Its crimson eyes pulsed, and in an instant, dark tendrils erupted from its body, lashing toward Alexander like abyssal spears.
"Don't let it regenerate!" Raiden Arakawa barked, his storm-coated form already in motion. He leaped into the air, arcs of electricity crackling around him before—
KRA-KOOM!
A blinding bolt of lightning crashed down upon the serpent, forcing it to recoil as its tendrils charred under the electrical assault.
The sheer intensity of the lightning strike illuminated the entire cavern for a split second, revealing more twisted figures shifting in the darkness.
Ji Seong-Ho saw them first. His blade flashed, cutting through the air, his movements so fast they seemed instantaneous.
"More of them are coming." His voice was calm, but the warning was clear.
The National-Level Hunters adjusted immediately.
Gabriel Dela Cruz conjured golden chains of light, shooting them toward the abyssal serpent to bind its movement. The chains wrapped around the writhing beast, searing its flesh as it thrashed violently.
BOOM!
From behind, Ezekiel Mercer's floating artillery drones fired a volley of mana-infused railgun rounds, each impact sending abyssal flesh splattering across the dungeon floor. The cannon fire echoed throughout the cavern, a rhythmic beat of destruction.
Despite their relentless assault, the abyssal serpent was still moving.
Leon, standing among the S-ranks, clenched his jaw. "It's taking all of them just to hold this thing back… This is not normal."
A typical S-rank abyssal creature wouldn't withstand this level of firepower, let alone retaliate. But this one—this thing—was different. Its body was still regenerating despite the devastation.
And worse… the dungeon itself seemed to react.
The ground trembled, the walls pulsated, and then, an abyssal energy surged outward.
For a moment, time seemed to stop as an overwhelming sense of malice filled the air.
Gabriel's radiant chains flickered, struggling to contain the creature's unnatural resurgence. Even Alexander, whose brute force had shaken mountains, was momentarily stunned by the sheer intensity of the energy wave.
Then, the serpent's mouth opened wide.
Darkness gathered within its maw, coalescing into a spiraling vortex of pure abyssal destruction. The air warped, the very fabric of space distorting as the energy condensed into a single, terrifying attack.
Leon's eyes widened.
"Scatter!"
But before the abyssal serpent could unleash its devastating attack, a blinding golden radiance exploded from Gabriel Dela Cruz.
"Sanctus Ignis."
A pillar of divine fire descended from above, crashing into the serpent's open mouth like divine judgment itself. The creature's abyssal energy was immediately disrupted as holy flames surged into its body, incinerating it from the inside.
It screeched—a wretched, soul-piercing sound—as its entire form convulsed violently, the abyssal corruption burning away under Gabriel's holy flames.
Alexander Graves seized the opening.
His body blurred as he delivered a titanic uppercut straight into the serpent's skull.
BOOOOOM!
The impact sent shockwaves ripping through the dungeon. The serpent's massive body flew backward, crashing into the cavern wall with enough force to shatter it.
And then—silence.
The abyssal serpent lay motionless, its once-imposing form now reduced to nothing more than a burning husk.
A heavy breath escaped Raiden Arakawa as he lowered his hand, his lightning still crackling faintly.
Ji Seong-Ho flicked his blade, abyssal blood dripping from its edge.
Gabriel sighed, retracting his divine flames.
Alexander cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders. "Damn thing took longer than I expected."
Leon narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the battlefield. The walls pulsated, the air twisted, and that feeling of something watching them remained.
Raiden adjusted his gloves. "We're not done yet."
From my position outside, stationed alongside Christa Vaughn and the other A-rank hunters, I had witnessed everything.
The way that abyssal creature endured an all-out assault from the strongest hunters alive…
The way the dungeon itself seemed to fight back…
Something about all of this was wrong.
I had already hidden my shadows inside Leon and the National-Level Hunters earlier, ensuring I had eyes inside the dungeon.
But the deeper they went, the more I felt a sense of unease creeping into my bones.
As the elite hunters advanced through the depths of the abyssal dungeon, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier. The very air seemed to hum with dark energy, warping around them with each step they took.
Then, they saw it.
A massive set of doors, unlike anything they had encountered before. Towering and ancient, they pulsed with abyssal energy, engraved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe like living shadows.
The moment they approached, an immense pressure washed over them.
Leon clenched his fists, his breathing steady but deliberate. "This is different..."
Alexander Graves exhaled sharply, his muscles tensing as he rolled his shoulders. "Damn, this thing feels like it's daring us to step inside."
Gabriel Dela Cruz narrowed his eyes, golden mana radiating from his fingertips. "No, it's not just a challenge. It's a warning."
Raiden Arakawa stood still, his gaze locked onto the door. Though his body was unmoving, arcs of electricity crackled across his form, reacting to the unnatural presence before them.
Ji Seong-Ho ran a hand along the door's surface, his sharp eyes scanning the strange engravings. "This isn't just a gate. It's a seal."
Ezekiel Mercer's drones hovered around him, analyzing the energy fluctuations. His expression darkened as he processed the readings. "These numbers are off the charts. This level of abyssal energy shouldn't even exist… Not naturally."
Silence hung in the air.
Then—
THUD.
A pulse of abyssal energy rippled outward from the door, causing the cavern walls to tremble. The very ground beneath them cracked.
The hunters instinctively braced themselves.
From my position outside, I felt it too. Even through my hidden shadows, the sheer magnitude of power radiating from that door made my chest tighten.
Leon took a step forward, eyes locked onto the colossal door. His instincts screamed at him as this wasn't just a dungeon boss chamber. This was something far worse.
Another pulse of abyssal energy surged outward, distorting the air itself. The cavern groaned under the pressure, and for a brief moment, the shadows in the room seemed to move unnaturally.
Alexander Graves slammed his fist together, his expression hard. "This thing is absurd. We opening this thing or what?"