Immanuel slowly woke up, finding Zach sleeping at their feet. The world outside was hushed, the cold did not fully enter the tent, "Oh, fuck it" he whispered. The warmth coming from Syl was a comforting embrace, and he edged closer, her soft curves a gentle invitation. In this cocoon of warmth, he succumbed once more to sleep's sweet lure.

Immanuel's eyes flickered open again as Syl silently made her exit. He watched her step out with a smile. Lying down on the carpet for a few more moments, he stepped out.

“I don’t think Zach kept watch, but at least nothing attacked us,” Immanuel commented casually.

“The tent and this carpet,” Syl asked, “were they gifts from your mentor?”

“They were indeed,” Immanuel confirmed.

“There’s a remarkable quality to them,” Syl said. “I haven’t felt this invigorated in ages.”

Pausing for a moment, Immanuel added, “Uhm, Syl. The dead monsters are gone.”

“When-”

Zach emitted a low, menacing growl towards the door, signaling the presence of enemies. They didn't wait for the Naga to make their entrance, instead strategically positioning themselves on the staircase.

Six of the Naga's sinister forms emerged. Immanuel flashed, descended upon the first one, his sword thrust downwards, piercing it through. It convulsed briefly before succumbing to death. Agilely, he parried a duo of advancing limbs, then swiftly maneuvered behind another Naga, dispatching it with a clean, sweeping strike. At that moment, Zach and Syl descended upon the group like avenging angels.

Engaged in combat with another, Immanuel deflected its dual arm strikes, creating a rhythmic 'tik tik' sound with each parry. Their movements, though rhythmic, betrayed a lack of intelligence. 'Tik tik tik tik' - the cadence continued until Zach pounced, savagely rending the Naga open.

A surge of satisfaction coursed through Immanuel. Gripping his sword tightly, he rolled his shoulders, shaking off the tension. Drawing a deep breath, he consciously dialed down his core energy.

"Let's continue exploring. If we find nothing, we'll confront the Dark Divinity," he proposed.

"Stop referring to it as a divinity," Syl retorted, descending to stand before him. The stairs lent her an imposing height advantage.

"May I?" she inquired, a hint of eagerness in her voice.

"Oh, yes!" he responded, extending his hand, from which she drank eagerly.

Together, they ascended the stairs, bypassing many doors they could not open. Reaching the summit, they found the staircase abruptly terminating against a solid wall.

´Wtf.´ Thought Immanuel.

Immanuel meticulously examined the wall, pressing and prodding in search of a hidden passage. His fingers traced the rough texture of the stone, while Zach and Syl observed in patient silence.

"Now, why would it just end abruptly? That's nonsensical," he mumbled to himself.

In a mix of frustration and curiosity, he leaped up, thumping the wall at random spots, hoping for a secret passage.

"Alright," he conceded with a hint of resignation. They began retracing their steps. Devoid of windows, the corridor offered no clues about their location or altitude within the castle. Encountering another squad of Naga, they quickly dispatched them, leveraging the element of surprise to their advantage.

Descending further, they stumbled upon the 'big boy room'. Dominating the center stood the colossal, motionless Naga. The room itself stretched out impossibly vast, dwarfing them in its enormity.

Having scoured every part of the castle they had access to, engaging in skirmishes with groups of Naga along the way, the trio found themselves once again confronting the formidable 'big boy' Naga. The sense of inevitability hung heavy in the air, leading Immanuel to ask with a tone of resignation, "You really think we can do this?"

"Yes," Syl responded confidently.

"And how exactly should we go about it?" .

"You engage it. We will scale the walls to attack if from above. Be ready to switch targets if it focuses on one of us," she advised.

"Make sure to conserve your…" Syl began, but her words trailed off as she noticed Immanuel's clenched hand, his grip on his sword and axe betraying his inner turmoil.

"Damn it! We have to do this, don't we? We did not bring enough supplies and its fucking cold…

…Just promise me, if we survive this and ever decide to explore an ancient dungeon again, we'll be better prepared.".

"I promise," Syl assured him. Zach's growl resonated in the background.

"What's he saying?" Immanuel asked, looking towards Zach.

"He wants to fight," Syl replied. Then, with a surprising move, she shed her ornate robes, revealing her combat-ready form, dressed only in simple white cloth knickers.

