Chapter 24: What lies Beneath
Alex stood amidst a flurry of communication screens and tactical maps. He was on Video call with key figures—Yurei, Josh Dell, the Mayor, and several other dispatchers. He was in a temporary command center established above one of the city's main sewer access points. The operation was massive. Heroes and personnel capable of combat were stationed near every known exit of the sewer system. No one was taking any chances.
A moment later, Alex stepped away from the table and prepared to summon backup.
He activated his summoning.. A gentle light shimmered in the air before it solidified into form.
Shield Maiden appeared, standing tall with her heavy shield slung across her back and spear in hand. Right behind her, a sharp figure of vigilance emerged—Eagleeye, the keen-sighted, long-range specialist. His armor was sleek, designed for agile movement and sensory integration.
Alex approached Eagleeye and handed him the metallic cane gifted by Jacob Dell. Eagleeye inspected it briefly, then nodded.
"This will do fine," he said, slinging the cane-turned-weapon across his back.
Alex gave a brief rundown of the mission objectives. "You'll be entering the narrower tunnels. Shield Maiden will guard and advance, Eagleeye will watch your backs from range. You'll be working directly with Bladeblight."
Eagleeye nodded in acknowledgment. Shield Maiden saluted sharply.
Josh Dell had temporarily assigned Bladeblight under Alex's command for this mission. Meanwhile, Josh had departed to coordinate efforts with Juggernaut and Giantess at the wider junctions of the underground system, where their size and power would be more effective.
Alex remained behind in the command center. His fingers danced over holographic keys as he tracked vitals, drone feeds, and team movement. This operation wasn't just a routine sweep—it was a hunt. Something was festering in the depths, warping rats and spreading power-infused corruption.
He exhaled slowly, mind sharp and focused.
The real fight was about to begin.
Alex turned to Yurei, his voice steady but edged with urgency. "Do we have visuals yet?"
Yurei shook her head, frowning as she tapped away at her tablet. "Only partial. The drones lose connection as soon as they enter a certain radius—either around the item or whoever is controlling it. We've already lost three units. The rats attacked them before we could pull them back."
Alex let out a slow breath. He hated going into missions blind, but waiting here wouldn't do much good either. His eyes scanned the monitors—static, flickers of shadows, occasional bursts of gnawed metal.
He made a quick decision. "I'm going down with them."
Yurei looked up sharply. "You sure?"
Alex nodded. "I'll keep behind the formation. I won't interfere unless necessary. But I need to be there. If the item shifts or adapts, I need to summon accordingly. We can't afford any surprises."
Yurei didn't look convinced. Her brow furrowed, clearly weighing her next words.
Alex offered a small, confident smile. "Ghostfang will take care of my protection. You don't have to worry."
That made her pause. The name carried weight—everyone who had seen the hellhound in action knew what it was capable of. After a moment, she asked him to carry a secondary comm unit.
"Stay close," she said softly. "Let Shield Maiden take point. Eagleeye has eyes on everything—at least what's not being jammed. Don't do anything reckless."
Alex smirked faintly. "Me? Never."
___
The team descended into the damp, echoing tunnels of the city's underbelly.
Shield Maiden took the lead, her spear glowing faintly and her shield up, ever vigilant. Her eyes scanned every inch of the corridor ahead, her steps steady despite the oppressive darkness. Bladeblight followed, his blades already humming faintly, held low in a defensive stance.
Behind them walked Alex, flanked by the silent, ever-watchful Ghostfang. The hound's black fur blended with the shadows, its eyes glowing like embers, scanning every pipe and crack. Last in line was Eagleeye, moving with practiced precision, his rifle already in hand, one eye on the team and one eye on the shadows behind them.
The stench grew heavier as they went deeper. It wasn't just rot or sewer gas. It was unnatural—sickly sweet, mixed with metal and decay. A scent that stuck to the back of the throat.
They reached the location where Alex had first encountered the rats. But now, the corpses were gone. No bones. No remains.
Only the streaks of dark blood smeared across the walls and floor. Shredded cloth, teeth, a broken claw. All that remained of the vicious fight that took place.
