One week had passed since Alex's awakening, and the chamber felt different. The frantic coin gathering was gone, replaced by an electric anticipation. Alex sat on his throne, radiating power, his eyes sharp and focused. Beside him, Frey stood guard, watching the CCTV feed on the console.
The screen flickered, showing the dungeon entrance. A group of adventurers stood silhouetted against the setting sun. Amelia was at the front, her fiery red hair catching the last light. Gregor stood beside her, his axe glinting, while Lyra scanned the shadows. The rest of the group was a mix of veterans and newcomers.
"They're finally here…" Alex murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips.
He watched them closely. These were the Elera people, the ones he'd sworn to protect and eventually rule. He'd chosen this moment, their arrival, for his grand entrance. This was his stage, and they were his audience. He, the Bloodied Adventurer, would make sure they never forgot him.
"Now…" Alex said, his voice deep and commanding, "I want you all to reach the end… and witness my power. Make me your god."
With a flick of his wrist, he activated the monster summoning program. Magical energy surged through the dungeon, stirring the dormant summoning circles.
Groan! The clatter of bones echoed through the halls.
A skeletal hand emerged from the shadows, followed by another. A Level 1 skeleton stepped forward, its bony frame held together by frayed rags, its empty sockets glowing green.
"Everyone, be careful!" Amelia shouted, hand on her sword.
The adventurers drew their weapons, forming a defensive line. Amelia stepped forward, leading the way. "Don't worry, Alex," she called out, her voice steady. "We'll find you."
They moved deeper into the passage, boots crunching on the dusty floor. The torchlight cast long shadows, amplifying the tension. The only sounds were their footsteps and the occasional drip of water.
As they ventured further, more skeletons appeared, their numbers growing. The first one fell quickly, its bones shattering under their blades. But it was just the beginning. More skeletons poured in, relentless.
The adventurers fought with skill. Amelia cut through the horde with fierce determination, her small frame belying her strength. Gregor swung his axe with brutal efficiency, each blow smashing bones. Lyra's arrows flew true, finding gaps in the skeletons' defenses.
Despite their efforts, the sheer number of skeletons threatened to overwhelm them. The passage became a chaotic battlefield, the clash of steel against bone echoing loudly. The air grew thick with decay and blood.
Suddenly, a guttural roar shook the passage. Amelia spun around, scanning the darkness.
"What's happening?" she demanded, her voice tight.
The skeletons faltered, replaced by goblins. Their wiry frames and feral eyes marked them as a new threat. Unlike the slow skeletons, the goblins were fast and cunning, darting in and out of the shadows.
"It's stage 2!" one adventurer shouted.
"This is stage 2?" another echoed, confusion clear.
"Yes," the party's mage explained. "In an A-Class dungeon, the monsters get stronger as you progress."
Amelia quickly adjusted their formation. "Shields up! Archers, loose!"
Gregor roared, "Come on, you green-skinned runts!"
Lyra nocked an arrow, her aim steady. "Let's see what you've got!"
The goblins charged with shrieks, their scimitars flashing in the torchlight. The battle intensified. Amelia's blade struck down one goblin, its weapon clattering to the ground. Gregor met another head-on, his axe splitting its skull with a sickening crack.
A goblin lunged at the young mage, who stumbled back, dropping his staff. Before it could strike, Lyra appeared, her dagger slicing through the air. The goblin fell, lifeless.
The griffin-sigiled warrior fought alongside Gregor, their shields forming a wall of steel. A goblin tried to exploit a gap but was met with a swift counterattack, the blade sinking deep into its side.
The passage was chaos. Each clash of steel against flesh marked another moment of desperation. Blood stained the floor, a grim testament to the struggle.
A goblin slipped past Amelia, aiming for her back. Before it could strike, a crossbow bolt pierced its throat, dropping it instantly.
Lyra moved like a ghost, her arrows finding their marks with precision. Goblins fell around her, their cries fading into whimpers.
Gregor was a storm of fury, his axe a blur of destruction. He cleaved through the goblins, sending limbs flying. When one lunged at him, he deflected its scimitar and delivered a brutal headbutt, the sound echoing through the passage.
