There was no music. No ominous drums. No warning screen.
Just the sound of Kael's footsteps descending into a dead subway.
The deeper he went, the colder the air became. Red mist curled along the cracked tiles like breath from something sleeping too long. His grip on the saber tightened. He could feel it—something was down here.
Waiting.
> [Entering: Sector 10 – Core Zone]
[Boss Nest Detected. Threat Level: Very High]
[Caution: Respawn Beacon not found in this zone.]
No beacon. No safety.
If he died here, he would respawn back at the previous checkpoint—and have to climb through Sector 10 again.
Not an option.
Kael stepped out into the old subway platform. It stretched wide and dark, train cars mangled and melted against the walls. The lights flickered weakly above, casting long shadows between piles of bones, twisted rebar, and fresh blood.
Something shifted ahead.
Kael dropped low behind an old control panel and peeked around the side.
It was massive.
Hunched over. Covered in bone plates and pulsing black veins. Its arms were long, dragging claws across the tile like knives. And its head… it was a skull, split down the center, each side twitching like independent jaws.
> [Graveborn Alpha – Lv. 6]
Boss – Sector 10 Core
Territory Status: Claimed Nest
Class Influence: Variable
He didn't move.
He watched it snarl and drag a shredded body into the center of the platform. Not a monster body—someone human. Fresh kill. The Graveborn didn't eat. It displayed.
And around it, three smaller monsters prowled—four-legged things with exposed muscle and twitching limbs.
> [Graveborn Spawn – Lv. 3] x3
Linked to Alpha. Aggression: Guard Mode
Kael slid back into the dark.
He needed a plan.
---
The break room was almost intact. Graffiti and rot had taken over, but the shelves still held enough junk to improvise with.
He laid everything out: scrap wire, a broken emergency light, a cracked battery, and his own warped steel rod he'd kept since Sector 1.
> [Crafting Options Available]
Fuse Rod + Emergency Light Battery = Shock Trap (Crude)?
Fuse Scrap Wire + Broken Fire Extinguisher = Pressure Blast?
Fuse Cleaver Saber + Bone Shard = Piercing Boost?
"Yes. All of it."
Within minutes, Kael had what he needed:
A small, timed shock trap.
A crude explosive with just enough force to knock something off balance.
And a minor blade upgrade — better penetration for his saber.
It wasn't much.
But it was all he had.
---
Kael set the trap under a pile of bones near the center rail line. The explosive was hidden inside a broken seat casing near the control booth.
Then he waited.
The Alpha circled, dragging its claws, sniffing the blood it had spilled.
Kael hurled a bone shard across the platform.
It hit metal.
The sound echoed.
The boss turned.
So did the spawns.
Kael moved quickly, using the side rail for cover. The moment the Alpha passed over the trap—
> [Shock Trap Activated – 20V Discharge]
[Stagger Chance – Success]
Lightning arced up its leg.
The Graveborn shrieked, jerking back violently. Its body twitched, and one of the smaller spawns lunged ahead instinctively.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He leapt from the darkness and drove his blade into the spawn's side, twisting hard. The monster shrieked and pixelated immediately.
> [EXP +20]
Another one charged. Kael sidestepped, kicked it into the bench casing—then triggered the explosive.
> [Pressure Blast – Activated]
The explosion knocked both spawn and debris across the platform. One struck a support beam and vanished in a splash of crimson light.
But the third one—
It slammed into him.
Kael crashed to the ground, blade skittering from his grip.
He grabbed a metal shard nearby and stabbed it upward—piercing the spawn's throat. It melted across his chest.
> [EXP +20]
[EXP: 840 / 800]
[Level Up Available — Delayed Until End of Combat]
"Still here," he breathed.
But the Graveborn Alpha was recovering. Its limbs cracked into place. The shock had worn off. And now it was angry.
> [BOSS STATE: Aggressive]
Kael grabbed his blade and turned as the monster roared, the sound rattling tiles from the ceiling.
It charged.
Kael ran.
---
The boss smashed through the bench, clawing at the ground behind him. Kael rolled under its second swing and slashed across its back leg. The blade dug deep—but didn't slow it much.
> [Weak Spot Hit – +30% damage]
[Boss HP: 82%]
It spun and swiped.
Kael was too slow.
The claws raked across his ribs, tearing through cloth and flesh. He hit the wall hard, nearly blacking out.
> [HP: 39 / 170]
He coughed blood. Spit. Gritted his teeth.
"Still not dead," he muttered.
He pushed to his feet just as the boss lunged.
Kael ducked left, grabbed a severed spawn limb, and flung it into the beast's mouth.
It hesitated. Just for a second.
Long enough for Kael to drive his blade upward into its exposed chest.
> [Critical Hit]
[Boss HP: 63%]
It shrieked and grabbed him by the leg, hurling him across the platform like trash.
Kael hit the far wall, every bone screaming.
His vision blurred.
The Graveborn stalked forward.
> [BOSS PHASE: Berserk]
Its limbs began to stretch. Veins pulsed with corrupted light. Its body glitched at the edges.
Kael pushed up on one knee, blade still in hand.
One more hit like that, and he wouldn't get back up.
But he wasn't out yet.
He steadied his breathing. Recentered his stance.
And when the Graveborn lunged again—
Kael met it head-on.