The dungeon was no longer purple.
It was breathing.
Crimson veins pulsed through the walls like living arteries. The ground cracked under invisible pressure. The air felt thick — heavy enough to choke.
Heru stood at the front, eyes sharp but controlled.
"Stay close. The dungeon core shifted. That means a higher entity is active."
Nahira tightened her silver charm. "You mean… a Red-class being?"
Ruku rolled his shoulders. "We just wanted a normal mission…"
Zakeru didn't speak.
He was listening.
Not to the dungeon.
To something deeper.
A pulse.
Faint.
But familiar.
"…She's below us," he said quietly.
Heru glanced at him. "You're certain?"
Zakeru nodded once. "Yeah."
No dramatic tone. No shouting.
Just certainty.
Deep Below
Hyezi stood in the crimson chamber, aura flowing around her like silk in water.
It wasn't chaotic.
It wasn't consuming her.
It was responding to her heartbeat.
She looked at her reflection in the crystal floor.
Her eyes glowed faint red — but her expression was still calm.
Still her.
"I won't lose myself," she whispered.
The throne behind her began to dissolve.
The chamber shook violently.
A roar echoed above.
The dungeon wasn't welcoming her.
It was resisting her.
Upper Floor
A massive figure tore through the crimson walls.
Not a shadow beast.
Not purple-tier.
This was something else.
Its body looked carved from dark stone, veins glowing red, four arms ending in blade-like claws.
Nahira inhaled sharply. "That's not a floor boss… that's a guardian."
Heru moved instantly. "Defensive formation!"
The creature lunged.
Ruku dashed forward to intercept.
Heru deflected one claw.
Nahira's barrier shimmered.
But the creature's strength was overwhelming.
Zakeru stepped forward, electricity humming low around his hands.
He didn't rush blindly.
He waited.
Watched the rhythm of its attacks.
Then—
He moved.
A single controlled surge of lightning struck the creature's shoulder joint, forcing it off balance instead of trying to overpower it.
Precise.
Calculated.
"Left side's weaker," he said softly.
Ruku grinned. "That's what I like to hear!"
They moved together — seamless.
Years of friendship showing in every coordinated step.
But the guardian suddenly stopped.
Its head tilted.
It wasn't focused on them anymore.
It was staring downward.
Toward the lower chamber.
And then—
It roared in fear.
The ground split open.
Crimson energy erupted upward.
And from the fracture—
Hyezi rose.
Not floating wildly.
Not possessed.
Standing.
Her coat fluttered behind her as red aura circled calmly around her blade.
Everyone froze.
Nahira's eyes widened. "Hyezi…"
Ruku blinked. "Since when do E-Ranks glow like that?"
Heru didn't move.
He was observing.
Analyzing.
But there was something else in his gaze.
Relief.
Zakeru stepped forward slowly.
"Hyezi."
Her glowing eyes shifted toward him.
For a split second, the crimson aura flared — unstable.
Then his voice reached her.
"You're okay."
Not a question.
A statement.
Her shoulders relaxed.
"…Yeah," she replied softly.
The guardian roared again, charging toward her.
Fast.
Violent.
Hyezi didn't move until the last second.
Then—
She lifted her blade.
One slash.
Crimson light carved through the air.
The guardian split cleanly in half.
Silence.
The body collapsed.
The dungeon trembled.
Ruku stared. "Okay… that was insane."
Nahira covered her mouth slightly. "Your aura… it's different."
Heru stepped closer, calm as ever.
"You're still yourself?"
Hyezi looked at her hands.
The red aura flickered gently around her fingers.
"…Yes."
Zakeru finally stood in front of her.
Not too close.
Not dramatic.
Just enough.
"Then that's all that matters."
Her eyes softened slightly.
The dungeon roared again — louder this time.
Cracks spread across the ceiling.
Heru looked upward.
"This isn't over. That guardian was protecting something."
Far above them—
At the highest point of the evolving Red Variant—
A silhouette watched through a rift in space.
A demon.
Ancient.
Smiling.
"So the vessel has awakened…"
Its eyes gleamed.
"Let's see if she can survive what comes next."
Back below, the crimson light intensified.
The dungeon core was revealing itself.
And this time—
It wasn't just testing the squad.
It was testing Hyezi.