Kyle opened his mouth but not a word came out. His grip on his sword trembled, his knees swayed. He was terrified.
“Please…” Professor George brought his hands up in the air. “Is there no room for negotiation? W-We are willing to leave right now,” though he tried to maintain a calm tone, cracks still appeared. Even the experienced magician was struck by fear.
It was to be expected, however. The aura this monster emanated. Its appearance. Its abilities.
It was beyond human comprehension, it was a sight no one should have ever had to witness.
Erik thought about everyone he ever knew. Any hope for survival. Could they win? If every single professor at the academy was here, would they stand a chance? His mind conjured the strongest person he knew, it was but a futile attempt of bringing comfort when in impending death.
His father had been the symbol of ultimate power for years.
Could he win against his beast? If he was still alive, could Erik rely on Kaf to save him?
The boy swallowed. He wasn’t sure if the flames and might he had seen many times were even comparable to this thing.
The monster raised one of its hands, its claws scratching its skull with a deafening screech.
“Kill them…” it repeated to Kyle, ignoring their pleas. Negotiation wasn’t on the table.
“[Rock Slice],” one of the students shouted. Erik glanced to where the sound came from, he shot a disk of stone at high speeds towards the enemy.
However.
Before it even hit, the projectile turned to dust.
“Everyone, let’s all fight against it! We can win,” the student said, preparing to conjure another spell.
Fighting was their best chance in the end. This beast was abnormal, however, it was twenty against one. Against such numbers and so many spells coming from each direction, there was no way it could win.
Erik could see Helen muttering something under her breath. She held her hand behind her body and the ignition of fire began. By the looks of it, she was preparing a strong attack, maybe an opening for them to leave or the beginning of a counterattack—-
—Then, the fire disappeared.
She once again froze.
‘What happened…’ Erik pondered before widening his eyes. The creature had stretched its arm. It grabbed the student by the face, its claws cutting the flesh. The boy couldn’t even fight back, his body turned to mush in an instant.
It was so quick that he didn’t even draw a gasp, and Erik couldn’t even see the movements.
He was completely outclassed.
‘I want to go home.’
He should’ve never come to this dungeon to begin with. This was a place humans should’ve never stepped on and now he had to face the consequences.
“Anyone who interferes from now on will become a sacrifice,” it said, chilling the air with an unfathomable presence.
Erik’s breath hitched as the creature’s words settled over them, its hollow, harsh tone slicing through their hopes like a blade.
Thud.
The mangled remains of the student crumpled to the ground, unrecognizable. The monster didn’t even acknowledge its actions, only retracting its arm to its side again.
They couldn’t fight this, the only hope was escaping. The exit was way back, perhaps 100 or 150 meters back. If Erik ran for his life, how fast could he cross that distance? It shouldn’t take 10 seconds, yet he saw how fast that creature killed a student.
Erik would likely be dead before he ran halfway across the room.
Professor George was shaking now, his attempt at diplomacy obliterated by the creature’s overwhelming malice. “This… This is wrong…” he muttered, barely audible. He took a shaky step back, but his eyes remained locked on the monster.
Helen was as still as a statue. Her hands, once brimming with fiery magic, hung limply at her sides. Her lips trembled, as her gaze remained fixed on the horrifying spectacle before them.
It wasn’t only Erik. Not a single soul here was prepared to deal with this unexpected visitor. It was, after all, the kind of being that could be used in folk tales for generations to come.
“Stay calm,” Erik heard himself whisper, though his voice was weak and trembling. He didn’t know if he was speaking to his companions or trying to convince himself. This was too much, he couldn’t take it.
His heart beating in his chest, threatening to explode, his breathing hijacked, his instincts telling him to do the impossible.
He’d rather die now and stop the suffering.
His gaze fell on his right hand. His gauntlets were shaking like he was going into shock. Right now he preferred to ignite his flames again, hit himself, take himself out, than suffer through this pressure for one more minute.
The Harbinger tilted its head, its hollow eyes glowing with faint amusement—or perhaps curiosity. “Sacrifices…” it repeated in its guttural, dissonant tone, savoring the word. Its claw twitched again. “That’s all measly humans are good for…”
Kyle gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles white with strain. “We… we can’t just stand here!” he shouted, though his voice cracked under the weight of his fear. “If we’re going to die, we might as well—”
Kyle rushed forward, sword raised, the glow of his elemental magic wrapping around the blade like a halo. “[Waterstream Fang]!” he roared, swinging the blade with all his might.
It didn’t even move.
It simply watched as Kyle’s attack bore down on it, the crackling water of his spell covering its grotesque form. But just as the blade reached its target—
—Kyle was pinned against the wall.
It was too fast, an almost instantaneous motion that Erik couldn’t register.
Kyle was a whole level above Erik. This monster must’ve been a whole world above him.
