"Chàros, watch out!"
Elizabeth's urgent voice cut through the silence as she raised her wand, sending a bolt of lightning crackling through the air. The spell struck just in time, slamming into a Shadow Wolf that had crept dangerously close behind me.
"Thanks," I muttered as I stabbed the core of the wolf she just took down.
I noticed a strange phenomenon as I tore through the core. One that left me wondering the whole journey.
Half an hour later, we encountered the first floor's inhabitants—small, wolf-like creatures lurking in the dimly lit corridors. Their bodies were shrouded in jet-black fur, and their piercing red eyes gleamed through the darkness. Known as Shadow Wolves, these monsters were at least twice as strong as an average wolf, though they lacked any special abilities beyond their raw strength and predatory instincts.
The lightning spell that Elizabeth used was merely a paralysis spell, Livia on the other hand provide a simple light for vision, Lily took the stance of Elizabeth afterall we are just an amateur and we don't know the depth of the dungeon so we're taking precautions to it's fullest. The plan was for me and Eugene to play the offensive while the mages support us using simple spell that cost little mana, that way they should be able to replenish quickly.
"Stay sharp, everyone," Eugene warned, scanning the area with narrowed eyes. "They may not be that strong, but in this kind of environment, we have no idea when or where they'll strike."
The floor itself was a labyrinth of winding paths, shrouded in an unnatural darkness that seemed to swallow any stray light. It was clear these wolves had adapted perfectly to their surroundings, their hunting abilities honed to take full advantage of the poor visibility.
"Haaaah!"
A sudden snarl—another Shadow Wolf lunged at Eugene. With a sharp exhale, he spun his body left and drove his rock-forged sword straight through its flesh, the beast letting out a gurgled whimper before collapsing. He pulled the blade free and glanced around.
A sword crafted by compressing minerals with magic, refining its density to surpass natural stone. Shaped through precise mana control, it gains a razor-sharp edge and resilience. Enchantments enhance durability, prevent erosion, or grant adaptability, transforming raw earth into a formidable weapon—nature and sorcery fused into lethal perfection but temporary use.
"To think everyone decided to split up," he muttered under his breath as he destroyed the core and stood back up.
"It was a shame but we have no choice if we want to end things as quickly as possible." Elizabeth responded.
When we first entered this floor, the paths splintered into multiple winding corridors, forcing the group to split up. It was inevitable—we couldn't all stay together in a dungeon like this. But no matter where they ended up, eventually… everyone would have to return to the central passage usually referred to as the boss territory.
The split up was so that we don't miss any valuable items and incase the map given to us in the booklet is outdated.
For now, only our original lineup remained—a balanced team, the kind you'd expect in a professional adventurer's guild or not Elizabeth, a formidable offensive and defensive mage. Lily, a witch whose mastery of magic extended beyond simple spells, in other words she plays offensive too. Livia, our healer, a support mage, the backbone of our survival, she could play offense too but having a someone who can provide support whenever is more convenient. Eugene, the warrior, ever vigilant on the front lines. And then there was me—the so-called treasure carrier. A role that meant little in combat, yet here I was, blade in hand, just as involved in the fight as the rest because the team needs a rearguard.
We pressed forward, our movements cautious, scanning for the passage that would lead to the next floor. If we could locate it, today's test would be complete. It's only meant to be a trial but... Things don't always went in our way.
A low, guttural growl slithered through the dim corridor. Another Shadow Wolf lurked just beyond the reach of our light, its crimson eyes gleaming like embers in the dark. It lunged—silent, swift—but before it could close the distance, Elizabeth raised her hand.
"Die!"
A bunch of pebble materialized from thin air and shot forward like a bullet, striking the beast between the eyes. The impact sent it crumpling lifelessly to the ground.
Lily tapped her staff against the stone floor, murmuring an incantation. A soft, golden glow radiated from its tip, pushing back the encroaching darkness. The shifting shadows danced along the walls, revealing glimpses of movement just beyond our sight.
"You may rest for now." Lily offered to Livia.
Livia hovered near the back, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her cloak, ready to heal at a moment's notice. Eugene stood firm at the front, his rock-forged sword gleaming faintly under Lily's conjured light.
"They really are weak..," Eugene muttered, eyes sweeping the darkness. "The problem is the sheer numbers and where they're coming from but why are they attacking one by one?"
He was right. These creatures weren't much of a threat individually. Their real strength lay in their numbers and their ambush tactics. And yet… something about their movements felt off. Usually normal wolves don't attack individually. The same should apply to these monsters too.
