CHAPTER 10
— WHAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE AWAKENED
The entrance corridor of the Abyssal Dungeon swallowed the light of the outside world like a gaping giant's maw. The temperature dropped drastically, replaced by a damp, cold chill that tickled the skin. Near the entrance, several torches were prepared in iron brackets—a basic Guild facility for adventurers. Kyoichiiro took one, struck the provided fire starter, and the orange flame illuminated their tense faces.
Their formation formed naturally, without further discussion. Kyoichiiro held the torch at the front, his light blue eyes sweeping every corner of the darkness with high alertness. Aetheria was right behind him, in the protected middle position. Amura took the left flank, while Kyoichiiro himself guarded the right. They were a triangle moving slowly deeper in.
Their footsteps echoed, sounding clear in the quiet, damp stone corridor. The sound of water dripping from stalactites above was the only accompaniment besides their own breathing.
Dark… and too quiet, thought Kyoichiiro, his instincts ringing. In every game or story, a quiet dungeon doesn't mean it's safe. It means something is waiting, hiding, or… hunting. Danger always comes when we let our guard down. I have to be ready to react at any moment.
Amura glanced at Kyoichiiro, as if sensing the same tension. Yet no words were spoken. Their communication was beginning to rely on body language and situational understanding.
They kept walking, passing the first bend. And suddenly—
From the darkness beside the corridor, nine pairs of glowing red eyes appeared. Low growls and the click of clawed feet on stone. A pack of Black Beast Dogs—monstrous dogs as large as wolves with jet-black fur and sharp, slavering teeth—emerged to block their path. Kyoichiiro quickly analyzed the threat.
Level 15… he thought, his eyes sweeping over the monster formation. Too low to be the main inhabitants of a dungeon with a reputation like this. These are probably just feeders, or early patrols. Even ordinary adventurers should be able to handle them.
Without a signal, without verbal coordination, they moved.
Kyoichiiro shot forward first, his small, light body moving like the wind. His new katana gleamed in the torchlight as he attacked the two foremost Black Beast Dogs with quick, crossing motions, slashing their throats before they could even snarl.
Amura was no slower. His one-handed sword was enveloped in a faint fiery aura. He stepped to the side, and with three almost simultaneous precise slashes, three other monster heads flew, their bodies collapsing before hitting the ground.
Aetheria, though her face was pale, raised her hands. Her lips whispered a short incantation. From her palms, small red lightning—more like concentrated electrical bursts—leaped out and struck two Black Beast Dogs trying to approach from the flank. Both convulsed and fell still.
Kyoichiiro, having already spun around, finished off the remaining four with clean, efficient slashes, exploiting momentum and weaknesses between their ribs.
In ten seconds, nine monsters lay lifeless. Only their final death rattles disturbed the silence.
Amura: (relaxing his fighting stance, smiling) "Good work. Our coordination is pretty solid for a first time."
Kyoichiiro's expression remained flat, but there was a small nod of acknowledgment. Aetheria smiled in relief, the hand that had just released magic still trembling slightly, but her eyes shone with small achievement.
Kyoichiiro: "They were just feeders. Don't let your guard down."
They continued their journey, now with slightly increased confidence but undiminished vigilance. The dungeon turned out to be vast. Corridors branched like a labyrinth, stone walls covered in bioluminescent moss emitting a pale green light, providing an eerie additional illumination. The air grew increasingly damp and heavy, as if saturated with trapped magical energy.
Kyoichiiro: (suddenly asking) "How many bosses are usually in a dungeon like this?"
Amura: (blinking) "I'm not too sure about this specific one. But based on rumors, C-rank dungeons like the Abyssal usually have a final boss with a level that can exceed 200. There might be mini-bosses along the way too."
Kyoichiiro: "Level 200…" He processed the information. With their levels still very low (they didn't even have a clear level system yet), that number sounded like a chasm.
Amura: "If we face something like that directly… we could be overwhelmed. Even defeated in an instant."
