In Another World With Omnitrix

The crystal caves stretched ahead in eerie silence, the walls glimmering faintly with refracted light. Sharp formations jutted from the ground and ceiling like jagged teeth. Every sound—footsteps, breath, the shift of clothing—echoed with a metallic timbre, as though the entire place were hollowed from a living gem.

Riven adjusted his hood and glanced at the jagged terrain's edges. "Great. A place built like a mirror maze, but deadlier."

Beside him, Lyra Veyla walked with fluid ease, her slate-gray coat trailing just above the ground. Her icy-blue eyes scanned the terrain with calm sharpness, and the silvery-white ponytail over her shoulder swayed with every step.

She glanced sideways at him, the faintest smirk curving her lips. "You sure you're not going to get lost in here, rookie?"

Riven exhaled, unamused. "I'm more worried about tripping and impaling myself on one of these rocks."

They'd entered less than twenty minutes ago, and so far, the dungeon had been nothing but winding crystalline corridors and mirrored dead ends. Still, Riven felt uneasy—not just because it was unfamiliar, but because Nullshift still felt foreign on his arm.

The sleek gauntlet glinted faintly with dormant energy. He hadn't truly relied on it in real combat, because he just got it and has not use in real combat—but now, it felt like a sword he'd only read about in books.

Lyra slowed her pace, looking over her shoulder. "You said you've used that thing before. Why do you look like you're carrying dead weight?"

Riven grunted. "I've only used it a few times. And mostly against weak bosses." He didn't have a choice so he lie.

She arched a brow. "Let me guess—you got lucky."

He shrugged. "Pretty much. I haven't had the time to train with it."

"Well, this is a terrible place to start learning," she teased. "But I guess trial by fire has its charm."

They rounded a bend—and froze.

From the crystalline shadows ahead, a cluster of glowing violet stones shimmered—and then moved. A Crystal Stalker, quadrupedal and armored in jagged geodes, prowled forward. Its translucent body pulsed with hostile energy like a living battery.

Riven activated Nullshift.

With a hiss of unfolding metal, the blade form extended—sleek, cold, unfamiliar. He gripped it tightly, but the weight distribution felt off, and the crystal floor gave little traction.

The creature lunged.

Riven reacted, swinging—too wide. The blade scraped the creature's side, but glanced off its core without impact.

Lyra stepped forward with elegant precision, her palm glowing. A burst of frost surged forward, encasing the Stalker's front legs. It shrieked, skidding as it tried to tear free.

"You're supposed to stab it," she called. "Not wave at it."

"Thanks for the tip," Riven muttered.

He adjusted his stance, breathing evenly. This time, he moved with more focus—striking through the weak point Lyra's frost had exposed. The Stalker shattered into shards of crystal.

Riven exhaled, shaking his arm out.

"Getting better already," Lyra said, patting his shoulder as she walked past.

"This thing's not exactly user-friendly," he muttered. "Feels like I'm learning to fight all over again."

Lyra smirked. "Could've fooled me with that dramatic swing."

Riven gave her a dry look. "Next time I'll let it bite you first."

"Careful," she warned with a sly glance. "I bite back."

They continued deeper. The crystalline formations became even more luminous, refracting light into strange colors. As they advanced, more enemies emerged—Crystal Shards, nimble insectoid constructs that struck in coordinated waves.

Riven handled them using only the Nullshift blade. His form was rough, but with every enemy cut down, he improved—step by uncertain step. Still, Lyra stepped in more than once, her ice redirecting enemies when his aim faltered or his strikes went too shallow.

After dispatching a third swarm, Riven leaned against a jagged column.

Lyra tossed him a hydration capsule. "So… still lucky?"

"Very," he replied. "This is the first time I've really had to rely on this."

She watched him a moment. "You're getting there. Sloppy, but better than earlier."

"I'll take that as high praise," he muttered, sipping the capsule's contents.

As they pressed forward, Lyra studied him again.

"What?" he asked.

"You mentioned that relic had a name, what was it again?."

Riven hesitated. "...Nullshift."

"That's not listed in the relic registry."

"It came to me. Like it already had a name, and I just remembered it."

She didn't answer, but her expression darkened slightly with thought.

Soon, the corridor widened into a circular clearing. At its center stood a towering crystal obelisk, glowing softly with inner light. Everything around it was eerily still—unnaturally calm.

Riven slowed. "Midpoint, maybe?"

"Or a trap," Lyra said. Her eyes narrowed.

They proceeded forward, following a gently sloping path toward what felt like the heart of the dungeon. Then, as they neared a massive arch of fused crystal up ahead—likely the entrance to the boss chamber—the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Without warning, thin fractures rippled across the crystalline floor. The light in the tunnels dimmed, then began to shift—flickering like candlelight seen through water.

Cracks began to climb the walls around them, glowing from within like veins bursting with energy.

Riven stopped in his tracks. "...That's not normal."

Lyra took a step back, eyes narrowing. "Something's wrong. The dungeon's reacting to us."

Before either could move further, the path ahead split apart as the arched door of crystal unfolded, revealing a vast chamber filled with humming resonance. The change wasn't just physical—it was atmospheric. Pressure shifted, the air grew denser, and the energy flowing through the walls intensified.

Lyra stared into the chamber, her voice dropping. "This dungeon... it feels different now."

Riven didn't speak.

Something deep inside had awakened.

End of chapter.

Thank you for reading.