The trio stood at the precipice, gazing into the valley that stretched before them like a living carpet of nightmares. It wasn't merely dark; it was a void that seemed to swallow light and hope, saturated with a sharp, nauseating stench of decay, mingled with the smell of old blood and rotten flesh. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of corrupted beasts filled the valley floor, writhing and surging like a gray, putrid sea. Twisted bodies, ulcerated hides, deformed limbs, and multiple eyes gleamed with vacant madness or primal hatred. There were no individual sounds, only a deafening collective drone – a disgusting mix of guttural rumbles, viscous hisses, broken hysterical laughter, muffled moans, and primal grunts of hunger, all merging into a terrifying symphony of despair and insanity. And at the end of this hell, yawned the dark, vast mouth of a cave, looking like a gateway to an even worse world – the entrance to the third floor.
"The smell of this place... it might kill me before the beasts do," Kai muttered, his face slightly grim as he wiped a drop of cold sweat from his forehead. His golden chain wrapped around his arm, morphing into a long golden spear, its tip glowing with dancing blue and red stellar flames, ready for battle.
"The numbers are immense," Liana said in a low voice, two copies of herself instantly appearing beside her, the golden crown atop her head emitting a faint glow that seemed the only colored thing in this gray world. Her golden eyes scanned the horde with swift, cool assessment. "We must be as efficient as possible. Any mistake will cost us dearly."
Orion said nothing. He gave a simple nod, and it was enough. Five powerful shadows – Anarak, Severus, Legolas, Zak, and Grakus – emerged from his deep shadow, spreading out in an effective combat formation around the trio. Then, as if a dam had burst, a massive black tide flowed from Orion's shadow. Thousands upon thousands of translucent shadow specters, their forms flickering and undulating, their pale blue eyes gleaming in the dark, spread out like a silent flood before them, ready to absorb the first impact.
"Advance!" Orion's voice came, calm as usual, but carrying a force that cut through the surrounding cacophony.
The first wave charged. Orion led the assault, his Shadow Katana moving like lightning, the black Weapon Aura around it making it look like a blade forged from the void, tearing through the air. Every strike left perfect cuts in the bodies of the corrupted beasts.
The army of specters collided with the army of corrupted beasts. It was an immediate and chaotic slaughter. The specters, despite their individual weakness, flowed like a torrent, overwhelming the smaller beasts, killing them with their shadowy bites and tears, climbing onto the larger ones, clinging to their limbs, biting at their multiple eyes, and emitting deafening hisses to distract them. They sacrificed themselves by the dozens to create openings for Severus's lethal strikes, Zak's crushing axe, Grakus's devastating punches, or Legolas's precise arrows.
But the cost was horrific. The corrupted beasts tore through the specters as if they were brittle paper. Long claws ripped through ethereal bodies, bursts of corrupted energy dissipated them into the air, and some beasts simply devoured them with their grotesque maws. New flying beasts appeared, resembling deformed bats, spitting black acid that dissolved the specters instantly upon contact, leaving behind only faint black smoke and a disgusting smell. Orion watched his army erode before him, dozens dying every moment. But he didn't hesitate; whenever a corrupted beast fell, threads of shadow extended from his feet, pulling the residual shadows from the dead corpse, forming a new specter that immediately joined the raging battle. It was an endless cycle, demanding immense mental focus and a constant drain on his mana and shadow energy reserves.
Suddenly, Kai cried out. He had used his spatial power to teleport into the heart of a group of camouflaged, chameleon-like beasts, trying to eliminate them before they could ambush Liana. But he had misjudged their numbers or speed. A viscous tongue wrapped around his leg with incredible force, while three others lunged at him, their jaws filled with sharp teeth snapping wide open. The stellar flames on his spear flickered slightly under the pressure of the sudden assault.
"Kai!" Liana shouted, one of her copies beginning to draw a rapid ice rune.
But Orion was faster. In an instant, he vanished from his position using [Shadow Step] and reappeared directly behind the beast holding Kai's leg. There was no wasted movement. His black gauntlets glowed intensely as he focused shadow energy into his right fist. "[Shadow Detonation]!" A concentrated wave of pure darkness exploded from his fist. The wave didn't just hit the beast; it disintegrated it and the two others nearby into black dust that scattered in the air. Kai freed his leg and looked at Orion with momentary astonishment before diving back into the fight with renewed ferocity. No thanks were needed, just a quick nod between them amidst the hellish battle confirmed the bond forming between them – a brotherhood forged in the crucible of shared danger.
