Breserker

Echo 2: Wrath

Level: 32
Class: Berserker

Stats:
STR: 68
AGI: 52
VIT: 49
LUK: 20
INT: 25

Energy: 1100/1100

Abilities:
Active: Reckless Charge, Slash, Backstab, Twin Cut, Blood Frenzy, Savage Rend, Titan's Grip
Passive: Immune to charm and mind control, Rage Buildup

The golem's foot froze mid-descent, held by something it couldn't see.

"Finally," Wrath growled, his voice carrying a deeper, more feral quality than before. "Let's see how tough you really are."

He lurched it sideways.

CRASH!

The massive stone body slammed into the golem beside it, the impact sending both creatures staggering.

"What the—" The B-rank leader stared in shock. "Did that golem just... attack its own?"

"I don't care what happened!" Gerald shouted. "PUSH FORWARD!"

The adventurers surged ahead, taking advantage of the sudden confusion. Swords found exposed joints, arrows struck undefended runes, magic hammered into now-vulnerable spots.

Wrath moved like a crimson storm through the chaos, his enhanced strength letting him tear through stone that had resisted everything else. He grabbed the staggering golem's arm and wrenched it with savage force.

CRACK!

The stone limb shattered at the elbow joint, fragments exploding outward. The golem toppled, its balance destroyed.

From the adventurers' perspective, the creature simply collapsed as if its own weight had become too much to bear.

"They're falling apart!" Helena screamed, hope flooding her voice. "Keep hitting them!"

Adrian's party pushed forward alongside ours, everyone desperate to capitalize on whatever bizarre luck had turned the tide. 

Nobody questioned it, they just fought.

Wrath leaped onto another golem's back, his claws finding purchase in the stone surface. 

[Savage Rend!] 

He tore through rune after rune, his berserker strength making the task almost effortless.

The golem thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge an attacker it couldn't see or understand. Its flailing arms caught one of Adrian's party members, sending the woman flying, but it also exposed its core to concentrated fire from our mages.

The tide turned like a breaking dam.

I stayed close to Jay, coordinating our attacks. When Wrath ripped open a golem's leg joint, I drove my blade deep into the exposed gap with [Quick Strike]. When Jay shattered a cluster of runes, I followed with [Cleave] to widen the damage.

CRASH!

The second golem collapsed, its legs finally giving out under concentrated assault. Adventurers swarmed over it like ants, weapons finding the now-vulnerable core runes.

[Ding!] [Ding!] [Ding!]

[Level up!] [Level up!] [Level up!] 

Rei had taken position behind a fallen piece of debris, launching [Shade Dart] at the remaining golems' eyes from relative safe distance. The dark projectiles didn't damage stone, but they created crucial moments of confusion that let other adventurers land killing blows.

"Third one's falling!" Gerald roared, his backup shield still holding despite being battered to hell. He and the other tanks pressed forward, using the momentum to drive wedges between the remaining golems.

BOOM!

Helena's lightning caught an exposed rune cluster on the fourth golem's chest. The explosion sent stone fragments flying, and the creature's movements became erratic and uncoordinated.

Adrian's party converged on it from the other side. His mage unleashed a barrage of bolts that hammered the weakened structure. The archer's arrows found every compromised joint.

Wrath grabbed the fourth golem's arm with [Titan's Grip] and wrenched with his full berserker strength.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The arm tore free in a shower of stone and dying rune-light. The golem toppled sideways, crushing an unlucky adventurer who'd gotten too close.

Two golems left.

But the cost was mounting. Bodies lay scattered across the shattered corridor, some crushed beyond recognition, others bleeding out from wounds the healers couldn't reach in time. Aria moved between the injured, but even she couldn't save everyone.

The fifth golem caught one of the B-rank party members with a glancing blow that sent him tumbling. He didn't get back up.

"Keep pushing!" the B-rank leader screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Don't let them die for nothing!"

Jay and I coordinated on the fifth golem while Wrath engaged the last one. Jay appeared behind rune clusters, his daggers dug in already-weakened stone. I followed each opening with [Reaper's Step], my blade carving deeper into the spreading cracks.

