Junyeok's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Looks like it's time for the real warm-up," he said, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
He stepped down into the abandoned train station with Nyxara by his side. The place was quiet, cold, and empty—or at least, that's what everyone assumed.
Nyxara glanced at him, confusion written across her face. "Junyeok… why are we here?"
Junyeok's smile widened. "Remember the fun I mentioned earlier? It's going to happen here."
A shiver ran down Nyxara's spine. Oh crap… something doesn't feel right, she thought, worry tightening her chest.
They descended another flight of stairs and pressed forward, footsteps echoing faintly. The silence around them pressed heavily.
"It's… really calm here," Nyxara muttered, relief softening her features.
"Not for too long," Junyeok replied, his excitement radiating from every movement.
Nyxara's unease deepened. I still have the feeling something's wrong…
As they moved further, the space opened into a wide chamber littered with rocks and sand.
"It's… empty," Nyxara said, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
Before she could finish, Junyeok slammed his foot into the ground. A monstrous roar echoed through the station.
"So… you're finally awake, big guy," Junyeok called.
The ground split violently, and a massive rock behemoth emerged. Its jagged, stony hide glimmered under the dim light, massive fists like boulders, eyes glowing with molten fury, and sand cascading off its body with every movement.
It was an B Rank monster Earth Mehemoth
Nyxara's ears flattened. "Why did I have to jinx it…" she murmured, a sad frown forming.
Junyeok's mind raced. If this monster goes berserk two months from now, many innocent people will die… including my mother… The memory of the train accident flashed before his eyes, her screams echoing in his mind. His jaw tightened, anger flashing across his face.
"Junyeok… are you okay?" Nyxara asked, worry lacing her voice.
He exhaled slowly, the tension leaving his shoulders with a shhhhhh sound. After a moment, a grin of pure excitement spread across his face. "Don't worry about me. I'm as good as ever."
Nyxara tilted her head, watching him carefully. Looks like he really means it…
Junyeok glanced at her, eyes shining. "So… are you ready?"
Nyxara's expression hardened with determination, a confident smile on her face. "Always. Whenever you are."
Junyeok's eyes narrowed, adrenaline coursing through his veins as the behemoth loomed before him. Its rocky hide shimmered with raw power, jagged edges glinting under the faint light of the abandoned station. Each step it took sent tremors through the ground, sending clouds of sand and debris into the air. Nyxara hovered beside him, wings flaring, tail coiling tightly around her legs as she prepared herself.
"Stay close, Nyxara. Keep it distracted," Junyeok commanded, his voice calm but charged with energy.
Nyxara's eyes glinted with determination. "Got it. Don't get squashed, okay?"
The behemoth roared again, swinging its massive fist toward them. Nyxara darted in, weaving through its attacks with uncanny speed, leaving streaks of dark motion behind her. She slammed into its rocky chest, claws tearing at the surface, but the creature barely flinched. Junyeok grimaced, realizing the scale of the challenge.
"We need more than that…" he muttered, the gears in his mind turning rapidly.
With a swift motion, he drew his Hellfire daggers, their edges faintly smoldering, and uncorked a small flask. Dark, viscous liquid shimmered within, almost alive, pulsing with a faint black glow. This was the disintegration poison, capable of eating through rock like paper. He poured it carefully over his blades, the liquid hissing as it reacted with the heat of the daggers. A faint smoke rose, carrying the scent of something dangerously corrosive.
Nyxara's eyes widened. "That stuff can pierce rock?! Junyeok, be careful!"
"I've got this," he replied, activating his Dragon Body Embodiment. Scales of deep black and faint crimson surged across his skin, forming thick, interlocking armor that shimmered like molten metal under the dim light. His muscles coiled with newfound strength and agility, and his Dragon Devouring Eye glowed faintly, the passive giving him an instinctive 10% boost against this monstrous foe.
Junyeok moved like a shadow, weaving between debris and launching himself onto the creature's back. The behemoth swiped blindly, roaring in fury, but Nyxara kept its attention locked, darting around with sharp strikes and feints. Sparks flew as her claws chipped at the rock, pulling its gaze just enough.
Now was the moment. Junyeok's eyes tracked a weak point behind the behemoth's neck—a narrow gap in the jagged stone plates. He lunged, daggers raised, black liquid dripping like living ink over the edges. The poison hissed and smoked as it touched the creature's hide, biting into the rocky armor.
