Eleo and Tony crashed through the trapdoor, landing with a bone-jarring thud on the cold stone floor below. The impact left them dazed for a moment, the world spinning around them. Tony groaned as he forced himself upright, his eyes scanning the chamber they had tumbled into. into. The room was shrouded in shadows, the only light coming from torches flickering weakly on the rough, moss-covered walls. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and something else—something sharp and metallic, like old blood. The floor beneath them radiated a faint but noticeable warmth, and a low, ominous rumble seemed to vibrate through the stones. stones. “Eleo, do you feel that?” Tony asked, his voice tight with unease as he crouched to touch the ground.Eleo, still rubbing his aching back, nodded. “Yeah, it’s warm...... but not too hot. Why?” Why?” Tony didn’t reply immediately. He pressed his ear to the stone, his face paling as he listened to the deep, echoing sounds from below. “Damn,” he whispered, barely audible. “We’re right above lava.” lava.” Eleo’s eyes widened, his ears twitching with alarm. “Lava? But the floor’s not cracking—” cracking—” “Not yet,” Tony cut in, standing up and brushing off the dirt from his clothes. “There’s some kind of magic holding it together. But if it fails, we’re done for. We need to move now.” now.” Before Eleo could respond, a loud whistling sound pierced the air. An iron door at the far end of the chamber suddenly exploded off its hinges, slamming into the wall with a deafening crash. Dust and small stones rained down from the ceiling, and Tony instinctively pulled Eleo behind a nearby pillar, both of them breathing hard. hard. “Stay sharp,” Tony whispered, his voice tense. “We’re not alone.” alone.” From the darkness beyond the broken door, the sound of clattering bones grew louder, accompanied by the heavy, rhythmic stomp of armored feet. A moment later, a group of skeletons emerged, their empty eye sockets glowing with an eerie, unnatural light. They carried rusted weapons—swords, spears, and maces—moving with a fluidity that belied their decayed appearance. appearance. But it was the figure that followed them that truly made Tony’s heart skip a beat. A towering orc, easily twice the height of any man and three times as broad, lumbered into the chamber. His green skin was marred with deep scars, his yellow tusks jutting out from a cruel, twisted grin. The massive battle axe he carried rested casually on his shoulder, its blade darkened with old, dried blood. blood. The orc’s voice was a deep, gravelly growl that seemed to reverberate through the chamber. “Well, well, what do we have here? A couple of lost pups who wandered into my den?” den?” Tony stepped out from behind the pillar, placing himself protectively in front of Eleo. “Looks that way,” he said evenly, eyes locked on the orc. “I’m guessing you’re the one in charge?” charge?” The orc’s grin widened, showing rows of jagged teeth. “Smart bone man. But smarts won’t save you here. You’ve walked right into my lair, and there’s no walking out.” out.” One of the skeletons, its voice like dry leaves rustling in the wind, sneered, “He’s got a rabbit with him. Gonna fight us with a bunny, bone man?” man?” Tony’s lips curled into a smirk. “Better than following orders from an overgrown sack of muscle who probably can’t even spell his own name.” name.” The skeletons rattled with harsh, grating laughter, but the orc’s expression darkened, his grin fading into a snarl. With a sudden, violent swing, he brought his axe down on the nearest skeleton, shattering it into a pile of bones and rusted metal. metal. “Any more smart-ass comments?” TheThe orc growled, his eyes blazing with fury. fury. Tony didn’t flinch. He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing ominously in the chamber. “Eleo, stay back,” he said calmly. “This one’s mine.” mine.” Eleo hesitated, his heart pounding, but he nodded and retreated to a safer distance. He watched with wide, worried eyes as Tony squared off with the orc, the tension in the air so thick it was almost suffocating.The orc let out a deafening roar and charged, his massive axe swinging down toward Tony with the force of an avalanche. But Tony was quick, darting to the side just in time to avoid the blow. The axe slammed into the floor with a thunderous crash, sending cracks spider-webbing across the stone. stone. Tony didn’t waste a second. He darted in close, landing a series of rapid, precise strikes to the orc’s torso. But the orc was built like a mountain, his thick muscles absorbing the blows with barely a grunt. He swung a massive fist at Tony, who ducked just in time, the orc’s hand passing over his head with a rush of wind. wind. Tony retaliated with a swift kick to the orc’s knee, hoping to unbalance him, but the orc was faster than he looked. With a vicious snarl, he slammed his axe into the ground, and the cracks widened. Lava began to seep through, glowing ominously.