The elite demon's body was still burning slowly on the ground as we watched the corridor leading deeper into the dungeon.
The demonic mana continued to increase.
This no longer seemed like a simple infestation.
Scarlet was the first to break the silence.
"So there's something worse down there."
Lyannis kept her gaze fixed on the darkness.
"Without a doubt."
Liriel gripped her staff more tightly.
"I can feel an enormous concentration of energy."
Rai'kanna slowly let out a breath.
"The deeper we go, the heavier it gets."
I looked at the group.
Everyone was tired from the previous battle, but no one seemed willing to retreat.
Vespera silently cleaned her blade before speaking.
"If we leave this alive, the dungeon will keep growing."
She was right.
I took a deep breath.
"Let's finish this now."
We continued advancing through the main corridor as the red crystals on the walls glowed brighter and brighter. In some places, the stone seemed almost alive, slowly pulsing together with the demonic mana spread throughout the environment.
The ground gradually sloped downward.
The farther we advanced, the hotter the air became.
Lyannis analyzed everything carefully.
"The dungeon's structure has changed."
"What do you mean?" Elara asked.
"It's absorbing mana from the core to continue expanding the corridors."
Scarlet looked around.
"So this place is literally growing."
"Yes."
That explained the absurd number of monsters appearing.
The dungeon was alive.
After a few minutes, we arrived at a massive staircase made of black stone. It spiraled downward into a gigantic hall far below.
I paused for a moment, observing the sight before us.
The place looked like an abyss.
Enormous pillars supported the structure while rivers of red energy flowed across the floor like veins glowing in the darkness.
At the center of the hall was something even worse.
A huge black crystal suspended in the air.
The Demonic Core.
The magical pressure coming from it was absurd.
Liriel immediately frowned.
"It's contaminating everything around it."
Lyannis looked serious.
"It's much larger than I imagined."
But that wasn't the only thing in the hall.
A creature remained kneeling before the core.
It slowly raised its head when it noticed our presence.
Unlike the other demons, this one had a partially human appearance. Its body was covered in glowing red markings, and dark armor wrapped around part of its torso.
Its red eyes stared directly at our group.
Then it smiled.
That immediately put me on alert.
Scarlet placed a hand on her sword.
"He's different."
The demon slowly stood up.
"Interesting."
Its voice echoed throughout the entire hall.
"So you managed to make it this far."
Elara took a step back.
"It talks..."
Lyannis narrowed her eyes slightly.
"A higher demon."
The creature observed each of us before stopping its gaze on me.
"So you're the hero."
The mana around him began moving slowly.
Heavy.
Violent.
Far more concentrated than that of the other monsters.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"Are you controlling this dungeon?"
He gave a small smile.
"Controlling it? No."
The demon slowly raised a hand toward the core.
"I merely feed it."
The next instant, the entire hall shook violently.
Several creatures began emerging from the surrounding shadows.
Lesser demons.
Dozens of them.
Scarlet immediately charged forward.
"Then let's destroy everything."
The battle began once more.
Scarlet tore through the frontline monsters with absurd speed while Vespera vanished among the shadows, eliminating any creature that tried to surround the group.
Elara unleashed compressed wind blasts, destroying multiple enemies at once.
Liriel maintained holy magic around the entire group, reducing the demonic influence of the environment.
Rai'kanna fought the larger monsters directly using brute force.
Lyannis began conjuring complex magic circles behind us.
But the higher demon remained standing before the core, calmly observing everything.
That bothered me.
It was as if he were waiting for something.
I charged directly at him.
The instant I got close, the demon disappeared.
He reappeared immediately beside me.
Fast.
Very fast.
I barely managed to block the attack, but the force of the impact launched me several meters backward.
I slid across the ground before regaining my balance.
The red markings on his body were glowing more intensely now.
"You've become stronger," he said.
I slowly clenched my hand as small flames appeared around my fingers.
"You know me?"
"The demons know a lot about you."
The entire hall seemed to become even heavier.
Then he charged again.
This time I reacted better.
Draconic flames enveloped my sword at the moment of impact.
The explosion of fire illuminated the entire hall.
The demon retreated several meters, observing the flames carefully.
"So this is the power of the Dragon King."
Scarlet appeared from the side, attempting to cut off his head, but the creature easily blocked the attack with the arm covered in black armor.
