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Greed's Dungeon
Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Samuel crouched behind the tree, his whole body tense, his breathing shallow.

His invisibility skill held, but he knew it was only a fragile shield against the creatures in this dungeon.

His eyes stayed fixed on the crow-like creature, his only hope that it would fly off soon so he could slip away.

But his heart sank as he heard a voice cut through the forest, sharp and unyielding.

“Invaders! Attack!”

The words sent a jolt of terror through Samuel’s body.

'Did… did they see me?' he wondered, panic creeping into his mind as he gripped the bark harder, willing himself not to move.

He stayed deathly still, his breath held as the crow, which he now realized was much more than a simple bird, turned to the little golem that had spoken.

“Kaw! What happened?” Krothe’s voice echoed, his tone almost curious, as if the idea of an intruder were amusing.

The small golem made strange, deliberate gestures, pointing with its rocky hands toward the tree that Samuel hid behind.

Samuel’s heart raced faster.

'How…? How could it see me?'

He’d relied on his invisibility skill countless times, but it was clear now it wouldn’t be enough.

The little golem wasn’t using sight—it was feeling the very earth he stood on, attuned to every tremor in the ground.

He weighed his options desperately.

'Should I run?'

But before he could make a move, Krothe’s cold, razor-edged voice filled his ears.

“Show yourself, kaw! Or the result won’t be pleasant.”

The threat sank into him like ice, freezing him to the core.

He knew he had no choice.

Steeling himself, he dispelled his invisibility and stepped out from behind the tree, dropping to his knees in surrender.

“P-Please, don’t kill me!” he stammered, his voice thick with fear as he raised his hands in a plea.

He didn’t dare look directly at the crow, whose piercing eyes now focused intently on him.

“I… I have a proposal—a good one for you. If you let me live, I can help you!”

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Krothe tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“Kaw! Proposal?” he echoed, his voice mocking yet intrigued.

Samuel swallowed hard, his mind racing.

He’d heard whispers in his guild of a secret artifact—a forbidden item capable of bringing monsters out of a dungeon without causing a dungeon break.

It was information he’d stumbled upon by accident, but now he clung to it as his only lifeline.

“Y-Yes,” Samuel stammered, his voice almost breaking.

"If you let me live, I can get you out of here. Out of this dungeon.”

The crow’s gaze narrowed, and for a moment, Samuel feared his lie hadn’t been convincing.

He felt Krothe’s eyes piercing him, evaluating him, peeling away his desperate facade layer by layer.

“Are you speaking the truth?” Krothe’s tone grew deadly serious, and Samuel’s pulse spiked.

He nodded fervently, his whole body trembling.

"Yes! I swear it!” He leaned forward, his head bowed, hoping his submissive posture would spare him.

Krothe’s eyes bore into him for a long, excruciating moment.

Finally, the crow let out a strange, amused caw.

“Hmm… kaw! Take him to Cyrus.”

Before Samuel could fully register the words, a massive golem stomped forward, its stone arm reaching down to grab him.

Samuel’s stomach twisted as it lifted him effortlessly, holding him as if he were a mere doll.

The creature’s grip was firm, its touch cold and impersonal. He felt his hope wane, replaced by a sickening dread.

They began to move, Krothe and the smaller golems leading the way, their strange, rhythmic steps echoing through the trees.

Samuel’s mind raced as he struggled to process what was happening.

He didn’t know who Cyrus was, but the way Krothe spoke the name filled him with dread.

------

The roar of flames consumed the air around me, and the acrid stench of smoke stung my nostrils.

I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the chaos surrounding me.

It wasn’t my dungeon, that much was clear.

Gone were the familiar trees and earthy scents of my domain.

Instead, I found myself in the heart of a burning city.

The structures around me loomed tall, their intricate designs speaking of human craftsmanship—stone walls, wooden beams, and tiled rooftops, all now crumbling under the weight of destruction.

The city had a medieval charm, its cobbled streets and ornate spires telling a story of human ambition and artistry.

But that beauty was lost amidst the inferno.

Flames danced mercilessly on rooftops, black smoke coiled into the sky, and the once-thriving streets were filled with screams.

People ran in every direction, their faces twisted with terror.

Mothers clutched their children, knights barked orders, and wounded men and women stumbled in vain attempts to escape.

It was chaos incarnate.

I turned my head, and my gaze fell upon the attackers—hulking creatures of stone, clay, and other materials I couldn't identify.

They moved with purpose, crushing anything in their path.

Houses crumbled under their weight; walls shattered as though made of paper.

These were golems, similar to the ones in my dungeon but far more savage, their designs tailored for destruction.

The knights and soldiers fought valiantly, their armor glinting in the firelight as they charged with swords, spears, and shields.

But their efforts were in vain.

The golems were too strong, too relentless.

A single swipe from one of their stone fists sent entire squads of soldiers sprawling.

Then I saw him—the being at the center of it all.

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes locked onto him.

He stood tall amidst the destruction, his very presence radiating authority and raw power.

He looked eerily familiar, his features bearing a striking resemblance to my own.

But where I was grounded, perhaps even reluctant, he was something else entirely.

His form was more refined, his stone skin carved with intricate patterns that glowed faintly with an inner light.

His eyes burned with a fiery intensity, and his movements were purposeful, every step commanding the battlefield.

He exuded a ferocity that made the flames around him seem tame.

As soon as our gazes met, my heart stopped.

It was like looking into a mirror distorted by a nightmare.

I could feel the weight of his malice, the sheer depth of his power.

My vision swam, and a voice—a faint, echoing whisper—filled my ears.

“Finally... it has started...."

"Remember... who you were..."

"Remember... what you lost..."

The voice was both foreign and familiar, like a long-forgotten memory clawing its way to the surface.

Before I could make sense of it, the world around me shattered like glass, pulling me out of the dream and back into my dungeon.

I bolted upright, gasping for air.

My chest heaved as I steadied myself, the damp chill of the dungeon walls grounding me back to reality.

“That dream again…” I muttered, running a hand over my face. It wasn’t the first time.

Ever since I had inspected the dungeon core, these visions had plagued me.

They came like flashes of a past I couldn’t remember—a city aflame, a voice whispering to me, and always that creature, the one who resembled me yet felt worlds apart.

The voice haunted me, too.

Sometimes it spoke clearly, other times it was just an echo, but it was always the same: urging me to remember something, as though a part of me had been severed and was trying desperately to reconnect.

I clenched my fists, trying to shake off the lingering unease.

There was no time for this.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps and the familiar caw of Krothe.

When I turned, my eyes immediately caught sight of the unusual sight: a golem carrying someone—a human.