章 6: Beginning Road (4)
Orion's boots hit the stone of the fourth floor with a dull thud, the sound swallowed by the oppressive silence of the dungeon. The floor was the same as the one's he had been on but the feeling that he's just a floor away from winning the bet made him electrified. His pulse quickened as he glanced around, muscles coiled, ready to spring into action.
He didn't plan on staying here long.
"Fifth floor's ahead," he muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the dim passage in front of him. "Just gotta run for it." He said biting his lip.
The distant sound of claws scraping against stone made him feel more electric—fueling his ecstasy of excitement. He wasn't alone, and whatever was lurking in these halls wouldn't give him a chance to catch his breath if he hesitated.
Orion bolted.
His feet pounded against the cold stone floor, his body moving with speed and precision. He darted down the narrow corridor, his heart racing with the same intensity as his sprint. The walls blurred as he kept his eyes locked on the passage ahead, constantly shifting his focus, anticipating the monsters that would undoubtedly be lurking around every corner.
A sudden roar echoed behind him—a monstrous, guttural sound that reverberated through the dungeon. His stomach was filling with butterflies. Something was on his tail.
Glancing over his shoulder, he caught sight of it—a hulking dungeon lizard, its slick, scaled body slithering through the corridor, moving with unnerving speed. Its yellow eyes glinted in the low light, fixated on him. The creature's mouth opened wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth as it hissed, its claws clicking menacingly against the stone floor.
"Great," Orion growled, laughing, his legs pumping faster.
Ahead, the corridor narrowed even further, jagged rocks jutting out like teeth from the walls. He swerved, barely avoiding a protruding rock that could have easily shredded his shoulder. He had no choice but to pick up the pace—the lizard was gaining on him, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
His mind raced as he rounded a corner, nearly colliding with the wall in his haste. There had to be another way to slow it down. He spotted a series of large, loose stones scattered along the floor. Without slowing down, Orion kicked one, sending it crashing into a stack of precariously balanced rocks. They tumbled down behind him in an avalanche of stone, blocking part of the path. It wouldn't stop the lizard, but it would buy him a few precious seconds.
He didn't have time to celebrate. A sharp hissing noise to his left made him instinctively throw himself against the opposite wall. Another dungeon lizard—a smaller, more agile one—was clinging to the wall, its long tail whipping out toward him. Orion ducked, feeling the rush of air as the tail narrowly missed his head.
"Nice try bud!" he snarled, diving forward and rolling to his feet in one smooth motion.
He ran harder, his legs burning, lungs aching. The corridor opened up into a wider chamber, and Orion's eyes darted around, searching for the exit. His heart further electrified as he spotted a pack of kobolds emerging from the shadows ahead. They snarled, baring their fangs, their beady eyes locked on him. Four of them, scattered across the chamber. No time to fight.
"Time to run—again," he breathed, muscles tensing for the next burst of speed.
One of the kobolds lunged, its claws outstretched, but Orion was faster. He zigzagged, dodging the first swipe, then ducking under the second kobold's wild swing. His instincts were sharp, honed by countless encounters in this deadly dungeon. Each movement calculated, precise.
He leapt over a third kobold's hunched back vaulting himself forward. He hit the ground running, not daring to look back at the chaos he left behind.
The lizards were still chasing him—he could hear their claws scraping closer, feel the vibrations in the ground as they moved. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body protesting the relentless pace. He rounded another corner, only to skid to a stop as the path in front of him ended in a sheer drop.
"Fucking hell!" Orion hissed, eyes darting around for an escape.
The drop wasn't far, maybe fifteen feet, but it was enough to break a bone if he landed wrong. Worse, the sound of his pursuers was getting closer. He glanced back, just in time to see the first dungeon lizard slither into view, its tongue flicking the air as it locked onto him. No choice.
"Time to obliterate some of y'all!" Orion let out a maniacal laugh, launching himself forward at breakneck speed.
Back at the Guild, Ouranos chuckled deeply. "Perhaps he's finally lost it," he mused, his laughter echoing through the chamber. Fels stood silently beside him, utterly dumbfounded, unable to find the words to respond.
Orion's feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted ahead, dodging claws and snapping jaws. He slashed at the closest dungeon lizard, his blade cutting deep but not fatal. The creature screeched, stumbling in its pursuit. Another lizard lunged at him from the side, and Orion drove his elbow into its skull, dazing it just enough to buy a few more precious seconds.
He darted toward the edge of the drop. With a sharp breath, he spun, sweeping his blade consecutively through two more lizards. They staggered, injured but alive—alive enough to serve his plan. The body pile behind him grew as he neared the ledge, adrenaline roaring in his veins.
Timing it just right, Orion twisted his body and kicked the staggering lizards toward the drop before leaping off the edge himself. The wind howled in his ears as they all tumbled downward together, the monsters flailing in midair. He landed on the writhing bodies with a bone-jarring thud, their limbs absorbing most of the impact. The crunch of bones breaking filled the air as the dungeon lizards dissipated into dust beneath him.
Five magic stones plopped to the ground.
Orion groaned, rolling off the remains. His body ached, but nothing was broken. Just minimal damage. "Survived. Barely." He chuckled, pulling himself to his feet, shaking off the pain.
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