One near-death experience later, Ashkar delivered the final blow to the floor boss, his blade cutting through the massive creature with terrifying ease. Kaiden, still trembling, chugged a potion Zinnia had handed him. As the warmth of the potion coursed through his body, mending his battered frame, the rest of the group moved to loot the chest.

Kaiden leaned against a wall, staring at the swirling portal that awaited them. Please let this be the final boss, he thought desperately. If it wasn’t this one, it should be the next—or the one after.

"Let’s go," Ashkar commanded, his voice breaking through Kaiden's thoughts.

The group stepped through the portal, Kaiden bracing himself for what awaited them on the other side.

When the stone walls materialized around them, his heart sank.

“For fuck’s sake,” Boork spat, the frustration in his voice mirroring Kaiden’s unspoken thoughts.

Ashkar and Zinnia didn’t respond immediately. Instead, they took a few moments to study their surroundings. The atmosphere felt eerily similar to the first two areas of the dungeon—tall stone walls overgrown with foliage, the occasional tree stretching skyward. Unlike the mazes, there was only one path through a circular hall, and you could either go left or right. No monsters in sight yet, but the stillness felt heavier, more foreboding.

“No maze this time,” Zinnia said cheerily, her tone a stark contrast to the group’s palpable exhaustion.

Ashkar grunted in agreement but didn’t crack a smile.

“Shall we split up again?” Zinnia asked, with a slight hint of enthusiasm behind the suggestion.

Ashkar shook his head. “No need. This should be one of the final inner rings—relatively small. We’ll go together.”

Zinnia shrugged, feigning indifference, though a hint of disappointment flickered across her face.

“Left or right?” Boork grunted, his tone carrying an edge of impatience.

Ashkar paused briefly, considering. Then, without a word, he motioned down the left path. Boork took the lead and the others fell in line behind him.

Kaiden sighed as they moved forward. The anticipation gnawed at him. How much farther? he wondered. The dungeon had already pushed him to his limits. What else would it throw at him now?

After a few minutes of walking, the group came across an opening in the inner wall, its entrance marked by the unmistakable symbol for Casters—a fireball etched into the stone just beside it.

“Lead the way,” Ashkar said, gesturing for the mercenary to proceed.

Boork, however, stopped and raised a hand. “This is meant for Casters only. Perhaps we should—”

Zinnia cut him off with a knowing smirk. “Merc’s got a point. I should handle this alone.”

Ashkar nodded but held up a hand. “I’m aware. It seems likely there’s a hall for each of us. However, our Bracer cannot handle anything alone. I want to confirm something first.”

Zinnia’s brow arched, catching on quickly. “Ah, so this is probably why the dungeon required a four-person party.”

Ashkar nodded in agreement.

Understanding flashed in Boork’s eyes as he scoffed and crossed his arms. “We’ll see if the boy will actually be of use, or if we were doomed from the...”

Ashkar’s glare froze Boork mid-sentence, though he refrained from outright rebuking him. The silence was enough to make Boork take a small step back.

Kaiden, on the other hand, was feeling increasingly uneasy. He didn’t have the dungeon experience of the others, but he could piece together enough to feel the weight of their unspoken concerns. He gulped, knowing that his moment of truth might be coming soon.

“Let’s move,” Ashkar said sharply, and Boork begrudgingly took the lead. The group ventured down the hall, the walls lined with flickering torches that cast long, dancing shadows. .

Finally, they reached the end of the hall, and Kaiden’s breath hitched.

Standing before them was a hulking, bipedal figure, its form a horrifying amalgamation of man and dragon. Its torso and arms resembled those of a muscular human, but its scaled skin, clawed hands, and dragon-like legs gave it a distinctly inhuman presence. A long, barbed tail swayed behind it, and its draconic face, complete with sharp fangs and glowing eyes, exuded malice. It wore heavy, blackened armor, and at its side rested a massive sword, the blade wider than Kaiden’s torso.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Just behind the creature, a small treasure chest gleamed faintly in the torchlight.

“Dragonknight,” Zinnia said, clearing up Kaiden’s confusion. He mouthed a silent thank you, but before anyone could act further, the Dragonknight spoke.

“This is for Casters only,” it declared, its voice deep and resonant.

Kaiden’s eyebrows shot up in shock. It talked! He screamed internally, struggling to process what he’d just heard. Monsters weren’t supposed to talk—at least, none that he’d heard of. He glanced at the others, but if Ashkar, Zinnia, or even Boork were surprised, none of them showed it.

Ashkar stepped forward, his expression calm and calculating. “Normally, I’d oblige your request,” he said, “but circumstances are not in my favor this time around.”

The Dragonknight’s reptilian eyes narrowed. “I see.”

Ashkar’s hand went to his blade, drawing it smoothly. “If we defeat you, will we still be able to proceed?”

“Yes,” the Dragonknight replied. “However, it comes at a cost.”

With a snap of its clawed fingers, the small treasure chest behind it disappeared.

Boork gritted his teeth, a growl of frustration escaping under his breath. Zinnia frowned but remained silent.

