The Last Nightmare

The dead scavengers lay in a heap, their monstrous bodies cooling on the dungeon floor. Their insectoid limbs twitched slightly in the aftermath of death, ichor pooling beneath them. Kai crouched beside the pile, his movements sharp and efficient as he pried the monster cores free from their bodies. The glow of the extracted cores was faint, but in the dim underground, even that small light felt noticeable.

"Five cores." Kai wiped his blade clean and distributed them among the team.

Each of them took one, though Nate hesitated when Kai held out a second core to him.

"Take it," Kai said.

Nate frowned, suspicion flickering across his face. "Why me?"

Kai exhaled, his tone even. "You'll need it… for your mother."

The words hit harder than Nate expected. His fingers clenched around the small, pulsing stone, its faint glow reflecting in his widened eyes.

Elena sighed, resting her staff against her shoulder. "Just take it, Nate. We're all in need of money, but yours is more urgent."

Darius smirked as he leaned against the dungeon wall, tossing his core into the air and catching it absentmindedly. "Yeah, just take it, boy. It's not like they need it anymore."

"Unless," he added with a lopsided grin, "you think they're gonna rise from the dead and demand them back."

With some reluctance, Nate accepted the extra core, stuffing it into his pouch.

Their break was brief. The air grew heavier as they pressed forward, the tunnel walls shifting from rough stone to jagged surfaces lined with deep claw marks. Some were fresh, while others were so old they had blended into the rock. Scattered bones littered the ground, gnawed clean by unseen creatures. A faint, lingering scent of blood clung to the air, thick and metallic.

Darius, ever the conversationalist, suddenly spoke.

"Y'know," he mused, rolling the monster core between his fingers, "if I were reborn, I'd definitely want to be a bear."

Kai shot him a skeptical look. "A bear? Why?"

"Bears don't have to deal with insecurity," Darius said matter-of-factly. "They live alone, no worries about groups or expectations. They just eat, sleep, and wake up stronger. Plus, they can hibernate. What a fabulous thing that is."

Elena's eye twitched. "Darius, now is really not the time to daydream about being a bear!"

A low, distant howl echoed through the cavern, as if mocking her words.

The group tensed.

The moment of levity faded as they pressed on. The tunnel widened into a vast cavern, where jagged rock formations jutted from the ground like broken fangs. Shadows stretched across the uneven stone, shifting under the dim dungeon light. And at the farthest edge of the cavern—

A bottomless abyss.

A steep cliff sloped downward into an abyss, an endless void that swallowed all light. Even from this distance, the sheer depth of it was unnerving. The sound of distant water echoed from below, though they couldn't see its source.

And then, they saw them.

High on the rocky ledges, a pack of wolves stood, watching. Their yellow eyes gleamed, reflecting the faint dungeon glow. Their fur bristled, muscles coiled and ready to strike. Silent. Waiting.

Darius exhaled sharply. "Great. A dead end. And a cliff. And wolves. Three of my least favorite things."

He started counting the number of wolves under his breath. "One, two, three... oh, hell no—seven, eight—oh, come on! I didn't sign up for an all-you-can-eat buffet special!"

The wolves didn't charge immediately. They moved slowly, deliberately, their claws clicking against the stone. Their bodies were sleek, built for speed, their steps measured as they assessed the intruders.

Kai's voice was low but firm. "Stay sharp. This won't be easy."

Then, without warning—

A blur of silver fur launched from the ledge.

Its speed was terrifying. Faster than the scavengers. Faster than anything they had faced in this dungeon so far.

Nate barely had time to react before the wolf was upon him.

"Shit—!"

It was too fast to dodge completely. The air felt heavier as the beast's presence bore down on him. He swung his katana in a desperate arc, the blade slicing deep into the wolf's flank.

A spray of hot blood splattered across the stone floor.

The wolf yelped, tumbling from its leap, skidding across the ground with a heavy thud.

But it didn't stay down.

It staggered back to its feet almost instantly, its lips curling into a vicious snarl. The wound was deep, but not enough to kill.

Then, it raised its head and howled.

The sound wasn't just a cry of pain—it was a signal.

The cavern trembled with the resonance of its howl, the deep sound reverberating through the stone walls like a drumbeat of war.

Then—

The pack answered.

A chorus of howls erupted in response, blending into one deafening, bone-chilling symphony. From the ledges above, shadows moved.

One after another, wolves leapt down, landing with effortless grace.

Their movements were swift, coordinated. Predators in their element.

Nate's eyes flicked from one to the next, quickly counting.

One… two… five, six—

By the time the last one landed, there were eight in total, including the injured one still snarling in front of him.

Elena exhaled sharply, gripping her staff tighter. "This escalated quickly."

Darius barely dodged a snapping jaw. "That's what happens when you let wolves scream bloody murder!"

Kai took a slow step forward, his dagger poised, his expression calm but deadly.

"Alright," he said, voice steady as the pack circled them.

"Let's thin their numbers."

The first wolf lunged, and the battle began.

Nate barely dodged another snap of teeth before lashing out, his katana slicing a clean arc through the air. The wolf twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike.

Elena planted her feet, her staff pulsing with energy. With a sharp chant, a pulse of force blasted outward, knocking one of the wolves back before it could pounce on Kai.

Darius roared, slamming his axe into the ground as he met one of the wolves head-on. The force of the impact sent dust flying, and the beast snarled, muscles tensing as it circled him.

Kai moved like a shadow, slipping between attacks, his dagger finding weak points with every precise strike.

But the wolves weren't mindless beasts. They adapted, their movements synchronized. When one fell back, another took its place.

Nate exhaled, gripping his katana tighter. He had to be faster. Stronger.

He wasn't going to die here.

Not in a place like this.

And so—he moved.

The battle raged on.