Nothing
happened after the second wave ended. No new timer appeared, nor did
any text materialize in the air. Instead, the branching paths of the
junction slowly merged into one, forming a wide tunnel.
Stark
felt uneasy just by analyzing the scene.
Are
we approaching the end? He
wondered.
His
gaze shifted to Kvran, who was adjusting his armor. The knight wasn’t
his ally—he was an enemy sent to hunt him down.
“Let’s
go.” Kvran’s voice cut through his thoughts as he pointed his
spear toward the sole pathway.
Stark
frowned. “Take
a breather. Let’s rest up and move forward fresh—we need the
energy.”
“Hmm…
that makes sense.”
This
musclehead…
Stark
sighed.
Reaching
into his backpack, he pulled out some jerky and tossed a piece to the
knight.
“Have
some.”
Stark
took a bite of his own as well.
“But
I’m curious,” Stark started. “What kind of beasts are these?”
“Hm?”
Kvran muttered, chewing. “I’ve never seen these types before. If
I had to guess, I’d say they’re from Zornvuur.”
“Zornvuur?
The place that was split during the battle between Hero Dalius and
the Demon King?”
Kvran
nodded thoughtfully.
“Why
there?”
“It’s
a largely unexplored landmass.”
“Why’s
that?”
“It’s
nearly impossible to reach,” Kvran explained. “The only way to
get there is through the Kraust Empire. Even then, you have to cross
the Serpent Isles.”
“And
no expeditions have been sent there?”
“There
have been a few,” Kvran admitted. “None have returned.”
“I
see.”
Stark
took a swig from his leather waterskin.
So
that place is dangerous, huh… I
will keep that in mind
After
a while, they both headed into the tunnel. Kvran took the lead to
explore with a torch in hand. Stark followed a few paces behind. His
eyes were focused on the back of the knight.
Time
passed and the tunnel kept stretching infinitely.
“Is
this another illusion?” Kvran ran his fingers through the damp
wall.
“Doesn’t
seem like it.” Stark assured. “I tried marking. We are not going
around in circles.”
“Hmm…So
it’s going to be a long way.”
“Let’s
take another breather for now.” Stark said.
“Sure.”
The
boy took out some food and tossed it over to Kvran. They ate some
jerky, drank some of their limited water supplies and rested their
muscles on the damp soil.
“I
am surprised. Another wave didn’t happen!” Stark exclaimed.
“Hmm?
Probably because we completed the trial.”
Stark
sighed and shook his head. “Ah,
no. This dungeon has text materialize every time we complete a
trial.”
“It
just said we passed the second wave in the text before. So my guess
is there must be another wave.”
“I
see…that makes sense." He scratched his head. "Are you really a slave?” Kvran asked with
a suspicious look.
“Huh?
What sort of question is that?”
“A
genuine one. Your demeanor is far from a slave’s.” The knight
raised his brow.
“Maybe
I am a genius.” He smirked.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Just
leave it. Let’s go.” Kvran frowned
They
began their journey deeper into the tunnel. A few hours into the
mundane walk. They stumbled across an enclosure with a small pond and
vegetation growing beside it. Unlike the fluorescent moss and plants
from before.
Days
stretched by as they kept venturing deeper into the tunnel. The walk
was almost never-ending.
“Fuck!!
I will dissect that sadistic Raven; just you wait. ” Stark grunted,
leaning on the wall with a tired look.
Kvran
stood there silently with his disheveled hair and dark circles under
his eyes.
Just
a few days into the journey. They found that like how their walk was
never ending so were their troubles.
Ambushes
became an everyday occurrence as they made their way deeper into the dungeon. It
was not normal. Beasts like undead and Gukis randomly spawned in
large numbers right before them. Also, the timing was too random, which
made it challenging for them to rest between ambushes.
They
also came to know the function of the small enclosures that they
occasionally stumbled across while exploring. They were safe areas
intended to keep them away from beasts. This meant that they didn’t
attack inside the enclosure within a certain perimeter.
“Should
we head back to the safe area?” Kvran asked,
“We
have come this far. Going back now would be like a death sentence. The food
can only last a few more days.” Stark said, his voice hoarse and
rough.
But
it was too late when they realized it. They had strayed far away and
were susceptible to ambushes in the tunnel.
“FUCK!!” Kvran punched the wall in
frustration.
Stark exhaled sharply. The fatigue was
getting to him.
Am
I going to die here?
Suddenly, a cold chill ran down his
spine. His heart began pounding loudly. Stark clutched his chest
tightly.
What
is this feeling of dread?