"Keep these safe for me," she instructed, handing over the robes.

"Syl, you can't possibly fight like that?" Immanuel questioned, taken aback.

"Zach always fights naked…”

“Zach has fur.”

She gave him a meaningful look and answered, “These robes are too precious to risk in such a battle. Please, store them safely."

Seeing there was no point in arguing Immanuel stored Syl's robes and steeled himself for the fight ahead.

----

They strode in, the door sliding shut behind them, eerily quiet. The creature rose, its massive black form towering imposingly above the ground.

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"I'll distract it; you climb the pillars and draw its attention," Immanuel reiterated, advancing towards the monstrosity. "If we survive, I expect a kiss," he added.

Without reacting, Syl darted towards a pillar, vanishing behind it. Zach took position on the opposite side, while Immanuel moved down the central aisle, flanked by towering pillars.

The ambiance was eerily reminiscent of a forsaken cathedral, casting an almost sacred silence over the scene.

The creature charged towards Immanuel, defying its massive size with an alarming speed. Immanuel's heart pounded furiously, and his throat parched with adrenaline. The vastness of the space only accentuated the creature's immense size as it drew nearer.

It resembled a pitch-black mountain brought to life, moving like a centipede with lethal arms primed to strike.

The creature halted abruptly, just as Immanuel braced for impact. Its hard, black legs tapped rhythmically against the stone floor before it accelerated again, this time heading towards Zach's hiding spot. "Zach!" Immanuel shouted, teleporting to the maximum distance he could manage, yet still falling short. The creature slammed into Zach's pillar with four of its spiked arms, causing it to burst into a geyser of stone and dust.

"Zach!" Immanuel teleported again, materializing next to one of the creature's colossal legs. The creature reacted swiftly, raising its limb and slashing downwards. Immanuel teleported in a desperate attempt to reach its underbelly but instead materialized beneath the creature, plummeting down. As he fell, the beast repositioned itself. Still in freefall, Immanuel watched as another leg descended towards him, and he teleported away in the nick of time.

He burst into a sprint, the monstrous being hot on his heels. With no time to spare a thought for Zach, Immanuel focused solely on reaching Syl's location. His core energy was rapidly depleting from the incessant use of his flash ability and the sheer effort of sustaining his physical exertion. Dodging a descending leg, he leaped back.

Their training against the smaller Naga had imparted some valuable lessons, but the sheer scale of this creature presented completely new challenges.

The colossal Naga repositioned with alarming agility, poised to strike down at Immanuel again. He darted backward, then in a bold move, flashed forward, weaving through the forest of deadly legs.

Injecting a surge of energy into his legs, he sprinted towards Syl's pillar at full tilt, the Naga's massive form looming ominously behind him. Its presence was so immense it seemed to warp the very air around him.

Flashing left to evade another leg, Immanuel realized the dire necessity of conserving energy – he had to block and dodge or risk depleting his reserves through excessive flashing. As a second leg descended, he skidded to a halt, sliding across the floor. Raising his sword horizontally, Immanuel used it as a makeshift barricade against the descending leg. He positioned his ax on the opposite side, creating a supportive pillar.

With a burst of energy from his core, he braced for impact. The leg crashed down with immense force, his muscles straining visibly under the pressure. He sank slightly, knees and arms trembling, but he held. The creature kept him pinned, gradually increasing the pressure as if testing the limits of his strength.

His body shook violently, a scream echoing through the cavernous space, amplified by the potent energy coursing through him.

"I have to hold it here," he thought determinedly, as two more arms shot towards him from either side, aiming to pierce him. Desperately, he attempted to flash away, only to realize with mounting horror that he couldn't.

The legs impaled him on both sides, his eyes widening like saucers in silent shock. As the Naga readied itself for a lethal strike, Immanuel gasped, his body convulsing with pain. Collapsing, he momentarily eased the pressure on his sword. Seizing this brief respite, he activated his flash ability to its limits, evading the crushing foot. He reappeared next to a pillar, leaning heavily against it for support.

The Naga pursued relentlessly. Immanuel, now weaponless save for his sword, spotted Syl descending from a great height onto the top of the Naga's massive form.

In response, the Naga began to thrash wildly. It charged at a pillar, smashing its head against it with such force that the structure splintered, sending both large and small fragments scattering across the room.

