The cavern was silent except for the faint hum of Rift energy pulsing through the crystal formations. The massive corpse of the Rift Serpent lay across the cracked stone floor, its enormous body slowly dissolving into drifting particles of energy that faded into the air.
Kai Ren stood still near the center of the cavern.
Across from him stood the armored man who had just entered.
The difference between this soldier and the previous corporate hunters was obvious immediately. His armor was darker and more advanced, reinforced with sleek plates covered in glowing genetic circuits that pulsed faintly with energy. Even standing still, the man gave off a heavy pressure that Kai could feel through instinct alone.
Danger.
Real danger.
The system interface flickered in front of Kai's vision again.
Threat Assessment: Enemy Rank – Gene Hunter. Combat Probability: 7%.
Kai's breathing slowed.
Seven percent.
Those were not good odds.
The Gene Hunter stepped forward slowly, his boots echoing softly against the stone floor. His gaze moved across the cavern briefly before returning to Kai.
"You killed my squad," he said calmly.
Kai didn't respond.
The hunter didn't seem surprised by the silence. His eyes studied Kai carefully, as if examining a strange specimen.
"Interesting," he continued. "The artifact energy vanished, but your genetic activity is unusually high for a scavenger."
Kai's instincts screamed at him to move.
To attack.
Or to run.
But the Gene Hunter remained completely calm.
Which meant he was confident.
Confident enough to walk alone into a cavern where a Titan Mutant and a Rift Serpent had just died.
That alone revealed his strength.
Kai's eyes moved slightly toward the tunnel behind him.
The distance was roughly thirty meters.
But the hunter noticed.
"You can try," the man said.
The energy blade in his hand activated with a low humming sound.
A thin beam of blue plasma extended from the weapon's hilt, casting light across the cavern walls.
"Running won't help."
Kai's body tensed.
The system reacted instantly.
Emergency Mission Generated
Objective: Escape Gene Hunter
Survival Priority: Critical
Kai inhaled slowly.
Predator Instinct sharpened his senses.
He studied the hunter carefully.
The man's stance was relaxed, but balanced. His movements were controlled. His breathing was steady.
This was not someone who relied purely on gene power.
He was trained.
Highly trained.
Kai's chances in a direct fight were almost zero.
Which meant he needed something else.
The environment.
Kai shifted slightly.
The hunter noticed immediately.
"Still thinking?" the man asked calmly. "That's good. Panic makes people die faster."
Kai suddenly moved.
He kicked the corpse of the Rift Serpent toward the hunter and dashed sideways toward the tunnel.
The Gene Hunter reacted instantly.
The plasma blade flashed.
The serpent's corpse split apart in a single strike.
But that moment was enough.
Kai sprinted across the cavern floor, his enhanced speed pushing his body to its limits. The tunnel entrance was only seconds away.
Then the hunter moved.
The man's speed was terrifying.
Kai barely heard the movement before the Gene Hunter appeared beside him.
The plasma blade slashed downward.
Kai twisted sideways.
The blade missed his chest by centimeters and sliced into the stone wall, leaving a glowing line of melted rock.
Kai countered immediately.
Using Titan Strength, he slammed his fist toward the hunter's ribs.
The Gene Hunter blocked easily.
The impact echoed like metal striking metal.
Kai felt the difference instantly.
The man's strength was far beyond his own.
The hunter stepped back slightly, studying him with mild curiosity.
"You absorbed multiple genes in a short time," the man said. "That should have killed you."
Kai didn't answer.
The hunter tilted his head slightly.
"Unless the artifact did something to you."
Kai moved again.
This time he threw a handful of broken Rift crystals toward the hunter's face before sprinting toward the tunnel again.
The crystals shattered against the man's armor, releasing small bursts of unstable energy.
For a moment, the hunter's vision was obscured.
Kai ran.
His muscles burned as he pushed his speed to the limit. The narrow tunnel ahead curved sharply downward, disappearing into darkness.
Behind him, the hunter's voice echoed calmly.
"Running deeper into the Rift is suicide."
Kai didn't slow.
The tunnel twisted sharply as he descended into the underground labyrinth. The Rift veins embedded in the walls glowed brighter the deeper he ran.
Then the system reacted again.
Alert
Multiple Lifeforms Detected
Species: Unknown
Distance: 40 meters
Kai slowed slightly.
Shapes moved in the darkness ahead.
Small.
Fast.
Then dozens of glowing eyes appeared.
A swarm of creatures crawled across the tunnel walls and ceiling. Their bodies were thin and insect-like, with long hooked limbs and jagged mouths filled with needle-like teeth.
Rift Parasites.
Kai stopped instantly.
Fighting them would take time.
But turning back meant facing the Gene Hunter again.
Behind him, calm footsteps approached.
The hunter emerged from the tunnel entrance, his plasma blade still glowing.
He looked at the swarm blocking the tunnel ahead and smiled slightly.
"Well," he said quietly. "This should be interesting."
The parasites reacted to the movement.
Their bodies twitched.
Then the entire swarm attacked.
Dozens of creatures leaped through the air toward both Kai and the hunter.
Kai moved instantly.
He twisted sideways, smashing one parasite against the tunnel wall with a powerful punch while kicking another creature away from his legs.
The hunter moved even faster.
His plasma blade flashed through the air, slicing several parasites in half before they could reach him.
The tunnel erupted into chaos.
Parasites crawled across the walls and ceiling while their sharp claws scraped against the stone.
Kai crushed another creature under his boot while grabbing one mid-air and slamming it against the wall.
But the swarm kept coming.
Too many.
The Gene Hunter continued cutting through them with effortless precision.
Then Kai noticed something.
The parasites were not attacking randomly.
Most of them were targeting the hunter.
The man's gene energy was stronger.
Which meant he was a bigger threat.
Kai's mind reacted instantly.
Opportunity.
Kai turned and sprinted deeper into the tunnel while the swarm surrounded the Gene Hunter.
The man's blade flashed again, destroying several parasites instantly.
But the swarm slowed him.
Just enough.
Kai ran.
His footsteps echoed through the twisting underground passage as the sounds of battle faded behind him.
Finally, after several minutes of running, the tunnel opened into another cavern.
Kai stopped.
His breathing was heavy now.
But his instincts suddenly screamed.
The cavern was enormous.
Far larger than the previous ones.
And the ground was moving.
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
Hundreds of small Rift Parasites crawled across the cavern floor.
At the center of the cavern stood something far worse.
A massive creature twice the size of the Rift Serpent.
Its body resembled a monstrous spider, its legs embedded into the cavern walls while glowing veins pulsed across its enormous abdomen.
At least fifty parasites crawled across its body.
The Queen.
Kai slowly stepped backward.
Behind him, distant footsteps echoed again from the tunnel.
The Gene Hunter had escaped the swarm.
The system suddenly flashed.
Emergency Alert
Rift Parasite Queen Detected
Threat Level: Extreme
Kai stood between two deadly enemies.
Behind him was the Gene Hunter.
Ahead of him was the Parasite Queen.
And both had just noticed him.