Chapter 123: The Endless Dungeon Trials
Arios moved through the dense mist. His steps were steady, though the ache in his legs and arms had become familiar by now, a dull, constant companion. He wasn’t weak, but he wasn’t unaffected either. The dungeon clearly wanted to grind him down, to turn his disciplined energy into raw exhaustion.
The sound came first again. A heavy thud against dirt, followed by a dry, raspy growl.
Wolves.
But when they stepped into view, Arios immediately noticed the difference. Their fur wasn’t just dark this time; it was thick, matted, and their bodies were slightly larger, more compact. Their eyes burned faintly red, a subtle escalation from the crimson, and their movements were more coordinated, less wild, exhibiting a new level of intelligence. The dungeon had introduced a **new wolf type**: the coordinated pack hunter.
He adjusted his stance, the wooden sword angled forward, ready to meet the new threat.
Three wolves charged together, moving in tight, triangular formation. Arios blocked the first with a jarring impact, struck the second across the muzzle with a snapping counter, and pivoted to avoid the third’s lunge. They circled quickly, faster and more defensively aware than the usual wolves. Their tight coordination forced him to adjust his targeting, favoring disruptive strikes over immediate finishes.
His strikes were precise, aiming to break their rhythm. One wolf fell, dissolving into mist. The second lunged high, but he countered with a quick slash across its underside. The third bit at his leg, forcing him to step back sharply before finishing it with a downward strike.
He stood again, eyes sharp, cataloging the new data. "Pack coordination. Another variation. They are learning."
More shapes emerged behind. **Hybrids**. **Crawlers**. And something else, something designed to bridge the gap toward true sentience.
A figure that looked almost human at first glance. Its body stood upright, its limbs proportioned normally. But its skin was pale, almost gray, and its eyes were empty sockets, devoid of sight but radiating a strange, internal light. It carried no traditional weapon. Instead, its arms extended into long, jagged claws, bone-like and wickedly sharp.
It didn’t run. It walked slowly, its head tilting as if studying him, calculating his movements.
Arios narrowed his eyes. "Humanoid type. Faster movement, more complex attacks."
The wolves attacked again first, a screen for the stronger units. Arios dispatched them with careful, sharp movements, never wasting motion, treating them as obstacles to clear. The crawlers hissed, dragging themselves forward, forcing him to watch his feet. He struck through them, avoiding the corrosive black liquid.
The humanoid monster stepped in last. Its movements were sudden and deceptively fluid. Despite walking slowly at first, it lunged fast, its claws slashing in rapid succession at his chest. Arios blocked, though the impact rattled his arms more than usual, testing his weary grip.
The creature slashed again, its strikes faster and sharper than the hybrids. Arios sidestepped, countered, his blade cutting across its side. It hissed, twisting unnaturally, its head rotating far too far on its neck before lunging again.
The exchange lasted longer than with most enemies. But Arios didn’t falter. He watched carefully, deflected, countered, until he found the clean angle—a brief opening in the creature’s defense. His sword pierced through its chest. The creature twitched violently before dissolving like the others, leaving behind only the faintest scent of ozone.
He lowered his blade, breathing evenly, his control paramount. "Closer to human form. They’re scaling up step by step, testing my ability to fight against varied, faster opponents."
The forest path narrowed further. The roots twisted so high they formed natural walls, almost like a corridor, restricting his movement options. Arios walked steadily, his senses sharp, knowing that a bottleneck was the perfect place for an ambush.
The next ambush came suddenly, just as predicted.
Wolves leapt from both sides at once, their coordination tighter, a pincer attack in the confined space. Arios spun, striking left then right, dispatching two instantly. More followed, their red eyes flashing in the mist, trying to overwhelm the corridor.
Hybrids crashed forward, heavy claws swinging, forcing him backward. Arios blocked, countered, though the force of each strike vibrated painfully through his arms. A crawler dragged itself close, spitting black liquid, but he avoided it, cutting it down quickly.
Then came another humanoid. This one was faster than the first, seemingly learning from its predecessor’s failure. Its claws swung in rapid succession, forcing Arios into constant deflections, a purely defensive battle. His stance stayed firm, though his muscles burned with the repeated impacts.
He waited, letting the pattern of its strikes show itself. He was trading energy for information. Then, at the precise opening, he struck, his blade cutting cleanly across its torso. The humanoid dissolved, leaving the clearing silent once again.
