The 90th floor of the Dungeon was a place of suffocating darkness, where the air itself seemed thick with menace. Every step down into the lower floors brought an increased sense of dread, and yet, for Bell and his companions, it felt like just another step in their relentless pursuit of power. The walls here were damp, the stone crumbling in places, as if the very Dungeon itself was decaying from within. Yet, despite the oppressive atmosphere, Bell Cranel walked in silence behind Finn, Riveria, and Ottar, seemingly unbothered by the growing danger.
For the past few floors, it was Finn's sharp tactics, Riveria's devastating spells, and Ottar's overwhelming strength that had led the charge. Bell had stayed back, allowing them to take point while he observed, always watching, always learning. His Familia members walked alongside him, ready to jump in if needed, but the battle-hardened trio at the front handled everything the Dungeon could throw at them. They were the best of Orario—Level 6s and 7s who had seen more blood and battle than most could ever imagine. But even they were beginning to feel the weight of the endless onslaught.
Finn was the first to pause, his short blond hair slick with sweat, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement. His spear rested at his side, the tip glinting faintly in the dim light.
"Riveria, Ottar," Finn said quietly, "Let's take a short break here."
The three of them slowed to a stop, the silence after the recent battles ringing in their ears. Ottar stood like a towering wall of muscle, his stoic expression betraying nothing, but his breathing was slightly heavier, a sign of the intense battles they'd just endured. Riveria, ever graceful, wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and lowered her staff, her magic reserves still plentiful but slowly depleting.
Bell, walking up behind them, nodded as they found a suitable resting spot. His Familia, too, gathered around him. They had faced countless monsters, fought their way deeper into the Dungeon than anyone thought possible, and yet, Bell's energy seemed boundless.
Riveria glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "You've been awfully quiet, Bell. Are you going to just watch us the entire way down?"
Bell chuckled softly, his crimson eyes glowing in the dim light. "I figured you could use the warm-up."
Ottar grunted, crossing his arms. "It's time for you to fight too."
Finn looked at Bell, his sharp mind already calculating the situation. "We're about to hit the 100th floor soon. If there's anything dangerous waiting for us, we'll need your strength."
Bell's smile faded slightly as he stared ahead, down the long, winding staircase that led to even deeper parts of the Dungeon. The 100th floor. A place no adventurer had ever seen. His instincts told him that something monstrous awaited them below.
"I'll help from here on out," Bell finally said, his tone shifting to one of seriousness. "We'll need to work together if we want to survive what's coming."
Refreshed from their brief break, the group continued their descent. Now, with Bell actively participating, the difficulty of the battles they faced seemed to drop significantly. Finn's tactics became sharper, Riveria's spells more potent, and Ottar's strikes more devastating. Bell moved like a ghost among them, his speed and strength overwhelming the enemies that dared to stand in their way. His Familia members followed his lead, adapting to his movements with ease. Together, they were an unstoppable force, carving through the Dungeon with unmatched precision.
As they pushed deeper, the Dungeon itself seemed to shift around them. The walls became darker, almost pitch black, with strange, warped patterns etched into the stone. It was as if something had clawed its way through, leaving deep gouges and marks that covered the once solid walls. The ground, too, was uneven and cracked, littered with the remains of ancient structures and bones of long-forgotten creatures.
The atmosphere was suffocating now. A heavy, foreboding presence loomed over them, pressing down on their spirits. Even Bell felt it—a deep, primal fear that something was waiting for them. Something enormous.
"This place..." Riveria murmured, her eyes scanning the warped surroundings. "It's like the Dungeon itself is... broken."
Finn ran his fingers over one of the massive claw marks on the wall. "These are too large for any monster we've encountered. Whatever did this was huge... and desperate."
Bell's gaze hardened. He could feel it, the immense power that had once been contained here. Something had been trapped in this part of the Dungeon—a creature or being of unimaginable strength. And it had fought, tooth and nail, to escape.
The 100th Floor
The staircase spiraled downwards for what felt like an eternity, the shadows thickening with every step. When they finally reached the 100th floor, the air was cold, the kind of cold that sank deep into the bones and refused to leave. The walls here were more warped than ever, as if something had violently torn through them. Massive chunks of stone were missing, entire sections of the Dungeon collapsed and broken. The floor itself was uneven, with deep fissures running through the ground like scars.
Bell stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the area. His instincts were screaming at him, warning him that they were on the verge of something catastrophic.
"This place is different," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "It feels... wrong."
Suddenly, a deep, rumbling sound echoed through the floor. It was a sound so powerful, so ancient, that it reverberated through their bodies, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. The walls trembled as the sound grew louder, a terrifying growl from the depths of the abyss.
The group froze, their eyes wide as they looked into the abyss-like darkness that stretched ahead of them. The sound continued to grow, a mixture of thunderous roars and earth-shaking tremors.
"What... what is that?" Lili whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Ottar clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing. "It's coming from deep within."
Finn tightened his grip on his spear. "Whatever it is, it's enormous."
Bell took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel it now, the presence of something ancient, something that had been locked away for a reason. Whatever it was, it had escaped its prison... and it was waiting for them.
"It's close," Bell said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest. "And it's approaching quickly."
As the rumbling grew louder, echoing through the warped walls of the Dungeon, the group braced themselves for what was to come. They had faced countless monsters, endured impossible odds, but whatever awaited them in the depths of the 100th floor was unlike anything they had ever seen.
And they would face it together.
The chapter ends with the sound of the earth-shattering roar echoing through the endless darkness, a harbinger of the battle to come.