They weren't attacking in full force.
" I don't like the feeling I'm feeling." Eugene remarked.
As we were approaching closer to the end of the passage, we noticed that the place grew bigger and somehow lesser and lesser no. of shadow wolf attack us and the no. of blind spot grew larger as the place has grown huge enough. Across from us, a bit far away seems to be the passage for the next floor.
It's awfully quiet. It's almost as if...
"Everyone, stop." Eugene whispered, his voice barely audible over the oppressive darkness that surrounded us. His usual liveliness faded, replaced by a sharp, almost instinctual alertness. "I believe we're surrounded."
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, her grip tightening around her blade.
"No time to explain. Form a circle, back to back." Eugene ordered.
"There are at least a hundred of them." His voice was steady but carried a grim urgency. "No questions. Just do as I said."
"On it." I responded and made the first move, then the other follows.
We moved swiftly, our boots barely making a sound against the cold, stone floor. The dungeon's first floor was pitch black, an eerie void that felt alive. It was designed to favor the monsters lurking here—Shadow Wolves, creatures of darkness that thrived in this environment.
From the gloom, the wolves emerged—silent, their black fur blending seamlessly with the shadows. Only their piercing, glowing eyes betrayed their presence. A low, guttural growl echoed from all around us.
"Stand close to me," I said to Livia, positioning myself protectively in front of her. She clutched her staff, trembling slightly.
Despite being a magician, Livia used a staff. But more importantly, she's trembling, she appears to be scared. She should be capable enough to defend for herself and yet she's trembling.
Why is that?
I had to keep an eye on Livia. She wasn't just our support—she was the axis around which the entire strategy turned. If they were planning to break us, she'd be their first move, the queenpiece they'd strike to unravel the board. Without her, our formation would collapse into disarray. Not just because of her healing, but because any single inconvenience could break our rhythm, our morale. She's there to keep us standing— Losing her wouldn't just be a wound—it'd be a slow bleed to death.
"Lily, cast a blinding light spell," Eugene ordered, his voice steady despite the encroaching dark.
"On it." Lily lifted her staff, the tip pulsing faintly as she whispered the incantation. A muted golden glow rippled outward, barely pushing back the heavy shroud of shadow around them. It lit a rough twenty-meter circle—faint, but brighter than before. Tenfold, perhaps, then with a striking sudden the light shone through the whole area for a split second before diminishing to normal level, revealing hundreds of shadow wolves approaching slowly. "What the!?" Lily exclaimed in disbelief.
"This is quite the tight spot." Eugene admitted.
A moment passed in silence before Elizabeth spoke, her tone grim with dawning realization. "We're deep in their territory, aren't we? This… this is the boss labyrinth."
Eugene's grin flickered, but never left. "More or less, Yes."
"That's great news. Let's pull back and report to the instructor," Elizabeth suggested, eager for the chance to regroup.
But Eugene's expression shifted. The levity vanished.
"Can you turn around?"
"What? Why? We found the place we were searching for." Her voice was confused, almost pleading.
The answer was obvious to anyone truly paying attention. You only had to look—really look—at your surroundings. The unease wasn't just instinct; it was reason whispering beneath the surface.
"They're guarding the exit," Eugene said, tone clipped and cold now. "These wolves... they're not like the others. Smarter. Calculating. And we've walked straight into their den. The lack of glowing crystals in this sector? That's no coincidence. It's their advantage—and our weakness."
"I see. I'm sorry, I was just a bit excited for a moment there." Elizabeth apologized.
"That's not all," I interjected. "When we first entered the lair, it was empty. No sign of the shadow wolves. But the moment we stepped into the heart of it... they began to appear. Crawling from the darkness—literally. They're using the shadows cast by the lair itself as a spawning ground."
More over, any shadow casted by them and a non-living can be used as a teleportation by them with certain limitations. They can hide in their own shadows too. It's not in the booklet but it's the truth.
Eugene's eyes lit up—not with fear, but with curiosity. "Seriously?"
That was the Eugene I knew. Still smiling in the dark.
I gave a slow nod. "And chances are, they'll keep coming. No end. The deeper we go, the worse it gets. This isn't a battle—it's a trap. And we've already sprung it."
He understood immediately. "So... we hold and pray until reinforcements arrive."
Another nod.
