Chapter 11 - Cornered

The duo turned to face the hellhound.

With his sound-suppressed carbine, Renji fired a burst at one of the heads—several rounds slammed into its face, shredding flesh and bursting an eye. The piercing pain came out of nowhere, confusing the beast.

Seizing the moment, he grabbed Alina’s arm and sprinted toward a large boulder, trying to put something solid between them and the feral creature. Alina, still reeling from Rovan’s betrayal, stumbled after him, barely keeping up.

The hellhound stood its ground, both heads watching, wary, tracking their movements.

This is bad. If we don’t move faster, we’re dead.

He hoisted Alina over his shoulder and broke into a sprint. Up ahead, he spotted a break in the cavern wall—a narrow crevice just wide enough to squeeze through.

The hellhound roared and made its decision. It charged.

“Alina! Any magic you can use on that thing?”

Alina snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware she was dangling over Renji’s shoulder, facing the monstrous beast behind them. She muttered a rapid incantation and thrust her staff backward. A burst of frost shot out, exploding toward the hellhound. Ice spread across its snout, chest, and forelegs, slowing its momentum.

It was just enough.

They reached the crevice—about a metre wide, two metres high, and several metres deep. Renji lowered Alina to her feet and gently pushed her forward.

“Get in there, quick!”

Alina slipped inside. Renji followed close behind.

Both were panting.

“Sorry, Renji… I spaced out for… a moment,” Alina said between breaths, looking down at the stone beneath her boots.

“Don’t worry about it. Now’s not the time. Do you have any ideas on how to take that thing down?”

Alina shook her head silently.

She still looks shaken… Not used to combat. Betrayed by someone close—yeah, that’ll mess anyone up.

Renji did a quick gear check. Two grenades. One flashbang. Four carbine magazines. Two for the sidearm.

The hellhound roared and thrust a paw into the crevice, claws scraping against stone as it tried to reach them. Alina yelped and pressed back.

Renji drew his sword and drove it down into the massive paw. The creature let out a thunderous roar of pain as he stabbed again. It yanked the limb back before he could strike a third time.

It’s a dog. The bloody mutt’s going to try and stick its nose in next.

He crouched and raised his carbine.

Sure enough, the hellhound shoved its snout into the gap.

He unloaded the rest of the magazine into its face at point-blank range.

The beast howled in agony and withdrew.

Renji reloaded swiftly, then waited—but the creature didn’t return.

He turned to Alina. “Stay here. I’m going to check on it.”

“No! Don’t leave me,” she said, grabbing the edge of his cloak.

He placed a hand over hers, gently prying her fingers loose. “I’m not going far—just taking a peek.”

Renji crept to the edge and pulled out his small mirror-on-a-stick, angling it just outside the crevice. The hellhound was still out there, prowling. One of its heads hung limp, and it was limping heavily.

He slipped back and crouched beside Alina.

Resting a hand on her shoulder, he asked, “Alina, can you still cast? Something like that frost spell—just enough to slow it down?”

Alina gave a shaky nod. “I think so.”

“It’s wounded. Looks like its movements are slowed. I have a plan to kill it.”

He took a moment to explain.

Alina listened, then looked him in the eye. “Are you sure it’ll work?”

“It has a high probability of success,” he said, jaw tightening. “Worst case, we run back in here and come up with something else.”

“Alright. Got it.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself.

They lay in wait just inside the mouth of the crevice.

“Ready?”

“Ready,” Alina replied with a nod.

Renji burst out from cover, sprinting across the cavern floor. The hellhound immediately locked onto him and gave chase. Its limp—caused by the wounded paw—and the dead weight of its right head slowed it considerably. He snaked around boulders, weaving his path to buy more time.

While the beast focused on Renji, Alina emerged from the crevice and took position beside a large boulder as instructed. She raised her staff and began chanting.

Renji cut across her line of sight, angling his path to draw the hellhound in front of her. The spell she was preparing consumed a magic crystal and took time to cast.

He reached the far end of the cavern and spun around, carbine raised. The creature was closing in fast.

She needs to be done soon. If I got the timing wrong, that thing’s going to tear me apart.

Just as his finger began to squeeze the trigger, a massive blast of frost slammed into the hellhound’s flank. Ice burst across its body, wrapping around its legs and side, freezing it in place mid-lunge. The creature roared as it fought against the bindings.

“I hope it holds,” Renji muttered.

