Chapter 57: Shapeshifting Darkness

  There was no time for a breather.

  The giant centipede lunged at me immediately, its massive mandibles snapping at me just as I activated Enhanced Dash Step to evade. The ground where I stood a moment ago shattered under the force of its bite, crushed into rubble.

  Seeing its flank wide open, I activated Enhanced Blade Rush, closing the distance and striking at its side with Silverfang. But the glaive just bounced off its metallic armor, not leaving even a scratch.

  What the hell is this thing made of?

  Then, Chilopendra Prime twisted quickly, its long body coiling around in an attempt to crush me. I leapt into the air, activating Flight to go even higher, but the monster pursued, stretching its body as it chased me upward.

  What is the length of this thing?!

  Mid-air, I discarded Silverfang and brought my hands together, channeling a Charged Wind Arrow. I aimed at the nightmare-inducing creature and released the attack.

  The arrow struck true, hitting the centipede head-on – but once again, its metallic armor absorbed the impact as it continued stretching higher after me.

  Running out of options, I pushed myself higher, speeding toward the tunnel opening above. Only a few seconds of Flight remained, and my gaze never left the approaching monstrosity.

  Then, Chilopendra Prime let out a nasty screech. Its face – a grotesque combination of mandibles, spiny protrusions, and a bunch of tiny black eyes – twisted. Its jaw unhinged, revealing hundreds of needle-like teeth, and it spat a torrent of dark fluid in my direction.

  Not wanting to discover what the fluid could do, I raised a Wind Wall, deflecting the attack just in time. It hissed against my air magic, but didn't go through.

  I was almost at the tunnel the Arachnid Mother had descended from, only inches away, when the monster did something unexpectable.

  Chilopendra Prime shrieked again, its body convulsing violently.

  Its armor began to crack and peel away, chunks of it falling off mid-air, black fluid seeping from the fractures. Then, with a sharp, sickening sound, two massive, translucent wings burst out from within. They unfurled rapidly, veins pulsing as they stretched to their full span.

  I reached the tunnel and landed at its edge, watching as with a final screech, the centipede’s body completely shattered. What appeared instead was something else.

  A giant, monstrous wasp.

  It was covered in the remains of its former form, coloring it black. Its wings buzzed furiously as it aimed its claw shaped mouth, and many eyes at me.

  The System registered the change again.

  The Queen, level 95.

  Again, what the hell? This thing can shapeshift and gain levels while it’s at it?!

  The Queen aimed her massive stinger at me, shooting it with impossible speed.

  It happened so fast that my only option was to activate Apex Reflex.

  The world around me suddenly slowed down as I watched the stinger slicing through the air, already dangerously close to my body. I rolled out of its trajectory and the world snapped back to its regular speed.

  The stinger struck the ground beside me, crushing the stone and sending cracks rippling through the tunnel’s floor and up the walls. Everything around me shook, threatening to collapse.

  Before I could react further, the Queen darted toward me, her wings blurring as she closed the distance. Then, mid-flight, her body twisted grotesquely. This time the transformation happened in mere seconds.

  Her wings fell off as thick plates of metallic armor burst out from her body and a large scorpion tail ripped through her stinger. By the time she landed inside the tunnel, she had fully transformed into a monstrous, metal-covered scorpion.

  The System reacted again.

  Scourgeclaw, level 95.

  Another transformation...Are you kidding me?!

  The colossal scorpion wasted no time, lunging forward with its tail aimed at me like a spear.

  I activated Wind Rush, propelling myself backward to evade the strike. The scorpion’s tail slammed into the ground, deepening the cracks. Before I could recover, it lashed out again.

  I dodged with Enhanced Dash Step, weaving between strikes as its tail continued stabbing and slashing.

  Wait…what the hell am I doing? Why do I keep dodging? So, what if it can shapeshift? I’m still stronger.

  That's right…the constant transformations threw me off, but I am stronger. Time to act like it.

  I used more Enhanced Dash Steps to gain distance from the monster while summoning Silverfang into my hands.

  I need to get rid of its armor.

  Activating Shield Breaker, I enhanced Silverfang to break even the toughest of shields, though only for a short period of time.

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  The scorpion lunged again, and this time, I didn’t retreat. I sidestepped its snapping claws and used Enhanced Blade Rush to appear at its flank.

  Once in striking distance, I swung at the joint connecting its leg to its body. The enhanced power of Shield Breaker drove the glaive through the metallic plating. The scorpion screeched in pain, its HP dropping to around 70%.

  It retaliated immediately, swinging both its claws and tail at me in a frenzied attack. I dodged swiftly, using Enhanced Dash Step to stay ahead of its strikes.

  Seeing an opening, I pressed the offensive. With Silverfang still empowered, I struck again and again, targeting the vulnerable joints of its legs and forcing it backward.

  When it snapped its tail at me once more, I executed a perfectly timed Enhanced Dash Step, evading the attack effortlessly. Then, swapping Silverfang for the Astral Spear, I lunged forward and drove the spear directly into the monster’s eye.

  It shrieked in pain as its HP dropped to 30%.

  I dodged backward, expecting a retaliating attack, but it just stood there.

  Wait, is it going to transform again? I won’t let it!

  Acting quickly, I swapped back to Silverfang and channeled Unyielding Charge, before shooting myself forward like an arrow with the glaive leading the way.

  The scorpion wasn’t prepared for the sheer speed and force. Silverfang connected with its head plating, the impact shattering it and sending Scourgeclaw flying out of the elevated tunnel.

  I rushed to the edge and peered down. The monster was free-falling, its massive body twisting in the air, until it finally crashed down into the ground below.