CRASH!

The fifth golem went down, its core runes finally shattering under the sustained assault.

That left one.

Wrath circled it like a predator, his crimson-marked form moving with terrifying speed. 

[Blood Frenzy] 

He grabbed the golem's leg and simply pulled.

The golem toppled forward—

Right into a coordinated strike from every remaining mage and archer. Fire, ice, lightning, and arrows converged on its exposed back in a devastating barrage.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The explosion lit up the entire corridor. 

When the smoke cleared, only rubble remained.

Silence fell, broken only by the groans of the wounded and the ragged breathing of survivors.

Of the roughly sixty adventurers who'd entered this corridor, maybe thirty were still standing. Another fifteen lay wounded but alive. The rest...

Gerald slumped against the wall, his ruined shield finally slipping from nerveless fingers. Blood ran freely from a dozen cuts. "We won," he said, though the word sounded hollow. "We actually won."

Aria was already moving between the wounded, her hands glowing with healing magic despite obvious exhaustion. Jay limped back to our group, one arm hanging limp at his side.

I looked at Wrath, whose berserker form was starting to fade back to its normal translucent state. The red markings dimmed.

We'd survived. But the corridor behind us was a graveyard, and this was just the entrance to whatever hell waited deeper in the dungeon.

Gerald pushed himself upright, wincing as his battered body protested.

 "We need to head back. This corridor nearly killed us, and god knows what else is waiting deeper in."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the survivors. No one wanted to push forward after what they'd just endured.

"Let's regroup with the other teams," the B-rank leader said, already turning toward the entrance. "We need to report casualties and—"

But she stopped.

Where the corridor had opened behind us, where we'd entered from the massive cathedral chamber, there was now only smooth black stone. A seamless wall, as if the passage had never existed.

"What the hell?" Gerald limped over, pressing his hands against the surface. "This wasn't here before."

Helena stepped forward, her staff's crystal pulsing as she examined the wall with magical sight. Her face went pale. "It's not an illusion. This is real stone."

"But we just came through there!" one of Adrian's party members protested, panic creeping into his voice. "The entrance was right there!"

Jay had already moved to check the walls on either side. "No hidden mechanisms. No seams. Nothing." He looked back at us, his expression grim. "It's like the dungeon sealed itself behind us."

The realization settled over everyone. We couldn't go back.

Aria's hands were shaking as she tended to another wounded adventurer. "So we either stay here and hope the wall opens again, or..."

"Or we go forward," I finished, looking toward where the corridor continued deeper into darkness. "Into whatever else this place has waiting for us."

Gerald exchanged glances with the other surviving party leaders. It was simple stay here with limited supplies and hope for rescue that might never come, or push deeper into a dungeon that had already killed a quarter of our force.

"Fuck," Adrian muttered, staring at the sealed passage. 

Wrath was quiet beside me.

While Rei pressed closer, trembling. "This is bad. This is really, really bad."

Eventually they decided to take the chance. Maybe the golems had been guarding the entrance, and the rest of the passage would be clear. It was desperate logic, but desperation was all had left.

"Move out," Gerald ordered, though his voice lacked its usual authority. "Stay alert. Watch each other's backs."

The group limped forward down the corridor, their formation loose and ragged. Aria was struggling, her steps uneven as exhaustion from burning through her mana reserves caught up with her. She stumbled, and I caught her elbow before she could fall.

"Easy," I said, letting her lean some of her weight against my shoulder. "Just keep moving."

"I'm fine," she muttered, though her pale face and trembling hands said otherwise. "Just... give me a minute."

We didn't have a minute, but I slowed my pace to match hers anyway.

The corridor eventually opened into a chamber. Stone pillars supported a vaulted ceiling, and the blue torches cast their cold light across...

Nothing. No monsters. No traps. Just empty space.

And treasure.

Wooden chests lined the walls, their surfaces covered in dust but intact. Weapons hung on display racks - swords, spears, bows that gleamed despite their age. Coins glittered in open coffers, and magical artifacts hummed with latent power on stone pedestals.