Vespera appeared immediately behind him.
The demon dodged at the last second.
Elara fired wind magic.
Liriel unleashed holy magic.
Rai'kanna charged from the front using her full strength.
Even so, he could react to everything.
His speed was absurd.
Lyannis observed carefully.
"The core's mana is strengthening him."
I immediately looked toward the black crystal at the center of the hall.
Then I understood.
As long as the core existed, that creature would continue growing stronger.
"We need to destroy the core!" I shouted.
The demon's smile widened.
"Then try."
The next instant, the crystal began pulsing violently.
Demonic mana exploded throughout the hall.
The lesser monsters began regenerating even after being destroyed.
Scarlet frowned.
"This is ridiculous."
Liriel tried to purify the surrounding energy, but the amount was too great.
The entire environment seemed alive.
The walls vibrated.
The ground trembled.
The whole dungeon was reacting.
Lyannis quickly looked at me.
"Takumi. Only your flames can completely destroy this mana."
I took a deep breath.
So that was it.
I slowly concentrated the power of the Dragon's Breath.
Flames began wrapping around my arms once more.
This time more intense.
Denser.
But controlling them was still difficult.
The heat rapidly rose through my body.
Rai'kanna noticed immediately.
"You're forcing it too much."
"I know."
The higher demon charged again, trying to stop me.
Scarlet intercepted his attack.
The clash of swords echoed throughout the entire hall.
"Hurry up!" she shouted.
Elara created multiple wind currents to limit the enemy's movement while Vespera attacked from blind spots.
Liriel and Lyannis began supporting my mana simultaneously.
I felt the magical flow partially stabilize.
The flames grew even larger.
Draconic fire completely enveloped my sword.
The entire hall was illuminated by intense red light.
The demon finally lost his calm expression.
"That power..."
I charged directly toward the core.
The creature tried to stop me, but Rai'kanna grabbed his arm with all her strength.
Scarlet cut the demon's leg immediately afterward.
Vespera appeared behind him, striking the red markings on his back.
It was the opening I needed.
I leaped directly toward the crystal.
Concentrating everything into a single strike.
The flames exploded the instant my sword struck the Demonic Core.
The impact was monstrous.
A wave of fire swept across the entire hall as cracks began spreading through the black crystal.
The demon widened his eyes.
"No..."
The draconic flames began consuming the core's demonic mana from the inside out.
The entire crystal collapsed.
Then it exploded.
The magical pressure vanished immediately.
The lesser monsters began crumbling apart.
The dungeon walls cracked violently.
Lyannis widened her eyes.
"The structure is collapsing!"
Rocks began falling from the ceiling.
The entire hall shook.
Scarlet immediately ran toward me.
"We need to leave now!"
The higher demon tried to stand despite his injuries, but without the core, his mana was rapidly disappearing.
Liriel cast one final holy spell, completely consuming his body.
Then we started running.
The corridors collapsed behind us as the entire dungeon fell apart. The ground cracked endlessly, and several explosions of demonic mana erupted around us.
Vespera led the way, pointing out the fastest route.
Elara used wind magic to push debris aside.
Rai'kanna literally smashed larger rocks blocking our path.
Scarlet stayed beside me as we ran.
"You overdid it again."
"Did I have a choice?"
She let out a small laugh even while running.
"No."
The heat of the flames still flowed throughout my entire body.
But this time it felt different.
More controlled.
More stable.
At last, we saw the exit in the distance.
Light from outside pierced through the partially destroyed corridor.
We leaped out of the dungeon seconds before the entire entrance collapsed behind us.
A massive cloud of dust rose through the mountains.
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Everyone was trying to catch their breath.
Scarlet sat down on the ground.
"That was annoying."
Elara dropped down into a sitting position shortly afterward.
"I hate dungeons."
Rai'kanna started laughing.
"But we survived."
Liriel looked at the destroyed entrance.
"The demonic mana is gone."
Lyannis was looking at me.
"Your control improved a lot."
I slowly looked at my hand.
Small flames appeared in my palm without losing stability.
She was right.
For the first time, I felt that I was truly beginning to master that power.
But at the same time...
The demon's words still lingered in my mind.
"The demons know a lot about you."
I looked once more at the dungeon's ruins as the cold wind swept through the surrounding mountains.
And for the first time, I began to feel that perhaps the true enemy had been watching us for a very long time.