The darkness around him didn't just go away. It… reformed. Like someone grabbed it and folded it around him, making space for whatever it was that was coming next.
Michael woke up to the pressure, crushing deep in his chest. Suddenly this sharp, weird cold flooded his veins, moving out from his heart like ice water. His pulse stuttered, one beat, then another one, settled into some brand new.
Air hit his lungs fast. He gasped, his body jacking off the ground. The pain lit up everywhere his chest, ribs, the long mark he remembered clearly. He rolled sideways and puked up thick black blood that splattered on the cracked tiles.
He was alive. The thought didn't excite him like he thought it would. Instead it brought confusion, a whole lot. Nothing around him had changed, the same subway platform, same harsh white light, the same clean hospital smell that still felt wrong.
Bits of concrete everywhere, blood smears on the walls, a few bodies from the raid party scattered around like broken dolls.
But inside he felt way different. Michael shoved himself up on trembling arms. His knees hit the tiles. His fingers shook as he pressed his hand against his chest. The wounds still looks deep, and ugly from tears from those shadow claws. But they weren't bleeding anymore. The edges were pulling together slow, like something cold and unseen was stitching him from the inside out.
His vision flickered, static at the edges. Then blue text came into view.
[ Class Change Successful.]
[Forbidden Class Acquired.]
He swallowed hard, his throat raw tasting copper and something worse, as more lines scrolled in. Each one giving making his eyes ache.
[ Class: Chimeric Sovereign.]
[ Classification: Evolution-Type / Hybrid Authority.]
[ Status: Irreversible.]
A little red warning icon pulsed off to the side. Quiet but still there
[ System Note: User has violated Purity Protocols.]
[ Designated Updated: Anomaly.]
Anomaly.
Even the system sounded like it was disappointed at him.
"What the hell happened?" he rasped, voice barely above a whisper.
Silence. Of course, what was he expecting.
More windows unfolded, stacking on top of each other till his head throbbed like someone was squeezing it.
[Core Authorities Unlocked:]
Shadow Extraction (Dormant Active)
Genetic Absorption (Locked: Requirements Unmet)
Beast Bonding (Dormant)
Undead Reanimation (Dormant)
There was no explanations. Nothing like a manual on how this things fucking works. Just names, like it was supposed to mean something.
Pain surged sharp behind his eyes. He squeezed them shut, breathing through his teeth. When he opened them again, the dungeon rushed back too bright, too sharp.
And he wasn't alone. The shadow panther was still there.
Way down the platform, standing perfectly still. It's shadow stretched way too long under those white lights, pooling like spilled oil. Those pale eyes fixed on him. Perfectly still. Not hungry anymore. Like it was waiting.
The big bio mech abomination was slumped half in the tunnel mouth, one massive mechanical arm torn clean off. Glowing fluids leaked slow across the concrete, hissing faintly where they touched. It twitched every few seconds.
Every instinct Michael had left said the same thing like the last time. Run. Now.
He dragged himself upright, legs shaky like he had run a marathon. The second he stood up, the world tilted so hard.
Spinning uncontrollably…
Dizziness slammed into him, and another warning flash red.
[ Warning: Chimeric Core unstable.]
[ Recommended Action: Acquire Essence.]
Essence. That sounds helpful. But he didn't ave the time to unpack that. Because the shadows around his boots were moving.
Not from the lights shifting. They seems to thickened on their own, clinging to his ankles like wet clothes. This weird pressure built at the base of his spine coiled, heavy, like an extra limb he hasn't gotten used to.
The panther took a slow step forward. Michael yanked his old spear up, his grip slippery with sweat abd dry blood. His heart pounded against his rib cage so loud he can hear it. No way he could take that thing in a one on one fight. Whatever the system turned him into isn't a instant god mode
The panther lunged forward so fast, he couldn't think. He just acted. The coiled pressure inside him snapped lose.
Shadows exploded out from him.They wrapped the panther mid air. Legs, torso, neck. The thing snarled, body darkness that reformed instantly, like water closing over a stone.
Michael felt the pullback. Will against will. It slammed into his skull, two minds colliding hard. Flashes of a past. Endless night hunts, the thrill of silent kills, territory marked in blood, the cold satisfaction of dominance. The panther wasn't just trying to break free. It was fighting back to stay itself.
Pain tore through his head in waves.
[ Shadow Extraction: Initiated.]
[ Target: Shadow-Panther (Elite).]
The panther made a very awful, layered sound. It body started unraveling. Shadows peeled away from the edges, essence tearing loose in thick vblack streams that whipped through the air.
Michael dropped to one knee, nails scraping the tile just to stay grounded.
"Stop ….make it stop…" he gasped.
It didn't listen. The panther physical form collapses inward, crumbling to gray ash that scattered quiet across the platform. What was left was pure shadow, dense, furious, coiling like a storm. Then it slammed right back in front of him
The pressure was cut off. Then dead silence.
Michael dragged in ragged breaths, his chest burning like he'd swallowed fire. His vision swimming, another notification popped up as calm as ever.
[ Shadow Extraction Successful.]
[ Shadow Soldier Created.]
[ Designation: Unassigned.]
The shadow moved. It rose slowly. The same shape, deadly but colder now. It edges razor sharp. Eyes glowing faint pale white. It stood straight.
Then dipped it's head. Not scared, or submissive. Just…acknowledging him.
Michael stress, heart still hammering. You're still you he whispered, not even sure why he said that.
No answer. But he felt it, this thin, tense thread between them. Awareness brushing his thoughts. Restrained, waiting.
Something Inside nudged him. Give it a command.
He swallowed hard.
"Stay."
It froze in place.
Relief barely had time to hit him before fresh pain ripped through his chest, worse than before. He cried out, legs buckling. He hit the ground hard, cheeks against the cold tile.
Big red warning flashing.
[ Karma Debt Accrued.]
[ Shadow Maintenance Cost Active.]
[ Warning: Insufficient Essence Reserves.]
Of course there's a price to be paid.
He laughed weak, tasting blood again. "Figures. Always a damn catch."
Then a low mechanical groan rolled through the station.
His eyes snapped open. The abomination
It was moving. Dragging itself forward inch by inch, remaining limbs scraping loud on the concrete. Whatever passed for brains in that thing, it had decided he was worth the effort.
The shadow panther shifted immediately. No order needed, stepping between Micheal and the monster
The strain hit him like a punch. His vision tunneled fast
[ Warning: Shadow Soldier strain exceeding limits.]
Michael forced himself up anyway, every joint screaming.
"Can't… can't keep you out long," he muttered, more to himself.
The panther paused mid step. It head tilted. He felt a flicker across that thread, understanding.
Michael gripped his spear till his knuckles turned white.
"Just… Buy me so time."
It surged forward. Slammed into the abomination hard enough the whole platform shook. Shadow claws ripped deep into it exposed muscle and metal joints. Sparks flew. Fluids sprayed. The thing roasted this distorted, grinding screech and swung back.
Michael staggered away, leaning heavy on his spear like a crutch. One more window flickered into view, calm and casual.
[ Daily Quest Issued.]
[ Objective: Survive.]
[ Failure: Termination.]
He barked a rough, bitter laugh as he limped toward the darkest corner he could spot.
"Yeah.." he muttered, voice horse. "no shit."
Michael slipped into the shadows along the wall, breath ragged, every step hurting.
The dungeon trembled again.
And somewhere cold and distant, the system just watched.