The air inside the dungeon was dense, almost solid.
A metallic chill slithered along the cracked walls, making the torches tremble as if they too feared what was coming.
Each step echoed unevenly—sometimes heavy, sometimes hesitant—as the group advanced down the stone corridor. The silence was so absolute that even the sound of breathing seemed an affront to the environment.
Kuto led the way, his eyes alert to every shadow. Behind him, Jack kept his gaze fixed on the magical map projected in his hand. The blue glow of the rune reflected on his sweaty face, betraying the tension he tried to hide.
Romeu, always the loudest, now remained silent, exchanging wary glances with Sónia.
Selina and Sensi, the two mages, scanned every corner of the ceiling, where small drops fell in a steady rhythm—plop… plop… plop—like a countdown to something inevitable.
Suddenly, an invisible pressure filled the air.
It wasn't just fear… it was something more.
A spiritual weight so intense that the floor seemed to vibrate.
Dimitri was the first to break the silence.
"This… presence…" he murmured, his voice faltering. "This… isn't normal."
Jack clenched his fist and replied, trying to mask the tremor in his voice:
"It's him. The presence at the heart of the dungeon… it's the boss."
For a moment, no one spoke. Only the sound of rapid, uneven heartbeats filled the room.
Romeu drew a deep breath, letting out a nervous laugh.
"I think… I'm going back," he said, trying to sound playful, but his voice trembled.
Selina, still breathing heavily, nodded.
"This time… I have to agree with him."
Her gaze turned to Jack. "We should retreat. This energy… it's unlike anything we've faced before."
Jack hesitated, pride and fear waging a silent battle within him.
Before he could respond, a rumble echoed from behind the group.
The floor, which had seemed solid, began to crack.
Fissures spread, widening until they devoured everything within meters. The sound was like the roar of an underground beast. Within seconds, the corridor they had come from vanished, leaving only a dark, bottomless chasm.
Gunja's eyes widened.
"Damn… we're trapped!"
Kuto gritted his teeth.
"Damn it… we have no choice. We must move forward!"
Romeu raised his voice.
"Wait! What if we use Sensi and Selina? They can carry us flying to the exit, right?"
Sónia offered a brief smile.
"Good idea, Romeu!"
Jack turned to the two.
"Can you do it?"
Selina nodded.
"Yes, but…"
Sensi added,
"I need to check for a safe landing spot up there. Wait a moment."
She began to levitate, her body surrounded by a soft glow.
She floated to the edge of the chamber, cutting through the heavy air with a focused expression.
Crossing the void where the floor had disappeared, she headed toward the corridor leading to the exit.
But as soon as she attempted to pass through the ancient passage, a flash of electricity engulfed her.
An invisible field struck her with force, sending blue sparks flying.
"AAAAH!" her scream echoed off the walls.
Her body shook violently and was hurled backward, plunging into the void.
"SENSI!" Jack shouted, reaching out.
Before her body disappeared into the darkness of the abyss, Selina soared into the sky, her cloak fluttering like wings. With a magical surge, she grabbed Sensi by the arms and pulled her back, struggling to float back to the group.
They landed, and everyone rushed over. Sensi's body trembled, her skin marked with lines of residual energy.
Célia, the cleric, immediately knelt and raised her staff.
"Lux Sanare!" she shouted.
A golden circle glowed beneath her hands, and sacred energy coursed through Sensi's body, healing the burns and stabilizing her breathing.
She opened her eyes slowly, her voice weak:
"There… is a barrier. No one can leave."
Jack clenched his fist so tightly that the cracking of his knuckles echoed.
"Damn… this cursed dungeon won't let us escape until it's over."
Silence settled. Everyone understood what it meant: either they won, or they died here.
Kuto took a deep breath.
"So this is it. No turning back."
Dimitri tried to break the tension.
"Complaining won't help. Let's finish this quickly."
Romeu patted Jack on the shoulder, forcing a smile.
"Come on, leader. Not the time to collapse."
Jack raised his gaze, took a deep breath, and a weary smile crossed his face.
"All right… time to fight."
He began outlining the plan.
"Gunja, Célia, stay back and support with long-range spells."
"Understood," they replied in unison.
"Sónia and Dimitri, take the left. Attack with everything you've got."
"Got it," Dimitri said, spinning his staff.
"Selina and Sensi, handle the right side. Use your strongest attacks when I give the signal."
"Understood."
"Haru, Kuto, and I…" Jack adjusted his steel gauntlets. "We'll take the front."
Everyone nodded.
The group advanced.
The walls around them were covered in ancient murals, depicting a colossal warrior with defined muscles and wild eyes—a barbarian wielding two axes.
In the final panels, his fall was shown: betrayed by his own followers, stabbed, and sealed in the heart of the dungeon.
The atmosphere grew even heavier.
Ahead, a gigantic door emerged.
Made of dark purple stone, carved with skulls and pulsating runes.
The air around it seemed distorted, vibrating as if the very space itself were unstable.
Haru stepped back.
"This… this door is even bigger than the entrance."
Romeu tried to joke, but his voice was hoarse.
"And how… do we open this?"
Before he could finish, the door opened on its own.
A deep sound echoed, like the roar of a slumbering beast being forcefully awakened.
A cold wind blew from within, extinguishing several torches.
The group exchanged silent glances, and Jack whispered:
"Team… move forward."
As they crossed the threshold, the door closed behind them with a dry snap, heavy like a verdict.
The boss room was enormous.
The cracked floor was covered in a thin layer of black dust.
Blue flames flickered on the walls, casting shadows that danced like specters.
Ancient runes pulsed on the floor like veins of living energy.
At the center, kneeling before a cracked altar, was him.
A gigantic being with gray, scarred skin.
Long black hair fell to the ground, partially hiding his face.
Barefoot, wearing only rough furs, he held an axe in each hand, blades embedded in the ground, his body motionless like a statue.
Above his head, a glowing title appeared in red:
> [General Thegg – Level 30]
His mere presence made the air vibrate, as if space itself tried to distance from his body.
Jack swallowed hard.
"F-formations!" he shouted, trying to keep his voice steady.
But before he could finish, a cutting sound sliced through the air.
FWOOOOOSH!
A metallic gleam shot across the room in a fraction of a second.
The air vibrated with the force of the impact; the cutting wind passed so close to Jack that it tore a lock of hair.
A trickle of blood ran down his face—the axe had grazed his cheek.
The sound of something violently colliding with the wall echoed behind him.
Jack turned slowly, trembling.
Gunja's body was pinned to the wall, split perfectly in two—from waist to chest.
Blood silently formed a small dark river on the floor.
For a moment, no one could breathe.
Then, slowly, the body began to disintegrate into particles of light—tiny sparks floating until they vanished into the air.
Jack stood frozen, eyes wide, heart racing.
The distant sound of the axe returning to the ground echoed like thunder.
He looked forward…
And saw Thegg slowly raising his head.
His eyes opened—a piercing red glow slicing through the darkness.
The runes on the floor began to shine brighter, pulsing in sync with the beat of a colossal heart.
The entire dungeon trembled.
Jack stepped back, his body drenched in cold sweat, and whispered:
"D-damn…"
The true nightmare had just begun.