Raven's POV
The battle should have ended there.
Sam's blade burned through the final monster, flames devouring its body until nothing remained but drifting ash scattered across the stone floor. The echoes of combat faded, leaving behind a fragile stillness.
For one breath—
Silence.
Then my chest tightened.
Too silent.
I felt it before my eyes could find it.
The pressure in the air shifted, growing dense and oppressive, as if the dungeon itself had drawn in a breath. A deep, heavy thud reverberated through the cavern, followed by the sickening sound of stone cracking apart.
"Get back!" I shouted.
The ground shook violently.
From the darkness ahead, something forced its way into existence, tearing through shadow and stone alike. It was nothing like the others.
This creature was massive—towering over us—its body encased in jagged black armor that looked grown rather than forged. Crimson veins pulsed beneath its surface, glowing faintly with each movement. A single horn curved from its forehead, sharp as a blade.
An elite.
The dungeon's true answer to our presence.
It roared.
The sound alone shattered what remained of our formation.
The monster charged.
Daniel barely had time to react. He threw up his shield just as the creature slammed into it with overwhelming force.
The barrier cracked.
Then shattered.
Daniel was hurled backward like a broken doll, his body skidding violently across the stone floor.
"Daniel!" Elise cried out.
Ayla moved instantly, wind spiraling around her blade as she struck. Compressed air tore forward in a slicing wave—
—but it barely slowed the creature. Its armored hide deflected most of the attack.
Chris roared, muscles bulging as his enhancement surged. He swung his massive hammer with everything he had.
The blow landed squarely against the monster's shoulder.
Crack.
The sound echoed through the cavern.
But the monster didn't fall.
Slowly, deliberately—it turned.
And struck.
Chris was sent flying, his body smashing into the cavern wall hard enough to carve a shallow crater into the stone.
"Chris is down!" Sam shouted, flames erupting violently as she attacked, sword and fire moving in perfect, practiced unison.
Still, the elite advanced.
Its glowing eyes shifted.
Locked onto one target.
Elise.
"No—!" I shouted.
The monster moved faster than it should have been able to. One massive claw tore through the air, bypassing Sam's flames, slipping past Ayla's guard—
—and struck Elise square in the chest.
Time fractured.
Elise screamed as her body was thrown backward, slamming into the cavern wall before collapsing to the ground. Blood bloomed across her robes, dark and terrifyingly fast.
"Elise!" Ayla shouted, panic cracking through her voice.
The elite staggered back, finally scorched by Sam's flames—but the damage was already done.
I was already moving.
I dropped to my knees beside Elise, my heart pounding as I took in the sight of her wound. My brows knit tightly together.
It was deep.
Too deep.
Blood poured freely, pooling beneath her as if she were sitting in a crimson lake.
"Elise," I said sharply, gripping her shoulders. "Stay with me Heal yourself."
She tried to answer—but coughed instead. Blood stained her lips.
"I… can't…" she whispered weakly. "My mana… it won't respond…"
Of course.
The elite's attack wasn't merely physical.
It disrupted mana flow.
A healer who couldn't heal herself.
Sam knelt beside us, her face pale under the flickering firelight. "Can you stabilize her?"
I clenched my jaw.
What should I do?
I didn't want to reveal my power here—not now.
But Elise didn't have time.
She was bleeding too fast , I have to help her.
Morivain's voice echoed inside my mind, suddenly serious.
If you do this, they will notice.
"I know," I replied silently.
I didn't hesitate.
I placed my hand over Elise's wound.
And activated my ability.
Black energy seeped from her to me —thin, precise, controlled. I wasn't drawing mana from a monster this time.
I was drawing the wound itself.
The injury shimmered unnaturally.
Then it moved.
Elise gasped as the gash closed rapidly, skin knitting together as if time itself had reversed.
At the same moment—
Pain exploded through my chest.
I hissed sharply, stumbling back as the wound appeared on my own body, blood soaking through my clothes almost instantly.
Sam's eyes widened in shock.
"Raven—what are you doing?!"
"I will heal her," I said through clenched teeth. "She'll be fine in a moment."
