Chapter 23

Raven knew this dungeon was never meant to be soloed. The Emberfang Warden was designed to force teamwork—without a coordinated group, the summoned constructs would overwhelm any lone player. But he also knew something else. The mid-boss had an opening. Every time it called for reinforcements, its guard weakened, making it vulnerable to stagger attacks. He would have to exploit that moment perfectly.

A furious roar echoed through the chamber, reverberating off the cavern walls.

"Intruders! This forge is sacred! You will BURN for your insolence!"

The oppressive heat in the room surged as molten cracks in the floor pulsed, casting an eerie red glow over the towering figure that emerged from the shadows. Emberfang Warden, a beast wreathed in eternal fire, stomped forward, its molten eyes burning with fury. Flames licked at the edges of its enormous claws, dripping embers as it exhaled a wave of searing heat.

Raven narrowed his eyes, rolling his shoulders as he prepared for the fight. His body was already sore from navigating the dungeon's relentless hazards. No matter how skilled a player was, movement was everything. He had dodged lava bursts, crumbling platforms, and environmental hazards just to get here. His reflexes were sharp, but this fight would push him further.

"Stay sharp," he commanded, glancing at his companions. "Duskrunner, Phantom Seer, follow my lead. We stagger it when it charges. No wasted movements."

The beast let out another snarl, its body flaring with intense energy. Fire Pulse Incoming.

"Move!" Raven barked.

Phase One – First Stagger

The air trembled as Emberfang Warden unleashed a fiery shockwave, scorching the stone floor in a wide radius. As predicted, three molten constructs materialized from the molten pools, their cores pulsing with an unnatural glow.

"Duskrunner, take the left construct. Phantom Seer, disorient the others," Raven ordered.

Duskrunner blinked forward with Shadow Shift, appearing behind the leftmost construct before it could react. With a low snarl, Alpha's Wrath activated, increasing its speed with each successive strike as its claws tore through the construct's outer shell.

At the same time, Phantom Seer hovered midair, Haunting Mirage weaving phantom figures across the battlefield. The newly spawned constructs faltered, their attacks striking illusions rather than real enemies.

Raven seized the opportunity.

With Emberfang Warden momentarily exposed, he lashed out his Dominion Chain, the viper-like tip wrapping around the beast's arm. With a sharp pull, he yanked the creature's balance just enough for a staggered opening.

[Condition Applied: Staggered – Core Exposed]

Raven didn't hesitate.

Activating Phantom Bind, he teleported behind the massive beast, appearing at its vulnerable flank. His dagger-tipped chain plunged deep into its molten core, sending out a burst of ember and molten slag.

The beast let out a bellowing roar, one-third of its health depleted.

Phase Two – Second Stagger

The Emberfang Warden recovered, shaking off the attack. Its core pulsed aggressively before it released another Fire Pulse, summoning another trio of molten constructs.

"Back to positions!" Raven called, his mind already working through the next stagger opportunity.

Phantom Seer acted first, Mind Shatter causing a delay in one of the constructs' movement, rendering it unable to attack for a moment. Duskrunner, now fully powered from Alpha's Wrath stacking, darted between two constructs, dodging their molten strikes before delivering lethal claw swipes to their cores.

Meanwhile, Raven kept his focus on the Emberfang Warden. The beast raised a claw for a devastating downward strike—

A sudden burst of flame erupted from the floor beneath him.

Raven's instincts screamed too late. He barely dodged, the fire grazing his leg. His HP dropped by 20% instantly.

"Damn it! The floor's unstable!" he hissed. He hadn't accounted for the arena itself turning against him.

The Warden didn't just summon reinforcements—it manipulated the battlefield itself.

The realization came too late. The beast lunged, catching him mid-recovery with a brutal swipe. The force sent him crashing into a jagged rock formation, his HP plummeting to critical levels.

"Raven!" Phantom Seer called out.

"Keep going!" he forced out, struggling to his feet. His body screamed in protest. This wasn't just a simple fight anymore—one more mistake, and he was done.

Phase Three – The Final Strike

Enraged, the Emberfang Warden let out a deafening roar, its entire body flaring with heat. The entire battlefield shook, molten cracks widening as it prepared for one final, devastating Fire Pulse.

Suddenly, the entire arena trembled violently. The heat intensified to a suffocating degree as lava erupted from the edges of the chamber.

The Warden was no longer summoning reinforcements—it was destroying the battlefield itself.

"We need to finish this NOW!" Raven shouted.

Phantom Seer conjured Haunting Echoes, strange whispers filling the chamber, making the molten constructs hesitate. Duskrunner, moving faster than before, tore through the last of the summoned reinforcements, leaving only the mid-boss.

A countdown appeared above the Warden.

[Fire Pulse - 5 seconds remaining]

The floor beneath them began to collapse, chunks of stone crumbling into the lava below. If they didn't end it now, they'd all be buried alive.

"Now or never!" Raven shouted.

With precision, he launched his Dominion Chain one final time, striking the beast's arm just as Duskrunner lunged with all its momentum, knocking the creature off balance.

It staggered—the core fully exposed.

Phantom Bind activated.

Raven teleported mid-air, dagger in hand, and in one swift motion, he drove it deep into the glowing heart of Emberfang Warden.

The beast froze, its fiery aura flickering—

Then, with a final, guttural roar, its core exploded, sending a shockwave of dying embers through the cavern.

[Mid-Boss Defeated – Emberfang Warden Eliminated]

[Environmental Collapse Prevented – Safe Zone Unlocked]

As the flames died down, only silence remained.

The battlefield finally stabilized, the last tremors fading into the depths.

Raven staggered, one knee hitting the ground. His breath came ragged, his HP bar flashing red.

Phantom Seer drifted beside him, eyes flicking over him. "You good?"

Raven let out a slow, measured exhale, gripping his aching ribs. "Yeah… just need a second."

Duskrunner shook off the molten dust from its fur, giving him a deadpan stare. "You keep making me fight fire monsters. I hate this."

He gave a dry laugh. "Not my fault. Just stay alive."

Ahead, a stone pedestal rose from the ground, revealing the first rune stone.

Raven straightened, rolling his shoulder. Two more battles remained. He wasn't sure how much more he could take—but quitting wasn't an option.

He reached out and took the rune stone from the pedestal, feeling the faint warmth still lingering from its power.

[Objective Update: 1/3 Rune Stones Recovered]

"One down. Let's keep moving."