CHAPTER 18 — The Return
Something was wrong.
Sam felt it deep in his bones, in the air, in the frantic rhythm of his heart. The light from the crystals wasn't just glowing anymore—it was burning. Each pulse made the chamber feel tighter, smaller, as faint glowing sigils began etching themselves across the floor and walls like ink writing itself onto a page.
Something was changing.
He gritted his teeth and pressed on. If he'd been fighting at a hundred percent before, he forced his body to go beyond that now—one hundred and ten, maybe more. He didn't have the luxury of restraint anymore.
Clang!
The wolf's claws met the cleaver in a flash of sparks. The impact was like colliding with a boulder. Sam's arms trembled as the beast pushed him back, his heels scraping against the stone floor until he was forced to leap away to keep from being crushed underfoot.
Breathing hard, he glanced back.
Serena was watching, frozen halfway between fear and disbelief.
He caught her gaze and jerked his head toward the shaman.
"Stop its chant!" he barked, his voice barely audible over the growls and crackling mana.
Serena nodded quickly, lips tightening.
When Sam turned back, he found the wolf charging at him. He tried to move but it was already too late.
The wolf was a blur of fur and fury—he barely managed to raise his arm before it crashed into him. Pain exploded through his body as he was thrown backward, slamming into a fallen stalactite, then the wall.
The impact drove the air from his lungs.
He gasped, vision swimming, then forced himself upright with trembling hands. His cleaver lay a few feet away, and he snatched it up with a growl.
I'm not done.
He charged.
The wolf turned, baring its fangs, but Sam was faster this time—ducking low, swinging upward in a brutal arc. The cleaver grazed its muzzle, drawing a snarl and a streak of dark blood.
Meanwhile, Serena took her chance.
She had seen Sam's signal, and though worry clawed at her chest, she knew she had to move. She gathered her focus, feeling the rush of heat swirl around her palms.
"Fireball."
The small sphere of flame burst into being, burning brighter as she poured everything she had into it, then sent it hurtling toward the chanting goblin.
It flew unimpeded, streaking through the glowing haze—
—and exploded.
The shockwave lit up a faint, translucent shimmer around the shaman—a barrier, invisible until now. The flames splashed harmlessly against it and fizzled out.
Serena's breath caught.
Her heart sank as the creature's chant continued without pause, its lips moving faster, its voice rising to a feverish pitch.
The prickling sensation in the air grew unbearable. Sam could feel it too—a crawling presence along his spine, like someone—or something—was breathing down his neck.
The fight with the wolf was going nowhere.
He'd managed to slash one of its eyes, but that only made it more vicious. Its attacks came wild and heavy, every strike carrying enough force to displace the surrounding air.
He dodged one swing but couldn't evade the next. The beast's claws grazed across his chest, tearing through flesh. He staggered back with a hiss, warm blood seeping through his shirt.
Serena hurled another fireball—then another—but each one burst uselessly against the barrier. Her mana ran thin fast. By the fourth shot, her legs felt weak, her vision blurry.
When she tried to form a fifth, nothing happened.
Her knees wobbled.
Her mana was empty.
The sudden hollowness that spread through her was terrifying—like a cold, empty void. Her mana was gone, and even standing felt like lifting a mountain.
She half-raised her head, expecting to see the goblin sneering at her failure. But it didn't even look her way.
Eyes closed, it continued chanting, utterly absorbed. The crystal atop its staff pulsed brighter and brighter, and the pool beneath the Dungeon Core began to boil.
The air thickened with power—raw, overwhelming power. The oppressive feeling of being watched grew stronger until it became almost tangible.
And then…
It stopped chanting.
The glow from the crystal reached its peak, a blinding radiance that filled the entire cavern. Serena had to squint, throwing an arm over her eyes.
Then came a sound—a deep, wet bubbling.
From the boiling pool beneath the Dungeon Core, something rose.
A shape.
A presence.
When Sam saw it, his heart stopped.
A massive, familiar silhouette emerged from the light, dripping with shimmering liquid mana. Its fanged mouth opened, releasing a guttural snarl that shook the air.
"No way…" Sam whispered, disbelief flooding his voice. "I—I killed you."
But there was no mistake.
It was the Goblin Leader.
The creature threw back its head and roared.
The sound was heavy. no longer just physical—it struck like a wave. Serena screamed, clutching her ears as blood trickled down from them. Sam fell to a knee, his head ringing violently.
The stalactites above shattered and fell in chunks, raining stone and dust.
"Serena!"
Through the chaos, Sam forced himself up, staggering toward her. She was frozen—eyes wide, body trembling uncontrollably beneath the crushing weight of the leader's aura.
The wolf behind him snarled and lunged.
Sam turned on instinct, his body moving before thought. He ran toward Serena, the wolf at his heels.
"Move!"
Crack.
A sound split the air—the sharp, splintering snap of stone breaking. A massive stalactite directly above Serena split free from the ceiling.
Without hesitation, Sam dove.
He crashed into her, knocking her clear of the impact. The stalactite slammed down where she had stood—
—and skewered the wolf instead.
The beast gave two pitiful whimpers, then went still, pinned to the ground as its blood pooled beneath it.
Sam rolled over, gasping for breath, staring at the motionless creature.
"…One down," he muttered, half in disbelief, half in grim relief.
But the relief didn't last.
He looked up.
The Goblin Leader stood fully reborn, the light of the Dungeon Core swirling around him, its strength pulsing with unnatural vigor. The shaman's eyes glowed the same eerie color, its mouth curling into a twisted smile.
And Sam understood—
This time, it wasn't just the leader they were up against.
It was the shaman itself.