Eugene turned to face the dark once more, his grin returned—sharper now, laced with grit. "Alright then. Let's show these bastards what it means to corner us."
Lily's spell slowly diminished and finally ran out. Although the area is still visible thanks to the glowing crystal present across the area but they merely serve purpose for the wolves. There's not enough to provide proper vision and the oddly shaped rocks creating blind spots everywhere.
We decided to abandon the idea of casting a light spell as it's not exactly required. We're gonna need something like a night vision.
--------
"Here they come! Get ready!!" Eugene shouted showing a smirk, ready to stike any wolves that get close. "Livia, cast a buff on everyone!" He ordered.
The Shadow Wolves lunged. Livia, hesitant but determined, chanted a spell to bolster our defenses, her voice shaking. Buffs and healing magic surged through us, strengthening our stance.
"Take this!!"
Lily summoned twenty small spears of ice, their pale blue glow a stark contrast to the dungeon's oppressive dark. Each shard shot forward, impaling wolves with deadly precision, upon hitting the wolves were frozen, the ice engulf it's body like a disease spreading in one's body. She moved fluidly, adapting her spells to the shifting battlefield.
She doesn't need incantation to release spell of this level, showing her talent. One of the wolf sneak up on her and jumped towards her attempting to bite her neck off.
"Know your place!" Lily spun her body in reflex and swung her staff like a hammer smashing the wolf onto the ground. Her staff was enhanced with a simple gravity spell as she strike the wolf giving her enough force to take out the wolf.
She quickly undid the spell and focused on the other enemies.
Elizabeth on the other hand, flicked her wrist, sending small, accelerated pebbles flying. Each struck with pinpoint accuracy, piercing through the wolves' dense fur.
Eugene, ever the hot-blooded warrior, charged forward. "Time to show these shadows who's boss!" he declared, his stone sword glowing faintly. Each swing left a shimmering arc, a second wave of blue energy following the initial strike.
He struck the snarling wolf in front of him with a powerful downward slash, the blade cutting clean through fur and muscle. Without missing a beat, he twisted his hips and spun low, sweeping his leg across the ground to trip the second wolf mid-leap. As it hit the dirt with a yelp, he sprang back to his feet and drove his heel into its ribs, sending it sprawling with a sharp whimper.
Another wolf lunged from the side—he ducked beneath its jaws, letting it sail over him, and as it landed, he twisted around, slicing a clean arc across its flank. His sword danced through the air, each swing deliberate, controlled—left, right, a reverse grip thrust—every movement flowing into the next like a deadly rhythm.
A fourth wolf charged from behind. He sensed it without looking. With a swift pivot, he grabbed a loose rock and flung it backward with pinpoint accuracy. It struck the beast's snout, buying him just enough time to roll aside and rise in one smooth motion, blade glinting under the fading light.
Now surrounded, he narrowed his eyes, breath steady. The wolves circled warily. He raised his sword, the tip tracing a silent promise in the air—come.
"Eugene, behind you!" Elizabeth called, already sending a projectile toward the wolves flanking him. The impact sent them skidding across the stone.
He laughed, unfazed. "Nice save, Elizabeth! I owe you one!"
"You already owe me five," she muttered under her breath, a small smile hidden in her voice.
I remained quiet, assessing the battlefield. My sword flickered in the dim light, striking only when necessary. No wasted movement. No unnecessary words. I made sure every attack counted, slipping through the chaos like a shadow myself. And my main priority is to protect our healer.
Despite our efforts, the Shadow Wolves kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. Their domain gave them an advantage we had yet to counter.
"We can't hold them off forever!" Lily warned, her voice strained as she prepared another spell.
"Then we take down their leader," Eugene said, wiping sweat from his brow. "If we cut off the head, the body falls."
"Assuming there is one," Elizabeth shot back.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing past the fray. Then I saw it. A massive Shadow stood apart from the pack, its eerie golden eyes locked onto us with unsettling intelligence then as if noticing me, it disappeared.
What was that shadow?
This shadow could be nothing more than a decoy—a carefully placed illusion to mislead us. The true mastermind may still be lurking in the depths, concealed where no light could betray its presence. A creature of patience, it would not reveal itself so easily. And so, I kept my suspicions to myself, letting the others remain unaware.
To be certain, I needed more information about the leader of the Shadow Wolves. I signaled Livia to get close, taking cover at the heart of our formation, before making my way toward Lily.
"Lily, can I ask you something?" My voice was steady, but the chaos of battle raged around us.
