The Dark Ascendant

The Stench of Blood

The underground chamber reeked of blood and decay. The walls were damp, the air thick with rot. The Alpha Rat's grotesque form loomed before Raj, its massive body pulsating with an eerie, unnatural energy. Its dark veins bulged, its eyes bloodshot, glowing with something… unholy.

This wasn't just a beast.

This was something else. Something twisted.

Raj's grip on his dagger tightened.

Behind him, Dorean stood still. Arms crossed. His expression unreadable.

But Raj knew better.

Dorean wasn't just watching.

He was evaluating. Testing.

And Raj had no room for mistakes.

The Clash Begins

A shrill screech split the silence.

The Alpha lunged forward—faster than Raj expected.

His instincts screamed. Move!

Raj twisted left—just in time.

SHRRK!

The Alpha's claws tore into the stone floor where he had been standing, leaving deep gashes.

Too strong. Too fast.

Raj's mind accelerated. The Scholar's way—observe, analyze, counter.

Speed: 2x faster than a normal beast of its size.

Durability: Thickened hide, wounds heal unnaturally fast.

Weakness: Relies purely on brute force—its movements lack strategy.

Raj ducked and rolled, dodging another swipe.

But he needed to attack.

The Alpha lunged again. Raj spun to the side, flicking his dagger in a precise arc.

SLASH!

A thin red line appeared across the beast's side.

Not deep enough.

The Alpha howled and lashed out wildly—Raj barely ducked, feeling its claws graze his hair.

His heart pounded. It's too strong.

He needed something more.

Sunforged Awakening

Raj exhaled, forcing himself to stay calm.

He could feel it—the Sunforged Path's power, restrained inside him.

Waiting.

He hesitated.

If I use it, Dorean will see.

But he had no choice.

The Alpha charged again.

Raj let go.

A faint golden glow erupted around him.

Dorean's eyes widened.

The Alpha stumbled mid-attack.

It sensed it too.

Raj didn't waste the moment.

He surged forward, his dagger now wreathed in golden flames.

Sunforged Path: Dawn's Radiance.

The dagger slashed through the Alpha's flesh, burning as it cut.

The beast screamed, its dark veins pulsating violently.

The unnatural energy inside it was reacting to the Sun's power.

Dorean took an unconscious step forward.

His expression unreadable.

A Battle of Power

Raj didn't stop.

Each strike left scorching wounds, searing through the Alpha's defenses.

The burning light of the Sunforged Path overwhelmed the beast's natural regeneration.

Then, Raj stepped back, raising his hand.

Golden energy flared in his palm, forming a burning aura around his fingertips.

The Alpha snarled, its bloodshot eyes wide with fear.

It wasn't just pain.

It was fear.

Raj narrowed his eyes.

Why is it afraid?

Then, realization struck him.

This wasn't just a mutated rat.

Something inside it was reacting to the Sun's power.

Something not of this world.

Dorean's voice cut through the silence.

"Where… is that power coming from?"

Raj clenched his fist.

His Sunforged energy reached its peak.

He exhaled—and struck.

A final, deathly blow.

Golden flames exploded outward, engulfing the Alpha in burning light.

The beast let out an agonized screech, its body convulsing violently.

Dark energy poured out of it, twisting and writhing in the air before dispersing like smoke under sunlight.

Then—silence.

For a moment, Raj thought he had killed it.

But then…

A deep, guttural growl rumbled from within the smoke.

The Alpha Rat emerged from the light.

Its fur was scorched.

Its flesh was burnt.

But it was still alive.

Raj's eyes widened.

Impossible.

The Alpha should be dead. No normal creature could survive a direct Sunforged strike.

And yet…

The Alpha's body trembled, dark energy seeping back into its wounds.

Its eyes locked onto Raj.

This time, there was no rage.

No desperation.

Only pure, unfiltered hatred.

Raj's breath hitched.

Something was wrong.

It's still healing.

The Sunforged Path should have burned away its unnatural energy, but something was still keeping it alive.

Dorean took a step forward, his eyes sharp.

Raj could feel it now—Dorean wasn't just watching anymore.

He was interested. Curious.

Raj had revealed too much.

But there was no time to think.

The Alpha moved.

And this time, it wasn't just attacking.

It was changing.

The Alpha's fur darkened, turning almost black.

The veins along its body pulsed violently, thickening like writhing roots.

The air around it shifted. Grew colder.

Raj's instincts screamed at him.

That thing isn't just a beast anymore.

It's evolving.

Raj stepped back, dagger raised, his mind racing.

If one Sunforged strike wasn't enough… what will it take to kill it?

Dorean's voice was calm.

"You woke something up, Raj."

Raj didn't respond.

Because at that moment, the Alpha Rat lunged—faster than ever before.

Raj barely dodged, but the force of its movement sent shockwaves through the chamber.

Stone shattered.

Dust filled the air.

Raj landed on one knee, panting.

His mind raced.

Think. Analyze. Counter.

Insighful Decipher.

Then, he saw it.

The Alpha's body was changing, but there was one weak spot—

The dark veins pulsing near its chest.

It wasn't just mutation.

It was something feeding the Alpha.

Something keeping it alive.

Raj's grip on his dagger tightened.

His body was exhausted.

His Sunforged energy was nearly drained.

But he wasn't done.

Not yet.

Raj dashed forward, faster than before.

His dagger gleamed in the light.

The Alpha snarled, sensing danger—but it was too late.

Raj drove his weapon straight into the beast's chest.

Dark blood exploded outward.

The Alpha screamed.

And then—

The golden glow around Raj flared one final time.

The chamber shook.

Dorean's eyes widened.

"That light… Where is it coming from?"

Raj gritted his teeth.

One final move.

One final chance.

Then—darkness.