Chapter 35 "The Dungeon's Fall and the Escape"

The monster’s rampage showed no sign of stopping. I collapsed to my knees, exhaustion crushing me like a boulder. The faint glow of the crystals barely pierced the darkness, casting twisted shadows across the ruined hall. My hands trembled as I stared blankly at the cracked stone beneath me, searching for answers in the dust—answers that weren’t there.

For hours, I had fought. Pushed beyond my limits. But now, it all felt meaningless. The monster’s howls had faded, yet their echoes still rang in my ears, a phantom reminder of how close I had come to death.

“I promised I’d come back,” I whispered, my voice rough and broken, barely more than a breath.

But now… I wasn’t sure I could.

Guilt gnawed at me like a parasite. My friends were gone. I had sworn to protect them, to keep them safe—and I had failed. I had also failed to find answers about the mysterious portal that had dragged me into this world. Every decision, every action, had led to this moment of despair.

“What’s the point of all this?” My voice was swallowed by the overwhelming darkness.

A single tear carved a warm path down my dirtied face. I wasn’t a hero. I wasn’t chosen. I was just a teenager thrown into a world I didn’t understand, lost and utterly alone.

I let my back slump against a cold, cracked pillar and closed my eyes, letting the weight of my failure settle deep in my chest. For the first time since arriving here, I allowed myself to feel hopeless.

My family’s faces flickered in my mind—Father, Mother, Leyla, Cain, Grandfather. Their laughter, their warmth… it all felt like a dream now, belonging to someone else, in a life I could barely remember.

Is this how it ends?

The thought pressed down on me like an iron shackle.

But then—I heard it. A deep, ragged breath. The dragon still lived.

My eyes snapped open. The massive beast stood before me, its wings torn, hanging like broken banners. Its scales were slashed and battered, but its burning yellow eyes still gleamed with malice.

A slow, simmering anger sparked in my chest, burning away the numbness. If I was going to die here… then I would take this monster with me.

I clenched my jaw, gripping my sword with bloodied fingers. The monster’s thrashing and snarling only fueled my rage.

I scanned its form, searching for weaknesses. Its fire breath had likely recharged. I needed to bait it into using another blast—then strike when it was vulnerable.

Its thick hide had resisted Hiddan’s spear, and even its wings had taken far more effort to sever than I expected. A single strike wouldn’t be enough. The chest was a risky target, but the neck—repeated blows there could break through.

I tore a strip of cloth from my shirt and tied it to one of my knives, then threw it in front of the monster.

The dragon reacted instantly, unleashing a torrent of fire.

I sprinted. My heart pounded like war drums in my chest. As the flames roared behind me, I hurled my second knife.

The blade buried itself in the monster’s left eye.

The beast howled in agony, shaking the hall with its fury. Its tail lashed out, smashing into the stone pillars, sending cracks splintering up their surfaces.

I didn’t hesitate.

I charged, sword clutched tightly in both hands. With every ounce of strength left in my battered body, I leaped high into the air.

“Haaaah!”

My blade met flesh.

The impact rattled my arms, but the thick, iron-like skin resisted. I gritted my teeth and drove the sword deeper, pushing with everything I had.

The monster shrieked, its roar splitting the air like a thunderclap. It bucked wildly, flinging me off. I hit the ground hard, pain jolting through my body.

But my sword remained lodged in its neck.

I scrambled to my feet, barely avoiding a crushing blow from the monster’s tail, and dove behind a nearby pillar. My breath came in ragged gasps.

It’s working. It’s weakening.

I glanced around desperately. My only weapons left were the two knives at my waist—not enough to finish the job. Then, my eyes locked onto something.

A fallen adventurer’s axe.

I had no idea who it belonged to, but right now, I didn’t care. I sprinted toward it, snatching it up just as the monster’s movements began to slow.

Now.

I surged forward, dodging around the beast’s sluggish, erratic swipes. My eyes locked onto the sword still lodged in its neck.

With a mighty swing, I drove the axe into the blade’s hilt.

The sword sank deeper.

The dragon roared, but its body faltered. Its massive form trembled, its legs buckling beneath it. The ground quaked as it collapsed.

A deep, rattling breath escaped the monster’s throat. Its body flickered, then slowly began to disintegrate, leaving behind a cluster of dark crystals. They pulsed with eerie purple light, their arcane runes shifting like whispers in the shadows.

I staggered back, watching in stunned silence.

It was over.

My legs gave out, and I sank to the cold stone floor. My vision blurred as tears streamed down my face.

I had survived.

But at what cost?

Silence filled the chamber, broken only by the distant crackle of arcane energy. The weight of everything crashed down on me—grief, exhaustion, rage. And yet, through it all, the dungeon core remained.

That wretched thing still pulsed in the great hall, untouched by all the death and suffering it had caused.

