Taking a moment after the last room, Jay and his team hesitated at the threshold of the third room, their go-carts idling as they took in the chaotic scene before them. The room was a massive spiral, with the track snaking inward toward the center and then looping back outward to the exit. Flaming jets erupted sporadically along the path, their bursts timed to catch anyone too slow—or too reckless. Scuttling minions could be seen darting between the shadows of the obstacles, their metallic forms glinting ominously in the flickering light.

“Well, this looks like fun,” Tomas muttered, his voice tinged with sarcasm as he gripped the wheel of his cart.

“Stay sharp,” Jay ordered, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the layout of the room. “This is where they’ll try to break us. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

“Easy for you to say,” Tink grumbled, adjusting her goggles. “You’re not the one with a bruised ego and a bent wheel.”

“Let’s just get through this,” Liriren said, her usual confidence wavering as she tightened her grip on the controls.

Jay smirked, his psionic energy shimmering faintly around his hands. “This dungeon thinks it can beat us? Let’s show it what real adventurers can do.”

As the team rolled forward, the traps sprang to life. The first obstacle was a series of crumbling platforms, each one falling away as soon as the carts passed over it. The adventurers swerved and accelerated, trying to time their movements perfectly to avoid plummeting into the fiery pits below.

“Move, move, move!” Jay barked, guiding his cart over the shifting platforms. His confidence was growing with each successful maneuver.

Behind him, Tink wasn’t so lucky. She miscalculated the timing of a platform and felt her cart lurch as one of the wheels caught on the edge. The sudden jolt sent her tumbling sideways, her arm slamming against the cart’s metal frame.

“Ah! Damn it!” she cried, clutching her elbow as her cart wobbled precariously. “I think I sprained something!”

“Keep moving, Tink!” Liriren shouted, darting past her. “We can’t stop now!”

Tink gritted her teeth and pushed forward, her injured arm trembling as she struggled to maintain control of her cart.

The track spiraled inward toward the center of the room, where a cluster of Rustwing Gargoyles perched menacingly atop stone pillars. As the adventurers approached, the creatures unfurled their wings with a screech, leaping into the air to attack.

One of the gargoyles dove straight for Baldric, its claws extended. The dwarf grinned and swung his hammer upward, but the creature was too fast. It slashed at his shoulder, leaving a deep gash that sent blood splattering across the cart.

“Argh! Get off me, you winged bastard!” Baldric roared, swatting at the gargoyle as it circled back for another attack.

Jay glanced back, his expression cold. “Baldric, stop playing with the minions and keep moving.”

“Easy for you to say, magic boy!” Baldric snapped, his hammer connecting with the gargoyle’s wing on its next dive. The creature screeched and veered off course, crashing into a nearby wall.

As the track looped outward toward the exit, the adventurers faced their most dangerous obstacle yet: a series of spinning blades coated in flames, their edges glowing red-hot as they rotated rapidly across the path. The heat was oppressive, and the smell of burning metal filled the air.

“This is insane,” Tomas muttered, sweat dripping down his face as he eyed the blades. “How are we supposed to get through that?”

“Like this,” Jay said, his voice dripping with smugness. He focused his psionic energy and sent a telekinetic wave ahead, slowing the rotation of the blades just enough for him to zip through unscathed.

Liriren followed close behind, her quick reflexes allowing her to dart between the slowed blades. She let out a shaky breath as she cleared the trap. “That was too close.”

Tomas wasn’t as fortunate. As he attempted to navigate the blades, one of them swung faster than expected, grazing his leg. The searing heat burned through his armor, and he let out a pained cry.

“Damn it!” Tomas shouted, clutching his injured leg as his cart skidded to a halt. “I’m hit!”

Jay glanced back, his expression indifferent. “Keep moving, Tomas. We can’t stop now.”

“You’re heartless,” Tink snapped, glaring at Jay as she maneuvered her cart through the blades.

“I’m practical,” Jay replied coolly. “We’re not here to babysit.”

As the team finally reached the exit, the injuries and exhaustion were evident on everyone’s faces—except for Jay’s. He looked almost bored as he brought his cart to a stop, his psionic energy dissipating around him.

“This dungeon is pathetic,” Jay declared, his tone dripping with disdain. “A few traps, some cheap tricks, and that’s all it’s got? I expected a real challenge.”

Tink glared at him, her injured arm hanging limply at her side. “Are you serious? This place is trying to kill us!”

“And failing miserably,” Jay shot back. “Look at us—we’re still standing. Barely scratched.”

“Speak for yourself,” Baldric grumbled, wincing as he adjusted his wounded shoulder.

“You’re alive, aren’t you?” Jay retorted. “That’s all that matters.”

Liriren, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. “Jay, you’re underestimating this dungeon. It’s not about brute force—it’s about strategy. If we don’t start working together, we’re not going to make it.”

Jay waved her off, his confidence unshaken. “We’ll make it. This dungeon doesn’t have what it takes to stop me.”

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As the team prepared to move on, the tension between them was palpable. Injured and weary, they knew the dungeon had more in store—and that Jay’s arrogance might be their biggest obstacle yet.

The Silver Serpents entered the fourth room and immediately felt the oppressive heat radiating from the glowing walls and molten lava flows. The track wound around a massive central forge, where a hulking figure loomed. Vulcanis stood tall, his molten core glowing fiercely, his twin hammers resting heavily in his hands as he turned to face the intruders. Sparks danced in the air, and the rhythmic pounding of the forge created a steady, intimidating backdrop.

