We had been trapped inside Borgoth Cave for nearly half a day. The air felt heavier with each passing minute, and an uneasy silence settled over the team. I anxiously checked the glowing stones embedded in the cave wall—only one remained, now pulsing a deep crimson.

  Time felt both agonizingly slow and unbearably fast. The stones had shifted from green to yellow, then to a foreboding orange. Now, with only a single red glow left, we had less than an hour before something would happen.

  I wanted to believe that when the last light faded, the cave entrance would simply open, allowing us to leave without incident. But red never meant anything good. It was a warning. A sign of danger. Of disaster. And given my usual luck, expecting a peaceful escape was pure delusion.

  There was nothing left to do but wait. We had prepared ourselves as much as we could—our weapons were ready, our spells were set, and our minds… well, we were trying.

  A deep sigh escaped me. Elena, who had been watching me, smirked.

  “You always sigh like that before something bad happens,” she muttered, adjusting the grip on her bow.

  “Yeah? Maybe if I stop, we’ll finally catch a break,” I shot back, smirking.

  She chuckled. “Doubt it. At this point, I think the universe enjoys making you suffer.”

  As if on cue, the final glow flickered… then died.

  The moment it vanished, a suffocating presence filled the cave. A cold, creeping aura slithered through the air, far darker and more menacing than anything we had faced before. It coiled around us like invisible chains, seeping into our very bones.

  We instinctively moved into formation, weapons drawn, bodies tense.

  Then, from the very walls of the cave, something enormous began to emerge.

  A monster unlike anything we had ever seen. Even Korrogoth—who had towered over us before—now seemed almost insignificant in comparison.

  We stole quick, fearful glances at one another. The air was so thick with dread that I could hear my own heartbeat, pounding in sync with the slow, thunderous steps of the beast before us.

  Like other monsters in this cave, the creature was boar-like, but far more monstrous. It had taken the worst and most terrifying features of every enemy we had fought so far. Its boar-like shape is distorted and exaggerated, the skin thick and wrinkled with jagged armor plates that look as though they were forged in the heart of a volcano.

  Its back is an absolute nightmare, bristling with massive quills that protrude like the tips of spears. Each one flickers with the intensity of fire, some even smoldering with molten heat. The quills are sharp and twisted, glowing with an ominous red light

  Its face is a grotesque mockery of the wild boar, with two enormous tusks that twist outward, curving like the blades of some massive cleaver. Each time it snorts, a plume of fiery smoke bursts from its nostrils, as if its very breath is an inferno, threatening to consume everything around it.

  Where the boar’s body isn’t armored, it’s covered in writhing flames that lick the air, shifting and dancing like a living inferno. The fire seems to have a mind of its own—sometimes swirling violently around its limbs, other times crackling along the jagged edges of its back The heat radiating from the mighty beast is so intense that the very ground beneath it scorches and warps as it moves, leaving behind nothing but ash and charred remnants.

  “…We’re dead,” Orin whispered.

  I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm.

  “No,” I said, gripping my weapon tighter. “We fight.”

  ***

  Unlike our usual formation, this time, Gorgroth took the lead. We had no idea how strong our opponent was, so we needed it at the front. Besides, its cooldown was over—ready to be resummoned at any time.

  Elena wasted no time, summoning her Silkshade Phantom—not as a mere decoy this time. She swiftly activated web-infused arrows, both for herself and her clone. There was only one goal: slow the enemy down as much as possible.

  Not to be outdone, Gorgroth spewed a thick, green liquid from his maw—Viscous Goo. Unlike Spitfire, which had a significant delay, this skill had a much shorter interval. It didn’t deal damage, but it was excellent for restricting movement.

  Orin grinned. "Let’s see how you like this!" She hurled Mana Bomb, fully charged and massive in size. A blast of energy erupted upon impact, engulfing the monstrous creature. Lightning crackled in the air as Darwyn immediately followed up with a Lightning Bolt.

  "That should keep him busy," Orin muttered, pulling out another trick from her arsenal— Frostbound Flask, enhanced to its maximum potential. The moment it shattered, ice crawled up the monster’s legs, locking all four of its limbs in place.

  Muradin seized the opportunity, charging forward with both axes raised high. Buffed with every enhancement I had cast on him, his body surged with energy as he activated our strongest combo—Thunderstrike Slam and Inner Beast.

  The monster roared in fury, caught off guard by our relentless assault. Its massive tusks swung wildly, forcing Muradin to retreat just in time. Its head, now coated in the sticky green goo, shook violently as it struggled to break free.

  It only took a moment. With a sharp crack, the beast shattered the ice shackles binding its legs and prepared to lunge.

  Swoosh!

  Darwyn’s arrow shot through the air, its tip ignited with flames. It struck the monster’s head.

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  BLAAAR!

  The fire spread rapidly, the highly flammable Viscous Goo amplifying the effect.

  "Now that’s what I’m talking about!" Darwyn smirked.

  Gorgroth wasn’t about to be left out. He unleashed another Spitfire, intensifying the inferno.

  The creature—Horrogoth, as I decided to name it—let out an enraged bellow. Lowering its head, it scraped its massive claws against the ground.

  [Inferno Charge cast]

  "Scatter!" I shouted.

  Horrogoth’s enormous body surged forward, leaving a burning trail in its wake. We barely managed to dive behind Gorgroth just before a deafening explosion shook the battlefield. A shockwave of fire blasted upward, scorching Gorgroth from below.