Blood gushed from Kyle’s wounds as the monster gripped him with his claws., staining the wall behind him as his weapon clattered uselessly to the ground.
“K-Kyle!” Erik screamed as he watched his friend crumble. He tried to step forth but his legs wouldn’t move.
Being unable to do anything was suffocating.
The monster leaned closer to Kyle’s twitching form, its jagged teeth parting in a twisted mockery of a grin. “Foolish…” it hissed, the word dripping with contempt. With a single motion, it hurled Kyle’s lifeless body to the ground like discarded refuse.
The dead corpse screeched for a moment, its humanity leaving him, and in just a few seconds it turned to a rotten carcass. It was as if the passage of time had already set onto kyle’s body.
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No healing magic could save him, he was done.
Helen’s hands trembled at her sides before they suddenly ignited in flames. Her breathing was uneven, but her voice, when it came, was commanding and resolute. “Run! All of you!” she shouted, the fire in her palms flaring brighter, illuminating the room like a torch in the abyss. “I’ll hold it off—just go!”
“Are you crazy?!” one of the students exclaimed, frozen in place.
“We don’t have time to argue!” she snapped, stepping forward, her fire magic swirling into an inferno. Without hesitation, she hurled a massive wave of flame toward the being. These magic spells were of an extremely high level that most students could only dream of achieving, yet the beast didn’t even flinch as the fire struck and washed over its form in a torrent of blazing fury.
“Move!” she screamed again.
That was enough to spur the others into action. The students broke into a frantic sprint, their footsteps echoing in the cavern as they rushed for the exit. Erik’s heart pounded as he ran, the cold weight of fear gnawing at him.
This was mob mentality. He wasn’t being special, he was just another “sacrifice”. It pained him how he was nothing against this beast, how he couldn’t help his friend.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Erik looked back for a moment, watching two students being ensnarled by its elongated tendrils. Their screams were cut short as they were dragged into the darkness.
Such a sight made his stomach turn.
“Don’t look back!” Aria shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward.
Helen threw one final burst of fire, this time aimed at the ceiling. The cavern shuddered as debris rained down, creating a momentary barrier between the Harbinger and the fleeing group.
The group burst through the massive iron doors, their hearts racing as they collapsed into the tunnel outside. The air felt lighter, less suffocating. For a fleeting moment, hope sparkled in their hearts.
“We made it,” one student gasped, clutching their side. “We’re safe. Dungeon rules—bosses can’t leave their chambers.”
But that hope was short-lived.
The ground shook violently, a deafening crash reverberating through the tunnel. Erik turned just in time to see the iron doors explode outward, torn from their hinges as the monster emerged, its form illuminated by the sickly green glow of its aura.
“It’s not following the rules!” someone screamed in horror, their voice cracking under the strain.
This wasn’t a mere boss.
It moved faster than anything Erik had ever seen. It didn’t walk—it ran, its grotesque insectoid limbs propelling it forward with horrifying speed. The tunnel seemed to narrow under its oppressive presence, its jagged claws scraping against the walls as it closed the distance.
Everyone ran, some getting caught rather quickly while the fastest ones thrived. Everyone was fighting for their survival now, all teamwork and structure they had until recently was lost.
After thousands of steps, however, Erik’s legs faltered. His chest heaved, his vision blurred. His body screamed for rest, but his fear outweighed the pain. Still, he stumbled.
“I can’t… I can’t…” Erik gasped, his knees dropping to the ground.
“Get up!” Colin shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. Without hesitation, he turned back, grabbing Erik under the arm and hauling him forward with a strength born of desperation.
But it wasn’t enough.
The Harbinger moved faster than Erik’s eyes could follow, its claws a blur of grotesque precision. Colin saw the attack coming and reacted instinctively, throwing himself between Erik and the monster.
Crunch.
Claws tore through flesh and bone. Blood sprayed in an arc, splattering the ground and walls.
Erik froze, his breath hitching. ‘N-No…’ he thought, the worst possible scenario flashing through his mind.
Colin had lost his arm, trying to protect Erik.
“Move, idiot!” Colin’s voice cut through his panic, strained but alive.
Erik’s legs trembled as he obeyed, stumbling forward. Adrenaline pushed him onward, but his mind raced in horror. After a few steps, he risked a glance back.
His heart sank.
Colin’s face was fully pale, his jaw clenched tightly, but he didn’t scream. Whether it was adrenaline or sheer willpower keeping him upright, Erik couldn’t tell. The only thing he knew was that he was going beyond his limits.
“Colin!” Aria’s voice rang out as she slowed down to run beside him. Her hands glowed with a soft, golden light, trembling as she pressed them against his roughly cut-through bicep. “[Healing Cascade]!” she cried out.
The bleeding slowed, the magic stabilizing Colin’s condition. His breathing evened out slightly, but the arm… it was gone.
