Ch 11 : Predators In The Dark
The world blurred as Renji moved.
His claws pierced the Aberrant's flesh—sinking deep.
The creature screamed.
But Renji didn't stop.
His instincts had taken over.
His mutation surged—spreading through his body like a living fire.
For the first time…
He didn't hold it back.
He embraced it.
The Aberrant struggled, but Renji dug deeper. His fingers twisted, black veins pulsing under his skin.
He could feel it.
The Aberrant's energy.
The dungeon's corruption.
And then—
He took it.
A violent shockwave erupted around him, distorting the air.
The Aberrant's body convulsed. Its silver eyes went wide—a choked gasp escaping its lips.
Then—
It stilled.
And Renji knew.
He had won.
But something was wrong.
The energy he absorbed—it wasn't like the others.
It was denser.
Stronger.
His body shook, his vision flickering between reality and something else.
For a brief moment—
He wasn't in the city anymore.
He was standing in a place of darkness.
A prison.
And beyond the bars—
Something was watching him.
Then—
He was back.
Renji stumbled, his breath ragged.
The Aberrant's corpse collapsed at his feet.
Hikaru was staring at him, gun still raised.
"…What the hell did you just do?"
---
Renji forced himself to breathe.
The mutation was settling. But his body still felt off.
The power he had stolen—it was different.
His fingers twitched. The claws on his right hand flickered, shifting between their normal form and something more twisted.
More… monstrous.
He clenched his fist, suppressing it.
Not now.
He turned to Hikaru. "We need to go."
Hikaru hesitated. He wasn't just looking at Renji—he was evaluating him.
Renji had seen that look before.
Hikaru wasn't sure if he was still human.
But finally, Hikaru nodded.
"…Let's move."
---
They ran.
The city was still alive, but Renji could feel the change.
Something was stalking them.
Hikaru must have felt it too. He whispered, "We're not alone."
Renji's senses sharpened.
Footsteps. Shadows shifting.
Not one pursuer.
Many.
The Organization wasn't done.
This was a coordinated hunt.
And the Perfected Aberrant was just the first test.
Renji clicked his tongue. "They want to see how far I've changed."
Hikaru's grip on his pistol tightened. "Then let's not give them the satisfaction."
They turned down an alley, slipping through the maze of backstreets.
But then—
Renji froze.
The air shifted.
He caught the scent of dungeon energy.
And then—
From the rooftops—
They dropped.
---
Four figures landed soundlessly.
Not wild Aberrants.
Not reckless hunters.
These were trained killers.
Renji's eyes narrowed.
The Organization's elite task force.
Their armor was fitted—not bulky like standard hunters. Each one moved with perfect coordination.
They weren't just here to kill him.
They were here to capture him.
Hikaru swore under his breath. "I count four. Possibly more nearby."
Renji exhaled. "I'll handle it."
Hikaru's eyes widened. "Renji—"
But he was already moving.
---
The moment Renji lunged, the assassins reacted.
One fired a burst of energy rounds.
Renji twisted—dodging with inhuman speed.
Another leapt at him—daggers flashing.
Renji caught the strike, his claws meeting cold steel. Sparks flew as they clashed.
The assassin's technique was flawless.
But Renji's wasn't.
It was wild.
Unpredictable.
He twisted, shattering the dagger with sheer force. His free hand shot forward—gripping the assassin's throat.
A split second later—
He crushed it.
The assassin's body dropped.
The other three didn't hesitate.
One went low, aiming for Renji's legs.
Another leapt, trying to take his head.
The third activated a shockwave emitter.
Renji's mind processed it all in an instant.
Then he countered.
He moved faster than before—his mutation surging again.
His arm blurred, claws slicing through the air—
And in one brutal motion—
Two more assassins fell.
The last one hesitated.
Renji saw it.
Fear.
The assassin tried to retreat—
But Renji was already there.
His hand shot out—gripping the assassin's helmet.
The metal cracked in his grip.
Then—
He ripped it off.
The face underneath was young. Barely older than Renji himself.
The assassin gasped.
Renji stared down at him.
For a brief moment—he saw himself.
A normal man. A normal life.
Before the dungeons.
Before the infection.
But that man was gone.
The assassin's lips parted. "P-please—"
Renji hesitated.
And that was his mistake.
The assassin's sleeve flicked—revealing a hidden blade.
It shot forward.
Straight for Renji's heart.
But—
The blade never landed.
Because before it could—
A gunshot rang out.
Renji blinked.
The assassin's body jerked.
Then—
Dropped.
Renji turned.
Hikaru lowered his pistol.
His expression was grim.
"…You hesitated."
Renji didn't answer.
Because he was right.
---
They left the bodies behind.
But Renji knew—
This was just the beginning.
The Organization wasn't going to stop.
They were testing him.
Probing his limits.
And next time—
They wouldn't send four assassins.
They'd send an army.
---
As they moved through the city, Renji's thoughts drifted.
Back to that moment.
The brief flicker of another place.
The prison.
And the thing that had been watching him.
A voice stirred in his mind.
Faint. Almost a whisper.
You grow stronger.
Renji's fingers curled.
The Ancient Entity was awakening again.
And soon… you will understand.
Renji exhaled.
