Kingsland Arc Chapter:35 - The Silent Predators
After a grueling day descending through the upper floors, the combined parties of the Blades of Dawn and the Shadows of Wrath finally reached the middle levels of the Whispering Abyss Dungeon. With each descending floor, the air grew heavier, thick with the scent of damp earth and something ancient, something subtly malevolent. The monsters, too, grew stronger, their hides tougher, their attacks more cunning. The adventurers, though formidable, were beginning to show the strain. Chou's movements were a fraction slower, his broad shoulders slumping slightly with fatigue. Sir Kaelen's golden armor seemed heavier, its polished surface dulled by dust and grime. Rafaela's breaths came in shallow gasps, and Yue Xin's usually sharp eyes held a hint of weariness. So far, there had been no sign of Ronin on any floor they had traversed.
"Let's find a safe spot and take some rest at the next floor," Freya suggested, her voice firm but laced with concern as she observed the younger party.
Kaelen nodded, his gaze sweeping over Chou, Yue Xin, and Rafaela. "It's a good idea. They look exhausted."
Freya turned to Chou, her expression softening. "You don't have any problems with that, do you, Chou?"
Chou straightened his posture, trying to hide his fatigue. "No, Master Freya. It's a good idea to take a rest. We're ready when you are."
As they continued their descent, a profound, unnatural silence settled over the floor. No scuttling, no distant roars—nothing. A subtle, prickling sensation, like static electricity, began to hum in the air around them, and the very aura of the dungeon shifted, becoming more oppressive, almost watchful.
Kaelen, his hand resting on his broadsword, frowned. "Don't you feel something odd, Freya?" he murmured, his voice low. "We haven't encountered a single monster on this floor so far. It's... too quiet."
Freya's eyes narrowed, her gaze sweeping the oppressive shadows. "Yes," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. "I have a very bad feeling about this. I once heard President Albert say that if you find a floor, especially in the middle to lower levels, completely devoid of lesser monsters, it means one of two things: either an A or S-ranked monster has claimed it, or they've already been preyed upon by something even stronger. Either way, their aura is too overwhelming for lower-ranked creatures. So, everyone, eyes and ears alert. Be ready for a fight at any moment."
Rafaela, walking near the rear, suddenly gasped, her eyes wide with fear, and stumbled back a step, pointing a trembling finger into the gloom. " There's something—moving. Just for a second—but it was there!" Rafaela's whisper was choked with tension, her hand shaking as she pointed into the dark. No one answered. Even the silence pressed closer.
Chou immediately stopped, spinning around, his hand instinctively going to his broadsword hilt. His eyes scanned the darkness, but saw nothing. "You must have imagined it, Rafaela," he said, his voice trying to be reassuring, though his own posture remained tense. "But stay cautious."
Rafaela bit her lip, her gaze still fixed on the spot. She was certain of what she saw, but the shadows were empty now. "Okay," she whispered, though her unease was palpable.
Freya, however, had seen it too. Her eyes, sharp and experienced, caught a fleeting ripple in the shadows. She stopped, lifting her hand to sign for silence and stillness. Everyone froze, their breaths held.
"Everyone, be ready," Freya commanded, her voice low and steady, cutting through the tense silence.
Chou, Kaelen, and Lamus drew their weapons, the metallic scrape of steel against leather echoing ominously. A dead silence descended, the calm before the storm. Both parties took a defensive stance, forming a tight circle, their backs to each other, weapons poised, eyes scanning the oppressive blackness.
The Ambush of the Spectral Beasts
The silence shattered. With a guttural ROAR that seemed to rip through the very air, two massive, translucent forms materialized from the shadows, one directly in front of them, the other behind. They were Spectral Bears, their forms shimmering like distorted moonlight, their claws elongated and ethereal, yet clearly capable of rending flesh.
The Spectral Bears didn't roar like normal beasts—they moved with something colder, feral yet precise, their movements too calculated for animals driven by instinct
The adventurers reacted in a chaotic scramble, spreading out to meet the sudden, two-pronged assault.
"Lamus! Help Chou's party!" Freya barked, already engaging the spectral bear in front. Her longsword, Dawnbreaker, became a silver blur against its shimmering form, cutting through its ethereal hide with surprising force. Kaelen's golden armor flashed as he moved to support her, his own broadsword, Lionheart, delivering powerful, arcing blows that forced the translucent beast back. Miya's hands glowed, and bolts of crackling arcane energy, Arcane Shards, slammed into the spectral bear, making it recoil with a pained, guttural roar.
Meanwhile, Lamus, a grim set to his jaw, immediately moved to assist Chou, Rafaela, and Yue Xin. He drew his shortsword, Shadow Fang, its dark blade a stark contrast to the spectral form of the bear. He parried a sweeping claw attack aimed at Chou, the ethereal limb passing through his blade but dissipating some of its concussive force. Chou's broadsword, Flamebrand, wreathed in a controlled burst of fire, met the spectral claws with furious, defensive strikes. Rafaela, her staff Lifegiver glowing with a soft, warm light, cast Holy Barrier, a shimmering shield that deflected a spectral charge aimed at Yue Xin. Yue Xin, her eyes narrowed in concentration, unleashed a volley of Mana Bolts, precise and rapid, that peppered the spectral bear, disrupting its form.
The spectral bears were tough, their blows passing through armor as if it were air, yet still delivering jarring, concussive force. The combined teamwork of both parties was pushed to its limit. They fought fiercely, driving the shimmering beasts back, until, with a final coordinated surge of power—Kaelen's powerful Shield Bash staggering one, Chou's Flaming Cleave disrupting the other—both spectral bears dissipated into wisps of cold mist, leaving nothing but a lingering chill in the air. The parties, breathing heavily, found themselves pushed back against the cold, obsidian walls, their backs to the stone.
The Swarm of Phantoms
As the last wisps of spectral mist vanished, the adventurers, panting, turned, their eyes scanning the now empty chamber. But the silence was short-lived. From every shadow, from every crack in the obsidian walls, a deeper, colder darkness began to seep. It coalesced, swirling like liquid night, taking on form. First, indistinct shapes, then the chilling outlines of soldiers—tall, gaunt figures clad in tattered, ancient armor, their faces obscured by deep hoods. They were not mere shadows; they were Shadow Phantoms, their forms semi-corporeal, their eyes glowing with a faint, malevolent light. They rose silently, menacingly, a vast, silent swarm, surrounding the exhausted parties from all sides.
"What... what are these?" Kaelen breathed, his voice barely a whisper, his golden armor suddenly feeling very small against the encroaching darkness. The air grew heavy, thick with the cold dread of their presence. The rescue mission had just become a desperate fight for survival.
[To Be Continued]