The Crystal Geode portal pulsed with emerald energy, its surface rippling like liquid glass. I rolled my shoulders, Two Fracture Charges already pulsed within me from a previous excursion—dimensional instability that both empowered and endangered. One more ability use would trigger a fracture, but I'd mitigated worse.

  "Let's make this quick," I muttered, stepping through.

  I materialized on a platform of polished jade, surrounded by towering crystal formations that reached toward a ceiling lost in darkness. Each surface reflected my image dozens of times.

  [E-TIER RIFT: CRYSTAL GEODE

  Base Requirement: Locate and extract the Prismatic Core

  Alternative Path: None]

  My Hazard Sense immediately highlighted multiple environmental dangers within my 50-meter detection radius:

  Refraction zones—areas where light bent unnaturally, distorting perception and direction

  Crystal growths—rapidly forming crystalline structures that could impale or entrap

  Harmonic resonance fields—spaces where sound waves amplified to tissue-damaging levels

  Prismatic beams—focused light rays capable of burning through armor

  Gravitational lenses—patches where gravity curved like light, creating unpredictable trajectories

  Crystallization pockets—areas where organic matter would begin transforming into crystal

  Echo chambers—where sound duplicated and amplified to disorienting levels

  The chamber's floor glittered with microscopic crystal dust, each step sending tiny rainbows dancing across the polished surface. I moved cautiously, mapping the hazards relative to possible paths.

  Movement flickered in the reflections—Crystal Mimics, entities that camouflaged themselves against the surrounding formations. Their crystalline bodies rippled as they moved, joints grinding with a sound like glass against glass.

  I counted at least twelve within attack range, their translucent forms difficult to distinguish from the environment. Behind them loomed larger shapes—Gem Sentinels, humanoid constructs of animated crystal with cores that pulsed with dimensional energy.

  My Supershock Baton hummed as it charged, gathering ambient energy. I aimed at the densest cluster of Mimics and triggered a discharge—lightning arced fifteen meters through the crystal-laden air, the electricity amplified and redirected by the conductive environment.

  The bolt struck with devastating effect, chaining between five Mimics. Their bodies lit up from within before shattering into thousands of glittering fragments. The remaining creatures scattered, momentarily disoriented by the electrical discharge.

  A harmonic resonance field pulsed twenty meters ahead, directly in my path—a dome of visible sound waves that would vibrate anything caught inside to the point of structural failure. Perfect.

  "Invert Hazard," I commanded, focusing on the resonance field. The hazard reversed its properties instantly, changing from destructive vibration to perfect acoustic dampening. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, triggering Reactive Fracture Tether.

  Reality fractured with a sound like shattering glass. The dimensional fabric tore open, a jagged line appearing in midair. Time seemed to slow as something utterly incongruous with the crystalline environment poured through—absolute darkness.

  Not shadow, not absence of light, but something that actively consumed light, a viscous darkness that flowed like liquid against the laws of physics. It spread rapidly across the chamber floor, absorbing all illumination it touched. Crystal formations dimmed where the darkness lapped against them, their internal light extinguished like candles underwater.

  The energy wave hit me with physical force, knocking me backward. My head struck something hard—perhaps a crystal formation—and consciousness fled.

  I awoke to absolute darkness and the taste of copper in my mouth. Disoriented, I tried to stand, my body responding sluggishly. The crystalline chamber had transformed completely—the geode structure remained, but every surface now seemed coated in a material that absorbed rather than reflected light. The only illumination came from faint purple veins that pulsed through the rock like an alien circulatory system.

  My DOMAIN ENGINE detected entirely new hazards:

  Void pockets—areas of absolute nothingness that erased matter on contact

  Gravitational anomalies—points of intense gravity that pulled everything toward a central point

  Reality tears—thin fissures where dimensional barriers weakened

  Temporal displacement fields—zones where time flowed differently

  Anti-light regions—patches where electromagnetic radiation ceased to function

  Blood pools—viscous liquid that seemed to consume energy and emanate cold

  Psychic echoes—areas where thoughts became audible and potentially harmful

  HP: 90

  I'd been unconscious for several minutes, based on the Supershock Baton's recharge status. The crystal formations had transformed into obsidian-like structures, their surfaces rippling occasionally like disturbed water.

  A sound like distant thunder rolled through the chamber, followed by a pressure change that made my ears pop. Something had invaded the rift through my fracture—something that had completely reshaped the environment to suit itself.

