My Cheat Skill Lets Me Copy Powers....But only if i kill-Chapter 36: The Dungeon Exploration part 5

Chapter 35 - The Dungeon Exploration Part 5

The descent onto the second floor had been violent — more a controlled fall than a step forward. Loose stone crumbled beneath Renji's boots as he adjusted to the tilted passageway, where gravity seemed to lean sideways rather than pull straight down.

He steadied himself against the wall. It pulsed faintly, the runes embedded in the surface throbbing with a low red glow, like veins beneath skin.

The air here was wrong. Heavy, almost syrupy, dense with mana. Breathing felt like swallowing mist.

He moved carefully, sword drawn but low, eyes scanning the shifting corridors. The dungeon had warped again — twisting its structure, creating paths that curved unnaturally, almost spiraling, as if trying to trap him in a loop.

Ahead, the sound of chitin scraping stone echoed softly. Close.

Renji ducked behind a fractured pillar, eyes narrowing.

Three creatures emerged from the passage ahead — twisted goblin-like forms, their skin blackened and slick, eyes glowing orange. Elongated claws, twitching with anticipation. They moved in jerks, like puppets pulled by invisible strings.

Infused.

Not natural monsters.

He stayed low, analyzing. Their movements were erratic, but predictable. The first one led — cocky, fast. The others lagged behind, twitching, reacting late.

His grip tightened on the hilt.

A step forward, blade silent.

The first one lunged, shrieking.

Renji moved — Quickdraw, the blade flashing from its sheath in a clean arc. Steel bit deep into its neck, severing flesh and tendon. The creature dropped with a wet hiss.

The others surged forward.

He stepped into the momentum, sliding low, activating Phantom Step. The world blurred, then snapped back into focus — behind them now. His blade reversed grip, striking once — twice — Dual Strike catching both in the back before they could turn.

One crumpled instantly.

The last pivoted, slashing wildly.

A deep cut grazed his arm, but Renji didn't flinch. He caught the next strike on his forearm guard, twisted the blade, and drove it through the creature's throat.

It spasmed once, then stilled.

Breathing steady, Renji wiped the blade on the creature's cloak, eyes scanning the corridor again.

No other movement.

He looked at the blood on his arm — not deep, but messy. Wouldn't do to leave it untreated.

One hand hovered over the wound, and with a thought, faint blue light gathered at his palm.

"Heal."

Warmth surged through the cut, flesh knitting closed in seconds. The skin sealed, leaving behind only dried blood.

He flexed his arm once, satisfied.

Ahead, the floor had partially collapsed, revealing a narrow tunnel angled steeply downward, the edges glowing faintly.

The path forward.

No ladder. No stairs. Just the fall.

He approached, peering down. The drop wasn't far, but the mana density thickened the lower it went.

He didn't hesitate.

A short leap — and the darkness swallowed him.

The landing wasn't smooth. Renji dropped hard, boots skidding across the uneven stone, heat punching up through the soles like he'd stepped onto a forge. He crouched low, palm on the ground for balance, immediately feeling the vibration beneath the surface — a steady hum, like the dungeon itself was alive.

The air was thicker here. Hot, dry, and stifling, carrying a metallic tang that clung to the back of his throat. His breath came shallow, controlled, as he rose and took in the surroundings.

The corridor he'd landed in opened into a cavernous chamber, its walls lined with obsidian pillars cracked with glowing veins of amber mana. Pools of thick, molten liquid bubbled at the edges of the room, giving off shimmering heat waves that distorted the air.

Every step forward felt like moving through resistance, like the very air wanted him gone.

He didn't get far before the sound hit him.

A deep, grinding rumble, like stone dragged across stone, echoed through the chamber.

From the far end, the Molten Core Golem stepped into view. Towering, hulking — its limbs thick and jagged, made of blackened stone fused with veins of glowing ore. The core embedded in its chest pulsed bright orange, casting flickering light across its angular form.

It moved slowly, but each step was a quake.

Renji tightened his grip on his sword, eyes narrowing. One look was enough — brute force. Slow, but powerful. Get close, strike fast, avoid the core's retaliation.

He didn't wait for an invitation.

A quick breath. Quickdraw activated — steel flashed in a sharp arc, blade slicing toward the golem's flank.

Sparks exploded, but the strike barely dug in.

The golem responded, swinging an arm like a hammer. The blow was wide, heavy — telegraphed, but lethal if it connected.

Renji dropped low, sliding beneath it. The heat was intense, singeing the edges of his cloak. He pivoted, delivering another strike — this time targeting the glowing cracks along its side.

The blade hit harder. A tremor ran through the golem.

Then it retaliated

The core in its chest flared, gathering energy. Renji dove behind a broken pillar as the golem unleashed a blast of molten energy, the force of it shaking the entire chamber. Stone hissed, turned to slag on contact.

Sweat poured down his back, his lungs burning with the heat.