Elise stared at me in horror. "Raven… why…?"
"Because you're the reason any of us are still alive," I replied calmly with a smile , forcing myself upright despite the burning pain.
Ayla grabbed my arm. "Heal?! You're bleeding!"
I offered a faint smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine in a few minutes."
The elite roared again, dragging its massive body upright despite its wounds.
I turned toward it, blood dripping from my fingers onto the stone floor.
My vision sharpened.
My aura leaked—just a little.
Enough.
"Protect Elise," I said coldly. "Do not let it near her again."
Sam stared at me for a heartbeat longer than necessary.
"Raven," she said worriedly, "you're bleeding. You need to rest—let Elise heal you."
I didn't look at her.
"I'm fine," I replied, my expression empty.
The monster took a step forward.
I stepped to meet it.
This time—
I wasn't just defending.
The elite moved.
Heavy. Deliberate.
Each step cracked the stone beneath its feet, crimson veins pulsing brighter as it fixed its gaze on me. It recognized the threat now.
Good.
I shifted my stance, ignoring the wet warmth spreading beneath my ribs. The wound throbbed, but I welcomed the pain—it kept me sharp.
"Raven, fall back!" Sam shouted.
I didn't answer.
The monster roared and charged.
Fast.
I met it halfway.
Steel clashed against claw as I raised my sword just in time, the impact sending a violent shock through my arms and through the cave. The force alone would have shattered a lesser fighter's grip.
But my blade bit deep.
The moment metal met flesh—
I felt it.
Mana.
Raw, violent energy surged through my sword and into me, ripped straight from the monster's body. The crimson glow along its veins flickered.
The elite staggered.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Enough.
I twisted my wrist and slid past its guard, carving a deep line across its armored torso. Black ichor spilled onto the stone floor, hissing as it evaporated.
Behind me, I heard Chris whisper, "What… was that?"
The elite howled in fury and swung wildly, its massive arm tearing through the air. I ducked beneath the strike, rolled, and came up behind it.
Another slash.
More mana.
I could feel my reserves filling—steady, controlled. I wasn't draining it dry.
Not yet.
The creature adapted quickly. It slammed both fists into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward. Stone shattered.
I was thrown backward, skidding across the cavern floor.
Pain flared across my chest—but I was already healing.
Slowly naturally, too fast for normal regeneration
Sam noticed , her eyes narrowed.
The elite charged again, faster now, rage driving every movement.
I inhaled deeply.
Fine.
I let more of my aura leak out—not enough to drown the room, but enough to sharpen the air around me. Shadows curled faintly at my feet.
The monster hesitated.
It sensed it.
Fear.
I stepped forward instead of back.
Our weapons collided again, sparks and black energy exploding between us. This time, I didn't stop at the surface.
I pushed.
Mana flooded into me, thick and overwhelming. The elite screamed as its movements slowed, its strikes losing power with each passing second.
Its armor cracked.
Veins dimmed.
"Raven…," Elise whispered weakly from behind. "What… are you…?"
I drove my blade straight through its chest.
The elite froze.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.
Then I twisted the sword.
The monster let out one final, broken roar before collapsing, its massive body disintegrating into ash and fading light.
Silence fell once more.
I stood there, breathing steadily, my sword dripping with blackened mana residue. The wound on my chest had already closed—only torn fabric and bloodstains remained.
Too fast , I felt it , eyes , not from my team, Deeper , much deeper.
Morivain's voice returned, low and tense.
"…It noticed."
"What noticed?" I asked silently.
The dungeon trembled.
Far beyond the cavern, something ancient stirred—an overwhelming presence unfolding like a vast shadow stretching awake.
The real Boss of this place, Morivain whispered.
The one who commands even elites.
The air warped.
A pressure far heavier than before rolled through the dungeon, forcing everyone to their knees.
Sam gasped. "That… wasn't the boss?"
I wiped my blade clean and slowly turned toward the deepest darkness of the left passage.
"Yeah ," I said quietly.
And somewhere in the depths—
Something decided I was worth stepping out for.
