The rumbling intensified as the massive **Shade Warden** stepped forward, its towering form casting a long shadow across the chamber. Its glowing eyes fixed on Alex and his team, and with a roar that shook the walls, it charged.

Alex felt the surge of power within him, his glitch responding to the threat. He summoned two of his most powerful shades—a **shadow wolf** and a **shade knight**, both materializing at his side in an instant. They stood ready, awaiting his command.

"Get ready!" Betsy called out, her bow already drawn.

Drax grinned, brandishing his sword. "I've been ready since breakfast!"

The Shade Warden swung its massive arms, and the impact sent a shockwave through the room. Alex's shades leaped forward to intercept, clashing with the warden's dark energy. The room erupted into chaos as the battle began.

---

The fight was brutal and intense, but with their growing coordination and teamwork, Alex and the group managed to hold their ground. **Betsy** fired arrow after arrow, her shots precise and deadly, while **Drax** fearlessly engaged the warden head-on, hacking away at its shadowy form with his sword.

Behind them, **Luke** stood calmly, his hands glowing with the soft, golden light of healing. Every time one of them took damage, Luke was there, murmuring "Verum" as he restored their health. His presence, quiet but powerful, was the steady anchor that kept them going.

Alex, meanwhile, focused on controlling his shades. The connection between him and his summons was stronger now—more refined. The **shadow wolf** darted in and out, dealing swift bites to the warden's legs, while the **shade knight** took the brunt of the warden's blows, holding it back just enough to give Alex's team an opening.

"Now!" Alex shouted, and in a coordinated effort, **Drax** swung his sword in a powerful arc while **Betsy** fired a volley of arrows directly at the warden's glowing eyes.

The warden let out a final roar before collapsing, its massive form dissolving into a cloud of dark mist that slowly dissipated into the air.

They had won.

The team stood panting in the aftermath of the battle, their bodies exhausted but victorious. Alex felt a deep sense of satisfaction—this dungeon run had been far tougher than their first, but they had made it through, stronger and more capable than ever.

"Everyone okay?" Alex asked, looking around at his teammates.

"Never better," Drax said with a wide grin, wiping the sweat from his brow. "That was a workout, though."

Betsy smiled, slinging her bow over her shoulder. "We did well. That was no small fight."

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"Verum," Luke said softly, giving a calm nod of agreement.

Alex chuckled at Luke's usual response. Despite the simplicity of his words, Luke's quiet support spoke volumes.

But there wasn't time to relax just yet. Alex turned his attention to the **pedestal** at the center of the room, where the glowing object they had seen earlier still rested. Now that the battle was over, they could finally claim their reward.

He approached the pedestal, his heart racing with anticipation. The object was a **gleaming golden orb**, and as Alex picked it up, a notification window appeared in front of him:

**Congratulations! You have earned: 100 Hours of Time.**

Alex blinked in surprise. **100 hours**—that was more than they had ever earned in a single dungeon run. It would be enough to keep them alive and thriving for days.

"Guys, this is big," Alex said, turning to the others. "We just earned 100 hours each of time from this run."

Betsy's eyes widened. "That's more than enough to keep us going for a while. No more scrambling for time every few hours."

Drax let out a cheer. "Finally! I can stop worrying about my timer for a bit. Feels good to have a cushion."

"Verum," Luke added with a smile, his calm demeanor unchanged despite the news.

Alex exhaled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. The constant pressure of their timers had been gnawing at him since they first started adventuring, but now, with the reward from this dungeon, they finally had some breathing room. No more waking up every day with the threat of running out of time hanging over their heads.

"We'll sell the loot from this dungeon and split the time," Alex said. "We'll each have enough to last us at least a week."

Drax grinned, already picturing how they'd spend their newfound wealth. "A week without worrying about time? That sounds like paradise. We should go celebrate!"

Betsy rolled her eyes. "Don't get too comfortable, Drax. We still have to keep working. This time cushion won't last forever."

"I know, I know," Drax said with a wink. "But we can enjoy it for now, can't we?"

Alex smiled, appreciating the lightheartedness Drax brought to the group. "Let's head back to Starter City. We'll sell what we've got and stock up on supplies for the next run. But after this, we'll be in a much better position."

---

The journey back to **Starter City** was filled with a sense of accomplishment. The group had pushed their limits in the dungeon, and their efforts had paid off. Not only had they earned a substantial amount of time, but they had also gathered valuable loot that would sell for a decent amount of gold.

When they reached the city gates, Alex took a moment to pull up his timer.

**Time Remaining: 120 hours.**

It was more time than he had ever had since entering ALBEKO, and it felt like a huge relief. After their initial struggle to survive, they had finally gained enough of a buffer that they didn't have to worry about the constant ticking of the countdown.

"You know," Betsy said as they walked through the marketplace, "we've come a long way since that first dungeon. Back then, we were barely scraping by—selling every piece of loot just to keep our timers going."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "That's how we survived after the first dungeon. We sold enough loot to buy time, but it was always a gamble. We were only earning enough to get by day to day."

"Not anymore!" Drax said with a laugh. "We're practically swimming in time now. I feel like I could take on another dungeon right now."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Betsy said, though her smile betrayed a sense of pride. "We've earned this. Let's make sure we're smart with how we use it."

Alex nodded. This was just the beginning for **CODE**. They had made their mark, survived against the odds, and now they were in a position to grow stronger, earn more, and expand their influence. But they had to be cautious. The moment they stopped being smart, they could fall into the same trap that many others had—selling off their time to keep afloat.

As they approached the marketplace stalls, Alex's gaze fell on the same vendor they had seen earlier—the one who had sold time to the desperate adventurer. The vendor caught Alex's eye and gave him a nod of recognition, as if to say, "You made it out. Good for you."

Alex didn't respond, but inside, he felt a flicker of determination. They weren't going to end up like the players who sold their time just to survive. CODE was going to build something real—something lasting.

"Alright," Alex said as they reached one of the better-known vendors. "Let's see what we can get for all this loot."

---

By the end of the day, they had sold off their loot for a respectable sum of **gold coins**—enough to buy supplies for the next few dungeon runs and keep the guild in good standing. They had even earned enough time to last them well over a week, with room to spare for emergencies.

As they settled into a small inn for the night, Alex sat back and reflected on their journey so far. The pressure of the countdown clock had been terrifying, but now that they had some breathing room, they could start thinking bigger.

The glitch in his stats still lingered at the back of his mind, but for now, they had won the day.

Tomorrow, they would tackle whatever challenges ALBEKO threw at them. But tonight, they rested—secure in the knowledge that they had earned enough time to keep going for a while longer.

**CODE** was just getting started.