“I can’t… I can’t regrow it…” Aria’s voice broke, tears streaming down her face as she poured all her focus into the spell.
Colin managed a weak smile, his voice hoarse. “It’s fine… let’s go—” he said, still running, though at a slower pace than before.
The exhaustion, the loss of blood, and the unshakable fear were too much.
The steps of the monster could be heard, just behind them.
The boy gritted his teeth before turning to the monster behind. It had taken its time, slowed down as if to play.
“J-Just… go… even if it's 5 seconds, I’ll get that for you…” he said in a trembling voice, having accepted his fate.
Erik felt tears welling in his eyes as Colin’s bloodied hand pushed him forward. “I’m not leaving you!”
“Move!” Colin shouted, his voice raw. “If you stop, we’re all dead!”
Aria grabbed Erik’s arm, pulling him to his feet. “Run, Erik!” she demanded, her tears streaking her face.
The sound of stone cracking and crumbling echoed behind them. Erik turned to see its claws dragging against the tunnel walls. Whatever it touched turned to flesh, brought back to life, only to decay instantly. That grotesque transformation was the work of demons surely.
But then, as if sensing something, it paused.
The monster tilted its head, its hollow eyes narrowing.
“You… you are the cursed one… the cursed blood... the one who will plague this world,” it said, its voice amused.
Weirdly enough, it didn’t move toward them anyway, its killing intent was redirected somewhere.
“Just… what are you?” Erik managed to ask, his voice bareilly leaving his throat.
“A friend of yours… one day, you will help me, The Harbinger Of Rot, and my kind. Until then, farewell,” it spoke with an utterly disgusting elegance before storming off, running to another chamber.
“Wha… what the hell was that…” Emilia was the one to speak, her voice hushed, her breathing audile, her eyes twitching.
Aria had her gaze on Erik, confusion etched into her features.
“I… I don’t know what it was talking about,” Erik said, shaking his head.
“It's just a… fucking demon… let’s leave this hellhole,” Colin cursed, grappling the closed wound, the frustration clear from his words and tone.
For the rest of the journey, Emily enlarged her pillow and used it to move Colin with them. They couldn’t run this way, the pillow didn’t move that fast with someone on top of it, but it seemed like they wouldn’t be preyed on—at least for now.
As the group pressed forward, the oppressive silence of the dungeon's corridors was broken by the distant sound of voices. Erik’s heart raced, unsure if they were walking into another trap. He motioned for the others to slow down.
Around a corner, they saw them—a group of adventurers from their weapons and armor.
A tall man with spiky black hair and a gleaming golden spear stood at the front, his armor reflecting the light that Aria had been making. His presence was commanding from a glance.
Beside him stood a slender woman with a bow slung across her back, her keen eyes scanning their ragged group. She had pointy ears—that meant she was an elf. Erik had never seen one of those.
Behind them, a very large man clad in heavy armor loomed, a massive shield strapped to his arm. He seemed like an immovable wall. To his left, a young woman with flowing robes and a staff gripped tightly in her hands stood ready.
“Who’s there?” the man at the front called out, his deep voice echoing through the cavern.
Erik hesitated, for a moment, still struck by fear, but decided to trust in them.
“W-We’re students,” Erik managed to say, his voice trembling. “We just escaped the… that thing…”
The man’s eyes widened slightly, but his expression remained calm. “Princess Aria? Princess Emilia?” he asked, in a respectful tone.
Aria stepped forward hesitantly, and Emilia followed. “Yes,” Aria said. “We’re here.”
Erik blinked, the words taking a moment to sink in. ‘Princess?’ he thought, glancing at Aria. ‘She’s a princess? What else don’t I know about her?’ The revelation rattled him, but there was no time to dwell on it.
The leader nodded, relief flashing across his face. “Good. You’ll be safe with us. Callen,” he said, turning to the elf. “Get them to safety. We’ll continue descending, you have fifteen minutes to get to us again,” he said in a serious tone. Normally it would be impossible to cross the second and first floor and return in so little time, they must be very confident.
The elf, Callen, gave a nod, already unslinging her bow to lead the way. “Come with me.”.
Erik stepped forward, his voice firm despite his exhaustion. “You can’t face it. That thing… you don’t understand. It’s not something you can beat. It’s… unstoppable. It told me it’s the Harbinger Of Rot…”
The tall man stopped for a moment due to the revelation. His hand trembled on his spear, but then he grinned. “What about the strongest adventurers in the world?” he asked but didn’t even wait for a question as he walked away.
‘The strongest in the world?’ Erik repeated, he would’ve never guessed by a glance. They seemed well equipped but he couldn’t tell they were strong. They gave off no aura.
It was such a higher level that it couldn’t even be sensed.
Perhaps, that would be enough to hunt that demon down.