The silence after the battle felt heavier than the fight itself.
Ash still drifted through the air, settling slowly over broken stone and scorched marks left by fire and steel. The elite was gone—nothing remained of it but a faint scorch where it had fallen.
I slid my sword back into its sheath.
My heartbeat finally slowed.
Behind me, I felt them before I heard them.
Footsteps.
Cautious.
Uneasy.
Sam was the first to speak. "Raven," she said carefully, "that thing… it was an elite."
I turned to face them.
They were all staring at me.
Chris looked pale, his usual bravado gone. Daniel's eyes flicked between me and the spot where the monster had fallen, his brows drawn together in confusion. Ayla crossed her arms, studying me in silence. Elise, still sitting against the wall, watched me as if she were seeing me for the first time.
"You killed it," Chris said slowly. "Alone."
"It barely touched you," Daniel added. "That thing broke my shield like glass."
Sam stepped closer. "Explain."
I met her gaze evenly.
There was no accusation in her voice.
But there was expectation.
I exhaled softly and rested one hand on the hilt of my sword.
"This blade," I said calmly, lifting it just enough for them to see, "is new."
Ayla raised an eyebrow. "A sword did that?"
"It's enchanted," I continued smoothly. "Mana-reactive. The more pressure it's under, the stronger it becomes."
Not a lie.
Just… incomplete.
Chris frowned. "So you're saying the sword killed the elite?"
"I'm saying," I replied, "that without it, I wouldn't have stood a chance."
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. "That doesn't explain how fast you moved… or why it looked like the monster was weakening the longer you fought."
I shrugged lightly. "Prolonged combat favors my style."
Sam didn't look convinced.
Her eyes lingered on my chest—on the torn fabric where blood had been moments ago.
"You were injured," she said quietly. "I saw it."
I glanced down, then back up. "Superficial."
Elise spoke then, her voice faint but sharp. "Raven… that healing wasn't normal."
The air tightened.
I knelt in front of her, lowering my voice. "Elise, you were bleeding out." You were imagining things"
"But you took my wound," she whispered. "I felt it leave me."
I held her gaze steadily. "Adrenaline does strange things in dungeons."
A lie.
This time, a real one.
Ayla snorted softly. "You're terrible at explanations."
I smiled faintly. "I'm not here to lecture. I'm here to make sure we survive."
Sam was quiet for a long moment.
Then she straightened. "Whatever the truth is," she said, firm again, "you saved us."
Her eyes hardened. "But when this is over, we're talking."
I inclined my head. "Fair."
The dungeon rumbled faintly in the distance.
A warning.
I turned back toward the darkness of the tunnel.
"Questions later," I said. "Something worse is coming."
And this time—
No sword would be enough to hide behind.
The dungeon fell unnaturally still.
Not the kind of silence that follows battle—but one that pressed in from every direction, thick and suffocating. Even the distant dripping of water seemed to fade away.
The elite's corpse lay smoldering behind us.
Then—
The pressure changed.
My breath hitched.
Something vast shifted in the darkness ahead, unseen yet undeniable. The air grew heavy, as if the dungeon itself had bent inward.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow. Deliberate.
Each step landed like a judgment.
A massive silhouette emerged from the shadows, its form gradually revealed by the dim, dying light of the crystals. Towering, armored, wrong. Crimson veins pulsed beneath blackened plates fused to flesh.
The dungeon boss.
It stopped several meters away.
And did nothing.
No roar.
No movement.
No attack.
Just… stared.
Sam raised her sword cautiously. "Why isn't it moving?"
Chris swallowed hard. "Is it… waiting?"
Daniel shifted his shield forward. "I don't like this."
Elise whispered, barely audible, "It feels like it's looking through us."
They weren't wrong.
But they weren't right either.
Because the moment its eyes locked onto mine—
The world went silent.
Not around me.
Inside me.
"There you are."
My heart skipped a beat—but my face didn't change.
The voice didn't come from the air.
It came from everywhere.
And nowhere.
"You walk in borrowed darkness," it continued calmly.
"Yet pretend to be ordinary."
I didn't respond.
Didn't even blink.
