Chapter 3 : The Shrine Of The Fallen King
867 Words
The deeper the team went, the heavier the air became.
Nobody spoke anymore.
The confidence they had when entering the dungeon was gone.
The cheerful conversations.
The jokes.
The casual attitude.
All of it disappeared.
Every step forward felt like they were walking deeper into the mouth of something that was waiting for them.
Ethan walked near the center of the formation, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
The dungeon was no longer a simple monster nest.
It felt like a forgotten kingdom buried beneath the earth.
The walls were no longer natural stone.
They were made from enormous black bricks covered with ancient symbols.
Strange markings glowed faintly, as if they were still carrying energy after thousands of years.
Mira stopped several times to examine them.
"This place..."
She touched one of the symbols.
"I've read about ruins like this."
Victor looked at her.
"Ruins?"
Mira nodded slowly.
"Ancient dungeons aren't just places filled with monsters."
Her expression became serious.
"Some of them were once civilizations."
The team became quiet.
A civilization.
A world that existed before humanity discovered portals.
A world that had disappeared.
Nobody knew what happened to those places.
They only knew one thing.
The survivors were never found.
---
After another hour of walking, the team reached a massive doorway.
The door was enormous.
Even Aaron, the largest person in the group, looked tiny standing before it.
Two giant stone knights stood beside the entrance.
Each statue was over ten meters tall.
They held massive swords pointed toward the ground.
Their armor was detailed perfectly.
It almost looked like they were alive.
Ryan stepped closer.
"These are just statues, right?"
Nobody answered.
Because everyone felt the same thing.
Those statues were watching them.
Victor raised his hand.
"Stay back."
He approached carefully.
The moment his fingers touched the door...
A deep sound echoed throughout the dungeon.
BOOOOOOM.
The massive entrance slowly opened.
A cold wind rushed out.
The team prepared their weapons.
Inside was a massive hall.
The ceiling disappeared into darkness.
Rows of giant knight statues lined both sides of the room.
Hundreds of them.
Each one holding a different weapon.
Swords.
Spears.
Axes.
Shields.
At the end of the hall...
Was a throne.
And sitting on that throne was a statue even larger than the others.
A king.
A stone king wearing a crown and ancient armor.
His hand rested on a massive sword.
His expression was emotionless.
But somehow...
The team felt like they were standing before a real ruler.
Ethan stared at the throne.
For some reason, his instincts screamed at him.
Leave.
Run.
Do not continue.
But before anyone could move...
The entrance behind them suddenly closed.
BOOM!
Everyone turned.
Aaron rushed back.
"What happened?"
He pushed against the door.
Nothing.
Victor tried attacking it.
His sword hit the surface.
But the door didn't even leave a mark.
"We're trapped."
Those words instantly changed everything.
Panic spread through the team.
"We need to find another exit."
"Everyone search!"
The hunters spread out.
But before they could do anything...
A voice echoed throughout the hall.
A deep voice.
Ancient.
Cold.
"Intruders."
Everyone froze.
The giant king statue slowly moved.
Stone cracked.
Dust fell from its body.
The impossible happened.
The statue opened its eyes.
A golden light appeared within them.
"I am King Valtherion, ruler of the Forgotten Kingdom."
The pressure that filled the room made everyone struggle to breathe.
Even Victor, a C-rank hunter, felt his knees weaken.
"You have entered my sanctuary."
The king looked down at them.
"Those who seek to leave must prove their worth."
A giant screen appeared in front of them.
TRIALS OF THE FALLEN KING
Three trials must be completed.
Failure will result in death.
Everyone's expression changed.
Death.
The word alone was enough.
Lena gripped her staff.
"What kind of trials?"
The king remained silent for several seconds.
Then he answered.
"The first trial."
The ground shook.
A section of the hall opened.
Darkness appeared below.
"THE TRIAL OF COURAGE."
The second screen appeared.
Trial One: Enter the Battlefield of Fallen Warriors.
Survive for thirty minutes.
The cowardly will fall.
The team looked at each other.
Then the king spoke again.
"The second trial."
Another section opened.
"THE TRIAL OF JUDGMENT."
Trial Two: Choose correctly.
One path leads forward.
The others lead to death.
Finally...
The king's golden eyes became brighter.
"The final trial."
The entire shrine trembled.
Even the giant knight statues began moving slightly.
"THE TRIAL OF SACRIFICE."
A heavy silence filled the hall.
Trial Three: One must give everything to allow others to continue.
Ethan stared at those words.
Sacrifice.
For some reason...
That word felt familiar.
Almost like it was calling to him.
Victor stepped forward.
"We don't have a choice."
Everyone prepared their weapons.
The giant doors behind them remained closed.
The only way out was forward.
The king raised his hand.
"Begin."
Suddenly...
The hundreds of giant knight statues opened their eyes.
Golden flames burned within them.
The ancient weapons in their hands began moving.
The first trial had started.
And the hunters finally understood.
This was not an E-rank dungeon.
They were not here to clear it.
They were here...
To be judged.
- Writer