  But instead of a crushed body, it turned into a black splatter that looked almost like ink.

  Was it…dead?

  But no System message appeared.

  No…it’s not over yet.

  I was proven right as the impossible happened again.

  From the black stain on the ground, something began to rise – a new beast emerging from the pool as though it were a portal.

  No. Not a new one.

  My heart raced as I saw the Razor Basilisk.

  Its blade-covered body erupted from the black liquid, rising higher and higher, drawing closer to me.

  Then, with the same sickening speed from before, it lunged at the tunnel. Its bladed jaws snapped forward, forcing me to dodge backward, retreating deeper into the spider-made tunnel.

  Oh, for fuck’s sake. I didn’t want to fight it before, and I still ended up doing so. Who would’ve thought the giant snake was this shape-shifting monstrosity?!

  I rushed further into the tunnel, hurling Fireball after Fireball to burn away the silky webs on my path.

  Then the ground beneath me trembled violently.

  I stumbled, struggling to maintain my footing as cracks spread through the floor. Before I could react, a thunderous impact shuttered the tunnel completely, and I plummeted backward to the tunnel’s opening, debris raining all around me.

  The tunnel tilted sharply, and I slid uncontrollably on my back, tumbling through the stone and loose webs. The falling debris hit me as I continued falling toward where the Razor Basilisk was likely waiting for me.

  If I reach that end, I’m dead. It’ll swallow me whole.

  And as I glanced in that direction, I saw the beast’s maw open, proving me right.

  Desperate, I summoned the Astral Spear into my hand mid-slide. With a quick motion, I activated Shooting Star, hurling the spear with all my strength toward the snake’s gaping mouth.

  The spear shot through the air with incredible speed, its high velocity creating a piercing whistling sound.

  But the Razor Basilisk moved its head with even greater speed, dodging the spear.

  Shit.

  Realizing my attack had failed and the snake was far too fast, I resummoned the Astral Spear with a mental command. It materialized in my hand, and I drove it into the ground next to me, stopping my fall.

  What the hell do I do now?

  An idea popped into my mind, but it was risky – incredibly risky. Still, I had no better options.

  I discarded the Astral Spear, allowing myself to resume falling toward the snake. At the same time, I summoned Lightning Claw, targeting the snake’s eye – its only apparent vulnerable spot. Activating Stormpierce to ensure the attack lands.

  In an instant, I reappeared next to the monster, the dagger already embedded in its massive eye, sending a surge of lighting through its body, dropping its HP to 60%.

  But not everything went as planned.

  The Razor Basilisk’s bladed scales perked up reflexively as I reappeared, and before I could do anything about it, three of them pierced through me. The pain was immense as my HP dropped to half. But worse than that, I was suspended on the blades, stuck on the snake’s face.

  [Status Ailment: Bleeding - Health drain at 1% per 5 seconds]

  It twisted violently from the pain, slamming its head into the walls in an attempt to shake me off – or kill me. Each impact sent another wave of pain through my already battered body, the blades tearing into me further until I finally fell down.

  The good part? I was finally flung off and landed on the ground, no longer impaled and smashed around.

  The bad part?

  [Health:10% - Reaching Critical Level - Please Consume a Healing Potion]

  I rose slowly, every part of my body screaming in pain.

  The Razor Basilisk stopped writhing, its single, furious eye locking onto me.

  I quickly consumed a Coagulation Elixir to stop the bleeding.

  [Condition Applied: No Longer Bleeding]

  But there was no time to take a healing potion. The Razor Basilisk lunged again, its massive jaws snapping toward me.

  I used Enhanced Dash Step to evade, but something unexpected happened as the monster’s head flew toward me.

  Something hit its head mid-air, a powerful strike that altered its trajectory, slamming it into the wall with a thunderous crash.

  No, not something. Someone.

  The figure landed next to me, and the System recognized him as no other than Goren Shein, level 123.

  He smirked, his tone mockingly confident. “Don’t worry, Spellsword. I heard your cries for help, and I’m here to assist.”

  “I wasn’t crying for help.” I replied flatly, far from amused. I reminded myself I couldn't trust him. Not now. Not ever. His presence wasn’t a relief – it was a complication. Having him here would only split my focus, forcing me to treat him as a potential threat as much as the shape-shifting Razor Basilisk. “I don’t need your help. Leave.”

  “Oh, c’mon, don’t be like that.” He grinned, nodding toward the snake as it struggled to rise. “This thing been giving me trouble for more runs than I care to count, but I bet we can take it down together. Judging by how you look right now, I’d say you need the help as well.”

  “Help from you is no help at all.” I retorted, taking the opportunity to down every healing potion in my inventory. The magic coursed through me as my HP climbed back to 100% and the gaping wounds on my body healed instantly.

  Goren chuckled, clearly amused by my response. “Okay, fair enough. Then hear me out – how about this? You take the lead, I’ll follow every command you give me.”

  I hesitated for a moment, recalling Chronos’ warnings to never trust Goren since Dolos was behind his every move.

  But it’s fine. I don’t trust him. In fact, I’ll use him as bait to take this thing out. And it’s not like I can actually drive him away.

  “You’ll follow everything I say?” I asked, confirming his words.

  He nodded eagerly, his smirk growing. “Lead the way, Captain Spellsword.”

  I rolled my eyes, sighing in disbelief.

  The Razor Basilisk finally rose from the ground, its bladed body towering over us as it fixed its gaze on us.

  I turned to Goren, my voice firm. “Follow me. Don’t get in the way. And remember – I have to be the one to kill it.”

  Goren’s smile grew even wider. “Aye, aye, Captain.”