Chapter 23: The Heart of the Dungeon
The call never came again.
But everyone had felt it.
For the rest of the evening, the dungeon remained silent.
Too silent.
Even the Stone Creatures had stopped appearing.
Tanaka sat outside the cave, staring at the ancient entrance.
"It’s waiting..."
The Alpha quietly walked over.
The little slime settled beside Tanaka.
A few of the veteran slimes joined them.
Soon, several wolves and even the eldest Fanged Rabbit were watching the dungeon.
No one needed to ask the question.
They all knew.
It was time.
The following morning...
The expedition gathered.
Tanaka looked over those who would enter.
Eight veteran slimes.
The evolved slime hunter.
The little slime.
The Alpha and five wolves.
Three of the bravest Fanged Rabbits.
The younger monsters remained behind to protect the village.
Tanaka sent a thought through his growing telepathic network.
"Stay together."
This time...
Every monster understood perfectly.
The little slime beamed.
The wolves gave short nods.
Even the rabbits twitched their ears in acknowledgment.
Tanaka smiled.
Thought Communication is getting better.
The massive stone door groaned as they approached.
Without anyone touching it...
It slowly opened.
A cold wind drifted out.
Unlike the upper floors, this passage wasn’t carved from rough stone.
The walls were smooth.
Covered in glowing runes.
Blue crystals lined the corridor like stars in the night sky.
The deeper they walked...
The richer the mana became.
Even breathing it in made everyone’s Magic Cores pulse faster.
The rabbits looked around in amazement.
The wolves remained alert.
The slimes bounced more quietly than usual.
Minutes later...
The corridor ended.
A gigantic chamber stretched before them.
Tanaka stopped.
Everyone behind him froze.
At the center of the chamber floated a crystal sphere almost three meters across.
It slowly rotated in the air.
Streams of blue mana flowed into it from every wall.
The entire dungeon seemed connected to it.
The dungeon Core
The source of the dungeon’s existence.
His core trembled.
So that’s...
The heart of the dungeon.
The crystal was beautiful.
Pure mana condensed into physical form.
It illuminated the chamber like a tiny moon.
The little slime immediately bounced forward.
Its eyes practically sparkled.
Boing!
Tanaka quickly blocked its path.
Not yet.
The little slime pouted.
The chamber remained silent.
No guardian.
No monsters.
No traps.
Tanaka frowned.
That can’t be right.
He slowly approached the floating crystal.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
The rabbits relaxed.
The wolves lowered their guard ever so slightly.
Tanaka reached out with a strand of mana.
The instant it brushed the Dungeon Core...
The chamber shook.
A deep hum echoed through the walls.
Blue light exploded across every rune.
The floor split apart.
A massive stone platform slowly rose beneath the Dungeon Core.
Then...
Something stepped out of the light.
It looked almost human.
Almost.
Its body was forged from black stone veined with glowing blue mana.
Ancient armor covered its frame.
A long spear rested in one hand.
Its face had no features.
Only two brilliant blue lights where eyes should have been.
The pressure it released was unlike anything Tanaka had ever felt.
The rabbits instinctively stepped back.
Even the Alpha lowered its body.
Tanaka’s core skipped a beat.
The guardian slowly raised its spear.
The air itself became heavy.
The mana in the chamber gathered around the weapon.
Without warning...
It disappeared.
Tanaka’s Thoughts accelerated.
Too fast!
He barely moved in time.
The spear pierced the ground where he had been standing.
BOOOOOOM!!
The explosion threw every monster backward.
Stone shattered.
Dust filled the chamber.
The guardian calmly pulled its spear free.
One attack.
One casual attack.
And the floor now held a crater several meters wide.
The little slime stared with wide eyes.
The Alpha growled deeply.
The rabbits trembled.
Tanaka looked from the crater...
Back to the silent guardian.
A single thought echoed through his mind.
This...
Is nothing like the Crystal Golem.
The guardian lowered its stance.
Blue mana gathered around its spear once more.
Tanaka’s telepathy rang through the minds of every monster present.
"Formation."
No panic.
No hesitation.
The slimes moved to the front.
The wolves spread to the sides.
The rabbits vanished into the shadows around the chamber.
Every race took its place.
The guardian pointed its spear directly at Tanaka.
For the first time...
A voice echoed through the chamber.
Cold.
Ancient.
Without emotion.
"PROVE... YOUR... WORTH."
The Dungeon Core shone brighter.
And the final trial began.