Great,” Kallus muttered, his molten eyes scanning the chamber. “We land in a death trap, and now the floor’s trying to eat us.”

Godfrey was already moving, his golden armor glinting faintly in the fiery glow as he approached the bridge. “Stay close and don’t stop. Whatever this place throws at us, we face it together.”

I nodded, my mouth dry. The oppressive heat sapped at my strength, but I forced myself forward, focusing on Reign’s earlier advice. Turn back on your mana sense. Taking a deep breath, I reached inward, letting my mana flow outward like tendrils, searching for any sign of danger.

What I felt sent a shiver down my spine. The dungeon wasn’t just alive—it was watching us. The walls seemed to pulse faintly, their rhythm matching the ominous beat of my own heart. There was something immense and hungry lurking beneath the surface, its presence coiled tightly around the chamber like a predator waiting to strike.

“Something’s wrong,” I said, my voice low but urgent. “The dungeon—it’s… aware. It’s not just trying to kill us. It’s testing us.”

Reign’s lips curled into a faint smile as he stepped onto the bridge, his golden hair shimmering like a flame against the dark. “Of course it’s testing us, Karlos. What kind of game would it be otherwise?”

I bit back a retort and focused on keeping my footing as I followed him. The bridge swayed precariously with each step, the heat from the lava below making the wood crackle and groan. Behind me, Kallus hummed a low, tuneless melody, his nonchalance grating against the rising tension.

Halfway across, the rumble grew louder. The lava churned violently, and without warning, a massive plume erupted, sending a spray of molten rock hurtling toward us.

“Move!” Godfrey shouted, raising his shield. The golden barrier shimmered to life, deflecting most of the magma, but some splattered dangerously close to my legs, searing the air with its heat.

We surged forward, the bridge swinging wildly under our combined weight. As we neared the other side, a deafening roar shook the chamber.

“ Looks like the dungeon has made the dragon aware of our presence.” Rain said while running forward. Seeming unaffected by the heat.

The room was close to collapsing when we saw a open passageway leaving to the next room.

We burst into the open passageway just as another plume of molten rock shot skyward, the chamber behind us crumbling in a cacophony of roars and cracking stone. The heat chased us like a living thing, and I could feel the searing intensity nipping at my heels as we pushed forward.

The corridor ahead was narrow and dimly lit, the oppressive heat giving way to a damp, suffocating coolness. The air was thick, almost liquid, each breath heavy with the metallic tang of mana.

Reign slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the walls. The faint shimmer of his hair returned, though his expression remained sharp. “We’re not safe yet. The dragon’s awake, and it knows we’re here.”

Kallus cursed under his breath, wiping sweat from his brow. “Great. Because dodging molten death wasn’t enough. Now we get to face a dragon that probably thinks we’re appetizers.”

Godfrey glared at him, his armor still glowing faintly. “Focus. Sarcasm won’t help us survive.”

“Neither will blind optimism,” Kallus shot back, though his molten eyes were fixed on the path ahead.

I ignored their bickering and concentrated on my mana sense. The dungeon’s awareness hadn’t faded—it had shifted, funneling its focus toward the dragon’s lair. The oppressive hunger I’d felt earlier was stronger now, sharper and more purposeful, like an invisible hand guiding us toward the inevitable.

The passageway opened into a vast chamber, and I stopped in my tracks, because their stood three golems made out of magma. They stood double the height of an average man and 4 times the bulk. In the center of their chests were large cavities that looked like a precious jew was carved out.

Looks like the battle about to start Reign said as Greg's familiar voice appeared.

Another loud roar shook the ground and carried a large wave of crimson energy when it hit the golems they shook and slowly stood. The large empty cavities were suddenly filled with large blue gems. The cracks spread across the forms of the golems. Suddenly the cracks were bathed with a blue energy and the eyes of the golems shot open with a ghostly fire circling their pupils.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The three golems released massive roars and the room shoke once again. Then everyone in the room watched as a scale appeared between us and the golems.

Greg’s voice spoke up so we thinking of using on turn one chat?

The chamber was alive with tension, the oppressive mana pressing against my chest as the massive scale materialized between us and the awakened golems. It shimmered faintly, its golden frame inscribed with intricate runes that pulsed in rhythm with the fiery energy coursing through the room.

Greg’s familiar, sarcastic tone echoed around us. “So, what’s the plan? We burning all our attack skills turn one or saving up for the final phase.