  My stomach dropped as my interface updated:

  VOID REJECT: D-TIER BOSS

  UNAUTHORIZED RIFT ESCALATION

  EVACUATION RECOMMENDED

  Movement caught my eye—not the Crystal Mimics from before, but a towering bipedal form. The Void Reject materialized from the darkness, its body a nightmare of organic armor and void-black spikes. Standing at least three meters tall, its form appeared vaguely humanoid but with proportions all wrong—limbs too long, joints bent at impossible angles. A long, segmented tail whipped behind it, each section ending in a crystal-like barb. Its face was featureless except for six glowing purple eyes arranged in a hexagonal pattern.

  A D-tier boss. In an E-tier rift. The tier gap meant its attributes and abilities would eclipse mine by orders of magnitude. I was utterly outmatched.

  The creature's head swiveled toward me, six eyes focusing with predatory intensity. It raised a clawed hand, and reality itself seemed to bend around the appendage, dark energy gathering like a storm.

  No time to think. I sprinted laterally just as the energy discharged—a beam of purple-black power that vaporized the ground where I'd stood moments before. The beam continued until striking a crystal formation, which didn't shatter but simply ceased to exist.

  "Amplify Hazard," I called out, targeting a gravitational anomaly between us. The localized gravity tripled in intensity, creating a well so powerful it began pulling in surrounding debris. First Fracture Charge accumulated, triggering Reactive Fracture Tether.

  My Speed surged by 50%, the world seeming to slow as my perception sharpened. The hazard detection range doubled, revealing additional dangers previously outside my awareness—including multiple reality tears forming throughout the chamber.

  The Void Reject stumbled as the amplified gravity well pulled at its massive form. It didn't fall but dug its claws into the ground, anchoring itself against the pull. With a roar that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere simultaneously, it vanished—simply blinked out of existence.

  I knew exactly what that meant, this was a common ability amongst Void type creatures. Ten seconds until it reappeared with an area attack. I needed distance and protection.

  With enhanced speed, I navigated through the transformed chamber, looking for advantageous terrain. The purple veins running through the rock pulsed more rapidly as I passed, almost as if sensing my presence.

  Eight seconds remained before the Void Reject would reappear. I spotted a potential shelter—a depression in the chamber wall where multiple crystal formations had converged to create a partial dome. Not ideal, but better than open ground.

  "Create Hazard," I commanded, manifesting a void pocket at what I estimated would be the creature's reappearance point. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, refreshing my boost.

  The void pocket materialized—a sphere of absolute nothingness about three meters in diameter, hovering a meter above the ground. Light, sound, and matter simply ceased at its boundary, creating a perfect hole in reality.

  Three seconds. I positioned myself behind the crystal dome, crouching to minimize my profile. My Supershock Baton had recharged, humming with accumulated energy.

  The Void Reject materialized directly beside its predicted location—the void pocket barely missing its form. It immediately unleashed its area attack—a spherical wave of purple energy that expanded outward at tremendous speed.

  I ducked deeper behind the crystal formation, but the wave passed through solid matter as if it weren't there. The energy slammed into me, bypassing my physical defenses.

  HP: 90 → 60

  Pain erupted across every nerve ending—not like a physical blow but like every cell in my body was being individually targeted. The reinforced mesh suit prevented some damage, but the attack was designed to ignore conventional protection.

  I staggered to my feet, my muscles spasming from the aftereffects. The Void Reject turned toward me, six eyes flaring brighter. It raised both arms, and the chamber around us changed—the air itself became visibly distorted, rippling with dimensional instability.

  The Void Reject charged, covering thirty meters with impossible speed. Its clawed hand swiped at my head—I barely ducked beneath it, feeling the air displace above me. The second strike came from below, a tail swipe that caught me across the thigh.

  HP: 60 → 45

  Blood spattered across the obsidian floor, immediately absorbed by the dark surface. Where my blood touched the ground, the purple veins pulsed more intensely, almost eagerly.

  I aimed my Supershock Baton at the creature's center mass and triggered a discharge. Lightning arced through the distorted air—but instead of traveling in a straight line, it curved unnaturally, striking a crystal formation ten meters away.

  "Negate Hazard," I called out, targeting an anti-light region between us. The hazard collapsed instantly, its energy dissipating harmlessly. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, triggering another Speed boost.

