The moment they stepped out, the stench of blood, sweat, and rotting flesh thickened in the air.
The cavern beyond was vast, lit only by the eerie glow of faintly pulsing mana crystals embedded in the walls. Jagged stone pillars jutted from the ground like the ribs of a buried beast. And standing in the center of it all—their enemies.
Three ogres, their grotesque, muscular bodies covered in war scars, turned their massive heads toward the new arrivals. Their beady crimson eyes burned with hunger. Their bodies were wrapped in crude, bloodstained armor, and each one wielded a weapon fit to crush a man in a single blow.
Behind them, three minotaurs loomed, watching. Unlike the ogres, these beasts stood still, their bull-like heads snorting out thick puffs of hot breath, watching with an eerie sense of patience—as if waiting.
Then—a roar. It was enough to shake the cavern walls. The first ogre charged.
Kai cracked his neck, stepping forward, his red eyes gleaming with challenge. "Let me handle this."
Belle raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"If you fight, it'll be over in an instant." A smirk curled on Kai's lips. "At least let me struggle a little."
Belle huffed, crossing her arms, the black fabric of her jacket shifting with the movement. "Fine. Go have your fun."
And then Kai moved.
He launched forward at blinding speed, his katana already igniting. The air shimmered from the heat of his blade, glowing like molten steel. He met the first ogre head-on, his katana slicing clean across its massive chest.
A deep, guttural howl erupted from the beast as flames seared into its flesh, leaving behind a glowing red gash.
But Kai wasn't done.
The ogre snarled and swung a tree trunk-sized fist. Kai ducked.
The wind howled above him as the massive fist ripped through the air, narrowly missing his skull. Without hesitation, he twisted his blade, flipping it into a reverse grip, and with a sharp lunge—he drove it straight into the ogre's gut.
The beast let out a choking gasp, stumbling back.
Kai ripped his katana free, flicking black blood into the dirt. He prepared to finish it but—
WHAM!
A club the size of a boulder came crashing down toward him.
Kai's instincts flared. He barely twisted away in time. The weapon grazed his shoulder, sending a brutal jolt of pain through his body. The sheer impact alone was enough to send a shockwave through the cavern, kicking up dust and loose debris.
Kai skidded back, landing in a low stance. He hissed, glancing at the fresh wound on his arm. A light burn mark was already forming on his skin.
Tch. They're stronger than before.
He had fought ogres before. He knew their movements, their habits. But something was different this time. The corrupted aura around them writhed violently, feeding into their already monstrous strength.
The second ogre didn't let him breathe. It rushed forward with terrifying speed, raising its greatclub overhead.
Kai reacted on instinct. He feinted left, drawing the ogre into overcommitting its swing—then he suddenly dropped low, sliding under the attack. The moment he passed through, he slashed out. His blade carved through the beast's ankle.
A pained shriek erupted from the ogre as it stumbled forward, its balance lost.
Kai didn't waste the opening. He gritted his teeth, channeled his fire magic, and in a single, explosive motion—he unleashed a flaming vertical slash.
The glowing blade cut straight through flesh and bone, slicing from shoulder to hip. A searing explosion of heat followed.
The ogre collapsed with a final, shuddering breath.
Kai barely had time to react before the third and final ogre was already on him. This one was faster. Smarter. It didn't just charge blindly. It waited. Calculated.
Kai noticed too late. The ogre feinted a swing, forcing Kai to commit to a dodge—and then it struck from the other side.
BOOM.
Kai's vision blurred.
A fist the size of a war hammer slammed into his torso, sending him flying like a ragdoll. He crashed into a stone pillar, feeling the impact rattle through his bones. Pain flared through his ribs. His breath hitched.
Damn it. That one hurt.
The ogre was already coming again. It sprinted forward, its massive, iron-clad footfalls shaking the ground.
Kai pushed through the pain, rolling out of the way just as the ogre's massive club crushed the pillar where he had been.
I need to end this now.
Kai's katana flared brighter, the heat intensifying.
The ogre lunged forward, swinging its massive club with both hands.
But Kai didn't dodge. He charged straight in.
The ogre's eyes widened in confusion as Kai closed the gap before it could complete its swing.
Too late.
