Amina's heartbeat thundered in her ears as the massive glowing eyes blinked open. The chamber’s eerie blue light barely illuminated the creature’s full form, but what little she could see sent a chill down her spine. It was massive—easily twice the size of a bear—its sinewy frame partially obscured by the pulsating energy of the dungeon core. The ground trembled as it shifted, its deep, guttural growl reverberating through the cavern.

  Scarface muttered another curse under his breath, gripping his rusted machete with white-knuckled fingers. Kojo looked ready to bolt, but the tunnel they had used to escape the creatures behind them was no longer an option. The only way was forward.

  Amina steadied her breathing, her new abilities already adapting to the threat. Her body felt alive with energy, like every cell had been fine-tuned for this exact moment. A new notification flickered in her vision:

  System Alert: Major Dungeon Guardian Detected

  Analyzing…

  Boss Identified: Umbral Stalker (Rank: A)

  Amina swallowed hard. A-rank? They were way out of their league. No wonder this dungeon was unregistered—anyone who had come this far likely never made it out alive.

  Scarface took a cautious step back. "We can’t fight that thing," he hissed. "We need to find another way."

  Amina’s gaze flickered to the dungeon core. It pulsed steadily, sending waves of unseen energy through the chamber. If they could get to it…

  New Objective: Secure the Dungeon Core

  A plan formed in her mind, rapid-fire thoughts piecing together the best route for survival. "I’ll distract it," she said, rolling her shoulders. "You two get to the core."

  Kojo gawked at her. "Are you insane?! That thing will tear you apart!"

  Amina smirked. "Not if I’m fast enough."

  Before they could protest, she moved.

  Amina launched forward, feet barely touching the ground as she activated Pathfinder’s Instinct. The dungeon’s layout imprinted itself into her mind in real-time, guiding her steps as she zigzagged toward the beast.

  The Umbral Stalker roared, its jagged maw parting to reveal rows of glistening fangs. It lashed out with a claw the size of a broad sword, but Amina was already gone, ducking under the swipe and using a stalagmite as a springboard to flip over its back.

  New Skill Acquired: Aerial Evasion

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  She landed in a low crouch, sliding along the smooth cavern floor as the beast turned with alarming speed. It swiped again, and this time she couldn’t dodge fully—its claws clipped her arm, sending her spinning.

  Pain flared, but the system reacted instantly.

  System Alert: Damage Taken – Minor Laceration

  Skill Activated: Adaptive Resilience (Minor Wounds Automatically Stabilized)

  The bleeding stopped almost immediately, and Amina was back on her feet. The Umbral Stalker snarled, frustrated by her agility. A deep, guttural growl built in its chest before it reared back and exhaled a plume of black smoke.

  Her instincts screamed. She leaped to the side just as the smoke made contact with the cavern floor—and melted the stone into a bubbling mess.

  Acidic breath? Great.

  She needed to keep moving.

  Kojo and Scarface had reached the core by now, but she couldn’t spare a glance to check. If she let the Umbral Stalker focus on them for even a second, they’d all be dead.

  Amina activated Fluid Counter, weaving between its attacks, each dodge feeding into the next strike. She kicked off the cavern wall, driving a heel into the beast’s side. The impact barely staggered it, but she wasn’t trying to hurt it—she was buying time.

  The Umbral Stalker whirled on her, eyes glowing with predatory intent. It lunged, and this time, she had nowhere to go.

  The moment stretched, her body reacting before her mind could keep up.

  Skill Activated: Spatial Reflex – Phase Step (Rank 1)

  For a fraction of a second, she felt weightless, her body phasing through the beast’s attack like a ghost. She landed behind it, heart pounding.

  That was new.

  A triumphant shout echoed through the cavern. "Got it!" Kojo yelled. The dungeon core pulsed brightly, its energy shifting. A low rumble rolled through the space, and Amina’s system notifications flooded her vision.

  Dungeon Core Secured – Initiating Assimilation

  The Umbral Stalker howled in pain, its body writhing as the dungeon’s very foundation shifted. Cracks formed along the cavern walls, and the air itself seemed to distort.

  Scarface grabbed Kojo by the collar. "We need to go. NOW!"

  Amina didn’t hesitate. She turned and ran, her system-assisted reflexes guiding her toward the exit. The tunnel ahead shuddered as the entire dungeon began collapsing in on itself.

  Behind them, the Umbral Stalker let out one last, deafening roar before being swallowed by the collapsing chamber.

  They sprinted through the narrowing passage, lungs burning. Light—natural, warm light—appeared ahead, a beacon in the suffocating darkness.

  Then, with one final leap, they burst out of the cave.

  The sun was blinding after so long underground, but Amina barely had time to appreciate it before the ground beneath them trembled. The cave entrance groaned before caving in completely, sealing whatever was left of the dungeon within.

  They collapsed onto the dirt, gasping for breath. Amina rolled onto her back, staring at the sky as adrenaline slowly drained from her system. The weight of what had just happened settled on her shoulders.

  Kojo let out a shaky laugh. "Holy shit. We actually made it."

  Scarface sat up, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, but what the hell do we do now?"

  Amina exhaled, her system screen still flickering in her vision.

  Dungeon Core Secured: Processing Bond…

  Her stomach tightened. She already knew what was coming next.

  She wasn’t just a delver anymore.

  She was something else entirely.