The Black Wolf

Darkness swallowed them whole.

One moment, they had been standing victorious, battered but triumphant. Then next, the world around them vanished into an abyss. A void of silence and nothingness. Then, in a blink, they were elsewhere.

A vast chamber stretched before them, ancient and foreboding. Towering walls of black stone loomed overhead, the ceiling lost in the shadows. Glowing symbols flickered faintly along the pillars, pulsating with an eerie energy. They had been teleported again.

A sharp breath of relief filled the group. The Rising Heroes, scattered before, were reunited once more. They exchanged weary smiles, the warmth of familiarity easing the tension. But The Grand Party felt it immediately, something was wrong.

Cyrus's gaze hardened. His fingers twitched over his staff, his senses scanning the air. "This isn't just some random teleportation," he muttered. "Someone—or something—is controlling this dungeon at will." The unease spread through the group like wildfire.

A deep, bone-chilling howl echoed through the chamber, shaking the very air. Everyone turned. Junith's grip on her weapon tightened. "Stay ready," she commanded. "The fight isn't over." Cyrus exhaled sharply. "No... if my guess is right, it's only just begun." His voice dropped as his eyes narrowed toward the darkness ahead. "That howl… That presence… It's the Dungeon Boss. And if the Commanders were this powerful..." He paused, his voice grave.

"This one is going to be far stronger." A low, rumbling growl filled the chamber.

From the depths of the darkness, a figure emerged—huge, menacing, otherworldly. A massive black wolf stepped forward, its fur crackling with streaks of electric light. Shadows pulsed around its form, shifting and writhing like living creatures. Its deep, glowing red eyes scanned the battlefield, as if measuring them. The name struck them like a curse whispered from the abyss.

Karcanis.

A beast of nightmares. A legend of destruction. A creature of pure power. And it was looking directly at them. The tension was suffocating. Lila swallowed hard. "This… This thing… It's worse than the Commanders." Orin gritted his teeth. "This aura… It's like a storm waiting to explode." Junith, unwavering, stepped forward. "We have no choice. We take it down—together!"

With a single word, the battle began.

"Go!"

The Battle Begins

They attacked in unison. Magic surged. Weapons gleamed. Their combined strength was overwhelming—a force that had brought even the Commanders to their knees. But Karcanis did not move.

Blades clashed against his body—nothing. Spells erupted across his hide—nothing. Projectiles shot through the air—nothing.

He simply stood there. Watching. Calculating. His eyes flickered between them, studying every motion, every weakness. Junith's sharp instincts screamed at her. Something was wrong. "Wait—!" she tried to shout.

But in that very instant—

Karcanis vanished.

A blink. A gust of wind. Then— BOOM. Junith was launched across the battlefield. Her body slammed into a stone pillar, the impact shaking the entire chamber. Blood dripped from her lips.

Cyrus rushed to catch her, barely managing to soften her crash. "Junith!" She coughed, eyes widening in disbelief. "He's… He's faster than anything I've ever seen." And then—Karcanis struck again. A blur. A flash of lightning. A shadow moving at impossible speeds. One by one, the warriors fell into defense.

Karcanis wasn't just attacking—he was playing, as if they were no challenge for him at all. He weaved between them, slashing, crushing, knocking them aside.

Doran's hammer struck—missed. Sera's vines lashed out—ripped apart. Drakar's firestorm erupted—snuffed out instantly. More than a fight—this was a massacre. Karcanis seemed like a far superior creature and to make it worse and scary it felt like the demonstration of strength by him is merely a display of what he can do and he isn't fighting at its full strength

The Grand Party was forced into a shield formation, desperately protecting The Rising Heroes. But it wasn't enough. Karcanis was toying with them. He grew bored. His movements slowed. His gaze flickered across the battlefield. Hunting. And then—he found his prey.

The Fatal Moment Lila lay on the ground, her breath ragged. Her wounds stung, exhaustion clinging to her limbs like chains. She barely managed to push herself up—only to freeze. Karcanis was staring at her. A cold chill ran down her spine. He stepped forward, slow and deliberate. His massive claws glowed with dark energy. "Lila!" Junith screamed, trying to rise—but she was too late.

Karcanis raised his claws. A single, final strike. But— "NO!"

A blur of silver and blue rushed forward.

Adrian.

His body shielded Lila, his sword barely raised in time. The claws tore through his back. The air shook with the force of the impact. Lila's breath caught. Her hands trembled. Adrian fell to one knee. His blood dripped onto the stone beneath him. But he did not fall. He smiled at Lila, it felt like that would be his last smile. Lila froze, multiple emotion and thought running within a flash. But...

Karcanis did not stop. He raised his claws again. Lila's eyes widened. This is it. Everything seemed to flash before her eyes, Zora, she felt sad that she will leave him all alone in this world. She remembered every moment she shared with him, the happy, the sad, ,the rebelling, the love, the way her father used to take her in his arms as she felt like she has the world holding her, as tears came out of her eyes. She said sorry in her mind knowing that it won't matter. This is the end...

And then—

The world exploded in gold. A blinding, divine radiance erupted, swallowing everything in its glow. Everyone was blinded.

Even Karcanis staggered back.

The chamber filled with an overwhelming, holy presence. And then— Darkness vanished.