Aeris lingered at the edge of the vast space, still some distance from the open ground where the curseumen army gathered. His senses stretched far beyond his sight, and through his spatial awareness, he had already mapped the scene—thousands of curseumen clustered in formation, and the corpses of countless beasts lying in heaps.
"So they were the reason I couldn't find any monsters," he muttered with fear under his breath.
But his face twisted with doubt. "Should I really go closer? No… there's no way I can fight them all. And if Orcid's memories are right, that one sitting so casually on the boulder—that's Blaze Clinder. A Dark Lord. I don't stand a chance against something like him."
He turned on his heel and sprinted back. His instincts screamed at him to retreat. But as soon as he took more than a few strides, his body jolted to a stop—because he was back at the exact same spot where he had started.
"What the f*ck? I swear I ran forward…" Aeris's eyes widened.
He tried again, running in another direction. Yet once more, the space folded on him, spitting him back into the same position. He tested it three, four, five times, and each attempt ended in the same cruel repetition.
"What is this? Why do I keep looping back here?"
This time, he faced forward, took a steadying breath, and dashed toward the army instead. To his surprise, the path opened freely.
"I can only go forward… but not back. Like a damned game. Entering is easy, but there's no exit."
Aeris clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. His thoughts swirled. This has to be their doing. Someone out there knows I'm here. I'm trapped.
His heart pounded. I have to fight them. It's the only way forward.
But doubt gnawed at him. "How will I fight an army of curseumen? Fool… you'll be torn apart."
Then his eyes hardened, the fear burning into determination. "If I kill them one by one, I'll grow stronger. My Eternal Absorb will make sure of it. I won't get tired. This is my only path."
His steps trembled slightly, but he forced his legs forward until he reached the mouth of the vast chamber. The "gate" wasn't a gate at all, but a natural opening carved into the rock, towering and ominous.
"Is this dungeon really this massive inside?" Aeris whispered.
He stepped across the threshold. Instantly, the suffocating darkness dispersed—glowing insects hovered above, flooding the cavern with dim, ghostly light.
Thousands of curseumen filled the chamber. Rows upon rows, their obsidian armor gleamed. Heads snapped toward him the moment his presence touched the air. Predator eyes locked onto him, their red gleam piercing through the light.
At the far end, perched atop a colossal boulder, the Dark Lord Blaze sat with one leg dangling, his face carved into a calm, cruel smile.
Aeris's pulse thundered in his ears.
I have to start small… kill the weaker ones first.
"Cursed Presence," he whispered.
Purple light ignited in his eyes, spilling like liquid flame. A wave of dread pulsed outward, forcing the lesser curseumen to stiffen, their bodies trembling under the invisible pressure. But the effect was dulled. Against this army, his presence was little more than a whisper. And Blaze, seated on his throne of stone, remained utterly unmoved—his dangling leg perfectly still.
Gritting his teeth, Aeris lunged forward.
But before his claws could slash, before his feet could carry him even halfway—his world spun. Pain flashed white-hot through his vision. His body stumbled forward, but his head did not follow.
It rolled to the ground, eyes and mouth frozen in shock, forever capturing the moment he realized his mistake. His body collapsed meters ahead, twitching once before stilling.
"Fool," Blaze's voice cut through the chamber like a blade. He stood now, his figure blurring as he vanished from the boulder and reappeared before the kneeling army. "He actually thought he could fight all."
Every curseuman dropped instantly, heads bowed, one knee pressed against the earth. Their fists rested against their thighs in unified respect.
Like a king, Blaze raised his hand. His voice was calm, commanding.
"We are here to strike the Spiritumen from behind. In two days, we leave this dungeon. Until then, not a single word of our presence leaks beyond these walls."
His crimson gaze drifted toward Aeris's severed head, waiting for it to dissolve into ash.
But something strange happened.
A glow flickered from Aeris's remains—purple, faint at first, then blinding. His body broke apart, scattering into radiant particles. But instead of vanishing, the particles coiled together, weaving bone, muscle, and skin anew.
Before the curseumen's stunned eyes, Aeris's body reformed. He stood again, trembling, his hands shaking as he stared at them.
"I… I died?" His voice cracked. His eyes were wide, disbelief painted across his face.
For once, Blaze himself stiffened. His smile faltered. He had never seen such a phenomenon. "What trick is this? I was sure to cut his head clean off."
In a blur, Blaze appeared behind Aeris again. But Aeris was gone—the instant Blaze positioned himself, Aeris's body twisted unnaturally, vanishing from the spot.
Blood filled the air. Aeris's body burst into shreds, torn into a storm of crimson fragments. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling were painted red. The army turned their faces away, fear crawling even into their monstrous features at the merciless execution their own leader displayed.
Yet Blaze's eyes narrowed. His instincts whispered something was wrong.
And he was right.
The blood glowed. Purple light erupted from every droplet, each fragment of flesh unraveling into energy before knitting back together.
"No…" Blaze hissed, reaching out. His clawed hand swiped through the glowing particles, but they ignored him—slipping past, untouchable.
The form of Aeris rebuilt itself again, his chest rising with a ragged breath.
"What's happening to me?" Aeris gasped.
Blaze wasted no time. His hand clamped over Aeris's skull, fingers digging into the bone. With a savage motion, he ripped the head from its neck and hurled it against the stone wall. The impact splattered gore, leaving chunks of flesh smeared across the cavern wall.
The army watched in silence, dread weighing the chamber.
But even as Blaze glared at the mutilated remains, the body dissolved once again—purple particles glowing, swirling, reforming.
"Impossible…" Blaze growled.
This time, Aeris didn't hesitate. The moment he was whole again, he turned and bolted, desperate to flee.
But Blaze's hand lashed out like lightning, seizing Aeris by the throat. He lifted him high into the air, fingers crushing down. Flesh bulged grotesquely, blood spurting from Aeris's mouth. His eyes bulged, straining out of their sockets. His throat compressed like a tube of crushed clay, meat squeezing free as if Blaze's grip alone could wring the life from him.
"You think you're something special?" Blaze snarled, his aura bursting outward. A crimson storm engulfed the cavern, the sheer weight of it forcing even the curseumen army to tremble, their chests tightening under the suffocating pressure.
Blaze clenched tighter. Aeris's head shot upward from the force, slamming into the cavern roof. His body dangled lifelessly before dropping to the stone floor. His eyeballs rolled free, staring blankly at nothing.
Blaze wasn't finished. He ripped Aeris's arms from their sockets and flung them toward the kneeling curseumen. His voice was venom.
"Eat it. Now!"
Without hesitation, the horde descended, tearing the limbs apart in frenzy. Flesh ripped, bones cracked, teeth ground marrow to dust.
Blaze's flames ignited, burning Aeris's legs into ash before casting the charred remains back to the crowd.
"Take what's left! If even a scrap remains in five seconds, all of you will join him."
The army obeyed like starved beasts. Within seconds, Aeris's body was gone—consumed, shredded, devoured until nothing remained.
Blaze's crimson eyes gleamed, his voice rumbling like thunder.
"Good."