Chapter 40 : Dungeon war IV
The Mirefang managed to pull itself free.
It immediately tried to attack.
The Gravehide sidestepped it.
The Mirefang’s claws scraped across the ground.
Before it could turn around, the Gravehide slammed its shoulder into the Mirefang and sent it tumbling.
Tolu winced. "Stop..."
The word escaped his mouth before he realized he’d spoken.
The Gravehide paused.
It looked at him.
The Gravehide slowly turned back toward the Mirefang.
The smaller creature was still breathing.
Barely.
It tried to crawl.
The Gravehide walked over.
Then stopped.
It didn’t attack.
Instead, it gave another low growl.
The Mirefang responded weakly.
Tolu’s heart sank.
It was almost as though the two creatures were communicating.
The Gravehide moved closer.
The Mirefang snapped at its face.
The larger creature pulled back.
Then it struck.
The Mirefang was knocked onto its side.
It tried to rise.
The Gravehide struck again.
The Mirefang collapsed.
Ore covered her mouth.
Tolu couldn’t look away.
Another Mirefang, one of the last survivors, suddenly emerged from the passage.
It saw its wounded companion.
It growled.
The Gravehide turned.
The two stared at each other.
The new Mirefang charged.
The Gravehide met it halfway.
The collision shook the floor.
The Mirefang managed to get its claws into the Gravehide’s shoulder.
For a second, it actually pushed the larger creature backward.
Tolu’s eyes widened.
"Come on!"
The Gravehide snarled.
It twisted.
The Mirefang was thrown aside.
It landed hard.
Before it could recover, the Gravehide was over it.
The Mirefang bit down on the larger creature’s foreleg.
The Gravehide shook violently.
The Mirefang refused to release.
Then the Gravehide slammed it against the ground.
Once.
Twice.
The Mirefang finally released its bite.
The Gravehide stepped back.
The Mirefang tried to stand.
Its legs gave out.
Tolu’s eyes burned.
He could feel his helplessness turning into anger.
He wanted to move.
He wanted to attack.
He wanted to do something.
But every instinct screaming at him to fight was being drowned out by one simple truth.
He couldn’t.
Ore stood beside him, trembling.
Her broken bow hung uselessly in her hand.
"They’re dying because of us."
Tolu shook his head.
"No."
"We brought them here."
"They’re creatures of the dungeon."
"They’re still dying."
Tolu said nothing.
The Gravehide approached the second Mirefang.
The creature tried to crawl backward.
The Gravehide stopped directly in front of it.
It lowered its head.
The Mirefang growled weakly.
Then the Gravehide struck.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
The Mirefang stopped moving.
Silence followed.
Tolu stared.
His breathing became heavier.
Only one Mirefang remained.
The smallest of the survivors.
It stood several meters away, shaking.
Its eyes moved between Tolu and the Gravehide.
The Gravehide looked toward it.
Tolu whispered,
"No..."
The Mirefang backed away.
The Gravehide took one step.
The Mirefang took another.
Then it turned and ran.
The Gravehide followed.
The Mirefang was fast.
Even injured, it managed to gain some distance.
It sprinted toward the deeper passage.
Tolu’s heart jumped.
"Run!"
The Mirefang disappeared around the corner.
For half a second, hope returned.
Then the Gravehide disappeared after it.
A crash came from the passage.
Then another.
The Mirefang appeared again.
It was thrown back into the chamber.
It rolled across the ground and stopped near Tolu’s feet.
Tolu crouched.
The Mirefang looked up at him.
Its breathing was ragged.
Tolu reached toward it.
The creature didn’t move away.
He placed a trembling hand against its head.
"I’m sorry."
The Mirefang’s eyes slowly closed.
A shadow fell over them.
Tolu looked up.
The Gravehide stood several steps away.
Blood covered its muzzle.
It wasn’t wounded badly.
It had barely been challenged.
Tolu slowly stood.
Ore stepped beside him.
Neither had anything left.
The Gravehide looked at the two humans.
Then at the dying Mirefang.
Then back at them.
Tolu’s sword hung loosely in his hand.
Ore’s broken bow rested at her side.
They were exhausted.
Bleeding.
Terrified.
And completely outmatched.
The Gravehide took one slow step forward.
Tolu instinctively moved in front of Ore.
He knew it wouldn’t matter.
But he still did it.
Because even when there was no hope left...
He couldn’t stop himself from trying to protect her.
The Gravehide took another step.
Tolu tightened his grip around the broken sword.
The blade was chipped and stained with blood. His arm was trembling from exhaustion, and every breath sent another wave of pain through his ribs.
Behind him, Ore was barely standing.
Her bow was broken.
Her quiver was empty.
Blood ran from a cut above her eyebrow and disappeared into her hair.
There was nowhere left to run.
The Gravehide lowered its head.
Tolu knew what was coming.
He raised the broken sword anyway. "Stay behind me."
Ore stepped beside him instead. "No."
Tolu glanced at her. "Ore."
"I’m not letting you stand alone."
The Gravehide growled.
The sound rolled through the chamber.
Tolu swallowed.
Then the creature charged.
He barely had time to react.
The Gravehide crossed the distance with terrifying speed.
Tolu raised his sword.
The impact sent him flying.
His back slammed against the stone wall.
Pain exploded through his body.
The broken sword slipped from his hand.
"Tolu!"
Ore rushed forward.
The Gravehide turned toward her.
Ore grabbed the nearest thing she could find.
A broken wooden stake.
She swung it with both hands.
The stake struck the Gravehide’s jaw.
The creature barely moved.
Its head turned slowly toward her.
Ore froze.
The Gravehide raised one paw.
Tolu forced himself up. "ORE!"