The team watching from behind, unaware that time itself felt paused.
The boss tilted its head slightly.
"How disciplined," it mused.
"You hide your fear well."
Fear?
I almost smiled.
"You are not like them," the voice said, almost curious.
"You hear me because you can."
A faint pressure brushed against my mind—testing, probing.
I pushed back.
Not with force.
With stillness.
The boss hummed softly.
"Interesting."
Behind me, Sam hissed under her breath. "Raven? Why aren't you moving?"
I lifted a hand slightly, palm down.
Wait.
The boss's gaze flicked briefly toward Elise—still pale, still recovering.
"You transferred the wound," it said.
"A crude manipulation of causality… but effective."
My jaw tightened.
"You stole pain," it whispered.
"And yet you bleed willingly."
It stepped closer.
Stone cracked under its weight.
To the others, it still hadn't attacked.
To me—
It was circling.
"Why?" the voice asked softly.
"Why weaken yourself for creatures that will never understand you?"
I answered silently.
"Because they're mine."
The boss paused , It's presence flared.
"Possessive."
Almost amused.
"I saw you," it continued.
"I felt the void answer your call."
The pressure intensified—visions flickering at the edges of my thoughts.
"You know what you are."
I stepped forward.
One step.
The team gasped behind me.
"Raven—!" Ayla started.
I didn't turn.
If you move, I warned silently, it will kill you.
The boss straightened.
"Good," it said.
"You understand stakes."
The dungeon trembled faintly.
"Then listen carefully."
Its eyes burned brighter.
"This place is mine."
"And you," it whispered, "are walking on borrowed time."
I raised my sword slowly.
Letting just a thread of my aura leak.
Enough for it.
Not for them.
"I'm not here to claim your throne," I said aloud , " I am here to kill you."
The team stiffened—confused.
The boss didn't move , But inside my mind— , It smiled. "We shall see."
The pressure withdrew—just slightly.
Not retreat , Anticipation , The boss remained still , watching, waiting, testing.
And I knew , The next move would be mine.
"Show me," the boss whispered, "how much of yourself you're willing to lose."
I shifted my stance, this wasn't a fight yet, this was an invitation , and I intended to answer it.
The dungeon screamed.
Not with sound—but with force.
The boss lifted one massive arm, crimson veins blazing brighter as the floor beneath us began to fracture. Mana surged violently, unstable and overflowing.
"Get back—!" Sam shouted.
Too late.
The ground split apart with a deafening roar.
Stone collapsed inward as the chamber tore itself in two. Walls caved, pillars shattered, and a massive section of the ceiling gave way. Dust and debris swallowed everything.
"Elise!" Ayla screamed.
I turned just in time to see them fall back—Sam, Ayla, Chris, Daniel, Elise—separated from me by a newly formed chasm of broken stone and darkness.
"Raven!" Daniel's voice echoed desperately.
I reached out instinctively , And the gap widened , The dungeon sealed itself , silence followed.
Heavy.
Final.
I was alone.
Across from me, the boss straightened slowly, clearly pleased. A deep, distorted laugh echoed through the ruined chamber, vibrating through my bones.
"Finally," it said aloud this time, its voice thick and resonant, no longer hiding in my mind.
"All obstacles… all annoyances… removed."
It spread its arms slightly, as if welcoming me.
"Now," it continued mockingly, "we can fight properly."
I stared at it for a long moment.
Then—
I smiled.
Not the calm mask I'd worn before.
Not the polite restraint.
A sharp, dangerous curve of my lips.
"I hope," I said softly, my voice carrying easily through the broken hall,
"you don't regret that."
The boss tilted its head. "Oh?"
I straightened my posture.
Let go.
The pressure around me changed instantly.
My aura surged outward—not exploding, but unfolding, deep and endless like a void opening its eye. Black energy bled into the air, warping the light around my body.
"No one left to hide from," I murmured.
The boss's grin widened.
Flames erupted around its body as it attacked first—a massive wave of searing fire tearing across the chamber, consuming everything in its path.
I didn't dodge.
I inhaled.
And absorbed.
