The faint glow of Akira’s core lit the dark path ahead as he ventured deeper into the Cavern of Trials. His victory against the Cave Lizard had bolstered his resolve, but it also served as a grim reminder of how fragile he was. He had survived by luck and quick thinking, not strength. “I can’t keep scraping by like this,” Akira muttered. His voice echoed faintly inside his gelatinous form. “If I want to make it out of here, I need more than just glowing moss and bug traits.”
The cavern grew colder and darker as he descended. Strange stalactites dripped with glowing liquid, casting eerie reflections in shallow pools scattered along the ground. The air felt heavier, charged with a strange energy that made his core thrum faintly. He paused near one of the glowing pools, curious. Extending a tendril, he sampled a small amount of the liquid.
[Consume skill activated. Acquired trait: Luminous Liquid - Minor Light Burst (Cooldown: 5 minutes).]
“Finally, something useful,” Akira said. He focused, and his core brightened, briefly emitting a stronger glow that illuminated a larger radius. The pool revealed jagged rocks and skeletal remains, a grim reminder of what awaited the careless. Snap. Akira’s core pulsed with alarm as the sound echoed behind him. He spun around—or rather, shifted his body—and noticed movement in the shadows. A cluster of faintly glowing red eyes stared back at him.
“Oh no...”
The creatures emerged from the darkness: Cave Spiders, each about the size of a house cat. Their spindly legs clicked against the stone, and their mandibles twitched with anticipation. Akira’s instincts screamed at him to run, but the spiders were fast, scuttling to encircle him. One lunged, and Akira barely dodged, his gelatinous form rippling from the impact.
“Okay, think! What do I have? Scale resistance, venom gland... light burst!”
Focusing on his newly acquired trait, Akira activated the Light Burst. A blinding flash of white radiated from his core, startling the spiders and forcing them to retreat momentarily. Taking advantage of their confusion, Akira darted toward a narrow passageway, his slimy form squeezing through. The spiders hissed, their claws scraping against the rocks as they tried to follow, but the passage was too tight for them. Safe for now, Akira pressed onward, his glow dimming as exhaustion set in.
As Akira moved deeper into the cavern, the air grew warmer. The faint sound of flowing water reached his senses, and soon he came upon a small underground stream. Its clear, shimmering waters sparkled with an otherworldly light, and the faint scent of minerals filled the air. “This has to be better than glowing moss,” Akira thought. He dipped a tendril into the water and activated Consume.
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[Consume skill activated. Acquired trait: Healing Waters - Minor Health Regeneration (Passive).]
The faint warmth that spread through his body felt like a blessing. For the first time, Akira’s core pulsed steadily, a small sense of security settling over him. Then, the ground shook. A low, guttural roar echoed through the cavern, and Akira’s core pulsed in warning. From the shadows emerged a hulking figure: a Rock Tortoise, its massive, stone-like shell covered in jagged spikes. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Akira, and it let out another roar, its heavy claws scraping the ground.
“Why can’t I catch a break?” Akira groaned. The tortoise moved slowly, but each step caused the ground to tremble. Akira circled around, trying to stay out of its path, but the creature wasn’t just slow—it was patient. Each time Akira shifted, the tortoise adjusted, cutting off his escape. “This thing’s built like a tank. I can’t fight it head-on.”
Akira scanned the area, searching for something he could use. The stream ran through a narrow crevice in the rock wall, and the tortoise seemed too large to fit through. It was risky, but it was his best chance. The tortoise lunged suddenly, faster than Akira expected. Its claw struck the ground where he had been moments before, sending a spray of rocks flying. Akira darted toward the crevice, his slimy body slithering into the narrow gap just as the tortoise charged.
The creature slammed into the rock wall, shaking the entire cavern. Akira winced as chunks of stone fell around him, but the crevice held. The tortoise growled, its massive claws scraping at the entrance. “Okay, time for some payback.”
Akira noticed a loose stalactite hanging above the tortoise. Using his light burst to distract the creature, he stretched a tendril upward, wrapping around the jagged rock. With all the force he could muster, he yanked it free. The stalactite plummeted, striking the tortoise’s exposed neck. The creature roared in pain, stumbling backward. Akira didn’t hesitate. He darted out of the crevice, latching onto the tortoise’s injured neck with his tendrils and activating Consume.
[Consume skill activated. Acquired traits: Hardened Shell (Minor), Stone Skin (Passive - Incomplete).]
The tortoise thrashed violently, throwing Akira off. But its movements were sluggish now, its strength drained. With a final growl, the creature retreated into the shadows, leaving Akira alone.
Akira collapsed by the stream, his core flickering weakly. The fight had drained him, but it was a victory. The new traits he had acquired—though incomplete—would give him a better chance of surviving the next challenge. “This world doesn’t pull any punches,” Akira muttered. “But if this cavern is meant to test me, I’ll pass. One way or another.”
As he rested by the healing waters, Akira’s thoughts turned to the future. The Cavern of Trials was vast, and he had no idea what awaited him deeper within. But he was determined to survive, to grow stronger, and to discover why he had been brought here. He wasn’t just a bottom feeder anymore. Slowly but surely, he was climbing the food chain.
