As Jake made his way through the final hallway, he watched as his surroundings shifted. Markings covered the walls around him, each one like the gashes he had seen at the entrance. With each step he took, felt the air grow heavier, digging into his body. Yet, this was different. Unlike the feral hatred the Ravager emitted, this was much more focused. It knew how powerful it was and how to use it.

This was an active threat.

As he continued down the scarred cave, he watched as the cuts in the stone began to change. Slowly, the wild slash marks began to become more orderly. Each strike, while still carrying a heavy savagery, seemed to have become more refined. He stopped in front of a cluster of strikes before bringing his fingers to the scarred walls. Trailing his fingers against one of the marks, he felt the stone seem to dig against his fingers. The feeling crawled up his arm, like a cat biting into his flesh. It was as if the stone itself seemed to have it out for him.

'So, a War Chief is the boss,' he thought, bringing his hand away from the scar. He faced this boss a few times before. Used during the first actual missions of the game, it served as an early test for the players. A way for players to show that they understood and can apply what they learned in the tutorials.

As he went deeper into the hallway, he began to plan through his options. Solo boss fights were rare due to how the game encouraged team-fighting. While it could still be possible, it would need him to plan for everything that would happen.

'Hit-and-run could work, especially in the earlier stages. Keep distance with the pistol and attack when there is a gap. The spears would also be rather simple to deal with. The second stage will be an issue, though.’

As he mulled over his plan, picking out the optimal choices, he felt the air around him change. While it had the same weight as before, it seemed to be...different. Like there was something else in the area.

Strange.

Pushing the oddity aside, he continued forward, arriving at the final gate. A wall of cracked, mirror-like glass stood in front of him. As he stared at the barrier, he watched as the shards of glass seemed to crack and reform at rapid speeds. 

'Strange seeing a Gate in person,' he thought as he looked over the wall. He had seen them through the screen before, whenever he had gone into a dungeon. It served its purpose, being a way to allow players to explore longer. Yet, being in front of one was something else. It was as if the air itself seemed to crack and heave under an unknown weight.

Bringing his hand towards the barrier, he watched as it sunk into the mirror-like wall. As he shifted around his hand, it felt sluggish. Every movement of his arm faced pushback and resistance, as if it was tar. Pulling it out of the barrier, he watched as the barrier rippled like that of waves.

A numbness covered his hand, the feeling akin to that of needles pricking his skin. As he flexed his fingers, he felt the numb feeling leave his hand. Once it was gone, he turned his gaze back to the rippling barrier. It shone under the cyan light, small shimmers coming and going with each passing second. Pulling out the weapons he took from the corpses before, he made his way towards the barrier. As he entered through the portal, he felt that same biting sensation wash over him, nipping at his skin. Yet, it passed on as fast as it came, leaving him in a new area. 

Taking a quick look at his surroundings, the only way he could describe it was ‘scarred’. It was as if a storm of blades came and carved its way through, leaving nothing untouched. Turning his attention away from the scarred walls, his gaze landed on the Warchief.

A head taller than even the Ravager, its body seemed to be more scars than skin. Its scales shone under the light, indistinguishable from armor. Meeting its eyes, he felt its gaze dig into his body. Yet, it didn’t seem wrathful. Rather, it was cautious of him.

As the two of them began to circle each other, Jake watched as an aura like that of the Ravager began to exude from its body. Its grip on its blade tightened, the aura seeping down its arm.

Now.

Pulling out his pistol, Jake fired off a barrage of bullets, each one blocked by the Warchief’s shield. Ducking under a swing, he pulled out the blade he took before stabbing into its leg. The blade cut through the boss’s hide, jagged edge ripping through exposed flesh. Enraged, the beast thrusted its blade towards him, causing him to jump back. Putting distance between them, Jake fired off another barrage at the Warchief. Bringing up its shield, it rushed towards him, closing the distance. Ducking under a swing at his neck, he stabbed at its side, only for it to jump out of his reach. As it retreated, Jake rushed forward and continued his assault, causing it to bring up its shield. 

As the bullets slammed into the bone shield, the Warchief rushed towards him, weapon at the ready.

Dodging the strike, Jake stabbed the blade into its arm, sliding between its bony plate. Jumping back, he slid out the hatchet from his waistband before dashing forward. Seeing this, the boss dragged its shield through the ground, a volley of rocks flying towards him.

Focus.

