The ten hours passed in tense silence. As the colossal dungeon door groaned open, a wave of ancient, musty air washed over them. Liam felt a knot of nervousness tighten in his stomach—not for himself, but for his companions. They were ready, their faces set with determination, but they had no idea what they were truly walking into.
They stepped through the threshold as one. With a deafening grind, the stone door slammed shut behind them, the seams vanishing until it was just a solid wall of rock. It was as if the entrance had never been there. There was no turning back.
The first floor was a vast, echoing cavern, but it was strangely empty. They proceeded cautiously, climbing from floor to floor. Twenty-five floors they cleared, and not a single monster challenged them. They looted the sparse treasures they found—a few coins, a rusty dagger—but the party grew more confused and unnerved by the silence.
"Why is there nothing here?" Zarya muttered, her hand tight on her sword's hilt.
Liam knew why. His System was constantly detecting magical monsters lurking in the shadows of every floor, but the moment they sensed his aura—an oppressive weight like a mountain behind him—they would scurry away in terror. He said nothing, letting his companions wonder, as he walked with Nyx and Luna just a step behind.
On Floor 30, a designated safe zone, they took a short rest before climbing to the next level. As they stepped onto Floor 31, Liam's System flared.
> MONSTER DETECTED
> * Name: Minotaur
> * Level: 50
> * Strength: 300
> * Agility: 250
> * Type: Beast
> * Health: 15000/15000
>
A thunderous roar echoed through the chamber, and a hulking, bull-headed beast charged them. "Shield!" Kaelen yelled.
Garrus planted his feet, activating his shield just in time to meet the beast's charge with a deafening crash of metal on horn. The attack was stopped, but the force sent shudders through the floor. Kaelen and Zarya rushed forward, their blades flashing against the Minotaur's tough hide.
"Hold it steady!" Seraphina shouted, her hands outstretched as waves of telekinetic force slammed into the beast, stopping its struggles. "I... I can't hold him for long! He's too strong!" Her magic began to run out, the pressure faltering. The Minotaur roared, broke free, and swatted Kaelen away like a fly. He slammed into the dungeon wall and crumpled to the ground.
Can you help them? Liam thought, directing the command to his guards. But don't let them see your power.
Luna can, Nyx's voice replied in his mind.
In an imperceptible instant, Luna blurred from her position, plunged a thin, wicked-looking dagger coated in poison into the beast's flank, and returned to her spot. No one saw a thing.
From the back of the group, Liam extended a hand, and a thread of green light shot out, healing Kaelen's injuries.
"Whoa!" Kaelen shouted, leaping to his feet. "I can fight forever like this! Thank you, Liam!" Bolstered, he and Zarya charged again. The poison was already working, weakening the beast. With one final, coordinated blow, they brought the monster down.
Kaelen triumphantly sawed off one of the beast's massive horns, holding it up for Liam. "You know how much this bad boy goes for? We're going to be rich when we clear this dungeon!"
"BE CAREFUL!" Liam suddenly screamed. His system was flashing again.
> MONSTER DETECTED
> * Name: Minotaur
> * Level: 50
> * Strength: 300
> * Agility: 250
> * Type: Beast
> * Health: 15000/15000
>
Another Minotaur burst from the shadows, too close for them to react properly. Garrus activated his shield, but this time it wasn't enough. The beast's horn shattered the shield's magic and slammed into Garrus, sending him flying into a wall, where he lay unconscious.
The beast thundered towards Seraphina. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But it never came.
Nyx moved. She was a phantom, a blur of motion too fast for the eye to follow. Her sword was a whisper of steel, and in a single, fluid instant, the Minotaur was reduced to a hundred pieces that clattered to the floor.
Liam was already by Garrus's side, healing him. Kaelen and Zarya could only stare, frozen, at the spot where the monster had been and then at Nyx, who stood calmly as if nothing had happened.
Kaelen finally broke the silence, a wide, manic grin spreading across his face. "Now... now we will clear it!"
They looted the remains and moved on. The fights that followed were short. A monster would appear, and before the party could fully engage, Nyx or Luna would dispatch it with terrifying efficiency.
When they arrived on Floor 40, they were met not by a beast, but by a cunning, goblin-like creature that held up its hands. "Wait! I don't come to fight!" it squeaked. "I'm here to warn you! Go back! After this floor, all the way to Floor 50, is protected by my master! All of you will be killed! He sent me to warn you... he will kill every one of you!"
Liam nodded gravely at the monster. "Okay. We understand. We will stop here. You can go." After the creature scurried away, he turned to the group. "What do we do now? Go back or go up?"
"Go back?" Kaelen scoffed, glancing at Nyx and Luna. "With these two amazing fighters? We can't go back now that we're here!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Liam said quietly. The group's decision was made.
The next nine floors were chillingly silent. There were no monsters, only a grim, sprawling graveyard. Skeletons of hunters lay scattered everywhere, their bones mingled with rusted, broken weapons. It was a testament to the countless people who had been slaughtered here over the years.
Finally, they stood before a massive, ornate door. This was the entrance to Floor 50. Taking a deep breath, they pushed it open and stepped inside. The air was heavy, charged with an oppressive, holy energy.
As Liam's eyes adjusted, his System blazed with a new, terrifying notification.
> BOSS DETECTED
> * Name: Light General (6th)
> * Level: 180
> * Strength: 900
> * Agility: 900
> * Endurance: 900
> * Magic: 950
> * Type: Light
> * Health: 60000/60000