I exhaled sharply. I'm fast, but I can't fight them head-on. I need to be smarter.
Vance's shout cut through the chaos. "Stay mobile! Don't let them corner you!"
Easier said than done.
Across the chamber, Dane was locked in a brutal clash with the axe-wielding elite, each of his hammer strikes met with just as much force. Sparks flew as metal collided, their raw power sending shockwaves through the air.
Vance weaved through his own battle, his sword carving deadly arcs as he parried and countered. He was fast—faster than I expected—but the elite orcs weren't just strong, they were trained. Their attacks weren't reckless swings; they fought with calculated brutality.
Roth was still unseen, but I knew he was somewhere in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
I gritted my teeth, refocusing. If I let this thing recover, I'm dead.
The elite orc in front of me snarled and charged again, its movements almost a blur despite its size. It swung its blade low, aiming to take out my legs.
Phantom Step.
I shifted my stance, narrowly avoiding the strike by leaping backward. The blade scraped against the stone, sparks flying.
My chance.
I lunged forward, gripping my dagger tight, and slashed toward its exposed side. The blade cut deep—but not deep enough. The orc twisted, taking the wound with a grunt but retaliating immediately with a backhanded strike.
I barely ducked in time, feeling the wind from the blow whip past my face. Too close.
The orc wasn't giving me time to breathe.
It pressed forward, swinging its blade again. I dodged once more, but my movements were pushing me closer to the warlord's throne.
And then, the crystal behind him pulsed violently.
A deep, resonating hum filled the air, thick with mana. And the warlord… he was still just watching.
A chill crawled up my spine. Something is coming.
"Vance!" I shouted. "Something's wrong with the crystal! It's reacting to us!"
His gaze snapped toward me for the briefest second, then toward the warlord. His expression darkened. "Roth! Get eyes on that thing, now!"
No response.
Then, from the shadows behind the throne, a muffled sound.
And a Roth's body dropped to the floor. Bleeding.
My breath hitched.
And for the first time since we stepped into this dungeon, the warlord smiled.
Time seemed to slow.
Roth lay motionless, blood pooling beneath him. The darkness behind the throne swallowed him whole, and for a brief, horrifying second, I couldn't tell if he was still breathing.
Vance cursed. "Dane! Cover me!"
He broke away from his opponent, dashing toward Roth's fallen form. But before he could take another step—
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded from the throne, rippling through the chamber like a violent pulse of mana. The sheer force sent all of us staggering, the air itself trembling.
The crystal behind the warlord blazed to life, its deep crimson glow intensifying. The energy inside churned like a living storm, the very walls of the chamber shaking under its power.
And then, the Warlord stood. A massive, towering figure of pure muscle and malice, clad in dark, jagged armor. His deep red eyes burned with something beyond mere bloodlust.
A slow, guttural chuckle rumbled from his throat. He lifted his massive war axe—easily twice the size of my body—and rested it against his shoulder.
Then, in a voice like grinding stone, he spoke.
"Fools."
The air around him grew heavy, suffocating. My fingers trembled slightly against the hilt of my dagger.
Dane clenched his jaw. "Tch… this bastard can talk?"
Vance didn't answer. His focus was entirely on Roth's unmoving form.
I swallowed hard. This isn't good.
The warlord raised his axe, pointing it at us. The crystal behind him pulsed once more, and suddenly and then, the elite orcs stopped fighting.
One by one, they stepped back, forming a circle around the chamber's edges. Their weapons lowered, but their gazes remained locked onto us, waiting.
The warlord cracked his neck. "I tire of this game."
And then, He vanished.
A blur of pure speed, too fast for something his size. Before I could even blink—
BOOM!
Dane flew backward, crashing into the stone wall so hard that the entire chamber trembled. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he slumped to the ground, his massive frame barely stirring.
Vance barely managed to react, his sword raised in a desperate block—
CLANG!
Sparks exploded as their weapons collided. The sheer force launched Vance back, his boots skidding across the floor as he struggled to hold his ground. His arms shook, his face twisted in strain.
This wasn't just raw power. The warlord was faster than any of us.
My heart pounded in my chest. My instincts screamed at me 'Move! Move now!'
But before I could react, the warlord's gaze landed on me. I froze. And then I saw a slow, predatory grin stretched across his face.
The warlord shifted his grip on his axe, muscles coiling like a predator ready to pounce. His burning gaze locked onto me, amusement flickering in his eyes—like a beast that had just found its most entertaining prey.
Then, He vanished.
A gust of wind slammed against me. My instincts roared to life, screaming at me to move—now!
I threw myself to the side. Just in time.
BOOM!
The ground where I had been standing exploded, jagged cracks splitting the stone. Dust and debris shot into the air as the sheer force of his attack sent a tremor through the entire chamber.
I gritted my teeth my anger and frustation, "Too fast. Too strong!"
If I had hesitated for even a fraction of a second, I would've been obliterated.
I barely had time to catch my breath before, He was already coming again.
A dark blur. An unstoppable force.
I gritted my teeth. I can't dodge forever.
At this rate, he would wear me down before I even had the chance to counter.
But then—I remembered. My body felt lighter. My footwork had become sharper. Phantom Step.
He came again, swinging his axe in a diagonal arc meant to cleave me in two. This time, instead of leaping away, I pushed forward toward him.
At the last possible moment, my foot twisted against the ground, and I vanished.
A blur of speed, not just an ordinary dodge. I wove through the gap of his strike, my body barely brushing past his massive frame. Like a ghost slipping through reality.
And then, I was behind him. His attack finished, the momentum carrying him forward.
A perfect opening.
My dagger gleamed as I thrust it forward—straight for his exposed side.
A direct hit—
Or so I thought.
CLANG!