The Sunken Temple was not a place for the living.
It was a Level 15 Instance, filled with Skeletal Warriors and Poison Slimes.
In Theos, players farmed it for "Silver-Tier" gear.
Now, Zephyr was leading a Level 3 Blacksmith, a Level 5 Saint, and three Level 1 refugees into its maw.
But he wasn't here to farm. He was here to set a trap.
"Hold," Zephyr commanded.
The group stopped at the entrance—a gaping hole in the earth, smelling of rot and ancient stone.
Behind them, the torches of the Inquisitors were visible through the trees.
"They are close," Elara whispered, gripping her crude iron sword. "Twenty men. And one... one who feels like fire."
"These are Silver Hand Paladins," Zephyr analyzed. "High Magic Resistance. High Armor. Low Mobility."
He floated over the pressure plate hidden in the mossy floor.
"Elara. Step here."
"Here?" She pointed at the slightly discolored stone. "It looks trapped."
"It triggers a rolling boulder trap. 5000kg of granite. Lethal damage."
Elara froze. "And you want me to step on it?"
"*No. I want you to step over it. Then wait."
He directed the others.
"Kael. Jinx. Pip. Hide in the alcoves. Do not breathe."
They scrambled into the shadows.
Zephyr floated in the center of the hallway, invisible, watching the entrance.
The Inquisitor arrived first. He was clad in silver plate, a burning mace in one hand.
"I smell them," he growled, his voice echoing off the damp walls. "The stench of the False Order."
The twenty guards followed him, looking nervous.
"Come out, Demon!" the Inquisitor shouted. "Face the Light!"
Zephyr waited.
Using his [System Interface], he monitored the trap's trigger mechanism. It wasn't just a pressure plate. It was a proximity sensor.
Distance: 20 meters.
Distance: 10 meters.
The Inquisitor stepped onto the discolored stone.
"Elara. Jump."
Elara stepped out from the shadows, her sword raised. "My Lord is not a Demon!" she screamed, her voice shaking but defiant. "He is the Architect!"
The Inquisitor sneered. "And you are his whore." He raised his mace.
Zephyr didn't wait.
He needed perfect timing. He didn't just need to trigger the trap; he needed to override the safety mechanism that prevented it from firing if the hallway was too crowded (a safety feature for the original dungeon creators).
"Activate Domain Skill: [Synchronization]."
[Cost: 50 FP. Remaining: 5 FP.]
The world seemed to turn gray. Time didn't stop, but Zephyr's processing speed overclocked. He felt Elara's heartbeat. He felt the vibration of the Inquisitor's armor.
He synced his will with the dungeon's ancient code.
"Override: Safety Protocols. Trap Sensitivity: 200%."
Click.
The rumble was felt before it was heard.
The ceiling groaned.
"Movement!" a guard screamed. "Above us!"
A massive stone sphere, covered in spikes, dropped from the darkness.
It didn't just fall. It rolled. A perfect, physics-driven engine of destruction, filling the entire corridor.
The Inquisitor turned, his eyes widening. He raised his mace. "Shield of the—"
CRUNCH.
The boulder didn't care about his shield. It weighed five tons and had accrued velocity.
It crushed the Inquisitor instantly.
Then it kept rolling.
The guards screamed, turning to run. But the hallway was narrow. The boulder was wide.
It was a strike. A perfect 7-10 split.
Screams faded into a wet, grinding silence as the boulder slammed into the entrance, sealing the exit.
[System Notification]
[Trap Kill: Inquisitor Valerius (Level 22)]
[Trap Kill: 18 x Silver Hand Guards]
[XP Gained: 45,000]
[Faith Points Generated (Fear): +500 (survivors outside)]
Zephyr felt the rush of power. It wasn't just Faith. It was pure XP.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Zephyr is now Rank 1 Entity (Lesser Deity).]
[Rank Up Bonus: Faith Capacity Increased to 1000.]
[Current FP: 505]
He turned to his trembling followers. Kael was staring at the blood-smeared floor. Elara was pale.
"Efficiency," Zephyr stated, his voice now deeper, resonating with newfound power. "Maximum results. Minimum effort."
He floated toward the sealed entrance.
"Loot the bodies. We need the armor."
Elara stepped forward, avoiding the mess. "Lord Architect... what now? We are trapped inside."
"No," Zephyr corrected. "We are not trapped. We are Dungeon Masters."
He pulled up the map of the Sunken Temple.
"This isn't a tomb. It's a Training Ground. By the time we dig our way out..."
He looked at Kael, whose eyes were fixed on the Inquisitor's crushed silver chestplate.
He looked at Elara, whose hand was glowing with potential divine energy.
"...You will be an Army."