The Vanishing Dungeon!

The faint light of the dungeon's exit spilled into the crumbling chamber as DK staggered forward. The weight of exhaustion and the lingering dark energy in his veins made every step feel like a monumental task. He clutched the glowing orb tightly in one hand, its faint luminescence providing a strange comfort amidst the chaos. Behind him, the remnants of the dungeon's walls groaned and cracked, threatening to collapse entirely.

Lucy rushed to meet him, her staff still glowing faintly. "DK!" Relief flooded her voice, but it was tempered with concern as she took in his haggard appearance. Her eyes lingered on the dark veins pulsing along his arms and the jagged, corrupted form of his blade. "What happened in there? You look—" she hesitated, searching for the right words, "different."

Garin stepped up beside her, his warhammer slung over his shoulder. "He doesn't just look different. That wasn't normal, rookie," he said, his tone blunt but edged with unease. "You took out a second guardian in that state, and it looked like it was tearing you apart just as much as it was them."

DK let out a shaky laugh, his voice raw. "Yeah, well, I'm still standing. Barely." He glanced down at the orb in his hand, its faint glow contrasting sharply with the ominous aura of his blade. "This was left behind. I think it's important."

Lucy stepped closer, examining the orb with a critical eye. "That's… dungeon essence," she said slowly. "It's rare to see it left intact after a guardian is defeated. Usually, the dungeon absorbs it back into its core."

"Maybe the dungeon wasn't in any shape to take it back," DK muttered. He looked at Lucy and Garin, his crimson-flecked eyes briefly meeting theirs. "What does it mean? What do I do with it?"

Lucy's expression darkened. "Dungeon essence is pure energy. It can strengthen you—or destroy you—depending on how it's used. But with your current state…" Her gaze flicked to the black veins on his arms. "We need to be careful. That corrupted energy in you is already unstable."

"Great," Garin muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, what? We just let him carry a potential bomb around until we figure out how to deal with it?"

DK's grip on the orb tightened, the faint light within it pulsing in rhythm with his own heartbeat. "I don't think I have a choice," he said, his voice steady despite the weight of the situation. "This thing… it feels connected to me. Like it's waiting for something."

As DK spoke about what happened in the second fight with the guardian, the dungeon behind started to collapse causing an earthquake around. The two guards that were responsible immediately rushed to the trio. 

" What happened to you guys and what have you done to the dungeon? Garin you better come up with some credible explanation for us and the Adventurer's Association" One of the guards angrily asked

"Why are you asking me? Talk to the rookie over here. He is pulsing with some dark energy and transformed in…" DK retorted back before getting the kick from Lucy to shut up. 

Lucy cut off Garin's retort with a sharp glare, her staff subtly shifting to rest against her side. "Enough, Garin," she said firmly before turning to the guards, her voice calm but authoritative. "We encountered an unusual adaptation within the dungeon. A second guardian—far beyond what was expected for its tier—emerged after the first was defeated. Garin and I, not the rookie managed to eliminate it, but the dungeon… it wasn't stable. It began collapsing as we exited."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. The taller of the two, a grizzled man with a scar running across his cheek, stepped forward. His eyes scanned DK, narrowing at the sight of the pulsing black veins and the corrupted blade still clutched in his hand. "That doesn't explain why he looks like he crawled out of a nightmare," the guard growled. "Or why the dungeon's essence is bleeding out into the environment."

"I think he got poisoned by one the plants in the dungeon. We gave him some preliminary first aid during the raid but now we need to take to a proper medical center. So, can we go or do you h…." Lucy responded.

Suddenly the dungeon started to collapse within itself and within moments the dungeon blipped away from existence leaving a barren patch where it once laid. The guards who were angry so far were now shit scared and so were Lucy and Garin who stood astounded. "I have a never seen a dungeon disappear. They may go dormant, but never disappear. Is it because DK got the dungeon core." Lucy thought. 

"We need to get out of here before other adventurers hear about this and come to us. We need to head back to the Adventurer's association and lets keep our mouth shut about DK's transformation. '. Lucy told to DK and Garin.

The sudden collapse of the dungeon into nothingness left an eerie silence hanging in the air, broken only by the faint wind sweeping across the barren patch of earth where it had stood moments before. Everyone froze, the shock rippling through the group like an aftershock of the dungeon's implosion.

DK clutched the glowing orb tightly, its faint pulse a grim reminder of what had just transpired. His dark veins seemed to pulse more erratically, reacting to the energy trapped within the orb. He felt their eyes on him—Lucy's calculating, Garin's uneasy, and the guards' accusatory.

The scarred guard finally found his voice, though it came out hoarse. "A dungeon… disappearing? That's impossible." His hand trembled as it hovered over his sword hilt. "This isn't just an anomaly. It's—"

"Dangerous," the younger guard finished, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes darted from the barren patch of land to DK, fear creeping into her expression. "What did you do?"

Lucy stepped forward, positioning herself between DK and the guards. Her staff, though dim, carried a silent threat as she spoke. "What we did was survive an unstable dungeon. The rest? That's not something we could control." Her tone was firm, her gaze locking onto the scarred guard's. "If you think you can explain a disappearing dungeon to the Adventurer's Association better than we can, go ahead. Otherwise, we're leaving."

The scarred guard opened his mouth to argue but stopped as the weight of the situation settled in. He exchanged a wary glance with his partner before stepping back. "Fine," he muttered. "But this isn't over. The Association's going to demand answers."

Lucy turned without another word, motioning for DK and Garin to follow. They moved quickly, their footsteps crunching against the dirt as they distanced themselves from the crater of nothingness. The tension among the trio was palpable, each step heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Once they were out of earshot of the guards, Garin let out a low whistle. "I've seen plenty of weird things in dungeons, but a whole dungeon disappearing? That's going to be hard to sweep under the rug."

Lucy shot him a sharp look. "Then we don't try. As far as anyone else is concerned, we cleared the dungeon, and it destabilized. No one needs to know about DK's transformation or that orb."

DK glanced at the glowing sphere in his hand, its faint light a stark contrast to the ominous energy coursing through his body. "And if someone figures it out?" he asked quietly.

Lucy's expression softened slightly. "Then we'll deal with it when the time comes. But for now, you need to focus on stabilizing yourself. That orb…" She hesitated, her gaze flicking to it. "It's tied to whatever's happening to you. We need to figure out how to use it before it uses you."

"Great," DK muttered. "No pressure or anything."

As they approached the Adventurer's Association, Lucy slowed her pace, turning to DK. "Remember—say as little as possible. We'll handle the questions. You just focus on staying upright."

DK gave a weak nod, his body aching with every step. Soon they stepped into the portal to immediately report to the Association. But as they entered the bustling halls of the Association, he couldn't shake the feeling that the glowing orb in his hand was only the beginning of something far greater—and far more dangerous.