Incubus Ascension

The group huddled on the worn stone stairs, the air thick with the damp chill of the ancient hero yard. Sweat clung to Liam’s skin beneath his battered armor, and his chest heaved as he leaned back against the rough wall. The girls sat close—Citra with her quiet resolve, the others catching their breath after the brutal push through the first layer. For a fleeting moment, the weight of everything pressed on him: the endless threats, the fragile lives depending on him. ’I can’t let them down. Not after everything we’ve been through. They’re counting on me to get us out of this alive.’

A sharp ping cut through the silence, and glowing blue text materialized before his eyes.

**New Quest: Uncover the Eye Follower’s Trap in the Second Layer.**

**Objective:** Locate and neutralize the hidden trap set by the follower.

**Failure:** Death of the Host and all companions.

**Rewards:** 50 Shards of Reality + Critical Intelligence on the Eye’s plans.

Liam’s heart slammed against his ribs like a war drum. ’As expected,’ he thought grimly. ’These bastards wouldn’t leave any layer untouched.’ The words burned in his mind—the casual cruelty of it, the way failure wasn’t just his end but theirs too. He clenched his jaw, forcing steady breaths until the system faded.

After a few more minutes of hard-earned rest, he pushed to his feet, muscles protesting. He turned to the girls, meeting their tired but determined gazes. "We’ve rested enough," he said, voice low but steady. "Let’s go. We push through together."

They nodded without hesitation, rising as one. Liam led the way up the final steps, the entrance to the second layer yawning open like a predator’s maw.

The moment they crossed the threshold, chaos greeted them. The chamber stretched wide, walls alive with deadly mechanisms. A moving fire thrower swept along one stone face in erratic bursts, spitting jets of flame that scorched the air. Nearby, pointed iron rods slid and jabbed outward without warning, their tips gleaming wickedly. Nothing followed a pattern—every motion was pure, lethal randomness.

’Citra warned me about this,’ Liam recalled, scanning the threats. ’No rhythm. No mercy.’

He glanced back at the girls. "No splitting up this time. We stay close, watch each other’s backs. There’s no point going one by one—we guard each other or we all fall."

The girls nodded, forming a tight formation around him. Numbers became their greatest weapon. When Liam missed a sudden rod thrust from the left, one of the girls deflected it with a swift parry. When flame roared toward another, he yanked her clear. Step by grueling step they advanced, sweat stinging their eyes, breaths ragged, yet bound by trust forged in fire. Each narrow escape tightened the knot of tension in Liam’s gut. ’We’re almost there. Just a little farther.’

They neared the far exit, the promise of safety so close Liam could almost taste it—when a crushing wave of weakness slammed into him. His legs buckled. The girls gasped and crumpled beside him, weapons clattering against the stone. They had dodged most of the traps in their fall, landing in a relatively clear patch, but one horror remained.

A massive moving stone block, grinding forward from the wall, accelerated slowly toward their prone forms. It picked up speed with every heartbeat.

"Damn these things!" Liam snarled, forcing his heavy limbs to respond. ’It doesn’t care about levels—it’ll crush us flat.’ Panic clawed at his throat, but he shoved it down. ’Think. Fast.’

The memory hit him—his Glue Balls skill. He summoned the orbs with desperate focus, hurling them at the oncoming stone. His hands spun in tight circles, channeling energy to multiply and layer the adhesive strands. The glue splattered and stretched, tangling the block’s momentum. Inch by torturous inch, it slowed... slowed... until it halted mere inches from their bodies, looming like a silent executioner.

Liam let out a shaky sigh of relief, collapsing back. He quickly inspected himself and the girls. The system window appeared, cold and clinical.

**Status: Poisoned by the Centipede of Dark Elves.**

**Time Limit: 6 hours.**

"Was the follower a dark elf?" he muttered aloud, the pieces clicking. Dark elves and their ancient hatred for surface kin—it fit too perfectly.

Before he could say more, soft footsteps echoed. A woman in form-fitting ninja garb approached, her hips swaying with hypnotic confidence, generous curves straining against the tight fabric. She stopped above them, leaning down. Her scent—sharp, dangerous—filled the air as she sniffed close to Liam.

"You’re very smart," she purred, lips curving. "Dismantling my traps, thinking your way through every layer. Impressive."

From his angle on the ground, Liam had an unavoidable view of her powerful thighs and swaying figure. He gritted his teeth, fury and urgency warring inside. ’Buy time. Just a little.’ His fingers subtly moved, scrolling through the system skill shop while he spoke. "What’s your name?"

She smiled, clearly enjoying the moment. "Liz."

"Liz," he echoed, locking eyes with her as he filtered through nullification options. Most failed to register against this specific venom. Finally, one matched. He purchased it silently. "What are you going to do with us?"

Her smile widened, cold and final. "Kill you all. Boss’s orders. Sorry."

As she reached down slowly, Liam exploded upward. The dagger hidden beneath his coat flashed toward her throat. She twisted away at the last instant, eyes widening in shock. "How are you able to move?"

"You don’t need to know," Liam growled. He lunged again, sword drawn, blade whistling through the air.

In the chaos of combat, he reached out mentally to the girls through their shared link. Dark energy threads extended from him, connecting them all. He transferred the newly acquired skill along the threads. One by one, the girls stirred, strength returning as the antidote spread. They rose, weapons ready, and joined the fray.

Liz’s eyes flashed with alarm as the tide turned. Overwhelmed by coordinated strikes, she faltered. Liam seized the opening, driving his blade home with a decisive thrust. She crumpled, lifeless.

The system chimed.

**Quest Completed.**

**Rewards Granted: 50 Shards of Reality. Intelligence on the Eye’s plans unlocked.**

Liam wasted no time searching her body, hands steady despite the adrenaline. He found various items, but one caught his eye—a pendant bearing her likeness. He inspected it.

His eyes widened. She was otherworldly, the pendant humming with Origin power. Yet she had touched him, moved among them. The description revealed the truth: the Eye had granted her a special means to interact with this world’s inhabitants.

’The Eye is getting smarter,’ Liam realized, a chill running down his spine. ’Finding ways to convert and empower followers here.’ It made the threat feel closer, more personal.

He turned to the girls, voice firm. "Let’s go. We head for the third layer."

As they prepared to move, Liam gripped the pendant and drained its lingering energy into himself, absorbing a surge of 11 Origin power. Fresh strength coursed through his veins.

He met their gazes again. "Let’s go to the third layer."

They walked and reached the third layer and MC take a deep breath telling himself that alright this is the last layer we needs to complete it and after it there would be the elven hero grave.