"Every raid needs a decoy, Tarn. Thanks for giving us those three seconds."Those words rang in Tarn's ears, colder than the damp wind howling through the cave. Before he could draw breath to scream, heavy steel boots slammed into the stone pillar beside the gate. The structural integrity of the ancient archway collapsed. A giant chunk of granite slipped and fell straight down.Crack. A wet, sickening sound echoed through the room.Tarn did not scream. Air rushed entirely from his lungs as a surge of white heat stabbed his right ankle. The boulder pinned his ankle, crushing the bone into splinters over the gravel floor.Through the dust and his swelling left eye, Tarn saw the blue light of the dungeon gate distort into an unstable dark red. Stellan, the Rank-B raid leader, stood right at the threshold. The gold trim on his shiny claymore caught the dying light. The man did not look back. With a casual shrug of his armored shoulder, Stellan stepped through the portal. The vanguard troo

"It will make the collection that much sweeter."Tarn stepped deeper into the dark throat of the alley, his voice swallowed by the hum of an ambulance speeding across the street. He rested his shoulder against the damp brick wall, his eyes never leaving Stellan.On the makeshift stage of the plaza, the performance reached its climax. A reporter with a slim tablet and a microphone bearing the Aurelian Vanguard logo pressed closer to the barrier tape."Commander Stellan, rumors say this anomaly held a mutated Boss. Is it true that the Rank-E casualty, Tarn, went rogue and triggered the collapse by defying your orders?"Stellan paused, wiping the corner of his eye with a handkerchief. He let out a heavy, well-practiced sigh. "We are still investigating the exact sequence of events. That Tarn... was overly eager. Sometimes, those lacking raw talent try too hard to prove themselves. I repeatedly warned him to stay in the rear support formation, but..." He shook his head, letting the silenc

The nest was breathing.The black resin walls lining the underground switching station expanded and contracted in a slow rhythm, like a giant pair of lungs digesting its prey. In the center of the room, the Slag Shell Matriarch did not move. It sat upon the throne of compressed steel rails, its six venom-green glowing eyes staring straight at Tarn without blinking."Null," Tarn whispered, his fingers still wrapped around the hilt of the smoking greatsword. "Advance from the front. Draw it out of the nest."The shadow of the Tomb Warden nodded silently, then stepped forward. Its shadow greatsword dragged across the resin floor, leaving a silver scratch that faded instantly."You are too slow, Null," Tarn muttered, his eyes narrowing. "It's not moving. It's…"The Matriarch moved.It did not jump. It did not charge. Its massive jaws opened with unnatural speed for a creature the size of a horse, and a burst of thick green acid shot out like a fountain forced by underground pressure."Nul

"Rise for me."Tarn knelt beside the corpse of the Slag Shell Matriarch, his right palm facing the cracked obsidian shell. Pitch-black blood still dripped from the monster's neck, pooling on the pulsing resin floor. Behind him, Null stood with its greatsword raised, its red eyes sweeping the room with caution."Extract," Tarn ordered, his voice low and sharp.The shadow beneath the Matriarch's corpse began to spin. Thin black vapor seeped from the cracks in its shell, struggling against the physical world, but this time, the process was different. The vapor did not form a shape right away. It swirled wildly, like a snake trying to break free from a trap, refusing to solidify.[Warning: The target's soul resists the extraction process.] [The soul power of a Rank-E Elite exceeds the Player's standard capacity.] [Do you wish to force the extraction? Warning: Failure will result in permanent damage to the Player's mana pathways.]Tarn did not hesitate. "Force it."The black vapor screamed