The chamber was alive with a tension so thick it felt like wading through syrup. The golden scale at the center seemed both a judgment and a mystery, its ancient inscriptions thrumming in time with the resonant hum of the dungeon. My aura wavered uneasily in its glow—a reddish-orange flame, unformed and chaotic. The faint flickers mirrored the restlessness in my chest as I glanced toward the others.

Godfrey’s aura stood steadfast, like him. The metallic bronze energy, already half-shaped into a formidable shield, was as much a reflection of his resolve as it was his discipline. Kallus’s was wilder, darker—lava-like flames that churned with hints of blue, taking the intimidating form of a prowling lion. And Reign, of course, radiated something altogether different. His blue-gray aura was jagged and cold, sharp as tempered steel and as untamed as the frost-covered peaks of the Northlands. It was measured, yes, but there was a dangerous edge to it that even he didn’t seem inclined to hide.

The golems across from us were… something else entirely. Their forms were a terrifying blend of raw power and unnerving artificiality, their magma cores now pulsing with the ghostly blue energy of the crystals in their chests. Their auras, though faint compared to ours, burned with unnatural intensity—a focused, mechanical mimicry of life.

Kallus’s sudden knock to my head jolted me from my observations. I groaned, rubbing the sore spot. “What the hell was that for?”

“You’re spacing out again, idiot,” he said, his molten eyes narrowing. “Did Dad’s lectures go in one ear and out the other? You can’t seriously be standing here gawking at aura levels like it’s a street show.”

I shot him a glare. “I know about aura. I just—”

“Clearly, you don’t,” Kallus interrupted, towering over me with that infuriatingly smug expression. “Let me break it down for the slowest student in the class.” His dark flames flared briefly, the lion at his side growling low in its throat. “Golems like these aren’t alive. They don’t have true aura because they lack the soul of a living being. What they have is borrowed power. Their cores are crammed with raw energy—enough to keep them moving and burning—but that’s it.”

“Okay, but—”

“Shut up, I’m not done.” His hand shot up threateningly, and I instinctively stepped back. “The dragon’s feeding them. That’s why their aura has even a shred of presence. Otherwise, it’d be like trying to sense life in a rock. Simple.”

“Great. Thanks for the lecture, Professor Psycho,” I muttered, stepping further away. Kallus’s grin widened in that predatory way that always preceded trouble.

“You’re not getting off that easy!” he barked, lunging at me. I yelped and bolted, weaving through the room as he chased me like an overgrown predator. The others barely spared us a glance. They were too focused on the scale, the dungeon, and, no doubt, the dragon’s ever-present hunger pressing in on us from beyond.

He tackled me, pinning me with an arm against my neck while he delivered his final lesson. “You’re out here looking for one of the Silvers, right?” he growled. “To fix your mana coils? Well, let me clue you in on something, brother. If you don’t figure out how to work with aura soon, you’re not going to last long enough to ask for their help.”

I struggled against his grip, glaring up at him. “I’m working on it! I—”

“Not hard enough.” His lion aura leaned in, its molten breath almost tangible against my skin. “You want to rely on mana alone? Fine. See how far that gets you when your coils burn out and leave you useless. Or…” His grip tightened, just enough to make me stop struggling. “You could follow my example. Beast Aura isn’t just a backup plan. It’s strength. And trust me, you’re going to need all the strength you can get. It's a great deal just have to brawl a wild animal into submission. ”

I swallowed hard as his words sank in. He released me after a moment, stepping back as though nothing had happened. The lion at his side flicked its tail before dissolving back into his molten form.

Godfrey cleared his throat, his golden aura glowing brighter as he turned toward the golems. “Looks like the scale is finished weighing. If you two are done, we have a battle to win.

Godfreys words were proven true. When the scale lowered towards us. Signaling the beginning of the battle.

Ok so we agree on testing out the new and improved flame mage and saving reigns skills because his shield will be sealed ok.

I stepped forward ready to release a attack when the book that the devil repeatedly through at me opened.

As the gilded script at the top of the page gleamed faintly in the dim light, my pulse quickened. The Book of the Devil, an enigmatic relic I’d been saddled with for days, had been silent for days, and nothing but aburdensome presence until now. The fact that it chose this moment to wake up wasn’t a coincidence. It was alive in its own way, responding to the labyrinth’s hunger with a dangerous will of its own.

The page below the header began to animate, its text shifting and forming intricate diagrams of the golems before us. A voice, dark and smooth as velvet, resonated in my mind—unmistakably the book’s.

“Abyss Dungeon Phase one floor. Enemy Three sentinels.

Under the sentinels, it has a list of numbers and the body of the page their skills. On the fifth page was the more intriguing part it was me and a list of my abilities flipping through the next three pages listed my 3 partners.