Thorne's breath came in steady, measured intervals as he crouched at the edge of the cavern, peering into the abyss below. The skeletal warriors had been relentless, forcing him to push his new abilities to their limits. His body still ached from the rapid maneuvers he had executed on the bridge, but there was no time to rest.
[Trial Completed: Deathwalk Bridge Surpassed]
A sense of accomplishment flickered through him, but it was short-lived. The path ahead remained shrouded in darkness, and the system's silence only served to unnerve him further. If there was one thing he had learned so far, it was that silence in a dungeon never meant safety.
The bridge had led to a narrow corridor, its walls lined with ancient engravings. His Eye of Perception pulsed with awareness, allowing him to decipher the symbols despite their weathered state. They told a story of conquest—of warriors who delved into the depths and either perished or emerged changed. Some had ascended to greatness, while others had been consumed by something lurking within the dungeon's depths.
"Is this place a trial for more than just strength?" Thorne mused, his fingers tracing one of the engravings absentmindedly.
The system remained silent.
He pressed forward. The corridor stretched on, winding downward in a seemingly endless descent. The air grew heavier, charged with an unnatural energy that made his skin prickle. Then, as if responding to his presence, the walls pulsed.
A deep rumble shook the corridor. Dust rained from above as the dungeon shifted, and suddenly, the ground beneath Thorne's feet gave way.
He plummeted.
Wind howled in his ears as he tumbled through the void, twisting his body to prepare for impact. His instincts took over, and he activated Endless Adaptation, bracing for whatever lay below. The fall stretched on for what felt like an eternity before he was swallowed by complete darkness.
Then—impact.
Thorne landed hard, but instead of stone or jagged debris, he felt a strange, shifting surface beneath him. He exhaled sharply, rolling to his feet, eyes scanning the new terrain.
A massive underground cavern stretched before him, its walls shimmering with bioluminescent veins of crystal. The ground was a blend of rock and sand, but what unsettled him most was the sensation beneath his boots. It wasn't stone. It was something else.
Something alive.
He knelt, brushing his fingers against the ground. It pulsated, ever so slightly, like a heartbeat.
The realization sent a chill through him.
The system finally spoke.
[Warning: You have entered the Domain of the Forsaken.]
Before he could react, the ground trembled again—this time, not from the dungeon shifting, but from something awakening. A guttural growl echoed through the cavern, deep and resonant. A shadow moved in the distance, its form massive, its presence suffocating.
[Boss Encounter: Abyssal Warden Detected.]
A massive, quadrupedal beast emerged from the darkness. Its body was armored with jagged obsidian plates, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Thorne with a predatory gleam. A maw lined with serrated teeth parted, releasing a guttural snarl that reverberated through the cavern.
The Abyssal Warden was unlike any enemy he had faced before.
Thorne's muscles coiled. This wasn't a battle he could afford to lose.
With a deep breath, he raised his weapon and prepared for war.