Because deep down—
He knew the truth.
He wasn't just fighting the Organization anymore.
He was fighting something much worse.
---
Renji and Hikaru moved swiftly through the ruined cityscape. The echoes of battle had faded, but tension still hung thick in the air. The Organization's elite squad was dead—but they were only scouts. More were coming.
Renji clenched his fists. His body still buzzed from the Aberrant's energy he absorbed. His senses were sharper, his movements faster. But the mutation was creeping further into him. He could feel it coiling in his blood, demanding control.
Hikaru watched him warily. He had seen what Renji had done—what he had become.
And he was beginning to fear him.
"We need to get out of the city," Hikaru muttered.
Renji exhaled. "You think it's that easy?"
Hikaru met his gaze. "No. But staying here is suicide."
Renji knew he was right. The Organization wouldn't stop. He had broken their expectations—he was evolving beyond what they understood.
And that made him a threat.
But there was another problem.
He wasn't just running anymore.
Something deep inside him was pulling him forward.
A dungeon.
A powerful one.
And whatever was inside…
It was calling him.
---
The streets were eerily quiet as they moved. No hunters. No monsters. It was unnatural.
Then—Renji felt it.
A deep, resonating pulse.
His vision blurred for a moment. The world around him flickered—like a film reel skipping frames.
And suddenly—
He saw it.
A massive rift in the city's core. A dungeon—larger than anything he had seen before. Its energy was suffocating, its presence warping the very air around it.
Hikaru tensed. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Renji nodded. "It's not just a dungeon."
Hikaru's grip tightened on his gun. "What do you mean?"
Renji's eyes darkened.
"It's breaking."
---
As they neared the dungeon's location, the ground trembled beneath them. Buildings groaned, their foundations cracking as an invisible force pushed outward.
Then—
A rupture.
The sky itself seemed to tear open as the dungeon's core pulsed violently.
And from within—
They emerged.
The Aberrant Swarm.
Dozens. No—hundreds.
Aberrants spilled out of the dungeon like a living flood. Their bodies were warped—twisted far beyond normal dungeon monsters.
These weren't natural.
They had been changed.
Enhanced.
And as Renji locked eyes with them—he realized something chilling.
They weren't just hunting.
They were organized.
Hikaru cursed. "We have to move—now!"
Renji's instincts screamed fight.
The mutation craved it.
But there were too many. Even with his new strength, they would be overwhelmed.
They had to retreat.
---
Renji and Hikaru sprinted through the crumbling streets. The Aberrants followed—fast, inhumanly so. Their elongated limbs propelled them forward, their clawed hands tearing through concrete as they ran.
Renji's breath was steady, but his mind was racing.
He wasn't afraid.
He was analyzing.
Every movement. Every attack pattern.
And something didn't add up.
These monsters weren't random.
They were moving with strategy.
Something was controlling them.
And then—
It spoke.
---
A whisper, carried through the abyss.
You have come far, cursed one.
Renji's body stiffened.
The Aberrants didn't stop moving—but the voice wasn't coming from them.
It was coming from inside his mind.
The Ancient Entity.
You are not the only one who evolves.
Renji's vision flickered again.
For a split second, he was somewhere else—
A throne of darkness.
A shifting mass of countless bodies, twisted into one.
Eyes—thousands of them—blinked in unison.
And then—
He was back.
Hikaru grabbed his arm. "Renji! Stay with me!"
He shook his head. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The Entity was growing stronger.
It wasn't just watching anymore.
It was acting.
---
They reached an open plaza—trapped. The Aberrants closed in, cutting off all exits.
Hikaru raised his gun, sweat dripping from his brow. "Damn it."
Renji exhaled slowly.
Then he smiled.
It was time to stop running.
The mutation surged—black veins spreading across his arms as his claws extended.
The Aberrants lunged.
And Renji unleashed hell.
He moved like a phantom, weaving through their attacks with unnatural grace. His claws tore through flesh, his strength shattering bones.
One Aberrant lunged for his throat—he twisted, ripping its head off in a single motion.
Another tried to grab him—he grabbed it instead, using its body as a weapon to slam two others into the ground.
The mutation was at its peak.
And Renji let it consume him.
Hikaru fought beside him, his bullets precise—each shot taking down an Aberrant. But he couldn't keep up with Renji.
Because Renji wasn't human anymore.
He was something else.
And the Aberrants knew it.
For the first time, they hesitated.
Renji grinned.
He had become the predator.
---
The last Aberrant tried to retreat—realizing that they were no longer hunting.
They were being hunted.
Renji's claws pierced its chest before it could escape.
The swarm was broken.
But Renji wasn't satisfied.
He turned to the dungeon—still pulsing with unearthly energy.
He could feel something waiting inside.
Watching.
Waiting.
And it wanted him to come closer.
Hikaru gasped for breath. "Renji, we have to—"
But he stopped.
Because Renji's eyes were different.
They were glowing.
And he was walking toward the dungeon.
---
Renji's mind was in chaos.
His body was screaming for more.
More power. More knowledge.
More evolution.
The Ancient Entity whispered in his thoughts.
Step forward, cursed one.
Become what you were meant to be.
Renji took another step—closer to the abyss.
And for the first time—
He wasn't sure if he could turn back.