The tension in the group shifted immediately. Exhausted faces brightened with greed and relief. This was what adventurers lived for, the payoff that made all the risk worthwhile.

"Finally," Adrian breathed, his earlier panic forgotten as he moved toward the nearest chest with obvious hunger. "Some good fortune for once."

Gerald looked skeptical but didn't stop anyone from investigating. The survivors spread out through the chamber, examining the loot with varying degrees of caution and avarice.

Adrian was practically glowing with satisfaction as he examined a jeweled dagger. "This alone is worth more than most people make in a year."

Helena picked up a staff that resonated with her own magical signature, her eyes widening. "These are high-quality enchantments."

Even the injured were perking up, their pain momentarily forgotten in the face of potential wealth.

I watched them all and felt nothing but unease settling deeper into my gut.

'A chamber full of treasure, right after a deadly trap. No guards. No protection. Just... sitting here.'

Wrath materialized beside me. "This feels wrong."

"Yeah," I agreed quietly. "It does."

Rei was pressed against my back, too nervous to even look at the treasure. 

But nobody else seemed to care. They were too busy counting their good fortune and trying to forget the bodies we'd left behind in the corridor.

Then as if reading my mind.

CRASH!

Some doors, which were kind of hidden doors, slammed open on both sides of the chamber. 

And about ten massive wolves burst through. Their fur was matted and dark, eyes glowing with the same green light as the golem runes. Saliva dripped from jaws filled with teeth like daggers.

The chamber fell silent except for the low, rumbling growls that seemed to shake the air itself.

Adrian dropped the jeweled dagger, his hands fumbling for his sword. "No. No no no, not again—"

One of the injured adventurers tried to back away and stumbled, falling hard on his wounded leg. The nearest wolf's eyes locked onto the movement.

"WEAPONS UP!" Gerald roared, though his voice cracked with exhaustion. He raised his sword with both hands, his ruined shield abandoned back in the corridor.

Those who could still fight scrambled into defensive positions, but the formation was a mess. People were scattered across the chamber, separated by chests and pillars. The wolves had them divided before the fight even started.

Helena tried to raise her new staff, but her hands were shaking too badly. "I don't have enough mana left."

Three wolves lunged simultaneously at different targets.

SNARL!

The first wolf went for Jay, who barely got his daggers up in time.

The second targeted one of the B-rank adventurers who was still clutching her wounded side. She screamed as jaws closed around her arm.

The third came straight for Aria.

But I was already moving. 

[Dash!] 

I blurred between her and the wolf, my blade coming up just as the creature's jaws snapped shut on empty air where her throat had been and I cut across its snout, drawing blood. The wolf snarled and pivoted toward me instead.

"Everyone pair up!" I shouted. "Don't let them isolate you!"

But it was too late for coordination. The chamber had dissolved into chaos as the remaining seven wolves spread out, each one targeting the weakest-looking prey.

Wrath's red markings flared again.

[Blood Frenzy!]

He launched himself at the wolf attacking Jay.

I didn't have time to watch. My own opponent was circling, looking for an opening. 

The wolf feinted left, then lunged right.

[Evasion!]

I sidestepped and brought my blade down across its exposed side.

SLASH!

Blood sprayed, but the wound wasn't deep enough. The wolf twisted mid-air and its claws raked across my shoulder, tearing through leather and drawing hot lines of pain.

I rolled away, creating distance. The wolf landed and immediately charged again, not giving me time to recover.

[Quick Strike!]

My blade found its throat this time. The creature's momentum carried it past me, blood fountaining from the wound. It crashed into a pillar and didn't get up.

Across the chamber, Wrath had torn the throat out of his target and was already moving to engage another.

But not everyone was faring as well. The adventurer who'd been caught by the second wolf was down, screams cutting off abruptly. 

Gerald was fighting two wolves at once.

Adrian's party had clustered together in a corner, using their tank as a shield while the others picked off wolves with ranged attacks. Smart, but it left everyone else more exposed.

