Scythe & Shadows: The Reapers Awakening

Yami walked deeper into the dungeon, his boots barely making a sound against the cold stone floor. The flickering blue torches on the walls provided just enough light to see, but the further he went, the more he felt the weight of something watching him.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something else—something rotten.

"That's a bad sign," Yami muttered. "Either something's dead, or something wants me dead."

He gripped his scythe tighter, its black blade shimmering with a faint glow. The god of death's power was still a mystery to him, but one thing was clear—every kill made him stronger.

And that meant one thing.

He needed more enemies.

As if answering his thoughts, the sound of heavy, slow footsteps echoed through the corridor ahead. Yami stopped, his crimson eyes narrowing as a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness.

It was a Ghoul, a rotting, corpse-like creature with glowing blue eyes and long, clawed fingers. Its jaw hung open unnaturally, revealing rows of jagged, broken teeth.

Yami sighed. "Great. Undead. My favorite."

The Ghoul let out a guttural shriek before lunging forward, claws aimed straight for Yami's throat.

SHING!

Yami sidestepped effortlessly, his scythe flashing through the air in a clean arc. The Ghoul's arm flew off, landing with a sickening thud.

But it didn't stop.

Instead of screaming in pain, the creature twisted its head unnaturally, its glowing eyes burning with rage. Then, to Yami's surprise, its severed arm twitched and began crawling toward him on its own.

"…Okay, that's disgusting," Yami muttered.

Before the arm could reach him, he swung his scythe downward, slicing it in half. The Ghoul lunged again, moving faster than before, its remaining claws aimed at his chest.

Yami exhaled. "Persistent, huh?"

At the last second, he raised his free hand—black mist swirled around his palm before shooting forward in the shape of a skeletal hand. It grabbed the Ghoul mid-air, stopping it instantly.

"Let's see if this works…" Yami clenched his fist, and the skeletal hand crushed the Ghoul in its grip.

A horrible, cracking sound echoed as the undead creature crumbled into dust, leaving behind another glowing soul fragment.

"Soul Absorbed. Reaper's Will +2%."

Yami felt the familiar surge of power course through him. His grip on the scythe tightened.

His strength was growing.

"Huh. So undead take more to kill, but they give better rewards." He smirked. "Works for me."

Just as he was about to move forward, the torches on the walls flickered violently, and a deep, echoing growl rumbled through the dungeon.

Yami turned his head slowly.

"…That didn't sound like a Ghoul."

Suddenly, the entire dungeon shook, and a massive stone door ahead of him slammed open.

From within the darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes locked onto him.

Then, stepping into the dim torchlight, a towering figure emerged—a Dungeon Guardian.

It was a hulking suit of black armor, nearly three meters tall, with a massive rusted battle axe clutched in its gauntleted hands. Its helmet had no face, only a gaping void where a head should be.

Yami's smirk widened.

"A mini-boss already?" He spun his scythe, the blade humming with dark energy. "Man, this dungeon's really rolling out the welcome party."

The Dungeon Guardian raised its axe, the air vibrating with the sheer weight of the weapon.

Then, with a thunderous roar, it swung downward, aiming to crush Yami where he stood.

Yami didn't move.

Not yet.

He waited until the last possible second—then, with a burst of shadowy energy, he vanished.

The axe slammed into the ground, shattering the stone floor beneath it.

Reappearing behind the Guardian, Yami grinned. "Let's see how much damage I need to put into you before you drop dead."

With that, he lunged forward, scythe in hand, ready to carve his way through the dungeon's first real challenge.