Shield Maiden raised her hand, signaling everyone to halt. Alex approached "Something cleaned up," He said, voice quiet but firm. "Fast. Organized."
Alex looked around, brow tightening. "Either a scavenger… or something smart enough to cover its tracks."
They pressed on until they reached the spot where the last drone had transmitted from before going dark. There, static still echoed faintly from the comm device attached to Eagleeye's shoulder.
Alex tapped the receiver on his collar. "Yurei, we've reached the dead zone. This will likely be my last message until we emerge."
Her voice crackled back, filled with tension. "Copy that. Be careful, Alex. I'll be monitoring the perimeter. If anything shows above ground, I'll let you know."
He looked at the others, then down at Ghostfang who was already growling low, head tilted to the tunnel ahead.
"We're going in."
And with that, they crossed into the shadows—into the place where signals die, and monsters wait.
As they moved beyond the last transmission point, the air grew heavier—thicker, like it was being breathed by something else before reaching them. The walls, once dull and wet, now shimmered faintly with a greenish bioluminescence that pulsed like veins. The sewer no longer felt manmade. It felt grown.
Ghostfang let out a guttural growl, ears low. Alex felt the beast's unease through the link—not predator, not prey… wrong, just wrong.
Bladeblight paused at an intersection. "There's… something moving ahead." His voice, usually confident, sounded more strained. "Not just rats. Something bigger."
Suddenly, Eagleeye stiffened, one eye scanning through the faint light of his Rune lens. "Infrared's glitching. There's… heat signatures, but they're all melting into each other. I can't tell if it's one creature or fifty."
Shield Maiden gripped her spear tighter.
Bladeblight said."Keep formation. Alex, fall back if it gets bad."
"No," Alex said. "I'm seeing this through."
They pressed deeper. The tunnels changed. Pipes bent in unnatural curves. Symbols were scratched along the walls in jagged spirals—some looked like teeth, others like open eyes. A low hum pulsed beneath their feet, like a heartbeat.
Then, they heard it.
A whisper.
At first, it was just static. But then it became… words. Dozens of voices layered over each other, overlapping in a chorus that bled into their minds.
> "It hurts… keep digging… the light is inside… open the flesh… feed the root…"
Alex clutched his head, gasping. Eagleeye's hand shook. "That's not natural. That's psychic bleed—whatever's down here is broadcasting."
The whispering cut off.
And something clicked behind them.
They turned fast—Ghostfang snarled, flame licking off his paws—and there it was.
Not a rat.
Something wearing a rat. A creature hunched over, tall and gangly, draped in rat corpses like robes. Its limbs were long, stitched together from different animals. Its eyes were human. Wet, unblinking, staring.
Then it spoke.
"You shouldn't have come here, summoner."
Bladeblight stepped forward, blade vibrating with energy. "Enemy. Taking it down."
But as he moved, the tunnel behind them sealed shut—pipes contorting, locking them in. The ground pulsed.
Alex realized: they weren't in a tunnel anymore.
They were in the body of something alive.
Bladeblight rushed forward, his blade shrieking against the damp air, but the creature moved with disturbing grace—too fluid for its jagged limbs. It twisted its torso in a full unnatural circle, skittering up the wall like an insect, eyes never leaving Alex.
"Not now. Not yet. You are not ripe," it hissed.
Ghostfang leapt with explosive force, fire trailing in his wake. He bit into the creature's shoulder, flames searing through the ratskin. It shrieked, flailing as the hellhound dragged it to the floor.
But then—
Alex screamed.
Not from pain—but from what he saw.
For a split second, the tunnel shifted. His vision shattered like glass, replaced by something else. A hallway. White. Sterile. Hospital walls. He saw himself— powerless—sitting on the floor while the fire alarm screamed and smoke poured in.
He blinked—and he was back.
But the air was colder now.
The creature wailed in anger, black ichor spilling from its shoulder. It jerked upward, tearing from Ghostfang's jaw, then let out a wordless screech.
> "They sleep beneath the root. You opened the gate!"
[End of Chapter]