The chamber where
Garuk the Bloodhorn
fell was now silent, the only sound being the
dripping of dark blood onto the cold stone.
The three assassins stood over his corpse, catching their breath.
Seraphis wiped a streak of blood from her cheek and turned toward the massive doors leading deeper into the dungeon.
“That was just the first guardian. We have a long way to go.”
Elowen rolled her shoulders.
“Then let’s keep moving. No sense in waiting around for something worse to show up.”
Sylvaine exhaled, gripping her staff.
"Three more floors before we rest. Stay sharp."
With that, they pressed forward, deeper into the abyss.
Floor 11 – The Swarm of Shadows
The moment they stepped into the next chamber, the temperature
plummeted.
A vast cavern stretched before them, lined with
stalactites that dripped with an eerie, glowing liquid.
Strange, black mist coiled along the floor, shifting as though it were alive.
Then,
the mist moved.
Dozens—no,
hundreds
of
shadowy figures
emerged from the fog. Their
eyes gleamed crimson
, and
their bodies were translucent
, flickering between existence and nothingness.
“Wraiths,”
Sylvaine muttered, gripping her staff.
"They drain life on contact. Don't let them touch you."
Before anyone could respond,
the swarm rushed forward.
Seraphis flicked her wrist, sending her
metal playing cards flying
.
They cut through the wraiths, but instead of falling, the creatures simply reformed, hissing as they closed in.
Elowen cursed.
"They’re regenerating!"
Sylvaine’s eyes narrowed.
“Then we need to use magic.”
She raised her staff, chanting under her breath.
A sudden gust of wind tore through the chamber, gathering into a powerful vortex.
The wraiths screeched as the
magic-infused wind ripped through them
, their bodies
dispersing into nothingness.
Seraphis and Elowen moved in tandem,
carving through the remaining wraiths while Sylvaine purified them with wind magic.
Within minutes, the chamber fell silent.
Elowen exhaled.
“That was a nightmare.”
Seraphis nodded.
“Let’s keep going.”
Floor 12 – The Titan's Gauntlet
As they descended, the air became
thicker
, the very walls of the dungeon
shifting as if alive.
A deep rumble shook the ground, and from the darkness emerged a
monstrous figure.
A
stone golem
the size of a fortress stood before them. Its
arms were as thick as trees
, and
each step it took caused the ground to tremble.
A deep, guttural voice echoed through the chamber.
“Intruders. You shall not pass.”
Without hesitation, the
golem slammed its massive fists down
, aiming to crush them.
Seraphis
darted to the side
, avoiding the impact as the ground
shattered beneath the force.
Elowen moved like a ghost, her
daggers scraping against the golem’s rocky surface—but they barely left a mark.
Sylvaine narrowed her eyes.
“Physical attacks won’t work! We need to hit its core.”
Seraphis glanced up and saw it—
a faint blue glow deep within the golem’s chest.
That was the weak point.
She whispered a command, and her
metal cards morphed into thin, piercing needles.
With a flick of her wrist, they
shot forward
, piercing straight through the golem’s chest.
The creature
staggered
, its movements slowing.
Elowen saw her chance.
With blinding speed, she
leapt onto the golem’s arm, using it as a foothold to climb higher.
Sylvaine raised her staff.
"I'll break its defenses!"
A powerful
wind blast struck the golem
,
forcing its chest open—revealing the glowing core inside.
Elowen
plunged her dagger straight into it.
The golem
let out a deafening roar
, its body
crumbling into dust.
Silence returned.
Elowen landed gracefully, exhaling.
"That was exhausting."
Seraphis nodded.
"One more floor before we rest."
Floor 13 – The Crimson Fang Pack
The next chamber was a
massive forest, dense with thick trees and glowing red vines.
But the real threat lay ahead.
A pack of
massive, blood-red wolves
prowled in the distance, their
eyes gleaming with hunger.
Seraphis barely had time to react before
the leader—an Alpha twice the size of the others—charged.
Its fangs
snapped inches from her throat
, but she
twisted out of the way, slashing with her cards.
Elowen moved in, her daggers flashing as she
engaged two wolves at once.
Sylvaine raised her staff, sending
arcs of lightning crashing down
, electrocuting several of the beasts.
But the Alpha was relentless.
It lunged at Sylvaine, claws extended—
Seraphis
intercepted
, her cards forming into a
blade that severed one of its legs.
The beast howled in pain but refused to fall.
Elowen appeared behind it, her
daggers plunging into its skull.
The Alpha collapsed.
With their leader dead,
the remaining wolves hesitated.
Sylvaine took the opportunity, releasing a
final gust of razor-sharp wind
, slicing through them all.
And then—
silence.
Seraphis exhaled.
“That’s enough for today.”
Setting Up Camp
They found a small alcove near the exit of the floor.
Sylvaine
set up a protective barrier
around them, ensuring nothing could ambush them in their rest.
Seraphis
gathered dry wood
, lighting a small fire.
Elowen took out some dried rations, passing them around.
"We need to recover our strength. The next floors will only get harder."
Seraphis nodded, staring into the flames.
They had come far, but the dungeon still had many dangers ahead.
For now, they would rest.
Tomorrow, they would continue the descent—toward the second guardian.