The decision was not a light one to make, though before anyone could start discussing it, Melvine looked at Lev.

  He was also thinking the same thing, so the bubble started moving silently. It picked up speed, accelerating to the maximum in a few seconds. The destination was the edge of the mountain region, the closest to the communication relay to contact Drakys and inform him.

  They were already quite far into the region from Lev's battles and the prior progress. During the half hour necessary to reach the range of communication, Lev kept his eyes peeled, not intending to miss even an iota of movement.

  "We're giving up the chase?" Isabella asked, seemingly relieved.

  "No," Aryan answered. "The traces didn't seem to be dissipating yet. They will probably still be there by the time we return."

  "I am not against pursuing it. If, for some ungodly reason, the monster evolves, no one knows just what it will be capable of," Elias added.

  "Hakim can snap it out of existence anyway," Lev voiced before things could become morbid. "A cheap copy won't beat the real thing. The bigger issue is whether we can stop it from evolving and earning whatever rewards come with slaying such a monster. Have none of you connected the dots so far?"

  "No…?" Rena slowly answered. The rest of her team was confused, and Isabella's team looked to be in the dark as well.

  I suppose I have an… advantage, since I had to face one such monster out of nowhere. The experience is impossible to forget.

  "I'm almost certain that the monster has mutated," Lev explained, thoughtfully. "Either that, or it is an entirely new species that we need to report as soon as possible."

  "Mutations don't cause rapid level gains, either," Luna spoke for once. "Or do they?"

  "We have no idea," Melvine shrugged a shoulder. "Beyond their existence, mutations are a mystery."

  Conversation petered off after that. Lisa focused on healing Lev and Melvine, whereas Luna healed all the minor wounds on the others. She also accelerated everyone's mana regeneration by a decent amount.

  Wish the aura would also work on Stargazer, Lev thought to himself, holding the weapon in front of him. For the first time, he had seen a creature come close to at least scratching her surface, and it was a second-threshold monster. Somehow, that served better as a reminder of his mortality than most third-threshold monsters he had faced so far.

  Getting out of the region didn't take that long. Melvine stepped outside the bubble and brought out a gleaming communication tablet. It positively radiated mana, and within minutes, she had a direct line established with Drakys despite the massive distance.

  The communication was taking place through telepathic messages, though she turned to him after a few seconds. Lev took the hint and connected himself with a tendril of mana.

  "Greetings, sir."

  "It hasn't even been a week, Lev," Drakys chuckled from the other side. "I was afraid you would go digging, but the world was one step ahead. The monster you guys faced was a Veil Crawler from the depths of the mountains, albeit in some twisted form. Are you positive that it absorbed moonlight?"

  "It did, and also empowered itself with it."

  "Troubling. Can you handle it?"

  "Maybe…?" Lev answered, trailing off. "I mean, with everyone else helping me, it will go down for sure. Alone, however…"

  "Give it your best shot. Maybe you won't even need to struggle if you follow it right now. For a monster with such strong skills, it must have many weaknesses, too. Mana never bestows extreme power without matching downsides."

  The communication crystal became dull after that, losing charge and connection. Lev handed it back to Melvine, going over his next steps.

  Seeing Drakys not at all worried was reassuring, though he suspected that the Exalted didn't truly understand the threat. In a matter of minutes, the hunter had gone from being overwhelmed to matching Melvine blow for blow. That just didn't happen, which was the main source of concern for them.

  "Did he tell you anything?" he asked while walking back to the bubble.

  Melvine also followed, mulling over her answer. "He only confirmed that it was a mutation and to let you solo it if possible."

  Is it really a wise call to funnel so much power into me alone? Lev wondered, not voicing his thoughts

  Back inside, he sat in his driver's seat and explained the situation. Isabella's worries lessened after hearing Drakys's reply, but the suspicion didn't vanish entirely. More than anyone else, she knew just how bad things could get around Lev.

  Another round of traveling later, they returned to the spot of the battle. It was easy to find from a while away, courtesy of his destructive elements and their aftermaths. The serpent's corpse was still there, out in the open. No vultures or opportunists dared to go near it for now, understanding that the killer may still be around.

  Aryan stepped out of the bubble first, going invisible immediately. He was the only one with mana-related senses sharp enough to notice the trail, and after a few minutes, he revealed himself with a grim look on his face.

  "The remnants are finally dissipating," he began, frowning at the ground where he could see the twisted moonlight linger. "It's now or never."

  Lev swept one last gaze at the present company. Only resolve could be seen.

