The damp air of the swamp pressed heavily around Ulrick and his team as they raced through the winding paths of the dungeon's first floor. The lightningstrikes of the storm provided just enough light to cast eerie shadows, making every twisted root and hanging vine a potential threat.

"Keep moving!" Ulrick shouted, his voice strained. The sound of heavy, uneven footsteps echoed behind them, accompanied by a wet, slithering noise that sent chills down their spines.

"What is that thing?!" Nole gasped, her bow clutched tightly in her trembling hands.

"Doesn't matter! It’s gaining on us!" Brill snapped, sweat dripping from his brow as he struggled to summon another fire spell.

They burst into a clearing near the entrance tunnel—their only escape route. But as they approached, the ground trembled. From the darkness emerged a towering monstrosity, nearly four meters high. It was a grotesque amalgamation of twisted animal limbs, fungal growths, and the unmistakable form of the fallen Wendren.

White strands of mycelium threaded through its body, binding flesh and fungus into a horrifying unity. Giant mushroom caps sprouted haphazardly from its back, glowing with a sickly blue light. Beneath its translucent skin, parasites writhed and pulsed, giving the creature an unsettling, almost liquid appearance. Its eyes, once red, now blazed a deep blue, filled with an unnatural rage.

"Is that... the beast we fought earlier?" Gale whispered, his voice barely audible.

"It can't be," Vin replied, though his shaken expression betrayed his doubt.

The creature let out a guttural roar—a sound that resonated with both fury and pain. It raised a massive arm, tendrils of bioluminescent fungus trailing from its fingers, and slammed it down. The team scattered just in time as the ground where they'd stood exploded into splinters and spores.

"Spread out! We can't take it head-on!" Ulrick commanded, drawing his sword.

Brill unleashed a torrent of flames, engulfing the creature's arm. For a moment, it seemed to recoil, the firelight reflecting off its glistening form. But the flames quickly fizzled as the damp fungi smothered them.

"My magic isn't working!" Brill exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice.

Nole fired a volley of arrows, each one finding its mark but to little effect. The creature absorbed them, the wounds closing almost instantly as more fungal growth covered the punctures.

"We need a new plan!" Ulrick shouted.

"How about not dying?" Gale retorted, dodging another sweeping attack.

The creature's movements were relentless. It swung its massive limbs with surprising speed, each attack coming closer than the last. Vin attempted to cast a barrier spell, but a stray tendril lashed out, knocking him off his feet.

"We can't keep this up!" Brill yelled.

"Fall back to the academy! Maybe we can get help!" Ulrick decided.

With a nod, the team turned and sprinted toward the dungeon entrance. The creature pursued, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground, but as it crossed the threshold of the dungeon, it hesitated. The glow of its eyes flickered, and its movements became sluggish.

"It’s weakening!" Nole noticed.

"Don't stop! Keep going!" Ulrick urged.

They emerged into the open air, the twilight casting long shadows across the landscape. The academy loomed ahead, its lights guiding them like a beacon. Behind them, the creature—now outside the dungeon's confines—stumbled but continued its pursuit.

"What's it doing outside the dungeon? They aren't supposed to leave!" Gale exclaimed.

"Nothing about this dungeon is normal!" Ulrick replied grimly.

As they neared the academy grounds, alarm bells rang out. Adventurers and instructors poured from the buildings, weapons at the ready.

"Form a line!" an instructor ordered. "Protect the academy!"

The creature barreled forward, undeterred by the growing number of opponents. The adventurers launched their assault—spells, arrows, and blades striking in unison. The creature bellowed in pain but fought back with ferocity, swatting attackers aside like insects.

"This isn't working!" Brill shouted, helping Vin to his feet.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Keep fighting! We have to stop it here!" Ulrick commanded, though doubt gnawed at him.

Just then, a high-pitched voice cut through the chaos. "Wait! Stop!"

From the edge of the battlefield, Lucy appeared, riding atop Chomp. The Flesh Crawler bounded forward, his many legs skittering across the ground with surprising agility.

"Get back! It's too dangerous!" an adventurer warned, but Lucy ignored him.

She guided Chomp directly between the creature and the defenders. The Mountainus beast hesitated, its glowing eyes fixed on the small girl who now stood fearlessly before it.

"Hey there," Lucy said softly, her eyes full of compassion. "You must be so confused."

The creature's posture shifted. The tension in its massive frame seemed to ease as it tilted its head, the parasites beneath its skin slowing their frantic movement.

Lucy reached out her hand. "It's okay. You're not alone."

It lowered itself, bringing its towering form closer to her level. Tentatively, a tendril extended toward Lucy, wrapping gently around her outstretched hand.

"There we go," she smiled. "Let's get you back home."

She turned to the astonished adventurers. "I'm really sorry about all this! Corpsemountain didn't mean any harm. He's just a bit upset."

"Who... what are you?" Ulrick stammered, his sword hanging limply at his side.

