Chapter 18 - Trial

Floor Thirty-Nine, Great Labyrinth

Two days after their clash with the wyverns, Renji and Alina were in battle with a particularly stubborn giant flame salamander, working their way closer to the Floor Boss’s den.

“Here it comes,” Renji warned, shifting his stance.

Alina stuck her staff into the ground and a two-metre ice wall burst from the ground just as a fireball slammed into it, exploding in steam that rolled across the cavern.

The five-metre-long beast’s reddish-brown scales shimmered, its barbed tail lashing from side to side. Its menacing yellow eyes locked on Alina as flames curled from its mouth before its tongue flicked out.

Renji sidestepped, keeping the ice wall between them. “You’re getting a lot better with those ice walls,” he continued. “Your water magic makes fighting these salamanders so much easier.”

“The past several days gave me intense practice,” she replied, blushing slightly at the compliment.

The salamander snarled, eyes locked on her. Another breath—this time hotter, brighter.

Not enough just to block it. I need to break through.

Alina raised her staff higher, water crystal in hand. A jet of pressurised water lanced forward, striking the beast across the snout. Steam hissed as scale and flesh cracked under the blast. The salamander reared, coughing smoke.

“Nice hit!” Renji lunged in. But instead of his usual strike, Alina’s water jet shifted, pinning the salamander’s head to the side.

“Now!” she shouted.

Renji didn’t hesitate. He drove his blade deep into the exposed joint of its neck, twisting free before the beast could lash with its tail. Blood and fire spilled as the salamander collapsed in a hiss of steam.

Both of them staggered back from the sudden heat.

Renji wiped his blade clean. “That water cut through better than steel. Might even work on something bigger.”

Alina smirked, cheeks flushed. “Then I’ll just have to keep the water flowing.”

Unseen in the shadows, a pair of elven eyes tracked their every move.

***

Meanwhile — Dungeon Floor Nineteen.

Duke Thorval had his hands raised as several magic crystals hovered in the air before him. Power rippled from the crystals as a humanoid figure began to take shape around them—three metres tall, forged from solid grey stone.

The group moved through the dungeon floor, with the golem in the lead. Its heavy footsteps vibrated across the floor as it lumbered towards a pack of snarling direwolves. The beasts growled low, hackles raised, wary of the massive intruder.

The golem’s fist lashed out in an arc, catching the wolf mid-leap and hurling it against the stone wall with a wet crunch. The corpse slid down the wall, leaving a streak of blood.

More wolves attacked. The golem met them with unyielding strength as bones shattered with every blow. In moments, half the pack lay broken and still. Then, without warning, the construct froze—and crumbled into a heap of rubble.

“This is pathetic,” the Duke snapped, his voice thick with frustration. “Barely a few minutes. Useless unless they can survive far longer than this.”

Vaerina stepped forward, her eyes glinting. “I will work on increasing the power of the core crystals. Also, we had more success with the modified soldiers.”

At her signal, two guards dragged a trembling, dark-haired slave into the chamber. A third brought a breastplate adorned with inset magic crystals and forced it onto the man’s torso.

Vaerina stretched out her hand, incanting in a deliberate tone. A magic circle glowed beneath the slave’s feet. His eyes snapped open, glowing red. Veins pulsed at the sides of his face and temples. He roared, as if in pain.

“Forward,” she commanded.

The slave moved like a predator, meeting the charging direwolf head-on. The beast leapt, snarling—and was swatted aside by a single blow.

The wolf staggered up, growled, and lunged again. This time the slave’s backhand sent it crashing into the wall. He followed, pounding the beast into the floor until it lay still, blood pooling beneath its carcass.

Another gesture from Vaerina, and the red glow in his eyes faded. The man collapsed to his knees, staring at his bloodied hands in shock.

“With adequate rest,” she said smoothly, “an armoured soldier can fight for close to an hour before the body fails.”

The Duke studied the slave for a moment. “How many can you produce?”

Vaerina stepped closer, her voice dropping to a purr as she traced her fingers down the Duke’s chest. “We’ll need time for the armoursmiths to forge more suits… but with enough slaves and crystals?” She smiled. “As many as you desire.”

***

The next morning, Renji and Alina stood at the entrance to the den where the Thirty-Ninth Floor Boss rested.

The dungeon corridor widened until it opened into a chamber the size of two soccer fields. At its centre lay a dark-green Earthdrake—a wingless dragon, easily fifteen metres from snout to tail.

Acid breath and a clubbed tail, he recalled from Celia’s notes. Not the most agile creature.

Our only real defence is Alina’s ice wall. That leaves my sword for offence. Without a ranged option, this is risky.

“We’ll sneak around the right side,” Renji whispered. “Avoid the fight. That thing’s bad news.”

“Yeah, it’s scary,” Alina agreed.

“When we’re close to the exit, we run for it.”

“Understood.”

Renji led them in, hugging the right wall and keeping to the cover of columns and boulders.

They were more than halfway across when—

Boom!

They froze, eyes on the drake. The giant beast remained still, except for the occasional flick of its clubbed tail. Each strike hit the stone with a thumping boom that made the ground vibrate.

That noise might help cover us, Renji thought, motioning for Alina to move faster.

The drake lifted its head, spotting movement, and turned lazily toward them.

Not good.

Renji grabbed Alina’s arm. “Run!”

The beast rose to its feet and lunged.

Renji stopped short. “Don’t stop!” he barked.

“Renji? What are you—”

“Go!” he cut her off, sprinting the other way and drawing his sidearm.

Just need its attention for a few seconds. She can make it to the exit.

“No! Renji!”

“I’ll catch up! Go!” He fired a string of 9mm rounds at the drake—not enough to harm it, but loud enough to keep its attention. It worked.

The beast turned on him, its clubbed tail smashing the wall beside Alina with a booming crash. Stone and dust blasted outward.

Alina ducked behind her staff, shielding herself from the debris.

Renji rounded a column, keeping it between himself and the drake.

Alina began an incantation, a water crystal in her left hand. A massive icicle formed at her staff’s tip and shot toward the drake, shattering against its flank. The scales held, but the impact staggered it.

It roared and turned on her.

Her eyes widened—the spell had done less than she’d hoped.

“Alina, run!” Renji charged, sword drawn.

The drake spewed a jet of acid. She threw up an ice wall just in time, the hiss of melting ice echoing through the chamber. The tail swung, smashing through the wall as she bolted for the exit.

I need to get its attention.

Renji burst forward and time seemed to slow down—like the time with the wyverns.

It’s happening again?

He slashed at the drake’s hind ankle, aiming for a tendon. The blade cut through the scaled hide more easily than expected, slicing through flesh.

The beast roared, tail whipping toward him.

At such close range, the blow was weaker but still sent him tumbling across the ground before skidding to a stop.

“Renji!” Alina cried out.

Why is she still here? Can’t move my left shoulder—must be dislocated. Face is wet… blood.

He touched a hand to his face; his fingers came away red.

The drake’s gaze locked on him, steps slow and deliberate.

A blast of frost hit it from the side. Alina, staff raised, launched another volley. The second froze its legs for a heartbeat before the ice shattered.

It kept coming.

Renji sat up, clutching his left shoulder, blood streaking his face. His sword lay halfway between him and the drake.

An anti-tank missile would be nice right about now, he thought.