A Dark Encounter

Damien walked down the steps, his dark hood pulled back as he scanned around the room. Unlike the previous floors, the fifth floor resembled a small arena made of dark stone. Torches hung from the walls, brightening the arena.

Straight ahead, a monster seemed to devour the light around it.

The Dungeon Warden.

The boss of the capital dungeon. It wore heavy black armor that coated its entire body; the surface was covered in scratches and dents. In its hand rested a massive black greatsword, nearly as tall as the Warden itself.

It appeared to be sleeping, but Damien wasn’t fooled. Red eyes peered through the helmet’s slits, waiting for him to make the first move.

Damien immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

“Boss of the Dungeon! I stand before you not as a challenge, but as a person to help feed you magic, quickening your escape from this prison!”

The ground shook, but Damien held his place, keeping his head bowed.

Each second felt like hours. Sweat pooled at the back of his head. His heartbeat thundered against his ribs, worsening as the sense of dread grew.

Yet the Dungeon Warden remained quiet.

My master said my mana should entice the boss, yet he hasn’t even moved an inch.

Damien dared not speak ill of the man who gave him power, but discouragement crept in. Just a month longer, he would’ve been able to evolve his goblins enough to at least challenge the boss. As he was now, they wouldn’t be able to dent boots on the monster’s feet.

Dammit, just dammit.

His hands clenched his pant leg tightly. To escape, he’d have to run fast. If the Dungeon Warden decided to attack, the greatsword would swing quicker than he could move.

Soon, a breeze swept through the area, carrying the weight of a dark presence.

“Rise, follower of the Dark God. Speak thy burden upon my ear so I may know the reason why you stand before me instead.”

Damien’s head snapped up in shock. He hesitated; he knew one wrong move could mean his death.

“I said speak!” The deep voice roared.

Bang!

The boss room door slammed shut.

A loud noise startled Damien to his core.

He gripped his chest, legs shaking as he got to his feet. It took multiple deep breaths before he was able to gather the courage to speak the words he’d been waiting to say.

“Oh, Dungeon Warden! I am here to offer you my magic, along with the magic of my summons, until you gain the power to free yourself from these chains and can walk once more upon the earth!”

For the first time since walking in the room, the monster moved. Its entire body turned toward Damien, a dark red glow surrounding its body.

“Follower of the Dark God, welcome to my home,” it said in a smooth tone.

But the amusement Damien sensed in its voice terrified him.

For the first time since following this path, he finally considered that maybe, just maybe, he had made a mistake in following Adrian.