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The air vibrated with the echo of blows.
Victor moved with determination, scaling the colossal worm's body as it twisted in agony. The creature's skin was like living stone—dark and pulsating, veiled in translucent layers that shimmered in greenish tones. Each strike of his blade produced sparks of mana, but not a single deep cut.
Nothing pierced through. Nothing worked.
He leapt, rolled, climbed the bulging surface, testing different spots, as if with every new strike he hoped to find an answer—a weak point.
But the monster only roared, thrashing wildly, trying to tear him off.
Niyx, a few meters behind, watched in silence.
Her pink eyes, reflecting the bluish glow of the cave, moved slowly, analyzing his every move, every gesture.
She had already figured out what was happening.
Victor wasn't fighting seriously—he was holding back.
Not out of fear.
But because he didn't want to reveal what he was.
'So that's it… he really doesn't know what I am.'
The thought came cold, logical, almost cruel.
'He's hiding his true nature. Trying to fight like a human, to keep up the act. How foolish.'
The silence was broken only by the metallic clash of blades and the hiss of flesh being cut to no effect.
Victor finally stopped, breathing hard. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. The frustration in him was clear—not because he was losing, but because he couldn't move forward.
He looked at the blade, its edge stained yet completely ineffective, and sheathed it.
"Enough of this…" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Niyx raised an eyebrow slightly, watching with quiet interest.
Victor cracked his knuckles.
His body began to move differently—heavier, more aggressive.
Without using mana, without relying on spiritual energy, he attacked with pure physical strength—the blows sounded dry, blunt, and to his surprise, each impact seemed to reverberate deeper within the creature's flesh.
Slowly, the worm began to react in real pain.
Niyx tilted her head.
'So, you're finally going to fight the right way.'
The worm, wounded, thrashed in frenzy, trying to shake off the intruder.
Its fangs opened and snapped shut, spitting a dark slime that burned through the ground like acid. Victor jumped between spasms, climbing back toward the top of the grotesque body.
But the creature already looked broken.
Its movements were erratic, almost powerless.
The effect of Niyx's unique ability kept it in constant existential agony—alive, but trapped within its own body.
Even so, Victor didn't seem satisfied.
'This isn't enough…'
He took a deep breath, scanning around, searching for something.
The ground was littered with stones, broken roots, and fragments of crystallized mana—nothing useful.
Then, a spark crossed his mind.
A quick, instinctive thought.
'From the inside.'
The reasoning lasted less than a second.
Without hesitation, Victor lunged forward, digging his fingers into the edges of the monster's jaw and prying its mouth open with raw force.
The creature roared, trying to clamp it shut again, but the metamorph—unaware of his own strength—was stronger.
Before Niyx could even react, Victor dove straight into the creature's mouth.
"He…" she widened her eyes. "He's insane?!"
The sound of ripping flesh echoed through the cave, mixing with muffled roars.
The monster's body convulsed violently, crushing rocks and tearing open cracks in the ground.
And then… silence.
The movement stopped.
Niyx watched, motionless, feeling her blood boil.
Not out of concern—but irritation.
'You call that fighting? Throwing yourself inside the enemy, going for the easiest weak spot? That's denying your own nature. You refuse to grow, to evolve through combat. That's… human cowardice.'
The word tasted bitter even in her own mind.
But before she could sink further into that anger, something stirred.
Victor emerged once more from the monster's mouth, covered in blood and dark fluid.
He was breathing hard, panting, but smiling—a small, satisfied smile.
"Wasn't that hard after all," he murmured, wiping his face with his forearm.
Niyx stared in disbelief, but quickly recomposed herself, wearing her usual calm and gentle air.
"You did it!" she said, forcing a smile.
Victor nodded, exhausted, staring at the worm's motionless body.
At that moment, the cave seemed to tremble.
The walls breathed, the roots pulsed with light, and the distant sound of something rearranging itself filled the air.
Slowly, Niyx released the gesture in her left hand. Her ability dissipated instantly.
The energy of the place began to flow naturally again.
'And there goes my patience…' she thought, her eyes darkening.
'In the end, he chose the fastest way. Killed the monster, but didn't grow. That's what humans call victory. But for a metamorph… it's an insult.'
She took a slow breath, controlling her disgust.
The gentle expression returned to her face.
"Do you think the cave changed again?" Victor asked, still observing the glowing roots.
"Yes. It must've returned to its original form," she replied in a neutral tone. "That means we can leave now."
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with things left unsaid.
Niyx studied his every movement—the way he cleaned his sword, the rhythm of his breathing, the way he looked at the fallen enemy—analyzing, calculating, measuring powers he didn't yet understand.
"Tell me…" she finally broke the silence, "what made you think of killing it from the inside? Or rather… why?"
Victor blinked, surprised by the question.
But he answered without hesitation.
"Because it's the fastest way to win."
The answer was simple.
Direct.
But inside Niyx's mind, something shattered into a thousand pieces.
'The fastest way…'
The words echoed again and again.
'Typical. So human… so small.'
She forced a calm smile, hiding her irritation.
'The fastest path to a temporary victory. They always choose survival over ascension. It's useless to kill one of a species if you'd still die to another of the same kind. You should surpass it completely, become untouchable by such creatures in any possible scenario. Your attitude disgusts me, Victor!'
"Makes sense. Good job!" she replied, raising her arms as if to hug him—but stopped halfway. "Maybe not this time… you're all…" she made a face, "…slimy."
Victor chuckled.
'So, you do have limits…'
"Oh really, huh?"
But before the teasing could continue, the roots began to vibrate.
The light emanating from them intensified, flooding the cave in shades of blue and red.
A dark, dense, reddish energy seeped from the worm's corpse, dissolving into the air like living smoke.
Niyx lifted her gaze, watching the phenomenon.
"The corruption's been destroyed," she confirmed.
"Just like that, huh…" Victor replied, sheathing his sword.
The communicator's tone echoed.
Victor tapped the device and spoke briefly, reporting the end of the anomaly. On the other end, cheers and relieved voices erupted.
But the calm didn't last.
The monster's corpse began to convulse again.
Spasmodic movements, as if something inside was trying to break free.
A wet, grotesque noise echoed.
Victor stepped back, alert.
"What…?"
The worm arched violently and vomited a mass of light.
Tiny fragments of pink energy scattered through the air, floating, dancing like ethereal fireflies.
Niyx frowned.
That energy wasn't ordinary—it was different, vibrant, pure.
The fragments began to merge, spiraling in the center of the cave.
The glow intensified until it blinded them both, and for a brief instant, the underground turned to daylight.
When the light faded, something—or someone—lay on the ground.
Victor's eyes widened.
In the center of the energy field lay a fragile-looking young woman, with pale skin and long, rose-colored hair cascading in soft waves.
Above her head floated a shimmering crown of energy, spinning slowly, breathing in rhythm with her.
Niyx stood motionless, her expression neutral as she looked at the girl's bare body.
Victor, however, took a step forward, eyes fixed.
His heart raced.
He would recognize that presence anywhere.
He whispered the name, barely a voice.
"…Merlin."
The roots' light reflected in his golden eyes, and for an instant, the silence of the cave became absolute.
Only the faint, rhythmic pulse of mana echoed through the air—soft, like a heart beginning to beat again.
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