Kyoichiiro: (letting out a long sigh) "Ohhhhhh…" His tone was flat, but within it was an acceptance of the risk they were taking.
Suddenly, the corridor ended at a large door made of dark wood and engraved iron, far more magnificent than its surroundings. Without much talk, Kyoichiiro pushed it. The door opened with a slow, creaking motion, then closed by itself with a loud BAM after they stepped through, as if cutting off their retreat.
The room they entered was a vast circular hall. Its ceiling was high and unseen, lost in darkness. In the center of the room was a stone altar. And on that altar…
Kyoichiiro paused for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw something—a large black silhouette moving, lurking from behind a stone pillar.
Kyoichiiro: "Oi, oi, oi…" he muttered softly. "Give me a break."
From behind the shadows, the creature emerged. A Tricephalon Noctyros—a Three-Headed Lion. Its body was as large as a bull, a deep blue-black like the night sky, with fur that looked hard as steel. It stood over four meters tall, and each of its three heads had glowing yellow eyes that stared at them with intelligence and hunger. Above Kyoichiiro's head, as if there were a display only he could see: Level 50.
Kyoichiiro: "We've just reached the first somewhat deep chamber, and we're immediately greeted by a level 50 creature? This dungeon isn't messing around."
Yet there was no time to complain. The Tricephalon Noctyros roared, and its three mouths emitted different hissing sounds—one like a growl, one like a snake's hiss, one like the rumble of stone.
Amura moved immediately. "I'll take the left leg, you take the right!" he shouted.
Kyoichiiro nodded, and they attacked simultaneously. Amura shot forward, dodging a swipe from the right head, and his sword plunged into the monster's left hind thigh. Kyoichiiro, katana in hand, performed a series of quick movements on the right side, slashing tendons and trying to find a gap in its belly protected by thick fur.
Seeing the disturbance from both sides, the monster shifted its attention. Amura used the chance to jump, planting a foot on the monster's thigh, then climbed onto its back. From the high position, he swung his sword powerfully at the neck of one head.
SWISH—THUD!
One head was severed, falling to the stone floor with a heavy thud. Thick black fluid gushed out.
However, the victory was brief. The two remaining heads tilted back and let out an unnatural howl—not an animal sound, but a magical sonic wave that shook the dungeon. The dungeon trembled. From the ceiling, large stones began to collapse.
Amura: "GET AWAY!"
Kyoichiiro jumped back, avoiding a head-sized stone that crashed where he had stood moments before. Aetheria, with surprising reflexes, raised both hands. "Barrier!" A semi-transparent wall of energy formed above them, holding back the smaller debris. Amura jumped down from the monster's back gracefully, landing with a roll.
The shaking stopped. Dust filled the air. As their vision cleared slightly, the wounded and enraged Tricephalon Noctyros had already lunged. Not at Amura, but at Kyoichiiro, who was getting up from his evasive position.
Kyoichiiro: (eyes widening) "Quick—!"
But it was too late. A large paw, still carrying residual dark energy from the howl, struck. Kyoichiiro tried to parry with his katana, but the force was unbalanced. The claw pierced through the parry, slashing his right arm and chest, then brutally hurled him against the chamber wall.
BAM!
His body slammed into the hard stone, and he fell sprawled, sharp pain spreading from his chest and arm.
Amura & Aetheria: (in unison) "KYOICHIRO-SAN!!"
Their voices were full of panic. Amura immediately took command.
Amura: (commanding voice) "Quickly! Aetheria, protect him and heal his wounds! NOW!"
Aetheria: (trembling) "B-But…!"
Amura: (without looking back, gaze fixed on the monster) "I'LL deal with this damn beast myself!"
Aetheria nodded quickly, then ran towards the fallen Kyoichiiro. Amura turned to face the Tricephalon Noctyros. His usually relaxed or friendly expression had vanished. Replaced by cold tension, his red eyes (Crimson Iris) glowing with frightening intensity.
