The tunnel narrowed the deeper I went, the air growing thicker, harder to breathe. The rumbling didn't stop. It wasn't random movement. It had rhythm. Slow. Heavy. Like something dragging its weight across stone. I kept walking anyway. Every step echoed back at me, reminding me how alone I was. I thought about the surface for a second—sunlight, noise, people pretending to be brave. I wondered if they'd already told the story of my death. "He bought us time." It sounded heroic. Cleaner than the truth.
The tunnel opened into a massive cavern, and I saw it. Not the SSS-Rank boss. Something else. Something older. Its body was fused with the rock, thick limbs carved with glowing cracks, eyes like burning coals set deep into stone. It wasn't moving fast. It didn't need to. The pressure it gave off made my knees feel weak. I realized then that this dungeon had layers. The boss we fought was just the surface. This was the bottom. The creature's gaze shifted toward me slowly, like it had sensed a change in the air. Maybe it sensed me.
My heart started pounding hard enough to hurt. I wasn't ready for this. Not yet. But there was nowhere to run. The moment I stepped back, a chunk of rock fell behind me, sealing the path I came from. The sound echoed like a final answer. The creature pulled one massive arm free from the stone, cracks spreading along its body as it moved. I could feel the ground trembling through my boots. "Fine," I whispered, though my voice shook. "Then test me." It swung without warning. I raised my broken shield on instinct, bracing for impact. The collision felt like being hit by a collapsing building. Everything went white for a second. I felt bones strain, felt something inside me nearly give out—and then hold. I was still standing. Barely. Blood ran down my face, but my legs hadn't folded.
A blue message flickered faintly at the edge of my vision. [Extreme Force Endured.] [Structural Reinforcement Increased.] I laughed, breathless and almost hysterical. It hurt. God, it hurt. But I hadn't fallen. The creature lifted its arm again, slower this time, like it was confused. I wiped the blood from my eye and adjusted my stance. I wasn't strong enough to win. Not yet. But every second I survived, I wasn't the same person who got abandoned at that gate. And for the first time since waking up down here, I didn't just feel angry. I felt determined.