A stench as foul as rotting carrion assaulted his nostrils, followed immediately by a sticky, wet sensation enveloping the upper half of Long's head.
Sizzle... Sizzle...
A viscous, scalding fluid dripped down, searing his face as if it were being dissolved. His skin burned, the sensation akin to thousands of red-hot needles frantically piercing his epidermis.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Long's body convulsed, his back arching like a shrimp dropped into boiling water. His limbs flailed in sheer panic, fingernails clawing desperately at the cold stone floor, seeking purchase but finding none.
Every struggle was futile against the crushing weight—estimated at a hundred kilos of wet flesh—that slammed down onto his chest, compressing his lungs until not a single breath could be drawn.
Darkness consumed him. His entire world narrowed into the pulsating gullet of a monster. And it wasn't just his head; his limbs began to register that same sickening stickiness and crushing pressure...
30 Minutes Earlier.
"So... is everyone ready?"
Jack's lips curled into a calculated, feral grin.
The ground beneath them trembled, the sound of stone grinding against stone echoing sharply. The massive stone gate groaned as it parted, revealing a pitch-black gap barely the width of a hand.
Whiz!
A cloth-wrapped arrow, soaked in oil and set ablaze, tore through the air, slipping into the gap like a flaming serpent.
BOOM!
The moment the flame licked the dense pocket of compressed gas inside, a deafening explosion roared. The extreme pressure turned the narrow crack into the muzzle of a cannon, spewing a dragon of fire tens of meters long that swept across the corridor.
Jack's team had already pressed themselves flat against the walls. A wave of scorching heat washed over them, the acrid stench of burning methane assaulting their noses.
Just as planned, Jack thought, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. The gas is gone. Time to hunt.
A While Earlier.
"Princess Liana," Jack spoke up. "You and the Heroes faced Och in the past, correct?"
Lia sat nestled in Long's lap, her violet eyes gazing into the campfire. She crossed her arms, nodding in confirmation.
"We did. A giant, mangy toad."
"Did it have the ability to spew poison gas?" Jack frowned, his voice laced with confusion. "The Guild's Epic Archives mention no such ability. We nearly dug our own graves in its belly because of that missing intel."
Lia shook her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of Long's shirt.
"I fear the records are correct. In my time, that monster relied solely on its tongue and brute strength. It never spewed that accursed gas."
She looked up at the dark cave ceiling, her voice heavy.
"This dungeon... it has mutated. Something is tampering with the biological structure of the monsters."
Long wrapped his arms around Lia's waist, his hand gently stroking her spine to reassure her. He pondered for a moment before suggesting:
"I know that gas. It's highly flammable. Why don't we turn that room into an oven? Burn him alive?"
"Impossible!"
Both Jack and Lia shouted in unison.
Lia turned around, cupping Long's face in her small hands, forcing him to look her in the eye. Her voice became deadly serious:
"Long, listen to me. Och's skin secretes an incredibly thick layer of mucus. It's not just slippery; it's a high-level thermal insulator. To him... fire is nothing more than a warm bath."
Her eyes wavered. She gripped his hand, squeezing until her knuckles turned white.
"There are too many variables here, far beyond my calculations. I don't want you in danger. How about... we go home? Forget the crystal."
Long paused. He looked deep into the trembling eyes of his lover, seeing the fear of loss in the little girl before him.
His gaze softened. He leaned down, gently bumping his forehead against hers, a small but resolute smile playing on his lips.
"I promised I'd get that treasure for you. And the grandson of Alex Nguyen... never breaks his word."
Long's firm assurance flowed like a warm stream into Lia's anxious chest. Even though her logic screamed that this kid wasn't exactly reliable (just look at how he throws himself into danger), her heart couldn't help but melt.
"Alright, alright, break it up. Cut the lovey-dovey act, will you?"
Jack's voice cut in, awkwardly shattering the pink atmosphere.
Lia pursed her lips. She didn't bother retorting, instead burying her face deeper into Long's chest, her voice small but stubborn:
"Mind your own business. Jealous much?"
Long scratched the back of his neck, offering a sheepish smile before turning to Jack, his tone shifting to serious:
"Back to the main point. Even if fire can't kill Och, it will definitely burn away that gas."
Jack rubbed his chin, nodding in agreement.
"Right, settled then. Lucas, distribute those rusty Goblin weapons for everyone to use temporarily. Arwen, you're on fire duty. The moment the gas clears..."
The Captain's eyes flashed with a razor-sharp glint.
"...I'll be the first one in."
[Present Time - Immediately after the explosion]
As the thick black smoke began to clear, a massive shadow tore through the wind, rushing inside like a tank with cut brakes.
Jack didn't care about anything else. Ignoring the bland domed architecture or the rough stone walls gradually revealed by the light of Lily's magic orbs, his bloodshot eyes were fixed on a single point: The pile of equipment in the corner.
There you are!
Sitting arrogantly atop the chaotic heap of weapons was his "beloved wife": The Blood Axe.
The handle was made from thick, bleached-white bone. But the most horrifying part was the crimson, razor-sharp blade. The metal surface wasn't smooth; it was covered in bulging, raw red muscle fibers that pulsed as if they were breathing.
"Come to papa, sweetheart!"
Jack roared in his mind, his muscular arm stretching to its limit, fingertips just millimeters from the bone handle.
Whiz!
A sickening whistle tore through the air from the dark ceiling.
A wet, elongated blur shot down with the speed of a bullet, aiming straight for the back of Jack's neck.
Clang! Thud!
Two forces intervened simultaneously.
Arwen's wind-clad arrow sliced through the air, striking the center of the blur and knocking it off course. At the same exact moment, the wooden spear in Long's hand slammed down, the steel tip pinning the grotesque object to the stone floor.
Lily's floating orbs drifted close enough to reveal what it was. A tongue. Long, slimy, and purple.
The disgusting appendage didn't remain intact for more than a heartbeat.
Squelch!
A red blur flashed. The heavy axe descended, cleanly severing the thick, pinned tongue from its root. Purple blood sprayed violently, staining a patch of the stone floor black.
Jack's hand, where old wounds had torn open from the exertion, leaked fresh red blood. It trickled down his fingers, soaking into the white bone handle.
Immediately, the Blood Axe reacted.
The raw muscle fibers covering the blade began to spasm wildly, greedily sucking every drop of its master's blood like a starving leech. It groaned, vibrating in his grip, emitting a wet, slurping sound that was disturbingly stimulating.
Thump-thump... Thump-thump...
It wasn't just the axe; the heart inside Jack's chest pounded in a terrifying rhythm. Two heartbeats—one human, one weapon—merged into a single symphony of slaughter.
In a state of pure euphoria, Jack swung the axe up, pointing the tip straight at the colossal shadow obscuring the ceiling.
It was General Och. A giant toad standing like a tower of meat. Its bumpy skin was riddled with warts the size of baskets, oozing a toxic slime that steamed in the air.
Jack's eyes widened. His red pupils constricted into vertical slits, sharp as a predator's. His mouth split into a feral grin that stretched to his ears, revealing white teeth:
"Time for a bloodbath~"