He looked around with sweat dripping
from his forehead, his pupils expanding as a sense of fear crept up
his skin.
“Hey!! Do you feel that?” Stark
gasped.
“Feel what?” Kvran looked at him.
Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground
violently, making the dust dance to its whims.
Surprised, Kvran and Stark clutched
the walls of the tunnel only to fall face-first onto the ground. The
walls shifted and vanished right before their very eyes.
Stark curled up quickly, protecting
his head on instinct. The tremor stopped after a while, and the dust
settled to leave the duo in a wide, empty circular chamber.
He shifted on the ground with a
shocked expression. “WH—”
His breath hitched as he saw a crevice in space pulsating with blue
energy. There were four of them scattered across the chamber.
“What is that?” Kvran wiped off
the dust.
[Final Wave Starts in 1:00:00]
The text materialized suddenly like an ominous sign of doom
“We got the answer, I suppose…”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Kvran snapped, “Were those ambushes not part of the waves?”
Stark collapsed on the floor with a
sigh. He closed his eyes for a few moments, ignoring the screaming
fit the knight was throwing. He composed himself for the final wave. Oddly, his fatigue magically vanished as soon as they reached the chamber.
Time passed as they prepared for
battle.
“Hey, give me some food; I am hungry!” the
knight said to him.
Stark tossed some jerky to Kvran
without hesitation.
“Hmm? You not having it?” Kvran raised his brow. "You will need the energy."
“I’m just not hungry yet!”
"Um...Fine."
Kvran munched on the jerky, staring off at the crevices
Stark carefully checked his daggers and
sword for the battle. His gaze briefly shifted to the knight.
If
this is the final wave, I should prepare for it!!! He thought.
They were both ready for the final
wave.
Nervousness and fear filled Stark’s
heart. Of course he was scared—this very fear pushed him to
survive. He exhaled sharply and focused on the timer.
[0:00:01]
Kvran and Stark both assumed their
positions, their backs to each other, facing the crevices.
[Final Wave starts]
Red-skinned beasts—the Ma’oks—flooded
from the pulsating crevice. Hundreds of the beasts at once from all
directions.
“They are here….” Kvran
muttered, gripping his spear tightly.
Suddenly,
“FOLLOW ME!!” Stark screamed at
the knight, darting away from his position
Startled, Kvran followed suit.
Stark quickly analyzed and came to the conclusion that fighting in such a precarious position wasn’t
the best decision.
Ma’oks
were mindless creatures after all, so Stark decided it was best to face them with their
backs against the dirt wall.
The Ma’oks,
seeing their prey run, followed them like starving beasts.
The duo reached near a dirt wall on
the northern side of the chamber. The mindless beasts charged and
crashed into each other, breaking the momentum of their fellow beasts
that flooded from the other crevices.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Stark
and Kvran picked up the offensive. They began to tear apart the
charging Ma’oks with ruthless
and brutal efficiency.
Stark had already faced these beasts
before. Their movements were predictable, and their weak points were
thoroughly analyzed. The boy could kill them in an instant with unnatural efficiency.
Amidst the chaos, the knight.
Spear
Arts: 3rd Form—Impale.
Kvran launched his spear forward into
the horde of beasts. It pierced through and flung their bodies into
the air like rag dolls. The beasts close to the spear were decimated
in an instant.
The horde was precisely split into two
parts by Kvran’s spear.
The duo went on a total offensive and began to decimate the frontline of the charging beasts
Stark
could handle multiple beasts just like the knight. He had grown
stronger with every fight. The boy was rapidly adapting very quickly to his
surroundings.
The boy's gaze fell to the pulsating crevice for a brief moment.
Stark noted, dodging a strike. This
is too easy for the last wave…
Something is definitely wrong….
The numbers of red-skinned beasts
began to dwindle down as time passed. The beasts completely stopped coming out from the crevice.
“DIE, YOU MAGGOTS!!!” Kvran laughed crazily as he impaled his spear into the skulls of the last few
charging Ma'oks. He lifted them off the ground and tossed them aside
like unwanted trash.
The knight looked satisfied as he admired the pile of corpses he amassed during the fight.
Did
he go crazy?!?!? The boy frowned.
Stark sighed and leaned back on the
wall. His gaze sharp on the pulsating crevice.
He couldn’t
shake off this odd feeling he was experiencing. The feeling of dread
still lingered in his heart. Something sinister and strong was about
to come their way.
……. Didn’t
Master Krul say…that the dungeon usually ended by defeating a boss
monster…!!! That means the final wave….
“So,
this isn’t the end!!”
