"You feel that?" Leo murmured to himself, drifting above the dungeon floor like mist.Something new had entered the dungeon. Alive. Loud. Smelling of iron and ambition.
Humans.
It had been… how long? Time felt like smoke since his rebirth. But Leo recognized the sound of boots on stone, the scent of torch smoke, the hum of magic gear like static against his senses.
They didn't belong here.
And they were getting close.
[New Presence Detected – Class: Adventurer][Mission: Unknown | Threat Level: Moderate (Evaluating...)]
Leo slipped higher into the cave ceiling, merging with the stone, using his Shadowmeld passive. From his vantage point, he watched five figures enter the lower ward of his dungeon—torches raised, voices sharp.
One led the group with a heavy shield strapped to her back and a long, gleaming sword. Her silver hair was tied tight, eyes focused, lips a grim line.
Leader. Paladin-type. Trouble.
The others moved like they'd done this before. A rogue with blades too clean. A mage cloaked in crimson. A stocky cleric carrying a silvered mace. And finally, a tracker, pale-eyed, with a glowing wolf-creature padding beside him.
Leo's eyes narrowed.
Organized. Not low rank. But they're not expecting me.
He slid along the wall like a breath of cold air, silent and unseen.
"According to the map, this is the 'Hollow Spine,'" the paladin said. "We camp here, scout deeper tomorrow."
"Tch. This place is unnatural," the tracker muttered. His wolf growled low. "Something's watching."
Smart mutt.
Leo hovered over them in silence, studying their formation, listening.
"Divine signature readings are spiking," the mage said. "It's faint, but definitely divine-tier."
"Another Godspawn?" the rogue asked.
"Could be," said the cleric. "Let's just hope it's not like the one in Serpentfall."
Godspawn?
Leo stifled a laugh.
So that's what they call us. Cute.
He should've left. Slipped deeper into his domain, evolved, waited for a better chance.
But curiosity had its claws in him. And Leo didn't like being hunted.
Not by humans.
Not ever again.
[System Update – Passive: Shadow Grasp (Enhanced)][You may now bind multiple targets for 5 seconds at 60% strength.]
Good enough to send a message.
Leo moved.
A tendril of shadow snaked down from the ceiling, flicking the rogue's blade just enough to throw off balance.
"What th—!"
Before anyone could react, four ghostly arms erupted from the ground, grabbing the rogue and the cleric by their ankles, yanking them off their feet.
"Contact!" the paladin shouted, drawing her sword. Her shield flared with golden light. "Defensive formation!"
The fire mage turned, eyes glowing. "Top left! Mana concentration—there!"
Leo didn't wait for them to pin him. He launched forward, a ripple of darkness crashing like a wave between the group.
He phased through the tracker—causing the man to scream, dropping to his knees, clutching his head.
"Mental breach!" the cleric gasped. "He's not physical—he's possessing!"
Wrong. I'm just more than you're ready for.
A searing beam of light slammed into Leo's side. He hissed, stumbling mid-air as the paladin followed up with a holy slash. It grazed his form—and burned.
[System Alert – Light Damage: 18%. Shadow Integrity: 82%.]
Leo twisted through the air like smoke, vanishing into the walls.
"Retreat!" she shouted. "Group up—form a tri-circle! Mira, light the glyph!"
The mage slammed a glowing crystal into the ground. White light surged, flooding the cavern in radiant magic.
Leo shrieked involuntarily—his form flickering in and out, pain rippling through his core.
[System Alert – Passive: Shadowmeld compromised.]
Too much light magic. Too exposed. This isn't the time.
He darted away, slithering through cracks in the stone until he was miles from them.
Safe.
Silent again.
Back at his nest, Leo pulsed with rage. He hovered above his throne of jagged crystal, body twitching with lingering divine burn.
They're not weak. I give them that.
He replayed the fight in his mind. The paladin's holy pressure. The coordination. The wolf that had sensed him before he even moved.
They weren't random scavengers.
They were looking for him.
Or something like him.
"System," Leo muttered, voice low. "Why are they after me?"
[Class Signature: 'Divine-Blessed Core' has spread. Humans have begun associating such cores with the Twelve.][They fear what they do not understand. Seek to destroy or harness.]
Leo's body dimmed.
So this is how it starts. The surface world begins to notice… and sends hunters into our birthplaces.
He was quiet for a long time. Then asked:
"How strong was that paladin?"
[Estimated Rank: D+. Potential to ascend to C-Rank within 12 months.]
Too low to be a threat. Not yet. But if they return...
He didn't finish the thought. Instead, he accessed his evolution menu.
🔹 Evolution Tree: Shadowborn
Wraithling (Completed)
Phantom Fiend [Eligible – Requirements: 1 Divine-class Kill]
Ghost Tyrant [Locked – Requires: Soul Chain x3]
??? [Hidden – Requirement: Unknown]
Phantom Fiend. All I need… is one divine kill.
His mind returned to the paladin's blade, the flare of holy light, the way she didn't hesitate.
Leo smiled faintly.
She might do.
As he sat in the dark, gathering strength, the dungeon trembled.
Not from adventurers.
But something deeper.
Older.
A voice—her voice—echoed into his mind.
"Leo. My fourth born. I need you to listen closely."
Leo blinked.
Elara.
Her presence was heavy with urgency. Fear.
"One of your siblings… is missing."