“So, this is the first boss,” Jay said, his voice dripping with mockery. “Looks like someone overcooked their golem stew.”

Vulcanis raised one hammer and brought it down on the forge, the impact sending a shockwave through the room. "Adventurers," his voice boomed, low and resonant. "You will not leave this place alive."

“Big words for a walking furnace,” Jay shot back, grinning as he revved his cart’s engine.

The track split into multiple loops, circling Vulcanis and giving the team a clear view of four anvils stationed around the room. Above the track, at regular intervals, hung a treasure chest suspended from thick chains.

As the adventurers looked around the room, an etherial message flickered in the air above them, providing brief instructions:

"Objective: Retrieve crossbows from the chests. Hit each target located on the anvils to unlock the exit. Beware of Vulcanis' attacks."

“I’m guessing those are the targets,” Liriren said, pointing toward the anvils. “We need to hurry to those chests so we can hit them.”

“Simple enough,” Tomas replied, his tone skeptical as he eyed Vulcanis warily. “Except for the part where we don’t get incinerated.”

“Crossbows? Really? How quaint,” Jay muttered as he veered toward the first hanging chest. “I was hoping for something more impressive.”

Vulcanis, unfazed by the chatter, lifted his hammers and slammed them onto the ground, sending waves of fire rippling across the track. “You dare mock my forge?” he growled.

The adventurers swerved to avoid the firewaves, the heat licking at their carts as they passed. Tink managed to snag the first chest with a quick maneuver, the chain snapping as the chest landed in her cart. Inside was a compact crossbow, preloaded with a single glowing bolt.

“I’ve got one!” she shouted, aiming for the first target.

The bolt struck true, embedding itself into the anvil and causing the target to glow. A faint hum echoed through the room as the first of four locks on the exit door disengaged.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Jay yelled, his confidence growing as he expertly dodged one of Vulcanis’ massive fireballs. “You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with those hammers!”

Vulcanis snarled, his molten core flaring brighter. “You insolent whelp. I will enjoy crushing you.”

Jay laughed, veering dangerously close to Vulcanis. “You look like a blacksmith reject! Who forged you, a blind apprentice?”

Liriren and Tomas each retrieved chests from the next two hanging chains, arming themselves with crossbows and aiming at their respective targets. Tomas’ shot went wide, but Liriren’s bolt struck her target with precision, lighting up the second anvil.

“I got it!” Liriren called out, but her victory was short-lived as Vulcanis turned his attention toward her. A fiery hammer smashed down on the track just behind her cart, sending her swerving wildly to avoid the molten crater left in its wake.

“Focus, people! We need two more hits!” Korwin shouted, expertly dodging another fireball as he raced toward another chest.

Meanwhile, Jay couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I’ve seen hotter flames in a tavern hearth! You call this a forge? My grandmother could forge better weapons than this, and she was a baker!”

Tink groaned. “Jay, maybe tone it down before you really piss him off.”

Jay ignored her, grinning as he leaned out of his cart. “What’s the matter, Vulcanis? Feeling the heat?”

The molten forgemaster let out an enraged roar, his glowing eyes narrowing on Jay. “Enough!” he bellowed, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Vulcanis raised both hammers high, the runes on his chest flaring brilliantly as he brought them down with explosive force. The entire room shook, and jets of molten lava erupted from the floor. The adventurers struggled to maintain control of their carts, swerving desperately to avoid the deadly fountains.

In the chaos, Baldric managed to fire his crossbow at the third anvil, hitting the target and lighting it up. The third lock on the exit door clicked open.

“Just one more!” Liriren shouted, gripping her cart’s wheel tightly as she dodged another wave of fire.

Korwin lined up his shot and aimed for the final anvil, but before he could pull the trigger, Vulcanis lashed out in a blind rage. One of his massive hammers smashed into the track just ahead of Korwin, sending a shockwave that knocked the cart off balance. Korwin barely managed to stay seated, his bolt firing wildly and missing the target.

“You call that a swing?” Jay taunted, swerving around the crater Vulcanis had just created. “I’ve seen toddlers with better aim! You’re nothing but a glorified oven!”

That was the last straw. Vulcanis turned on Jay with a speed that defied his size, his molten fury reaching its peak. With a guttural roar, he swung one of his massive hammers directly at Jay’s cart.

Jay tried to dodge, but his overconfidence and reckless driving had left him in a poor position. The hammer connected with a sickening crunch, shattering Jay’s cart and smashing into his head. Blood and gore sprayed across the track, and the lifeless body of the half-troll mage slumped forward, his once-arrogant grin wiped from existence.

The other adventurers stared in horror, their carts skidding to a halt.

“Oh, gods…” Tink whispered, her voice trembling.

“Keep moving!” Liriren shouted, her voice cracking. “We have to finish this!”

Korwin, his hands shaking, tossed his crossbow, swung up to grab another chest, removed the crossbow inside, and took aim at the final anvil. This time, his shot found its mark. The fourth lock disengaged, and the massive exit door creaked open, revealing a path to the next room.

Vulcanis, still fuming, glared at the remaining adventurers but did not pursue. “Leave this place,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “And tell others of the folly of challenging Vulcanis.”

The team didn’t need to be told twice. They gunned their carts forward, speeding through the open door and leaving the molten forge behind. As the door slammed shut behind them, they felt a mixture of relief and sorrow.

Jay was gone, his arrogance having cost him his life. But they couldn’t dwell on it now. The dungeon wasn’t finished with them yet.