The fire twisted midair, its mana ripped apart and devoured before it could touch me. Power flooded my veins—hot, violent, intoxicating.
I smiled wider.
Then I gave it back.
I snapped my hand forward.
The absorbed flames detonated around the boss in a chain of violent explosions, ripping into its armor and forcing it back several steps. The chamber shook again as firestorms erupted from within its own mana.
The boss roared—this time in genuine surprise.
I moved.
Wind answered my call, screaming into existence around me. Invisible blades formed—compressed air sharpened to lethal edges.
I flicked my wrist.
Dozens of wind blades tore forward, slicing into joints, carving through exposed veins of crimson mana. Sparks and black blood sprayed as the boss staggered.
It slammed its fist into the ground.
A shockwave blasted outward.
I raised my shield instantly—translucent, dark, layered with stolen mana. The impact shattered stone around me but stopped cold against my barrier.
Cracks spread.
But it held.
I felt the timer start in the back of my mind.
Ten minutes.
I reached deeper—into memory, into copied instinct.
Chris's ability answered.
My body surged with raw physical enhancement—muscles tightening, bones reinforced, reflexes sharpened beyond human limits. The world slowed.
I vanished.
One step—
I was in front of the boss.
My sword came down, empowered by stolen fire, compressed wind, and overwhelming force. The impact split the ground beneath its feet, sending fractures racing outward like lightning.
The boss staggered back, armor finally cracking.
It laughed again—but this time, strained.
"So this is you," it growled. "No chains. No restraint."
I met its gaze, eyes cold and burning.
"This," I said with smirk , raising my blade as my aura flared violently,
"is me being polite."
I leaned forward.
"Now fight."
The dungeon trembled.
And far beyond these walls—
Something far greater opened its eyes.
The dungeon shook as we collided.
Not because of my power—
But because the boss was finally using his.
Flames exploded outward in violent spirals, the air screaming as heat and mana crushed together. The stone floor melted beneath his feet, turning black and glassy.
I stepped through it.
Fire brushed my skin and vanished, siphoned away by the blade in my hand. My sword pulsed greedily, humming with satisfaction as it drank in his mana with every clash.
I laughed.
A low, mocking sound.
"That's it?" I taunted, tilting my head as I parried another furious strike. "I expected more from a dungeon boss."
The words landed harder than any blow.
His aura detonated.
A tidal wave of pressure burst from his body—violent, suffocating, overflowing with rage. The walls cracked instantly. Far away, through layers of collapsed stone and twisted tunnels, I felt the echo of my team reacting.
Good , they are alive.
The boss roared, eyes burning with pure hatred now.
"I will erase that smirk from your face!"
He charged , No strategy , No restraint , only rage .
His strikes came like a storm—claws, fire, raw mana tearing through the air. Each blow carried enough force to shatter mountains.
And yet—
I smiled.
Not wide.
Not cruel.
Just a sharp, infuriating smirk that never left my lips.
I met him head-on.
Steel rang against burning flesh as I blocked, redirected, absorbed. I didn't use my abilities. No void. No wind blades. No shield.
Only my sword.
Only precision.
Every time our weapons met, my blade drank deep—pulling mana from him in steady, deliberate streams. I could feel his power flowing into the weapon, then into me, circulating, stabilizing, storing.
His movements slowed.
Barely.
But enough.
He noticed.
"What are you doing to me ?!" he snarled, staggering slightly as another strike failed to land.
I leaned close as I twisted my blade, siphoning more power.
"Relax," I said lightly with grin . "I'm just borrowing some mana from you ."
That was when the hatred fully replaced the fury.
His attacks became sloppy—stronger, louder, more desperate. Flames engulfed the chamber entirely, collapsing what little structure remained. The dungeon screamed again, struggling to contain us.
Through it all—
I danced.
Step, turn, clash.
Steel to claw.
Mana to void.
Time stretched.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Finally—
His knee hit the ground.
The boss dropped heavily, breathing ragged, his once-overwhelming aura reduced to a flickering ember. Cracks ran through his armor, no longer glowing—just dull and broken.
