Halochassis

Shin immediately knew that the torches shifting from orange flames into deep violet fire was a terrible sign. The change happened all at once, as if an unseen force had snapped its fingers inside the dungeon. Warm light vanished instantly, replaced by an eerie purple glow that painted the stone walls in unnatural colors. The temperature dropped with frightening speed, cold air crawling across Shin’s skin like invisible fingers. Even the shadows seemed alive now, twitching and stretching along the ancient bricks.

He saw the shock flash across Croft’s eyes. For the first time since entering the ruins, her composed expression cracked ever so slightly. Shin also glanced toward Lireina and felt his stomach tighten. Her face had gone pale beneath the dim purple light, and her emerald eyes narrowed with alarm.

“What’s happening?” Shin asked, instinctively reaching for his weapon.

“This was a trap,” Croft said sharply as she pulled out her revolver. The metallic click of the chamber echoed through the corridor. Her eyes darted around the chamber, searching every corner. “I don’t know how, but it bypassed our Sixth Sense Skill.”

“It’s Dark Elf magic,” Lireina muttered, her eyebrows tightening as she revealed both of her pistols. The silver engravings on the weapons reflected the violet flames. “Ancient Dark Elf magic specifically designed to avoid normal detection abilities.”

Before Shin could respond, a wet crawling sound echoed from behind them.

They turned toward the dungeon’s only exit — a narrow stone pathway leading back outside. Thick, vile green roots were slithering across the walls and floor, twisting around each other like giant serpents. The roots pulsed rhythmically, swelling and shrinking like living veins carrying corrupted blood. Sickly green light traveled beneath their bark, illuminating the tunnel with an infected glow. A rotten smell spread through the air, heavy with damp soil, decay, and something far fouler that Shin could not identify.

Then came the wind.

A violent gust burst through the passageway, roaring into the chamber hard enough to make Shin stagger. Dust and loose pebbles scattered across the floor. The air itself felt wrong — heavy with hatred, like the dungeon was breathing malice directly onto them. Shin’s skin prickled painfully the moment the wind touched him.

“Stay back, Shin!” Lireina immediately grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind her.

Her grip was tight and urgent. She positioned herself between Shin and the corridor without hesitation, while Croft stepped forward beside her. The two women faced the incoming gust head-on as their coats and hair whipped violently in the cursed wind.

Shin noticed something alarming almost immediately.

Lireina’s breathing was becoming uneven.

“Haaah…”

Her chest rose and fell heavily as sweat formed along her forehead despite the freezing air. Her long golden-blonde hair fluttered wildly behind her, and Shin could see strain spreading across her face. Even her hands, usually steady and graceful, trembled faintly while holding her pistols.

Croft noticed it too.

“Are you okay, Lena?” Croft asked, her voice tense.

“I’m… fine… haaah…” Lireina wiped sweat from her cheek with the back of her glove, though more quickly formed afterward. “The Shadow Yggdrasil’s roots are siphoning the mana from nature itself… and it’s draining me slowly.”

As she spoke, another pulse traveled through the roots. The chamber dimmed for a brief second, and Shin swore he could hear faint whispers coming from inside the walls — distorted voices murmuring in an ancient language he could not understand.

“We should escape right now,” Croft said firmly.

She quickly reached into her coat and pulled out a teleportation crystal. The crystal glimmered blue against the purple-lit chamber. Croft poured mana into it, and glowing runes immediately spread across its surface.

But nothing happened.

The crystal merely flickered weakly before the light died completely.

Croft frowned.

“Wait… why?” she muttered.

She tried again, forcing more mana into the crystal. Blue sparks crackled violently around her fingers, but the artifact remained inactive.

“The teleportation crystal isn’t working?”

The silence that followed felt suffocating.

Then, somewhere deeper within the dungeon, a low monstrous groan echoed through the darkness.

Lireina’s pointed elf ear suddenly twitched.

Her entire body stiffened as she focused on the distant sound echoing through the dungeon halls. Beneath the constant pulsing of the roots and the howling wind, she heard it clearly — metallic clanks of heavy boots striking stone, followed by a sickening wet squelch, as though something massive was dragging itself through mud and flesh.