As the world came to a crawl, he weaved through the barrage before bolting forward. Sliding under the boss’ legs, he twisted his body before slashing at its legs. Stumbling to its knees, it turned around to strike at him with its shield. Dodging the attack, he slammed the ax into the boss' shoulder. As it dug into its flesh, Jake felt the air around him twist. It dug into his body, the feeling of it akin to blades cutting through his skin. 

This is it.

Ripping out the ax, Jake jumped back, creating distance between him and the monster. He watched as it began to stand up, steam coming from its wounds. Letting out a low growl, it tossed both weapon and shield aside, its gaze locked on him. Anger seemed to emanate from its body, its claws now like that of blades. Shifting his grip, he felt the air grow heavy, the smell of sulfur flooding his nose. Letting out a guttural roar, the Warchief rushed towards him. Its claws now a crimson glow, it swung at his head, the air itself tearing apart.

Weaving around the strike, Jake twisted his body before launching a kick into its gut. Shaken by the force, the boss stumbled back, its hands holding the bruised spot. Pressing the advantage, he dashed forward, closing the gap between them. Seeming to put aside the pain, it lunged forward, launching a punch towards him. He ducked under the strike before swinging his ax into the creature's thigh, causing it to fall to its knees.

Holstering his pistol, he grabbed the blade before ripping it out of its arm. The jagged edge tore through the scaled flesh, spraying the area with blackened blood. Letting out an echoing scream, the Warchief swung at his head, intent on swatting him away. Ducking under the wild swing, he then stabbed the blade into its chest. Ripping out the ax from its leg, he then brought the ax down onto its head.

As he watched the Warchief’s body go limp, the small flickers of life fading from its eyes, Jake felt the air shift. Stepping away from the corpse, he watched as the ground under the body began to shift.

Large roots, each one as thick as a condor, made their way out of the ground, slithering towards the fresh cadaver. The tendrils began to wrap around it, twisting into a cocoon-like shape. Once completely consumed, he watched as the mass of roots began to again reshape itself. They writhed against each other, twisting themselves into that of a table. Sitting on formed table was a large flower bud, about the size of a basketball. The air around it pulsed, the rhythm akin to a heartbeat.

‘So, that's how a Nexus Bud forms,’ he thought, tilting his head. He had to admit, seeing it happen in front of him was rather different than what he knew. Making a mental note to look further, he stepped forward before placing his hand on the Nexus Bulb. As he rested his palm against the bud, he felt the whole thing pulse against before it began to unfurl. As the bulb bloomed, the air became lighter, the pressure he had felt before gone. Once fully bloomed, he watched as the petals began to flutter, a silent wind flowing through them. As it danced, he saw various items sitting between the petals, light flickering off of them.

Putting his hand into the flowerhead, he began to search through the thick petals. As he rummaged through it, he paused as something brushed against his fingers. Bringing his fingertips around the item, a familiar rush of static passed through his arm. He wrapped his fingers around the item before pulling it out of the container. A large stone-like object sat in his hand, about the size of a softball.

‘This is what a Ruler Core looks like, huh,’ he thought as he tossed the core between his hands. While smoother than a Magos Core, it still shifted from one feeling to another. One moment, it was akin to polished metal, reflecting his gaze back at him. Another, it was more akin to a chunk of meat, almost slimy.

Putting the core into his bag, he then shoved his hand back into the flowerhead. As he searched through the petals, he felt his hand brush against another item. It was sharp, the feeling akin to a knife. Moving his fingers around, he wrapped his hand around the item before pulling it out. Once his hand had been fully removed, he opened his palm to see a large fang, around the size of a small knife. As it sat in his hand, he felt the air around it become sharp, akin to needles prickling against his skin. Putting it in his pouch, he watched as the Nexus Bud began to wither away.

Turning around, Jake began to make his way out of the dungeon, his footsteps echoing against the stone.

Stepping out of the dungeon, Jake made his way over to the pickup truck. As he got closer to the truck, he saw the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Stepping closer, he saw their body rise and fall, the motion slow and rhythmical.

Moving over to the driver's side, Jake banged his fist against the door. Startled, the driver bolted up, eyes wide as they looked around, panicked. Yet, once their gaze landed on him, their face turned from panic to that of annoyance.

“Did you really have to do that?” The driver asked, a small scowl on their face. Giving a light shrug, Jake hopped into the truck bed before tapping the side. Hearing a sigh came from the driver, the truck roared to life, settling into a low grumbling. Gripping the side, he felt the vehicle jerk as it began its path back to Northwater.

His new place of residence.