"What is it?" she replied, barely sparing me a glance as she unleashed a spell, its fiery arc cutting through the approaching wolves.
"Do you know anything about the creature we're up against?"
She frowned. "Sorry, I don't. We haven't covered dungeons yet. Ironically, today was supposed to be our first lesson on the subject. I suppose this is their way of teaching us, throwing us straight into the fire." She showed a slight hesitant smile.
So all we know is that they're shadow wolf and they are exceptionally weak against light based attack.
"Firsthand experience, I see." I muttered.
"Exactly."
"I understand. Thanks." Without another word, I slipped back to my position.
Learning through experience wasn't a bad method—until the cost became too high. One mistake, and someone could be injured… or worse. We were assured that the instructors would intervene if necessary, but there were only three of them. And in a battle like this, even seasoned warriors could be overwhelmed or atleast that's what I believed.
Ten minutes of relentless slaughter, yet their numbers refused to dwindle. We had cut down hundreds of Shadow Wolves, but it was as if our efforts were in vain. No matter how many fell, more emerged from the darkness. At this rate, we would exhaust our mana and stamina before making a dent in their ranks.
"There's no end to them!" Eugene growled, frustration curling in his throat like a storm. With a grunt, he hurled his sword like a spear, the blade spinning end over end before lodging deep into the skull of an advancing wolf. It crumpled mid-charge, vanishing into a swirl of smoke.
He clenched his fists, surging mana inward. His veins glowed faintly blue, muscles bulging with unnatural strength as he reversed his magic flow to enhance his body instead of his blade.
No more steel. Just raw force.
A wolf pounced. Eugene stepped into the leap, caught it by the throat mid-air with a single hand, and slammed it into the ground with bone-cracking force. The impact cratered the dirt beneath, sending dust flying. Before the creature could fade, he snatched its tail, pivoted on his heel, and spun in a wide arc.
The limp wolf became a brutal bludgeon—he swung it like a sledgehammer into its packmates. One, two, three were crushed with sickening crunches, their bodies bursting into flickers of shadow and ash. The improvised weapon dissolved in his grasp moments later.
Another lunged from the side.
He ducked under its snapping jaws, rose with a brutal uppercut that launched the beast airborne, then leapt and caught it midair with both hands. With a roar, he brought it down like a meteor, its skull shattering as it hit the earth with a thud that echoed like thunder.
Lily and Elizabeth casted a spell of ice and rocks that floats around Eugene and assisted in his attacks and defence. Each of them harnessing a light effect.
Eugene didn't stop.
He dashed forward, his footfalls cracking the ground beneath him. A wolf tried to sidestep—too slow. He landed a devastating straight punch to its face. The skull caved instantly, its body disintegrating before it hit the ground.
Another came from the right. Spinning elbow.
One from the rear—he stepped back, slammed his heel into its jaw in a backward kick, then followed with a twisting hammerfist as it staggered.
Each motion was fluid, deliberate. His breath was controlled, his strikes vicious. Every blow shattered bone, every contact ended a life, a life that never existed.
His fists were no longer weapons—they were executioners.
And still, more came.
But Eugene only smiled.
"Keep on coming." he whispered. "I'm just getting started."
"Eugene sure is amazing, huh." I said talking to Livia.
"Yes but he's not going to last forever, I think he should be reaching his limit soon." Livia replied.
"Is that so..."
With the way things are, there's not much I need to do. Eugene, Elizabeth and Lily worked hard enough to not let a single wolves get close to Livia.
"There's no end to them. It's like they're respawning endlessly. In that case..." Elizabeth muttered, her brows furrowed, voice sharp with urgency. She raised her arms, fingers spreading wide as a pulse of brilliant violet energy crackled at her fingertips. The ground shimmered beneath her, arcane sigils forming in a perfect circle around her feet.
"Paralysis!" she commanded.
The spell burst forth like a shockwave—arcing lines of light surged across the cavern floor, spreading out in a perfect dome. As it passed, every wolves froze mid-movement, their snarls cut short as their muscles locked, eyes wide in magical stasis. They stood like statues—caught mid-lunge, mid-snarl, mid-kill.
Eugene, in the midst of combat, saw it coming and reacted instantly. With a grunt, he pushed off the ground and flipped upward, spinning midair above the expanding wave. His body soared over the spell's radius, landing with a heavy crouch as the magical current passed beneath him.
"Livia!" Elizabeth called out without missing a beat.
