The Dreamer's POV

[00 Months: 15 Days: 13 Hours]

Darkness clung to the landscape as we approached the mouth of the cavern.

The entrance was massive, its gaping maw seeming to swallow all light and sound. But my attention was drawn to the two figures that lurked near its entrance.

Towering beasts, shadows in the night, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light. My Carnage Beasts.

As we neared the entrance, the Beasts moved, their bodies shifting with a grace that belied their size. Like shadows, they parted, bowing low as they moved to the side, clearing the way for our approach.

'Now then…'

I halted at the entrance, turning to face my troops.

Each face was a canvas of exhaustion and fear, their bodies battered from the trek and the bloodshed.

They had held up well so far, but I knew better than to push them further. They had reached their limit, and it was time for me to take the reins.

"Rest up," I told them, my voice firm. "Your mission is to guard this entrance, ensure no one enters or escapes."

I could see flickers of hesitation in their eyes, though most of them hid it well. Though none of them wanted to admit it, they were probably scared of being left alone with my Carnage Beasts.

'Suck it up. They're there to protect you in case anything happens.'

Drius, stumbling over his words, asked, "And...and you, Luke? What about you?"

I flashed him a grin, feeling an odd sense of satisfaction at their apprehension. "I'm going in to finish things off."

'And it's better I go alone…'

It wouldn't do my image any good if these people saw me being all bloody and violent. It was bad enough that they were already shuddering in fear of me already.

'Plus, since I don't know how dangerous it'll be, I don't want any of them to get caught up in the danger. I'd prefer it if everyone survived.'

It wasn't like I had any particular attachment to most of these people. Other than Drius, Benard, and Theo currently disguised as a soldier, I didn't care for anyone else at all.

However, it would work well for my image if no one was to die.

'There's also the fact that I don't want anyone to know the full extent of what I'm capable of. Since they're all waiting outside, I can comfortably go all-out.'

Silence hung over us for a moment before I broke it again. "Any objections?"

A chorus of denial followed my words. Relief etched their faces and a newfound determination sparked in their eyes.

My grin widened. This was the spirit I needed from my team.

"Good. Then let's wrap this up."

********

The moment I stepped into the cavern, it was like plunging into an abyss.

The air was heavy, soaked with a foreboding energy that would unnerve most men. Not me, though.

I felt alive.

Shadows rose from the ground, surging towards me like a tidal wave of darkness.

There were hundreds of them, each one bristling with a sinister power that screamed of death. Their forms were nebulous and fluctuating, their only purpose to kill.

'Is this Magic? Some sort of trap? Hmm…'

I grinned, ready for the challenge.

Summoning my Great Energy Rocks, I watched as they took form around me, swirling in a protective ring.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Each one was a beacon of elemental power - fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning - and they pulsed with a hungry energy, ready to tear into my foes.

~WHOOOSH!~

The first wave of shadows hit like a sledgehammer, but I was prepared.

My <Visualize> skill kicked in, allowing me to see their movements five seconds in advance. I saw their trajectories, their fatal lunges, their murderous intent.

And I was ready.

With a fluidity born of countless battles, I danced through their ranks, my Great Energy Rocks tearing through them like paper.

My <Immersion> skill heightened my senses to a degree that made everything else seem sluggish in comparison.

I could feel every gust of wind, hear every gasp, smell the tang of fear and rage permeating the air.

"Haaa…" It was invigorating.

Wave after wave of shadows fell to my onslaught, their numbers dwindling with each passing second.

It didn't matter how many there were, or how many tried to ambush me.

To me, they were fodder. Cannon fodder.

In the end, all that remained was the echoing silence of the cavern and the fading remnants of my foes.

And as I stood in the heart of the chaos I'd unleashed, I couldn't help but smile.

'This sensation…'

The feeling of power coursing through my veins was intoxicating.

I could feel my body vibrating with newfound energy, every cell alive and bursting with potential.

Thanks to <Carnage>, after killing 100 enemies, my stats had increased by a staggering 100%.

I felt unstoppable.

It hit me then that the shadows I had just obliterated weren't traps but actual living beings. A chill ran down my spine as I contemplated the ease with which I had extinguished those lives.

It was a stark contrast to my past self, who had struggled with the concept of taking another's life.

But now... now it felt almost too easy.

"Times have changed, haven't they?" I murmured to myself, a hint of bitter amusement lacing my words.

There was no room for remorse or guilt in this life I had chosen. It was survival of the fittest, a brutal, relentless race that spared no one.

Shaking off the contemplative mood, I steeled my resolve and decided to push forward.

The power coursing through me was demanding a worthy opponent, a chance to be unleashed in all its glory.

And I was more than happy to oblige.

"Let's see what else this place has in store for me," I said, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth as I stepped deeper into the darkness of the cavern, ready for whatever awaited me.

'I'm just getting started.'

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[A/N]

What do you all think of the <Carnage> Skill? Too broken?

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!