Connection Established: Bemba
The words hovered before her eyes, pulsing softly. She barely had time to process what it meant before another prompt appeared.
Divine Synchronization in Progress…
Amina clenched her fists as warmth flooded her veins. It wasn’t painful, but it was intense—an overwhelming sensation of something waking up inside her, something vast and unfathomable. Her body felt lighter, her mind sharper, as though she had been operating with weights on her entire life and they had suddenly been lifted.
Attributes Assigned:
- Strength: 12 (+2 from Martial Training)
- Dexterity: 14 (+4 from Martial Training and Parkour)
- Constitution: 11 (+1 from Physical Conditioning)
- Intelligence: 10
- Wisdom: 11 (+1 from Combat Awareness)
- Charisma: 10
Class Assigned: Unbound Disciple
Skill Tree Unlocked…
Amina barely had time to skim the information before the creatures in the tunnel shrieked, their grotesque forms lunging forward again. Her senses sharpened, instincts screaming at her to move. She didn’t question it.
Amina ducked low as one of the multi-eyed beasts swiped at her, its claws raking the air where her head had been moments ago. She pivoted on her heel, bringing her elbow up into its exposed ribs. The moment her strike connected, something inside her clicked.
New Skill Acquired: Adaptive Strike
Her muscles moved on their own, absorbing the impact and redirecting the force into a devastating counter-blow. The creature howled, stumbling back, and Amina seized the opening, delivering a sharp kick to its throat. It collapsed, gurgling.
She blinked, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Was this the system? Was this what it felt like to fight with divine power?
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Kojo, who had been struggling against another beast, saw her move and gaped. “What the hell—? Amina?”
“I’ll explain later,” she shot back, dropping into a defensive stance. Another notification flashed before her eyes.
Skill Upgrade Available: Adaptive Strike → Fluid Counter (Rank 1)
Before she could fully process what was happening, Scarface let out a guttural roar. He had managed to get his back to a cavern wall, but his weapon—a rusted machete—was slick with blood, and his breaths came ragged.
“We need to get out of here!” he barked. “They just keep coming!”
Amina scanned the area. More creatures slithered from the shadows, their malformed limbs twitching in hunger. The exit was blocked, and their group was dwindling. Two had already fallen, their bodies torn apart. If they stayed, they would all die.
But something in Amina had shifted.
She could feel the system guiding her, whispering possibilities into her mind. A path opened before her—not one she could see, but one she could feel.
New Skill Acquired: Pathfinder’s Instinct
Amina turned sharply and pointed toward the far wall. “There’s another way out.”
Kojo frowned. “What? That’s solid rock.”
“No. There’s a passage. I can feel it.”
Scarface swore under his breath but nodded. “I don’t care if she grew a third eye—if she’s got a way out, we take it!”
They moved fast, Amina taking the lead. Every step she took felt precise, guided. She wove through the jagged terrain, sidestepping hazards that the others hadn’t even noticed until they were past them. The creatures snarled and shrieked, but they were slower, their bulk making them clumsy in the tight confines of the cavern.
Then she saw it—a narrow crevice hidden behind a cluster of stalagmites.
“There!” she called.
One by one, they squeezed through. The tunnel beyond was cramped, forcing them to move in single file, but it was leading them away from the horde. Amina took up the rear, waiting until the last of their group had passed before slipping in herself. The creatures screeched in frustration, but their massive forms couldn’t fit through the opening.
They ran.
The tunnels twisted and turned, but Amina’s new skill guided her unerringly. She felt like she had done this before, like she had spent years navigating underground labyrinths. Every choice, every step felt right.
Finally, light. A soft, bluish glow ahead.
The tunnel opened into a massive underground chamber. Bioluminescent vines crawled along the walls, illuminating the space with an ethereal light. In the center of the chamber stood an ancient-looking pedestal, and resting atop it—a floating crystal pulsing with energy.
Amina’s breath caught. She knew what that was.
A dungeon core.
Scarface muttered a curse. “No way. This is an unregistered dungeon. That means—”
A deep, resonant growl interrupted him. The chamber trembled as something enormous shifted in the darkness beyond the core. Two massive, glowing eyes blinked open.
Amina’s grip tightened. The real challenge had just begun.