  "Lead the way."

  The rogue didn't bother with hiding himself this time. He started running towards the direction the hunter had fled, the bubble following behind and matching the pace.

  No one spoke as tense minutes passed. The Night Hunter could explode out of the ground at any moment, potentially even stronger than when it had fled. Luna constantly kept her regeneration buff active, and by now, Lev at least had enough mana to try and take down the monster in a single burst of physical strength.

  "The trail is becoming more noticeable," Aryan sent through Isabella's communication item. "We're nearing its location."

  Behind Lev, Melvine stood up, holding her greatsword by the hilt as it rested on his bubble's surface. Before he could regenerate his pool fully, Lev wasn't confident in taking on the monster by himself. Consequently, he stepped aside when they finally reached an opening in the ground, letting her take the lead.

  She didn't even spare a glance at the surroundings, immediately jumping down the cave. A burst of icy winds was left behind as she shot forward, just slow enough to let everyone else keep up.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The bubble followed them underground. No one stepped out of it, noticing the enchantments glowing on its surface. Lev ignored stealth in favor of making the construct as durable as possible while following the hybrid warrior, not forgetting to constantly scan his surroundings.

  "Are you sure you want to go deeper, Melvine?" Lev sent. "I can only dig us out from so much stone."

  "Look closer. The stone is reinforced."

  Surprised, he slowed down the bubble and focused on the stone. It was oddly smooth, as if carved by an amateur. Moreover, mana coursed through the cave, and the effects were exactly as she mentioned. For whatever reason, the stone was all empowered, hardened by the constant exposure.

  In silence, they traversed again. Nerves were starting to mount when the cave angled downward, though when Melvine showed no signs of stopping, Lev begrudgingly followed. He wanted the monster dead no less than her.

  After descending for many kilometers, she finally slowed. A familiar growl reverberated throughout the cave, the sound low but flowing all the same. Melvine's buffs flared to life, and she sped up when the monster still didn't show itself.

  "Slow down," Melvine sent abruptly. Ahead of her was a ninety-degree bend, hiding everything on the other side. "Do you feel it?"

  What is she talking about?

  Straining his Perception, Lev focused on the stale air and the stone. Both of them had more mana than usual, which, while unusual, wasn't that surprising. What did surprise him, however, was how the mana was pulled towards the bend. Even worse, the pulled amount was slowly rising, and he didn't waste a moment in seeing what it was.

  Rounding the bend, he beheld… darkness. As if the world ceased to exist ahead of him, melting into nothingness.

  "What the hell is that?" Isabella questioned, her voice hushed even in the telepathy.

  "It looks… like some sort of a-"

  Kora didn't get to finish her sentence. Abruptly, the cave wall ahead parted to reveal the battered form of the Night Hunter. Melvine surged forward, her greatsword leading the charge, but it was too late.

  In an instant, the monster vanished into the darkness, and only then did they realize what it was.

  "It's a dungeon portal, and far bigger than the usual Platinum dungeons," Lev said, making the bubble back off. Melvine also retreated quickly after that, much warier than she had been a moment before. "We're very far from prepared to tackle this trial. Let's first inform Drakys about-"

  A hand shot out of the darkness. Three clawed fingers and a thumb, with the claws themselves comparable to Melvine in size. Her eyes widened as panic set in. Buffs took a precious few moments to come to life, but by then, it was already too late.

  The hand moved in a lightning-fast swipe and faltered when Lev tried to block it with Stargazer. The blade bit deep, drawing blood and also releasing a payload of lightning inside.

  Before he could back off, the claws turned to him and extended, almost going through his body. He jerked out of the way at the last moment, and time slowed down slightly due to panic before others could come to his rescue. Three fingers were about to close around him, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that his armor wasn't going to survive the grip.

  Caught between dense and empowered stone on two sides and monstrous digits on three, he chose the only possible option and hurled himself backwards, straight into the jaws of the dungeon.

  ****

  Many eons ago…

  Life still flourished in their tribe. Ghular children ran amok in the streets, engrossed in their plays and antics. Six arms flailed as they sprinted on their two thin legs, yet the limbs still brimmed with vitality, carrying their tall frames without fail.

  The light of four vibrant suns illuminated their humble dwelling. Ahead of the patriarch was the oldest abode, one carved in the great Tree of Life far before his birth. Two guards, newly minted if their stiff posture was any indication, stood at attention, saluting with all six arms on their chests upon his arrival.

