CHAPTER 2 : Into The Dungeon's Abyss!

The creature's fangs were about to pierce my skin when a sudden movement in the shadows caught my eye.

The next thing I knew, I was flying into darkness from a powerful kick to the face.

(THUD)

"Hey MORON! Give back my clothes and sword!" a furious voice demanded.

Standing before me was a naked Leon Ashleaf—the very adventurer whose equipment I had mistakenly taken earlier.

"You?" I gasped, my eyes wide with surprise.

Before we could exchange words, the beastly Scrapling charged toward Leon. I hastily crawled to recover the fallen sword.

With the hilt gripped tightly between my fingers, I reared back and let it fly toward him.

"Heads up, dumbass!" I yelled.

Leon caught the sword easily before turning to the Scrapling, moving in with a dance of death.

I watched in awe as his sword flickered and flashed, cutting down the creature in incredible timing and skill.

(SLASH-SLASH-THUD)

As the Scrapling fell, Leon whirled, his sword pressed to my throat.

(SHING)

"You had the nerve to strip me and pretend to be me?" he growled, his eyes blazing.

"Wait, wait! Let me explain!" I pleaded, raising my hands in surrender.

"Take off those clothes now!" he angrily commanded.

Without hesitation, I reverted back to my natural Mimic form.

"I thought you were dead, that's why I took the opportunity," I hastily explained.

"You're an idiot, aren't you? Didn't you realize I was just starving?" Leon retorted, flaring his nostrils.

"I, uh, thought you were a zombie."

"A zombie? I've been trapped in this accursed dungeon without food for five days!" he clarified.

"I see. I'm really sorry about that," I stammered, unsure of how this confrontation would go.

Leon, still wary of me, dressed himself and then turned to me. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen a Mimic like you before. Why don't you come with me on my travels?"

"Are you serious?" I replied, still feeling anxious.

"Yes, what do you say?" he offered.

I hesitated. "Well, the thing is, I really don't have any idea about this, I'm actually not from this world at all," I revealed.

"What do you mean?" Leon asked, confusion on his brow.

"I used to be human. I fell asleep and woke up here," I explained.

"You mean you got reincarnated?" Leon asked, a furrowed brow.

"I don't know, maybe? All I know is that I fell asleep and then woke up here."

Leon nodded thoughtfully. "People of other worlds appearing here isn't exactly new. There have been cases of people being summoned here with magic or through other unexplained means."

I listened intently. "So you're saying this has happened to others? People ending up in this world like me?"

"That's right," Leon confirmed. "And often, they possess unique abilities and extraordinary powers."

I opened my eyes wider at the implications.

"Do you think I'm one of them?"

Leon gestured at the sword I had used earlier. "The way you handled that blade, even as a Mimic, speaks for skills above the norm, and the fact you helped me after the misunderstanding speaks for some nobility of character."

His words gave me hope. "So you think I may possess some special powers or at least a purpose here? Not just brought into this world by dumb chance?"

"It is possible," Leon said. "The ways of the world and mysteries of the multiverse aren't always explained so easily."

He gave me a crooked smile. "But somehow, I feel your arrival here is no simple coincidence."

I took his words to heart and started to work out my ideas.

Many wild things were spinning in my head as the possibilities became endless.

"Alright then, if that's the deal, I guess sticking with you on this crazy adventure could be pretty damn eye-opening," I said, flashing him a tentative smile. "I'm in if you are."

Leon extended his hand. "Deal. Welcome aboard, my little buddy. Let's see what kind of crazy shit we get into."

I took a firm grip of his hand as my nervousness turned into excitement.

Whatever lay ahead, I was ready to face it head-on with this enigmatic new partner at my side.

Into the Depths

With Leon leading and me right behind, we made our way deeper into the dark, winding corridors of this dungeon.

"So, Leon, how does an S-ranked adventurer like you end up stuck in this hellhole without food for five days?" I asked, twinkling my eyes playfully.

Leon blushed crimson and sighed. "Well, it's actually kind of an embarrassing story. But since you're dying to know, I guess I have to spill."

He stopped, running a hand through his messy hair. "I was tracking down a rumored magical artifact—one with, uh, unique enchantments." Leon cleared his throat, looking away.

My interest was piqued. "Unique enchantments, huh? Spill the beans, man."

Leon shot me a look but couldn't hide his amusement. "It was a magical codpiece, all right? One that supposedly gave the wearer... enhanced protection in certain sensitive areas."

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I couldn't contain myself from a fit of laughter as the sound bounced off the wet stone walls. "No way! The legendary Leon Ashleaf risking life and limb for a—"

(RRRROOOOAAAARRRR-SKREEEONK-GROWL)

My laughter was abruptly ended by a sudden shaking roar that echoed down the corridor. My head snapped up, and all traces of mirth vanished from my face.

(THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.)

Leon's face tightened, and his hand instinctively clasped the hilt of his sword.

"It seems we've acquired the interest of our next test," he whispered back, hard but even.

We could feel the heavy steps coming from afar, closer to where we were.

There were the tiniest hints of nerves in his eyes, but he seemed primed and ready for this one.

As for me, apprehension slowly wrapped around me, unsure about the challenge we were about to face.

(THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.)

"Shit's about to go down. You ready, my little buddy?" Leon asked, smiling.

Before I could even spit out a reply,

(RRRROOOOAAAARRRR-SKREEEONK-GROWL)

We got ambushed by a ginormous, three-headed freak.