He threw himself forward.
The claws came down.
Tolu collided with Ore and pushed her out of the way.
The claws tore across his back.
He screamed.
They crashed onto the ground.
For a moment, Tolu couldn’t breathe.
Ore stared at him.
Blood was spreading across his clothes.
"Tolu..."
He pushed himself onto one elbow.
"Still alive."
"You idiot."
"Probably."
The Gravehide approached.
Tolu looked around desperately.
There was nothing.
No trap.
No weapon.
No creature.
Nothing.
Then his eyes landed on the ground.
The blood.
The bodies.
The broken mechanisms.
The shattered dungeon.
And suddenly he remembered something.
The dungeon.
This was the dungeon.
He didn’t have to defeat the creature.
He only had to stop it.
Tolu’s eyes widened.
"Ore."
"What?"
"Get to the heart."
She stared at him.
"What are you thinking?"
"Just trust me."
"Tolu—"
"Go!"
Ore hesitated.
Then she ran.
The Gravehide immediately followed.
Tolu forced himself upright.
"Hey!"
The creature stopped.
Tolu grabbed a loose stone and threw it.
It struck the creature’s side.
The Gravehide turned.
Tolu smiled weakly.
"Come on."
The creature growled.
Tolu ran.
Not toward the heart.
Toward the ruined passage.
The Gravehide followed.
Every step sent pain through his body.
His vision blurred.
He stumbled.
Almost fell.
But he kept moving.
He reached the chamber where the first battle had taken place.
Bodies were everywhere.
Dead hyenas.
Dead Mirefangs.
Broken traps.
Blood-covered stone.
Tolu stopped.
The Gravehide entered behind him.
Tolu looked at the creature.
Then at the floor.
Then at the remains of the traps.
He had spent weeks planning.
Hours preparing.
And almost everything had been destroyed.
Almost.
His eyes found one rope.
It was half buried beneath rubble.
The rope connected to one of the last mechanisms.
A mechanism that had already been triggered.
Tolu’s face fell.
It was useless.
Then he noticed the wooden support attached to it.
It was cracked.
Barely standing.
And above it...
The ceiling.
Tolu stared upward.
A terrible idea entered his mind.
He smiled. "You’re stronger than me."
The Gravehide growled.
Tolu slowly backed away. "But you’re still standing underneath the ceiling."
The Gravehide charged.
Tolu ran.
He grabbed the rope.
Pulled.
Nothing.
The mechanism didn’t move. "Come on..."
The Gravehide was almost on him.
Tolu pulled again.
The rope snapped.
The Gravehide lunged.
Tolu threw himself aside.
The creature passed him.
Its shoulder slammed into the cracked support.
CRACK.
The wooden beam shifted.
Tolu’s eyes widened.
He looked upward.
The ceiling groaned.
The Gravehide turned.
For the first time, uncertainty appeared in its eyes.
Tolu smiled.
"Too late."
The support gave way.
The ceiling collapsed.
Stone crashed downward.
The Gravehide disappeared beneath the rubble.
The impact shook the entire dungeon.
Tolu was thrown onto his stomach.
Dust swallowed the chamber.
He couldn’t see.
Couldn’t hear.
For several seconds, there was nothing but darkness.
Then silence.
Tolu slowly lifted his head.
"Ore..."
No answer.
He tried again.
"Ore!"
"I’m here!"
Her voice came from deeper inside.
Relief flooded through him.
He pushed himself up.
"Are you okay?"
"Alive."
"That’s good enough."
Tolu looked toward the rubble.
His heart hammered.
Had it worked?
Then a deep growl came from beneath the stones.
Tolu’s expression changed.
"No."
A rock shifted.
Then another.
The Gravehide was moving.
Tolu stared.
The creature pushed its way through the rubble.
Blood ran down its face.
One ear hung loosely.
Several cuts covered its body.
But it was alive.
Tolu’s heart sank.
The creature climbed out.
It looked at him.
Then toward the passage leading to the Dungeon Heart.
Tolu understood.
The collapse hadn’t defeated it.
It had only slowed it down.
The Gravehide began walking.
Tolu looked behind himself.
The Dungeon Heart was only a short distance away.
Ore stood beside it.
"Tolu!"
He looked at her.
She was terrified.
The Gravehide continued forward.
Tolu looked at the creature.
Then at Ore.
Then at the heart.
Something inside him finally broke.
Not his courage but his desperation.He didn’t have a plan anymore. So he did the only thing he could.
He ran straight at the Gravehide.
Ore’s eyes widened. "Tolu!"
The Gravehide saw him coming.
Its jaws opened.
Tolu slid beneath its first attack.
Its claws swept over his head.
He grabbed its fur.
The Gravehide shook violently.
Tolu was thrown into the wall.
He hit the ground.
The creature turned toward the heart. "No!"
Tolu grabbed its hind leg.
The Gravehide dragged him several feet.
His fingers slipped.
He grabbed again.
His nails dug into the fur. "You’re not getting there."
The Gravehide kicked.
Tolu flew backward.
He landed hard.
His vision went black for a moment.
When he opened his eyes, the Gravehide was almost at the heart.
Ore stood in front of it.
She had nothing.
No bow.
No sword.
Just a broken wooden shaft in her hands.
The Gravehide growled.
Ore didn’t move.
"Tolu..."
He forced himself up.
The Gravehide raised its paw.
Tolu screamed.
"ORE!"
She jumped aside.
The paw slammed into the ground.
Stone cracked.
Tolu grabbed the broken sword.
He ran.
Not toward the creature.
Toward the wall.
He remembered something.
One of their earlier preparations.
A weakened section.
They had created it as a possible collapse trap.
It had never been triggered.