Kai leapt into the air, flipping over the ogre's head. In that brief moment—his katana burned white-hot, the heat distorting the very air around him.
"Flame Crescent."
A massive, fiery arc erupted from his blade. It sliced straight through the ogre's thick neck. The beast's eyes went wide. Its body twitched. And then—its head toppled to the ground.
Kai landed in a crouch as the ogre's massive corpse collapsed with an earth-shaking thud.
For a moment, the only sound was the crackling embers of his katana.
Kai exhaled.
Three down.
Belle finally stepped forward, arms still crossed. She gave him a teasing look. "That was cute, Crimson Blade."
Kai rolled his shoulder with a wince, exhaling. "Yeah, yeah." He flicked his katana, extinguishing the flames. "Alright, Belle. Your turn."
Belle's smile widened. She cracked her knuckles.
The minotaurs let out a low, guttural growl.
Belle's eyes gleamed. "My pleasure."
Aura Amplification—Activate.
An ethereal blue wave of energy radiated from Belle's body, distorting the air around her. The effect was immediate. Her movements gained an almost imperceptible swiftness, her silver eyes glowing with heightened intensity.
The minotaurs, who had been slowly advancing, paused.
The largest of the three, the one with the scarred snout, snorted in defiance. It stomped the ground, ready to charge. But before it could take a step—
Belle vanished.
It wasn't a burst of speed. It was as if she had ceased to exist in one point and reappeared in another. The minotaurs, even with their enhanced senses, couldn't track her movement.
Before anyone could blink, she reappeared above the largest minotaur.
Her fist was cocked back, a crackling blue aura surrounding it. It wasn't a wild swing. It was a perfectly calculated strike, focused on a single point.
With a single, precise punch, she drove her fist into its skull.
BOOM.
The cavern shook. Not from the force of the blow itself, but from the shockwave that followed. The minotaur's thick skull shattered like glass, the force of the impact concentrated and devastating. Its massive body, which had been a picture of intimidating strength moments before, collapsed lifelessly to the ground. A cloud of dust and fragments filled the air.
But Belle didn't stop there. She used the momentum to launch herself toward the second minotaur, the one with the spiked chain. It roared in surprise, whipping its chain in a desperate attempt to defend itself.
Belle, however, was already moving too fast.
She ducked under the chain, her hand phasing through the air. For a moment, it looked like she had missed. Then—a ripple appeared on the minotaur's chest.
A split second later, a powerful burst of blue energy erupted from within the minotaur, tearing through its armor and sending it flying backward. Belle hadn't touched it externally. She had attacked from the inside, the strange energy bypassing the minotaur's defenses.
The final minotaur, the one with the greataxe, finally reacted. It roared, swinging its massive weapon at Belle.
Kai, who had been watching the fight with a mixture of awe and disbelief, finally snapped out of his stupor. "Belle, behind you!"
Belle didn't even turn her head.
She sidestepped the greataxe, her movements fluid and effortless. The greataxe cleaved through the air where she had been a moment before.
She grabbed the minotaur's arm, her hand glowing with a more intense blue. The air around her shimmered. And then—she twisted.
Not with brute strength, but with focused, amplified force. The minotaur's arm, thick and muscular, snapped like a twig. The minotaur howled in pain, its grip on the axe loosening.
Belle didn't give it a chance to recover.
She delivered a final kick, sending the minotaur crashing into the wall of the cavern. The impact cracked the stone. The minotaur slid down, unconscious.
Trinity Blade stared, stunned.
Garron, the stoic leader, his golden-brown eyes wide with disbelief. Lena, the usually composed healer, her mouth slightly agape. Even Darin, the brash fire mage, was speechless, his usual arrogance replaced with shock. They had never witnessed power like this.
Lena's jaw hung open. "…Are you kidding me?"
Before anyone could answer, the ground began to tremble.
A chorus of chattering and rattling echoed from the passage ahead, growing louder with each passing second. The air itself seemed to vibrate with anticipation.
Then, they emerged. A horde of goblins, skeletons, and kobolds poured into the cavern. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural red light, and their movements were jerky and unnatural.
It was a chaotic wave of crude weapons, bony limbs, and gnashing teeth.
"What is this…?" Darin muttered, his usual bravado replaced with apprehension.
"They just keep coming," Lena said, her voice tight.
