Like the savage beast he was in the sheets, Vale threw his body at the nearest chameleon and socked it in the face with its fist. The lime green bastard stumbled back while giving Vale a dirty look, then its body shimmered and faded into the background.

The other three were not going to allow Vale to get away with this assault.

The bloodied chameleon came first and threw its body into Vale. Vale sent a punch into the reptilian's cheek, but its body still flung forward as it absorbed the blow and wrapped its arm, legs, and tail around Vale, holding him in place.

It opened its mouth and covered Vale in its repugnant breath.

As the wrapped up Vale looked into the beast's mouth, he spotted a purple worm coiling, then shooting at his face. Vale barely managed to swivel his head to the side, but in his attempt to dodge the nasty tongue, he'd thrown himself and the bloody reptilian to the ground.

The other two, weaponless, began kicking Vale while he was restrained, not caring if any of their stray hits would strike their comrade.

Vale could do nothing but take it.

One of the chameleons hissed in an ugly voice as it kicked Vale.

"Kill… Lust…"

Vale struggled, trying to free himself, but even if he was stronger than the Chameleon Warrior grappling with him, the tail made it entirely unfair. It's extra appendage worked to assist in locking down Vale's joints whenever he tried to escape…

'Wait…'

As a chill wafted through the air, more and more ferocious kicks spawned bruises and did untold damage to Vale's back, the third chameleon reappeared, holding one of the bone knives that had been thrown across the floor.

His sight of the armed attacker was quickly veiled when the bloodied reptile hugging him snapped at his face once again.

The only caveat for Vale was that there seemed to be no more foes appearing, and his pain was still being dulled… It wasn't all gone, just dull.

Vale continued to try to break free, but his attempts repeatedly failed. The only progress he managed to make was dodging a couple of blows and trying his best to stay away from the armed one.

But he couldn't dodge for long.

The chameleon with the bone knife descended on Vale and joined in the grapple. The dull smack of flesh being pierced sounded, and Vale felt a staggering pain momentarily…

Vale let out a slight shriek:

"Aah!"

The pain quickly faded, but it was clear what had just happened.

The bone knife had just been shoved deep into his back.

But despite the situation, Vale let a smile etch onto his face as he threw his head back just in time to glimpse the armed chameleon raising its arms again in an attempt to land the killing blow on Vale.

Vale was able to squirm just enough for the blade to miss his neck, but this time it got lodged in his shoulder. Immediately, he shapeshifted the skin to toughen it and hold the knife and the hand gripping it in place.

Vale grimaced, then screamed:

"Usually I'm the one putting things in others!"

The air grew colder and stiffer as Vale decided enough was enough.

His Aether reserves were definitely going to suffer, but Vale once again engaged the bracers. He expected the golden armor to shoot out and push his attackers away, but something much more gruesome and terrifying happened.

[You have slain Nascent Chameleon Warrior]

[+5 Aether]

The bloodied chameleon that clung to him was not just bloody anymore…

The armor had come to life and assumed its form on his body, covering his chest and shoulders as before. But instead of pushing the beasts clinging to him away to take complete form, or being unable to form at all, it cut through whatever was in its path.

Half of the chameleon's blood and guts were under the plates of the armor, smushed tightly against Vale's chest; the other half was peeling away from his body and sinking into the dungeon floor.

The lower body of the dead chameleon was the first to disappear, followed by its back and most of its tail.

The once armed chameleon shrieked and rolled around, clutching a stump where its right hand should have been.

The two remaining Warriors, who seemed unfazed before, jumped back in horror at the sight of their kindred being bisected.

Finally given some room to breathe, Vale pushed off the ground and rose to his feet.

Then, he dismissed the armor just before his reserves were going to flatline.

As the armor receded into the bracers, the estranged guts clinging to his body fell to the ground with wet splatters. The loudest thump is being made by the detached arm holding a bone knife, which fell from his shoulder.