Another wolf lunged at Helena. She swung her staff like a club, catching it across the head, but the impact jarred the weapon from her exhausted grip.

I activated [Reaper's Step], appearing behind the wolf before it could recover.

SLASH!

My blade carved through its spine. The creature collapsed, legs twitching uselessly.

Wrath had engaged two wolves simultaneously, tearing through fur and muscle with terrifying efficiency. 

Jay had recovered enough to fight properly. He and Gerald coordinated on one wolf, Jay's daggers finding joints while Gerald's sword kept the creature's attention. The wolf went down after a brutal exchange that left both men bleeding.

Five left.

The remaining wolves seemed to realize they were losing. Instead of continuing their scattered attacks, they pulled back and began circling as a pack.

"They're coordinating!" I shouted. "Don't let them surround us!"

The survivors tried to form up, but we were too scattered, too exhausted. The wolves had us exactly where they wanted us.

Then all five charged at once, each targeting a different victim.

I drove my blade through the wolf's skull, yanking it free as the creature collapsed.

[Ding!] [Ding!]

[Level up!] [Level up!]

CRASH!

Then suddenly, another hidden door burst open. More wolves poured through, at least eight more, their green eyes glowing with hunger.

"FALL BACK!" Gerald's voice cracked with desperation. He pointed toward a passage that had opened during the chaos. "Everyone OUT! NOW!"

The chamber descended into panicked retreat. Injured adventurers scrambled toward the exit, some crawling, others being dragged.

I cut down another wolf with [Quick Strike], backing toward the passage. Wrath was beside me.

The exit was narrow - barely wide enough for two people side by side. A bottleneck.

Gerald reached it first, physically shoving people through. "Move! Keep moving!"

I was halfway there when Aria collapsed. Her legs simply gave out, exhaustion and blood loss overwhelming her. 

The wolves saw it immediately. Four of them changed direction, racing toward easy prey.

'Fuck.'

I reversed direction without thinking, sprinting back. I reached her just as the first wolf lunged, using [Evasion] to sidestep its jaws while grabbing Aria under the arms.

Her weight settled on my back as I ran. My legs burned, my stamina bottoming out, but I pushed harder.

The passage was clogged. Too many people trying to fit through at once, creating a deadly jam. Adrian was near the back of the crush, trying to push past others.

The wolves were gaining. Ten feet behind. Eight. Six.

I wasn't going to make it carrying Aria. Not with the bottleneck.

"MOVE!" I screamed at the people blocking the passage.

Adrian turned, saw me carrying Aria with wolves right behind us. For a split second, our eyes met. He saw the same calculation I did - if he didn't move, we'd all die. If he got out of the way, he'd be the last one through with wolves at his heels.

His face went pale.

Then Wrath condensed his form and shoved Adrian making him stumble.

I dove, Aria's weight almost pulling us both down.

Gerald grabbed my arm and yanked us through the gap. I fell forward, Aria tumbling off my back.

Behind me, Adrian was the last one in the passage. He'd gotten turned around in the crush, facing backward, and his eyes went wide with horror as he saw the lead wolf lunging.

The massive creature's jaws were about to close around his throat.

I could pull him through.

Or I could seal the door.

But my hand was already on a lever that would drop the stone gate immediately instead of waiting for it to swing shut naturally.

Adrian's eyes found mine. 

"Your sacrifice will be remembered."

I whispered and his eyes went wide with recognition - the porter he'd left to die, the bait he'd used and forgotten. His mouth opened to speak—

But I pulled the lever.

SLAM!

The stone gate crashed down. Though I caught one last glimpse of Adrian's face - shock, terror, and understanding all at once.

Then just the sound of wolves, muffled by thick stone. And screaming. Lots of screaming echoed from behind.

The chamber fell silent except for ragged breathing.

Gerald stared at me, his expression unreadable. "You... he was right there. You could have pulled him through."

"The wolves were closer," I said flatly. "If I'd waited, they'd have gotten through too."

It was true. Technically true. The wolves HAD been right behind Adrian.

The survivors were looking at me with something between gratitude and horror.

I'd saved everyone else. That's what mattered.