He yanked a grenade from his vest and sprinted forward. Pulling the pin, he rolled the grenade under the immobilised beast. A high-pitched click echoed as the spoon snapped free. It clattered across the stone, stopping beneath its belly.

Renji sprinted toward the boulder, grabbing Alina’s arm as he passed. He pulled her around, placing the boulder between them and the hellhound, then shoved her into a crouch and covered her with his body.

“Cover your ears and open your mouth!” he ordered.

Alina obeyed without hesitation.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the cavern, sending a shockwave through the stone and knocking dust loose from the ceiling. Pebbles rained down around them.

When the dust settled, both of them coughed and waved grit from their faces.

“D-did we get it?” Alina asked, still crouched beneath him, her face flushed.

“I hope so,” Renji replied as he stood and crept around the boulder, carbine at the ready.

The sight stopped him cold. The hellhound lay on its side, a massive, charred wound torn open in its belly. Blood was splattered across the cavern floor, mingled with shards of ice.

Then—its chest moved. A weak rise and fall.

It’s still alive?

He drew his sword and approached cautiously. The creature wheezed, blood gurgling in its throat, its head twitching feebly.

He drove the blade into the soft spot at the base of the skull.

The hellhound gave a final twitch, then went still.

Moments later, the corpse dissolved into ash, leaving behind a thick black pelt and a clear magic crystal roughly the size of a fist.

Renji picked them up. These might prove useful.

Alina approached, eyes widening at the crystal. “A clear magic crystal? I’ve never seen—or even heard—of one before. That pelt though… it could be turned into enchanted clothing.”

“Good to know.” Renji tucked the crystal into his pack and rolled the pelt tightly, strapping it to the top.

“Is it safe to spend the night here?” he asked.

“It should be. The hellhound won’t respawn for another week. Hardly anyone tries to take down a Floor Lord anymore… not worth the risk,” Alina murmured.

“The exits are sealed by the Duke’s mages,” Renji said. “I’m guessing that one leads to Floor Twenty?” He pointed to the sealed exit where the hellhound had been sleeping.

Alina nodded. “Yes… and also the path to Twenty-One. The spells that sealed the exits should wear off by morning.” Her voice lacked the usual cheer he was used to.

Looks like she’ll need more time to recover from what happened.

They found a quiet corner and lit a small fire.

Alina lay on her side, back turned to the flames. Renji heard her sobbing softly.

He said nothing, giving her space, and stared into the fire, mind already turning.

Rovan probably never contacted the sage. Maybe we’ll need to find him ourselves.

He pulled the crystal from his pack and stared into it. For some unknown reason, he found himself drawn to it.

***

Audience chamber, Duke Thorval’s Mansion, Floor Twenty.

Duke Thorval sat at his desk, his gaze fixed on the cloaked figure before him. This time, the man had lowered his hood, revealing the sharp features of Rovan.

“Rovan, it looks like you weren’t able to convince your student to join us. Both of them are dead now, I assume?” the Duke asked evenly.

“The hellhound on Nineteen took care of them. It usually takes a party of four seasoned adventurers to bring that beast down.”

“Did you witness their deaths?”

Rovan remained silent.

Duke Thorval’s hand shot out, and an invisible force hurled Rovan backwards, pinning him hard against the wall.

“I gave you an opportunity to do it your way. You know what she is. And you dare report her death without having seen her die?” His voice dropped, cold as stone. “What if she awakens?”

Rovan struggled to breathe under the crushing pressure, unable to answer.

Vaerina, standing beside the Duke, placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. “I was there as well, my Lord. The chance of their survival is… exceedingly slim.”

The Duke’s eyes stayed on Rovan a beat longer before he released his grip. The mage slumped to the floor, rubbing his neck and drawing a careful breath.

“‘Slim’ is not the same as ‘none,’” the Duke said coldly. “If she is not on our side, she cannot be allowed to awaken. The balance of this floor—my hold over it—depends on it. You will confirm her death, one way or another. No mistakes this time.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Rovan managed.

“Good. And Rovan…” The Duke leaned forward slightly. “If word of this reaches the Council of Dukes, you will wish the hellhound had finished you first.”

Rovan rose, casting a wary glance toward Vaerina before turning to go. The door shut behind him with a heavy thud, leaving only the Duke and his head mage in the chamber.

Vaerina’s lips curved in the faintest of smiles. If she lives, it will be… interesting to see how long before she realises what she truly is.