We'd been trapped in Borgoth Cave for nearly twelve hours.

The air was thick. Stagnant, suffocating. Not just from the heat, but from tension. No one spoke. We just stared at the glowing stones embedded in the wall.

Only one remained.

It pulsed a deep, ominous red. Slow and steady, like the beat of a dying heart.

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 kept hoping, idiotically, that when the last light faded, the cave would simply open and let us walk out.

But red never meant escape.

It meant something worse.

We had prepared ourselves as much as we could. Our weapons were ready, our spells were set, and our minds… well, we were trying.

I exhaled sharply, maybe a bit too loud. Elena caught it and raised an eyebrow.

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

"You always sigh like that right before shit hits the fan," she muttered, nudging the edge of her bowstring with her thumb.

"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."

Before I could answer, the last light blinked.

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.

Boar-like in shape but corrupted into something unholy. Even Korrogoth, the cave's "final boss", felt like a child's nightmare next to this thing.

It dragged itself forward, shaking the very cavern with each step.

Its skin was warped and volcanic, like armor fused from molten rock. Rows of jagged plates jutted out at odd angles, pulsing with inner heat. Flames danced across its hide, not burning it, but feeding from it.

Then I saw its back. Quills the size of spears, bristling and glowing red-hot. Some smoked. Others sparked. All of them looked designed to impale gods.

Its head was pure nightmare, grotesque boar-like. A swollen mass with tusks that curved like meat cleavers. Every breath it exhaled came with plumes of black smoke and cinders, like a forge about to erupt.

And the heat…

Even from far away, the ground warped beneath its steps. Stone cracked. Ash followed.

"…We're dead," Orin whispered.

I gritted my teeth, locked my jaw, and raised my staff.

"No," I said, gripping my weapon tighter. "We fight."

***

We abandoned our usual formation.

This time, Gorgroth took the lead.

The monster's size alone warranted it. We didn't know what this thing was capable of, only that it radiated danger like a furnace. Besides, Gorgroth's cooldown was over, ready to be resummoned at any time.

Elena acted fast, summoning her Silkshade Phantom, not as a mere decoy this time. Twin bows rose in eerie unison as she notched her web-laced arrows. The two moved as one, loosing a hail of sticky projectiles meant to slow, bind, and cripple.

Not to be outdone, Gorgroth spewed a thick, green liquid from its maw. Viscous Goo splattered across the beast's legs. It clung, sluggish and heavy.

Orin was already in motion.

"Let's see you crawl out of this," she muttered, hurling a fully charged Mana Bomb straight at the monster's chest.

BOOM.

A dome of raw energy erupted, painting the battlefield in white light. Lightning crackled in the air as Darwyn immediately followed up with Lightning Bolt.

And then came the frost.

Orin hurled an Enhanced Frostbound Flask. It shattered on impact, releasing a burst of arctic mist. Ice spread fast, crawling up the monster's limbs until all four legs were entombed in jagged crystal.

"Now!" I shouted.

Muradin bellowed, 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.

He struck like a meteor.

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Axes crashed into armored flesh. Sparks exploded. The creature howled, its tusks swinging in a wild arc. Muradin ducked just in time, rolling clear as the beast's massive head—coated now in thick green goo and frost—thrashed violently.

The ice didn't hold long.

With a deafening crack, the creature shattered its bindings, shards flying like daggers. It stomped once, hard, and roared.

A flaming arrow zipped through the smoke.

THWACK.

Darwyn's shot embedded deep into the monster's temple. The goo ignited on contact, fire racing across its head and neck in a chain reaction of flame and fury.

"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 flames doubled in size, swallowing the battlefield in a violent blaze.

Horrogoth, as I decided to name it, let out an enraged bellow. Barely hurt by the inferno, it lowered its head and scraped its massive claws against the ground.

"Scatter!" I screamed.

Horrogoth barreled forward like a living comet, leaving a trail of scorched stone and fire in its wake. We dove behind rocks, behind Gorgroth, anywhere.

BOOOOM!

"Gorgroth!" Elena cried out.

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

Horrogoth didn't stop.

Its tusks glowed with searing molten heat before slamming into the ground.

CRACK.

The floor split apart. Lava-like geysers burst from the cracks, turning the arena into a molten deathtrap.

"Muradin, MOVE!" I shouted again.

But he didn't. He stood firm, armor glowing, the heat warping the air around him.