Kai rejoined the fray, his golden chain constantly shifting forms – a longsword burning with stellar flames, a gravity whip pulling enemies off balance, a pair of spatial daggers for swift evasion and stabs. Liana and her copies bombarded the battlefield with an endless barrage of runes – shields, ice lances, lightning bolts, explosions, the Devour Rune working at maximum capacity, and occasional faint healing runes flickering into existence. Zak, Grakus, Severus, Legolas, and Anarak fought like coordinated killing machines, each covering the others and exploiting enemy weaknesses.
Amidst this bloody chaos, two other groups reached the main battle area. A disciplined group of various races in matching gray armor, led by the massive man with the war hammer, and a ragged group of mercenaries with greedy intentions. Both ignored the trio initially, focusing on carving their own path toward the cave entrance.
Their arrival complicated the battle. It was no longer just a fight against monsters, but a frantic race and a growing tension between the three competing groups vying for entry.
The fight continued for hours more, seeming like an eternity. Exhaustion began to set in visibly on everyone. The number of beasts finally started to dwindle, but the battle had taken a heavy toll on everyone except the trio, thanks to Liana's Devour Rune and light healing runes.
Finally, the trio, along with the other two groups, reached a relatively small space before the massive cave entrance. The ground here was covered in beast corpses, and the smell of death was overpowering.
"Finally!" Kai panted, leaning on his spear.
But before they could rest, Liana's attention was caught by something around the entrance. Strange runes glowed intermittently, and the ground directly before the entrance looked suspiciously polished.
"Wait!" Liana said quickly, her runic eyes glowing with concentration. "Those are traps! Powerful explosion runes linked with complex illusion runes!"
At that moment, while everyone was exhausted and wary of the traps, the leader of the disciplined group moved. The massive man with the hammer slowly turned his head toward the mercenary leader, who was greedily eyeing the trio's Life Weapons.
The massive leader spoke, his voice as cold as ice, "There are indeed 'rats' that need to be dealt with before we can handle the real deal."
Before the mercenary leader could comprehend the meaning, the disciplined group moved as one. They launched themselves like an arrow toward the mercenaries. The leader's hammer whistled sickeningly through the air as it descended on the nearest mercenary, turning his body into a paste of bone, blood, and shattered armor. His team moved with lethal coordination, swiftly dispatching most of the mercenaries in less than a minute, while the few survivors scattered in terror, only to be devoured by the remaining beasts.
A tense silence fell. The disciplined leader turned his back on the mangled corpses of the mercenaries and looked towards the cave entrance and the traps. He stated in a practical tone, "Now, let's deal with these traps and enter. There's no time to waste."
It seemed danger had passed, but Orion felt no relief. His Shadow Instinct screamed with absolute certainty. The leader's deadly coldness, the robotic efficiency, the unusual powerful aura... he was a predator waiting for the right moment, and Orion sensed he was another anomaly. There was no time to wait and see.
As the massive leader took a step towards the traps, perhaps about to enact his treacherous plan, Orion moved. He vanished using [Shadow Step] and reappeared directly behind the massive leader. In the same instant, his Shadow Katana, enhanced with all his shadow energy and Weapon Aura, plunged silently and precisely into the small gap at the base of the leader's neck.
Shhhchk!
The leader's eyes widened in shock and unbelievable pain. Blood spurted freely as he dropped to one knee, his hammer falling from his loosening grip. "You...!" he roared in pain and fury, turning with difficulty, a thick, viscous earthen aura beginning to form around him. "How dare you... you damned brat!"
Orion's suspicions were confirmed. A stunned silence gripped everyone for a microsecond, then chaos erupted anew.
"Commander!" screamed the disciplined team, charging Orion with blind fury.
"Orion!" Kai and Liana yelled simultaneously, instantly positioning themselves beside Orion despite their shock, ready to defend and counter-attack.
"I'll handle him!" Orion replied coldly, his black eyes fixed on the injured anomaly leader who was slowly rising, rocks forming around his fists. "You stop the rest!"
The battle split once more. Orion engaged in a deadly one-on-one duel with the injured and enraged anomaly leader, while Kai, Liana, and the five core shadows met the charge of the twenty disciplined fighters, with the remaining corrupted beasts closing in from behind, and the deadly traps waiting for any misstep towards the entrance.
