Eron adjusted the strap of his ruined pack as heavy silence stretched between him and the Gold-ranked party. The oppressive aura had lifted minutes ago, but the weight it left lingered like dust after an explosion.
They were staring at him still, some with fear, others with suspicion. He could practically hear thoughts in their heads: monster, demon, calamity.
His hovering flame drifted beside him, casting long shadows across worn stone. The tunnel behind them was quiet now, but the memory of pressure that had crushed them moments ago still hung in the air. Sweat dried on their faces, breaths came uneven, and hands stayed close to weapons.
Eron shifted his weight and glanced back at them, meeting their wary eyes.
He sighed. "Listen. You should turn back. Keep going deeper and you'll get yourselves killed."
Derrick barked a humorless laugh, though his voice shook. "Oh, that's rich. The man who crushed us flat with a glare is warning us about danger?"
Kaelen tightened his grip on his staff, eyes narrowing. "We're Gold rank. We've cleared floors beyond this. We don't need advice from a stray who doesn't even wear a guild tag."
Liora's lips trembled as she spoke softer, but the edge was there. "Why don't you explain, then, outsider? Why should we retreat now, when guild records say Floor 34 is manageable?"
Garron said nothing, but his hand never left his shield and his gaze stayed locked on Eron with silent judgment.
Only Serenya Korvelle stayed truly still. Her posture was firm, greatsword resting across her back, golden eyes sharp and steady as she watched him like he was a puzzle she intended to solve.
Eron met her gaze, then exhaled. "You've noticed it too, haven't you?"
Derrick frowned. "Noticed what?"
"Monsters climbing floors," Eron said bluntly. "Creatures appearing where they don't belong. Why do you think that's happening?"
The party stiffened and he caught it, the flicker of unease in their eyes. So they had noticed.
Derrick's jaw tightened and he glanced at Serenya, then back at Eron. "We've seen things. Beasts that shouldn't be this high. But the guild hasn't issued warnings. They said it was just fluctuations, natural dungeon behavior."
Kaelen's voice came sharp and defensive. "And you expect us to believe you know better than the guild's researchers?"
Eron didn't answer right away and instead let the question hang in the air. His thoughts twisted inward, jaw clenching as he reached into the quiet space where Valerica always lingered.
Valerica. You've been watching. Why the hell are the monsters climbing?
Her voice slithered up from his shadow, not aloud but coiling directly into his mind. Smooth and cold.
Because one has risen.
Eron's brow furrowed. One?
A Variant, Valerica replied. Something was born far below, a monster that should not exist. It carries a will strong enough to command. And when such a creature decides to climb, every beast within its reach obeys.
A chill threaded through his spine. So they're not just wandering upward?
No, Valerica said. This is the beginning. The start of a dungeon break. The dungeon itself is straining to contain the flow. And if it fails, the surface will drown in monsters.
The words settled heavy in him and he clenched his fists, feeling the rough fabric of his gloves creak under the pressure.
He straightened and looked back at Serenya's party. Their eyes were still locked on him, expectant, suspicious, waiting for an answer they wouldn't want to hear.
Eron took a steadying breath.
"It's not random. Something down there was born strong enough to pull others with it. A Variant. It's commanding them to climb. That's why you've been seeing monsters where they shouldn't be."
Derrick snorted, disbelief all over his face. "Commanding? Variants don't exist on these floors. That's just a campfire tale to scare rookies."
Kaelen sneered, his knuckles white around his staff. "How convenient. The stranger appears and suddenly knows the true reason for a quake that even guild scholars haven't explained?"
Liora's expression twisted with unease as she clutched her charm tighter. "If that's true, it would mean disaster. Not just for us, but for everyone above."
Garron's shield shifted slightly, a subtle movement that spoke volumes. He was preparing for a fight, whether against monsters or against Eron himself.
Eron stood his ground, shoulders squared despite exhaustion pulling at him. "Exactly. That's why you need to head back."
Derrick scoffed louder this time. "Or maybe you're just trying to scare us off so you can hog whatever treasure's below."
Eron bit back a curse, patience wearing thin as he fought the urge to snap. His hovering flame flickered, reflecting the frustration rising inside him.
But then, Serenya spoke.
"No."
Her companions froze.
Serenya's golden eyes never left Eron's. She studied him, gaze cutting deep, weighing his every word and every breath. Her greatsword stayed steady on her back, but her stance shifted slightly, grounding herself.
She remembered the day she placed her hand upon the statue of Goddess Relmza in the town square. Light had entered her then, warm and certain, settling into her chest like a second heartbeat. The whisper of instinct it left behind had guided her through battles, warned her of lies, pulled her from the brink of death more than once.
It wasn't a voice, not exactly, but a knowing. A certainty that cut through doubt.
And now, as she looked at Eron Vale, the whisper was clear.
He speaks truth.
Serenya inhaled, her voice calm but final. "We withdraw."
Derrick spun toward her, outraged. "Leader, we can't just."
"That's an order," Serenya said, tone firm and absolute.
Kaelen clenched his jaw but stayed silent, staff lowering slightly. Liora bowed her head, relief flickering across her face as her grip eased on her charm. Garron said nothing, but his shield dropped an inch, acceptance settling over him.
Eron blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected her to listen. "Good. Then let's move."
But Serenya's next words made his stomach drop.
"We'll return to the upper floors, but we won't walk beside you."
Her party instantly gave him distance, reforming their formation several paces behind. Not an ally at his side, but a shadow at his back.
Eron stared at the empty space they left, incredulous. "Seriously? I just warned you about a dungeon break and you're treating me like I'm diseased?"
Valerica's amusement curled through his mind. Mortals fear what they cannot control. To them, Shadow, you are worse than the Variant itself.
Eron groaned. "I hate it when you make sense."
They set off, footsteps echoing against stone as the group moved together but separate. The tunnel stretched ahead, lit only by Eron's hovering flame and the faint glow of Kaelen's staff.
Derrick muttered curses under his breath, his hand never far from the dagger at his belt. Kaelen's staff glowed faintly, as if ready to strike at any moment. Liora's prayers were softer now but steady, a quiet thread in the cold air. Garron walked with shield raised slightly, prepared for anything.
Only Serenya walked calm and steady, greatsword resting across her back, golden eyes fixed on Eron's steps. She watched the way he moved, the way his flame circled him protectively, the way his shoulders tensed whenever a sound echoed from deeper tunnels.
Eron could feel it without looking.
She was watching him, measuring him, waiting to see if her instincts were right or if he was the calamity her party feared.
And for the first time since stepping into this dungeon, Eron wondered if surviving monsters would really be easier than surviving the stares behind him.