"Please, make yourself at home."
Her words settled in their ears, lingering in the stagnant air of the dungeon.
The tone was calm. It was polite, elegant, and devoid of any overt threat.
And yet, with those simple words came an unsettling heaviness that pressed against their chests, making it difficult to breathe.
They had all assumed this woman would be the boss of the dungeon. It was the logical conclusion given her aura.
But seeing as she was directing them somewhere else, gesturing toward the massive doors behind her, it became horrifyingly obvious that she was not the final challenge.
She was merely the receptionist.
Still, nothing they could have done would have prepared them for the reality of the situation.
"Ahhh!"
The scream tore through the silence, sharp and terrified.
Jaie, the female Healer, stumbled back. Her trembling hand shot up, pointing a shaking finger directly at Lyra.
Worried, everyone else instinctively drew their weapons. The metallic ring of swords leaving sheaths and the creak of bowstrings filled the room.
They aimed at Lyra first, their nerves on edge, before stylishly turning their gaze back toward their Healer to see what had caused the outburst.
"What's wrong, Jaie? Did you see something?" the Rogue asked. His voice cracked slightly, betraying that he was just as unsettled as the rest of the team.
"C-can you guys not see it?"
The Healer spoke with a shaky voice, her finger barely balanced in the air as she stared at the space above the horned woman's head. Tears were already welling in her eyes.
At first, the party members were confused. They squinted, activating their own basic inspection skills.
Then, she choked out the words.
"Her level... t-that monster's level is 999!"
"What?"
They all immediately whipped their heads back toward Lyra.
They focused their vision, straining against the dungeon's gloom to see the status plate hiding an inch behind her curved horns.
It took them a few agonizing seconds for their minds to process what their eyes were seeing. The numbers seemed to burn into their retinas.
[Lyra, the Abyssal Empress.]
[Level: 999]
"Woooow! Back up!!!"
As soon as Ligard yelled those words, the team reacted on pure instinct.
They all took a chaotic defensive stance and leaped backward, scrambling to create enough space between themselves and the unknown entity standing so casually before them.
Boots skidded on the stone floor as they retreated.
However, just when they thought they had created a safe distance, the grim reality of their position set in.
They noticed the exit to the dungeon—the path they had just walked—was no longer clear.
Blocking the way were the Skeleton Knights.
These weren't the weak fodder they had seen earlier. These were Level 40 elites, their armor thick and rusted, blue flames flickering in their hollow eye sockets.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, refusing to allow any escape, crushing the thought before it could fully form in the adventurers' minds.
Terrified, the two women packed themselves between the remaining three men.
The group formed a tight circle, facing each other's backs in a defensive formation to guard against any further ambush.
The Rogue, who was staring directly at the wall of Skeleton Knights, spoke up. He could feel the slow, icy panic of the situation crawling up his spine.
"I am well aware we have walked into a trap," he whispered, sweat beading on his forehead. "But please tell me that is a glitch, right? There is no way a monster in a C-Rank dungeon would be at a level that high. Say something, Ligard."
The Archer, aiming his arrow at Lyra with trembling hands, voiced his fear as well.
"I agree with him. This isn't normal. A Level 999 entity is not something that should be appearing at a newbie dungeon. It breaks the laws of the system."
Their desperation for answers was etched on their faces.
Each member turned their gaze slightly inward, waiting for Ligard to give his response. As the leader, he was their anchor.
Meanwhile, Ligard had a whole other storm of thoughts swarming in his head.
Not once did he think it could be a bug. He knew the system better than that.
So, for him, the panic had already set in deep.
He was only a Level 25 Fighter.
For a woman like that to be at Level 999, there was no doubt in his mind that he would get smoked before he could even lay a single finger on her. She could likely kill them all by simply exhaling too hard.
Then, on the other side, blocking the exit, were Skeleton Knights ranging from Level 20 to 40.
If things were different—if the Abyssal Empress wasn't there—he and his team might have found a way to push past the skeletons. It would be a hard fight, but winnable.