“Get ready, Croft,” Lireina warned quietly, raising her pistols. Her voice had lost its calm elegance and now carried unmistakable tension. “Shin, stay behind me.”

Shin nodded immediately.

Fear was beginning to claw at his chest. He hated it. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to stand beside them and fight, yet reality was painfully clear. Both Lireina and Croft were far stronger and more experienced than he was in situations like this. The thought bruised his pride as a man, but pride meant nothing if he became a burden.

Slowly, Shin slipped his hand inside his bag and tightly gripped the metallic glove hidden within.

The Halochassis activation glove.

The cold metal pressed against his palm as he steadied his breathing. If things became truly hopeless, he would activate the armor as a last resort — no matter the risks.

The footsteps grew louder.

CLANK.

SQUELCH.

CLANK.

Each step echoed heavily across the corridor, vibrating through the dungeon floor itself. Dust trickled from the ceiling with every impact. The purple flames flickered violently as though reacting to the approaching presence.

Then the figure finally emerged from the darkness.

Even Shin froze.

A towering silhouette nearly three meters tall stepped into the violet torchlight. It resembled a Halochassis… but horribly twisted into something unnatural. The power armor’s once-sleek frame had become swollen and corrupted, covered in dark green plating streaked with black veins. Thick roots protruded from the gaps between the armor pieces, writhing slowly like living parasites.

Flowers bloomed directly from the metal.

But they were not beautiful flowers.

Their petals were pale and rotten, dripping black liquid onto the ground. Root-like tentacles dangled from the armor’s joints and dragged across the floor with wet scraping noises. Sickly green light pulsed beneath the armor plating as though the machine itself possessed a heartbeat.

The smell reached them next. Rotten wood. Wet soil. Decaying flesh.

Shin nearly gagged.

“A fallen angel— no…” Croft whispered, tightening her grip on her revolver as realization dawned in her eyes. “A Halochassis.”

“Semjaza,” Lireina muttered grimly.

The name itself seemed to make the dungeon colder.

“The leader of the Watchers who descended upon this planet.”

The corrupted Halochassis slowly raised its head.

From beneath the cracked helmet visor, faint green light glowed like the eyes of a corpse awakening from the grave. Then, with a loud cracking sound, enormous wings unfolded from its back.

Not feathered wings. Not mechanical wings. Branches.

Gigantic withered branches spread outward like the limbs of a dead tree, creaking loudly as bark splintered apart. Smaller vines dangled from them, twitching violently in the air. As the wings fully expanded, a horrifying pressure exploded through the chamber.

FWOOOOOOOSH!

A violent gust of wind erupted from Semjaza’s body.

The force slammed into the group hard enough to make the ground tremble. Purple flames bent sideways violently. Dust and loose stones blasted across the chamber like shrapnel.

Lireina and Croft immediately raised their arms to shield their faces from the storm of cursed wind. Their coats whipped wildly behind them.

Meanwhile, Shin remained behind the two women, frozen in terror.

He crouched instinctively while clutching his bag tightly against his chest. His heartbeat pounded painfully in his ears as the monstrous figure loomed before them like a nightmare given physical form.

“Haaaaah…”

Lireina suddenly gasped.

Shin’s eyes widened.

Sweat was now pouring down her face nonstop. Her breathing had become ragged and uneven, almost desperate. Her legs trembled slightly beneath her as the surrounding roots continued draining mana from the environment.

The Shadow Yggdrasil was weakening her faster than before.

“Lireina!” Croft cried out, alarm finally breaking through her usually composed demeanor.

“I’m… okay…” Lireina forced out between ragged breaths. Her voice trembled slightly as she struggled to remain standing. “But that fallen angel has already drained half of my mana… and I can’t absorb nature’s force anymore.”

Sweat streamed continuously down her pale face. Her long golden-blonde hair clung to her cheeks and neck from exhaustion, and even her emerald eyes looked dimmer than before.

