44

The air on the third floor was thick and oppressive, as if an invisible force was compressing it. The walls, covered in black moss and ancient symbols that glowed with a faint greenish light, seemed to watch the intruders with unseen eyes. A smell of dampness and old stone permeated the atmosphere, while a sepulchral silence, broken only by the echo of their own footsteps, increased the feeling of being watched. The group of adventurers advanced cautiously through the gallery, between rows of statues that represented warriors of ancient times, with their stone armor and their rusty weapons. They had survived the first two floors, but they knew that the worst was yet to come.

Eliana, the mage in a blue robe, extended a hand forward, murmuring a detection spell. A soft light emanated from her fingers, illuminating the runes on the walls. "This is not normal," she said in a low voice, more to herself than to the others. "The energy here... is different. It's like we're being watched."

Darius, the warrior in silver armor, nodded gravely. "Maintain your positions. If this dungeon is being controlled, then we are walking straight into an ambush."

Anya, the agile thief, slid her daggers between her fingers while inspecting the floor for traps. "I don't see anything obvious, but that doesn't mean there is no danger. Keep your eyes open."

The five adventurers exchanged tense glances. Kael, the young scout, clung to his bow nervously, while Mael, the veteran tracker, watched the statues with distrust.

"This... this is too much," Kael said, his voice trembling. "We should go back and report to the guild. We are not prepared for this."

Mael looked at him with disdain. "Coward. Are you going to let fear dominate you? We are about to discover something great! Imagine the rewards, the fame! We can't back down now!"

"But... what if it's a trap?" Kael insisted. "We could die here."

"There are always risks, boy," Mael replied with a cruel smile. "But the greatest rewards are obtained with the greatest risks. Are you going to let fear stop you from achieving glory?"

Darius intervened before the discussion intensified. "Enough. We can't waste time arguing. We have to move forward, carefully. Mael, I trust your experience to guide us on a safe path. Kael, keep your senses alert. We need your sharp eyesight to detect any danger."

Kael nodded, although he still felt a knot in his stomach. Mael smiled with satisfaction, convinced that greed would drive him to the end. And so, with a mixture of fear and determination, the group continued their exploration.

Following the path that Mael found, the adventurers managed to dodge the stone warriors and reached the end of the hall. There, a large door of dark wood, adorned with carvings of grotesque creatures, blocked the way.

"This must be the exit," Darius said, approaching the door cautiously. "But be careful, there could be more traps."

Before Darius could touch the door, the ground beneath their feet shook violently. Deep roars echoed in the chamber, making the walls vibrate. And then, the door swung open, revealing a creature that seemed to come out of a nightmare.

It was a stone golem, its body covered in moss and its eyes glowing with a red light. It was huge, almost as tall as the ceiling, and its roar made the walls of the dungeon tremble. The golem advanced with slow but firm steps, each of them resonating like thunder in the chamber. The adventurers retreated, frightened by the imposing figure.

"A golem!" Eliana exclaimed, with a mixture of surprise and fear. "They are stone creatures animated by magic. They are very resistant..."

"Golems?" Mael asked in disbelief. "What do we do now? We can't defeat that!"

"We have to try!" Darius replied bravely, raising his shield. "If we give up now, we will die here!"

Kael, terrified, moved away from the door. "No! This is crazy! We should go back! Report to the guild! We can't handle this!"

Mael grabbed his arm tightly. "Are you crazy? We are not going to back down now! Imagine the glory that awaits us if we defeat that beast!"

"But it's a golem!" Kael insisted, his voice broken by fear. "They are almost indestructible!"

Eliana, who had been watching the golem carefully, intervened: "It is not indestructible. If we manage to damage its magic core, we can defeat it. Look for a rune or symbol that shines on its body!"

Eliana concentrated on finding the control rune. And there it was, in the center of the golem's chest, where the stone looked darker and cracked, a small rune shone with a green glow. Without thinking twice, she concentrated her energy on an attack spell, launching a fireball towards the rune. The impact made the golem stagger, and a second explosion finally destroyed it, leaving only a pile of rubble and a thick silence that contrasted with the din of battle.

The adventurers, exhausted and injured, gathered in the center of the chamber, watching the remains of the golem with a mixture of relief and concern. They had defeated the creatures of the third floor, but they knew that the dungeon still held many dangers.

"We can't let our guard down," Darius said, his face marked by fatigue and tension. "This place is more dangerous than we thought."

"We have to keep going," Eliana added, with a look of determination in her eyes. "If we manage to reach the end, maybe we can find out who is behind all this."

With renewed impetus, the group prepared to continue their exploration, delving into the depths of the dungeon.

In the depths of the dungeon, Kaili watched through the obsidian mirror, smiling with satisfaction. "Well done, my little soldiers," she murmured to herself. "But this is only the beginning. Soon, our dear queen will teach them a lesson they will not forget."