Getting up slowly, Damien's legs shaking from exhaustion, he stared at the massive form of Balor sprawled across the broken floor. Its body did not dissipate like the other monsters he had slain. Every other beast he had encountered, no matter how large or rare, had always crumbled into dust or dissolved into shadow energy. Yet here it lay, staring at him, intact and impossibly aware.
"The guild records… they never said monsters like this would behave differently," Damien murmured, wiping blood from his face. "Every other defeat of a Monster Rex showed them dying like any normal monster… Could it be because I soloed it?"
He took a cautious step forward, eyes narrowing. "Perhaps whenever you kill a Monster Rex solo… the Dungeon reacts differently. Who knows…"
Damien approached the giant corpse slowly, his hands trembling slightly as he called out.
"Arise!"
[Shadow Extraction Failed]
A flash of frustration crossed his features. "Oh… feisty, aren't you? Pride? Refusal? None the less… you'll be mine." He steadied himself, breath deepening.
"Arise."
[Shadow Extraction Failed]
He exhaled sharply, letting the tension build. "All right… listen up. You're dead. You'll respawn in three months, probably as a different one… Not you. We had a good battle, didn't we? So why are you giving up on life, eh? Don't you want to see what's beyond this? You were born on this floor only three months ago. All your life spent on this one place… Join me, and I'll let you see it all… all the way to the end of the Dungeon."
Damien's voice grew firm, commanding, as he drew in a lungful of air. "Arise."
This time, something different happened. Shadows erupted from the ground, pouring out like a black tide. They wrapped around Balor's colossal body, coiling and twisting, filling every crevice, every cavity of flesh and bone. The Dungeon itself seemed to tremble, as though acknowledging a new hierarchy of power forming before it.
Moments later, the shape of Balor changed. Where the corpse had once sprawled, now knelt a towering figure before Damien. Its form was fully alive again, yet the immense aura of respect emanated from it, a recognition of the one who had bested it in combat. Though still massive, dwarfing Damien in every dimension, it made no hostile motion. No roar. Only kneeling… as if conceding itself willingly to the human who had stared death in the eye and emerged victorious.
Damien's lips curled into a faint, tired smile. "Good. That's more like it."
Damien's grin widened as he looked up at the newly acquired Shadow. "Welcome to the team, big guy… From now on, I'll call you Baal."
Baal's massive form loomed before him. Though smaller than the towering Monster Rex it had been, it still dwarfed every other Shadow Damien had summoned. Its presence alone radiated raw power, a General-grade force of nature that made Damien's other allies seem almost fragile by comparison.
[General Grade Shadow Acquired: Baal]
"Oh… a General, eh? That means you can talk…" Damien said, curiosity dancing in his eyes.
"Me know few words… Me try no speak… Me no want speak bad to me Lord," Baal rumbled, each word vibrating like low thunder.
Damien laughed softly, crouching slightly to meet Baal's gaze. "Don't worry about that, big guy. You can stay quiet if you want. We'll get along just fine either way."
Baal nodded, a subtle rumble echoing from his chest as if in agreement.
Damien straightened, wiping the sweat and blood from his face. "All right. Let's join the others… and get ready to enter that B-Class system Dungeon." He turned, leading the way forward, Baal following closely. The shadow of the massive beast stretched long across the shattered battlefield, a silent promise of the power they now carried into the floors ahead.
...
Floor Fifty stretched out before them like a forgotten world, its name unofficial but the adventurers had taken to calling it the Grey Jungle. Trees with ash-colored bark towered endlessly, their branches tangled into a ceiling of muted gray, while vein-like rivers wound through the floor like silver veins pulsing life into the desolate forest. Unlike the livelier safety zones, this place carried a quiet weight, a sense of abandonment. Only expeditions with audacious goals ever reached this far.
"Oh… we finally made it!" Gareth groaned, collapsing onto one of the caravans and letting out a long, tired breath.
"Yes… but I'm still worried about the kid," Finn said, frowning as he scanned the horizon. "You think he made it out fine?"
Gareth chuckled lowly, stretching his arms. "Agh… he's a big guy. I'm sure he'll be here any minute. Although… I'm still skeptical about him actually beating Balor. We better prep some serious healers just in case."
Riveria, eyes closed, spoke softly, almost to herself. "He might surprise you."
A voice interrupted, calm but carrying the weariness of a battle-hardened soul. "That I will."
Damien stepped from the shadows, his armor still smeared with blood, his movements slow and measured from exhaustion. "I'm back… though I'm completely drained. I'll settle for a few stamina potions and some healing ones."
Riveria's eyes fluttered open, relief and awe mixing in her gaze. "Oh… you really made it…"
Gareth turned his head, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "And you don't sound disappointed… Kid, don't tell me—"
"Yup… I won," Damien said, voice low but firm. "That was the hardest fight I've ever faced. That thing… Balor… it was unlike anything else."
Finn approached, a trace of guilt on his face. "I apologize about the laser beam. We truly had no information on that. It caught us completely off guard."
Damien shrugged, wiping a smear of blood from his face. "Don't worry about it… I think I pieced a few things together by fighting him solo. Monster Rexes… they behave differently when soloed. More attacks. More aggression. And… apparently, more rewards. For example…" He glanced over his shoulder, a faint grin breaking through. "I received the entire body of Balor as a reward. According to the guild, that's never happened before."
Riveria's eyes lit up like a child seeing a treasure hoard. "The entire body? That means we can craft an incredible amount of equipment from it… Can I see it?"
Damien's grin widened as he shook his head. "Nah… I had other plans for it." He turned to leave, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"What? Like what?" Riveria called after him, her curiosity piqued.
Damien looked back, gave her a wink, and continued walking. Riveria froze for a moment before her mind finally pieced it together as realization hit her. "Oh… OH!"
Gareth shook his head, laughter rumbling from his chest. "Bringing him with us… that was the best decision we've ever made. That kid… he's going to become a legend."
Finn's eyes lingered on Damien's retreating form, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I think… he already is."
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