I Ascend Alone-Chapter 97: SSS-Rank Dungeon Part XIX

It turned with a screech and brought down its massive claw—this one shaped more like a scythe, honed and mutated. Too wide to dodge.

So I didn't. I stepped in to close the gap.

SLASH!

My second dagger raked across its torso, leaving another deep gouge as I slipped past the attack, the air beside my head screaming as the claw cut past me by a hair.

It twisted again—faster.

This time, its strike came from its tail—barbed, spear-like, and silent. I ducked under, skidded across broken crystal, then launched back into the air, flipping forward.

I came down with both daggers aimed for its crown. But it moved again.

It was starting to predict.

It brought up an arm—too slow to stop me, but fast enough to soften the blow. My daggers carved into its shoulder instead of its head, black ichor spraying across my cloak like rain. It roared, not in pain, but in acknowledgment.

"You're learning," I muttered mid-spin, pushing off its chest with my boot and landing several meters back in a three-point stance. Dust billowed around me.

"So learn this—"

I surged forward again. No flashy skill. No magic. Just speed. Precision. Ruthless aggression.

My first dagger jabbed straight at its ribcage. The second came around in a sweeping arc.

CLANG—CLANG—SCRREECH!

It blocked—barely. Its reinforced hide tanked the first jab, and it caught my second dagger with its clawed hand. The force still pushed it back, its claws digging into the ground to keep itself from tumbling.

We clashed again.

It swung with a tendril-covered arm, and I spun low, carving through the side of its knee.

It lashed out with a head-butt—three skulls striking in unison.

I twisted between them, boots skidding as I pivoted mid-air and struck down with both daggers toward its spinal gap.

THUNK!

My blades dug in—just inches away from something vital. It jerked violently, throwing me off.

I flipped mid-air, landed in a crouch, daggers dragging across the floor as I slid, kicking up sparks.

The creature snarled—its breathing ragged but recovering. Its left arm now shifted shape entirely, resembling a jagged hammer formed of corrupted bone. A slow, ugly grin split across one of its mouths.

It charged. A crater bloomed behind it with the sheer momentum.

I dodged again, spinning beneath the hammer strike—and retaliated with a cross-slash across its hip. My daggers dug deep, cleaving through armor and into muscle, sending it staggering.

Its movement was getting sharper, tighter. More human.

From the control room of the private facility, President Vaughn stood motionless.

"...It's adapting," he muttered. "Learning how to fight him. In real time."

I stopped moving.

Blades still gleamed in my hands, edges wet with abyssal ichor—but I didn't press the next attack. My feet ground to a halt across the scarred floor, breath steady, gaze sharp.

The creature stood tall again—its grotesque frame piecing itself back together, one mutation at a time. Cracks sealed. Limbs straightened. Even the blackened flesh I had carved through moments ago now pulsed with new resilience.

I narrowed my eyes. "...You're not just regenerating."

It grinned. All three faces sharing the same twisted smile across one monstrous head.

I tilted my chin upward, daggers still at the ready. "What's going on?"

For a moment, it said nothing. Just stared. Then, slowly... the central mouth opened—its voice like wet gravel scraping against hollow steel.

"You cannot kill us."

Its aura surged. Violent. Disgusting. Thick with ever-changing energy.

"This fusion... it is our evolution. Our union allows us to adapt... in real time." It stepped forward, one clawed foot crunching through a shattered abyssal crystal. "Your strikes... your patterns... even your presence." It opened its palms mockingly. "All of it. The longer we fight, the less effective you become."

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Inside the dungeon, the S-Ranks froze, and Raiden and Gabriel eyes widened. Ji Seong-Ho stood with his blade drawn, his sharp eyes darting toward me.

Leon gritted his teeth, stunned. "That thing can—what?!"

Even Alexander Graves' molten fists flickered uncertainly. "Real-time adaptation...?"

From within the private U.S. facility, President Vaughn leaned forward, eyes glued to the screen. His voice barely a whisper. "...Impossible."

One analyst dropped their pen. Another stared at the display in pale disbelief.

"They... it really fused to evolve," one of the researchers murmured. "And Ryzen—he's the only one it's focusing on..."

Christa stood behind them, arms crossed tight. Her eyes weren't on the data, though. Not on the readings or the projected survival rate.

They were on me. Her jaw trembled slightly. But she didn't speak.

Didn't move. Just watched—knowing what was about to unfold.

The creature's grin twisted wider, hungry for the rising tension.

Its body pulsed again—pale sinew mutating, shifting in subtle patterns as if mapping my stance, my breath, my movements. Every second that passed, it learned. Changed.

Then a notification popped up.

***

[ Sytem Notice ]

Subject: Abyssal Keeper Composite - Adaptive Apex For

Detected Trait: Real-Time Adaptive Evolution

- Adaptation triggers upon repetitive or consistent combat behavior.- Subject retains memory of patterns and adjusts its physiology accordingly.

Warning: Sustained or repeated attacks will be nullified.

-

Recommended Action:

Disengage from repetitive assault cycles.

Initiate a non-replicable, decisive strike.

- Lethality Threshold: ONE BLOW REQUIRED FOR TERMINATION.

Note: Subject cannot adapt to that which it has not yet experienced.

***

The message faded, but its weight lingered.

I stared back at the monster now creeping toward me like a shadow made flesh, every inch of its form evolving with hunger, with confidence.

But it didn't realize...

It had made the mistake of thinking I would repeat myself.

Just like everyone else who thought they understood me.

I exhaled, slow and deliberate.

One blow. That's all the system said I'd need. But to make that one blow count, I'd need to unleash the full force of the abyss.

Slowly, I stepped backward, shadows curling at my heels like wolves awaiting the signal to pounce.

The shadows gathered at my side, coiling like smoke around an unseen presence. With a whisper of ancient weight, I summoned it.

Nox'Thalos.

The Bow of the Abyss Monarch emerged—an obsidian construct forged from the primordial abyss itself.

***

Weapon Description:

Nox'Thalos – The Abyss Monarch's Bow

Attack Power: +1,200

Effect 1: Shadowpiercer Arrows – 20% defense bypass. Armor-penetrating. No mercy for thick hides or divine shields.Effect 2: Phantom Volley – Hold for two seconds: Two extra arrows materialize. One becomes three.Effect 3: Boundless Range – Line of sight is optional. Trajectory adapts to kill intent.

***

I drew back the string, and abyssal energy surged, condensing into a single arrow.

Every hunter—Leon, Gabriel, Ji Seong-Ho, Raiden, Alexander—stood frozen, eyes locked on the bow now pulsing like a singularity.

And in the observation chamber of the private facility, Christa gripped the edge of the console, her breath caught somewhere between awe and terror.

The beast cocked its head, almost... curious.

The string of Nox'Thalos was fully drawn now, the abyss compressed into a single, razor-thin line of obliteration. My grip didn't shake. My eyes never left the creature as its grotesque body shifted, preparing to dodge, to counter, to adapt.

I whispered the name—ancient, carved into the foundation of abyssal sovereignty.

"Eclipse Requiem."

The air shattered.