Vale's entire body was stained red, and bits and pieces of brain matter, blood, and other organs clung to his naked form.

He took deep, ragged breaths.

"Finally…"

Vale smiled with his teeth stained red as the chill permeating the air intensified to an unbearable degree.

At the end of the maze corridor they were fighting in, Ximena stood with a stoic expression, her sash now covering her body like a robe, the crystals gone from the velvet cloth. Most strikingly, the tight crystal outfit she wore had peeled away, becoming wings.

'I was wondering where they were, if she was an owl…'

But to think her outfit had been her wings folded around her the whole time.

Ximena walked forward while staring down the three terrified Chameleon Warriors.

"You…"

With each step she took, the air got colder, and each breath became sharper and more painful.

"You bastards! You dare upon these sacred grounds and wreak havoc! You dare bring pain to Master Vale!"

'Sacred?'

Vale didn't entirely know how the dungeon was sacred, but he was thankful Ximena had finally arrived.

But, unfortunately, Vale wasn't entirely immune to her presence either. While he could feel the dreadful cold, it wasn't too painful — the actual issue lay in the fact that his body wasn't resisting the detrimental effects. His body was dying…

As his foes' ligaments and joints moved more slowly and became rigid, so did Vale's.

All the blood caking Vale's body had frozen, and the bits of flesh still clinging to his body now transfused to his skin.

Ximena, perhaps overcome by emotion, didn't notice and continued her march toward the three frightened reptilian scoundrels. The agitated woman brushed past Vale and approached the Chameleon Warriors, who desperately tried to activate their camouflage or run, but nothing worked.

When she reached them, she touched them one by one, causing them to tense up and the luster of life to fade from their eyes.

"Freeze… bastards. May your only solace from the cold be in the infernal pits of hell."

The system spoke in Vale's ears as the frozen Chameleon Warrior's corpses sank into the ground, but he ignored it.

Vale struggled to stand and forced one foot in front of the other as he sauntered after his Champion.

Ximena, after relieving her anger, looked back at Vale in confusion. While she knew he was affected by her ability, he'd been able to resist it before. So, what was the problem now?

"Master?"

Ximena stared into Vale's eyes, which had been frozen open, the flickering aura growing still.

Vale continued to shuffel like a zombie, movement going harder and more taxing as he closed in on Ximena. When he reached her, Vale shakily put his hands on her shoulders and lowered himself slightly.

Then, Vale pulled the owl's face toward his and planted a kiss on her lips. He drew away slightly with a shaky breath before repeatedly indulging in Ximnea's refreshing and delicate taste.

The next time Vale pulled away, he had a new luster of life in his eyes.

"Ah… much better."

Vale tested moving around to see if he was back to normal, and was ecstatic to see all his limbs moving orderly, though the frozen flesh and blood were still attached to his skin.

Vale looked down at Ximena to find her completely frozen as if the ability had been reversed. That's when Vale realized he'd just spat blood into the poor girl's mouth while also being covered in the ghastly concoction…

"Oh… sorry."

Ximena's cheeks reddened, and if she was trying to say something, her mouth didn't seem to be working. It just fluttered open and closed with no words coming out.

Vale took a step toward Ximena and asked.

"You okay?"

Ximena countered Vale's movement and took a step away, a dull and listless expression adorning her face.

'Oh gods… I've traumatized the poor girl!'

Vale stared at a little red line that trickled down Ximena's lips and pale skin, crystallizing the moment it detached from her body.

"Myuh- I-"

Ximena staggered around as she felt at her lips as if something were wrong with them.

Vale was about to apologize for the bloody kiss when he noticed it… the orb was still glowing on the floor in the middle of the room.

Vale trudged forward and picked it up.

[You have equipped an SR-rank item: Dawn's Eye]

'Oh, neat! An item!'

Vale smiled with glee and looked toward Ximena. But for some reason, Ximena was still frozen in shock; her face tinged with a light crimson.

'Was it that traumatizing?!'

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