“Idiot!” Tony hissed, realizing the danger. Desperately, he unleashed a wave of necrotic energy, hoping to seal the cracks before the lava could fully breach the surface. surface. The orc, seizing the moment, swung his axe in a wide arc, bellowing, “Meat Grinder!” The axe whirled around him like a deadly tornado, cutting down anything in its path. His thick layers of fat absorbed Tony’s attacks, allowing him to keep spinning with relentless force. force. Tony was caught off guard. The axe clipped him, sending him flying across the chamber, crashing hard against the stone wall. He groaned as he staggered to his feet, the world spinning around him. him. “Tony, are you okay? Do you need help?” Eleo called out, his voice trembling with worry. worry. Tony shook his head, wincing as he straightened up. “I’m good,” he grunted, his voice rough with pain. “Stay back. I’ve got this.” this.” Summoning the last of his strength, Tony used Bone Crusher, teleporting behind the orc. He attempted to trap the orc’s limbs with his skeletal forearms, applying bone-crushing pressure, but to his shock, the orc barely flinched. flinched. “Come on, bone man, is that all you’ve got?” the orc taunted, his voice dripping with scorn. With a brutal jerk, he slammed the back of his head into Tony’s face, sending him reeling backward. Before Tony could recover, the orc kicked him in the chest, the force of the blow sending him crashing into the floor.The orc wasn’t done. He grabbed Tony by the leg and swung him around like a ragdoll, hurling him across the chamber. Tony slammed into a series of stone pillars, each one shattering under the impact, until he finally hit the ground, dazed and bleeding. bleeding. “Tony!” Eleo shouted, fear gripping his heart as he watched his friend crumple to the floor.The orc chuckled darkly, flexing his massive muscles. “That was too easy,” he sneered, turning his gaze toward Eleo. “Maybe the bunny wants to take a crack at me next?” next?” Eleo tensed, ready to fight back, but Tony raised a hand, stopping him. “Stay...... back,” Tony rasped, struggling to his feet. His left eye socket began to glow with a sickly green light, the power within him surging to the surface. surface. The temperature in the chamber dropped sharply as Tony unleashed his deadlydeadly aura. aura. The very air seemed to darken, as if life was being sucked out of it. The torches flickered and dimmed, and the stone walls grew cold and lifeless. Eleo, the orc, and even the skeletons felt a wave of crippling weakness wash over them, their limbs heavy, their movements sluggish. sluggish. Tony didn’t stop there. He raised his hand, firing a bolt of dark energy at the orc. The bolt struck with precision, sending waves of excruciating pain through the orc’s massive body, causing him to stagger and gasp for breath. Tony followed up with bone shards, summoning sharp bone fragments that embedded themselves in the orc’s flesh, causing him to howl in agony. With a final burst of strength, Tony leapt forward and slammed his skeletal hand into the orc’s face, driving him to the ground with a bone-rattling impact. The orc lay there, stunned and gasping, his body trembling with the aftereffects of Tony’s relentless assault. Tony turned to Eleo, giving him a weak thumbs-up, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “He was tough, but we got him.” Eleo rushed to his side, eyes wide with relief. “Tony, that was incredible! You really did it!” Before they could celebrate, the other skeletons began to murmur amongst themselves. “He beat the fat orc,” one whispered, the glow in its eye sockets flickering uncertainly. “Yeah, he beat our leader. Let’s take him down!” Another skeleton shouted, raising its rusted sword. The orc bellowed, "Hold up! Don’t harm them." He got up and eyed Tony. "You, what's your name?"