  MANA: 70 → 60

  Reality fractured again, more violently than before. The dimensional tear pulled through something utterly incongruous—quantum entanglement. Millions of microscopic particles throughout the chamber suddenly became paired with counterparts elsewhere in the multiverse, creating a web of cause-and-effect that violated the normal flow of time.

  The effect manifested visually as threads of silver-blue light connecting various points in space, some vanishing through invisible portals. Where the threads intersected, small explosions of energy erupted, as quantum states resolved themselves across dimensional boundaries.

  The Void Reject roared in apparent pain as hundreds of quantum threads penetrated its form, connecting parts of its body to unknown locations. Its movements became jerky and uncoordinated as different sections of its anatomy received contradictory instructions from entangled particles.

  I didn't escape the effect entirely. Dozens of quantum threads pierced my body, creating the bizarre sensation of existing in multiple places simultaneously. My right arm moved when I attempted to shift my left foot. My vision split, showing both my current perspective and someplace entirely different—a smear of color and light that my brain couldn't process.

  HP: 45 → 35

  EXHAUSTION: 0 → 25

  The conflicting sensory information and quantum state uncertainty increased my Exhaustion rapidly. I needed to adapt quickly before the disorientation became debilitating.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  The Void Reject recovered faster than I expected, apparently able to sever the quantum threads through sheer force of will. It vanished again, blinking out of existence for another repositioning attack.

  Ten seconds. I needed a new strategy. The blood pools scattered throughout the chamber caught my attention—viscous purple liquid that seemed to drink light rather than reflect it. My DOMAIN ENGINE indicated they were highly dangerous but also potentially useful.

  "Hazard Conduit," I commanded, focusing on the nearest blood pool.

  STAMINA: 100 → 50

  The blood detached from its original position and surrounded me in a swirling aura of dark purple energy. The sensation was immediate and disturbing—like having my life force slowly siphoned away. The hazard's non-damaging effects were reduced by 90% for me due to my Resilience and ability working together, but I could still feel a constant drain against my health.

  HP: 35 → 31

  The Void Reject reappeared directly in front of me, seemingly confused by my blood aura. Its area attack discharged—another wave of purple energy—but this time the blood aura absorbed most of it, the two energies appearing to recognize each other as kindred.

  HP: 31 → 26

  I aimed my Supershock Baton at point-blank range and triggered another discharge. This time, the lightning traveled through my blood aura, becoming infused with its properties before striking the Void Reject. The creature convulsed as electricity and void energy tore through its form.

  It didn't fall—D-tier bosses never fell that easily—but it staggered backward, giving me precious space. The quantum entanglement web continued causing unpredictable effects throughout the chamber, random objects blinking in and out of existence as quantum states collapsed and reformed.

  I noticed something peculiar—where the blood from my wounds had touched the chamber floor, the purple veins had grown visibly stronger. The Void Reject appeared drawn to these areas, as if sensing something valuable.

  An idea formed. Insane and desperate, but possibly effective.

  I slashed my arm against a jagged crystal formation, opening a deeper wound. Blood splattered across the floor, immediately absorbed by the dark surface. The purple veins pulsed eagerly, growing more prominent.

  HP: 26 → 21

  EXHAUSTION: 25 → 35

  The Void Reject lunged toward the fresh blood with unexpected ferocity. As it approached, I noticed my own vitality slightly increasing—the proximity somehow transferring energy back to me.

  HP: 21 → 25

  More importantly, I felt my Exhaustion decreasing slightly. The creature was somehow feeding on my Exhaustion, but the process went both ways, restoring some of my vitality in return.

  "Invert Hazard," I called out, targeting a temporal displacement field near the feeding Void Reject. The hazard reversed its properties, changing from time dilation to time compression. First Fracture Charge accumulated, triggering Reactive Fracture Tether.

  MANA: 60 → 50

  With enhanced speed, I circled behind the Void Reject, my blood aura trailing purple mist in my wake. The time compression field caused the creature to experience time at an accelerated rate—its movements became blurred as it lived through minutes while I experienced only seconds.

  The effect aged everything within the field rapidly. Crystal formations grew and collapsed in accelerated life cycles. The purple veins pulsed faster and faster until they began to burn out from overexertion.

