Heavy Metal

Chapter 55 - 53 – Adventurers Coming.

"When was the last time we were here?"

"I don't know, maybe a month or two."

"Everything sure has changed. It's no wonder the guild asked us to sweep through the floors before they open it up again…"

A group of adventurers looked around a desolate swamp area. They had expected a thick fog, croaking poisonous toads, and groaning undead. There was almost none of it here. The fog that used to keep people from seeing a few meters ahead was gone. The monsters that should have been guarding the many crypts were gone, and their interiors were emptied out. It was as if something or someone had systematically purged the entire area of its threats.

"I heard this was supposed to be a case of over-hunting, but why would it continue even after the dungeon was closed?"

"Perhaps they have a different way to get in here?"

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Why's that, Keyon?"

The woman in light leather armor asked her companion while the others listened. It was a party of four people. One was a dwarven warrior, another a large man over two meters in height wearing bulky steel armor. The two talking were an archer named Keyon and the party leader, Livi.

"Well, if that's true, they could still be here. We can handle the monsters here, but if it's another party of adventurers, it could get tricky. They could be in a large group or have high ranks with them. Do they really expect us to do this for a few silver coins?"

Keyon replied, his voice laced with bitterness. This new mission they were sent on was supposed to be easy, just reconnaissance to see if the dungeon had jumpstarted itself back. This was supposed to be a fairly new dungeon still going through a growth period. The guild made sure not to overtax it because until it reached a certain threshold, such occurrences were possible.

"You think they'll pay us if we go back now?"

"Hah, probably not, if we don't find the source of whatever has been causing this, we might not get anything at all."

Livi frowned, scanning the surroundings. The absence of fog and monsters was unsettling. She had expected a routine check, not an empty, eerie silence. Their contract had a clause that in the event of unusual circumstances, they would need to investigate and report back before receiving full payment. Abandoning the mission now would result in no compensation and potentially damage their reputation within the guild.

"Let's press on. We need to figure out what's happening here. Besides, I don't think there is anything worthwhile left down here besides the boss chamber. Let's just go there, and if it's empty, we'll make the report."

"Alright, leader. Lead the way."

Livi made the decision, and the other party members just nodded. The group moved forward and navigated through the desolate swamp at record speed. Without the fog impeding their progress, it was quite easy for them to reach the entrance to the eighth floor.

Soon, the adventurers descended to the eighth floor, but they couldn't help but feel the oppressive silence of the dungeon. The atmosphere was unlike anything they had encountered before. Usually, the air would be thick with the stench of decay and the sounds of undead roaming the halls, but now, it was eerily calm.

"Stay alert; something's not right here."

"The eighth floor isn't much better than the previous seven. The density of monsters is really dropping down... Could some bastard have damaged the dungeon heart?"

"Now why would someone do something as idiotic as that?"

Keyon replied to Livi as the group moved through the destroyed chambers on the eighth floor, only to find one or two zombies crawling about. As they cautiously explored the eighth floor, the adventurers encountered only scattered remnants of undead, nothing more than stragglers barely posing a threat. The once-menacing atmosphere of the dungeon had dissipated, replaced by an unsettling calm. Every corner they turned revealed more evidence of desolation, urging them to press on with their

Livi exclaimed as they rounded a corner and encountered an area filled with poison. The ground was littered with the bodies of small worm-like creatures that had exploded, a hazard typically found on the second floor and not something the monster should have brought down here. They paused briefly, navigating through the initial burst of purple smoke, then continued their pursuit.

The adventurers cautiously pursued the mysterious living armor through the castle's corridors. When they gained on the monster, it lobbed a series of explosive potions native to the goblins on a different floor. Then, blocked an area with a strange ball of mangled bronze armor that should be here.

"Wait, isn't this the way to the tenth floor? Is it trying to get there?"

"It seems so, it must not be too smart if it's going there…"

They continued to chase and they soon arrived at a large staircase leading up to a set of massive doors. Just as they appeared there, they could see the bronze armor duck through the gates which prompted them to halt in their steps. Almost instantly after it had gone through the threshold, the massive chamber doors started to close upon themselves.

"The dungeon recognized it as a threat?"

"What do we do now, it went into the boss chamber?"

"There is nothing much that we can do now besides waiting… The boss will probably kill it for us…"

The adventurers paused while looking at the closed doors that led to what would be the tenth floor of this dungeon or what most knew as the boss chamber. Within would be a powerful monster that required a whole party of adventurers to defeat. In their eyes, the bronze armor was already dead as they could not see it being able to survive against such a tough opponent.

"What now, Livi?"

Keyon asked as all of them settled before the large door. All of them knew that once these closed, they would not open until either the boss monster inside died or the one challenging did.

"We wait. If that thing is as dumb as it seems. There's no way it can handle whatever's in there alone…."

******

"I think they aren't following after me anymore… but what is this place, I thought this was the way to the tenth floor?"

Rusty had been finishing up his grinding session against his iron counterparts when he noticed the adventurers. He was now level fourteen and just one shy away from the new level limit. A new skill was gained during the leveling spree that allowed him to detect living beings in the vicinity and through it he was able to discover his enemies. Then after a quick decision, he made his way towards the tenth floor that he had previously discovered but not used.

"This place is different from the other floors…"

After going through the large chamber doors he arrived at more stairs that started to lead downwards. He descended slowly and eventually arrived at a huge room that resembled something a king would inhabit. The ceilings were high, supported by grand stone pillars adorned with intricate carvings. Torches lined the walls, casting flickering shadows across the polished marble floor. At the far end of the chamber, a massive throne sat upon a raised dais, commanding the room's attention.

"There is no one there but…"

He had expected to find someone seated upon that throne, but it was empty. Yet, Rusty was not alone. Next to the throne, like a sentinel knight, stood a large armored creature. It towered over him by at least a head's length, its presence imposing. As he stepped further into the room, the armored figure's head turned towards him, its visor glowing with an eerie red light…