Isaac's eyes locked on the tunnel where Harper had escaped with Aiah.
He clenched his fists.
'Tiny.'
The call echoed in his mind.
From behind a broken pillar, Tiny crawled out. Its body was cracked. One wing was burned. It looked barely able to fly.
'Follow Harper. Just watch. Don't let him see you.'
Tiny gave a weak chirp and took off, flying slow and shaky through the air.
Isaac turned to the creatures.
Five of them.
They crawled forward on twisted limbs. Their eyes glowed faint yellow. Their growls echoed through the broken chamber.
He lifted his axe. Black smoke still rose from his skin. The heat from Overdrive made every breath sharp.
Then he moved.
The first monster lunged. He stepped aside and swung. The axe tore through its chest, cutting it in half.
He didn't stop.
The second one jumped. He blocked its claws, knocked it back, then brought the axe down through its neck.
Two down.
But then came a wet cracking sound.
He turned.
The first monster was getting up. Its chest had already sealed. Bone pushed out of its back, forming hard plates. Its eyes flickered back to life.
The second one twitched. Its fingers moved.
"They don't stay dead," Isaac muttered.
The third one dropped from above. He ducked, rolled, then slammed the axe into its stomach. It screamed. He crushed it into the floor.
The fourth ran at him and swung a heavy fist. He caught the arm, twisted it, and threw the creature into the wall.
The fifth crawled along the ceiling. He swung his axe. It hit its shoulder and knocked it down.
He stepped back. His muscles ached, but the Abyss Overdrive still pumped power through his body.
Every time he killed one, another stood back up.
[Abyssal Overdrive: 00:04:03 remaining]
Isaac's jaw tightened.
No more wasting time.
[Skill Activated: Reaper's Spiral]
He spun fast… three deadly rotations.
Each turn was faster than the last. The axe cut clean. Limbs flew. Chests broke open.
The three monsters dropped.
But the other two had stayed out of reach.
Without hesitation, he whispered…
"Swarm Devour."
At first, nothing happened.
Then the ashes on the floor moved.
The gray dust twitched. It floated, swirling like smoke. It pulled together into shapes. Six, eight, a dozen locusts formed, bodies rebuilt from ash, glowing faintly.
Isaac's eyes widened.
"…They came back."
The reborn swarm hissed, their eyes glowing faint red. They dove down, crawling over the fallen humanoids.
The swarm hissed.
They flew low and fast, diving onto the dead monsters.
They didn't just eat.
They erased.
Flesh broke down. Bones cracked and turned to powder. The skin steamed and vanished. Regeneration stopped.
Swarm Authority's attack command was useful for distraction and damage. But devour only worked on corpses or monsters already dying, still enough to stop them coming back.
A voice echoed in Isaac's head. Low. Not human.
"Mine. All mine."
He flinched. It sounded like a whisper, but it wasn't his voice.
Then came a roar.
The first creature, now fully healed, jumped him from behind.
He caught its wrist mid-swing and slammed it to the ground.
The second came next, sinking its teeth into Isaac's back.
He growled, reached over his shoulder, and grabbed it by the neck. With a grunt, he slammed it into the wall.
The first lunged from the side and bit into his arm.
Isaac yelled, smashed his elbow into its face, then drove his fist into its jaw.
The second tried again, leaping at him from the rubble.
This time, he didn't dodge.
"Enough."
[Skill Activated: Abyssal Smash]
He raised his axe and brought it down with all his weight.
The second monster's head exploded, and the floor cracked under the impact.
Isaac turned and didn't wait.
He rushed the first, tackled it to the ground, and drove his axe straight through its chest.
"Swarm Devour."
The locusts swarmed both bodies, eating them down to bone, then dust.
Screams rang out, high and sharp before fading into nothing.
The final two monsters were gone.
[Abyssal Overdrive: 00:01:12 remaining]
Isaac fell to one knee, breathing hard. His body trembled, not from pain, but from pressure.
The Overdrive was fading.
The notifications came rapid-fire.
[Swarm Devour Effect… 100% Absorption.]
[Swarm Authority +12%]
[Swarm Authority Level: 71%]
[Reaper's Spiral: +11%]
[Reaper's Spiral: 76% Mastery]
[Abyssal Smash: +8%]
[Abyssal Smash: 35% Mastery]
[Abyssal Overdrive: Cooldown Initiated: 00:30:00]
He blinked it away.
He stood up slowly.
The chamber fell silent.
The captives stared at Isaac, wide-eyed, frozen. Some pressed against the far wall, gripping their chains. A few looked ready to run. Fear clung to their faces.
A small voice broke through the silence.
"Mister Isaac!"
Mona ran toward him. She clung to his leg, crying hard into his torn pants.
"Thank you… you saved us!"
Isaac stood stiff for a moment, caught off guard. Then he gently placed a hand on her head.
One by one, the others followed.
The older man who'd tried to protect the kids. The young woman with the chain around her waist. Even the skeptics.
Each of them stepped forward, murmuring quiet thanks. Some bowed their heads. Others gripped his hand like it was the only solid thing in the world.
Isaac didn't smile.
His mind wasn't there.
It was with Aiah.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
Rrrrrmmmmm…
Dust dropped from the ceiling. Cracks spread along the walls.
"Everyone, out! Now!" Isaac shouted.
They ran.
He led them through the tunnel. Stones fell behind them. The ground rumbled harder.
They reached the outside just before the ruins collapsed behind them.
The group didn't stop until they were a safe distance away.
The night goes deeper.
Isaac slowed. He walked ahead of the group. His eyes scanned the trees.
'Aiah… where are you?'
He flexed his shoulder. Something felt… wrong.
He stopped and looked at his left arm.
The black veins were still there.
But now, they have spread, like ink crawling beneath the skin. Jagged, tattoo-like lines reached from his shoulder and crept up his neck.
He clenched his jaw.
The system notification flashed.
[Corruption 24%]