The dungeon floor was still trembling.
It was no longer just the echo of the group's combined attacks — it was space itself giving way, as if the ancient structure were on the verge of collapsing under a weight that should never have existed. Fragments of stone slowly rolled through widening cracks, and the air vibrated in nearly visible waves.
At the center of it all, Thegg remained standing.
His colossal body seemed larger than before, as if it had grown by feeding on violence itself. Every muscle pulsed with its own energy, black and crimson veins bulging beneath hardened skin. The scars scattered across his torso were not marks of weakness — they were trophies, remnants of forgotten wars, now illuminated by red runes burning like living embers.
Thegg's eyes opened fully.
Two crimson slits cut through the dungeon's gloom, surveying the battlefield with absolute coldness. There was no uncontrolled rage there.
There was the hunt.
The air grew dense, almost solid. Every breath burned the lungs, heavy with heat and the metallic stench of ancient blood embedded in the stone for centuries. When Thegg took a single step forward, the impact echoed like subterranean thunder. Bones cracked beneath his feet — not only those in the ground, but something deeper, as if the dungeon itself were groaning in pain.
Shockwaves rippled through the chamber.
Active spells shattered in midair like glass. Magical seals dissolved into unstable particles. Dust and debris spiraled upward in violent vortices, and for a brief moment it felt as if the entire place was breathing in unison with him.
High above, near the vaulted ceiling, Sensi, Sônia, and Selina floated, supported by flickering magic circles. Their expressions held no confidence — only desperate urgency.
"— Now!" Sensi shouted.
Bolts of blue energy sliced through the air in rapid succession, slamming into Thegg's chest. Black flames twisted like living serpents, biting into his flesh and erupting into violent bursts. Spectral swords formed in a circular array, spinning around the three casters before surging forward like a controlled storm.
On the ground, Romeu, Dimitri, and Célia attacked in perfect sync. Enchanted arrows tore through the air. Magical strikes slammed into the colossus's legs. Arcane symbols flared beneath their feet, amplifying every attack with the last remnants of their mana.
Nothing worked.
Thegg advanced, absorbing the impacts as if they were little more than light rain. Some spells simply vanished upon touching his skin. Others exploded… only to reveal they had left not even a scratch.
Then, without warning, he vanished.
It was not teleportation.
It was raw, impossible, violent speed.
The air cracked where he had stood, creating a brief vacuum.
In the blink of an eye, Thegg was beside the axe embedded in the ground.
His fingers closed around the handle.
And then, with a roar that seemed to tear reality itself apart, he hurled the weapon.
The axe sliced through the air with a lethal whistle. There was no time to react. No scream.
Sensi's body was pierced and split clean in half on impact. Blood exploded in a grotesque arc, splattering the ceiling and streaming down the stone walls. The upper half of her body lingered in the air for a single second before beginning to dissolve.
"— SENSI!" Selina screamed, her voice shredded by pure panic.
Sônia froze, eyes wide, unable to conjure a single spell.
Thegg gave them no time.
With a colossal leap, he crossed fifteen meters in a single bound, slamming into the dungeon ceiling. Stone exploded beneath his feet. Sparks and fragments rained down like a storm.
In the same motion, a crushing punch struck Selina.
A brutal kick sent Sônia flying.
The impact scattered debris and unstable energy through the air. Both fell in free descent, nearly unconscious, their spells dispersing into bursts of blue and black light.
Before the sound of their impact could echo, Thegg's gaze had already locked onto Célia.
The motion was clean. Calculated.
The remaining axe spun through the air and decapitated her with surgical precision. Her body dropped to its knees before collapsing. Black blood spilled across the floor like liquid mercury, reflecting the colossus's burning crimson runes.
Silence fell.
Heavy. Absolute.
The sound of Thegg's breathing was all that remained.
Without hesitation, he advanced.
Jack raised his shield at the last possible second. Thegg's punch didn't just shatter it — it pierced straight through. Jack was hurled against the wall like a rag doll, the impact carving a crater into the stone.
Haru tried to vanish into the shadows.
Thegg caught him mid-motion.
A massive hand closed around his head and smashed him into the wall with enough force to leave him motionless, his body slowly sliding down to the floor.
Romeu and Dimitri attacked together, but it was useless.
Twin palm strikes crushed Romeu into the ground, ripping the air from his lungs. A devastating punch struck Dimitri, instantly paralyzing him.
Absolute terror spread through the survivors.
Then, Thegg turned toward Kuto.
The clash was immediate. The air exploded with sparks. Cutting gusts of wind spiraled around them. Kuto charged, shifting between his stances with desperate mastery.
Wind propelled his leaps. Flames coiled around his blades. Stealth movements flickered in and out of existence. Precise blocks. Calculated counterattacks.
Still, it wasn't enough.
Thegg's headbutt struck Kuto head-on. The impact was brutal. The warrior's body flew back and slammed into the wall, leaving deep fractures in the stone.
The colossus advanced.
Every step was a death sentence.
When he raised the axe over Selina, a shadow threw itself in front of her.
Dimitri.
The blow tore straight through him.
A smoking cavity opened in his chest. Blood erupted like molten lava. Even so, he smiled.
"— Looks like the idiot saved the day, huh?"
Selina screamed.
His body dissolved into shimmering particles, signaling his elimination in the Nexus. Selina, shattered by terror and loss, screamed again, tears burning her eyes.
Thegg lifted the axe once more, advancing toward Selina, ignoring Romeu as he fired desperate arrows.
Then, every HUD flared with a notification:
"XP FESTIVAL BEGINS IN 3… 2… 1…"
The instant it reached 1, everyone who was not dead or incapacitated vanished, leaving the dungeon in absolute silence — save for the crushing presence of Thegg.
He remained there.
Triumphant.
A colossus of fury.
Crimson runes burning into his flesh, absorbing fear and devastation as if they were his own source of power.