Garron stepped forward, his massive tower shield barely held together from the previous fight held high. "We hold the line. Trinity Blade will not fall here."
Kai grinned, his red eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let's go!"
Belle, however, remained calm. She surveyed the horde, her mind already calculating the best course of action.
"We can't fight them all at once," she said, her voice cutting through the tension. "We need to create a path."
The plan was set.
Garron slammed his shield into the ground, the impact creating a small tremor. "I'll take the front. Lena, keep us healed. Darin, provide fire support."
Lena nodded, her hands already glowing with icy blue energy. Darin smirked, his palms igniting with flames.
"Time to burn these freaks."
The battle began.
Garron was a bulwark, an immovable wall of earth magic. He used his massive shield to deflect attacks, creating shockwaves that staggered the monsters. His earth magic reinforced his armor, making him nearly impervious to their claws and fangs.
Lena moved with a grace that belied her role as a healer. She weaved between her allies, her hands glowing with concentrated ice energy. Unlike other healers, she didn't spread her magic. She focused it, healing specific wounds with incredible efficiency.
Darin lived up to his reputation. He unleashed a barrage of fire magic, his flames scorching the monsters. He wasn't just throwing fireballs. He was using his flames to enhance his movements, weaving in and out of the horde with explosive bursts of speed.
Kai fought with a wild abandon. His katana danced through the air, leaving trails of fire in its wake. He moved with incredible speed, his flames enhancing his strikes. He seemed to revel in the chaos, a manic grin on his face.
Belle, however, fought with a cold, calculated efficiency. She moved with purpose, her strikes precise and powerful. The blue energy around her crackled, amplifying her strength and speed. She wasn't just fighting, she was dissecting the horde, identifying weaknesses, and exploiting them with ruthless precision.
The battle raged on.
The cavern became a whirlwind of magic, steel, and monstrous fury. Trinity Blade and Obsidian Dawn fought as a cohesive unit, their individual strengths complementing each other.
Garron held the line. Lena healed their wounds. Darin created openings. Kai and Belle cut through the horde.
Slowly but surely, they pushed their way forward.
But the monsters kept coming.
The horde seemed endless, their numbers overwhelming. Trinity Blade began to tire, their movements slowing.
"We can't keep this up," Darin gasped, wiping sweat from his brow.
"We need to fall back," Lena said, her voice tight with exhaustion.
Belle surveyed the cavern, her eyes scanning for an escape route. She knew there was only one way out.
"We need to retreat," she stated, her voice clear and firm. "Back the way we came."
Garron nodded, his expression grim. "Agreed. But we can't all move at once. We'll cover each other."
Kai grinned, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I'll go first. I'll clear a path."
He channeled his fire magic, his katana erupting in a blaze of intense heat.
"Crimson Inferno!"
He charged forward, his blade leaving a trail of fire. He moved like a whirlwind, cutting through the horde with terrifying speed. His flames burned hotter, his strikes grew fiercer.
The monsters shrieked and recoiled from the intense heat, creating a temporary opening.
"Now!" Kai shouted.
Garron slammed his shield into the ground, creating a tremor that staggered the monsters. Lena unleashed a wave of ice, freezing their feet in place. Darin launched a barrage of fire to keep them at bay.
Trinity Blade moved as one, pushing through the opening Kai had created. They fought their way toward the passage, their determination fueled by the hope of escape.
Belle brought up the rear, ensuring no one was left behind. She moved with a speed and power that belied her slender frame, her blue energy crackling around her.
They reached the passage to Floor Five, their bodies battered and bruised, but their spirits unbroken.
As they entered the narrow corridor, a massive roar echoed from behind them. The remaining monsters, driven by a primal fury, surged forward, their red eyes burning with malice. The passage was narrow. Only a few could fight at a time.
Garron stepped forward, his shield held high. "I'll take the front. You guys go on ahead."
"Garron, no!" Lena protested.
"We'll all go," Belle said firmly, her eyes flashing with determination. "We're not leaving anyone behind."
Kai nodded in agreement. "We're in this together."
Darin, despite his exhaustion, smirked. "Damn right."
Trinity Blade, with Belle and Kai at their side, pressed on. They were united in their resolve to escape.
End of Chapter 43