Ren, who had been quietly trailing Kael, stepped forward like a ghost. In a blur of movement, his sword left its sheath, the silver edge coming to a rest directly against Kael's throat. A wild, unhinged smile stretched across Ren's face.
"You seem to know an awful lot about the levels that are supposed to be barely explored," Ren whispered, his blade humming against Kael's skin.
Kael didn't even blink. He stared blankly past the steel, his expression deadpan. "Well, since we're probably going to die down here anyway, I'll let you in on a secret: I've explored this place before."
"Cut the shit. I can sense your strength," Ren snarled, his grip on the hilt tightening as his volatile bloodlust violently begged for a fight. "Get angry with me! Let it drag you out!"
"I was an assassin," Kael said simply.
In an instant, Kael's aura shifted. The completely nonexistent presence he usually maintained dropped away, replaced by a suffocating, dark, and destructive pressure that made the surrounding air feel freezing cold.
Julian stepped up, placing a firm hand on Kael's shoulder. "Remember what you said, Kael. You wanted to be different this time. Don't let this loudmouthed dumbass drag you back down to that level."
Ren grinned wider, completely unfazed by the threat of death. "Wait, no, let me drag you out! Fight me!"
BOOM.
Kael disappeared. But this time, it wasn't a quiet Phantom Dash. It was an explosion of raw kinetic violence, utter horror. Before Ren could even register the movement, Kael appeared directly behind him, his hand already poised at the base of Ren's skull.
"I could have killed you instantly," Kael muttered, his voice a chilling whisper.
Ren didn't turn around. He just tilted his head, his smile remaining completely intact. "Look again."
Kael glanced down. Ren had reversed his grip on his own sword, driving the blade backward beneath his armpit. The tip of the silver steel was pressed firmly against his own stomach, angled directly up and back, aimed precisely at Kael's heart. It was a mutually assured suicide strike.
Julian exhaled a long, irritated sigh and stepped between them, swatting the weapons away. "Alright, ladies, get a grip. Let's hurry up and make it to the riverbank."
Kenzo watched the terrifying display of high-level combat from the back, a bitter weight settling into his stomach. The casual nature with which they manipulated lethal power severely bruised his ego. He felt small. Weak.
Looking around, he noticed Henry walking in absolute silence, keeping entirely to himself. His massive frame looked uncharacteristically hunched. Kenzo fell into step beside him, quietly probing the big man.
Under the pressure of Kenzo's questioning, Henry's stoic wall finally cracked. "I feel completely powerless," Henry confessed, his voice barely audible over the echoing cavern. "Back up there, against the Titan... I couldn't do anything. And when I feel like that, my ESDP limits me."
Henry explained the curse of his lineage. His family was the only bloodline in existence to harbor the exact same inherited power: Colossus. Because of its rigid, ancient nature, the ability could not organically adapt or morph based on his changing emotions like other delvers' powers. If he felt sorrow or anger, it didn't change the element, it just made the base power weaker, more brittle.
"My power only truly functions on one thing," Henry murmured, staring at his calloused hands. "Pride. If my confidence is shot, the earth crumbles."
Before Kenzo could respond, the tunnel opened up into a massive, cavernous chamber. A rushing underground river churned heavily to their left.
But they weren't alone.
CLACK. STEP. STEP.
Out of the damp shadows emerged a massive, heavily armored battalion. Dozens of Gorthak Soldiers slithered and stomped into the light, wielding heavy clubs, crude iron swords, and long, jagged spears. They formed a tight, unbreakable perimeter.
They were completely surrounded.