Chapter 70: Into the Depth

Chapter 70: Into the DepthThe blast from the RPG still echoed faintly in the cave walls, fragments of bone and ash littering the ground like a desecrated battlefield. Smoke curled lazily from the scorched earth as Inigo stepped back, slinging the now-expended launcher onto his back. The others gathered beside him, cautiously surveying the ruin left behind. "Still in one piece?" he asked, voice light. Lyra gave him a playful nudge with her elbow. "You’re ridiculous. That was enough firepower to level a gatehouse." Serina was more composed, her crimson eyes scanning the cavern. "No ambient necromantic mana remains. That blast severed the primary anchor." Elira, however, was not smiling. She approached the shattered remains of the minotaur general and crouched beside what remained of its skull. Her hand hovered just above the bone, and she murmured a quiet prayer under her breath. "That wasn’t just brute necromancy," she said. "Something stronger animated it. That aura... it wasn’t just hate. It was purpose." Inigo cocked a brow. "You think it was sent?" Elira nodded grimly. "Perhaps not sent, but bound—forced to protect something deeper." "Well then," Inigo muttered, reloading his Desert Eagle with mana-infused rounds, "I suppose we’re not done yet." The four of them regrouped at the edge of the chamber where a tunnel sloped deeper into darkness. Unlike the earlier passages, this one pulsed faintly with red light, casting long, jagged shadows on the uneven stone walls. Lyra adjusted her quiver. "No turning back now." "Agreed," said Serina, tightening the grip on her staff. "We’ve come too far." Elira took point again, shield raised. "Stay sharp." They descended in silence, each step taking them farther from the surface and deeper into the forgotten veins of the world. The tunnel twisted unnaturally, like it had grown rather than been carved. Stalactites jutted like claws from the ceiling, and occasional carvings in ancient, unreadable runes lined the walls. Inigo’s night-vision goggles lit the path in shades of emerald. His M4 Carbine hung comfortably against his chest. A soft blue light traced down the barrel. Ready. Suddenly, the tunnel widened again—another chamber, but this one was different. Cracked stone pillars loomed like broken sentinels, and scattered debris lined the perimeter. At the center stood an altar made of obsidian, slick with something black and shimmering. Hovering just above it was a crystal the size of a watermelon, pulsating faintly. Serina froze. "That’s a conduit." "Conduit?" Lyra echoed. "It’s storing ambient mana from the area," Serina explained, eyes narrowing. "Feeding it somewhere." Inigo studied it. "Maybe feeding... someone?" The answer came with a rumble. Not from the walls this time—but from beneath them. The ground cracked. A snarl echoed through the chamber—deep and guttural. From the far end of the room, a hidden wall of stone slid open with an agonizing groan. Emerging from the shadows was another minotaur—but this one wasn’t skeletal. It was flesh and blood. Muscles rippled beneath dark fur. Arcane tattoos glowed faintly across its chest and arms. Its horns were etched with golden metal bands, and its eyes... they were intelligent. A dark, bitter intelligence. It wore crude armor cobbled from steel, bones, and hide. Its right hand clutched a double-headed axe, runes etched into the blade. "Minotaur Warlord," Elira whispered. The beast stepped forward, sniffing the air. It spoke—not in human tongue, but the meaning struck them anyway. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You’ve come far... prey." It charged. Elira moved first, shield up, intercepting the charge with a booming clash that sent her sliding back several feet. "Lyra, right flank!" Inigo shouted. "I’m on it!" She leapt to the side, arrows already flying. The first two bounced off the warlord’s armor, but the third—a mana-piercing tip—sank into its thigh. It roared but didn’t slow. Serina raised both hands, chanting quickly. "[Flame Pillars]!" Three columns of fire erupted from the ground beneath the minotaur, searing its legs and chest. The beast howled, staggering. Inigo raised his M4 and opened fire. The enchanted bullets slammed into its shoulder and chest—mana cracking through armor like lightning. The warlord recoiled, blood splattering across the altar, but it wasn’t finished. It lifted the axe and hurled it. "Down!" Inigo yelled, grabbing Serina and pulling her to the ground. The axe flew overhead, embedding itself into the far wall with a deafening crack. But that wasn’t the end of it. The beast clenched its fists—and the axe ripped itself free, flying back into its hand with unnatural force. "It’s bound to him," Elira growled. The minotaur surged forward again, faster this time. Elira stood firm. "[Aegis Light]!" Her shield exploded with radiant energy, blinding the creature just long enough for her to duck beneath its swing and slam her blade into its ribs. Blood spurted. The warlord screamed and backhanded her, sending her flying into a pillar. "Elira!" Serina cried. Inigo didn’t hesitate. He toggled his fire mode. "Full auto." Mana flared from the M4’s barrel as he unloaded, each bullet glowing with volatile power. The rounds tore into the warlord’s chest, forcing it back step by step—but it didn’t fall. Not yet. It turned its gaze on Inigo, and for a brief moment, they locked eyes. Then it charged again. "I got you!" Lyra shouted, jumping between them. She dropped to a crouch and fired a point-blank arrow directly into the creature’s eye. It reeled. That was enough. Serina raised her staff, glowing with crimson flame. "[Inferno Lance]!" A concentrated spear of fire burst from her palm and struck the beast’s chest, igniting the runes there. It screamed in agony—and stumbled. Inigo stepped forward. Desert Eagle drawn. "Let’s end this." One shot. Mana-infused. It tore through the beast’s skull. The warlord fell—like a felled tree, crashing to the ground with an earth-shaking thud. Silence. Then slowly, breath returned. Elira groaned, pulling herself up with help from Serina. Inigo holstered his pistol and exhaled. "Well... that was tougher." Lyra collapsed onto a rock. "That was insane." Serina walked toward the altar. The crystal had stopped glowing. "It’s done," she said. "The conduit’s broken. No more reinforcements." Inigo stepped beside her, watching the faint flicker of light fade from the gem. "Let’s mark this place," he said. "Come back later for a full sweep. But for now... we need to rest." And so they did—amidst ruin, blood, and a hard-won victory.