Chapter 38: The Dungeon

Lumi’s eyes immediately darted toward the Anomaly.

Evan had already driven it back several meters, leaving deep cracks across the dungeon floor where its body had been slammed against the stone.

But something was definitely wrong.

The Anomaly should have been weakening. It was clearly taking damage. Several wounds covered its body, and one of its arms was hanging at an unnatural angle.

But instead of slowing down, it suddenly straightened.

The damaged arm twitched slowly and returned to its original position.

Lumi’s expression changed.

’It’s... healing?’

Evan launched another attack.

A powerful burst of energy struck the Anomaly directly in the chest, sending it crashing backward.

The creature roared.

For a moment, Lumi thought it was finally going down before she noticed something.

The vines... The Crimson Veil growing along the dungeon walls had begun to tremble. Tiny crimson particles floated from the flowers, almost invisible beneath the dim light.

The Anomaly’s body suddenly pulsed and the wounds across its chest began closing.

Lumi’s eyes widened.

"No..." She finally remembered the textbook and what Crimson Veil could do.

Its pollen contained concentrated energy that could be absorbed by certain Anomalies, allowing them to replenish their energy and accelerate their regeneration.

Lumi’s face slowly paled.

’That’s why it isn’t weakening.’

The Anomaly wasn’t simply enduring Evan’s attacks... It was feeding.

Every time Evan damaged it, the creature absorbed more pollen and every time it lost energy, the Crimson Veil gave it more.

And the longer they remained inside this dungeon, the more pollen was accumulating in the air.

Lumi’s gaze immediately shifted toward Evan.

He was still fighting and seemed to be overpowering the Anomaly. But even Evan couldn’t keep using that level of power indefinitely.

His breathing had become slightly heavier. A faint spark of electricity flickered across his fingers before disappearing.

Lumi’s fingers tightened around her jacket.

’This is bad.’

The Anomaly suddenly charged again.

Evan raised his arm to block it.

BOOM!

The impact sent another shockwave through the dungeon.

Lumi stumbled backward. When she looked up again, Evan was still standing.

But the Anomaly was already getting back on its feet, and the wounds covering its body were slowly closing again.

Lumi stared at the Crimson Veil surrounding them before shifting her gaze back to the Anomaly. Her heart began beating faster.

If this continued... Evan would eventually run out of energy.

The Anomaly wouldn’t.

"Evan!"

He turned his head toward her while holding the creature back. "What?"

Lumi opened her mouth. She needed to tell him. But before she could, the Anomaly suddenly roared.

The Crimson Veil flowers surrounding the entire dungeon bloomed at once. A thick cloud of crimson pollen burst into the air.

Lumi’s eyes widened. She finally realized something even worse. The plant wasn’t just helping the Anomaly regenerate. It was making it stronger.

"Darian!"

Lumi turned toward Darian, who was standing with the other Sentinels near the edge of the battlefield.

"Burn... burn all the plants here!"

Darian froze, "Burn them?"

"Yes!" Lumi pointed toward the Crimson Veil. "The pollen is feeding the Anomaly! Every time Evan damages it, it’s absorbing the energy from these plants and recovering!"

Darian’s eyes immediately shifted toward the Anomaly. As if to prove Lumi’s words, another wound on its shoulder closed completely.

His expression changed. "Everyone heard her!"

The Sentinels immediately moved.

"Use fire-based weapons! Burn every Crimson Veil you can see!"

Several Sentinels raised their weapons.

Flames erupted across the dungeon walls. The Crimson Veil vines began to curl and wither, releasing another burst of crimson pollen as they burned.

Lumi’s face changed. "Wait!"

Darian looked back. "What?"

"Don’t breathe it in!" She shouted in panic, "Don’t breathe!"

Everyone froze for half a second.

Lumi’s eyes widened as she remembered another warning from the same textbook.

’The pollen... the pollen!’

Her face slowly paled. She had forgotten one important detail. "Darian..."

"What?" Darian breathed hard.

Lumi swallowed. "Crimson Veil pollen isn’t only dangerous to Anomalies."

Darian’s expression stiffened. "What does it do to humans?"

Lumi stared at the thick red haze spreading through the dungeon and her lips parted slightly.

"It can interfere with energy circulation," she finally said. "But not immediately. The longer someone is exposed to it, the more dangerous it becomes."

Darian’s expression turned serious. "How long?"

"I don’t know exactly. It depends on the person’s energy resistance."

Before Darian could ask anything else, a furious roar suddenly shook the entire dungeon.

Lumi flinched.

The Anomaly had noticed that Evan’s attention was no longer completely on it.

Evan turned his head slightly, his eyes immediately searching for Lumi.

And at that moment the Anomaly seized the opportunity. It swung its massive arm with tremendous force.

The blow struck Evan across the side before he could fully turn around. His body was sent crashing several meters away, smashing into the stone wall.

"Evan!" Lumi’s heart jumped.

She took a step forward without thinking. But the Anomaly had already turned toward her.

Its glowing eyes locked onto Lumi.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to stop.

Lumi froze as the creature lowered its body before suddenly lunging toward her.

"Lumi, run!" Darian shouted as he rushed forward to protect her.

Lumi turned around and tried to move, but her legs felt too slow. The Anomaly was already right in front of her, its enormous claws rising toward her as she instinctively raised her arms to protect her head.

Darian reached her just in time.

He grabbed Lumi and pulled her backward, forcing himself between her and the Anomaly. The creature’s claw came down at the same moment, and although Darian managed to push Lumi out of its reach, the sharp claw pierced straight through his shoulder.

"Darian!" Lumi stumbled backward, her face turning pale as she stared at the blood quickly spreading across his uniform.

Darian gritted his teeth against the pain, but he remained standing in front of her, refusing to move away. He forced a painful smile despite the wound.

"I’m fine..." he said through clenched teeth before adding, "Tell your Sentinel to raise my salary..."

He still managed to slip out a joke despite the situation, but before Lumi could even react, the Anomaly suddenly pressed down harder, forcing Darian’s injured shoulder lower as its enormous claw dug deeper into his protective gear.

"Darian!" Lumi’s heart jumped as she watched him struggle to hold the creature back.

"Move!" Darian’s voice came out strained as he tried to push the Anomaly away with his remaining strength. "Lumi, get back!"

But Lumi couldn’t move. Her eyes remained fixed on Darian’s wounded shoulder, and for the first time since entering the dungeon, the reality of how dangerous this place truly was finally sank in.

"Move..."

Evan’s voice came from the side as he flashed forward, appearing between Lumi and the Anomaly in an instant.

The creature’s claw came crashing down, but Evan caught it with one hand. The force of the impact sent a violent shockwave through the dungeon, scattering dust and loose stones across the floor.

Evan’s expression darkened as he twisted the Anomaly’s arm and forced it backward. "Get Darian out of here."

Lumi stood frozen for a moment, her eyes fixed on Darian’s bloodied shoulder.

"Go." This time, Evan’s voice was much harsher.

Lumi flinched.

Evan finally glanced back at her, his eyes cold and serious.

"Lumi, I said go. I can’t protect you and fight this thing at the same time!"