The leader lunged at Orion with his rock fists. Each punch was like a cannonball. Orion used [Shadow Step] to evade, his Shadow Katana striking relentlessly, exploiting the neck wound and chipping away at the slowly regenerating rock armor. Orion launched a focused [Shadow Detonation] at the leader's leg, cracking his rock armor and slowing him momentarily, but the leader retaliated by slamming the ground, causing a sharp stone pillar to erupt beneath Orion, who barely dodged.
On the other front, the fight was fierce. The disciplined team fought with incredible coordination. Kai, with his shifting chain and copied powers, wreaked havoc among them, teleporting, using gravity, burning with stellar flames. Liana and her copies rained runes upon them – shields, ice lances, lightning bolts, attempting to use [Dismantle] on their armor. Zak absorbed heavy hits with his axe, Grakus fought three at once with his multiple limbs, Severus weaved like a deadly ghost leaving poisoned wounds, Legolas sniped from the rear, and Anarak intervened at crucial moments with his swift spear.
The remaining corrupted beasts attacked indiscriminately, adding to the chaos. One of the disciplined fighters, dodging Kai, stepped back onto the trapped ground. Runic glyphs flared red, and a violent explosion tore the fighter apart, reminding everyone of the danger beneath their feet.
Orion seized the moment of distraction. He poured all his remaining shadow energy into his gauntlets and Shadow Katana. The Weapon Aura darkened intensely. He used [Shadow Step] one last time, appearing directly in front of the leader, ignoring defense for an all-out attack.
"[Shadow Detonation]!" Not a wave this time, but a full concentration of energy channeled through his katana then into his right fist, which he thrust directly at the leader's chest.
The leader raised his rock-covered arms to block. Orion's darkness-wreathed fist met the solid rock. There wasn't a loud explosion, but a deep, sickening crunch, followed by the sound of penetration. The focused shadow energy bypassed the rock defenses, and Orion's fist plunged into the leader's chest, punching clean through his body and emerging from his back.
The leader's eyes widened, the light fading from them, and his massive body began to crumble, turning into stone and gray ash before scattering on the ground.
With the leader's death, the morale of his team completely collapsed. Kai, Liana, and the shadows exploited this, quickly eliminating the remaining fighters. The last few corrupted beasts were also dealt with.
Finally, true silence fell. The trio and Orion's five shadows stood amidst a sea of varied corpses – corrupted beasts, mercenaries, and the disciplined team – panting from exhaustion, covered in blood and grime. Then, a wave of mana surged towards the trio, beginning to gather in their mana cores. The trio instinctively focused on cultivating the mana.
After finishing, they looked at each other, then at the dark cave entrance and the still-active traps before it.
"Damn... you surprised me with that sudden attack on the big guy, pal," Kai said, wiping blood from his face.
"Well, they got what they deserved in the end," Liana added, turning her gaze to the traps. "And now, it's my turn."
Liana confidently stepped forward towards the glowing runes. "Kai, Orion, keep watch. I'll handle this."
The two nodded. Kai reformed his spear, and Orion had his shadows secure the perimeter. Liana stood before the runes, closing her eyes momentarily. When she opened them, they shone with intense golden light – her [Rune Eyes] fully active. She could see the complex mana flows of the traps.
Her fingers began to dance, drawing intricate golden symbols in the air. Then, she raised her hand towards the nearest rune and whispered, "[Dismantle]!" Gentle golden energy flowed from her fingertips, interacting with the rune, carefully unwinding the mana bonds holding it together. The rune's glow began to fade. The illusion runes activated, trying to distract her, but she drew a rune on herself to resist mental attacks, protecting her mind. She continued patiently, moving from one rune to the next, dismantling the explosive components while resisting the illusions.
It took nearly half an hour of intense concentration. Finally, the last glowing rune flickered out, followed by a faint click sound from within the rock. The oppressive silence of safety descended.
Liana wiped her forehead with a slightly trembling hand, a genuine smile of satisfaction gracing her lips. "It's done. The traps are disabled. The way is safe now."
The trio looked at each other once more, then towards the dark entrance leading into the unknown of the third floor. They had survived the gauntlet of betrayal, and the next stage of their journey in the Forgotten's Graveyard was about to begin. What awaited them would be worse, but they were determined to leave this place. Orion nodded, then stepped first into the darkness, followed closely by Kai, Liana, and his loyal shadows.