Chapter 111 - Dungeon - XIX
**
For the fourth time, the five of them watched hell repeat itself.
The reddish mist over the sludge rippled like a liquid nightmare, and the silence preceding the battle was no longer just familiar—it was ritualistic. Down below, on the far side of the colossal cavern, six new locusts emerged from the dungeon's shadows, their silhouettes etched by the ghostly light of the crystals. They were living weapons, forged by survival, and yet... they knew they marched to slaughter.
The group didn't watch in reverence, nor in shock. This time, their eyes weren't seeking understanding. They were ready to act.
Dorian clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking like grinding stones. Seraphine twirled her spear in slow, deliberate motions, rehearsing the balance between ferocity and precision.
Aeloria and Dália exchanged brief glances, synchronizing their breaths. Glenn stood silent, his gaze locked on the sludge, as if he could already see what lay beneath.
Then, the roar.
"GRUUUUUUUUUUUMMMM!"
The crocodile erupted from the acid waters with the violence of a millennial curse awakening. Its jaws split open like the gates of the underworld, spewing acid into the air. Every step shook the mountain's foundation as if the entire dungeon were on the verge of collapse. The locusts charged without hesitation, exploding into speed and fury—leaping, slashing, spinning.
The battlefield had been sealed. But today, the war would have two fronts.
On the far side of the sludge, hidden in the shadow of the opposing cliff, the real plan began.