Chapter 4: The Boss's room

Isaac felt his heartbeat gradually slow down. The euphoria of his discovery was still present, but reality was rapidly taking over. He was still in a dungeon, surrounded by danger.

The sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention. He turned just in time to see the other porter, Elias, come running. The man, in his thirties, was out of breath and stopped a few yards from Isaac, a look of panic on his face.

- Damn it, kid! What's got into you?" he shouted between gulps of air.

Isaac raised an eyebrow, trying to put a name to the face. Then memories of the body's previous owner resurfaced. Elias, another carrier, just as insignificant in the eyes of the awakened, but who was more experienced and always looked after the younger ones.

- I'm fine," replied Isaac, still a little lost in thought.

- Fine?! choked Elias. You almost died, damn it! You're lucky that goblin was half-dead!

Isaac nodded vaguely. He couldn't explain what had just happened. Neither his miraculous dodge, nor the appearance of the floating screen. He preferred to remain evasive.

Before he could say anything, a loud voice cracked in the air.

- DAMN KID!

Isaac and Elias jumped at the same time. A massive, scarred man was striding towards them. It was Grant, the leader of the group of awakened ones leading this expedition. His dark gaze was fixed on Isaac with a chilling intensity.

- What the hell were you doing out here all alone?! barked Grant. You're a fucking porter, kid! You're supposed to follow orders and stay back!

Isaac felt his stomach knot. He still wasn't used to this kind of brutal hierarchy. But he knew one thing: answering now would be a mistake.

- I just... stumbled," he replied, lowering his head slightly so as not to provoke Grant any further.

- Tripped?!" the chief repeated with a sneer. And you decided to face a goblin on your own by falling, did you?

Elias, next door, sighed heavily and intervened in a calmer voice:

- Listen, Grant. The kid was lucky this time. But he's learned his lesson. There's no need to overdo it.

Grant glared at him, then grunted before turning his attention back to Isaac.

- Listen to me, you piece of shit," he growled, approaching dangerously close. Next time you do something like that, I'll let you die where you stand. Understand?

Isaac clenched his fists, but nodded. He had no choice.

- Good," Grant spat before turning away. Let's get back on the road. The boss is close.

The awakened had already begun to advance down the dungeon's dark corridor. Isaac and Elias exchanged glances before following in silence.

The group progressed cautiously. The air grew heavier as they advanced. The stone walls oozed humidity and the smell of blood and rotting flesh wafted around them. The closer they got to the boss's room, the heavier the atmosphere became.

Elias walked right up beside Isaac and whispered:

- You should be more careful. That goblin could have sent you to the morgue.

Isaac didn't answer immediately. His thoughts were still clouded by what he'd been through. He glanced down at his hands. He felt... different. Stronger. He looked up at the great stone door that marked the entrance to the boss's room.

Grant raised his hand and everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

- Here we are," he announced in a deep voice.

Isaac stood before the gigantic stone door, his gaze detailing the engravings that covered it. Each symbol seemed to tell an ancient story, battle scenes where humanoid creatures battled deformed monsters. Time had tarnished the engravings, but their sinister aura remained intact. Thin lines of light snaked across the motifs, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

- It's not reassuring..." murmured Elias beside him.

Grant placed a rough hand against the stone and slowly pushed. With a dull roar, the door swung open, revealing a vast room plunged into oppressive darkness.

Huge stone pillars supported the vaulted ceiling, their bases adorned with skulls and the remains of rusty weapons. The smell of dried blood and decaying flesh reeked through the air, making breathing difficult. Torches fixed to the walls projected a flickering glow, revealing the scale of the threat that awaited them.

In the center of the room, a rudimentary throne of wood and bone stood on a platform of rough stone. Seated on it, a massive figure with glowing eyes watched them with unhealthy intelligence. A hobgoblin.

Taller and more muscular than ordinary goblins, his body was clad in leather armor reinforced with crudely forged metal plates. His scarred face bore a cruel sneer, and in his clawed hands he held a heavy, studded mace.

Around him, some forty goblins gathered, some armed with rusty spears, others with simple stone knives. They grunted and whispered among themselves, excited at the prospect of imminent battle.

Grant clenched his jaw and drew his weapon.

- We've got work to do..." he growled, striding forward with purpose.

Grant, the squad leader, stopped dead in his tracks, scanning the scene with a hard stare. But Isaac could see a flicker of concern cross his expression.

- This isn't right..." he said sharply. This is a low-level dungeon. Why a boss of this caliber, and so many enemies?

A heavy silence settled among the awakened. Some clutched their weapons tighter, others exchanged hesitant glances.

- What do we do, boss?" asked one of the awakened, his voice trembling slightly.

Grant took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping the room as if analyzing every possible outcome.

- We've got no choice. If we back down, these monsters will eventually come out. We've got to kill them here and now.

- What if we call for backup?" ventured another.

Grant clenched his jaw.

- Even if we get out now, by the time another team arrives, it'll be too late. We've already come too far. We adapt, or we die.

He turned his gaze to Daryl.

- You take the left flank, I'll take the right. The porters stay back. We'll clean up the goblins first, then take care of the hobgoblin.

A heavy silence fell as the hobgoblin, until then impassive, slowly sat up on his throne. His burning gaze swept over the squad before he opened his gaping maw.

A bestial roar erupted in the room, echoing against the stone walls and vibrating the air itself. Isaac felt his body stiffen under the impact of the sound, a wave of instinctive fear running through him.

At this call, the goblins around the boss reacted immediately. Their eyes lit up blood-red, and a subtle transformation took place within them. Their breathing became ragged, their muscles tensed like those of enraged animals.

- They're going crazy!" exclaimed one of the awakened ones, taking a step back.

The goblins let out a shrill battle cry before rushing at them like a wave of uncontrollable violence.

- Hold your positions!" shouted Grant.

The next instant, chaos descended upon them.