Deep within a dimly lit cave, three figures stood, facing the giant wolf that towered before them. The air was thick with tension, and the smell of fear and sweat clung to the atmosphere. The two humans stood in a battle-worn stance. The man, blond-haired and blue-eyed, gripped a round shield almost as large as his shoulder. His breathing was ragged, and his face pale from exhaustion. Behind him, a woman of similar age, also blond with striking blue eyes, stood poised—her hands open in a claw position, a small spark of light flickering between her fingers.
In front of them, the beast—an Alpha Wolf—towered over them like a nightmare made flesh. Its massive frame cast a shadow that seemed to stretch over the entire cave. Its eyes gleamed with an unholy hunger, and its ferocious claws scraped against the ground with a low growl.
"Its paw alone is twice my size," the shield-bearer muttered, his voice strained.
[Floor Boss]
Name: Alpha Wolf
HP: 446/500
"Helga, I think we're going to die here..." Asgeir coughed, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. His grip on the shield faltered as his knees began to buckle. "I told you, you should've quit smoking."
Helga, despite the dire situation, exhaled a puff of smoke from her cigarette with an almost carefree air. "Come on now, Asgeir. Let me have the last bit of fun," she said, her tone light but her eyes sharp, calculating.
They spoke in a thick northern accent, their words carrying the deep timbre of Icelandic, native to their homeland.
The battle was a chaotic dance. Helga's magical fireballs and Asgeir's defensive maneuvers managed to lower the Alpha Wolf's HP significantly. However, they hadn't expected the relentless onslaught that followed. For the past five minutes, the wolf had torn them apart, each attack chipping away at their health, leaving them battered and broken.
"We were just looking for a place to rest... My mom's going to kill us if we die here," Asgeir muttered through gritted teeth, his body giving in to exhaustion.
"If you have some cookies, I can take the blame," Helga joked, though the laugh was strained. "Aunt Annessa usually lets me off the hook."
"What do you mean take the blame? You led us here," Asgeir shot back, even as his legs wobbled under him.
"But she will blame you," Helga retorted with a smirk.
"Touché," Asgeir said weakly, his lips trembling.
Before they could exchange more banter, the Alpha Wolf let out a deafening roar. It lunged upwards with terrifying speed, aimed straight for Asgeir.
He barely managed to leap out of the way, but the wolf's sheer force left him stumbling, and in that brief moment of vulnerability, Helga took the opportunity to cast another Fireball skill.
Fireball (E):
Throw a ball of fire scaled with Magic stat.
The fireball struck the wolf, causing a slight fluctuation in its HP.
446/500 → 436/500
"We are so going to die," both of them thought, their expressions matching the despair creeping over them.
Asgeir collapsed to his knees, his body giving in to the unrelenting pain. Desperation painted his face, and tears began to streak down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry... Helga... I'm sorry..." His voice cracked, and he sobbed as the weight of the situation hit him fully. His tears mingled with the dirt and blood on his face.
The Alpha Wolf wasted no time. With a swift swipe of its massive claw, it struck Asgeir, sending him sprawling backward.
"Get up, Asgeir!" Helga cried, hurling another fireball at the beast, the flames burning fiercely as they struck its hide.
426/500
The wolf stumbled, momentarily thrown off balance by the impact, but it quickly regained its footing, eyes locked on them like a predator ready to strike.
"We'll make it through this," Helga said, though her voice quivered with exhaustion. She sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "Do you remember... when we were young?"
Asgeir's breathing was ragged, but he managed to nod through his tears.
"We promised that one day, we'd reunite with our friend. We said when we turned 25, we'd meet under the pear tree," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "We can't die here, Asgeir. Not when our friend is still out there waiting for us. We'll be 25 soon, we mustn't die until then. Please, hold on."
"Asgeir..." Her voice softened, but he could hear the determination in it.
"Helga..." Asgeir muttered weakly, the tears blurring his vision.
Suddenly, a flicker of hope seemed to pierce through the heavy fog of despair. Helga's eyes shot up, and she saw it—far away in the dark tunnel, a figure. A young man, standing on a rock. He was watching them, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets, as if he were waiting. Waiting for what? And how long had he been there?
"Rescue came... Someone is here... Help! My cousin's dying!" Helga shouted, her voice hoarse and pleading, but the stranger did not move.
"Can you hear me? We need—"
Her words were cut off as the Alpha Wolf lunged once again, and its claw tore through Asgeir's stomach. Helga's eyes widened in shock as blood splattered in all directions, painting the ground red.
The massive wolf withdrew, and in the stillness, Asgeir struggled to crawl toward Helga, his body faltering.
"See you in the next life..." Asgeir gasped, his words almost drowned by the blood filling his throat.
Helga stared at him, helpless. She had no words left, only the devastating realization that their time together was over.
Asgeir | Helga
HP: 0
After ensuring their deaths, An walked slowly toward their fallen bodies, the scene of their demise nothing but a stark reminder of the Tower's unforgiving nature. The corpses dissolved into mere EXP for the Tower of Apocalypse, leaving only the lingering echo of their lives behind.
An glanced at the Alpha Wolf, which had noticed his presence. The beast growled loudly and charged toward him, its massive form closing in with a frightening speed.
Without a word, An reached into his pocket and tossed a white flower in the wolf's direction. In that instant, the creature froze, its body trembling as if overcome by a sudden and intense fear. It whimpered, its legs threatening to give way beneath it.
Equipment: [Basic Shield]
+Increase Defense (Extremely Small)
Equipment: [Basic Ring]
+Increase Mana (Extremely Small)
An whispered, his voice barely audible in the tense silence, "Now... where's the secret exit? Been so long since I've been here."