Chapter 18 – "The Depths Awaken"
Darkness pressed in from all sides.
The fall had separated the party, and the air was thick with the scent of damp stone and something… ancient.
Reinhardt pushed himself up, gritting his teeth against the pain in his ribs. Around him, faint groans signaled that others had survived.
His first instinct? Find his sword.
Emperor's Edge lay a few feet away, its blade faintly glowing in the abyss. He gripped it tightly, its familiar weight grounding him.
A flicker of movement caught his eye.
"Who's still with me?" His voice echoed.
A moment later, Karl's deep voice rumbled from the shadows. "Here. Got a few broken bones, but nothing I can't handle."
Sylwen's voice followed, sharp but steady. "I'm alive. My mana is intact, but visibility is nearly zero."
Oswald, panting, added, "Some of the warriors are scattered. We need light."
"On it," Sylwen murmured.
She raised her staff, whispering an incantation, and a soft silver glow bloomed, illuminating their surroundings.
The sight that greeted them sent a chill through Reinhardt's spine.
They had fallen into an underground temple.
The stone walls were engraved with cryptic runes, pulsing with an eerie blue light. Pillars lined the chamber, cracked and overgrown with twisted, root-like veins.
At the far end of the chamber, a massive stone door loomed, half-buried in rubble. Something powerful lay beyond it.
But what concerned Reinhardt most was the movement in the shadows.
A low chittering sound filled the air.
Then—a dozen pairs of glowing red eyes snapped open.
Shadow Crawlers poured from the crevices, their skeletal frames skittering across the stone floor. But these were different from the ones above.
They were larger, their bodies coated in blackened crystal, their claws leaving deep gouges in the rock.
[Variant: Shadow Crawler Stalkers!]
Stronger and faster than regular Crawlers.
Their crystal hides resist physical attacks.
Their bites inflict mana corruption.
"Shit," Oswald hissed, nocking an arrow. "These things look meaner."
Karl slammed his shield into the ground, steadying himself. "Then we kill them faster."
Reinhardt didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, swinging Emperor's Edge.
The first strike clashed against the crawler's crystal armor, sending out a shower of sparks—but barely leaving a scratch.
Then, the sword reacted.
The blade shuddered, its glow intensifying.
A notification flashed in his vision.
[Emperor's Edge Resonates with the Dungeon's Power!]
The sword adapts to its environment.
Gains the temporary ability: "Abyssal Cleave"
Can now pierce the Shadow Crawler Stalkers' armor!
Reinhardt smirked. "You just made a mistake."
He swung again—this time, the blade carved through the crawler's crystal hide like it was butter.
A Brutal Fight for Survival
The battle that followed was relentless.
Sylwen cast waves of fire, forcing the creatures back and burning away their numbers.
Oswald fired arrows in rapid succession, aiming for their exposed joints.
Karl held the line, using his shield to bash the creatures away, his presence a rock in the storm.
Reinhardt, wielding his evolving blade, tore through the monsters, each strike carrying more power than the last.
But still—they kept coming.
Then, the ground trembled.
The stone door at the back of the chamber… began to open.
And from within, a deafening roar echoed.
A colossal shape emerged from the darkness beyond the door.
A Shadow Behemoth—twice the size of a warhorse, its body wrapped in shifting black mist, its eyes burning with void energy.
It opened its maw, revealing rows of jagged fangs… and then charged.
The force of its movement alone sent warriors flying backward.
Reinhardt dug his heels in, raising his blade.
[Boss Monster: Abyssal Devourer!]
Dungeon Guardian of Blackreach.
Immune to normal weapons.
Weakness: ???
"Shit," Oswald cursed. "How the hell do we kill that?"
Sylwen's eyes glowed fiercely. "I have an idea, but I'll need time!"
Karl stepped forward, raising his shield. "Then let's buy you some."
Reinhardt grinned. "Let's finish this".