I felt it.
The shift.
Stone grinding.
Voices.
They were close.
I stepped forward.
I placed my hand on his shoulder, a sense of anticipation creeping over me. In that moment, I summoned my abilities. This time—fully.
I began absorbing his energy, as if drawing life from him. Red lines appeared on my hand, climbing up my arm like veins heading toward my heart, only to vanish into stillness. The sensation was strange, a blend of power and vulnerability,
His remaining mana was ripped away violently, screaming as it was absorbed. He convulsed, a broken sound tearing from his throat.
When I stepped back—
He collapsed completely, barely able to move, barely able to breathe.
I looked down at him.
Smirked.
"Thanks for playing with me," I said softly.
His eyes burned with humiliation and fury.
"Do you think this is a game?!" he screamed hoarsely. "Why won't you finish it?! Kill me!"
I laughed.
A dark, amused sound.
"Oh, no," I replied. "I'm not taking that from her."
Footsteps echoed from behind the rubble.
Light spilled through the broken passage.
I felt them cross the threshold.
Perfect.
Before they could see me—
I activated my teleport.
The world folded.
Shadows swallowed me whole.
I reappeared behind my team in the narrow tunnel, my aura sealed, my expression calm, my sword resting quietly at my side.
Just another hunter.
Just another fight.
Behind us—
The boss waited.
For his execution.
The moment the rubble finally gave way, Sam and the others rushed into the shattered chamber—only to freeze in their tracks.
The boss was still there.
Kneeling.
Broken.
Its massive frame trembled as if even standing upright was beyond its strength. The once-oppressive aura that had crushed the air moments ago was now nothing more than a dying ember, flickering weakly around its body.
For a heartbeat, no one spoke.
Sam's eyes swept the chamber sharply, taking in the scorched walls, the fractured stone, the lingering heat in the air.
Then her gaze sharpened.
She searched.
Left.
Right.
Behind the fallen pillars.
Her jaw tightened.
I wasn't there.
"Where's Raven?" Ayla asked, tension creeping into her voice.
Before Sam could answer, I stepped out from behind them.
"Hey—are you all okay?"
My voice carried genuine concern, just enough breathlessness to sound convincing. "I was really worried about you."
They all spun around at once.
"What—?!" Chris blurted out. "Raven?!"
Daniel stared at me in disbelief. "How did you get here?"
Elise's eyes widened. "We saw you… you were here. With the boss."
Sam didn't speak.
She just looked at me.
Carefully.
I tilted my head, blinking in confusion. "With the boss? What are you talking about?"
I gestured behind me, pointing calmly toward a narrow tunnel partially hidden behind the boss's massive body.
"After we got separated, I ended up alone in another chamber. I panicked when I couldn't feel you anymore, so I started looking for another route."
I shrugged lightly.
"I walked through that tunnel for a long time. It eventually led me back to the large room with the three entrances—the one we passed earlier. I kept going and… well."
I looked at the kneeling boss with clear surprise.
"Oh. You actually defeated the dungeon boss already?"
The boss's head snapped toward me.
Its eyes widened.
Shock.
Pure, unmistakable shock.
Ayla frowned. "That's… unconvenient."
Chris scratched his head. "But we heard fighting. A lot of it."
I smiled apologetically. "Maybe it was fighting another group of monsters? I didn't see anything."
Inside my mind, Morivain laughed softly.
You're a terrifyingly good liar.
I ignored her.
Sam walked past me slowly, her boots crunching against broken stone. She didn't confront me.
But she didn't believe me either.
I could feel her gaze on my back—steady, assessing.
I made sure not to look back.
"Enough," Sam said at last, her voice firm. "The boss is weakened. Let's finish this and get out."
Everyone moved into position automatically.
Elise stayed back, staff glowing faintly as she prepared healing spells. Daniel stepped forward, ready to activate his shield at the slightest danger. Chris hefted his hammer onto his shoulder, eyes locked onto the boss.
Sam and Ayla advanced together.
The boss struggled to rise, its movements slow and uncoordinated. It lashed out weakly at Sam—but she blocked effortlessly, sparks and embers exploding from the impact.