But that was only if they put into consideration that the Level 999 lady would even give them the chance to move.
Ligard gulped down his saliva. The lump in his throat felt like a stone.
His options were quite limited. In fact, they were almost non-existent.
But his goal still remained the same: survival and taming the boss of the dungeon.
Ignoring the panicked whispers of his team, he turned to the woman. He tried to steady his voice, though his grip on his sword was white-knuckled.
"Are we on the first floor?" he asked.
While he wasn't sure if she would answer or not—considering she might just be a high-level NPC guarding the boss's throne—he still tried it regardless. Information was their only weapon right now.
To his surprise, Lyra reacted.
She threw him a look of utter disgust, curling her lip slightly before she sighed. It looked as if the mere thought of having to respond to a lowly insect like him was a revolting task.
"Yes, you are," she said, her voice dripping with boredom. "I took it upon myself to save you the trouble of walking a far distance. No... I saved my Master the trouble of having to wait for your arrival."
Every word she spoke was as calm as a deep ocean, and yet, the look on her face matched none of that serenity.
It was predatory.
Feeling uncomfortable once again, Ligard asked yet another question. His crew remained silent, allowing him to lead the way as always.
"Your Master... is right behind that door, correct?" Ligard pointed his sword tip slightly toward the massive gate. "Then he knows why we are here. Is that to say, if we kill him, none of you would interfere?"
As soon as he spoke those words, the atmosphere in the room shifted violently.
Lyra's eyes widened with pure, unadulterated rage.
The air grew heavy, and the Skeleton Knights' eyes glowed even brighter than normal, flaring like torches in the dark.
"Yo man, what did you say to them?!" the Rogue nagged, his voice pitching up an octave.
"They look angry, Ligard! Maybe we should just tell them we came in here by mistake and we mean no harm!" the Healer added, clutching her staff so tight her knuckles were white, holding on to her partner for dear life.
Before anyone else could speak again, Lyra decided to voice her own opinion.
It was something she had never planned to do in the first place. She had intended to be a silent observer.
Not until Ligard made that insolent statement about killing her Master.
"None of you shall leave this place until you come face to face with the Shadow," she hissed, the politeness completely gone.
"Your invitation has not expired. Not yet, anyway. So please, do turn around if you dare. A victim can only remain a guest for as long as the predator allows them to be."
Of everything they had heard from her mouth, this was by far the creepiest. It wasn't a threat; it was a promise of suffering.
Regardless of what their opinions were, the giant door behind her began to move.
Creak...
The massive stone slabs crept open slowly, the grinding sound echoing against the walls, urging them to walk right through.
They all stared at the parted door, and then at each other. A silent understanding passed between them.
Glitch or not, no one wanted to risk the chance of going into combat with Lyra.
Between a Level 999 monster and a dozen elite Skeleton Knights standing at the entrance, their fate was sealed out here.
So, their only viable option was to run into the boss room.
They had to pray that the glitch, if it was one, had not infected the boss as well. Maybe the boss was still a normal C-Rank creature.
One by one, they each walked through the door.
They stepped into the dark, eerie space, their boots clicking on the obsidian floor, with no direction of where they were headed.
Once the last person crossed the threshold, Lyra followed.
She closed the heavy doors right behind her.
Boom.
The sound of the door sealing shut frightened them, making them jump out of their skins.
But the darkness didn't last long.
Numerous lights suddenly flared to life, enveloping the entire room. Crystal chandeliers and magical torches bathed the place in radiant, blinding light.
The sudden brightness forced them to shield their eyes.
And that was when they saw him.
Sitting upon the throne, exuding an aura of absolute dominance.
The being called the Shadow of Victims.
....
Author's Note
Sometimes, the scariest thing isn't a monster roaring in your face, but a polite invitation to your own demise.
Things are heating up, and the power scaling just broke the ceiling. Enjoy the chapter!
Don't forget to add to your library and send power stones if you love the story so far. That would really be a great help.