The enormous obsidian doors creaked open with a haunting groan, revealing a stairway that descended into the shadows of the ancient dungeon. A chill rushed up from the dark abyss below, brushing against the contestants' skin like death's whisper. Squad Z stood silently, tense and focused, as they prepared to step into the second round of the 5K Tournament — the Dungeon Trial.
Behind them, countless other teams began entering as well, vanishing one by one into the black mouth of the dungeon. The moment Zalthor stepped through, the door slammed shut behind them with a thunderous echo. They were locked in.
Nizara remained isolated from the others, standing several meters away, his silver eyes scanning the massive chamber. His black cloak fluttered as he walked forward, the sound of his boots echoing in the silence.
"This is Round Two of the Tournament… he thought coldly. The Dungeon Trial. A race against time. A war against monsters. The objective: reach the final floor and retrieve one of the Artifacts of Light."
He clenched his fists. There are only a few of them. Not everyone can pass. You either win… or die trying.
The first floor of the dungeon stretched out before them — a sprawling maze of cracked stone pillars, ruined temples, and towering statues. Everything was coated in dust and draped in decay, but the true threat wasn't the environment — it was what lurked in the shadows.
A guttural growl echoed from deep within the ruins.
Zalthor took the lead, his shadowy aura flickering like a living entity around him. "Let's move," he commanded in a low voice. Lucien nodded beside him, hands clenched and surrounded by crumbling earth particles. Zyra summoned flames into her palms, ready to strike at a moment's notice, while Elowyn kept her senses sharp for incoming injuries.
The ground suddenly trembled. Cracks split across the floor, and from the shadows, grotesque creatures emerged — four-legged beasts with no eyes, just gaping maws and tendrils twitching from their backs. They looked like they hadn't seen daylight in centuries, pure dungeon-born monsters.
Zyra launched forward first, unleashing a spiral of flame that incinerated the first wave. "Back off, ugly freaks!"
Lucien raised his palm. Spikes of stone erupted from the ground, piercing two of the monsters clean through. "Don't waste energy. Conserve your Aether."
"I could do this all day," Zyra grinned, flames dancing on her fingertips.
Meanwhile, Nizara stood still on the far end of the battlefield, his blade humming with Storm Aether. His breath was steady.
One of the monsters lunged at him from behind — fast, silent.
Without turning, he pivoted and sliced upward, his blade coated in lightning. A flash, a shockwave, and the beast fell in two pieces.
He muttered, "Too slow."
But then a massive roar thundered through the chamber. A larger monster descended from the ceiling, crashing to the stone floor. It stood ten feet tall, a hulking beast with obsidian skin and rows of jagged teeth. A Dungeon Guardian — the boss of this floor.
Zalthor narrowed his eyes. "Lucien. With me."
They darted forward. Zalthor's shadow enveloped the area, clouding the monster's vision as Lucien summoned earthen pillars to trap its legs. Zyra launched a barrage of firebolts from the rear while Elowyn prepared to heal.
The beast roared and broke through the stone restraints, slamming the ground and sending shockwaves out.
"Behind you!" Zyra shouted.
The Guardian turned its attention toward Nizara, perhaps sensing his strength. It charged.
He didn't move.
Then, in a blink, he was gone.
Reappearing mid-air, he held his blade upside down. "ThunderBlade V2"
He slashed down in one motion, lightning trailing like a meteor strike. The blade collided with the monster's skull, sending a burst of energy across the chamber.
Smoke covered the field.
When it cleared, the monster was still standing, but barely.
Zalthor stepped in and finished the job with a shadow spike through the heart. The beast collapsed with a thud, shaking the ground.
Lucien wiped sweat from his brow. "That was only the first floor."
Zyra looked ahead. "The second one's probably worse."
Nizara turned and started walking. "Don't fall behind."
Elowyn stared after him, her Aqua Aether flowing calmly around her. "He's pushing too hard…"
But they didn't have time to dwell on it.
The dungeon had only just begun.
And only those strong enough to endure every floor… would reach the final chamber — where the Artifacts of Light waited.
Let the real trial begin.