  My Supershock Baton had recharged again. I aimed at the Void Reject's back and triggered a third discharge. The lightning struck true, but as the energy coursed through the creature, the baton in my hand cracked—a thin fissure running along its length before the weapon shattered completely, overloaded by the dimensional energies it had been channeling.

  EXHAUSTION: 35 → 45

  Weaponless. Against a D-tier BOSS. My survival odds had just plummeted from slim to nearly nonexistent.

  The Void Reject spun with impossible speed, its tail catching me across the chest. The reinforced mesh suit prevented the barbs from penetrating, but the impact itself sent me flying backward.

  HP: 25 → 15

  I slammed into a crystal formation, the impact sending fractures through both the crystal and possibly several of my ribs. Pain flared across my torso, each breath bringing fresh agony.

  EXHAUSTION: 45 → 60

  The blood aura continued to drain my health, albeit slowly. I needed to release it soon, but not before it served its final purpose.

  "Amplify Hazard," I commanded, focusing on my own blood aura. The voidblood tripled in intensity, expanding from a subtle mist to a roiling storm of purple-black energy. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, refreshing my speed boost.

  MANA: 50 → 40

  HP: 15 → 10

  With enhanced speed, I charged directly at the Void Reject, becoming a projectile surrounded by amplified void energy. The creature raised its arms defensively, seemingly surprised by the suicidal tactic.

  We collided with catastrophic force. My amplified blood aura transferred to the Void Reject upon contact, enveloping it in the same energy it commanded but at triple intensity. The creature screamed—a sound that existed as much in my mind as in the air—as its own power turned against it.

  The impact sent me rolling across the chamber floor, each rotation bringing fresh pain from my injured ribs. When I finally stopped, the world spun sickeningly around me.

  HP: 10 → 7

  EXHAUSTION: 60 → 75

  The Void Reject thrashed wildly, trying to dispel the amplified blood energy that clung to its form. It vanished again—but this time, the blood aura remained visible in space, marking its invisible location.

  I struggled to my feet, swaying unsteadily. My Exhaustion had reached critical levels, and my Health wouldn't withstand another direct hit. Time for my emergency measure.

  I activated a Rejuvenator, its energy flowing through my system like cold fire, pushing back the crushing Exhaustion.

  EXHAUSTION: 75 → 25

  STAMINA: 50 → 0

  Relief was immediate but incomplete. I still had no weapon, minimal stamina, and faced a D-tier boss that was about to reappear with an area attack.

  The Void Reject materialized—not randomly, but directly in front of me. The amplified blood aura had burned away, leaving the creature's armored skin scorched and smoking. Six eyes locked onto mine with unmistakable fury.

  Before it could unleash its area attack, I played my final card.

  "Consume Hazard," I commanded, focusing on the blood aura to cancel Hazard Conduit that was draining my already low Health. The hazard dissipated as its energy flowed into me, restoring vital resources and reducing Exhaustion. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, triggering another speed boost.

  HP: 7 → 32

  MANA: 40 → 65

  STAMINA: 0 → 25

  EXHAUSTION: 25 → 0

  I'll continue the story with the Living Crystal Parasites instead of antimatter:

  The dimensional tear ripped open like a wound in space itself, and through it poured something utterly alien to both the crystal environment and the void corruption—Living Crystal Parasites.

  Swarms of microscopic organisms, glittering like animated diamond dust, spilled into the chamber in undulating clouds. Where they touched crystal formations, an immediate transformation began—the crystalline structures bubbled, pulsed, and grew at exponential rates. What had been geometric and predictable became organic and chaotic—crystal spires twisted into spiraling helices, smooth surfaces erupted with razor-sharp protrusions, and transparent formations clouded with internal movement.

  The parasites spread with terrifying efficiency, jumping from one crystal structure to the next as though hunting with collective intelligence. Within seconds, sections of the chamber walls began to throb with unnatural life, pulsing in synchronization like some vast crystalline cardiovascular system. Outgrowths emerged from larger formations, reaching through the air like searching tendrils, dripping a luminescent fluid that sizzled where it touched the ground.

  The Void Reject seemed to recognize the existential threat immediately. It abandoned its attack on me, turning instead to retreat from the spreading crystal infection. A tendril shot out with shocking speed, wrapping around the creature's arm. Where contact was made, crystalline growth immediately began spreading across the Void Reject's armored surface, transforming its dark plating into pulsing, twisted crystal that dug into its flesh. The creature roared in pain as it tore itself free, sacrificing fragments of its armor in the process.