Amura: (low, venomous voice) "Unforgivable…"
The blade of his sword was suddenly shrouded in a swirling aura of deep red magic, like fire and blood merged. The air around him vibrated.
And then, Amura disappeared.
Not teleportation, but speed so extreme the eye couldn't follow. Only a red flash moving in crisscrossing patterns around the monster. One breath. Two. Then, Amura reappeared several meters behind the monster, in a low stance with his sword drawn.
The Tricephalon Noctyros froze. Then, thin red lines appeared on the necks of its two remaining heads. Before the monster could move again, its body began to shrivel, crack, and turn to ash, dispersing in the air before vanishing completely without leaving a carcass.
Amura turned, his gaze still cold but now directed at Kyoichiiro.
Amura: (whispering, but clearly audible) "Don't ever… hurt someone I care about."
He ran closer. Aetheria was already kneeling beside Kyoichiiro, her hands emitting a soft golden light pressed against the wound on Kyoichiiro's chest. Her face was tense.
Aetheria: (trembling voice) "Don't move… If you move, the dark poison could spread faster."
Amura stopped beside them, silent. He saw the wounds on Kyoichiiro's right hand and chest—the areas struck by the claw were blackened, and black, root-like tissue was trying to spread outward.
Kyoichiiro coughed weakly, trying to sit up. "Tch… I didn't react fast enough. So foolish."
Aetheria: "Stay still… Let my magic work."
The blackness on Kyoichiiro's chest slowly faded, drawn out by the golden light. Aetheria then moved her hands to the wound on his arm, concentrating fully. Cold sweat beaded on her temples. Amura stood there, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. In his heart, a curse echoed: …Damn it. That was too close.
After several minutes that felt like hours, finally the blackness disappeared completely. The deep wounds closed, leaving behind red marks that would become scars. Kyoichiiro took a deep breath; the pain had greatly diminished.
Kyoichiiro: (trying to stand, but his legs were still weak) "Ugh…"
Amura & Aetheria: (immediately supporting him on both sides) "Be careful!"
Amura: (face full of worry) "Seriously, are you alright? We should rest here first. No need to rush."
Kyoichiiro: (shaking his head slowly) "Not necessary. The wounds are healed. Just exhaustion and a little blood loss. Thanks to Aetheria's help." He turned to the blonde girl. "Thank you."
Aetheria: (face still anxious) "Don't push yourself, Kyoichiiro-san… Please."
Her hand was still holding Kyoichiiro's arm, and Kyoichiiro felt a slight tremble in her touch. Not just fear, but there was another strange sensation—a warmth that felt familiar, like nostalgia for something he couldn't remember.
Kyoichiiro: (whispering, more to himself) "What is this…? I feel like… I'm feeling a bond to something I should be able to remember…"
His head suddenly felt heavy, throbbing. His vision swam for a moment.
Amura & Aetheria: (panicked) "Kyoichiiro-san!!"
Kyoichiiro: (closing his eyes, then opening them) "It's nothing… Just a little dizzy. Side effect of the poison or the healing, maybe."
Amura looked at him seriously, analyzing Kyoichiiro's condition.
Amura: "No. We're resting. Period. We sit, eat, and recover our strength. Don't push yourself. That's not bravery, it's foolishness."
This time, Kyoichiiro didn't argue. He nodded in resignation. They sat leaning against the wall near the door (which remained closed). They took out simple rations from their bags—hard bread, cheese, dried meat, and water. They ate in silence, but a silence filled with gratitude for being alive and tactical evaluation of the earlier fight.
The dungeon fell quiet again. Even quieter than before, as if all life within it was holding its breath.
And deep within the darkness, in depths untouched by C-rank adventurers, something older, darker, and worse than the Tricephalon Noctyros… slowly opened its eyes. That ancient consciousness had sensed an unusual wave of energy—a combination of pure healing magic, burning magical anger, and something else… something that felt very old and foreign. And now, it began to observe.