They moved up floor by floor. Twenty-five floors cleared. Not a single monster challenged them. They looted what little they found.
The party grew confused.
"Why is there nothing here?" Zarya kept her hand on her sword.
Liam knew why. His detection found monsters on every floor but the moment they sensed his aura they fled. He walked with Nyx and Luna just behind him.
On Floor 30 they rested.
Kaelen looked around while eating. "Every floor was empty. No monsters, nothing. If it stays like this we'll clear it — but we'll walk out with nothing to show for it."
"Get some rest. We climb again in an hour."
An hour passed. They started climbing.
On Floor 35 a bull-headed beast charged from the shadows.
"Shield!" Kaelen yelled.
Garrus planted his feet and activated his shield. The beast slammed into it. The floor shuddered.
Kaelen and Zarya charged forward with their blades.
"Hold it!" Seraphina shouted. Her telekinetic force stopped the beast mid-charge.
"I can't hold him much longer! He's too strong!"
Her power gave out. The Minotaur roared, broke free, and swatted Kaelen into the wall.
Can you help them. Liam glanced at Nyx and Luna. But don't show too much.
Luna disappeared.
In an instant she was at the beast's flank, poison dagger in, and back in her spot. No one saw it.
Liam extended his hand and a thread of green light healed Kaelen's injuries.
"Whoa!" Kaelen jumped up. "I can fight forever like this! Thank you Liam!"
He and Zarya charged again. The poison was already working. With one final blow they brought the beast down.
Kaelen sawed off one of the horns and held it up. "Do you know how much this is worth? We're going to be rich!"
"BE CAREFUL!"
A second Minotaur burst from the shadows.
Garrus activated his shield. The beast shattered it and sent Garrus flying into a wall.
The Minotaur thundered toward Seraphina. She closed her eyes.
Nyx moved. One fluid motion. Her sword whispered through the air. The Minotaur fell in pieces.
Liam healed Garrus. Kaelen and Zarya stared at the spot where the monster had been. Then at Nyx standing calmly.
She is that strong.
"Now we will clear it!" Kaelen said.
They looted and moved on. Floors fell fast. A monster would appear and before the party could engage Nyx or Luna would end it.
On Floor 40 a girl appeared with her hands raised.
"Wait! I don't come to fight! I'm just a messenger. Go back! After this floor all the way to Floor 50 is protected by my master! He will kill every one of you!"
Liam nodded. "Okay. We understand. You can go."
After she left he turned to Nyx and Luna .
"She was powerful. What was she?"
"Not an angel, sir. She was an elf."
"How does an elf serve a Light General?"
"Elves are powerful in magic. Honest answer — I don't think me and Luna could handle her. Elves are tricky with magic."
He turned to the group. "Go back or go up?"
"Go back?" Kaelen glanced at Nyx and Luna. "With these two? We can't go back now!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
The decision was made.
The next nine floors were silent. No monsters. Only a graveyard. Skeletons of hunters scattered everywhere mixed with broken weapons. Evidence of everyone who had come before them and never left.
They stood before the massive door to Floor 50.
They pushed it open.
A heavy air hit them the moment the door moved.
A dense humid jungle.
High in a tree sat an elf girl. She watched them with sad eyes.
Everyone went on alert. Kaelen, Zarya, Nyx and Luna drew their weapons.
"BE CAREFUL!" Liam screamed.
Too late.
A figure appeared. Moving so fast no one but Liam could track it.
The Light General stood there. Both hands already wrapped around the necks of Luna and Nyx. Lifting them off the ground.
"ATTACK!" Kaelen roared and charged.
The General didn't look at him. He lashed out with one wing. So fast it cut clean through Kaelen's neck.
His body fell. His head hit the ground.
Dead in an instant.
Liam's mind went blank. He couldn't heal a body without a head.
Seraphina and Zarya screamed.
Garrus collapsed to his knees. "I want to live. I want to go back to my sister."
The General looked at the girls in his grip. "They told me not to kill these two. But you're both demons. I'll have fun with you later."
His hands glowed. Luna and Nyx went limp.
