Incubus Ascension

Liam’s fist connected with the writhing shadow just as its tendrils lashed toward his mind. A cold spike of panic tried to burrow into his thoughts—images of failure, of the girls dying because he wasn’t strong enough—but he shoved it aside and held the block.

A blue window flashed in his vision.

**Mental Resistance (Passive) acquired. Level 1.**

**You have resisted Shadow Corruption.**

His pulse hammered. ’Not today,’ he thought, teeth clenched. Another tendril came. He met it again. The resistance ticked upward—Level 2, then 4. Each successful block chipped away at something inside the shadow beast itself. Its Health bar, barely visible at the edge of his sight, dropped in stubborn, jagged increments.

Sweat stung his eyes. His arms burned, but a grim smile tugged at his lips. Every desperate defense was hurting the monster more than any punch could. He kept blocking, kept pushing, turning the creature’s own psychic assault into its undoing. When its Health finally hit zero, the shadow dissolved into black mist with a screech that echoed through the trees.

**Level up!**

**You are now Level 140.**

Liam exhaled sharply, shoulders slumping for half a second. The girls were waiting back at the small clearing. He couldn’t let them see how close that had been. Not yet.

He jogged back, forcing a steadier breath. Mira and Lira looked up from where they sat sharpening makeshift blades, their faces tight with worry.

"There was one," he said, keeping his voice even. "Shadow thing. Tried to get inside my head. I blocked it—kept blocking—and every time I did, it hurt itself. My resistance went up fast. Then I finished it."

Mira’s eyes widened. "You fought it alone?"

"Had to. But it showed me something. These ones... they’re dangerous if you let them in, but if you push back, they break." He demonstrated the blocking motion, guiding Lira through the stance. "Stay close. We’ll take the next one together."

They found another soon enough. The girls watched, then joined in, their own resistance growing with each successful deflection. Hours blurred into a rhythm of tension and triumph. By the time the sun dipped lower, all three of them had climbed dramatically. The girls averaged Level 150. Liam reached 172.

He wiped blood and ichor from his hands, staring at the forest around them. "The main continent really is on another level," he muttered. "If we’d run into anything physical first... we might not have made it."

Mira nodded, breathing hard but smiling. "We’re getting stronger. Together."

They followed the river as it wound through the dense woods, staying near its banks where visibility was better. Liam kept them moving, checking every new monster type they encountered, always prioritizing those that relied on status effects over brute force. The grinding was exhausting but steady. By nightfall the girls averaged Level 170. Liam hit 186.

Darkness thickened between the trees. "We stop here," he said. "No fighting blind. We head back to the side continent for the night."

The girls agreed without complaint. They named the safer shore "the side continent" and the dangerous one "the main." Crossing the cliff portal again felt like retreating to a hard-won sanctuary. Once inside, all three collapsed to their knees, bodies screaming for rest. Sleep took them almost instantly, deep and dreamless.

The next morning Liam woke first, muscles aching but mind clear. "Back across," he said quietly. "We keep pushing."

They returned to the river and continued downstream. The days blended into focused survival—fight, level, rest, repeat. Distance grew. Levels rose. Soon the girls crossed into the 200s. Liam reached 220.

He paused at a bend in the river, gazing deeper into the forest, then back at the water. "We can explore more now," he told them. "But blindly wandering the woods is suicide. Civilization is usually near water. We follow the river."

Mira brushed a strand of hair from her face. "You’re still thinking about finding people who won’t try to kill us on sight?"

Liam’s chest tightened. He thought of the girls’ tired but determined expressions, of the promise he’d made to keep them safe after everything they’d already lost. "Yeah. I am. We need allies, not just levels."

They pressed on. Hours later the trees thinned. Ahead rose a formidable barrier—tall iron walls reinforced with what looked like advanced plating, nothing like the crude wooden palisades of the side continent. The town behind it hummed with quiet power.

"Stop here," Liam whispered. They watched as a lone monster lumbered too close. A searing laser lanced from the wall, piercing the creature cleanly. Its corpse disintegrated in seconds.

Liam’s stomach twisted. ’Advanced. Dangerous.’ A human figure approached the barrier next. It scanned him with a soft green light and opened.

"Would it recognize us?" Lira asked.

"Only one way to find out." Liam squared his shoulders. "I’m the tank. If it shoots, I can take it. You two stay back."

They protested, but he insisted, offering them a small, reassuring smile. "I’ve carried worse. Trust me."

He walked forward. The barrier hummed, scanned—and flashed black.

A massive red beam erupted. Liam cursed and dove sideways, heart slamming against his ribs. Alarms blared across the town.

"It’s the Chosen One!" voices shouted. "Kill him!"

His blood ran cold. ’They know what I am.’ He sprinted back to the girls. "Run! Back to the side continent—now!"

They fled. Behind them, the townsfolk poured out—farmers, merchants, all moving with terrifying speed. A glance at their levels showed nothing below 200. Liam smiled bitterly. ’Back home one of these guys would be a one-man army.’

They neared the cliff. Liam’s mind raced. ’If they find the portal...’

"Keep going!" he shouted to the girls. "They’re after the Chosen. I’ll draw them off. If they follow you to the cliff, our way back is gone forever. Get to safety—I’ll meet you there."

Mira’s eyes glistened with fear. "Liam, don’t—"

"Go!" His voice cracked with urgency. "I promised I’d protect you. Let me do this."

They ran for the portal. Liam veered toward the river, shouting taunts, drawing every pursuer after him. Monsters stirred on both banks as the chase crossed the water. He used the chaos, weaving between threats, buying time.

His legs burned. A spear slammed into his shoulder. Pain flared white-hot. He staggered, forcing himself forward as the gap closed.

’Can’t stop now.’ In a desperate move he purchased a new skill—**Gale Step**—and wind surged around his limbs. Speed flooded back. He pulled ahead again, lungs screaming.

One of the townsfolk bellowed, "You right there—stop! Don’t go any further!"

Liam didn’t look back. He kept running, leading them deeper into monster territory, buying every second he could for the girls. The river rushed beside him, cold and relentless, mirroring the fear and fierce determination pounding in his chest. He wouldn’t let them down. Not while he still drew breath.