Its body was jacked as hell, and I could feel its raw power just oozing out, giving me the creeps.

The beast reared back, its three heads opening wide before releasing a torrent of scorching flames. The heat was intense, singeing the air as we barely dove aside, feeling the blistering heat brush past us.

(WHOOSH)

"It's a CHIMERA! Watch out, that scrap you dealt with earlier is a cakewalk compared to this," Leon warned, dancing around the Chimera's relentless attacks.

"SKILL REPLICATION!"

I copied that fiery breath, but it seemed to dodge the damn thing as if it were nothing.

"Not bad, kiddo," Leon chuckled, a tease in his eyes because I missed.

What I really wanted to do was to flex my POWER MIMICRY and ADAPTIVE PHYSIOLOGY by copying the beast for strength and abilities to show off to Leon, but getting close to that beast proved more difficult than expected.

The Chimera, sensing the dungeon below it, roared and tapped into its earth affinity.

(RRRROOOOAAAARRRR-SKREEEONK-GROWL)

It smashed its paws on the ground and shot shockwaves with fissures racing at us.

Rocks and debris detonated into the air as it messed with the very battlefield itself.

Leon struggled to retain his balance in the quake, while the Chimera continued its rampage, creating hellish chaos in our surroundings.

The quakes were so fierce that even the nearby structures started crumbling, and the dungeon shook violently.

The Chimera locked its deadly eyes on Leon, with every intention of killing.

Rearing up again with another bone-rattling roar, it lifted its paws, ready to strike once more and with greater force.

Leon finally found his balance, looking at it straight in the eye, the battle inside him a mix of fear and determination.

"Stay back!" he shouted, at the ready, but just as his blow was about to fall, the ground gave way, and he was swallowed down into the dark below.

As the echoes of his fall died out, the Chimera's roar echoed in the dungeon, marking the beginning of a bigger nightmare.

"Leon!!!" I screamed, my voice breaking as I watched his figure disappear into the abyss below. Panic surged through me, but I forced myself to stay focused. I couldn't lose him.

Panicked but not about to let him go, I surged towards the hole and mimicked the Chimera's earth-shattering powers in one last desperate try to reach him.

The ground rocked and cracked beneath me as I released shockwaves to propel me forward.

Trash rained down about me, but I bobbed and weaved, focus unbroken.

"Leon!" I hollered, my voice echoing through the collapsing corridor. "Just hang on, I'm coming!"

(RRRROOOOAAAARRRR-SKREEEONK-GROWL)

Feeling my meddling, the Chimera turned its wrath on me.

It let forth a deafening roar, showering me with earth and stone to bury me alive.

I wasn't doing any of that. I mirrored the resilience and resilience of the beast itself to endure the violence.

Gritting my teeth, I charged to make contact with the Chimera, using my skills ADAPTIVE PHYSIOLOGY and POWER MIMICRY.

My body twisted and morphed to match the Chimera's raw, savage power.

I had to get to Leon, whatever it took. He was counting on me, and I wasn't going to let him down.

The closer I came to this gap, the more I could feel Leon, very faint, below.

Another thought did not cross my mind as I dove headfirst into darkness, my form shifting into a huge winged beast to slow my descent.

Air whistled past me; the wind howled, banshee-like, but I held locked-in, focused on that faint life-signal from the depths.

And there he was – battered and bruised, still throwing punches.

With a great sweep of wing, I gathered him close and held on while we launched upward.

(RRRROOOOAAAARRRR-SKREEEONK-GROWL)

The roars of the Chimera echoed behind us, but I did not give a damn. My only care was Leon.

As we came out of the darkness and into the light, I set Leon down onto firm ground as my form shifted back to its natural Mimic state.

He was bruised and bloody, but alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Leon, you okay?" I asked, worry dripping from my voice. "I'm so sorry, I should've been quicker, I—"

But Leon just lifted a hand, silencing me. "Nonsense, buddy," he croaked, with a tired smile. "You saved me, against all hope. I owe you my life."

I felt a mix of relief and couldn't help but smile back at him. "Well, that makes us even, after what happened earlier."

Leon chuckled, then winced in pain. "Indeed. But I reckon our adventure's just getting started."

Cue, the earth-shaking roar of the Chimera came again.

(RRRROOOOAAAARRRR-SKREEEONK-GROWL)

A brute reminder that danger was far from over. I tensed, ready this time to face it head-on with Leon by my side.

"Are you ready, my friend?" Leon said, his eyes shining with a determined glint. "Shall we finish what we have begun?"

I nodded, my resolve hardening. "Hell yeah. I'm with you till the end."

We wheeled around to face the Chimera, bonding as our bond had been tempered and ready to face whatever hell was thrown at us next.

Just as we were bracing ourselves to take on this monster of a foe, a chilling realization hit me.

The Chimera's roar did not originate from where we expected.

I turned slowly, and what I saw sent shivers down my spine.

(THUD. THUD. THUD.)

The eyes glowed with pure malevolence, making the hair on my neck stand on end.

There, looming over us, were not one, but two Chimeras—their six heads and towering forms a dark omen over the crumbling dungeon.

"Leon." I whispered, almost inaudibly. "I don't think we're done here just yet."

The twin Chimeras let loose a deafening, shaking roar, reverberating like a herald of yet more perilous battle to come.

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