Dust and debris filled the dungeon in a thick blanket of smog. Rock fragments lay scattered across the ground. Silence hung over the strip like a graveyard, broken only by the occasional clatter of small stones falling here and there.

  After a long stretch of silence, the rocks on the ground began to tumble as a gargantuan ice construct slowly rose.

  James’ golem had become severely worn. Its right arm had broken off, a huge chunk of its torso had peeled away, and its feet were shattered. Still, it remained standing.

  Behind the ice golem, an ice pyramid opened, spilling stones onto the ground as it unfolded. Inside, the eight stickmen stood protected by James.

  During the collapse of the dungeon strip, James had created a protective construct over them. Though Deinofrigus’ hold over them had weakened because the wyvern had focused on James, most of them did not have enough time to react to the sudden collapse.

  Those who still had the strength gathered everyone together, and James formed the pyramid construct to shield them.

  One thing about James: he might be cold, aloof, and disinterested in nearly everything, but he was not heartless. As he had clearly demonstrated, he had sacrificed the efficiency of his golem to protect them.

  Opposite them, within the thick, hazy dust cloud, shimmering blue eyes glowed dimly. Then the incandescent blue light intensified deep within the smog.

  Deinofrigus was making his already domineering presence even more overwhelming.

  With a sudden outburst, a huge torrent of icy flame erupted from the cloud, striking James’ golem like a barrage of artillery shells.

  The construct took several thunderous steps back from the blast, shielding its pilot with its remaining arm. James gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold his ground.

  The torrent finally subsided, giving James a brief moment to breathe. But the damage to the construct was beyond repair.

  The left arm finally gave way, separating from the body and crashing onto the ground with a massive thud, shattering rocks beneath it.

  The torso, what remained of it shattered into countless fragments of ice.

  James stepped out of the golem wearily and gazed up at the shimmering blue light hidden within the dusty haze.

  “You fought well, mortal… or whatever you are,” Deinofrigus’ voice thundered from within the dust cloud.

  “But it all ends now.”

  The cavern began to quake.

  Little by little, the intensity increased with each passing moment. Though none of them could see him clearly, they were certain the abominable fiend was grinning behind the dust.

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  “What’s happening? Is the dungeon collapsing again?” Aurelia asked, frightened. The image of massive boulders crashing down flashed through her mind.

  “I don’t think so,” Triste replied. “But whatever it is, I think we should run before it’s too late.”

  What Triste suggested made perfect sense. Since they were no longer weighed down by Deinofrigus’ mana zone and he was not making any attempt to stop them, this was the perfect opportunity to escape.

  She was cautious, experienced, tactful, and excellent at slipping past enemies at the slightest opportunity. It was how she and Sameer had survived this long in the deadly godforsaken dungeon.

  “No,” James said weakly.

  Everyone turned toward him.

  “So what’s your suggestion?” Triste asked. “You want us to wait for our doom?”

  James remained silent for several seconds. His glassy blue eyes stayed calm and emotionless.

  “I hear footsteps,” he finally said. “Many of them. They’re heading toward us from all directions.”

  “Whether we move or not, we’re going to fight them.”

  He glanced toward the hazy silhouette of the wyvern.

  “It’s better to face them here and deal with him at the same time.”

  “What plan do you have in mind?” Helga asked.

  …...

  The dungeon strip shook violently. This time, the nine of them had taken their positions, mentally preparing for what was coming.

  They stood in a circular formation with James at the center.

  The dust cloud had nearly cleared, allowing them to see what was approaching, including the towering figure of Deinofrigus.

  Soon, numerous abominations of different shapes and sizes, class and category came into view, charging toward them with berserk fury from every direction, including tunnels only Sameer and Triste had used to slip past monsters before.

  Fear gripped their hearts as they saw the swarm.

  It turned out that the guttural roar the wyvern had unleashed earlier was not simply meant to stop James or kill them.

  It had been a call.

  A call that summoned every nearby beast, regardless of what they had been doing.

  The monsters bared their teeth like rabid animals they are.

  “You know the plan,” Helga said. “Move!”

  Each of them launched forward with explosive speed. At the same time, James created numerous ice constructs to assist them in battle.

  One of the constructs took the shape of a jaguar. It clashed with a black-maned monster whose head resembled that of a bat including its nose, eyes, mouth, and ears distinctly chiropteran, while its mane-covered thorax, slender body, legs, and whiskered tail resembled those of a lion.

  The creature was known as a Bat-Lion.

  They collided like raging beasts, while the rest of the ice constructs engaged other monsters.

  Meanwhile, James rushed straight toward the abominable wyvern, who grinned in anticipation.

  Clenching his fist, James launched a punch at Deinofrigus.

  An ice wall rose between them, but it shattered instantly under the force of his strike.

  However, the brief delay gave Deinofrigus enough time to swing his tail at him.

  James dodged the attack deftly.

  “Resistance is futile,” Deinofrigus growled.

  “Death is your destiny!”

  James responded by unleashing a torrent of ice shards that shot toward the monstrous wyvern.

  Deinofrigus raised one of his winged arms to block the barrage.

  That simple act of defense created the opening James needed.

  He surged forward, his arm drawing back to deliver a devastating blow to the wyvern’s already damaged body.

  But suddenly,

  His body froze midair.

  His joints, muscles, even his facial expression locked in place. Just like before, when Deinofrigus had frozen he and Helga without encasing them in ice.

  It seems borrowing the wyvern’s power had not made him immune to that mysterious ability after all.

  James dropped to the ground like a block of stone, unable to move.

  Deinofrigus grinned maliciously.

  He summoned a storm of ice shards, all aimed directly James.

  The shards struck, blood sprayed into the air.

  But it wasn’t James’.