"I have to keep going," Immanuel thought, clutching his side to stem the bleeding. Igniting his core energy, he scrambled forward.

He caught sight of Zach, moving at an incredible speed on all fours, a small ray of hope in the chaos. Zach scaled a nearby column with great speed, defying gravity as he ascended.

Meanwhile, Immanuel's wounds began to heal. Spotting his ax on the ground, he made a beeline for it. The Naga, in a frenzy, crashed through another column, but Zach, timing his movement perfectly, leaped over it in a grand arc just as it passed beneath him.

With each step, Immanuel's healing accelerated. By the time he reached his ax, he was running normally, though pain still racked his body. The Naga, in a fit of frenzy, smashed through another pillar. Frustrated by its ineffectiveness, the creature suddenly collapsed onto its massive body. Its legs and arms twisted unnaturally, so it now reached his own body and started stabbing.

Immanuel was engulfed by a sense of dread, acutely aware that without his flash ability, he would have already been dead if he were up there. How could they possibly defend themselves?

In a desperate move, he teleported to the maximum distance his powers allowed. Channeling all his energy into his arm, he hurled his ax with all his might. The weapon sliced through the air, embedding itself deeply into the Naga's dark mass. The impact was significant, provoking a violent reaction from the creature as it leaped up and charged towards Immanuel.

Cursing under his breath, Immanuel sprinted towards the nearest pillar for cover. The Naga was alarmingly swift, closing in rapidly. Fearing his flash might be nullified again, Immanuel preemptively teleported beneath the creature. The Naga began to reposition itself, seemingly considering the two assailants on its back as the greater threat again.

Immanuel, seizing the opportunity, darted between its legs, pursuing the creature as it crashed through another pillar. Amidst the debris, he caught a glimpse of Syl's body being flung through the air, fueling a surge of fear and rage within him.

Immanuel channeled more energy into his sword than ever before. The blade radiated a golden glow, humming and sparking with raw power. With a swift motion, he threw the sword. It spiraled through the air at incredible speed, striking the Naga. The sword vanished into the creature's dark mass.

As the Naga shifted its focus back to Immanuel, he heard Syl's determined yell. She was scaling the pillar she had been thrown against, ready to rejoin the fight.

Weaponless and nearly depleted of energy, Immanuel mustered all his remaining strength for a final sprint. The Naga advanced, and he knew his only chance was to dart beneath it, drawing it towards Syl. He narrowly dodged the first onslaught of black spikes, rolling and sprinting through the debris-strewn area.

But then, agony struck – a black spike drilled through his foot. Pinned in place, he was overwhelmed by pain. Reacting instinctively, Immanuel lifted a massive block from a fallen pillar, using it as a shield just as two more arms struck. The impact hurled him backward, ripping his foot free from the spike. He slid to a stop, quickly gathering fist-sized rocks and flashing away as more spikes descended.

Limping and adjusting his gait to accommodate his wounded foot, he threw the rocks with the last vestiges of his strength. They struck the Naga, but it continued its relentless pursuit.

Resigned yet at peace, thoughts flashed through Immanuel's mind. He had done everything he could, never abandoning his friends, proving his mettle.

As Syl attacked the creature from above, a spike aimed for Immanuel. He let himself fall back, evading it, but not entirely – the spike pierced the left side of his belly. Gritting his teeth, he held onto it, hoping to keep the Naga distracted for as long as possible.

Then, darkness enveloped him as the creature descended upon him.

Immanuel's mind raced, desperate to find a way to assist Zach and Syl, who were now the primary targets of the Naga's fury. "Calm down, focus," he told himself, knowing that clarity was crucial in this dire situation. He initiated the cooldown process of his core, aiming to extract the dark black sword from his storage. His energy was so depleted that the process completed almost instantly.

He attempted to summon the sword, but to no avail. His access to his storage remained intact, yet he was unable to retrieve anything from it. Immobilized by pain, Immanuel fought to keep still, as any movement sent waves of agony through his body. His breathing grew shallow, a strategy to mitigate the pain, but this also made him dizzy and light-headed.

Determined not to lose consciousness, Immanuel clung to awareness with resolve. "I will not die knocked out," he thought, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Deep breaths brought intense pain, while shallow breaths offered marginal relief. He oscillated between the two, struggling to maintain his grasp on consciousness and hoping Zach and Syl could finish the job.