  I sprinted toward what appeared to be a tunnel leading deeper into the geode structure, desperately hoping to find shelter from the parasitic invasion. Behind me, the living crystals consumed entire sections of the chamber, restructuring the environment into something nightmarishly organic—a bizarre fusion of mineral and living tissue.

  A crystal formation near my path suddenly sprouted jagged appendages, forcing me to slide beneath it with precision. The crystal "fingers" scraped against my mesh suit, leaving glittering particles that immediately began to spread across the material. I frantically brushed them off before they could take hold, feeling the reinforced fabric grow warm where the parasites had touched.

  The tunnel ahead narrowed, potentially offering protection from the rapidly transforming chamber. I pushed my battered body to its limit, ignoring the shooting pain from my injured ribs and the growing lightheadedness from blood loss.

  Behind me, the Void Reject had recovered its focus. Ignoring the crystal parasites that had begun to colonize portions of its body, it fixed its six-eyed gaze on me with singular purpose. It raised a clawed hand, void energy gathering for another beam attack.

  I dove for the tunnel entrance as the beam discharged, feeling its heat against my back as it missed by millimeters. The narrow passage provided momentary shelter, but also trapped me in a dead end. The crystal parasites swarmed at the tunnel entrance, transforming the surrounding rock into pulsing, living crystal that gradually encroached on my refuge.

  Heavy footsteps approached the tunnel entrance. The Void Reject's massive form blocked the light, six purple eyes glowing in the darkness as it stooped to enter my final refuge.

  I backed against the tunnel's end, my options exhausted. No weapon. No escape route. No more tools or tricks. The creature advanced slowly, savoring my inevitable defeat.

  "Create Hazard," I called out in desperation, manifesting a crystallization pocket between us. The air shimmered as the hazard formed, molecules beginning to align into crystalline structures. First Fracture Charge accumulated.

  MANA: 65 → 55

  The crystallization slowed the Void Reject momentarily as crystal began forming across its outer armor, but it simply flexed, shattering the growth with contemptuous ease. It reached for me, claws extended for the killing blow.

  Suddenly, the entire chamber shuddered violently. The parasitic crystal invasion had compromised the structural integrity of the geode formation. Cracks spread across the tunnel ceiling, crystal dust raining down between us.

  The Void Reject paused, glancing upward as a particularly large fissure opened directly above it. I pressed myself against the tunnel wall as the ceiling gave way, tons of crystal and rock crashing down.

  For one impossible moment, I thought I might be saved by random chance—the tunnel collapse stopping the creature while sparing me.

  Then reality reasserted itself. The Void Reject's arm shot through the falling debris with impossible speed, claws closing around my throat. It pulled me forward through the collapsing tunnel, lifting me effortlessly until we were face-to-face amid the raining crystal shards.

  Six purple eyes studied me with alien intelligence. Its grip tightened, claws piercing the mesh suit and drawing blood. My vision began to darken at the edges as oxygen deprivation set in.

  HP: 32 → 15

  The creature's featureless face split suddenly, revealing rows of crystalline teeth arranged in concentric circles—teeth that now glittered with the telltale shimmer of parasitic infection. As consciousness began to fade, I realized it wasn't just going to kill me—it was going to consume me and become a hybrid of void entity and living crystal, evolving into something far deadlier than either form alone.

  With my vision darkening and strength fading fast, I seized upon one desperate chance. I reached for the jagged edge of my shattered Supershock Baton still clutched in my left hand and drove it upward with every remaining ounce of strength, aiming for the soft tissue between the armored plates beneath the Void Reject's jaw.

  The crystalline shard penetrated, black viscous liquid immediately gushing from the wound. The creature's grip loosened slightly as it recoiled from the unexpected pain. Dark blood poured down, spattering across my face and into my mouth.

  The taste was indescribable—like liquid metal mixed with something that shouldn't exist in our dimension. My instincts screamed to spit it out, but I remembered the intel—"consuming its blood restores resources and health but increases exhaustion." I forced myself to swallow.

  The effect was immediate and electrifying. Energy surged through my system, repairing damaged tissue and restoring vital functions at an alarming rate.

