After a brief rest, they pass through the gates.
It is very dark here.
The darkness flows along the walls, drips from the columns like black mist, swallowing any light.
On the throne, made of dark stone, sits the Harbinger of Death.
His eyes are two burning abysses.
His skull-like face, yet in the shape of a demon.
His body seems woven from necrotic energy – blue light breaks through the rips in his cloak.
He slowly turns his head toward those who have entered.
— "Your souls... belong to me."
At that moment, hell begins.
The darkness chokes on its own fury. The air hums with necrotic magic, and cold seeps into the bones. The stone floor is covered with black runes that tremble in anticipation of the final strike.
At the center of this nightmare stands the Harbinger of Death.
His massive sword burns with blue necrotic flame.
His presence is death itself, come to claim those who dared enter his domain.
And now...
The group charges into battle.
They rush in with full force!
Kano charges forward, his sword flying toward the Harbinger, but at the last moment, the blade is intercepted by a necrotic shield!
Sheila moves like lightning – faster than all of them, her daggers flashing in the darkness!
But the Harbinger doesn't even glance at her.
His sword makes a swift motion – and slices the air!
The blade cuts through Sheila as if she doesn't exist!
She stops... Her eyes widen...
Her blades slip from her hands.
Her body flies toward the doors, like a ragdoll.
She lies motionless.
"Elf... very strong. Incredibly strong."
"She will serve me."
But the Harbinger is not finished yet.
The Harbinger turns to Rudgard!
"The dwarf will also be my toy."
His sword rises high!
The dwarf raises his hammer, preparing to strike!
A blast of dark power!
The dwarf is thrown across the room and crashes against the door with a thunderous crash!
He is still. Unconscious.
The Harbinger doesn't even look at him anymore – it's no longer interesting to him.
Only Lianel remains... and Kano.
She draws her bowstring, but there's no arrow...
But something begins to change!
From her fingers, a beam of light begins to form, continuously lengthening, resembling a spear!
This is her strongest attack!
She feels her power concentrating in this strike!
She releases the arrow – and it flies straight toward the Harbinger!
He raises his sword to defend...
The arrow TEARS OFF HIS BONE HAND TOGETHER WITH THE SWORD!
He is thrown backward!
For the first time, the Harbinger of Death feels the loss of part of himself...
But Lianel doesn't realize that her power is drained... that her body can no longer hold up...
She stands on the brink, breathing heavily, nearly unconscious.
And the Harbinger is already before her.
His bony hand tightens around her throat!
Her legs dangle in the air, her fingers trying to pry his grip open, but he squeezes harder.
— "Royal blood... a rare find."
She chokes for air, her fingers clutching his hand, struggling to break free, but there is no more strength left.
He lifts her higher, as though showcasing his prize. His eyes burn with cold light.
— "You will become my new queen once I remove this useless living flesh."
He laughs…
Kano stands nearby, frozen in fear. His body does not move. His breath falters.
What is this? Why can't I do anything?!
And then, the Harbinger speaks:
— "Now I will have a royal blood toy!"
SOMETHING BREAKS INSIDE KANO.
His body ignites with uncontrollable fire!
"LET HER GO, MONSTER!!!"
The Harbinger of Death spins sharply!
"WHO?!"
His eyes frantically scan the room—but he does not SEE KANO!
"YOU CANNOT EXIST!"
And in that moment... A fireball appears in Kano's hands!
But this is no ordinary magical flame—this is PURE, UNRESTRAINED POWER!
The flame grows bigger than ever before, surpassing even the blast that destroyed the guild's training grounds!
The Harbinger feels, for the first time, that this is... something else. Something he doesn't understand.
"WHAT ARE YOU?!"
And he realizes he can no longer hold onto Lianel.
His bony hand hurls her away with force, like a rag!
She flies across the hall and crashes into the floor by the doors!
Her body rolls across the cold stone, leaving a bloody trail…
She breathes faintly, still conscious.
She sees... Kano. His body no longer obeys him... He is no longer Kano... He is something more...
The flames consume him entirely!
His eyes glow with searing fire.
The Harbinger realizes this is not magic from this world…
Kano no longer controls himself—he rises into the air, his body arching, arms flung back!
His face is twisted with both pain and fury!
And suddenly…
A GIANT EYE APPEARS IN THE FLAMES.
The eye looks at Kano… then at the Harbinger…
"N-NO! THIS CAN'T BE!"
EXPLOSION!
Everything shatters into pieces!
The darkness vanishes. Everything plunges into chaos.
And... Lianel loses consciousness...
Silence… but it's not peace. It's the heavy stillness after a storm.
Distant sounds of water dripping from the ceiling. The air is thick with smoke and dust. The stone floor still warm from the recent flames…
Something has changed, but they don't yet understand what.
The first sign of life after the explosion—a quiet cough.
It's Lianel. She regains consciousness.
Her head is splitting. Her chest aches as though someone is squeezing the last bit of air from her lungs.
When she opens her eyes, the world appears blurred—still dark, but she sees moving silhouettes…
She tries to sit up, but feels something sticky flowing down her neck – blood from the blow when the Harbinger threw her like a ragdoll.
Her clothes are burned – the cuff on her left arm has completely vanished, and in places the fabric has split, leaving charred skin exposed.
Her hair smells of smoke, the tips of the strands slightly singed.
Are... we still alive?
A deep breath... another... and finally, sound.
— "Ugh... What a damn mess..."
The dwarf struggles to sit, rubbing his head. His beard is covered in ash, some strands singed, and his armor is cracked and blackened after the explosion.
His hands tremble, but he's alive.
— "Can someone explain what the hell that was?!"
He notices Lianel, barely sitting up, and tries to stand, but his legs are still unresponsive.
Then, a soft groan.
Sheila opens her eyes, her vision still blurry.
Her clothes have also suffered – the corset burned on one side, leaving redness and burn marks on her skin. Her pants are torn at the thighs, and her skin is covered in small cuts and scratches.
Her dagger lies nearby, but her fingers can't yet grip it.
What... happened?
— "Damn... That was brutal..."
Everyone looks around, and the first thing they see... is Kano.
He lies at the center of the cave, motionless, his body burned, but still breathing.
His clothes are now just tattered rags barely clinging to his body. His white shirt is almost completely burned, leaving only scraps of fabric on his shoulders. His skin is covered in burns of varying degrees – from redness to black marks of deep injury.
But the worst part... are his hands.
His hands are fully burned, the skin cracked, with some parts still smoldering with ash. It looks as if he himself was burning along with the fire that consumed him.
They are horrified when they see his fingers – all cracked, oozing blood.
His chest rises heavily, but he is still alive.
— "Kano!" Lianel exclaims despite the pain, crawling closer.
When she reaches him, her eyes widen – right under Kano, something glimmers in the cave light.
It's a crystal.
Huge, glowing from within, bright orange.
It looks as if fire pulses inside it.
The dwarf's eyes widen.
— "This... This is..."
Sheila, still gasping for air, throws a glance at the crystal.
— "You're kidding... This... This is the level of a divine artifact."
Lianel breathes heavily, her hands shaking. She raises her head and looks at the others.
"I saw it. I saw how he burned... And in the flames, an... eye appeared."
Rudgard freezes.
— "What? What eye?!"
Lianel shakes her head.
"I don't know... But it wasn't normal fire. It's something..."
Kano shifts painfully. He opens his eyes... and the first thing he sees is the crystal.
—"What... is this?" he barely croaks, his voice raspy, his burned throat still not recovering.
No one knows the answer.
And at that moment, they all feel a dreadful sense – that they have uncovered something far more terrifying than just a dungeon...
What if this is only the beginning?