Keiz walked deeper into the dungeon corridor, his steps unsteady, his body trembling every time he placed weight on his legs. His left arm was gone. His body felt cold and heavy. He couldn't tell if it was the blood loss or just his mind playing tricks on him.
The silence in the dungeon pressed on him. No adventurers. No footsteps. Only the faint sound of dripping water echoing somewhere deep. He rubbed his face with his one remaining hand, trying to stay awake.
"How long… have I been wandering?" Keiz muttered weakly.
He stopped walking and leaned his back against the stone wall. His breathing grew heavier. The dull pain in his left shoulder reminded him of reality. The memory of the mimic biting off his arm flashed in his head again. His entire body shivered, but he forced himself up and kept moving.
Running away wasn't an option. Stopping wasn't an option either. He had no food, no water, and no allies.
"Avin… Keska… Cian…" he whispered the names, his voice shaking. "Why… why did you betray me?"
His head lowered, but his legs kept moving forward.
Along the path, Keiz saw broken gear scattered on the ground. Rusted swords, cracked shields, a helmet split down the middle. He crouched, picking up a bent dagger with his right hand. It was useless in battle, but somehow, holding a weapon eased his fear, even if just a little.
He glanced further down the corridor. Bones. White bones piled up near the wall. Skulls with hollow sockets staring at him. Some still had rusted armor clinging to them. The smell of dried rot lingered faintly in the air.
"This dungeon… has claimed too many lives already…" Keiz whispered.
A thought came to him—will I just end up like them? A nameless corpse, rotting in the dark?
His steps grew heavier as he reached a large door made of stone. Strange carvings were etched into it—spirals, horns, and shapes that looked like beasts. His eyes widened.
"…A boss room?"
His heart pounded. He had read about this in books before. Some dungeons contained guardians or bosses in large chambers sealed by doors like these. Normally, adventurers would prepare in advance, with a full party and strategies, before stepping through.
But Keiz was alone.
He placed his palm against the cold stone surface. The door trembled, and then—without warning—it slowly opened with a heavy rumble.
He flinched, stepping back, but the door continued to grind open. The sound echoed through the corridor like a warning bell.
On the other side was a vast chamber. The ceiling stretched high, disappearing into darkness. Thick stone pillars stood in rows, their bases cracked and covered in moss. Strange torches burned with a faint green fire along the walls, casting the chamber in a sickly glow.
The air was thick. Heavy. Almost suffocating. Keiz felt as though invisible hands were pushing down on his shoulders. His knees trembled.
"This mana… it's strong."
He knew instantly. This wasn't just any room. This was where something terrifying dwelled.
And then, he heard it.
Boom.
A sound like a drum. The ground shook.
Boom.
Another step. Louder. Closer.
Keiz's breath caught in his throat. He wanted to run, but his legs wouldn't move. He gripped the useless bent dagger tighter, his knuckles turning white.
From the shadows at the far end of the chamber, it appeared.
A giant figure, over three meters tall. A bull's head, with twisted horns that scraped against the ceiling. Its eyes glowed crimson, filled with rage and bloodlust. Steam rose from its nostrils as it exhaled. In its hands, it held a massive cleaver, the blade stained dark from old blood.
Keiz froze. His chest tightened. His mouth went dry.
"…A Minotaur."
His body screamed at him to run. To turn and escape. But his legs were locked.
The Minotaur's footsteps echoed as it slowly approached, each step making the ground quake. The sound of chains rattled faintly from its body, as if it had once been bound but now roamed free.
Keiz's thoughts spiraled.
I can't fight that. I don't even have an arm. I don't even have a real weapon. If I try to run, it'll catch me instantly. If I fight… I'll die.
His hand shook as he lifted the bent dagger, but his arm dropped almost immediately. His eyes dimmed.
"…Maybe… this is fine."
He closed his eyes. Images of his father came to mind. His cold glare, his dismissive words. His older brother's smirk. The whispers of the nobles calling him talentless, worthless.
"I was never meant to be anything… right?" Keiz muttered. His voice was soft, broken. "If I die here… nobody will even care. Not my father… not anyone…"
His knees gave way, and he collapsed onto the cold stone floor. The dagger clattered out of his hand. He didn't reach for it again.
The Minotaur roared, a sound that shook the chamber. It raised its cleaver high above its head. The air whistled around the blade as it prepared to come down.
Keiz looked up. He saw death looming over him. But he didn't scream. He didn't run.
"…At least it will be quick."
He shut his eyes tightly and waited for the pain.
The cleaver swung down.
But then—
Something moved.
From behind him, a black substance erupted. Like shadows given form, it surged forward and wrapped around his body. At the last possible moment, it yanked him sideways, dragging him across the floor.
BOOM!
The cleaver struck where he had been kneeling. The stone floor cracked, debris flying.
Keiz's eyes flew open in shock. He stared at the shattered ground where he would have been crushed.
"…What… what just happened!?"
The black substance pulsed faintly, coiling around his body like protective chains. It felt cold, alien, yet… it had saved him.
The Minotaur roared again, furious. Its crimson eyes locked on Keiz, and it charged. Its hooves thundered across the floor. The cleaver swung sideways, aiming to cut him in half.
Keiz panicked, trying to crawl backward. But before the blade reached him, the black substance moved again. It jerked his body violently, rolling him across the floor just as the cleaver smashed down.
BOOM!
The impact cracked another pillar, sending dust into the air.
Keiz's chest rose and fell rapidly. His mind couldn't keep up.
"I… I didn't move. That wasn't me…!"
Another swing came. The black substance reacted faster than him, pulling him just out of range each time. The Minotaur's attacks carved through stone, sending fragments scattering.
Keiz felt his body scrape along the floor, dragged by something he didn't understand. His heart pounded wildly, fear mixing with confusion.
"What is this…!? What's happening to me!?" he shouted, his voice breaking.
But no answer came. The black substance didn't speak. It only moved, only acted, as if protecting him on instinct.
The Minotaur raised its cleaver again, roaring louder than ever. Its muscles bulged, its veins glowed faintly red with mana. The killing blow was coming.
Keiz raised his right hand instinctively, his voice trembling.
"Stop…! I don't… I don't want to die!"
The black substance pulsed violently, as if responding to his desperate cry. It lashed out like tendrils of darkness, wrapping around the stone floor, anchoring him firmly in place.
The Minotaur's cleaver came down—
And once again, Keiz was not there when it struck.
The roar of the beast echoed through the chamber. Dust and debris filled the air.
Keiz lay on the ground, trembling, his mind a storm of fear and confusion. He looked at his shaking right hand, then at the black substance coiling faintly behind him like a shadow.
"…It's protecting me… but why?"
The Minotaur stomped, preparing for another attack. Its crimson eyes burned brighter, locked on him with pure hatred.
Keiz swallowed hard, his throat dry. He knew one thing for certain.
This wasn't over.
The fight had only just begun