I swung back around, landing behind the beast. My mace flared with white light as I charged another smite. Without hesitation, I slammed it into the squid’s wounded side. The energy surged through the creature, and this time, it couldn’t absorb it. A wave of inky black blood spilled out from the wound, staining the water even darker.

The squid writhed in agony, its movements becoming more erratic. But it wasn’t done yet. I could see it trying to recover, to shake off the stun from the impact. I needed to act fast.

“Alright, let’s do this again,” I muttered, eyeing the weakened monster.

I baited it once more, dodging its furious tentacle slashes, and sprinted toward another wall. The creature roared, clearly enraged by the damage it had already taken. As it lunged, I leaped out of the way with the hookshot, watching as the beast crashed into the wall again with a sickening thud. More cracks spread along the stone, and the squid let out another screech, its body convulsing violently.

This time, I didn’t waste a second.

I sprinted back, raised my mace, and brought down another smite into the creature’s body. The light exploded from the impact, and the squid let out a gurgling cry, black blood pouring from its wounds. Its tentacles flailed weakly, the creature clearly on its last legs—or tentacles, as it were.

One more time.

I darted across the room, leading the squid to the farthest wall. Its eyes were filled with fury and desperation as it followed me, its movements slower, more labored. I fired the hookshot, soaring through the air just as the beast smashed into the wall for the third time. The impact was even more brutal, the entire room shaking as the squid slumped, stunned and vulnerable.

I landed behind it, panting, but I couldn’t stop now.

Summoning every last bit of energy I had left, I charged up one final smite. My mace glowed brighter than before, the light almost blinding as I raised it above my head. With a roar, I brought it down with all my strength, slamming the weapon into the creature’s back.

The smite exploded with a brilliant flash of light, and the squid’s body convulsed one final time before collapsing into the shallow water with a massive splash. Its tentacles twitched for a moment, then went still.

I stood there, chest heaving, as the water slowly calmed around me. The massive form of the vampire squid lay motionless, dark blood spreading like ink through the shallow water. Its tentacles twitched once, then went completely still. Finally, it was over.

I took a deep breath, letting the exhaustion settle in for just a moment before I noticed something shift in the room. As had become the theme in this cursed place, a chest materialized in the center of the chamber, the telltale hum of magic announcing its presence.

Wading through the now murky water, I approached the chest cautiously. My body still ached from the battle, and my energy reserves were low, but I couldn’t afford to pass up whatever reward this place had decided to grant me. I knelt down and unlatched the chest with a quick tug, the lid creaking open to reveal—

“...boots?”

Inside was a pair of heavy, metal boots. They gleamed faintly in the dim light of the room, intricately designed with thick soles and reinforced plates around the ankles. They didn’t look like the kind of gear you wore for speed or agility—they were clearly built for something else. I reached out to lift them, expecting the usual weight of a magical item.

Except, they were incredibly heavy.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Ugh,” I grunted, straining to pick one up. “What are these made of, lead?”

I tried again, using both hands this time, but the boots refused to budge. I sat back, staring at them in confusion. Why would the dungeon give me a reward I couldn’t even use? They had to be important. Maybe they’d be useful later? I decided to stash them away for now, pulling out my inventory pouch. With a bit of focus, the boots disappeared into the magical storage space, and I continued forward.

The door to the next room opened with a heavy creak. I stepped through, hoping for something—anything—that didn’t involve more electrified jellyfish or murderous squids. But what greeted me was… different.

It was a bridge.

The narrow stone walkway stretched out before me, suspended high above yet another dark chasm that seemed to have no bottom. But the real problem wasn’t the height—it was the wind.

Gusts of powerful air whipped across the bridge in unpredictable bursts, strong enough that I could see them moving. The air shimmered with magical energy, forming visible currents that surged from side to side like living things. I took one step forward, and the wind hit me so hard that I had to lean into it just to stay upright.

“Of course,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Because a simple bridge would’ve been too easy.”

I surveyed the scene. The wind tunnels cut across the path at regular intervals, leaving small pockets of calm between them. If I timed it just right, I could maybe leap from one spot to the next without being thrown off balance.

Maybe.

I took a deep breath and sprinted forward, hoping my instincts were up to the task. The first gust hit me almost immediately, shoving me to the side with enough force that my feet slipped on the stone. I staggered, throwing my arms out to steady myself, but the second burst of wind knocked me to my knees. The chasm loomed dangerously close, and for a moment, I thought I might tumble off the edge.

Gritting my teeth, I scrambled back to my feet and retreated to the start of the bridge. This wasn’t going to work.

I sat down on the edge, staring out at the bridge, wracking my brain for a solution. As I wiped the sweat from my brow, my hand brushed against my inventory pouch, and I remembered the heavy boots.

Wait a second.

I pulled the boots out, hefting one experimentally. They were still absurdly heavy, but that might actually be an advantage here. If the wind couldn’t move me, I wouldn’t get blown off the bridge.

With a mix of hesitation and curiosity, I equipped the boots. As soon as I strapped them on, I could feel their weight pulling me down, grounding me. It took some effort to stand, and every step felt like I was carrying boulders on my feet, but I wasn’t sliding or being thrown around anymore.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself. “Let’s see if this works.”

I trudged forward, the boots clanging against the stone with each slow, deliberate step. The first gust of wind slammed into me, but this time, I barely moved. The boots held me steady, keeping me anchored to the bridge as the wind howled around me.

It worked!

But as I made my way across the bridge, I realized I wasn’t exactly out of danger yet. The pockets of calm between the wind tunnels were spaced too far apart for me to simply walk through. I would need to jump—and I wasn’t sure how far these boots would let me leap, considering their weight.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. If I miscalculated, I’d end up falling into the chasm, boots and all.

I pushed off hard with my legs, feeling the strain of the boots’ weight as I launched myself toward the nearest calm zone. My jump was slower, more labored, but the boots seemed to give me just enough lift to clear the gap. I landed with a thud, wobbling slightly but managing to stay upright.

“Alright,” I grinned. “Leapfrog it is.”

I repeated the process, jumping from one safe spot to the next, using the weight of the boots to keep myself steady. Each leap was a test of timing and balance, but I found a rhythm. Jump, land, brace. Jump, land, brace.

After what felt like an eternity of carefully hopping across the wind-whipped bridge, I finally reached the other side. My legs burned from the effort, and my body ached from the strain, but I had made it.

I let out a long breath, staring back at the bridge in disbelief.

“Alright, heavy boots,” I said, giving them a tap. “You’ve earned your keep.”

With a glance at the next door, I trudged forward, eager to see what other madness awaited me beyond this dungeon’s twisted corridors.