"Like hell I'm running!" he roared, digging his heels in. Flames danced along his gauntlets, but he didn't flinch.

Horrogoth raised its head, steam pouring from its nostrils.

This wasn't over.

It was just getting started.

***

We no longer knew how long the fight had lasted.

Time had melted into heat and chaos, the rhythm of combat the only thing keeping us grounded. Dodge. Strike. Retreat. Repeat.

But at least now, we understood Horrogoth's patterns. When it scraped its massive claws against the ground and lowered its head, we scattered without hesitation. Not even Tempest Shield could deflect the Inferno Charge. That's what I called it.

And when those tusks started to glow molten red, pulsing with inner fire, there was only one rule: run. I cast Galestride on whoever stood closest to the beast, praying their legs would carry them fast enough.

Elena and her Phantom unleashed volleys of web-laced arrows, slowing the monster just enough to predict its next lunge. I held back Gorgroth, waiting for the exact moment to resummon him.

Then Horrogoth twisted its spine.

Its blackened, armored hide hissed with steam, and with a sudden jerk, it turned its massive body.

A barrage of fire-tipped quills erupted from its back, fanning across the cavern like a storm of razors.

"Watch out, Blazing Quill Barrage!" I shouted.

We dove for cover.

A shard whizzed past my ear, another buried itself in the stone beside Orin. Darwyn quickly pushed her away.

BOOM!

The burning quill detonated behind him. The shockwave hurled him forward. He landed hard, unmoving.

"No, Mister Gwydion!" Orin shouted in horror, staring at his left arm, obliterated.

Orin was already at his side, pouring a precious high-rank healing potion over the nearly severed arm. "I hope this works."

Relief spread across Orin's face as the potion took effect, rapidly closing Darwyn's wound. "Too bad my Materialization can't produce the rare ingredients."

Muradin roared from the front lines, drawing Horrogoth's attention with a massive shield slam that echoed like thunder. "Get him patched up!" he bellowed. "I'll keep the big bastard busy!"

Elena helped him keep the monster distracted long enough for Darwyn to pull through the worst of it.

Soon after, Orin rejoined the battle.

We learned from mistakes. No more fire-based attacks.

"Let's cool you down a bit, big guy," Orin muttered, eyes locked on Horrogoth.

She hurled a Frostbound Flask, enhanced and humming with power. It burst against the creature's skull, and a wave of frost spread across its molten hide. Horrogoth screeched in fury, its limbs stiffening as ice cracked along its joints.

We seized the moment and hit it with everything we had.

***

Darwyn groaned. His eyes fluttered open.

"Welcome back," I said, exhaling in relief.

He grimaced. "I feel like I've been hit by a mountain."

"You nearly were," I replied, offering him my hand.

Darwyn rolled his shoulder, ignoring the lingering pain. He loosed a Sticky Bomb-tipped arrow that buried itself in Horrogoth's chest.

Muradin laughed. "Look who's back from the grave. Took your sweet time!"

Darwyn smirked. "Had to get my beauty sleep."

Orin sighed, clearly relieved "Darw—Mister Gwydion! Thank goodness you're awake!"

I caught the slip. So did everyone else.

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

It fizzled against its hide.

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

I glared at him. "Appreciate the encouragement."

But with Darwyn back, we could finally push the monster. Its massive frame was riddled with wounds now, armor plates cracked and blackened. Each arrow hit harder, each coordinated move cut deeper.

BLAST!

Mana Bomb exploded against Horrogoth's head, staggering it. The creature let out a deafening roar, shaking the entire cavern. Its tusks flared brighter, the fire on its back raging like an inferno.

The shockwave hit like a tidal wave of heat. My vision blurred, the ground rippled beneath me, and for a moment I thought the world had tilted on its axis.

But I didn't fall.

I grinned, lips cracked and dry. "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, they exploded into thick and choking smoke, blocking our vision.

"Split up!" Darwyn shouted, voice muffled through the haze. "Avoid the densest clouds!"

I darted left. Orin veered right. Muradin vanished in the swirl of black.

BLAAAR!

A monstrous detonation shook the walls. Elena screamed.

I turned just in time to see her stumble, flames wrapping around her leg like hungry snakes. She collapsed, clawing at her leather armor, the fire eating through it with sickening speed.

"Elena!" I yelled, sprinting toward her.

I sprinted toward her, ready to cast Rejuvenation…

BAAAM!

An explosion erupted right beside my head.

Darkness swallowed me whole…

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