Conqueror Trial

As the last of the glowing particles vanished, a soft blue light enveloped the trio, causing their cuts and bruises to slowly mend.

Yuno raised an eyebrow, watching the burns on his hands fade slightly. "Huh. Auto-healing? Finally, this dungeon gives us something nice for once."

Hugo examined his gauntlets, noticing the dents were still there. "Don't get too excited. This feels like a 'barely-functional' kind of nice. Looks like it's only about 40% effective."

Shine flexed his fingers and winced. "Yep. Still sore. Whoever programmed this dungeon must've been laughing their head off when they decided on the percentage."

Yuno shook his hands, testing his grip. "Seriously, 40%? What's next? A vending machine that only dispenses snacks halfway out?"

Hugo sighed. "Stop complaining and take what you can get. It's better than nothing."

Shine shrugged, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "At least now we won't completely drop dead if something else shows up."

Yuno groaned dramatically. "If something else shows up, I'm throwing Shine at it first."

Shine gasped, clutching his chest in mock betrayal. "How could you?! I'm the team sniper, not an sacrifice!"

Hugo shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Enough. Let's just hope this healing means we're at the end of this insanity."

The trio took a moment to catch their breath, their half-healed bodies still aching but ready to move forward but quite reluctantly.

As the trio trudged onward, their weary steps echoed in the quiet dungeon corridor. The dim, flickering light of the dungeon's torches barely illuminated the path ahead.

Finally, the hallway widened, and they came to a stop.

In front of them stood an imposing double door, towering and ominous. Its surface was intricately carved with monstrous figures, glowing faintly with a crimson hue.

The faint hum of energy emanating from the door sent a shiver down their spines.

Yuno crossed his arms, glaring at the door like it had personally insulted him. "Great. This must be the boss room. Why do these places always have to be so dramatic about it?"

Shine tilted his head, examining the carvings. "I don't know, Yuno. It's kind of cool, don't you think? Like the door itself is saying, 'Enter if you dare!'"

Hugo sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his gauntlet. "Or, 'Enter and regret all your life choices.' Either one works."

Yuno cracked his knuckles, his muscles visibly flexing. "Well, whatever's in there, it better be ready, cause I'm not holding back anymore."

Shine raised a hand with a sheepish grin. "Uh, maybe let me shoot it from a distance before you start punching everything, yeah?"

Hugo stepped closer to the door, placing a hand on its surface.

The heat radiating from it confirmed his suspicion. "Get ready. If this is anything like the rest of the dungeon, it's going to be worse than all the monsters we've faced so far combined."

The trio exchanged a look, a mix of determination and exhaustion in their eyes.

"Well." Hugo said, pushing the door with both hands, "let's get this over with."

The massive doors creaked open, revealing a vast, shadowy chamber beyond.

The trio stepped into the vast chamber, their footsteps echoing ominously.

Their eyes fell on the strange sight before them, is a skeleton of what appeared to be a massive hydra.

Its bones were scattered haphazardly across the room, as though it had been long dead and forgotten.

But what caught their attention most was a bowl resting atop a square stone pedestal in the center of the chamber.

A blue flame flickered inside the bowl, casting an eerie glow that illuminated the skeletal remains around it.

Yuno's jaw dropped, his eyes widen. "What the hell is that supposed to be?!"

Shine scratched his head, his expression frozen in exaggerated confusion. "A skeleton... picnic? Why's the flame so blue? Did it die of embarrassment?"

Hugo's brow twitched, his face contorting with both curiosity and annoyance. "Could you two stop talking nonsense for five seconds? Let's just figure out what's going on here."

Cautiously, they walked toward the blue flame, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

Hugo knelt beside the pedestal, narrowing his eyes at the glowing fire. "This doesn't feel right. It's too... deliberate. Like it's waiting for us to—"

Behind them, the bones began to stir. One by one, the scattered pieces moved silently across the floor, clicking and clattering as they snapped into place.

Ribs, legs, and heads reassembled into their rightful positions, slowly forming a massive skeletal hydra.

The trio remained oblivious, still focused on the flame.

Shine leaned in closer, squinting at the bowl. "You think it's some kind of treasure? Maybe it heals wounds, or—"

A sudden whoosh and ominous clack of bones behind them cut him off.

Yuno froze mid-sentence, his face turning pale. "Uh... guys?"

Before they could react, the hydra's newly formed tail swung with bone-shattering force.

