> [Possession Timer: 10 Days Remaining]
Current Host: Shadow-Infused Rockback Lizard
Corruption Progress: 8%
Trait Gained: Partial Memory Absorption (Passive)
A strange ache filled Shadren's mind—not physical pain, but something deeper. Faint flickers of thought, half-broken and cracked like old glass, passed through his consciousness.
> A forest… fire... a nest torn apart. Rage. Fear. Hunger.
Then darkness. So much cold. So much blood.
The Rockback Lizard's final memories—the instincts of the beast that once lived in this shell. Fragmented. Violent. Primal.
Shadren staggered forward on his new claws. The rot was subtle now—flesh pliable, bones still firm—but he could feel it starting. The dark energy binding his essence to this host wasn't permanent. He had ten days. Ten days before the body decayed too far to move.
And then he'd need to find another.
Again.
Always again.
> "So this is my fate... crawling from corpse to corpse just to survive."
He growled low, testing the vocal cords. It was rough, scratchy, and full of hate. But it was his.
---
Elsewhere, in Halcyon Academy's Raiding Wing — Girls' Locker Room
Steam clung to the glass as four voices filled the space, mixing laughter, teasing, and faint worry.
Lira, the tall and graceful healer, dried her silver-blonde hair with a towel, her eyes distant.
"He didn't answer any messages this week. I checked."
She frowned. "It's not like him."
Kaela, still dripping from the shower, flicked her towel at Nia's bare back, smirking.
"Maybe he finally got tired of being the only one not marked. Can you blame him?"
Serin, pulling on her gloves with silent elegance, muttered,
"He was always watching from the sidelines. Like… he knew he didn't belong."
Nira, the archer, giggled while hopping into her gear."Still... I wish he could've come with us. Imagine him in armor. Or just… in anything tight."
Kaeli burst out laughing. "You perv."
Lira's smile was sad. "He used to dream about joining us. Fighting together. All five of us, just like old times..."
"Now it's just four," Sera whispered.
A silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint buzzing of the raid gate activating outside.
Nia spoke gently. "Wherever he is… I hope he's safe."
---
Back in the Dungeon — Floor 3, Eastern Chasm
Shadren was on the move again.
The body was crude and heavy, but after a few minutes of motion, his instincts began to sharpen. He could see through the Lizard's eyes now—infrared vision mixed with shadow-sense. In the darkness, every warm body pulsed like a lantern.
But one pulse stood out.
> A corpse. Still fresh. A scavenger goblin, maybe? No… something larger.
He crouched low and moved toward it—but paused.
Another presence.
Two raiders? No… one. Solo. Moving slowly. Limping.
He backed into the wall, becoming almost entirely one with the darkness. The figure passed by, unaware—a girl barely older than him in his past life. Her armor was scratched. Her bow was cracked. She looked exhausted.
He recognized her faintly.
Marin, a lower-ranked solo scout, part of the academy's beta squads. He'd once watched her practice from behind the dorm window.
Now she was limping toward danger.
> Not my problem. Focus on survival.
Focus on the mission.
But a part of him—the human part—lingered.
Before he could move, the ground shook.
> [Danger Detected: Pack of Fang Spitters (7 Targets, Avg. Lvl 5)]
Shadren snarled. Too many.
He turned to leave—but froze.
One of the Fang Spitters had broken formation and was heading straight for the injured girl.
She wouldn't make it.
"Damn it…"
He didn't know why he ran toward the monster.
Maybe it was guilt. Maybe instinct. Or maybe… something that wasn't quite monster yet.
---
Combat Initiated
The Rockback Lizard's corrupted claws tore across the stone floor. Shadow energy surged into his limbs as he launched himself forward.
The Fang Spitter turned just in time—but not fast enough.
His claws slashed through its throat. It gurgled once and collapsed, twitching.
> [Enemy Defeated] [Level Up: 4]
The other Fang Spitters shrieked in alarm, alerted by the noise. They began to close in.
Shadren growled. "Nope. Not today."
He melted into the shadows, vanishing just as Marin looked up in shock, searching for her savior.
"W-What… just saved me?"
---
Later That Night
Back in the damp, torch-lit corner of a ruined chamber, Shadren crouched in silence. The corpse he occupied was already beginning to reek.
He stared at his claws.
Powerful, yes.
But borrowed. Rotting. Doomed.
He only had 9 days left.
The next body wouldn't be easy to find. He needed more strength. More shadows. More opportunities.
But for now… he had a name. A presence.
He was no longer just a forgotten boy watching others fight.
He was the shadow.
---
> [Memory Drift Detected – "Marin, Female, Scout – Status: Alive. Impression: Kindness"]
Memory Fragment Stored. Potential connection flagged.
---
Somewhere deeper in the dungeon… the masked figure from before knelt beside the corpse of another fallen lizard.
He touched the ground where Shadren had once slithered.
"…Interesting."
---
To Be Continued...