The silence that followed the explosion of the Hive-Stalkers was heavy, broken only by the ragged gasps of Ren, Kenzo, and Henry.
Their mana reserves were completely spent; Henry's armor was fractured and useless, and the physical toll of creating the 'crash pads' and making regular clones left Kenzo trembling.
"We can't stay here," Henry finally managed, his booming voice reduced to a strained rasp. "What if more of those monsters come?"
Driven by sheer survival instinct, the trio pushed onward, deeper into the sub-level's oppressive darkness. They walked for what felt like an hour, the rough, twisting stone blurring around them.
The oppressive, hungry aura of the upper dungeons faded, replaced by a still, ancient silence.
Then, a light as if it was outside of the staircase shined brightly in their eyes.
Before them lay a breathtaking expanse, an enormous Underground City, vast and silent. Towering structures of carved stone stretched into the gloom, illuminated by veins of pulsating, luminous moss and dormant Kinetium that bathed the ancient ruins in ethereal light.
"Wow," Kenzo breathed, the word torn from him in genuine awe. "An entire civilization... just abandoned."
The city was a monument to a forgotten world, a hauntingly beautiful sight that offered a brief reprieve from the horror they had endured. But as they explored, drawn deeper into the heart of the ruins, the air grew unnaturally warm. A sudden, intense light flared. A flame bowing down in prayer
VROOM!
An entity materialized before them in a wash of pure energy. It was a Fire Elemental, not a monster, but the element itself given physical form. It radiated staggering power, a vortex of swirling flame and searing heat that commanded the chamber.
The creature's gaze fixed upon the exhausted runners, and they felt a mental wave crash over them, instantly plunging them into a world of personalized temptation.
Show me your Desire
Ren felt his mind transported to a battlefield of endless chaos. The Elemental offered him a universe where his killing prowess was truly challenged, enhanced far beyond its current limits. It showed him a warrior deity, bathing in power, perpetually resurrected and refined by every fatal blow.
Ren reached for the vision, captivated by the promise of ultimate conflict, but just as his fingers grazed the flame, he pulled back. "The journey is more worth it than the destination," he decided, realizing the thrill was rooted in the struggle, not absolute dominance.
Henry found himself standing behind an King Leo's shield rumoured to be unbreakable and doesn't use mana. The vision promised absolute protection, a world where he could guard everyone without effort, pain, or failure.
The relief was intoxicating, a seductive balm to his weary soul. Yet, the voice of the Elemental promised effortless guardianship. "I am a noble", Henry realized, recoiling from the shame. "It is a stain upon my family's name to accept such a gift and not work for what I desire."
Kenzo, however, edged perilously close to the precipice. The Elemental showed him The Legion of Self infinite, flawless clones, a symphony of simultaneous existence.
He stretched his hand toward the manifestation, desperate to become the person he wanted to be, to shed his dependency and vulnerability forever. He was ready to surrender.
In that critical moment, the dungeon floor trembled. A High Orc, dispatched by the lurking Gorthak, had followed them and made a slight movement outside the chamber. The beast was meant to watch, yet its presence was enough.
The Elemental instantly sensed the Gorthak's surveillance. It turned, and in a flash of blinding light, its hands placed on the High Orc's head and said "What do you desire" and then The Elemental didn't strike after the orc failed it's temptation; it simply touched it. In a hiss of steam and a flash of white-hot light, the Orc didn't just die, it was unmade, reduced to a pile of fine ash that scattered in the heat-shimmer
The Elemental fixed its fiery gaze back on the trio. "You are not meant to be here" its voice echoed directly in their minds, vibrating with unimaginable power.
DOOM.
The world dissolved into white heat. Kenzo felt his atoms scatter and pull, a searing pressure that crushed his lungs before the cool, stale air of the hub rushed back into his chest.
The world imploded in a burst of energy. The next thing the exhausted runners knew, they were lying on the cold stone of Level 1, teleported back to the safety of the hub.
As Kenzo slowly recovered, a final, chilling thought resonated telepathically in his mind, distinctly from the Fire Elemental:
"I will see you again soon."