“This fallen angel…” she continued, gripping her pistols tighter, “…is a perfect counter for an elf like me.”

“Damn it!” Croft cursed.

She immediately raised her revolver and fired.

BANG!

BANG!

The deafening gunshots exploded throughout the dungeon chamber, sparks flashing brightly from the revolver’s muzzle. The bullets slammed directly into Semjaza’s chest armor—

CLANG!

CLANG!

The rounds ricocheted uselessly off the corrupted Halochassis, bouncing wildly against the stone walls. One bullet shattered a nearby torch, causing purple fire to scatter across the floor like liquid flame.

“It’s not working!” Croft shouted through gritted teeth.

“Aero Twirl!”

Lireina raised one of her pistols despite her weakening state. A glowing green magic circle rapidly formed at the barrel, spinning with intricate wind patterns. Air currents immediately gathered around her, whipping her hair and coat violently.

Then she fired.

FWOOOOOSH!

A spiraling tornado shot forward like a massive drill of compressed wind, tearing through the chamber with a piercing howl. Loose stones and dust were ripped from the ground as the attack smashed directly into Semjaza.

The impact shook the room.

But when the wind dispersed…

Semjaza had not moved an inch.

The corrupted armor merely stood there beneath the purple flames, roots pulsing calmly as if the attack had been nothing more than a breeze.

“You should conserve your mana, Lireina!” Croft yelled desperately. “If you collapse, we all die!”

But Lireina ignored her.

“I’ll attack it directly!”

The elf suddenly kicked off the ground.

CRACK!

The stone floor shattered beneath her foot as she launched herself forward at blinding speed. A gust of wind trailed behind her elegant figure as she dashed toward Semjaza.

“Did you hear what I just said?!” Croft cried in frustration.

Lireina spun midair and unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick toward Semjaza’s head.

THUD!

The impact echoed heavily.

Without pausing, she followed with a barrage of rapid kicks aimed directly at the Halochassis’ chest. Her movements were graceful yet explosive, each strike carrying enough force to break solid stone. Wind pressure burst outward with every impact.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

Then Lireina planted both hands onto the ground and flipped herself upside down into a handstand. Her long legs split apart elegantly before spinning at terrifying speed like a miniature tornado. Her boots hammered Semjaza repeatedly from every direction.

WHOOM! WHOOM! WHOOM!

The chamber roared from the force of her spinning strikes.

Finally, Lireina somersaulted high into the air and brought down a devastating axe kick directly onto Semjaza’s helmet.

BOOOOM!

The ground cracked beneath the impact. Dust exploded outward.

Yet when the dust settled…

Semjaza remained standing. Not even a dent. Shin’s heart sank.

The corrupted Halochassis slowly tilted its head, almost mockingly. Then thick tentacle-like roots twisted together near its arm, rapidly hardening into the shape of a massive sword made from bark and black vines.

The grotesque blade swung downward instantly.

FWOOOSH!

Lireina narrowly dodged sideways, her body twisting gracefully in midair as the root blade smashed into the floor where she had stood moments earlier. Stone fragments erupted upward. Semjaza swung again and again with monstrous force, each strike shaking the dungeon.

But despite her exhaustion, Lireina’s movements remained beautiful.

She danced around the attacks like flowing wind itself — spinning, ducking, leaping backward by mere centimeters as the cursed blade barely missed her body repeatedly.

Still… Shin could tell she was slowing down. Her breathing was becoming harsher. Her jumps were losing height. Her reactions were becoming delayed.

Finally, Lireina kicked herself backward to create distance. She landed roughly several meters away and nearly stumbled upon impact.

“Haaah… haaah…”

She bent slightly forward, clutching her chest while desperately trying to catch her breath.

“None of it…” she whispered weakly. “None of it is working…”

Shin stared at her in alarm. Lireina was in terrible condition.

The Shadow Yggdrasil roots continued pulsing throughout the chamber, greedily draining the surrounding mana and weakening her further every second. The strongest fighter among them was being slowly suffocated by the environment itself.

But then… something clicked inside Shin’s mind.

He knew Halochassises.

He had studied them.

