Side Story: The Aswang Eel

  The deeper they ventured into the submerged tunnels of the Mandaue Subway system, the more oppressive the water felt. It wasn’t just the boiling heat or the pressure that weighed on them; it was the ominous sense that something was waiting for them, lurking just beyond their reach. The walls of the tunnel, slick with algae and corruption, closed in around them, and the deeper they went, the more the air seemed to thrum with energy. They were close to the Sub-Core, but the path to it was not going to be easy.

  Adrian couldn’t shake the feeling that the deeper they went, the more the system itself was pushing back. It had already thrown them one challenge—one terrifying guardian. He couldn’t help but wonder what else the System had in store for them.

  The Sub-Core was within their grasp, but there was no way to know how much more dangerous it would get. Every battle felt like a test, and Adrian could feel the weight of it pressing down on him.

  “Stay sharp,” he said to the team, his voice firm. The sounds of dripping water filled the otherwise silent space, the faint hum of power flowing from the depths. “If we’re not careful, we’ll be walking straight into another trap.”

  Mike, always the first to embrace a fight, grunted in agreement. “Whatever it is, I’m ready. These Aswangs don’t scare me.”

  “Don’t let your guard down,” Adrian warned. “The deeper we go, the more dangerous it gets. There’s something down here, something the System’s guarding.”

  Sarah, always the most analytical of the group, was scanning her device. “I’m picking up another disturbance in the energy. The Sub-Core’s signature is spiking, but there’s something interfering with it. The closer we get, the stronger it becomes.”

  Adrian felt a knot form in his stomach. He knew what that meant: The System wasn’t going to make this easy. But there was no turning back now.

  The team waded through the dark waters, their environmental suits keeping them protected from the heat and the pressure. The only sound was the splash of their boots in the water and the hum of their suits’ cooling systems. The deeper they moved, the darker and more unstable the tunnels became.

  And then, the growl came.

  It was low, guttural, like the sound of something massive lurking just beneath the water. Adrian stopped dead in his tracks, signaling for the team to halt. The air felt thick with tension, and the ground vibrated beneath their feet as though the very tunnel was alive, reacting to their presence.

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  “Did anyone else hear that?” Mike asked, his voice barely audible over the rising water.

  Before anyone could respond, the water around them began to churn violently. The murky depths of the flooded tunnel erupted as a massive shape shot forward, its massive form writhing through the water with terrifying speed. The creature was long, serpentine, its body slick with dark, toxic slime.

  It was an Aswang—mutated beyond recognition, its body resembling a grotesque eel with the features of an Aswang fused into it. Its eyes gleamed with an unnatural yellow glow, and its jaws opened wide, revealing rows of serrated teeth.

  “Get ready!” Adrian shouted as the creature lunged toward them.

  The team reacted immediately. Mike charged at the eel, swinging his heavy weapon at the creature’s head. The Aswang Eel dodged with horrifying speed, its slimy body slithering to the side and narrowly avoiding the blow.

  Adrian raised his hand, summoning his gravity manipulation to force the eel’s body downward, but the creature was too strong. It writhed and twisted in the water, pushing against Adrian’s hold. It let out a deafening screech that reverberated through the walls, shaking the tunnel around them.

  “Eva, now!” Adrian shouted, his voice urgent.

  Eva stepped forward, her hands glowing with the intense light of her Pure Radiation abilities. She focused all of her energy into one devastating burst, releasing a beam of light that struck the eel’s body. The creature howled in agony as the radiation burned through its corrupted flesh, but it didn’t relent. Instead, it surged forward, its tail lashing out to knock Eva back.

  “Stay down!” Mike yelled, tackling the eel's tail and trying to keep it restrained, but the creature's strength was overwhelming. The Aswang Eel’s thrashing caused waves to crash around them, and the ground beneath them trembled.

  Eva was on her feet again almost immediately, her hands glowing with energy. "I can’t keep it under control like this! We need to kill it fast, or it’ll keep coming back!”

  Adrian’s mind raced. They couldn’t afford to let the eel keep fighting. If they didn’t stop it soon, they’d be trapped here, in the heart of the system’s defenses, surrounded by enemies they couldn’t control.

  With a surge of focus, Adrian manipulated the gravity again, but this time with more intensity. He pulled the water around the creature, sending massive pressure waves toward it, trying to force it into submission. The eel let out a screech of pain as the added pressure began to crush it, but it still fought back, its body twisting violently in the water.

  Mike’s grip on the creature’s tail tightened, and with one mighty heave, he forced its jaws open, barely avoiding its snapping teeth. "Get it done, Adrian!"

  Adrian’s mind raced. He couldn’t hold it much longer. "Eva, focus! We need that final push!"

  Eva nodded, her eyes focused with deadly intensity. She raised both hands, her body glowing with radiance as she let loose a final burst of light. The beam seared through the creature’s body, and with a loud, horrific screech, the Aswang Eel finally collapsed, its massive form going limp in the water.

  It was over. For now.

  The team stood in silence, panting heavily, their bodies aching from the exertion. The water around them slowly calmed, and the creature’s body floated lifelessly in the deep. Mike wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes scanning for any other threats.

  “That was too close,” Mike said, breathing heavily. “What the hell was that thing?”

  Adrian nodded grimly. “It was a guardian. A mutated Aswang designed to keep us from reaching the Sub-Core. We’ll see more of these as we get closer.”

  Sarah looked at her device, her face grim. “The Sub-Core’s energy is still fluctuating. We’re getting closer, but there’s something else—something bigger—is coming. We need to move, fast.”

  Adrian nodded, signaling the team to follow. “Let’s get to the Core. The longer we stay here, the more we risk. We don’t have time to waste.”

  With renewed urgency, the team pressed forward, their eyes constantly scanning for more threats in the water. Every step they took seemed to echo with the anticipation of what was to come. The path to the Sub-Core was only getting more dangerous, but they couldn’t turn back now.

  They had come too far.

  Next Chapter Coming Soon...