The air in the cavern didn't just vibrate; it hummed with a frequency that made the lake water stand still. Techyon stood before the towering Serpent, his silhouette flickering like a glitch in the System.
A translucent screen hovered in his peripheral vision, the numbers bleeding crimson.
[PASSIVE: AUTO COUNTER SIGN— ACTIVATED]
[TIME REMAINING: 04:56]
[WARNING: BIOLOGICAL COLLAPSE AT 00:00]
"Five minutes," Techyon whispered, his voice overlapping with a metallic echo. "I have to finish this in five minutes."
The Serpent, sensing the shift in its prey, lunged with the speed of a falling guillotine. Its massive jaws snapped shut—but it bit into nothing but a lingering Mist. It was an after-image.
"Too slow," a voice drifted from above.
Techyon was standing directly on the Serpent's snout. He pulled his fist back, the white and blue light spiraling around his arm like a localized hurricane. He punched down.
BOOM.
The shockwave was so violent it cracked the ceiling of the dungeon, sending stalactites crashing into the lake. But as the dust cleared, the Serpent only hissed. Its obsidian scales were scratched, but not broken.
Its skin is too tough, Techyon thought, his eyes narrowing. Normal kinetic force won't work.
The Serpent's tail whipped around from a blind spot, moving faster than the eye could track. But Techyon didn't even look. His body moved automatically, a blur of instinctual grace that left the tail hitting empty air.
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: CALCULATING VULNERABILITIES...]
[OPTIMAL STRIKE PATHS REVEALED]
Glowing golden lines appeared across the Serpent's body, visible only to Techyon. Following the path, he launched an uppercut that defied gravity, propelling himself instantly above the beast's head. He spun in mid-air, delivering a kick that sounded like a thunderclap.
The Serpent shrieked, the impact finally drawing blood. Terrified, the apex predator retreated, diving back into the ink-black depths of the lake.
Techyon didn't panic. He landed on the surface of the water, standing perfectly still. Calm.
The lake erupted. Fifteen different Serpents burst from the water at once, all lunging at Techyon with maws full of acid. The beast was using its own speed to create illusions.
Splash.
The acid hit every single target, but one by one, the 'Techyons' dissolved into sparks. All of them were after-images.
The real Techyon was forty feet in the air, his hand outstretched.
"Manifest: Arcon Edge."
The energy solidified into a dagger of pure, condensed white light. He fell like a star. With one fluid motion, he carved through the Serpent's neck, the blade passing through the "indestructible" scales like a hot knife through butter.
The massive head hit the water with a final, echoing thud.
[TIMER: 00:01]
[DEACTIVATING...]
Techyon's vision blurred. The light vanished. He hit the ground and instantly collapsed into the darkness.
Three Hours Later
Techyon's eyes snapped open. He was back on the shore, his body feeling like it had been crushed by a mountain.
"Thank the Goddess you're alive, kid," Kaelen groaned, sitting nearby with his arm in a sling. The leader looked shaken. "We got lucky. Beyond lucky. The System must have been smiling on us."
"What happened?" Techyon rasped, hiding his glowing palms.
"An S-Rank Adventurer was clearing a rift nearby and sensed the Calamity," Kaelen explained, pointing toward a man standing by the lake's edge.
The man was draped in a dark cloak that seemed to swallow the light. He turned around, his eyes piercing and cold.
"I am Cinder," the man said. He didn't look at Kaelen. His gaze was fixed entirely on Techyon, squinting as if he could see the lingering White-Bolt cells vibrating in the boy's blood. "I arrived to find the Serpent already dead. Quite the 'miracle' for a group of Standards."
Cinder stepped closer, his presence so heavy it made Techyon's breath hitch. He leaned in, whispering so only Techyon could hear.
"You, kid. There's a scent on you... something that doesn't belong in this Era. After you recover, meet me at the Association headquarters. We need to have a very long talk."