The echo of the final blows against the dead larva's shell still resonated through the damp, moss-covered walls of the dungeon when I stopped for a second to assess the complete chaos around me, heavy breath coming out in white clouds in the cold air thick with ancient mold. The initial level was a confusing labyrinth of narrow corridors and wide rooms connected by irregular passages, the floor covered in millennia-old dust, fragments of broken bones from failed adventurers, and puddles of condensed mana water dripping from the low ceiling. The group of novices was completely scattered in controlled panic — some wounded groaning loudly on the ground with green venom corroding exposed skin and forming painful blisters, scholarship girls in the back trying to farm safe mana with weak, trembling spells, poor peripheral men like me struggling on the front line taking brutal poisonous hits to protect the rest of the disorganized squad.
A larger, more swollen larva fell under my precise final strike, its segmented body convulsing violently before dissolving into bright, ethereal mana dust, a crystalline core rolling slowly across the uneven floor for easy, sellable loot. Total heavy exhaustion throbbed through my muscles in intense pain, arms visibly shaking from the constant weight of the rusty but reinforced sword, cold sweat running down my back beneath the patched light armor, but immense primal satisfaction flooded my entire chest — no rare special item dropped this specific time, but good pure crystals in the core worth decent coins back at the guild surface, maybe enough to buy better healing potions or even a mandatory gift for some mediocre heiress to avoid greater humiliation.
"Regroup now, fuck! Stay together or die apart like idiots!"
I shouted hoarse and authoritative at the novices running toward the wrong dark sides, my voice echoing loudly through the curved damp walls. The chain of command had completely broken since the descent — guild instructors stayed up at the safe entrance checking records, the group of students left to learn the hard and bloody way. Daniel and Raymond ran toward me sweaty and out of breath, swords dripping viscous green venom, faces marked with shallow cuts and fatigue.
"Fucking good kill, Shade! That bigger larva almost caught the whole group by surprise."
Daniel panted beside me, quickly wiping his blade on his pants. Raymond nodded seriously, black eyes cautiously evaluating the dark side rooms.
"Deeper levels waking up entirely from our noise. Smaller larvae coming in a full swarm now."
I exulted internally despite the general pain throbbing through my whole body — killing granted direct experience in the guild, rising in rank meant privileged access to deeper and more profitable levels, better sellable items to speed up total independence from the oppressive matriarchal system. As a defective Divine-rank Awakened, subtle regeneration healed shallow cuts and surface poison quickly, a brute advantage that common mobs without an Aspect didn't even dream of having.
I advanced leading a small improvised subgroup — five determined peripheral men and two scholarship girls behind for weak mana support — sword firm in my sweaty right hand, mana torch in the left lighting the narrow path. Corridors narrowing progressively, low ceiling dripping cold condensed mana water on my head, the sound of multiple synchronized crawling echoing threateningly from the dark ahead.
The swarm came sudden and overwhelming — dozens of smaller larvae emerging from hidden cracks in the fractured walls, segmented bodies shining with toxic green venom, mandibles clicking hungrily in unison. Combat turned into coordinated desperate chaos — me at the absolute front cutting through weak but numerous shells in wide brutal swings, blade sinking deep into soft masses, venom spraying hot but not penetrating my Awakened reinforced skin thanks to regeneration.
Pain throbbed intensely in my left shoulder from a shallow bite that caught me by surprise, exhaustion growing heavy like lead in my arms and legs, sweat blinding my eyes at moments, but I remained relentless — blade spinning clean through entire groups, cores dropping constant loot onto the dusty floor. A wounded scholarship girl behind let out a loud desperate groan, venom corroding her exposed leg causing red blisters, pleading watery brown eyes fixed directly on me as she fell to her knees on the damp ground.
Heat rose treacherous and uncontrollable in my veins at that exact moment — primal desire triggering strong and sudden, the interface flashing madly and insistently in my vision: [Critical emergency task: Intimate touch with wounded virgin scholarship girl — 400 points + immediate bonus healing. Full penetration: 1000+ multiplied (save her life by fucking deep, master. No one cares in chaos.)]
Fucking hell, not here in the middle of intense combat. Hands subtly but visibly shaking on the bloodied sword, dick hardening painfully against my will beneath the light armor, vision tunneling to her curves on the dirty floor — uniform skirt lifted revealing sweaty soft thighs, breasts heaving fast inside the tight bodice.
Random venom hitting hard again? Or accumulated hunger without Rebecca for long hours in the dungeon?
I forced maximum focus, shouting to the others nearby.
"Heal her quickly with potions! Don't let her die!"
But my body leaning involuntarily to "help personally," reason fighting fiercely against slipping control.
The queen larva emerged from the depths of the dark corridor — swollen massive body pulsing with internal poisonous eggs, giant mandibles opening wide with a guttural echoing roar, the swarm obeying in synchronization.
Real threat escalating quickly to lethal — group retreating in total panic, me advancing alone to tank the front, sword raised.
Aria whispering urgently invisible beside me: [Full assistance ready. Plasma cannon charged 100%. Project shield? Master, desire detected interfering with focus — suppress or channel?]
Exhaustion mixed with primal excitement — kill the queen or fuck to survive in the chaos.
The dungeon testing the real limits of body and mind.