They were terrifyingly durable, yes — but not invincible.

Just like Azazel. There had to be a weakness.

“Lady Lireina, keep attacking!” Shin suddenly shouted.

Both women looked toward him in surprise.

Then Shin turned toward Croft with urgency burning in his crimson-purple eyes.

“You too, detective! Empty your bullets into that thing!” He pointed directly at Semjaza. “Keep pressuring it!”

“What? Are you nuts?!” Croft cried out, staring at Shin as though he had completely lost his mind.

But Shin did not back down.

His eyes remained locked onto Semjaza’s movements. The corrupted Halochassis was advancing slowly, almost unnaturally slow, dragging its root-covered feet across the cracked dungeon floor while its withered branch wings creaked behind it.

“Got it,” Lireina said without hesitation.

Despite her exhaustion, she trusted Shin immediately.

She cocked both pistols, the metallic clicks sharp against the roaring wind, then raised them toward Semjaza. Her emerald eyes narrowed with determination even as sweat dripped from her chin.

“Lena!” Croft protested, disbelief written across her face.

But the elf had already opened fire.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Muzzle flashes illuminated the dark chamber in rapid bursts of orange and green. Bullets streaked through the air and slammed continuously against Semjaza’s armor. Sparks erupted from the corrupted plating while shell casings clattered across the stone floor.

Lireina emptied both magazines without pause.

The moment her pistols clicked empty, she smoothly spun backward, grabbed fresh magazines from her belt, and reloaded with trembling yet practiced hands.

CLACK!

Then she fired again.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Croft groaned loudly in frustration.

“Argh! Damn it!”

Still, she followed Shin’s instructions.

Croft raised her revolver and unleashed round after round at Semjaza despite the apparent futility. The thunderous gunshots echoed violently throughout the dungeon, mixing with the shrieking wind and pulsing roots.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Bullets ricocheted wildly off Semjaza’s armor. Some shattered against the walls while others disappeared into the darkness. Yet Shin continued watching carefully, his heartbeat pounding harder with every second.

Come on…

That thing’s Hybrid Armor should be down by now…

Then—

CLINK!

One bullet struck directly against Semjaza’s forehead. For the first time, the corrupted Halochassis reacted. Its head jerked slightly to the side. It flinched.

Shin’s eyes widened instantly.

“That’s our signal!” Lireina shouted.

Without hesitation, she lunged forward.

The exhausted elf kicked off the ground with explosive speed, wind spiraling around her legs as she shot toward Semjaza like an arrow. Her long golden-blonde hair streamed behind her while green mana gathered rapidly around her feet.

“This will be your end!”

The air screamed.

A massive tornado drill manifested around Lireina’s right leg, spinning violently with concentrated wind pressure. The surrounding roots tore apart from the sheer force of the magic.

“Drill Kick!”

She surged toward Semjaza in a devastating spiral attack powerful enough to pulverize solid steel.

But at the very last second—

The wind vanished.

The tornado drill suddenly collapsed into harmless particles of light.

Lireina’s eyes widened in horror.

Her mana had run out.

The Shadow Yggdrasil had drained the last of it. The magical enhancement around her leg completely dispersed before impact.

Still, Lireina’s momentum carried her forward. Her kick slammed directly into Semjaza’s chest armor—

THUD!

—but without the wind magic, the strike lacked power.

The corrupted Halochassis barely moved.

“Huh?!” Lireina gasped in disbelief as she landed awkwardly in front of it.

Then Semjaza moved. Its arm twisted grotesquely as roots and vines rapidly formed into massive tendril claws. The claws sharpened into jagged points dripping with black liquid before lashing toward Lireina at terrifying speed.

She was too exhausted to dodge.

Too close.

Too slow.

And in that instant—

Shin’s body moved on its own.

Every thought disappeared from his mind.

Fear. Doubt. Hesitation.

Gone.

All he saw was Lireina standing defenseless before death itself.

“WATCH OUT!” Shin screamed.

He lunged forward without thinking, charging directly toward Semjaza and Lireina as the monstrous tendril claws descended.