Kit's intuition proved to be correct as they entered the final cavern, a chill ran down his spine. Once again, they were standing on a cliff overlooking a vast space below. But this cavern was unlike any of the previous ones - it was the size of all the other rooms combined. And there was more to it than just its size.

A bright light shone down like the midday sun, illuminating grassy fields and tall trees. Kit strained his eyes to locate the source of this light, finally spotting a giant crystal hanging from the ceiling. As he looked back down at the ground, he saw an entire settlement laid out before him - small farms, wooden huts, and a clear spring in the centre.

But what struck fear into Kit's heart were the eyes that turned towards them as soon as they entered. Countless Centaurs stopped what they were doing and stared at the newcomers with hostility radiating from their aura. Kit knew in an instant that they were not welcome here - this was Centaur territory.

Before he could even think about running back into the tunnel behind them, Kit felt a rumbling beneath his feet. Slowly turning his head, he realised that the entrance to the room had closed shut behind them. "Looks like we're trapped," Mars said cheerfully, to Kit's disbelief. How could he be so calm in a situation like this? "I think I can take out at least one before I die," Mars declared confidently, drawing his swords and charging towards the stairs with a crazed smile on his face.

Kit let out a groan while Peaches sighed in exasperation. "Come on, Kit, let's not waste Mars' distraction," he urged him, pulling him along as they crept down the stairs. Kit could hear Mars taunting the Centaurs and somehow managing to outrun them with just two legs. When they reached the bottom, they found that the Centaurs had all chased after Mars, leaving their path to the rest area clear. Kit knew exactly where it was located and wasted no time in sprinting towards it with Peaches by his side.

Kit quickly grabbed a handful of cookies and shoved them into his mouth as he ran, gesturing for Peaches to do the same. Their speed increased drastically, and hope flickered as they spotted the giant doors ahead.

But that hope was shattered when Kit saw three Centaurs sprinting towards the same door from the opposite direction. It was clear from their speed that they would reach the door before Kit and Peaches could. Kit came to an abrupt stop, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "Well, looks like we won't be pulling off the impossible after all," he muttered, disappointed. Peaches let out a soft sigh, and Kit couldn't help but silently agree with him.

Even though they didn't make it to Snowball, Kit couldn't help but smile. "At least we made it this far. And now we know what to expect in this room for next time."

"Next time?" Peaches raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I can't leave Snowball behind in this place. And besides, I have enough funds to keep playing even if we don't make it to the treasure room. So even though we didn't succeed this time, we can keep trying until we get there." Kit's determination to find Snowball behind the nearby door only grew stronger.

"Ready to head back to Spartan Fire?" Kit asked with a grin.

Peaches chuckled, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Just as they were about to make their move towards the Centaurs, a loud boom echoed through the cavern. All five pairs of eyes turned towards the source of the noise on the other side of the room. Before Kit could turn his attention back to the Centaurs, another loud boom followed by a crashing sound filled the air.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

A deafening roar shook the cavern, causing Kit to drop to the ground in pain as blood trickled from his nose and ears. His health rapidly decreased, and a wave of terror consumed him, rendering him unable to move.

A dreadful realisation dawned on him, the roar was similar to the spiritual beast he heard outside the dungeon. He felt a sense of horror wash over him as he heard a loud crashing sound approaching. But in that moment, all he could think about was finding Snowball. He prayed that he was safe somewhere.

As Kit's health continued to decline, he was astounded by the destruction caused by a single roar. The healing water he had consumed earlier was only slowing down the damage, not eradicating it completely. As he observed his decreasing health bar, he questioned whether he would even have enough time to react if the creature appeared and attacked him.

But then, out of nowhere, a familiar figure burst into his vision. It was a large black werewolf with glowing red eyes, charging past Kit and taking out two of the Centaurs with ease. Then it turned its attention to the last Centaur and sent it flying with one powerful swipe.

The werewolf then made its way towards Kit, who smiled at the fearsome creature. The warmth from its breath on his cheek seemed to break through the aura suppression and Kit felt his limbs become free. With shaky hands, he reached for the potions at his side and quickly downed them until his health was fully recovered. Peaches did the same beside him.

Kit couldn't contain his joy and let out a happy laugh. "Zart! I'm so glad you're here!" he exclaimed.

The werewolf sat on its hind legs and tilted its head, unable to speak in this form. But Kit could feel its affection and understood that Zart had come to help them. "Your timing is perfect," Kit said gratefully. But then he remembered Mars. "Have you seen another human on your way here?" he asked Zart.

The werewolf lowered its eyes sadly, confirming Kit's fear that Mars didn't make it. Kit marvelled at how many emotions the werewolf could convey in this form. "So Mars didn't make it," he said to himself. "He's going to be so disappointed when he finds out he missed seeing you again."

Peaches chuckled beside him. "Yes, he will be."

Kit stood up and brushed off his clothes. "Let's get through that door before more Centaurs show up. I don't think Zart can take them all on."

They quickly made their way to the door, but a Centaur shouted for them to stop. Kit paid no attention and kept running. When they reached the door, Kit pushed it open with all his strength and tumbled inside, with Peaches and Zart following close behind.

Stepping into the familiar safe room, Kit's tension melted away and he was hit with a wave of exhaustion. He desperately wanted to rest, but his mind couldn't stop thinking about finding Snowball. Now that he was close, he didn't want to give up.

Pulling out his map, Kit noticed that the treasure room was connected to this safe room. But the map didn't show an entrance to the hidden room. "Peaches, the map doesn't show an entrance to this safe room. We'll have to look for something that stands out from the other rooms."

Peaches nodded in understanding as Kit turned to Zart. The man had saved him twice now, so Kit didn't mind sharing the treasure with him. Besides, Zart had found this place on his own. "Zart, do you remember me mentioning my companion?" The large werewolf nodded its head. "Well, we believe he's in a secret room and the entrance should be somewhere in this safe room. Can you help us find it?"

The wolf tilted its head and then looked over at the waterfall before nudging Kit and pushing him towards the clear water. "Zart, do you know where the entrance is?" Surprise filled Kit's eyes when the werewolf nodded.

Meanwhile, Peaches had heard Kit talking to Zart and asked, "Does he know?"

"Yeah," Kit confirmed as they followed Zart towards the waterfall. The werewolf entered the water and disappeared from sight behind the falling water. "It's behind the waterfall? Oh no, what if we missed other hidden rooms!"

"Let's not dwell on that now," Peaches chuckled beside him. They followed Zart through the curtain of water and found themselves on a small ledge with an open door. Zart had already gone inside.

With trembling arms, Kit pulled himself out of the water and rushed through the door, eager to reunite with Snowball. But inside, he found black panthers, blue Piabbits, and Bai yue staring at the werewolf. Bai yue was the first to turn his head towards them and ask, "Friend Kit?"

Kit burst into joyous laughter. "Bai yue! I'm so happy to see you." He quickly scanned the room for Snowball but couldn't find him. Turning back to Bai yue, Kit asked, "Where is Snowball?"