A low growl echoed through the black expanse.
The last orb pulsed—then cracked violently, splintering into shards of dark light. From within, a creature emerged—twice the size of a man, bone-plated with six jagged arms and eyes glowing violet.
[Boss Monster Spawned: Six-Armed Ravager][Classification: Rare Elite][Warning: High Threat Level – Early Game]
Ren's grin widened as the creature roared into the void. Shadows swirled around him in a defensive dance.
"Well… looks like the dimension wants to kill us on our first date," he muttered, cracking his knuckles.
Aiko instinctively drew two kunai, heart racing. "This is what you meant by 'a shortcut to power'?! This thing's stronger than most jonin!"
Ren didn't flinch. "Power has a price, Aiko. But I always pay in full."
The beast lunged.
Ren's two shadows—one rogue, one skeletal—leapt forward, blades clashing with chitinous arms. They were outmatched instantly, shattered with a sweep of the creature's claws.
[Shadow Units Destroyed: 2][Re-summon available after cooldown]
Ren's Sharingan locked onto the creature. Every motion, every twitch — he could see it, predict it.
But he was still human… for now.
Still weak.
And that pissed him off.
"Keep it distracted," he said, dashing to the side, fingers weaving seals rapidly.
Aiko, despite her better judgment, followed his lead — flipping backward and launching three kunai into the monster's eyes. It screeched, blinded briefly.
Ren dropped into a crouch, eyes narrowing as he tapped into the shadow beneath his feet — the new instinct he'd begun to understand.
[Skill: Shadow Merge – Temporary Fusion with Summon][Shadow Form: Berserker Mode – 30 seconds][Warning: Physical Strain Risk – Proceed?][Proceed: Yes / No]
"Yes," he growled.
Darkness swallowed him. For a moment, he ceased to exist in the light.
Then—
He rose, cloaked in jagged black armor, eyes glowing like twin moons of crimson flame.
Aiko gasped.
Ren's voice was layered—human and not. "Let's make this quick."
The battle that followed wasn't fair.
Ren moved like a storm: teleporting between shadows, striking from impossible angles. Each hit carved through the beast like a hot blade through ice.
Aiko watched, frozen. Not just from fear… but fascination.
The way he moved. The calm fury. The power he shouldn't have had.
She had always been above her peers. Smarter. Faster. Sharper. But Ren? Ren was on a completely different level. It was terrifying—and intoxicating.
The final blow came as Ren leapt from the beast's own shadow, ramming a blackened spear into its core.
[Boss Defeated][Loot: 4 Shadow Orbs | Rare Skill Scroll | Dimensional Core Fragment][Shadow Extract Available]
He collapsed to one knee, breathing hard as the darkness receded. Sweat dripped from his brow, but he was smiling—exhilarated.
Aiko approached slowly.
"You… you're insane."
Ren looked up at her, one eye flickering with residual shadow.
"Maybe," he said. "But you're still here."
She looked away quickly, cheeks burning.
[Companion Loyalty +10][Bond Level: Warming Up]
Back in the real world, as they stepped out of the dimension beneath the pale moonlight, Aiko glanced sideways.
"What happens now?"
Ren smirked, gaze distant. "Now? I keep getting stronger. I build my army. And I take everything this world denied me."
He paused—then turned to her, softer.
"And you? You stay by my side. Because whether you admit it or not… you want to see how far I'll go."
Aiko didn't answer.
But she didn't walk away, either.
To Be Continued...