“That is regrettable,” Ashkar said, “but acceptable.” He adjusted his grip on his sword and began to step forward when the Dragonknight held up a clawed hand.

“There is no need,” it said, its tone unreadable. Then, in an instant, it vanished without a trace.

“No loot, no boss,” Zinnia said, sighing heavily. Her tone carried her disappointment, clearly souring her mood.

That chest must’ve been meant for a Caster.

Kaiden followed as the group moved forward cautiously to where the Dragonknight had been. At the end of the hallway wasn’t a dead end as expected but a magical lattice fence, glowing faintly, barring their path. Beyond it lay a large cavern, vast and echoing.

In the center of the cavern stood an enormous block of ice about the size of a house, gleaming under the ambient light. To the left and right of their position were similar glowing lattices, each appearing to lead to adjacent tunnels. Most likely, there was another one behind as well.

“What now?” Boork muttered, his voice low and bitter.

Ashkar ignored Boork’s muttering and turned to Kaiden. “Place your palm on that and feed it some mana,” he instructed, gesturing toward a plaque mounted on the wall next to the lattice.

Kaiden blinked in confusion but nodded. “Okay,” he said, moving toward it. The rectangular slab was smooth and blank, devoid of any markings. Tentatively, he placed his hand on the cool surface. At first, it felt unremarkable, but as he funneled mana into it, the tablet began to glow faintly.

The lattice in front of him responded immediately, its glow pulsing brighter and dimmer rhythmically. In the cavern beyond, a torch near the enormous block of ice flared to life, its flames licking at the frozen surface.

Kaiden squinted, noticing for the first time that there were actually four torches spaced evenly around the ice block. Only one was now lit. The melting started slowly, revealing the outline of a draconic limb encased within. Before more could be revealed, the ice stopped melting altogether, holding its partial progress.

“That’s enough,” Ashkar said.

Kaiden removed his hand, and the plaque’s glow faded. The lattice stopped its rhythmic pulsing, and the newly lit torch winked out. As if in response, the ice reformed where it had started to melt, sealing the exposed limb back into its prison.

“So, that’s how it is,” Ashkar muttered to himself, crossing his arms as he studied the scene. He turned to the group. “Zinnia, take the hall on the right. I’ll handle the left. Boork, you’ve got the far end.”

“On it,” Zinnia said cheerfully, already heading down her assigned tunnel.

“Okay,” Boork grunted, his irritation thinly veiled as he stalked toward his path.

Ashkar looked at Kaiden. “Stay here. When you see all the torches lit, you light yours. That should open this tunnel and fully melt the ice to release the boss.”

Kaiden nodded quickly. “Got it.”

Ashkar fixed him with a hard look. “Stay in here and stay safe once we engage. Got it?”

“I got it,” Kaiden repeated, not needing to be told twice.

Ashkar grunted in acknowledgment and strode down his tunnel without another word. Kaiden stayed by the plaque, his heart pounding at the realization that, for the first time outside of a recess area, he was truly alone. Thankfully, he hadn’t been forced to fight the dragonknight—or whatever mini-boss was in the other tunnels—but even the appearance of a wandering mob would mean his death. That was likely why Ashkar had decided to leave him here, in the relative safety of the Caster tunnel.

Kaiden paced back and forth, feeling restless. How long would it take the others to get into position? If they were dealing with mini-bosses, it could take a while longer. Trying to shake off the nerves, he decided to make use of Arcane Vision, figuring he might as well pass the time by memorizing some runes while he was at it.

The moment he activated the ability, the lattice before him came alive, swirling with intricate markings. Beyond it, the enormous ice block glowed faintly with countless runes. Then, something caught his eye—a faint glimmer in the corner of his vision. He turned his head toward the opposite wall in his tunnel, the one away from the plaque, and found a section the size of a computer screen glowing faintly with runes.

“What the...” Kaiden muttered, switching off his ability. The wall was blank again, no sign of any markings or anything. He reactivated Arcane Vision, and sure enough, the glowing runes reappeared. He stared at the wall, the runes unfamiliar and intricate.

He hesitated, his mind racing. It could be a trap. But what purpose would a trap serve here, in the final area? They were about to face the last boss. No one was supposed to die to a trap at this stage he figured. His curiosity got the better of him. Slowly, he placed his hand on the wall and channeled mana into it.

The runes began to brighten, each one filling with energy as his mana flowed through them. Kaiden’s pulse quickened as the final rune lit up. Then, in an instant, they all vanished. Startled, he pulled his hand back instinctively as a section of the wall shifted, sliding open as though revealing a hidden door.

Behind it was a chest—no ordinary chest, either. Kaiden’s eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face as realization dawned. Wasn’t this the chest that had disappeared behind the Dragonknight?

“It didn’t vanish,” Kaiden murmured, barely able to contain his excitement. “It just went into hiding.”

He chuckled, licking his lips as he stepped forward. Treasure this late in the dungeon? He wasn’t about to pass that up. With eager hands, he reached for the chest and opened the lid.