Arios adjusted his grip, wincing faintly at the stiffness in his elbow. "These illusions are designed to keep layering. They’re using the environment against me now, minimizing my movement advantages."
The dungeon escalated again soon after. The brief walk was a forced march, not a rest.
A clearing opened, larger than the others, an arena for the next stage. He knew what that meant. A boss fight.
And the growl confirmed it, a deep, resonant rumble.
Another **greater hybrid**. Its massive frame towered, muscles bulging, claws sharp. But this time, it wasn’t alone.
Around it stood six wolves with red eyes, three crawlers, two disrupters, and two humanoids. The final, complex cocktail of threats.
Arios exhaled once, steadying himself, accepting the challenge. Then he stepped forward.
The wolves charged first, a familiar wave. He cut through them with precise movements, though each took more effort than before. The crawlers hissed, but he kept them at distance before striking them down.
The disrupters screamed, their sound stabbing at his ears, threatening to shatter his focus. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to concentrate on the immediate, cutting them quickly to silence the sonic attack.
The humanoids came next. Fast, sharp, relentless, filling the space the disrupters had vacated. Arios blocked, countered, weaving carefully through their claws until he struck both down.
That left the greater hybrid.
It roared, rushing forward with unholy speed. Arios blocked, but the impact nearly knocked his blade free, forcing him to clench his teeth against the pain. The creature’s strength was immense. It swung again, and Arios sidestepped, striking into its ribs. It roared again, swinging wide, forcing him to move laterally. He ducked, cutting across its chest.
The exchange dragged on, a battle of attrition against overwhelming power. The greater hybrid pressed with unrelenting force, each strike heavy enough to rattle his bones. But Arios stayed calm, precise, waiting for the exact moment.
Finally, when the hybrid lunged too far, committing too much weight, Arios stepped in, driving his blade deep through the torso, aiming for the core of the illusion. The creature roared one last time before dissolving into a huge plume of mist.
The clearing was silent again.
Arios breathed steadily, though sweat dripped from his chin and his body was shaking. His arms ached, his grip sore, but his eyes stayed sharp.
"They’re trying to exhaust me faster now. Layering the threats. But it isn’t enough. The pattern is the solution. I must keep moving."
He pressed forward, accepting the inevitability of the next wave.
The forest began to change again. The mist grew thicker, the ground uneven. The sounds grew stranger—distant growls, scraping claws, faint whispers that were purely psychological.
New enemies emerged in the next ambush, a clear sign of Garron’s desperation.
Not wolves. Not hybrids. Not humanoids.
These were tall, thin creatures, their bodies covered in jagged spikes. Their arms extended into spears of bone. They didn’t charge. They stood at a distance, raising their arms before launching the bone spears forward, targeting his range.
Arios deflected the first with his sword, the impact stinging his palm. He sidestepped the second, the spear sinking deep into the ground with a solid thud.
"Ranged type now. He’s trying to break my focus and force mistakes."
The spike creatures kept firing, their arms regenerating new spears quickly, an endless supply of projectiles. Arios moved in fast, weaving between their shots, turning the corridor into a dangerous obstacle course. He reached the first and cut it down, then spun to the second, then the third, dispatching the ranged threat before they could corner him.
Each dissolved like the others.
He exhaled, forcing the air back into his lungs. "They’re covering all ranges. The illusion is near complete in its tactical design."
The fights didn’t stop. Each clearing brought new mixes.
Wolves and crawlers. Hybrids and disrupters. Humanoids with spike-throwers. Greater hybrids with entire packs around them. The patterns were complex, designed to exploit any sliver of weakness.
Each battle pressed him harder. Each exchange wore at his body.
But Arios kept moving, his strikes precise, his stance unbroken. He had found a rhythm in the chaos, a point of enduring resistance.
Step by step, he pressed deeper into the endless illusion.
The dungeon wasn’t finished yet. He knew it wouldn’t be, not until Garron’s reserves of mana failed, or Arios found the core.
Because the longer he fought, the clearer it became.
This wasn’t a random illusion. It was structured. Escalating. Testing him layer by layer, opponent by opponent, threat by threat.
And Arios didn’t intend to fail it. He would endure until the structure collapsed around its creator.