  HP: 15 → 40

  MANA: 55 → 75

  STAMINA: 25 → 45

  EXHAUSTION: 0 → 30

  The sudden resource influx cleared my mind and strengthened my muscles. With renewed vigor, I twisted violently in the Void Reject's grip, driving the baton shard deeper into the wound. More void blood poured out, and I deliberately positioned myself to catch another mouthful.

  HP: 40 → 60

  MANA: 75 → 90

  STAMINA: 45 → 65

  EXHAUSTION: 30 → 65

  The Void Reject roared in pain and fury, its six eyes blazing with hatred. It hurled me against the tunnel wall with terrible force. I crashed against the rock surface but managed to roll with the impact, minimizing damage.

  HP: 60 → 50

  The creature backed away, one clawed hand pressed against its wound. The parasitic crystal infection had spread significantly, now covering almost half of its visible teeth and beginning to creep across its armored skin. Where the crystal parasites touched its black blood, they seemed to multiply even faster, creating intricate, pulsing patterns across its form.

  I seized the momentary reprieve to regain my footing, assess the situation, and plan my next move. The tunnel continued to collapse around us, crystal formations growing and mutating at alarming rates. The Void Reject stood between me and the only visible exit, its massive form blocking the narrow passage. With its D-tier attributes, it still vastly outmatched me in raw power and durability.

  The creature vanished suddenly—blinking out of existence as its signature ability activated. I knew what was coming: in ten seconds, it would reappear with a devastating area attack.

  Ten seconds. I needed to turn this fight in my favor.

  "Create Hazard," I commanded moment it came off cooldown, manifesting a kinetic-energy redistribution field. A field that disrupts the transfer of kinetic energy, causing the body to work harder to maintain movement around the area where I predicted the Void Reject would reappear. Second Fracture Charge accumulated.

  The air shimmered as the hazard formed—a subtle distortion that would rapidly drain stamina and increase exhaustion for any entity caught within it. I positioned myself at its edge, ready to step in or out as needed.

  Eight seconds... nine... ten...

  The Void Reject materialized exactly where predicted, immediately unleashing its area attack—a spherical wave of purple energy that expanded outward at tremendous speed. Though I was prepared, the wave still struck with shocking force, sending me staggering backward.

  HP: 50 → 35

  The creature roared in confusion as the exhaustion field immediately began affecting it, draining its resources and imposing the same fatigue that had been plaguing me. It lunged forward despite this, its movements slightly sluggish but still devastatingly powerful.

  I deliberately moved deeper into the kinetic field, allowing it to accelerate my already high exhaustion accumulation.

  EXHAUSTION: 65 → 85

  The Void Reject's six eyes locked onto me, focusing intently on the Exhaustion aura now visibly emanating from my body. The creature seemed drawn to this energy—a resource it could consume.

  It raised one massive clawed hand toward me, and I felt a strange pulling sensation as it began to draw the Exhaustion directly from my body. Purplish energy streamed from me to the creature, its wounds visibly healing as it absorbed the dimensional fatigue I'd accumulated.

  What happened next confirmed my suspicion—as my exhaustion diminished, my own body began to heal as well, the process working both ways.

  HP: 35 → 55

  EXHAUSTION: 85 → 40

  The creature's wound under its jaw partially closed, though the crystal parasites continued to spread across its form. It seemed momentarily confused by this unexpected healing, flexing its restored limbs with what looked like satisfaction.

  This was my chance. With my strength partially restored, I lunged toward a growth of parasitic crystal that had formed a javelin-like structure nearby. Breaking it free with a well-placed kick, I seized the crystalline weapon and drove it directly toward the creature's central mass.

  The Void Reject moved with blinding speed despite its bulk, deflecting the crystal spear with an armored forearm. The impact shattered my improvised weapon, but several crystal fragments embedded themselves in the creature's arm, immediately beginning to spread their infection further.

  The parasites seemed to respond to the presence of the Void Reject's blood and energy, growing more rapidly where they contacted its body. Glittering veins of living crystal now networked across nearly half its form, some areas beginning to restrict its movement as crystalline structures solidified around joints.

  We circled each other in the collapsing tunnel, both wounded, both partially healed, neither able to land a decisive blow. The crystal parasites continued their relentless spread throughout the environment, creating an ever-changing battlefield of deadly beauty.

  The Void Reject and I faced each other across the crystal-infested chamber—two beings locked in a desperate struggle, both wounded, both dangerous, both refusing to yield. The balance had shifted from certain death to uncertain survival, but the battle was far from over.