As they followed Kalix through the broken tunnels of the collapsing dungeon, no one spoke at first. The ground behind them crumbled slowly, pieces of stone falling into dark pits. But moving ahead was easier than expected. Kalix and the woman beside him, Riya, seemed to know exactly where to step, guiding the group safely around the unstable paths.
Before long, they reached the surface. The dungeon entrance behind them collapsed with a quiet rumble, and the evening light was all over their tired bodies. The sky was calm. Cool air brushed past them.
Everyone stood still, not only because they were tired, but because they were confused. Their minds were full of questions, too many at once.
Kalix finally stretched his arms and said casually, "Alright, calm down, calm down. I'll tell you everything from the start. No need to crowd me."
He looked around, his voice slightly playful, but his tone had a serious undercurrent.
"As you already know, I'm Kalix. And she," he nodded toward the woman beside him, "is Riya."
Riya gave a small wave but didn't speak. Her expression remained calm.
Kalix rubbed his chin and continued, "Now, let's talk about that guy, what was his name again? Ah, right. Varnex. Yeah, him. You see, he wasn't the real problem. Just a pawn."
"A pawn?" Darek repeated, frowning.
"Yep," Kalix nodded. "There's something much worse out there. Varnex was just one of the test subjects. Same with the Black Wolf. You remember that guy, right? Well, that thing, it was part of an experiment. Someone out there is using dungeons, monsters, and people as tools to test something. Varnex was part of that system from the start."
The group fell silent again. Junith narrowed her eyes.
"Wait... how do you know all this?" she asked. "And why are you involved? Just who are you?"
Kalix let out a long groan. "Ugh, more questions," he muttered, looking annoyed. Riya gave him a sharp glare.
He sighed and gave in. "Alright, alright. I'll explain. Well, the truth is… me and her, we were part of the Dungeon of the Uncrowned King."
There was a sudden gasp from Adrian. His eyes lit up like a child meeting their hero. "No way! You mean Zortheus's dungeon? The Zortheus?"
Kalix smirked proudly. "Yes, yes. That's right. Me and Riya were both students of the great Zortheus. We trained under him. Learned from him. Fought beside him. It's been a while, but the legacy stays strong."
Kael didn't say anything, but his eyes were fixed on Kalix, the name Zortheus echoing in his thoughts.
Kalix continued, "Now, as for why I'm doing all this, it's simple. I was given a mission by our old master. I had to uncover what was really going on behind everyones eye, someone seems to be plotting some huge, and this Corrupted Core seem to be a small part of it. So, I've been undercover. Playing the fool. Watching from the shadows. And now… the unknown threat is starting to move."
Cyrus folded his arms. "I still don't get it," he said slowly. "Why would a Dungeon Boss care about the world?"
Before Kalix could reply, Riya stepped forward. Her voice was calm but firm. "Don't you dare compare Zortheus to the rest," she said. "He's not like them."
Kalix gently raised a hand to calm her down. "Easy, Riya. They don't know him."
He turned back to the group. "Listen, Zortheus isn't your average dungeon boss. He's a good person. He may not show it often, but he deeply cares about people, especially those close to him. He wants to protect them. That's why we're doing all this."
As he spoke, his eyes briefly shifted toward Lila, though he didn't say anything more.
Then, suddenly, the group heard footsteps from the dungeon ruins behind them. They turned quickly, hands on weapons, but what they saw stopped them in their tracks.
A young man, dressed in a white and blue leather outfit, emerged from the rubble. He walked confidently, but not alone, he carried Ristella and Velthra, unconscious but unharmed, one in each arm. And chained behind him, wearing a collar around his thick neck, was none other than Borrum, the corrupted minotaur, as he dragged his body on the ground.
The group was stunned.
"Yo, Big Bro," the newcomer said with a grin as he approached Kalix.
Kalix let out a sigh. "Well… this is Shin. Another one of Zortheus's students."
Shin tossed something to Kalix, a glowing object and an old-looking scroll. Kalix caught both with one hand and examined them.
"The corrupted core… and this scroll," Shin explained. "I managed to retrieve them before the place fell apart. But I couldn't find any clue about the Jewels."
At the mention of Jewels, Junith suddenly spoke up. "Wait, did you say Jewels?"
Kalix raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you know about them too? That makes things easier."
He leaned back slightly and continued. "These Jewels are said to hold immense power. But no one really knows how to unlock that power. We've been collecting information about them to keep them out of the hands of evil. Can't risk them falling into the wrong grasp."
Cyrus nodded slowly. "We don't know much, but… we had one. The Crimson Jewel. But some intruders attacked and stole it."
Kalix's relaxed posture stiffened. "They what?" he said sharply. "You let some random intruders take a Jewel?! Why didn't you stop them?!"
Before he could say more, Riya smacked him on the head again. "Calm down," she said firmly.
Junith spoke again. "We didn't even get to see their faces. They created a barrier we couldn't enter. It all happened too fast."
Riya nodded gently. "What's done is done. There are still six Jewels left. We'll get to them first."
Adrian stepped forward. "We're sorry. We tried, but we just couldn't stop them."
"It's fine," Riya replied. "Let's just make sure we don't lose another one."
Kalix stretched his back and turned toward Cyrus. With a casual toss, he threw the corrupted core toward him. "Here. You take this. I'm sure you've got people who know how to study it. We're kind of short-staffed right now." Then he turned toward Kael and pointed. "As for this scroll, we'll decode it first. After that, it's all yours." Kael simply nodded, too many thoughts running through his head to say anything.
Riya stepped forward once more. "One last thing. A request. Can you take care of these two girls, Ristella and Velthra? As Kalix said, they aren't regular people. Their situation is... complicated. But they'll be better off with you."
Cyrus stepped up and nodded. "Don't worry. We'll take responsibility for them."
Kalix gave a small smile, then turned around. "Well then... see ya."
And just like that, the three of them, Kalix, Riya, and Shin, began to walk away, disappearing into the distance. The group stood in silence, watching their figures vanish into the horizon. One storm had passed. But they knew more were coming.