"On it!" Livia's voice answered as she held her staff to the sky, her chant smooth and flowing like a song. Warm golden mana swirled around her, then surged outward in a thin veil that wrapped around each of them.
"Flame Resistance!" she declared, her spell casting a soft, shimmering coat over their skin—light like mist, yet pulsing with protective energy. The heat around them dimmed instantly, their bodies shielded against the inferno about to come.
"Lily, the rest is up to you!"
"Leave it to me!" Lily responded, her voice a calm blade in the storm. She stepped forward, raising one hand, her palm igniting in a slow spiral of flame. She drew a complex rune in the air with her fingertip, the symbols hanging momentarily in fiery light. "Let the light guide your way, and the flame clear your path. They shall accompany you till your journey ends. By the grace of the fire God. I summon thee. Breath of the Pheonix!" She casted.
Then—she slammed her hand down.
The cavern trembled.
A wave of fire erupted from the ground, sweeping outward in a beautiful, devastating spiral. The flames danced like serpents, wrapping around the frozen wolves, twisting skyward in elegant arcs. It wasn't just an explosion—it was a performance.
The heat shimmered, the light flickered against the rocky walls, and for a heartbeat, time slowed.
The wolves disintegrated, vanishing into ashes and sparks, the sheer power of the blaze overwhelming even their endless regeneration.
And then—
Silence.
The crackling embers were all that remained. The cavern was scorched black, yet none of the party bore a scratch. Livia's spell held strong. The fire's aftermath painted shadows across their faces as the light died down.
The group stood still, the tension breaking.
Lily lowered her hand slowly. Her eyes, glowing faintly, reflected the dying flames.
"Amazing! That was such a beautiful spell." Elizabeth exclaimed."You already mastered it."
"When did you learn to control it?" Eugene asked as a compliment as he walked and regroup with us."You should've told me you can do something like this earlier?" Eugene smiled.
Compliments spilled from their lips, but Lily, ever modest, simply shook her head. "It's the least I could do." she murmured.
She used her hand to cast the spell, while holding her staff in the other… Interesting.
Most would consider the staff the primary conduit of spellcasting—an extension of witches's mana flow, a stabilizer for volatile aether currents. But she defied that norm effortlessly, shaping flame not through the staff itself, but through the direct channeling of her palm.
"I must say, that was indeed impressive." I complimented her. I turned toward Livia."You did great too." I patted her head out of reflex.
"Thank you." Livia muttered in a low tone.
"Well, we all did our best." Elizabeth changed the subject.
I wouldn't say I did well when all I did was stood guard.
"Right?" Eugene proudly responded. "Don't you think we looked very professional? Hehe." He jokingly mention as he made a face.
"I wouldn't go that far. All we did was take care of mere animals." Elizabeth destroyed his imagination.
I wouldn't call these wolves mere animals. Not only are they powerful, they are fast and can pull tactics. We just outclassed them due to luck.
"Right." Eugene spirit was crushed in disappointment.
Everyone was enjoying the moment and complimenting each other, they were laughing as they exchange jokes But the moment of admiration was short-lived.
From the scattered ashes of the dead, smoke began to rise—slowly, faintly, curling into the air like whispers of a forgotten past. Wherever the ashes touched the ground, tendrils of smoke followed, silent and ominous. Something had stirred. A shadow, once vanquished, had risen again—quietly, unnoticed. The change had begun, and we had yet to realize it.
The silence was too unreal—thick, unnatural, like a breath held too long. I noticed the strange atmosphere almost at once. It clung to the air, heavy and watchful, as if the world itself were waiting for something to unfold.
Then as I have suspected...
"Watch out!" Livia's warning came too late. A pack of wolves lunged toward us, their fangs bared, eyes glowing with a hunger that knew no end.
I had been careless. I'd never expected these shadow wolf would be able to use object's shadow as teleportation, it was never in the record of dungeons either.
Eugene reached for his sword, but his magic was already dismantled reaching when he switched to brute force. "Damn it!" he cursed, realizing his mistake as the wolves closed in. "Haah!" He was ready to throw his fist against the wolves.
And then—
"Pulsenet!"
The voice echoed through the cavern, commanding and absolute. A blinding bolt of electricity tore through the air, striking every wolf mid-leap. The creatures convulsed violently, their bodies crackling and burning until nothing remained but the scent of scorched earth.
As the light faded, a groups of our fellow colleagues emerged from the shadows—ten figures in total. Reinforcements had arrived.