Can't take another blast like that.

Phantom Step activated — a blur of motion, repositioning him to the golem's rear. The monster twisted, slower now, the glowing lines along its limbs flickering.

Renji took advantage, Dual Strike triggered — two precise slashes across the largest fissure in its core.

The golem lurched, staggering. Its movements sluggish, the molten core unstable.

Renji shifted his stance, feet digging into the heated ground. One final strike.

He surged forward, sword raised, and drove the blade into the heart of the core, metal biting deep into molten light. The golem convulsed, light flaring — then exploded outward in a shockwave of heat and shattered stone.

Renji hit the ground hard, dust and embers swirling around him.

Silence.

He pushed himself up, coughing once, wiping sweat and grime from his brow. His arm throbbed from a glancing blow, the skin scorched and raw. He reached for the familiar warmth of Heal, the spell dulling the pain and knitting the skin back together.

The heat didn't fade

The dungeon wasn't done.

The far wall groaned, then shifted, revealing a new corridor — one that hadn't existed moments ago.

Not a choice.

A command.

Renji rose, eyes fixed on the path ahead.

No turning back.

The stone underfoot shifted again — subtle, almost imperceptible, but enough to set Elara's nerves on edge. She glanced down the narrow corridor, eyes locked on the flickering rune-light bleeding from the walls.

"This place is moving," she muttered, hand tight on her dagger.

Lena nodded beside her, sweat trailing down her neck. "It's like it doesn't want us to find him."

They pressed forward, weaving through a labyrinth of collapsed passageways and mangled stone, the dungeon's structure unrecognizable compared to when they first entered. Walls had shifted, paths sealed or rerouted. The air was warmer now, every breath tinged with ash and something sour — like burnt copper.

Ahead, the corridor opened into a wide hall, the ground cracked, a faint red glow seeping from the fractures.

Elara stepped cautiously, scanning the space. "We're not alone."

A snarl echoed through the hall.

From the shadows, two creatures emerged — hunched, long-limbed beasts with jagged armor plating their backs, eyes burning amber. They moved fast, claws raking across the stone.

"Watch the right!" Lena shouted, blade already in motion.

The first beast lunged. Elara darted left, narrowly avoiding a swipe, her dagger slicing across its exposed ribs. The creature shrieked, flailing, but didn't fall.

Lena engaged the second, blade clashing against claws. Sparks flew, the beast pushing her back step by step.

Elara ducked another blow, rolled behind the first, and drove her dagger into its spine. It shuddered, collapsed.

"Move!" Lena cried.

The second beast barreled toward them.

Together, they countered. Elara struck low, Lena high — blades cutting through flesh and armor in unison. The creature staggered, then crumpled.

Breathing hard, the two stood over the bodies, catching their breath.

Lena wiped her blade, frowning. "These weren't here before."

Elara knelt by one of the corpses, frowning at the faint red lines etched into its skin — similar to the dungeon's runes.

"They're part of it now."

A distant rumble echoed through the hall, stone trembling beneath their feet.

Elara straightened. "He's deeper in."

Lena's eyes narrowed. "Then so are we."

They moved again, faster now — unaware that from far behind, another presence had entered the floor. Cloaked, silent, silver eyes fixed on the path ahead.

Deep beneath the chaos of shifting floors and blood-streaked corridors, the dungeon's core chamber sat in oppressive stillness.

Here, light didn't exist — not naturally. The space was vast, cathedral-like, carved from jagged obsidian and etched with runes older than memory. They pulsed faintly, a dim red glow that bled through the walls, casting long, distorted shadows that danced with each flicker.

In the center stood a colossal figure, encased in layers of dark stone and rusted metal, body hunched beneath the weight of massive chains that anchored it to the ground and walls. The chains weren't just physical — thick with magic, they thrummed with power, each link inscribed with glowing sigils that flared brighter with every heartbeat of the dungeon.

The being shifted — not fully awake, but restless. Stone ground against stone, a sound like thunder muffled by centuries.

From somewhere unseen, a voice echoed — ancient, cold, hollow.

"He draws near."

A pause.

"His presence awakens the seal."

The being stirred again. One of the chains groaned under the strain, a crack forming along its length. Dust cascaded from the ceiling, disturbed for the first time in ages.

The dungeon shuddered, the very walls flexing like muscle. Passageways above shifted violently, corridors twisting, new paths torn open while others collapsed behind unsuspecting adventurers.

Not random.

Controlled.

Guided.

"Let him come. Let him bleed."

At the far edge of the chamber, a figure cloaked in shadows knelt before the chained being, its form indistinct — humanoid, but blurred, as if not fully real. It watched the shifting runes, eyes glowing faintly.

"When he arrives... the seal will break."

A final tremor surged through the core. The bound figure exhaled, a sound like grinding metal, like fire breathing in reverse.

Above, Renji's path shifted once more, unseen hands drawing him closer.

Deeper.

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.