Dungeon (3) final

William stood tall, his eyes fixed on the E-Rank wolf before him. He knew he couldn't outrun it, so he tapped the button on his wrist-mounted bracelet. The soft hum of the distress signal filled the air.

Then, with a swift motion, William retrieved Oblivion from his inventory, and it transformed into a spear in his hands.

"I'm not strong enough to take you down," William said, his voice low and steady. "But I can hold out until the guards get here. Just have to keep you at bay..."

The wolf's sudden lunge forced William to leap sideways, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws. He landed awkwardly, his feet scraping against the dry underbrush. The wolf recovered quickly, its eyes blazing with fury as it prepared to strike again.

William scrambled to regain his footing, his heart racing with anticipation. He gripped Oblivion tightly, ready to face the wolf's next attack.

The wolf charged again, its claws swiping wildly through the air. William dodged to the side, using the momentum to fuel his own counterattack. With a swift, precise motion, he thrust Oblivion forward, aiming for the wolf's exposed flank.

The wolf, sensing the attack, twisted its body at the last second, avoiding the spear's deadly tip by mere inches. William's eyes widened as the wolf's jaws snapped shut, barely missing his arm.

"Of all the wolves I could've encountered, I had to run into one that's way out of my league!" William cursed his luck, eyes fixed on the wolf's imposing form.

The wolf, emboldened by its narrow escape, took a step closer to William, its eyes blazing with a fierce hunger. William, still reeling from the close call, scrambled to regain his footing, his mind racing with the realization that he needed to defend himself, and fast.

The wolf's gaze seemed to bore into him, its intent clear: William was prey, and it would not rest until it had claimed its prize.

'Come on, guards... hurry up', William thought, his mind racing with desperation. 'If you don't get here soon, I might actually lose my life here...'

....

Meanwhile, outside the dungeon, Orin, the guard who had handed William the tracking bracelet, glanced down at his watch as it beeped softly.

A signal flashed on the screen, indicating that the tracker had been activated. "Thane! We've got a situation!" Orin called out to his partner, already moving swiftly towards the dungeon entrance.

Thane, the other guard, quickly came to Orin's side, eyeing the signal on his watch. "What happened? Is the pretty boy in trouble already?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

Orin shot Thane a warning glance. "This isn't a joke, Thane. We need to check on him, now."

Thane's grin faltered, and he nodded, his expression turning serious. "Right, sorry. Let's move."

With a swift glance at his watch, Orin confirmed William's location was approximately 6000 meters away. He nodded to Thane, and they both took off in a sprint, their footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls.

"I hope the kid's okay," Thane said, his voice steady despite their rapid pace.

"He's got no experience," Orin replied, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "He shouldn't be down here alone."

"Hey, don't be too hard on him," Thane said with a grin. "He's got spunk, I'll give him that."

Orin's expression remained grim. "Spunk won't keep him alive down here."

As they ran, the darkness of the dungeon seemed to press in around them, the only sound the pounding of their feet on the stone floor. Orin's eyes remained fixed on the path ahead, his senses on high alert for any signs of trouble.

Thane kept pace beside him, his breathing steady and controlled. "You think we'll find him in one piece?" he asked, his voice low and serious.

Orin's expression didn't change, but his voice took on a slightly sharper edge. "We'll find him. Alive or dead, we'll find him."

....

William stood unsteadily, his spear clutched tightly in his right hand. The Oblivion's time limit had expired, and it had transformed back into its original form, now safely stored in his inventory. But the battle was far from over.

His mana was depleted, and his body screamed in agony. Blood flowed down his face from a gash on his forehead, and two of his ribs throbbed with a dull, aching pain. His left hand was a mess of bite marks, and the claw marks on his back felt like they were on fire.

Despite his injuries, William had managed to land a few blows on the wolf, wounding it slightly on its side. But the wolf was far from defeated, its eyes blazing with a feral intensity as it circled William, searching for an opening to strike.

William gritted his teeth, fighting to stay upright. He knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer. The wolf was too strong, too fast. He needed a miracle if he was going to survive this battle.

Just as William thought he was going to collapse from exhaustion and pain, he heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor. The wolf's ears perked up, and it turned its head towards the noise.

William's heart skipped a beat as he saw two figures rounding the corner, their torches casting flickering shadows on the walls. It was Orin and Thane, the guards he had met earlier.

"Need a hand?" Orin called out, his eyes scanning the scene before him.

William nodded weakly, his vision blurring at the edges. "A...little...help..."

Orin rushed towards William, his eyes scanning his injuries. "You can rest now, we'll handle it," he said, his voice firm but gentle.

Thane positioned himself between William and the wolf, his sword at the ready. "Don't worry, kid, we've got this."

William felt a wave of relief wash over him as Orin carefully took the spear from his hand. He leaned against the wall, his legs trembling beneath him.

The wolf, sensing its chance at William slipping away, let out a snarl and lunged at Thane. But the guard was ready, his sword flashing in the torchlight as he prepared to face the beast.

William's legs gave out, and he felt himself sliding down the wall. Orin quickly reached out and caught him, holding him upright.

"Easy, kid," Orin said, his voice soft. "You're safe now."

Thane charged forward, his sword flashing in the torchlight. The wolf met him head-on, its jaws wide open. But Thane was a skilled fighter, and with a swift strike, he plunged his sword into the wolf's heart.

The beast let out a defeated yelp and collapsed to the ground, its body motionless. Thane stood over it, his chest heaving with exertion.

Orin, still holding William, nodded at Thane. "Good work," he said.

Thane nodded back, sheathing his sword. "Now let's find that exit stone and get out of here."

Orin carefully lifting William into his arms. "Time to get you patched up, kid. Lead the way, Thane."

As they walked, Thane shook his head. "Can't believe an E-rank monster was inside an F-rank dungeon."

Orin grunted, adjusting his hold on William. "I know. That thing was way too strong for this place."

Thane frowned. "You think someone messed with the dungeon's settings?"

Orin's expression turned serious. "I don't know, but we need to report this. If there's a chance that other dungeons have been tampered with..."

Thane nodded, his eyes scanning the corridor. "Let's just focus on getting out of here first. We can worry about the rest later."

Orin nodded, his gaze falling on William's pale face. "Yeah. Let's just get him patched up first."

....