"Me? I'm Lucy!" she replied cheerfully. "Don't worry, I have everything under control. The dungeon is still open, and this big guy won't bother you again!"

Before anyone could respond, Corpsemountain carefully lifted Lucy onto his shoulder. She laughed with delight. "Wow, you're so tall! Chomp, look! I can see the village from up here!"

Chomp wagged his tail—if he had one—and chirped happily, trotting alongside as they headed back toward the dungeon.

The crowd of adventurers parted, too stunned to act. As Lucy and her companions disappeared into the fading light, whispers spread among the onlookers.

"Did that girl just tame a dungeon monster?"

"She said her name was Lucy..."

"What's going on inside that dungeon?".

The stormcloud above the mountain flickered with distant lightning, casting sporadic shadows across the courtyard of the half-finished academy. Makeshift torches lined the perimeter, their flickering light mingling with the murmur of adventurers tending wounds and trading whispers about the chaos that had just unfolded.

In the center of the courtyard, Ulrick’s team stood before a panel of guild officials. The officials’ faces ranged from confusion to outright frustration, their notes scattered across a hastily assembled table.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” one of the senior officials, a wiry woman with streaks of gray in her hair, demanded. “What in the gods’ names was that thing?”

“It used to be one of those... creatures,” Ulrick said cautiously. “Humanoid, skeletal heads, about one and a half times our size. Intelligent enough to guard a herd of deer-creatures on the second floor.”

“You mean the monsters you provoked?” the wiry woman asked sharply, her pen poised over her notebook.

“They weren’t just monsters,” Nole interjected, arms crossed defensively. “I saw them through the bushes. They were holding clubs, guarding the herd. They looked ready to attack!”

“And did they?” another official prompted.

“Yes,” Nole replied, hesitating slightly. “But only after we fired the first shot.”

A ripple of murmurs passed through the gathered officials. One of them leaned forward. “These humanoids—how intelligent are we talking?”

“Enough to act like herd guardians,” Ulrick explained. “They protected the deer-creatures like their own. One even ran when the fight turned. That’s not normal dungeon behavior.”

“They communicated,” Vin added, his fragmented style making the officials lean in to catch his words. “Humming. Rhythmic. Like speech. Purposeful.”

“Humming?” the wiry woman repeated, frowning deeply. “And then?”

“We killed one of them. The other ran with the herd,” Ulrick said grimly. “But that wasn’t the end of it. One of those Corpsecaps—the explosive mushrooms—grew out of the corpse.”

“Corpsecaps are stationary,” another official argued, though his voice faltered. “They don’t... move.”

“This one did,” Brill cut in, still pale from his injuries. “It didn’t just grow—it took over the corpse. Used it like a puppet. It was... huge. And it left the dungeon.”

The murmurs grew louder now, tinged with unease. “Monsters can’t leave dungeons,” one official said flatly, his tone more for his own reassurance than anyone else’s.

“Normally, no,” Ulrick replied. “But this one did. It was weaker outside, but not by much. If it weren’t for the adventurers from the academy, it would’ve torn through us—and the academy, too.”

“And the girl?” the wiry woman asked. “Who was she?”

“Lucy,” Gale said quietly. “She used to live in the village of Mar. Her parents... they were criminals. They abandoned her in the dungeon after Chomp—uh, that Flesh Crawler she was riding—took their legs.”

“What?” one official exclaimed, horrified.

“They were judged in Terana for it,” Nole clarified. “But Lucy disappeared. We thought she was gone. Dead, even. And now she’s riding dungeon monsters and taming them?”

“She wasn’t taming it,” Brill corrected. “That thing—whatever it was—listened to her. It stopped.”

“That’s worse,” another official muttered. “If she’s part of the dungeon, she’s a threat.”

“We should bring her in for questioning,” one of the officials suggested. “If she’s connected to the dungeon, we need answers.”

“No!” Ulrick’s voice was sharp and loud, startling the gathered officials. “We will not capture her. Are you mad? She’s part of that dungeon now. If we take her, who knows what the dungeon will do? It could send every monster it has after her—and us.”

The officials fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances.

“She didn’t look like she was there against her will,” Ulrick continued, his tone calmer now. “She was happy. Laughing. Riding that thing like it was her friend. We talk to her. No forcing, no grabbing, and definitely no capturing.”

The wiry woman tapped her pen thoughtfully against her notebook. “All right, Ulrick. Your team will handle it. You’ve already got the connection.”

Ulrick frowned but nodded. “Fine.”

“In the meantime,” the wiry woman continued, “we need fortifications—real ones. A permanent guard rotation at the entrance. If creatures can leave the dungeon, we can’t leave it exposed.”

“And a report to the HQ in Ashenvail,” another official added. “They need to know what we’re dealing with here.”

As the tension hung heavy in the humid night air, Ulrick glanced at his battered team. Their faces were drawn and tired, their gear muddy and dented. He looked back at the officials.

“Tavern tent?” he asked simply.

Brill, Nole, and Gale all replied in unison: “Tavern tent.”