The morning sun cast long shadows across the forest floor as Altleno and the adventuring party approached the dungeon's entrance — a gaping hole in a mountain side, rimmed with jagged stone and whispering cold air.
Altleno felt strangely alive. His muscles thrummed with energy; his aura pulsed faintly beneath his skin.
It had been weeks since the fight with Nugst, and now… he felt ready for something greater.
"Today's the day," one of the men said with a shaky grin. "Whatever's down there, it's ours for the taking."
"Treasure?" Altleno asked.
"Hopefully," another laughed, though his voice carried unease. "Legend says no one's ever come back out… but if the stories are true, there's gold enough to make us kings."
Altleno's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And if they're not?"
The man's laughter died. "Then I guess the dungeon takes us. They say it… grows, you know? Feeds on people."
Altleno glanced into the darkness — the faint sound of wind rising from below. For a moment, it felt like the earth itself was breathing.
He smirked faintly.
"Then let's see what it eats today."
The group stood at the mouth of the dungeon, cold wind breathing out from the blackness below.
One of them turned back toward the fading light of the forest.
"Well," he muttered with a shaky grin, "either we come back rich… or we serve a terrible purpose."
Altleno glanced over his shoulder one last time. The forest was silent, the horizon bathed in dying orange light. He sighed softly and looked ahead — into the waiting dark.
Inside, flickering torches lined the damp stone walls, casting trembling shadows that seemed to move on their own. The air smelled of metal and moss, heavy with old mana.
Deeper in the tunnel, another group of explorers was already moving, their armor glinting dimly. They turned as Altleno's party approached.
Altleno offered a polite nod. "May your journey be safe."
But the other team only sneered — their eyes full of arrogance and greed. One spat on the ground near his feet before turning away.
Altleno's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He took a slow breath and brushed it off.
One of his companions tugged his arm, whispering harshly, "Don't mind them. Those kinds of people would sell your life for a handful of gold. If it comes to it, they'll use anyone as bait to get ahead."
Altleno's gaze darkened.
"Then let's make sure we don't die for their greed."
As they descended further, the torches flickered weaker, and a deep, low hum began to echo from the depths — like the heartbeat of something vast and ancient waiting below.