The stone walls of Aldwulf Dungeon seemed to hold the silent echoes of an ancient war. Obsidian crystals hanging from the ceilings emitted a pale and ominous light; the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty corridors.Before Ömer-Jin Hoo, his army formed of shadows marched with steady steps. Each step was like a steel hammer striking the heart of the dungeon. Up to the 300th floor, nothing had been able to stop them. Creatures encountered over hundreds of floors fell to Ömer's army within seconds.
Antaios had a colossal body that could cover the sky. With every step, the ground seemed to tremble lightly beneath him. His eyes were sharp and cold enough to annihilate even the slightest threat. Sigrun was the exact opposite; the elegant and silent embodiment of death Her silver armor glistened under crystal lights as she moved forward quietly, her spear in hand.As they passed through the last passage of the 300th floor, the atmosphere changed. Corridors narrowed, and the walls began to exert a pressing weight upon them. It was as if an invisible hand pressed down on their necks. The shadows appeared deeper and more restless than usual; they seemed alive, stirring and moving.Ömer gave a short hand signal to halt his army.
— "It won't be easy from here on," he said, his voice calm yet commanding.
Antaios slightly bowed.
— "Master, whoever stands before us now… will not survive."
Sigrun smiled faintly as she adjusted the tip of her spear.
— "The scent of blood is already in the air."
As they approached the 400th floor, the underground air grew heavier. A deep rumble echoed, like muffled whispers of thousands of creatures. From the depths of the earth came a rhythmic vibration, as if a colossal heart was beating.Reaching the last step of the staircase, Ömer's instincts tensed like a hunter sensing an approaching storm. Shadows swirled around him, and the cold metal necklace around his neck trembled faintly.Ömer thought to himself:
"400th floor… Here the enemy will not only be strong, but also clever."
And at that moment, a crimson beam of light descended from above… It was the harbinger of the approaching disaster deep within Aldwulf Dungeon.The moment they stepped through the gateway of the 400th floor, it felt as if the very laws of the world had suddenly broken down.When Ömer-Jin Hoo planted his feet, he felt the pressure beneath them lighten. His soldiers, who normally marched heavily with their heavy armor and weapons, now moved as if gliding silently.Gravity here was weak… but this was no comfort; it gave an unsettling sense of emptiness.Steps stretched out in midair, and the slightest jump would send a person soaring meters high. It was as if they were swimming inside an invisible ocean.At the end of the corridor, a vast dome-shaped chamber appeared, stretching as far as the eye could see. Crimson lava crystals hung from the ceiling, bathing this underground world in a blood-red light.Energy trickled from each crystal, making the air tremble and filling it with a metallic scent.
Ömer raised his hand and halted his army.
Silence…
Only a distant, muffled rumble could be heard.
But as the rumble drew closer, it shifted into a roar, clashing metal, and the pounding of thousands of footsteps.From the shadows, a silhouette emerged, and the system's voice echoed: [WARNING: Flame King Surtur identifies you as an enemy.]
[WARNING: Target Level: S]
[Player Level: A]
Then, with a roar rising from the depths of darkness, a 200,000-strong army appeared.
Giants carried massive hammers on their shoulders; each step cracked the ground beneath them.Orcs lined up, grunting beneath their bone armor.Giant ants' chitin armor glistened ominously under the lava light.And above them, black dragons flapped their wings slowly each wingbeat sending cutting howls through the air.At the front stood a colossal giant crowned with flames, covered in molten lava: the Flame King Surtur.With every breath, the air around him rippled, and the stones beneath his feet melted.Surtur's voice thundered like an eruption from the heart of a mountain:
"Our king will not forgive you… But if you bow and kneel at my feet, I might consider sparing your family."Ömer-Jin Hoo slightly lifted his head and narrowed his eyes.His gaze was death itself."I will tear your head and your king's head from your bodies. I will shred you to pieces. If you ask for mercy from me… I might lighten your punishment."These words twisted into a savage grin on Surtur's lips.
"Show this insolent human his place! Tear him apart!"
Then, as Ömer's long cream-colored coat billowed behind him, he stretched out his right hand forward. Black, crackling energy gathered at his fingertips.
"Vatra!"
A thunderous rift tore open the air. From within the rift, Ömer's elite shadow army of 12,000 stepped onto the battlefield.
Antaios took his place on the right, Sigrun on the left.
Antaios' voice boomed:
"Master… we are ready to crush the enemy."
With a faint smile, Ömer spoke a single word:
"Advance."
And so, under that blood-red dome where gravity was weak, the two armies began to march toward each other. With every step, the air grew heavier, and the oppressive weight of the approaching battle made bones ache.
Under the blood-red dome where gravity was lightened, the two armies approached each other. The noise of footsteps first turned into a muffled rumble, then to the explosive rhythm of a drumbeat.With every passing second and as the distance between them closed, the tension in the air sharpened, as if it could be cut with a knife.The crimson light filtering from the lava crystals had transformed the battlefield into a world painted with blood.
Above, black dragons circled, their smoky breaths filling the sky like the breath of a beast waiting for the battle to begin.