Ayla moved like wind itself.
Her blade cut through the air, compressed currents slicing deep into the boss's back. Black blood sprayed across the stone as the creature roared in agony.
It stumbled forward, desperation driving it.
Daniel activated his shield just in time as the boss slammed into him. The impact pushed him back several steps—but the barrier held.
Chris didn't waste the opening.
He brought his hammer down in a brutal arc, the blow smashing into the boss's side and forcing it to retreat again.
Elise's healing magic flared instantly, closing minor wounds before they could worsen.
Then—
Sam moved.
Flames wrapped around her sword, burning brighter than before. She stepped in close, eyes cold, and swung.
The blade tore through the boss from shoulder to midsection in a single, devastating strike.
The Boss collapsed to its knees, completely spent.
Sam raised her sword for the final blow.
That was when the boss laughed.
A broken, hate-filled sound.
"I will kill you," it snarled, voice dripping with venom. "I will return. I will make you pay for humiliating me."
The team froze.
Confused.
Chris frowned. "What is it talking about?"
Ayla glanced around. "Who is it threatening?"
I leaned back against the wall, arms crossed loosely.
A smirk curved my lips.
The boss's gaze locked onto me.
"Do you really think no one was watching?" it hissed. "You're wrong. Something saw you . From above."
Its laughter echoed through the ruined chamber.
"And it's coming for you."
Sam's sword flashed.
The blade came down in a single, clean arc.
The boss's head hit the ground before the echo of its laughter could fade.
Silence followed.
The dungeon trembled once more—then began to collapse inward, its core finally destroyed.
As the exit portal started to form, Sam glanced at me again.
Just briefly.
Her eyes narrowed.
She said nothing.
But I knew.
She hadn't let it go.
Sam wiped her blade clean against a torn scrap of the boss's armor, then straightened, her expression hardening back into that familiar commander's calm.
"All right," she said firmly. "Let's see if there are any monsters left. We'll clear them out before the excavation teams arrive."
Elise blinked, surprised. "How will they even know we succeeded? We haven't reported anything yet."
Sam didn't take her eyes off the corpse.
"There's a monitoring system back at the guild. It tracks dungeon activity and analyzes mana fluctuations. When the core collapses, they'll know."
She finally turned to face us.
"They'll be here within thirty minutes. So let's clean what remains before they step inside."
The group nodded.
Efficiency returned. Routine. As if we hadn't just survived something that should have killed us all.
Sam divided us quickly.
"Ayla, Daniel, Raven—you're one team. Chris, Elise, you're with me."
We stood in the wide chamber with the three entrances, the air still heavy with lingering mana and blood. Sam pointed toward the center tunnel.
"We've cleared the left passage already. I'll take the middle. Ayla, you'll go right."
She paused, scanning our faces.
"Be careful."
Ayla smirked lightly. "You too."
And just like that, we split.
The tunnel we took was darker, narrower—more cramped than the others. The monsters inside weren't elites, not even particularly strong.
But there were many.
They rushed us in waves, screeching and crawling over one another in desperation.
I stepped forward first—but I didn't finish them.
Steel clashed. Flesh tore. Mana spilled.
Each time my blade connected, I felt it—mana flowing into the sword, into me. I kept my movements precise, controlled. Enough to weaken them. Not enough to draw attention.
Ayla finished them cleanly, her sword cutting through bodies with wind-assisted strikes. Daniel followed closely, shield flaring whenever one slipped past.
They didn't notice.
Good.
By the time we reached the end of the passage, the floor was littered with corpses dissolving into ash.
We regrouped exactly thirty minutes later.
Sam and her team were already waiting in the main chamber.
No injuries.
No casualties.
Just tired eyes and silent thoughts.
As the dungeon began its final collapse, the exit portal shimmered into existence.
We walked toward it together.
No one spoke.
I could feel Sam's presence beside me—her awareness sharp, her attention heavy. She didn't ask questions.
But she watched.
Every step.
Every breath.
I kept my gaze forward.
Neutral.
Unbothered.
