment halls, no maze of tight corners and hiding spots. Just raw infrastructure, gutted walls, and in the center a colossal sinkhole.
It yawned like a wound in the earth, vast and pulsing with a slow, unnatural breath. Even from this distance, Cassian could feel it—see the threads of black tendrils stretching upward like diseased veins from its rim.
Comms buzzed again, “Cassian you are at the main area of B4, the sinkhole is around 100m ahead, and be careful elites inbound”
But before he could advance, something stepped into his path.
Two Kalrachs no, abominations—emerged from the shadows ahead. Massive. Misshapen. Their bodies looked like amalgamations of smaller Kalrachs fused into one grotesque whole, limbs knotted together, eyes sprouting across their bodies like tumors. They moved with eerie synchronicity, legs pounding the steel floor with seismic force.
okay, 2 big ones… I’m glad it's not the behemoth variant…
And then, like blades sliding from velvet, Cassian felt them.
Two presences slithered into the edge of his perception—one to the left, one to the right. His mind prickled.
Fucking Mental-types. They were close. Cloaked in psionic camouflage. Watching. Waiting But this time his mind was protected.
I should probably recast [Holy Blessing] its about to run out.
“[Holy Blessing].”
? You have used [Holy Blessing] incantation, gained [Faithful Strength (strength ? +20)], [Unwavering Mind (mental focus? +20, Resistance to mental attacks increased)], [Strengthened Vigor(HP? +100)] buffs for 300 seconds ?
and one more thing
? You have fed 7 Essence points to your mana shield spell, Current saturation: LVL 10 Shield 100/100 DMG absorption ?
“Fuck this,” he muttered, eyes narrowing as he dropped into a ready stance.
Four enemies. Two tanks. Two ghosts. And somewhere below, the Mother of Kalrachs waited.
...
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