  The patriarch merely nodded, his four vertical eyes stern yet not unkind. Moving past the guards with a smooth and confident gait, he entered the meeting hall, taking in the sights with a grand sweep of his gaze.

  Exalted generals milled about, three dozen of them fussing around a wooden table. Atop it, leaves and roots wiggled, updating them about the ongoing war without leaving out even a single detail.

  The same war they had been waging for decades now, all against a single being.

  Tensions were high. Generals just barely suppressed their despair, but the non-combatants weren't so jaded. They openly raged against the unfairness of it all, a single spark away from giving in to the fear.

  A single hand was raised, and the whole hall quietened. No words were exchanged, not even greetings. The patriarch observed it all in silence and, with a single wave of his hand, departed once again.

  Two leaves blessed with Words floated in front of the door. The patriarch stepped onto the first and, after channeling enough mana for the entire tribe to notice the expenditure, summoned a staff from his spiritual inventory.

  Finding resolve in the presence of his trusty weapon, the leaves shot off, ready to deal with the Chaoswalker plaguing their homes for decades.

  Strategies were no longer viable. All who fell against the abomination rose as twisted mockeries of life, turning against their own tribe even in death. The patriarch couldn't bear to see it anymore, not when his children struggled to rest in their roots, plagued by unending nightmares. He was going to grant them salvation, no matter what it took.

  That, or he was going to die trying.

  ****

  A few centuries before human survivors reached Monarch:

  The shadows dimmed and flickered, unable to hide her as the being gave chase. Her mate was only a few steps behind, their bond never faltering even in the face of the overwhelming adversary.

  Another blast of the twisted, unholy substance threatened to consume them. Her domain came alive, fraying at the seams from gross overuse. A tide of shadows devoured both her and her mate, carried through the umbral dimensions until they were deposited back on solid ground a few dozen kilometers away.

  The brief respite was taken away in a manner most foul when Ascended monsters converged on their location. Her mate's already quivering and fearful aura became even more incensed, giving in to the rage and unfairness of it all.

  She knew what was coming. They had been detected in the middle of nowhere, and while they tried to flee, there was no escaping the abomination. It stood taller than even the largest Ascended, glaring down at the feline duo with palpable madness, while six arms never missed a chance to try and pulp them.

  All four of its vertical eyes blazed with malice as tides of Chaos roared out of them. The very ground disintegrated where they stood, and only a timely teleport through her domain had saved the three of them. That had begun the unrelenting chase that had seen them flee for their lives through multiple continents of the Soul Nexus, and it was now coming to an end in the worst possible way.

  Her mate, her chosen, the love of her life, looked into her eyes. There was no fear in his mighty gaze anymore. Even in the face of death, he stood tall, shoulders wide and fangs bared. And yet, the tenderness deep inside betrayed it all.

  The regret, the rage, the love, and the longing. No matter how much he buried it, she saw it clearly for the plea it was. How could she stop now, when he was giving up all he held dear to provide them another chance?

  So, she ran.

  She ran for hours. She kept putting one foot in front of another without fail. Even when her domain threatened to fall apart, almost dropping her unconscious cub into the material world, she clutched it tightly with a roar of defiance. Even when the monster found her trail again, she didn't let up, determined to provide her newborn with a suitable environment to grow up in.

  So when she eventually reached the edge of the continent and found herself without the strength to make another jump, she didn't falter. Instead, she gambled it all.

  Shadows sang to her from far and wide. Many dwellings were revealed, no doubt angering more than a few Ascended. Some even sought to confront the shameless intruder, but when they noticed the Chaoswalker on her heels, they immediately fled, abandoning their homes.

  Still, she didn't despair. The shadows grew fragile, their melody no longer stable. Only hints of solid ground reached her now, bringing along no useful information. Amidst them, one stood out, a tiny continent surrounded by nothing but water.

  A decision had to be made, and she made it without even an ounce of hesitation. Powered by a tiny sacrificed portion of her very soul, her domain came alive, bridging the massive distance and hurling them both through a spatial tunnel.

  It wasn't enough, and she didn't expect it to be.

  The Chaoswalker's abominable influence infected even the teleport, latching onto it like the parasite it was. Inside the tunnel, however, hundreds of layered traps met its ugly visage, rending its frame and stripping its power. Unburdened by environmental skills, the true power of shadows was unleashed, sapping away its strength in an eternal instant.

  Then they were spewed out onto the landmass. Her teleport ended on a different location, far away from the Chaoswalker's point of impact. The last thing she was her battered body smashing into the ground hard enough to uproot trees, revealing white stone below the dirt.