Toxins In The Veins

Hayazaki emerged from the half-collapsed arch of the rotten church, sucking in thin, stale air like a drowning man. The grim hush of the upper streets felt almost benevolent compared to the suffocating depths he'd just crawled from. Still, the remnants of that place clung to him—foul spores in the folds of his clothes, a toxic stench that no amount of brisk wind could chase off. He'd gone down there seeking a fast route to more power, had nearly died in the process, but now the Axis terminal in the periphery of his vision listed a triumphant new entry: "Dungeon Cleared: Rotten Church Depths." A flush of XP had coursed through his body the instant he'd stumbled back into daylight.