Ömer-Jin Hoo stood before his army. His cream-colored long coat fluttered in slow motion through the low gravity air, a violet death aura burning in his eyes.Behind him, the 12,000-strong shadow army stood in disciplined silence.Antaios and Sigrun stood tall on his right and left like colossal pillars that could split the world in two.In the distance, Surtur slowly raised his lava sword. As the sword melted the air around it, bursting lava bubbles crackled with deafening snaps.
Surtur's voice echoed across the battlefield:
— "March forward… annihilate them all."
At that moment, the ground trembled.
Orcs roared and charged forward, the chitin armor of giant ants clashed with metallic hums. Giants lifted their sky-covering hammers high, and with every step, the stone floor cracked. Black dragons flew low, readying their fiery breath.
Ömer uttered a single word:
— "Advance."
And the shadow army moved.
The first clash exploded like lightning.
A shadow warrior plunged into the orc ranks, decapitating three orcs with a single sword strike. Giant ants swung their claws to tear apart the shadow soldiers, but suddenly they were pulled into darkness and stabbed in the back.Antaios shattered the steel-like armored arm of a giant before him with a single blow. When the hammer dropped, the shockwave was felt dozens of meters away. Then, with one punch, he pulverized the giant's head.
Sigrun moved with her slender but deadly spear; with every strike, an enemy's body split in two, and a thin mist of blood rose into the air.Because of the low gravity, every blow sent opponents flying meters away. Bodies swung in slow motion through the air, casting grotesque shadows in the lava light.A black dragon descended from the sky, spewing lava that melted dozens of shadow soldiers. Ömer lifted his head slightly; his eyes glowed with a cold light. He stretched out his hand, and the "Claw of Shadow" made of black chains wrapped around the dragon's neck in midair. With a single pull, the massive creature crashed to the ground, its head bursting on the stone floor.But the enemy had the advantage in numbers No matter how many foes were slain, dozens more took their place.
The scent of blood and lava filled the air. With every step, feet slipped over broken bones and melted armor fragments.And this was only the beginning because Surtur's generals had yet to join the fight.
The roar of the battle had grown into a storm filling the entire dome.The metallic screams of clashing swords, the roars of giants, the thunderous wingbeats of dragons…
Death came from every direction.
But at that moment, two massive shadows appeared on the battlefield.One was Orochi, whose body resembled a thousand intertwined serpents, covered not in armor but in obsidian scales.The other was Osiris, a colossal figure clad in black armor embroidered with gold, wearing a horned helmet and wielding a two-handed axe.
Surtur's booming voice cut through the battle:
"Orochi! Osiris! Show them our true power."
Antaios vs. Orochi
When Antaios noticed Orochi's looming massive shadow approaching, a wild glint appeared in his eyes.
"So you… are my rival."
Orochi's voice was muffled and ominous:
"You are but a leftover from the kings' table. Now, I shall add your bones to my collection."
Despite the low gravity, Orochi slammed his serpentine body to the ground with speed. Hundreds of black scales whirled through the air like bullets aimed at Antaios.Antaios crossed his arms to block the attack, but each scale was harder than steel, sparking from his shoulders upon impact.Gritting his teeth, Antaios summoned a force from deep within the earth and sent Orochi flying dozens of meters with a single punch. He aimed his massive fist at the serpent's neck as it floated in midair.But Orochi twisted his snake-like body suddenly, evading the blow, and slammed his tail into Antaios's chest. The strike was so powerful the ground cracked and lava seeped upward.When the two giants faced each other again, the tension in the air became suffocating.Antaios's fists had the power to move mountains, but Orochi's agility and multi-attack abilities began to wear him down with every strike.
Sigrun vs. Osiris
Elsewhere, Sigrun stood firmly in the middle of the battlefield, gripping her spear tightly with both hands.Osiris approached with heavy steps, the golden embroidery on his armor blazing under the lava's glow.
Osiris planted his axe in the ground and spoke:
"There is no place for grace in the art of war… That's why I will shatter you with my first strike."
Sigrun's smile was ice-cold.
"And that is exactly why you will not win this duel."
The first move came from Sigrun. Due to the low gravity, she leapt in a single bound to Osiris's shoulder height, sliding her spear along the axe's handle toward his neck.But Osiris swung his axe upward, knocking Sigrun away.Sigrun spun in the air and landed, the stones beneath her feet shattering.Osiris swung his axe like a hurricane, each blow opening craters in the ground.In a fleeting moment, Sigrun used the "Shadow Step" technique and appeared behind Osiris.Her spear's tip carved a deep scratch into Osiris's armor, sparks flying.
But Osiris smiled.
"This is what real war looks like."
He slammed his axe into the ground, creating a shockwave that pushed Sigrun back.Her steps were light, but she now understood that this fight would be not only a test of speed but also of endurance.As both duels grew increasingly deadly, the screams and explosions on the battlefield blended into one chaotic symphony.From afar, Ömer watched these duels intently, his gaze locked on Surtur.Because he knew… the generals' duel was just the prelude to his own battle.