WHAM!

The trio were sent flying through the air, their exaggerated screams echoing through the chamber.

They crashed into the ground at the room's entrance in a heap of groans and tangled limbs.

Yuno rubbed his head, wincing. "Oh, come on! What kind of skeleton ambushes people?!"

Shine pushed himself up, his silver hair sticking up comically. "I knew something was wrong.."

Hugo, sprawled on his back, groaned, "Ugh, Why does everything in here want to kill us?!"

As they scrambled to their feet, the fully assembled skeletal hydra turned to face them.

Its eyeless skulls tilted toward them menacingly, and it let out a bone-rattling roar.

The trio stood at the entrance, staring in shock as the fully assembled Bone Hydra loomed before them.

Its skeletal heads twisted and turned, each one emanating a chilling aura of power.

The room seemed colder now, the scattered remains of its bones reformed into a towering monstrosity.

Hugo's eyes widened in recognition. "No way... that's a Bone Hydra. An B-Rank boss monster."

Yuno groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Of course, it had to be something that dangerous. Why not just throw an entire dungeon at us while you're at it?"

Shine, still clutching his rifle, took a deep breath to steady himself. "Alright, so... how do we deal with something like this? Please tell me you've got a plan, Hugo."

Hugo tightened his gauntlets, his expression serious. "We take it one step at a time. Stick to the basics: dodge, counter, and don't get hit by those heads."

The Hydra suddenly let out a deafening roar, its heads moving in unison as the ground beneath them shifted.

Jagged bones erupted from the floor, forming makeshift walls and cutting off their immediate escape routes.

Yuno's fist clenched as he cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Alright, you oversized pile of bones! Let's see how tough you really are!"

Without waiting, he rushed forward, fists blazing with determination.

The Bone Hydra's right head snapped to attention, its hollow eyes flashing with a sudden electric charge.

"Yuno, wait—!" Hugo tried to warn, but it was too late.

A bolt of lightning shot out from the right head, striking Yuno square in the chest. His entire body seized up, limbs flailing as the electricity coursed through him.

"GAH! WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!" Yuno yelled, his voice vibrating from the shock.

With a loud zap and a puff of singed air, Yuno was blasted backward, flipping through the air comically before landing face-first right back where he started.

Shine knelt beside Yuno, trying not to laugh as he poked his fried teammate with the barrel of his rifle. "Uh… you good there, champ?"

Yuno groaned, smoke rising from his hair. He lifted his head weakly. "I'm fine… just... gimme a second… I'm seeing bones and stars…"

Hugo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Maybe don't charge recklessly at a creature, especially since that Bone Hydra seems to have elemental attacks."

Yuno sat up slowly, patting his still-smoking chest. "Noted… but it's personal now. That head is mine."

As Yuno wobbled to his feet, brushing off the soot from his shirt, the Bone Hydra's left head opened its massive jaw, releasing a thick, green cloud of corrosive gas.

The acrid smell began to waft toward the trio.

Hugo's eyes widened. "Gas! It's corrosive! Cover your noses, now!"

Shine immediately pinched his nose shut, following Hugo's lead.

Hugo turned to Yuno, who was still standing there with a confused look on his face. "Yuno! Hold your nose before you choke on it!"

Yuno, still a bit dazed, tilted his head. "Huh? Gas? I don't smell anyth—"

"STOP BREATHING!" Hugo yelled, cutting him off.

Yuno blinked, finally realizing what was happening, and quickly cupped his hands over his face. "Oh, gross! That smells like rotten eggs and regret!"

The gas began to eat away at the ground near them, sizzling ominously as it crept closer.

Shine glanced at Hugo, his voice slightly muffled. "What's the plan, Hugo? We need to clear this fast!"

Hugo furrowed his brow, his mind racing. "We need to disperse it somehow, maybe…"

Before he could finish, Yuno, still holding his nose left hand, raised his right hand. "Uh, question. Does punching gas work? Because I really wanna punch something right now."

Hugo groaned. "No, Yuno. You can't punch gas."

"But it's right there." Yuno whined, pointing dramatically at the Hydra.

Shine nodded, maintaining his calm demeanor. "Yuno, aim for the source instead. You've got the strength to stop that thing before it spews more."

Yuno's eyes lit up. "Now that's more like it!"

Hugo grabbed Yuno's arm before he could charge again. "But wait for the gas to clear first, idiot!"

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