  "Gorgroth!" Elena cried out.

  Gorgroth snarled in pain, snapping its jaws and attempting to counterattack. But before it could land a hit, its body flickered and vanished.

  [Molten Tusks cast]

  "That can’t be good…" Orin muttered.

  Horrogoth’s tusks glowed with searing molten heat before slamming into the ground.

  BOOM!

  A localized shockwave erupted, splitting the earth apart. Fiery geysers burst from the cracks, forcing us to dodge in different directions.

  Except for Muradin.

  "Muradin, MOVE!" I yelled.

  "Like hell I’m running!" he bellowed, standing his ground. His new armor shimmered with enhanced magic and physical resistance, allowing him to withstand the heat.

  Still, the fight was far from over. And Horrogoth… was just getting started.

  ***

  We had no idea how long we had been locked in this grueling battle against Horrogoth. Time had blurred into a haze of fire and chaos. But at the very least, we had memorized its attack patterns by now.

  The moment it lowered its head and scraped its massive claws against the ground, we knew better than to stand our ground. Dodging was the only option. Even Tempest Shield could not deflect the charge attack.

  If its tusks began glowing with searing molten heat, there was only one rule—run. And run fast. I always cast Galestride on whoever was closest to it, ensuring they could get away in time.

  Gorgroth, our most valuable ally—already resummoned—was kept at a safe distance, far from Horrogoth’s devastating blows. Together with web-infused arrows from Elena, they managed to slow the monster down just enough to predict its next moves.

  [Blazing Quill Barrage cast]

  Horrogoth slowly turned its massive body, its dark, armored hide steaming with residual heat. And then—

  FWIIP!

  A volley of fiery, jagged quills launched from its back, fanning out in a wide cone.

  "MOVE!" I shouted.

  We all scrambled to evade the deadly projectiles. The memory was still fresh in our minds—when one of those quills had pierced through Darwyn’s shoulder, leaving a gaping hole before detonating, obliterating his left arm in a fiery blast.

  Had it not been for the high-rank healing potion we had prepared, Darwyn would’ve been out for good. Unfortunately, Orin’s Materialization spell had its limits—it couldn’t replicate the rare ingredients needed to craft high rank potions like that.

  "Orin, watch out!" Darwyn yelled.

  Orin had been forced too close to the wall. She dodged the incoming quills, but one embedded itself into the stone beside her—

  BOOM!

  The impact triggered an explosion, sending a rain of fire and shattered rock straight at Darwyn that pushed Orin away.

  "Darn it!" I cursed.

  Our main damage dealer was down again. Orin and I rushed to his side, working quickly to stabilize him, while Muradin stepped in, roaring as he clashed with the beast to buy us time.

  Elena wasted no time either. She deactivated her web-infused arrows, shifting roles to take over Darwyn’s position as the primary attacker.

  This time, we were smarter. No more fire-based attacks.

  "Let’s cool you down a bit, big guy," Orin muttered.

  She hurled another Enhanced Frostbound Flask at Horrogoth’s head, the ice immediately spreading across its molten hide, causing the creature to screech in frustration.

  That gave us just enough breathing room. Enough time to patch Darwyn up.

  The fight resumed its familiar rhythm. Dodge. Counterattack. Repeat.

  And we held on—waiting, buying time—until Darwyn was ready to fight again.

  ***

  "Elena, activate your web-infused arrows!" Darwyn commanded as he fired a Sticky Bomb arrow straight at Horrogoth.

  "Well, well, look who's back from the dead," Muradin smirked, clutching his shield. "Have a nice nap?"

  Darwyn chuckled. "The worst nightmare I’ve ever had."

  "Darw—Mister Gwydion! Thank goodness you're awake!" Orin exclaimed, her excitement barely hiding the slip of calling him by first name.

  Realizing it, I couldn’t help but react. With a surge of frustration, I channeled all my remaining strength into attack, hurling raw magic at Horrogoth.

  …Nothing happened.

  Muradin sighed. "Erynd, save your Mana. You’re not doing much with that."

  I glared at him. "Thanks for the support, Muradin."

  With Darwyn back in action, we could finally deal significant damage to Horrogoth again. Wounds covered the beast’s massive body, and several of the jagged armor plates protecting its hide had begun to crack.

  BLAST!

  Mana Bomb exploded against Horrogoth’s head, making the creature screech in agony. It let out a deafening, bone-rattling roar, shaking the entire cavern. Its tusks flared brighter, the fire on its back raging like an inferno.

  The shockwave hit me like a boulder. My vision blurred, the ground beneath me seemed to sway, and I could barely stay upright. But despite my dizziness, a small smile tugged at my lips.

  We did it.

  The next phase had begun.

  The tremors subsided, but before we could regain our footing—

  FWOOOSH!

  A storm of fire and ash erupted, swallowing the entire cavern.

  Dense clouds of smoldering embers formed randomly around us. The moment they touched the ground—

  BOOM!

  They exploded into thick, choking smoke, blocking our vision.

  "Split up and avoid the thickest clouds!" Darwyn shouted.

  BLAAAR!

  A loud explosion rang out—Elena screamed. She had fallen from the earlier quake and couldn’t dodge in time. Flames engulfed her, burning through her armor.

  I sprinted toward her, already preparing Rejuvenation, when—

  BAM!

  An explosion erupted right beside my head.

  Darkness swallowed me whole…

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