He struck again and again, carving a small but widening opening in the creature's neck. Each slash sent black smoke curling from the wounds, the rock sizzling as if it were melting from within. The behemoth roared in pain, its tremors shaking the chamber, but Junyeok's armor held firm.
Nyxara's strikes were precise and relentless, claws scraping across the behemoth's shoulders and sides, preventing it from countering effectively. "Keep going, Junyeok! You're almost there!" she yelled, wings buzzing with kinetic energy.
Junyeok felt the surge of his active skill, his body a weapon of living scales and fury. With one final, coordinated strike, he drove both Hellfire daggers deep into the weak gap behind the creature's neck. The black disintegration poison roared to life, searing through stone and flesh alike, and molten, smoking cracks spread like lightning across its back.
The behemoth screamed—a deafening, monstrous roar—as black smoke and molten fragments erupted from its neck. Junyeok held on tightly, muscles burning, adrenaline sharpening his focus. Nyxara launched herself toward its head again, delivering one last distracting blow.
"This ends now!" Junyeok shouted, summoning every ounce of strength. His daggers blazed with Hellfire as he spun and brought them down in a single, devastating arc. The poison ate through the remaining armor, and with a thunderous crash, the behemoth's head separated cleanly from its massive body. Flames and black smoke engulfed it, and it collapsed with a ground-shaking thud.
Junyeok landed lightly beside Nyxara, panting slightly but victorious. Black smoke curled from the tips of his daggers, the disintegration poison still sizzling faintly. Nyxara landed gracefully, tail flicking with a mix of exhaustion and pride.
"You… you did it," she breathed, wide-eyed, her usual pride mixed with awe.
Junyeok exhaled, sheathing his daggers. His eyes, still glowing faintly from the Dragon Body Embodiment, softened as he looked at her. "We did it… together," he said, his grin spreading across his face, equal parts relief and exhilaration.
The chamber was silent now, save for the settling of dust and debris.
Junyeok dropped to his knees, chest heaving, the heat from the battle still lingering on his scales. Nyxara landed beside him, her tail curling around her feet, eyes wide but shining with satisfaction.
"That… was intense," she said softly, brushing dust off her wings. "We actually did it."
Junyeok wiped sweat from his brow, a small grin forming. "Yeah… thanks to you too. Couldn't have done it alone."
Nyxara smirked, a hint of playful pride in her eyes. "Teamwork, remember?"
Junyeok let out a quiet laugh, sheathing his daggers. "Next time… I'll make it even more fun."
Nyxara tilted her head, wings fluttering slightly. "I'll be ready. Always."
Junyeok wiped the sweat from his brow, finally letting out a deep breath. "Phew… it's finally over," he muttered, his chest rising and falling as the adrenaline slowly drained away. The ground around the chamber was scarred and broken from the battle, rocks and sand scattered everywhere, a silent testament to the behemoth's destructive power.
Nyxara's sharp eyes caught something glinting among the debris. She tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her golden eyes. Without hesitation, she darted toward it, wings flapping gracefully as she hovered over the shiny object.
"What is this?" she whispered, landing carefully to inspect the find.
Junyeok followed her gaze and crouched beside her. The object shimmered with a deep, black luster, catching the light like polished obsidian. It was a scale—massive, smooth, yet sharp-edged, almost like a piece of some mythical fish, but imbued with a strange, stone-like brilliance.
Nyxara held it out toward Junyeok, her voice filled with excitement. "I got something here! You should take a look, Juny."
Junyeok blinked, caught slightly off guard. Juny…? That was the first time she'd ever called him that. It felt odd, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Well… better than nothing, he thought silently.
"How could she…be this adorable?" he muttered under his breath, though the question trailed off as he reached for the scale. "Bring it here," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"On its way!" Nyxara chirped happily, dropping the scale into his hands with careful precision.
Junyeok turned it over in his palms, examining the intricate ridges and the way the black surface seemed to absorb light, giving off an almost magnetic aura. "What is this…? I've never seen anything like it," he murmured, brow furrowed in thought.
Nyxara tilted her head. "Do you… know what it could be?"
Junyeok shook his head slowly. "No idea… but I do know a place where we can find out. And one thing I am certain of—this is a rare drop. Something valuable.
Nyxara's tail swished behind her, her excitement barely contained. "Then let's go! Where do we head?"
Junyeok rose to his feet, tucking the scale securely into his pouch. "Time to head to Astra Monster and Drops ."