Light swallowed us the moment we stepped out of the dungeon.
I instinctively raised a hand to shield my eyes. The sun was low in the sky, hovering just above the horizon, painting the field in shades of gold and amber. It took me a heartbeat to realize how much time had passed.
We had been inside far longer than I thought.
Warm air filled my lungs, carrying the scent of grass, earth, and summer—so different from the stench of blood and decay that still clung to my clothes. For the first time since entering the dungeon, my shoulders eased slightly.
We were out.
Behind us, the gate reacted violently.
The crimson surface pulsed and trembled, its glow flaring erratically before shifting—red bleeding into blue. The transformation rippled across its surface like water disturbed by stone.
A clear sign.
The dungeon boss had been defeated.
Within two hours, the gate would vanish entirely, leaving no trace that it had ever existed.
The sound of hooves and wheels broke the fragile calm.
From the far end of the field, several wagons approached, escorted by armed guards and robed figures marked with the Guild's insignia. Their banners fluttered in the evening breeze as they slowed to a halt near the fading gate.
The excavation team had arrived.
They were here to do what always followed a cleared dungeon—extract mana stones from monster remains, gather rare crystals embedded in the dungeon walls, and, if luck favored them, recover weapons forged by the dungeon itself. Relics powerful enough to change the balance of power in the wrong hands.
Men and women leapt down from the wagons, already arguing among themselves as they unloaded scrolls, instruments, and humming devices. Mana detectors flared to life, emitting a faint glow as they scanned the area.
One of them—a middle-aged man with silver-rimmed glasses—looked up sharply when he noticed us.
"They're alive," he murmured, disbelief heavy in his voice. "They actually cleared it."
A younger guild worker rushed toward Sam, nearly tripping over her own boots.
"Captain Samantha! The readings spiked violently about twenty minutes ago—then dropped to zero. Is the dungeon truly closed?"
Sam nodded once. "The boss is dead."
A ripple of shock passed through the team.
"A red gate…?"
"Cleared…?"
"Impossible…"
Whispers spread like wildfire.
The man with the glasses stepped closer, his gaze moving slowly across us—counting, confirming.
"No fatalities?" he asked carefully.
"None," Sam replied. "Some injuries, but nothing critical."
His eyes flicked briefly to Elise, who leaned lightly against ayla, her face pale but steady , Her clothes were soaked wet with blood.
Then—
His gaze found me.
It wasn't hostile.
It was assessing.
Measuring.
I lowered my head slightly, letting my hair fall forward as if exhaustion alone weighed me down. Still, I could feel it—residual mana clinging to my body, faint but unnatural, refusing to dissipate completely.
One of the mana technicians frowned at his device.
"That's strange," he muttered. "There's lingering absorption residue here. Strong… but scattered."
Sam's posture stiffened, just barely.
"It was a chaotic fight," she said evenly. "Multiple abilities activated at once."
The technician hesitated, then nodded. "That… would explain it."
I let out a slow, silent breath.
Ayla leaned closer to me and whispered, "You okay?"
"I'm fine," I replied quietly.
Daniel dropped onto the grass with a heavy sigh, armor clanking as he leaned back. "I could sleep for a week."
Chris laughed weakly. "After food. A lot of food."
Elise smiled faintly—but her eyes lingered on me for a second longer than necessary.
She knew.
Not everything.
But enough.
The guild workers moved past us, setting up barriers and marking the site. The wagons opened, revealing reinforced crates meant to carry dungeon remains and rare materials.
Sam turned to face us.
"You did well," she said, her voice firm and professional. "All of you."
Her gaze met mine last.
There was something unreadable there.
Suspicion.
Gratitude.
And a question she wasn't ready to ask.
"Alright," Sam continued. "Let's head back to the city. Our job here is done."
An elderly guild member smiled kindly at us. "You look exhausted. Leave the rest to us—we'll be finished within the hour."
We didn't argue.
We mounted our horses in silence and began the ride back toward the city, the setting sun at our backs and the remnants of the dungeon fading behind us.
Yet even as the distance grew—
I could still feel it.
That something, somewhere, was watching.