They began moving toward the corpses of the Crystalvores, Riven flapping ahead in erratic loops like a child chasing a festival kite. Denwen jogged to catch up, slightly out of breath.
"Why do I feel like you're more excited about this than I am?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Well," Riven chirped, pausing in the air, "my evolution and level-up also depend on it, so yeah—I'm excited to stop being weak."
The last bend led them into a wide, shattered chamber strewn with corpses of Crystalvores. The crystalline walls shimmered faintly with residual energy, bathing the battlefield in refracted hues of violet and gold. Riven stopped above a dead Rank 1 beast, fluttering gleefully.
"Wait, you level up too?" Denwen asked, curious.
"Obviously," Riven scoffed. "If skills, innate abilities, artifacts, and ranks can level up, why wouldn't I? Don't look down on me, peasant."
He pointed his wing toward the scattered bodies. "Kop already took the cores from the ones Rank 3 and above, probably to sell. But these—these right here are untouched. Rank 1 and 2 corpses, ripe with their cores still pulsing. That's why I was excited earlier."
Denwen folded his arms. "Uh-huh. One problem. I don't exactly have a tool to rip cores out of rock-skinned monsters."
Riven slapped his wing against his own eye in exaggerated disappointment. "You don't need to physically touch the core. Just place your hand on the corpse, caveman. The system does the rest."
Rolling his eyes, Denwen placed a hand on the cold, glassy chest of the fallen Crystalvore. The system interface burst forth like a screen of light:
PING
[System Notification]
Event: Essence Core of Rank 2 Crystalvore Identified.
Available Laws: ➤ 80% Crystal Law ➤ 19% Earth Law ➤ 1% Reflection Law Action: ➤ You can assimilate the law with the highest concentration available: Crystal Law.
Result: ➤ 25% Crystal Immunity ➤ Lvl 1 Crystal Manifestation -- DO YOU WISH TO ASSIMILATE? -- YES or NO
"See? Just look at this! Our pathway to universal dominance! Hahahaha!" Riven cackled like a deranged professor.
Denwen ignored him. "Assimilate," he said calmly.
The screen flashed.
A glimmer passed through his eyes.
And the world changed.
Essence howled through his core, and the body of the Crystalvore beneath him pulsed once, then dimmed. A wind not born of air but of pressure and force swirled around him, spinning up debris and loose fragments. The very air grew dense, humming with raw, volatile energy.
The light around Denwen fractured, refracting into razor-thin crystalline lines that cut through the air with geometric precision. The very fabric of the dungeon twisted around him as if resisting—and then surrendering to his presence.
A crystalline vortex enveloped him. Sigils formed—runic, ancient, humming with language too old to be spoken. His veins lit with refracted light, as if his blood itself had become molten quartz. Every breath he took felt like inhaling liquid stone.
His skin burned. His muscles twitched. For a second, he thought his skeleton might shatter from the inside. Light screamed through his mind, revealing glimpses of crystalline cities, ancient sovereigns, and laws etched into reality.
But then—acceptance.
The storm collapsed inward, burrowing into his body and leaving only silence.
Denwen fell to one knee, gasping.
The system chimed:
[System Notification]
Event: Congratulations on your first Assimilation.
Result: ➤ 25% Crystal Immunity ➤ Lvl 1 Crystal Manifestation
Do you wish to see your panel?
"Yes," he panted.
The menu opened before him:
________________________________________
Host: Denwen Amun Ra
Race: Human
Rank: Peak Rank 2
Experience Points: 1000
[Stats]
➤ Strength: 820
➤ Agility: 700
➤ Stamina: 750
➤ Vitality: 800
➤ Essence: Undefined
[Laws]
➤ Crystal Law [100% Level 1 Assimilation]
[Skills]
➤ Prime Algorithm (Locked)
➤ 25% Crystal Immunity
➤ Lvl 1 Crystal Manifestation
[Innate Ability] ➤ Boundless
[Artifacts] ➤ Empty
[Nexus Vault] ➤ Unavailable
He felt it then—his connection to crystal, alive and instinctive. Every shard in the dungeon vibrated at the edge of his perception. It was like the earth whispered secrets through glittering stone. The crystals responded to his emotions, his will. They shimmered in sync with his breathing.
He felt at home.
But before he could fully relish it, a roar split the dungeon.
RAWWWRRRRRRRRR!
A death cry.
It came from the direction Kop had taken—a call to arms. The Prism Sovereign had been struck, and now its children would rise.
The dungeon trembled. From the cracks and crevices, dozens of figures emerged—grotesque, crystal-hardened humanoids, each with jagged exoskeletons, glowing cores in their chests, and angular limbs that clicked like cracking glass. They moved with martial precision, their bodies reflecting the shimmering light like walking blades.
They were Crystalvores.
Their faces were twisted mockeries of human features—mouths split across smooth mineral, eyes glowing with artificial fury. Some had horns of diamond, others spines of ruby. Spikes protruded from shoulders, elbows, and backs like natural armor. Their feet didn't stomp; they scraped, carving grooves into the dungeon floor as they advanced.
There were at least fifteen Rank 2s, all bearing a faint inner blue light that pulsed with coordinated aggression. Their eyes locked onto Denwen like beasts sensing prey.
But they weren't alone.
Crawling over the walls and spilling through cracks were dozens more Rank 1 Crystalvores—smaller, faster, but no less deadly. Their claws gleamed, and their bodies clicked in rapid unison like a swarm answering the call of war. Their howls were higher-pitched, like crystal being shattered repeatedly.
RAAWWRRRRR!
A second roar—one filled with fury—erupted as the Crystalvores froze mid-run.
Their heads slowly turned.
Toward Denwen.
Their glowing cores pulsed in synchronized hatred.
They had felt it—his assimilation. They had sensed their Law being stolen.
He had violated something sacred.
Riven counted in horror. "One, two, three… twelve, fifteen… oh look, even more. Uhm… I wish you the best of luck, my good host!"
POOF—he vanished.
"Really? You're just going to abandon me?!" Denwen shouted.
But the disasters were already charging.
Denwen took a breath.
Essence surged.
Crystals bloomed from beneath his feet, responding to his will. His skin shimmered—a fine layer of translucent armor sliding over his arms and chest. Gauntlets formed over his hands like clawed fists of glass.
His body reflected the light in fractal patterns—as if the dungeon itself now recognized him.
He was no longer prey.
He was crystal-born.
He raised his hands, stance steady, as the swarm barreled toward him.
"Riven," he growled, "if I survive this, I better see your sorry ass thanking me for the next ten years."
He struck the floor.
Spikes erupted.
And the war began.