Jack stood at the entrance to the labyrinth, his lightning-scarred spear gripped firmly in his calloused hands.
The familiar stone archway loomed before him, ancient runes pulsing with a faint magical resonance that made his skin tingle.
After everything that had happened with the dragon, after nearly dying and being reborn through lightning itself, he was finally ready to return.
'Time to get back to work,' he thought, rolling his shoulders to work out the tension. The weight of Draven's Pendant against his chest was a constant reminder of how far he'd come, and how much further he needed to go.
Just as he was about to step forward, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Labyrinth Status Update]
[Enemy Count: 15,000 (Previous: 10,247)]
[Field Boss Count: 4]
[Dungeon Instability: Rising]