He dropped them. "Take them."
The elf girl leaped down from the tree and touched both girls. All three vanished.
The General's eyes settled on Liam.
"You are Liam. You brought these people here. When I kill every one of them it will be your fault."
He moved at lightning speed toward Garrus.
"I'm not going down easy!" Garrus screamed and activated his shield.
A second before the General's hand reached his throat Liam moved. He hit the General with full force and sent him flying into a tree.
The General stood up and brushed off his shoulder. "What a hit."
He vanished.
The fight began.
To the survivors it was incomprehensible. Two streaks of light — one dark, one white — colliding across the jungle floor. Every time they touched the ground trees split and the earth tore open.
The General hit Liam in the chest and drove him into the ground.
In a hidden stone building Luna and Nyx woke up. The elf girl sat in a corner.
Luna spoke first. "Why does an elf serve a Light General. Didn't they kill your entire race."
"Don't try. You can't move. I cast a binding spell on both of you — your transport is blocked for a day."
She looked at them. "Can he win. Your friend."
"I'm tired of this slaughter."
"Yes," Luna said. "He will end him. You'll see."
The elf was quiet for a moment. Then she chanted.
Binding — Cancel.
Their hands were free.
"Go. Help your friends. I only did what the General commanded."
Luna looked at Nyx. Nyx nodded.
They ran.
The General landed and summoned two swords of pure light.
They moved too fast. Liam could only block one. The other came for his neck.
Steel clashed behind him.
Nyx. Her blade knocked the light sword aside.
Liam grabbed the General's freed wrist and drove Dark Force into his chest with the other fist. Again and again.
The General pulled his hand free to fight back.
"Master — catch!" Luna threw the poison dagger.
Liam caught it. He grabbed the General and drove the dagger into him over and over. Then he saw the tree. He slammed the General against it and drove the dagger through his chest, pinning him to the bark.
The light in the General's eyes faded.
Dead.
Liam stood before the body.
A few yards away the survivors stood in silence. Garrus sat on the ground staring at where Kaelen had fallen. Liam was drained. Nyx and Luna stood rigid beside him.
Garrus pushed himself up and walked to Liam.
"What was that. That was not an ordinary monster. That was something made to kill. Why was it here." He stepped closer. "You knew. Didn't you. You knew something like this was in here. How can a healer fight like that. You are not what you said you were."
"I told all of you to go back. On floor 40 I gave you the choice. None of you listened. Kaelen chose to press on. You all followed him. Now you want to blame me."
"No," Seraphina said. "We're not saying it's your fault. But he's right. We don't know what you are."
Liam turned to Nyx and Luna. "Thank you. I only won because of you."
They bowed. "We are happy we could help, Master."
"Master?" Zarya said. "Why did they bow to you. Who are you, Liam."
"He is our master," Luna said. "Our General."
Liam let out a breath. "What we do now is what matters. And this time you will listen to me."
He looked at them. "Take Kaelen's body. Carry him back to floor 30 and exit the dungeon. Return to Oakhaven. If floor 50 was that powerful, what is waiting on floor 100. Go. Bury him. Give your leader a proper grave."
"We will keep going. We will clear this dungeon."
No arguments this time. They nodded and began wrapping Kaelen in a cloak.
Liam watched them go.
"Okay girls. Let's go."
Nothing until floor 100.
A vast empty throne room. Similar to Valerius's but silent. No furniture. No sound. The second guardian was nowhere.
Outside the dungeon Garrus, Seraphina and Zarya stood waiting.
A booming voice rolled across the air.
DUNGEON CLEARED. ALL PARTIES WILL BE TRANSFERRED OUTSIDE IN TEN MINUTES WITH THEIR REWARD.
Seraphina put her hand over her mouth. He did it. Liam actually did it.
Ten minutes later Liam, Nyx and Luna appeared outside.
A small chest materialized at their feet. Gold. Silver.
"I don't want it. Use it well."
They took the chest, said their goodbyes and turned toward Oakhaven.
Liam watched them go.
Where was the second boss. Did it die on its own. Did someone else kill it before they arrived.
He had no answer.