Despite their skill, the adventurers were pushed to their limits. The goblins kept coming, their numbers overwhelming. The air reeked of blood and sweat, the weight of survival pressing down on everyone.
***
A cold smile spread across Alex's lips as he watched the chaos on the CCTV screens. His eyes, glowing faintly with an unnatural light, darted between the feeds, tracking the adventurers' desperate fight. The sounds of battle—steel clashing, roars, and cries—filled the control room, a twisted kind of music to his ears.
Frey stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the screens, a mix of awe and unease in her expression. Finally, she spoke. "What are you going to do now, Master Acomalaka?"
A low chuckle rumbled from Alex's chest, sending a shiver down Frey's spine. "Call me Alex," he said, his voice raspy and cold.
Frey hesitated. "But…"
"They know me as Alex," he continued, his eyes sharp with intensity. "That's the name they'll remember."
"Did you change your name…?" Frey asked, confusion clear in her voice.
"Yeah, kind of," Alex replied dismissively. "From now on, just call me Alex, okay?"
Frey nodded, still struggling to adjust. The name felt strange without the title of "master."
"Frey…" Alex began, amusement in his tone.
"Yes…" she hesitated, unsure how to address him. "Alex…?" she finally tried, the name awkward on her tongue.
"Huh… weird hearing that without 'master,'" Alex chuckled, a faint smirk on his face.
"If you want, I'll keep calling you master," Frey offered quickly, clearly uncomfortable with the informality.
"Well… if there are people around, don't say 'master,'" Alex said. "It wouldn't do for them to know the truth."
"Okay…" Frey murmured, still processing the change.
"Can you change?" Alex asked, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"Change?" Frey echoed, unsure what he meant.
"Yeah," Alex explained. "I want it to seem like this dungeon isn't mine. I need you to look like a lost woman…"
Frey nodded, understanding dawning on her face. "Understood."
She turned and walked toward a side room, leaving Alex alone with his dark amusement.
***
"Guys, look at this," Lyra announced.
"What is mean?" Gregor asked, frowning.
"It means there's another item we need to find!"
A wave of realization washed over them. The key they'd found was only the first step. This second keyhole, shaped like a spiral, was... something else, coule be another hidden object or mechanism. The disappointing truth hit hard: they weren't done yet.
Disappointment lingered in the air, but the adventurers were no strangers to challenges. Giving up wasn't an option. They turned back to the fallen goblins, scanning the carnage for anything resembling a spiral-shaped object.
Suddenly, the young looking mage's eyes widened. "Wait! It's not for an item it's for magic… mana. Someone needs to use their mana to activate it." She paused, realizing she was the only one who could wield magic. With a sigh, she muttered, "Fine."
She pressed her hand into the spiral-shaped keyhole. Magical energy surged through her veins and into the mechanism. The wall groaned and ground open further, revealing a sight that froze the adventurers in place.
Beyond the gap stood a colossal figure bathed in dim light—a Titan. Its sheer size and presence radiated ancient power, sending shivers down their spines.
Amelia's voice faltered as she gasped, "What the..."
The Titan loomed over them, its massive form dwarfing the passage. Its obsidian-black skin rippled with muscles that spoke of unimaginable strength. Glowing red eyes scanned them with chilling curiosity, burning with an intelligence that was both fascinating and terrifying. The air grew heavy, the ground trembling under its weight. An oppressive aura filled the space, suffocating any sense of hope.
The adventurers stood frozen, their earlier triumph replaced by a crushing dread. They had faced goblins, but this was something else entirely.
Cold sweat slicked their skin, hearts pounding like trapped birds against their ribs. Even the seasoned warriors among them, faces pale and grim, couldn't ignore the weight of mortality pressing down on them.
Amelia's voice barely rose above a whisper. "Is that... a Titan?"
The young mage stared, her face a mix of fear and morbid fascination. Yet, even in the face of overwhelming power, a flicker of defiance sparked in their eyes. They were adventurers, after all, and they'd faced impossible odds before.
< Chapter 9 > Fin.