Lucas stared at the Corruption Weaver, the burning sensation on his skin a stark reminder of the immediate danger. The giant spider-like monster began to move, its steps slow but powerful as it advanced towards him, leaving corrosive trails on the stone floor. Lucas knew he couldn't face it directly. The Husk-Brute's resilience might let him endure a few hits, but the Weaver's corrosive energy would quickly wear him down.
He closed his eyes, focusing all his concentration on his new Crystal Sense. He felt the energy network of the colossal mother crystal behind him, and the purplish-blue crystal veins running along the cavern walls, as well as the corrupted crystal fragments on the Weaver's body. He understood. The Corruption Weaver was trying to absorb and corrupt the crystal's energy. That's why it was here.
A daring idea sparked in Lucas's mind, a high-risk gamble. He couldn't fight this monster with brute force, but he could fight it with the very energy it sought to absorb.
Lucas opened his eyes. Instead of fleeing, he lunged towards a large crystal vein on the wall, closer to the Corruption Weaver.
"What are you doing, you crazy kid?!" Lightning Hunter's voice, left behind, echoed faintly from the cave entrance. He and his crew had recovered somewhat and had followed Lucas, curious about his "secret." They watched Lucas charge straight into mortal danger.
The Corruption Weaver let out a guttural growl, unleashing a stronger wave of corrosive energy. Lucas gritted his teeth, his body feeling a sharp pain, but he didn't stop. He leaped onto a rock, then grabbed onto the crystal vein with all his might. The scar on his palm flared with a brilliant purplish-blue light, flowing into the stone.
Lucas wasn't absorbing energy. He was doing the opposite: he was trying to activate it. He channeled his own energy, the chaotic memories of how these crystals once functioned as power sources, and pushed it into the crystal vein. He felt an "awakening" in the rock, a faint initial reaction.
The Weaver realized what Lucas was doing. It hissed angrily, lunging forward with surprising speed, black tendrils shooting out from its body, trying to ensnare Lucas.
Lucas reacted instantly. He absorbed a small part of the Shadow Stalker's agility and the Bone-Eater Grub's sense of attack direction. He dodged, evading the deadly tendrils. But there were too many, and the space was too confined. One tendril grazed his shoulder, immediately leaving a burning mark on his skin.
He didn't have much time. He closed his eyes again, channeling more power. He wasn't just activating. He was trying to control!
From the crystal vein under Lucas's hands, a burst of purplish-blue light suddenly erupted, not overwhelmingly powerful, but enough to create an energy pulse. The Weaver's corrosive wave hit this light and was significantly weakened. The Corruption Weaver seemed startled; it paused for a moment.
Lucas knew this was his only chance. He moved along the crystal vein on the wall, trying to activate it section by section, creating a weak "barrier" of crystal energy. The Weaver furiously attacked, but each time its corrosive energy touched the crystal "barrier," it was weakened.
Then, an even bolder idea struck Lucas. He didn't just want to defend. He wanted to counter-attack.
He saw a larger section of the crystal vein running up the cavern ceiling, then down near the central area where the Weaver stood. He knew that if he could activate that entire section, it could deliver a much larger shock.
Lucas darted forward, his speed no longer human. He glided across the walls, dodging the Weaver's attacks. Lightning Hunter and his group watched in horror. "He... he's really not human!" one Scavenger stammered.
Lucas leaped onto a stone pillar, gathering momentum. He poured all his energy, from the Mother Crystal, from the Husk-Brute, from everything he had absorbed, into his palms. He launched himself, landing on the large crystal vein on the cavern ceiling.
He placed both hands on it, his entire body trembling from the overload. The scars on both his palms glowed with an intense purplish-blue, merging with the crystal's energy. He wasn't just activating. He was trying to direct!
The Corruption Weaver sensed something happening. It let out a horrific shriek, its entire body emitting corrosive energy, trying to destroy everything around it.
BOOM!
The entire crystal vein on the cavern ceiling, where Lucas clung, suddenly exploded in a blinding purplish-blue light. A powerful, pure energy pulse shot down at the Corruption Weaver.
The Weaver roared in agony. The corrupted crystal armor on its body cracked and shattered, and its black tendrils retracted, smoking. It wasn't completely destroyed, but it was severely damaged. The pure crystal energy, which it had tried to corrupt, had turned against it.
The monster recoiled, its entire body twitching. It looked at Lucas with eyes of hatred and fear. This was no ordinary Scavenger. This was something that could use the very power they craved.
The Corruption Weaver turned, attempting to retreat into the deeper shadows of the cavern.
Lucas slid off the crystal vein, gasping for breath. He felt exhausted, but a sense of triumph surged through him. He had not only survived, he had repelled a dangerous Abyssal Creature with his intellect and a completely new ability. He had created a symphony of darkness and crystal light, using both what he learned from monsters and ancient energy.
As the light from the crystal vein faded, Lucas looked towards Lightning Hunter and his group. They stood there, frozen, with expressions of utter terror. They had seen everything. Lucas's secret could no longer be hidden.
But in that moment, Lucas's gaze was no longer that of the hunted. It was the gaze of a new kind of hunter, one who controlled his own destiny. He had revealed his power, and now, he had surpassed the limits of a Scavenger, or even a normal warrior. He was one connected to the Crystals, a threat to Abyssal Creatures and a mystery to humanity itself.
Lucas said nothing, only coldly walked past them, going deeper into the dark passages of the mine, where the whispers of ancient crystals still called to him.