Chapter 20: From Revenge To Conquest - Part 4

Dungeon Core—as its name implied—was the artifact that empowered the entire dungeon. It gave form to the summoning of monsters and amplified the cursed miasma corrupting their monster cores, enhancing both their strength and abilities. Under the control of a dungeon master, it could even expand the dungeon's domain, absorb mana from everything within, and summon more monsters. As the heart of the entire dungeon, such an important artifact would never be left unprotected. "Destroy it now, Lynn!" "About that... I think we've got a problem, Mr. Arezu." "What do you mean we've got a problem?!" Lynn's plan to destroy the dungeon core—should defeating the giant goblin fail to remove the cursed miasma corrupting Alex—was based on the assumption that the goblins' nest within the cave was still in the process of becoming a dungeon. At that early stage, she believed, the magical barrier protecting the dungeon core wouldn't yet be active. Even though the giant goblin was likely chosen as the dungeon master and all the altered goblins had been summoned by the dungeon core, the domain itself hadn't solidified yet. That led Lynn to believe they could destroy the dungeon core without any special preparation. "I mean, we won't be able to destroy it without a divine gift!" Hearing this, Arezu looked past the rampaging Alex toward Lynn. Behind her floated a reddish-black, head-sized crystal, hovering just above the ground. Liz struck it with her longsword while Hannah smashed at it with her mace, but a translucent white barrier repelled their weapons. If a divine gift was needed, then the answer stood right in front of them. The only problem? Alex was trying to protect the core, not destroy it. Sensing Liz and Hannah attacking the dungeon core, Alex ignored Arezu entirely and charged toward them. Lynn intercepted his charge, firing her twin-arrow crossbow. She could have used a mystic spell, but the threat of Alex using his divine gift on her made her hesitate. Though her arrows missed, the time Alex took to dodge them allowed Arezu to catch up, grab the back of his clothes, and throw him aside. Arezu took his stance. Behind him were Lynn and the others. In front of him, Alex slowly rose to his feet. "Get the villagers and get out of here. I'll hold him off until you're all safe." Arezu urged them to escape, realizing that their plan to destroy the dungeon core and save Alex was no longer feasible. At the very least, they needed to rescue the villagers. They could trap Alex inside the cave and return later with another hero candidate—one with a divine gift capable of destroying the dungeon core and finally saving him. Lynn rallied the captured adventurers and village guard, instructing them to carry out as many villagers as they could. Liz and Hannah stopped attacking the dungeon core to help evacuate. But before they could leave, Alex made his move. —ROAR!— It was the loudest roar Arezu had heard—from either Alex or the giant goblin. It echoed through the cave chamber, making their ears ring and signaling danger. "Not to jinx us... but this spell is different from the Obelisk spell, right?" Arezu muttered, his voice a mix of anxiety and sarcasm. After all, the rumbling ground already told him the answer he was looking for. "Ignorant yet perceptive. You never fail to surprise me, Mr. Arezu." "Just answer the question, Lynn." Setting aside her mischief, Lynn answered with calm—but still playful—confidence. "If I'm right—and I definitely am—what's coming now is Avalanche, a more advanced form of Obelisk. Infamous for its highly destructive power. And in a cave like this? We're going to get buried alive." Her cheerful smile, even in the face of doom, somehow pleased him. Yet her playful voice and blunt words nearly pushed him over the edge. "Can you stop the cave from collapsing?" Arezu asked, glancing back at her. "Who do you think I am?" Lynn replied with her usual confidence. Who exactly are you? Arezu wanted to say, but Lynn spoke first. "But can you stop that moron's attack, Mr. Arezu?" For a moment, Lynn saw hesitation in Arezu's eyes. But his answer, though tinged with desperation, came with confident determination—more reassuring than she expected. "Please keep everyone alive, Lynn." "Mhm!" The cave trembled again. —ROAR!— With another inhuman cry, Alex triggered the spell. The ground in front of him heaved. Rocks and boulders surged forward in a massive wave—an avalanche of earth and stone, swallowing everything in its path. Arezu raised his halberd-axe. Channeling his mana, he focused his will, drawing the power within his body into the weapon. Just as he swung his halberd-axe down—moments before it struck the ground—he activated his combat skill. 'Shockwave' A devastating aura burst from the impact, clashing with the incoming avalanche. The collision of two powerful forces shook the entire cave chamber. The thunderous roar that followed was like the earth itself screaming, warning of imminent collapse. Cracks opened across the cave floor, walls, and ceiling. As massive stones began to fall, Lynn activated her advanced spell. "Glacier" In an instant, the entire cave froze. Ice spread across the chamber, filling cracks and fissures, halting the collapse. From the chamber to the entrance tunnel, everything was sealed in shimmering frost. Arezu had stopped Alex's attack. Lynn had stopped the cave's collapse and kept everyone alive. But as they knelt, exhausted and breathless, cold mist escaping their lips—the battle was still far from over, for their opponent still stood, ready to fight. —ROAR!— "Just wake up already, you doofus!"