The dungeon's interior was colder than ice and darker than a moonless night. Each step echoed endlessly, as if the dungeon itself breathed around them. Pulsing blue cracks ran along the walls like veins, distorting the air and twisting space as if reality itself struggled to remain stable.
A sudden tremor shook the cavern.
Kael lifted his sword. "Something is coming… prepare yourselves."
And then—
the monster emerged.
It crawled out from behind a warped fissure in the dungeon wall, dragging itself through twisted space like a nightmare forcing its way into reality.
---
A towering, abomination-like beast stood before them:
A massive wolf-like skull, elongated and carved with natural runic cracks
Four jagged horns curling in different directions like broken crowns
Six crimson eyes, moving independently, glowing like burning embers
A torso with an exposed ribcage, each bone pulsing with swirling black and violet energy
Its limbs were long, jointed at impossible angles, sometimes bending backward
Flesh appeared stitched, torn, and reformed
A long, whip-like tail ending in three bone spikes, dripping with abyssal energy
Every breath it took made the air vibrate, like the dungeon itself was terrified
---
Behind it, the dungeon wall cracked open like shattered glass—
revealing a gaping abyss, where space-time twisted in violent spirals.
Black mist spiraled upward as the void expanded.
A thunderous suction pulled at the cavern—
like a massive black hole, dragging dust, stones, and even air toward it.
Winds roared past them like a raging storm.
Seraphina suddenly froze.
Her wings trembled violently.
"T-This… this is just like the descriptions from the Codex of Forbidden Abysses… The 'Devouring Rift'—a tear in existence that consumes realities. It shouldn't exist. It shouldn't be… here."
Her voice cracked in terror.
The monster roared—
its voice warping the air like distorted metal.
Braum raised his shield. "UNKNOWN RANK! Brace yourselves!"
The creature lunged forward.
One swipe launched Braum across the hall, shattering his shield.
A bone spike from its tail tore across Kael's arm.
Lyra's barrier spell shattered like fragile glass.
Seraphina was thrown by a tail whip, coughing blood on the floor.
And then—
the monster's final blow targeted Arian.
A tendril ripped through his side.
A bone spike dug into his shoulder.
His ribs cracked under the beast's pressure.
Arian staggered but raised his hand.
A dark summoning circle flashed—
The Celestial War Lion appeared, roaring as it clashed with the monster.
But even that titan struggled.
---
Kael approached Arian, urgency in his voice.
"Arian, we need a plan. And you're the center of it."
Arian didn't notice the trembling smirk Kael tried to hide.
"What plan?"
Braum pointed toward the abyss. "If we lure the monster near that crack, the suction might drag it in. You just need to draw its attention."
Lyra nodded. "Only you can distract it long enough."
Seraphina, trembling, placed a hand on his back.
"We'll support you… I promise."
Arian trusted them.
"Fine. I'll bait it. Just be ready."
Kael smiled.
"We've got your back… Arian."
Their eyes didn't hold worry—
only greed and relief.
---
The Bait
Arian charged ahead, summoning:
Titan Serpent Hydra
Obsidian Roc
They roared and slammed into the monster as the abyss pulsed behind them.
The suction intensified—
a constant, violent pull toward the growing rift.
Dust, stones, debris—everything was dragged toward the abyss.
Arian planted his feet, resisting the drag with raw force and magic.
"Hold—!!"
The Hydra coiled around the monster.
The War Lion lunged.
The Roc struck from above.
But the suction was too strong.
Arian's boots skidded on the floor.
His cloak whipped violently backward.
Even his summons were being dragged, roaring in panic.
His barrier spell cracked.
Then—
shattered.
Arian gritted his teeth. "JUST A LITTLE MORE—!!"
He turned to his party for backup.
He expected spells.
He expected healing.
He expected his friends.
But they were—
laughing.
Far away.
Farther than before.
Kael tilted his head.
"You're doing well, Arian."
Lyra whispered, "Just a little more…"
Seraphina no longer looked afraid—
only cold and determined.
"You were always the brightest… We need the world to see us shine."
Braum laughed.
"We'll take it from here."
Arian's eyes widened.
"You… betrayed me?"
Kael smirked openly now.
"With you gone, we'll be heroes. Your death will make us legends."
A monstrous roar behind him—
His summons were collapsing, crushed one by one.
The abyss's black hole-like pull ripped Arian's feet from under him.
He slid helplessly toward the crack,
the monster forcing him closer with murderous strength.
He roared with fury:
"F*CK YOU WORTHLESS INSECTS! EVEN IF I BECOME A GHOST—I'LL DRAG YOU INTO THE ABYSS WITH ME!"
Kael simply sheathed his sword.
"Goodbye, Arian."
The monster slammed into him.
The floor broke apart.
Both were sucked into the swirling abyss—
devoured by distorted space-time
as darkness swallowed him whole.
The party watched, smiling.
Victorious.