“Tony,” he answered, a bit hesitant. The orc grunted. "Tony, you’re the first person to ever defeat me. I’ve got respect for that." Tony paused before responding, "If you respect me, then help us get out of here." The orc considered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Follow me." He turned to his skeleton soldiers. "You lot, stay put and don’t do anything stupid." "Yes, sir!" they replied in unison. “Hurry up,” the orc muttered as he started moving, with Tony and Eleo quickly following behind. Kenji and Olorun sprinted down the dimly lit corridor, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. "Hey, Olorun," Kenji called out between breaths, "do you know where my other sword is?"Olorun, glancing back with a smirk, replied, "Yeah, I think it’s in the weapons room up ahead. We’re almost there." As they rounded the corner, the large, reinforced door of the weapons room came into view. "And... we made it," Olorun said, wasting no time as he drove his shoulder into the door, splintering it off its hinges with a loud crash. Kenji paused at the doorway, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You know, you could’ve just opened it like a normal person." Olorun shrugged nonchalantly. "It was locked. Didn’t have a key." Kenji let out a sigh. "Fair enough." They stepped into the room, which was cluttered with racks of various weapons, from swords and spears to shields and daggers. Dusty banners hung from the walls, and the scent of old metal filled the air. They began searching through the room, Kenji rifling through piles of swords, while Olorun kicked aside old armor. After a few moments, Olorun picked up a sword that had clearly seen better days—its blade was dull, and rust flaked off as he held it up. "This it?" Olorun asked, his tone half-joking.Kenji turned to look, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the rusty blade. He stood there for a solid 10 seconds before speaking. "Really? You think that’s mine?"Olorun rolled his eyes and tossed the sword back onto the pile. "How am I supposed to know what your sword looks like? They all just look like, well, swords." Kenji couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, though he quickly shook his head. "I’m a swordsman, Olorun. Why on earth would I let my sword get that rusty?" Olorun smirked, glancing around the room. "Hey, who knows? Maybe you lost it for five years or something." Kenji gave him a deadpan look. "I only lost it tonight." Continuing their search, Olorun’s eyes suddenly caught the gleam of something extraordinary. He reached into a dusty corner and pulled out a sword with a sleek and sharp blade, its surface glinting even in the dim light. The sword was forged from a rare, golden alloy that shimmered with an otherworldly luster, predominantly gold with black accents that created a striking contrast. Along the fuller of the blade, a black dragon was intricately engraved, its wings extending toward the edges, making it appear as if the dragon was in flight whenever the sword was moved.The handle was wrapped in smooth, black leather, offering a firm and comfortable grip. At its center was a small, golden orb that pulsed with a faint, mystical glow. Surrounding the orb were finely engraved runes that seemed to shift and change depending on how the light hit them. The crossguard was shaped like the dragon's wings, extending outward with sharp, elegant curves, while the pommel featured a dragon's head, its eyes set with small, glimmering emeralds.Olorun held the sword up, examining it with a raised eyebrow. "Let me guess, not your sword?"Kenji’s eyes widened as he saw the weapon. He stepped forward, almost reverently, and took the sword from Olorun’s hands. The moment he gripped it, a sense of familiarity washed over him. He turned the blade in his hand, admiring its perfect balance and the way it seemed to hum with latent power. "Kokuryū no Kogane," Kenji murmured, a small smile forming on his lips. "My good old sword." He glanced at Olorun, who was watching him with a bemused expression. "Looks like tonight’s turning around after all," Kenji added, feeling a renewed sense of confidence as he sheathed the blade at his side. The two shared a brief, understanding nod before turning their attention back to the mission at hand.

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