I forced myself to my feet. My body ached, my limbs heavy, but I moved forward, one step at a time. Each footfall echoed through the hollow ruins of the dungeon, a reminder of how empty this place had become.

When I reached the altar, the core loomed before me. It pulsed with a fiery glow, molten crimson and gold swirling beneath a shell of shimmering violet. It seemed almost alive, its flickering light beating like a heart.

A heart that had no right to exist.

I clenched my fists, my body trembling. Hatred and sorrow churned inside me, suffocating, unbearable.

This dungeon core… this accursed thing was the cause of everything.

The bloodshed. The sacrifices. The lives lost for something so meaningless.

Was it worth it?

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

From the very start, something about this mission had felt wrong. I had known it deep down, yet I had still gone along with it. Not for glory. Not for wealth. But to protect them—Jason, Niro, and Van.

And I failed.

Their broken bodies still haunted me. Their fading eyes, their final breaths. They were more than comrades. More than friends.

And now, they were gone.

His breath hitched, his vision blurred, but he forced himself to move. He stepped closer to the dungeon core, glaring at the swirling mass of light.

The duke had used them—sacrificed them—to get this wretched thing.

"You want this?" Caelan whispered, his voice raw, shaking with barely contained rage.

"Then you can’t have it."

He reached for the core.

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Inside the dungeon, the knights were scattered throughout the vast forest of towering mushrooms. The air was damp, carrying the faint scent of moss and decay. Despite their numbers, they struggled to navigate the labyrinthine depths.

Two knight commanders stood at the center, overseeing the expedition—knight Kevin, commander of Count Lorno’s forces, and knight Karim, commander of Duke Schumidt’s knights.

“Hmmm… as expected, the monsters on the lower floors have already been dealt with,” Kevin remarked, scanning the area. “But the entrance to the next floor is proving difficult to find.”

Karim crossed his arms and sighed. “Even with all our knights, we’re struggling. Adventurers are far better suited for this kind of work.”

“Dungeon crawling and monster hunting are far removed from a knight’s duties,” Kevin agreed. “We’re trained to maintain order and enforce the will of our lieges, not wander through labyrinths in search of hidden pathways.”

Just as Karim was about to reply, a knight rushed toward them.

“Commander! We’ve found the entrance to the third floor!” the knight reported.

Karim straightened. “Good. Prepare to move out.”

With that command, the knights cautiously descended.

Upon reaching the third floor, the knights met with an awe-inspiring sight—an underground oasis, unlike anything they had expected. Clear water cascaded gently from stone terraces, forming small, shimmering pools. Blue crystals embedded in the walls emitted a soothing glow, illuminating the lush greenery that thrived in the damp air.

"This dungeon is incredible…" one of the knights murmured in astonishment.

But their wonder was short-lived. Before their very eyes, the breathtaking landscape began to fade, dissolving into darkness. The knights stiffened, their amazement turning to shock and confusion.

"What’s happening?" a knight whispered, gripping his sword.

“The dungeon has been cleared…” Karim muttered, disbelief evident in his voice.

“But by whom?” Kevin demanded, his sharp gaze sweeping the area.

“Use the lanterns!” Karim barked.

At his command, the knights swiftly lit the lanterns they had brought, pushing back the creeping darkness.

Karim’s expression hardened. “Prepare to move! We’re going deeper. The third group will remain here—do not allow any adventurers to leave. The rest of us will advance at full speed. We must catch whoever cleared this dungeon and secure the dungeon core.”

With urgency in their steps, the knights plunged into the depths, their lanterns casting flickering shadows as they chased the unseen force that had erased the dungeon before their eyes.

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Caelan ran as fast as his battered body would allow, his breath ragged, his muscles screaming in protest. The darkness of the dungeon pressed in around him, broken only by the faint glow of the black dragon magic stone clutched tightly in his hand. He gripped the Spear of Hiddan with determination, while a sword taken from a fallen adventurer hung at his waist. Without weapons, survival was impossible.

As he sprinted through the cavern, his heart pounded. The moment he removed the dungeon core, the world around him collapsed. The grand cathedral, the endless forest, the massive chasm, the narrow bridge—all of it vanished, dissolving into nothingness. Now, only a vast, empty cave remained, stripped of its illusions. Even the light source that once illuminated the dungeon had disappeared, leaving only darkness.

The knights… they must be inside by now. Or waiting outside.

Caelan gritted his teeth. If they caught him, they would kill him. No doubt about it. Whether they were searching within the dungeon or guarding the exit, his escape had to be timed perfectly.

He slowed his pace, scanning his surroundings. The cave was massive, its rocky terrain uneven and treacherous. If he was right, this was the seventh floor—the desert floor. Large stone formations provided decent hiding spots, but they were too obvious. The knights would check those first.

