~Laurent The air still smelled like burnt ozone and dust. My pulse hadn’t caught up to the silence yet. Then the glow came—faint blue, pulsing against the dark. [UPDATED STATS: LAURENT DRAVEN] Level: 85 Strength: 460 Agility: 375 Endurance: 360 Perception: 280 Intelligence: 210 The numbers increased again. [NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: BLOOD TRANSCENDENCE – Permanently steal a skill or stat from dead enemies.] I stared at the words until they faded. My fingers twitched. Steal. That was new. That was dangerous. The power settled in me like a second heartbeat—slow, curious, hungry. I looked to my side and saw Kalea’s dead body turning to ash, courtesy of fang bite. Since I killed her, shouldn’t I have her powers? I decided to try it out and see. I crouched beside Denzel. His breathing was shallow but steady. I reached out, calling a line of mana—something I shouldn’t be able to do.The syllables formed on instinct. A low hum ran through my skin, and light bled from my p

~Laurent The walls moved. Not enough to see—just enough to feel. A faint throb beneath my palm, like a heartbeat buried deep under stone. I whispered, worried my voice might cause a catastrophe. “Scan surroundings.” A faint blue grid expanded just beyond my vision, lines crawling across the slick tunnel walls until the darkness turned translucent. [Analyzing environment…] [Structure identified: Dormant rock-based organism – Class: Colossal.] [Status: Hibernating.] My throat went dry. “Hibernating?” [Creature currently in stasis. Estimated length: 1.2 kilometers.] It wasn’t a facility. It was a monster pretending to be one. “How likely is it to wake up?” I asked quietly. [Dependent on external disturbance level. Minimal vibrations recommended.] Minimal vibrations. And as it was, five more people were all over it sending different types of vibrations. “Locate team.” I said. Maybe if I could get to them first, I’ll be able to stop them from waking this monster up and digest

~Ciela The air was colder down here. Not the kind that made you shiver, but the kind that made sound travel strangely—soft, damp, heavy. Every word Kendrix spoke seemed to hang a little too long before fading. Our boots squelched faintly as we moved deeper through the tunnel. The walls glistened with moisture, catching what little light our crystals gave off. It looked like condensation, but when I brushed my fingers across it, it felt thicker, almost oily. Kendrix walked ahead, whistling. “Man, Calen’s people really don’t care about hygiene. You’d think someone would mop this place once in a while.” I rolled my eyes, not that he could see. “We’re underground. Maybe it’s supposed to be like this.” He stopped and tilted his head, listening. “You hear that?” I froze. “Hear what?” “Like… rumbling. Faint. Could be machinery.” I listened. There was something—low, steady. It came and went like a distant drum. “Maybe generators?” “Yeah, or something big moving,” he muttered.

~Laurent The air inside was still. Too still. I could hear the monster breathing through the walls—long, shallow draws that pulled at the air and pushed it back again. Each exhale carried dust and heat. The others were gone. Safe. That was enough. I pressed a hand to the wall. It pulsed once beneath my fingers. Warm. Heavy. Alive. “This thing’s heart must be the size of a house,” I muttered. “Big hearts… slow hearts.” I could leave. Try to find a path through the collapsing tunnels. But my system hummed low, almost eager. [Blood energy detected. Source: Colossal Entity.] [Potential gain: Massive.] Of course. That was why it wanted me here. I exhaled and drew Ereval from my inventory. “Fine. Let’s make this quick.” The blade hissed when it touched the air, bloodlight running along its edge. One cut into the wall and the monster screamed. Not a sound, exactly—more like the ground itself recoiling. The tunnel rippled, veins bulging, fluids spilling like molten tar. I bare

~Laurent The morning after a battle always feels too normal. Sunlight, the smell of toast, laughter that tries to pretend nothing happened. Denzel’s house was loud—Kendrix humming off-key in the living room while Ivelle fought Ciela over the mirror. I sat on the couch, buttoning my shirt, still feeling the ache in my ribs from last night. The memory of the monster’s heartbeat—slow, colossal—lingered in my ears. Ciela appeared beside me, tying her hair into a loose bun. “You’re quiet today,” she said. “Trying to pretend we didn’t almost get digested yesterday,” I said dryly. Kendrix whistled. “Hey, at least we killed it. Not many people can say they’ve murdered a literal mountain. How did you kill it though?” “I was inside its body. It has internal organs,” I started. “But that’s not what’s on my mind right now. It’s how Calen always seems to set us up that I’m thinking about.” Denzel came out of his room, still adjusting his wristband. “He’s always one step ahead somehow