(Samuel's POV – A Beautiful Mess)
The cavern was a disaster zone—cracked ground, ashes of monsters swirling in the stale air, the scent of burnt abyssal energy thick around us.
I smirked, taking in the destruction Henry and I had caused. Bodies—no, dust—of Abyssal Stalkers littered the battlefield, their remains nothing more than a testament to our power.
I exhaled, blood dripping from my knuckles, my Abyssal Gauntlets still humming with raw energy.
"Damn," I muttered, stretching my shoulders. "That was even better than breaking Bitch Bardot's ego."
Henry chuckled darkly, rolling his shoulders as he inspected the mess we'd left behind.
"You're really holding onto that hatred, huh?" he mused, smirking.
I grinned, cracking my knuckles. "Of course. But this? This is way more satisfying."
Henry flicked the blood off his Sword of the First Dawn, his golden eyes glowing in the dim cavern light.
"Yeah," he admitted, glancing at the ruined battlefield. "Can't argue with that. Watching these bastards crumble under our strength? Priceless."
A deep rumbling echoed through the dungeon, the very walls reacting to our destruction.
Something bigger was coming.
Henry shot me a glance, his smirk never fading. "Ready for round two?"
I grinned wider, my blood rushing with excitement.
"Always."
And just like that—the hunt continued.
The ground beneath us shuddered, sending deep cracks splintering across the obsidian-like stone. The air grew heavier, thick with a presence far more menacing than the Abyssal Stalkers we had just wiped out.
Henry and I locked eyes, both of us feeling it at the same time—
Something was watching us.
The very walls of the dungeon seemed to breathe, shifting unnaturally. The distant echoes of something massive moving reverberated through the cavern, getting closer.
Then—
----
[SYSTEM ALERT!]
⚠ WARNING: HIGH-THREAT ENTITY DETECTED!
Abyssal Tyrant – The Keeper of the First Layer
Threat Level: SSS-Rank
Abilities: Unknown
----
I read the notification and let out a low whistle, shaking the dust off my gauntlets.
"SSS-Rank?" I smirked. "Finally, a real challenge."
Henry exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "You just can't enjoy a simple dungeon run, huh?"
Before I could answer, the tunnel ahead of us collapsed with a thunderous BOOM!, sending a cloud of dust and debris rushing toward us.
And then—it appeared.
The cavern trembled beneath our feet as the Abyssal Tyrant let out a soul-rattling roar, its massive form towering over us. Black flames surged around its body, pulsing like a living force of destruction. The very air warped, twisted by the raw abyssal energy radiating from the monster before us.
But then—
Henry stepped forward.
His golden eyes gleamed with undeniable authority, his grip on the Sword of the First Dawn tightening as an aura of celestial power surrounded him. The entire dungeon seemed to pause, as if reality itself acknowledged the shift in power.
Then, his voice rang out, echoing through the abyss.
"Now listen to me!!!"
I turned to him, seeing something in his expression that sent a shiver of anticipation through me.
Then, Henry raised his sword and declared with absolute dominance—
"Armies march and creatures rise,
Tyrants scheme with cunning lies.
They cast down wrath, they scorch the land,"
His voice boomed, cutting through the dungeon like a divine decree.
"Yet still, He stands—supreme, unchained."
His smirk widened, his aura flaring like a golden inferno.
"Blades may fall and thunder roar,
Storms may break upon His shore.
Yet none can shake, nor bring to knee,
The King who reigns—eternally."
A pulse of raw celestial might erupted from him, sending shockwaves through the cavern, shaking the very walls of Black Hollow. The Abyssal Tyrant flinched, its tendrils recoiling for the first time.
I couldn't help but grin, my blood burning with excitement.
"Damn, Henry." I cracked my knuckles, my Abyssal Gauntlets pulsing with power. "That was some serious King shit."
Henry chuckled darkly, rolling his shoulders.
"Well, I am who I am."
The Abyssal Tyrant let out a monstrous snarl, recovering from its hesitation, its six void eyes burning with fury.
It lunged.
We moved.
The battle had truly begun.