His gaze shifted upward—to the cavern’s ceiling and walls. That was it.

Caelan exhaled sharply, forcing his aching body to move. The ceiling loomed high above, shrouded in darkness, untouched by the knights' lanterns. That’s my best chance.

His grip tightened around the Spear of Hiddan. He needed to climb, but the rock formations were too smooth. Then an idea struck him.

I can make my own handholds.

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted lanterns in the distance. The knights were closing in, their voices echoing off the walls. He didn’t have much time.

Flipping the spear in his hands, he drove its sharp tip into the rock wall. The enchanted metal bit deep. He tested it—it held firm. Without hesitation, he pulled himself up, planting his foot against the wall for leverage.

One strike at a time, he carved his way upward, creating makeshift holds. Each movement sent jolts of pain through his exhausted limbs, but he pushed through, his survival instincts overriding the agony.

"Finally, he reached a narrow ledge near the ceiling, hidden in deep shadows. He carefully pulled himself onto it and pressed his body flat against the cold rock, steadying his breath.

Just as he settled in, the steady march of armored boots echoed through the cavern. Caelan’s grip tightened around the spear as the knights approached, their lanterns flickering in the darkness."

“They’re moving faster than I expected.”

“Make sure no one is hiding. You two, check those rocks—someone might be there,” a knight ordered.

From his vantage point, Caelan peered down at the knights. He recognized one of them.

Knight Kevin.

Commander of Count Lorno’s knights.

But he wasn’t the one giving orders. That meant the mission was now under Duke Schumidt’s command.

As expected. Duke Schumidt was the one who hired the adventurers.

Caelan held his breath, pressing himself tightly against the stone, every muscle tense. The knights fanned out, sweeping the area with careful precision. When they found nothing, they started moving forward.

Just as Caelan dared to hope they would leave, one of the knights suddenly broke away from the group.

"Hey, Aldo, where are you going?" his companion called.

Aldo sighed. "I need to pee. I can't hold it anymore."

His fellow knight scoffed. "Be quick. If Commander Karim or Commander Kevin catch you slacking, you'll regret it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Aldo muttered before heading toward a secluded corner of the cave.

As he finished relieving himself, he adjusted his belt and turned to rejoin the group—completely unaware of the shadow creeping behind him.

In one swift motion, Caelan struck. His blade sliced cleanly across Aldo’s throat, severing it before a sound could escape. The knight's body went limp, collapsing with a dull thud, blood pooling beneath him.

Wasting no time, Caelan crouched beside the fallen knight, stripping off his armor piece by piece. He secured the straps with practiced efficiency, adjusted the helmet, and wiped his blade clean.

Without looking back, he turned and ran—heading in the opposite direction of the knights, vanishing into the darkness.

"Being left behind is boring," one of the knights grumbled, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Better than trudging into that massive, pitch-black cave," another replied with a shrug. He leaned against his spear, glancing at the yawning abyss ahead. "Still, I wonder… what kind of adventurers could actually clear this dungeon? If they manage to defeat the guardian, they must be unbelievably strong."

A third knight scoffed. "Doesn't matter how strong they are. In the end, they'll die just like the rest."

Their conversation died as one of them stiffened. "Someone's coming," he muttered, reaching for his weapon. The others followed suit, gripping their hilts, eyes narrowing into the darkness.

A figure emerged from the shadows, metal catching the dim torchlight. Their tension eased slightly as they recognized the familiar shape of a knight’s armor.

One of the knights frowned. "Why did you come back alone?"

"The Knight Commander sent me," Caelan answered, his voice even. "He needs you at the bottom of the cave. A massive rock is blocking the entrance, and they need more hands to move it."

He kept his distance, unwilling to step fully into the light. If they got a closer look, they might realize the truth.

The knights exchanged glances. Then, one of them turned to the others. "You heard him! Move out!"

The reaction was immediate. Metal clanked and boots thudded against the ground as dozens of knights began marching forward, their armor glinting under the torches. A wave of soldiers moved past Caelan, their heavy footsteps echoing through the cavern, filling the air with the rhythmic clatter of steel and leather.

For a moment, it felt like the cave itself trembled under their sheer numbers.

Caelan nodded, falling in step with them, careful to keep his movements natural. The mass of knights pressed forward, funneling deeper into the cave, their torches casting shifting shadows along the walls.

As the group moved, Caelan gradually let himself drift to the back. Step by step, he slowed his pace.

Then, when no one was looking, he vanished into the darkness.

His heart pounded as he ducked behind a rocky outcrop, waiting a beat before bolting in the opposite direction.

Cold air rushed past him as he sprinted, his boots barely making a sound on the stone. Then, up ahead—a faint glow. The entrance. And the exit of the dungeon.