Ren thought everything would be swallowed by silent darkness, but then a sudden, violent tremor tore through the space around him.
The ground beneath his feet was no longer stable; powerful seismic waves surged upward, causing the very earth to sway.
A monstrous roar echoed from deep within the ground, shattering the silence and filling the air with dread.
It felt as if there was nowhere safe to hide.
Chunks of earth and stone cracked apart and crashed down with a deafening sound, while the glowing stones lining the cavern walls shattered, their flickering light twisted by some invisible wind.
Amid the violent tremors, the very air seemed to tighten, making Ren feel like he had been shoved into a claustrophobic, dark world with no escape.
In the distance, panicked screams rang out, blending with the sound of crumbling rocks and soil falling freely.
Some members of the group, apparently in shock, were unable to stay calm. Ren quickly reached into his inventory, searching for the healing potions he had brought.
In that tense moment, with only half a bottle of HP left and one full vial, Ren had no choice but to gulp one down. The cool sensation slid down his throat, but it did nothing to ease the rising tension coiling in his chest.
"Not now..." he muttered to himself, voice hoarse as reason screamed within him.
A powerful wave of anxiety surged through him, threatening to drown his thoughts.
Even though the potion was taking effect, its healing was only temporary, nowhere near enough to ease the fear that had taken root.
Ren quickly crouched down, hands reaching out to brace himself against the ground for balance, but the continuous cracking and shaking rendered everything chaotic.
A thick cloud of dust began to rise, blanketing the surroundings and making his vision even more obscure.
It felt as if space and time themselves were warping, smudged by the heavy scent of soil and thinning air.
Amid the chaos, a sharp, high-pitched screech cut through, like a warning, carrying an inexplicable chill.
Something was approaching, but Ren couldn't tell what. The sensation was both familiar and foreign, a clear sign of danger that made all his senses snap to attention.
He tried to focus his eyes through the darkness, but there was nothing but a pitch-black void, save for the faint, flickering glow of the shattered light stones.
Ren held his breath. Each aftershock stretched his body taut, yet he couldn't make out what was lurking in that cloud of dust.
Unfamiliar, untraceable noises filled the air, and he couldn't tell who or what, they belonged to.
"Where are they?" Ren whispered, his voice caught in his throat. A heavy sense of dread settled in, as if someone was standing close by, unseen.
Where was Diavel? Where were the others? The questions circled endlessly in his mind, each passing moment only deepening the oppressive silence.
That absence, the lack of people nearby, only made him feel more disoriented. There was only darkness, only emptiness, and the ever-growing quake.
The feeling of something trailing him grew stronger. He could sense something reaching toward him, but couldn't see what it was.
Something was waiting. It was easy to tell it was something terrible, something that would pounce from the shadows at any moment.
Even without seeing it, Ren could feel its presence. Everything was still wrapped in darkness, but the sensation of that thing approaching was undeniable. Closer. Closer still.
Climbing out of the rubble, Ren suddenly realized he was in a massive open area, like a natural arena formed by collapsed layers of stone.
The scenery around him resembled a desolate space, where the land opened into a circular arc, surrounded by four steep rock walls.
Towering jagged stones stood like forgotten monuments of time, now serving as the stage for a life-or-death battle.
The clash of blades rang out sharply, slicing through the eerie silence of the arena.
Ren narrowed his eyes, focusing on the center of the field. There, a group of players was struggling against a massive creature, towering nearly two meters tall.
Its body was formed of giant, jagged stone plates, muscular and solid, like a monster carved from raw, razor-edged boulders.
Each of its punches erupted with thunderous force, spraying shards of rock in all directions, while the players fought back desperately.
All that could be heard was the sweep of blades and the clash of steel against the creature's hardened shell.
But it showed no sign of faltering, even as each strike made it tremble.
Ren couldn't identify who the players were, but it was clear they weren't weak.
Their swift movements and precise attacks revealed them to be seasoned warriors.
Yet the stone monster appeared even more powerful, every blow it delivered shook the ground.
Flashes of light sparked from swords and weapons, illuminating the battlefield in a chaotic yet strangely mystical glow.
Ren found his breath catching in his throat at the sight.
Something in this underground space, in this very area, gave him a strange feeling.
A feeling that what was happening was part of something much bigger, a grander scheme in which they were nothing more than pieces in an unseen game.
But for now, they had to face the monster before them.
Ren didn't know what that group of players planned to do, but one thing was certain: if he wanted to get out of here, he had to find a way into the heart of the battle.
He felt like he couldn't just stand by and watch. If he did, things would only get worse.
Ren had also spotted Diavel. Like him, Diavel had just escaped from the pile of rubble, staggered a bit, then stood up straight.
However, Diavel's eyes weren't focused on the massive monster or the group of players fighting it.
Instead, his gaze narrowed slightly, as if something was on his mind, his brows furrowed with a sense of foreboding.
For a brief moment, Ren saw a flicker of anticipation in Diavel's eyes, as though he had already known something was going to happen here.
But only for an instant. That expression was quickly replaced by concern. Diavel turned sharply, scanning for the remaining members of his team.
Luckily, they were safe. Though thrown out of the tunnel during the quake, the others were trying to climb out from under the rubble, shaking their heads as if to clear away the dizziness.
They were still alive, but no one knew how much longer they could hold on against the fury of that stone monster.
Diavel said nothing, but Ren could feel a strange tension coming from him.
There was something in the way Diavel moved, not with his usual haste, but with caution, like someone who already knew they were facing something far beyond ordinary danger.
Each of his steps took him closer to his team, hands ready to pull them from the debris and help those who were still struggling.
Ren noticed that even though Diavel was trying to stay calm, the tension within him was unmistakable.
This wasn't an ordinary enemy. That massive monster wasn't just a test of strength, it might be part of a larger game they still didn't fully understand.
That feeling hit him hard and fast, and Ren realized that a single wrong decision, a single misstep, could push them all into something far worse.
The tremors from the monster's heavy stomps shook the entire arena violently.
Chunks of stone fell, the ground shifted beneath their feet, and it felt as though the whole place was slowly collapsing. Cracks tore through the stone walls, making the air thick and hard to breathe.
Diavel no longer had time to hesitate. His gaze sharpened, more resolute than ever. He barked out orders, his voice strong but strained, carrying urgency to every member of the team.
"Charge in! Don't let this monster block us! Support the front line!" Diavel shouted, his arm thrusting forward, commanding the group's movements.
There was no time left to waver.
The players began to move like shadows, diving into the chaos, ready to face the massive monster tearing everything apart in its path.
Ren felt his heart pounding harder, but Diavel's decisiveness was an irresistible force, pulling him forward without hesitation.
Though anxiety still gnawed at him, Ren clenched his teeth and focused on the task at hand.
Each of the monster's stomps sent shockwaves through the ground, but Diavel's group refused to yield.
One by one, they surged into the battle, coordinating with the front-line players, slashing, stabbing, and striking to bring down the advancing stone beast.
Ren joined the attack, each sword swing drawing on every bit of technique he had learned.
But between the tremors and the panic, the constant disorientation made it hard to keep his focus.
Alongside Diavel, he fought fiercely, determined not to let this monster force them to retreat.
Diavel's group pushed forward, closing in on the monster while shielding teammates struggling to stay upright amid the fight.
Blades and swords flashed again and again, and inside Ren, doubt had no place left to hide.
Whatever happened, right now, they all had to stand together. Or none of them would be left standing at all.