The creature struck the stone floor with enough force to crack it, landing on all fours in a violent spray of dust and torn silk that burst outward from the point of impact.

Nero leapt backward immediately, boots scraping against stone as he created distance. His knife came up in a tight defensive guard, held close to his body rather than extended. He did not rush to assess. He let his instincts take over while his eyes worked.

The thing before him was large, its body stretched long and low like a hunting beast poised to spring. Multiple limbs unfolded as it rose. The movements were not fast yet, but they were terrifyingly subtle, and that subtlety spoke of its danger. Its torso was unmistakably humanoid in structure, though elongated beyond proportion. The ribcage pressed visibly beneath stretched, pallid flesh, expanding and contracting as it breathed.

Its lower half was worse.

The abdomen was swollen and segmented, encased in a hard, layered chitin that caught the light with a faint, oily sheen. Thick strands of silk extended from it, anchoring the creature to the surrounding walls and ceiling. The silk was under tension, already drawn tight, allowing the thing to shift its weight without lifting its entire body from the ground. It did not need to move normally. It could reposition itself instantly.

Nero felt a tightening sensation at the base of his skull.

Its face was partially human, though the resemblance ended quickly upon closer inspection. The jaw was split down the center, separating unnaturally to reveal multiple interlocking rows of narrow, needle-like teeth. Several eyes clustered unevenly across its brow and cheeks, some larger than others, all unblinking, all fixed directly on him.

The crease in Nero's brows softened slightly.

This was not the Taintbrute. Instead, it was one of the humanoid Abominations within the area; a Mourning Hollow.

The bloodlust intensified, no longer passive or probing. It locked onto him directly,

Nero moved first.

He lunged forward, low and direct, aiming for one of the creature's supporting limbs. His blade struck chitin and skidded off with a sharp screech, sparks flashing briefly as metal scraped hardened shell.

The Mourning Hollow reacted instantly. Silk snapped taut as it hauled its body sideways, evading the follow-up strike with unnatural speed. One of its upper limbs lashed out in response, claws tearing through the air where Nero's chest had been a heartbeat earlier. He twisted away, feeling the displaced air brush against his ribs as the claws raked stone instead.

He rolled across the floor to avoid being cornered, came up on one knee, and slashed again without hesitation. This time, he adjusted his angle and aimed for exposed flesh rather than armor. The blade bit deep into the softer tissue near the creature's shoulder.

Black fluid spilled free, thick and viscous, hissing faintly where it struck the stone.

The Mourning Hollow shrieked, a piercing sound that reverberated through the chamber and echoed down the surrounding corridors. The webs overhead trembled in response, vibrating as though the structure itself reacted to the cry.

He pressed forward, chaining his strikes together in rapid succession. The Crimson Crucible style demanded momentum, and it punished hesitation without mercy. Every movement flowed into the next, each strike forcing the creature to react rather than plan.

The Hollow fought back viciously. Clawed fingers lashed outward, snapping at Nero's forearm with terrible force as its body bore towards him as strands of silk fell from the walls towards his body. Nero reacted without thinking, slicing through the strands with a sharp twist of his wrist, but the distraction cost him.

A claw raked across his side, tearing fabric and skin alike.

Searing pain flared, hot enough to threaten his focus. Nero gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay upright. Instead of giving ground, he stepped inside the creature's reach, denying it the space its limbs needed.

He drove his shoulder into its torso, the impact jarring both of them, and slammed his knife upward into the base of its neck. The blade lodged there, embedded deep enough that his grip wrenched painfully as the creature reacted.

The Hollow roared and reared back, silk snapping as it threw its weight violently. Nero was torn free and hurled across the stone floor. He hit hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs and sending a jolt of pain through his spine.

He rolled instinctively, barely clearing the space as a massive limb crashed down where his head had been moments earlier. Stone shattered under the blow, fragments skittering across the floor.

Nero scrambled to his feet, chest burning as he dragged air back into his lungs. The creature was rather vicious.

But it was not invulnerable.

The knife still protruded from its neck, black fluid dripping steadily down its chest.

Nero focused.

He drew in a breath and felt the familiar surge of Ein Sof respond. The flow was controlled, restrained, but present. He did not need much. He only needed enough.

He moved.

The next exchange was the very epitome of swift brutality.

Nero darted in and out of reach, forcing the creature to track him while subtly positioning himself. Each feint drew a reaction. Each retreat pulled it forward. When it lunged again, committing its weight, Nero sidestepped at the last moment and leapt, planting a foot against the silk-lined wall.

The tension in the strands carried him upward.

He passed close enough to seize the hilt of his knife. He wrenched it free as he fell behind the Taintbrute, tearing through flesh as the blade came loose.

The creature staggered, its movements faltering for the first time.

Nero did not stop.

He drove the blade in again, this time between the chitin plates of its abdomen. He twisted, felt resistance give way, and then tore the knife free and slashed upward with everything he had left.

The Abomination collapsed forward, its limbs spasming as it struck the floor.

Silence returned.

Nero stood over the corpse, breathing hard, his hands trembling from exertion.

Slowly, he knelt.

He did not waste time.

The posture of prayer came naturally now. His palms pressed together as his eyes closed.

The Heretic Eyes opened behind closed lids as the familiar process began.

The flow was stronger this time, far stronger than before. The rivers within him trembled as Ein Sof poured from the dying body, corrupted energy pushing against his control. Nero clenched his jaw and held the balance steady, forcing the flow through the narrow channel he had carved within himself.

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