The sky gradually darkened under the invisible pressure radiating from its body.
It felt as if a colossal palm was pressing down from the heavens, heavy enough to suppress even the light itself.
The temperature plummeted, and a cold wind howled past, carrying the scent of decaying soil mixed with a faint trace of blood.
“What... what is that...” someone in the team muttered, their voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
No one answered, and no one could move.
Everyone was pinned to the spot by that terrifying pressure.
The giant beast's mouth slowly opened, its horizontally split face revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs.
The outermost fangs jutted from the corners of its mouth like scimitars.
It took a deep breath, its chest swelling slightly, and then let out a low rumble.
It was not a wild roar, but a deep, resonant hum that sounded far more ancient and heavy.
Like an ancient war horn, it penetrated skin, muscle, and bone, vibrating directly against everyone's hearts.
Kaylon felt his own heart beating in resonance with that low hum, thumping rapidly and heavily.
Several lower-level team members had already crouched down with their hands over their ears, while another blacked out entirely, slipping from his wolf's back and losing consciousness on the ground.
“Captain... let's... let's retreat...” the Deputy Captain's voice trembled uncontrollably, his entire body shaking.
Kaylon, however, remained motionless, his eyes locked onto the giant beast.
Though the magic item in his hand had stopped glowing, it remained scalding hot, turning his palm red.
The giant beast's low hum gradually ceased, and its head slowly turned in one direction.
That was the market at the dungeon's entrance, currently packed with panicked adventurers and merchants.
In its eyes, the market was like a speck of insignificant dust.
Right after, Kaylon could clearly perceive a smile on that fang-filled face.
It was a smile of liberation, the joy of seeing the light of day again, the relief of finally breaking free after a thousand years of confinement.
But in the next second, the smile vanished instantly, the corners of its mouth pulling down to reveal the dark red gums at the base of its fangs, its eyes surging with a monstrous rage.
It opened its mouth once more, a dark gold light slowly condensing deep within its throat, carrying an aura of absolute destruction.
By this time, the market at the dungeon's entrance had already descended into absolute chaos.
Adelaide sat slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the silhouette of the distant beast.
The stalls behind him had already collapsed, potion bottles shattered all over the ground as liquids of various colors mixed and seeped slowly into the dirt.
He knew in his heart that he should run immediately, but his legs were so weak they refused to obey.
All around him, people screamed as they fled in the direction away from the giant beast.
Some galloped away on horseback, others scrambled on foot in disarray, and some even crawled and rolled, having long lost their usual dignity.
A young female mage accidentally tripped and fell, letting out a shriek of pain as she was trampled by the stampeding crowd behind her.
Yet she did not dare to linger, struggling back to her feet to continue her escape.
“...What on earth is that...”
Adelaide muttered to himself, his lips trembling uncontrollably, but he received no answer.
“Oh, God...”
Beside him, a ragged old woman crouched on the ground, her hands clasped together as she muttered obscure prayers.
Adelaide suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and asked urgently.
“What is that thing? Tell me, quick!”
But the old woman shoved him away violently, scrambling to her feet and running into the distance without daring to cast a single glance back.
Right then, a beam of dark gold light erupted from the distant beast's mouth, sweeping straight across the ancient structures that had surged up from underground.
The half-collapsed towers, ruined walls, and massive stone monuments carved with Glay runes instantly turned to ash under the light.
It was not the ash of combustion, but rather a direct collapse and dissipation like sand, leaving not even a trace of smoke behind.
Wherever the beam passed, the ground was forcefully plowed into a deep trench.
Adelaide finally mustered all his strength to stand up.
He turned and ran, but his legs were as weak as noodles, and after only a few steps, he fell heavily to the ground.
Lying on the ground, he could not help but look back.
The giant beast was no longer paying attention to the market; it was slowly turning its body to survey its surroundings, as if seeing this land for the very first time.
The ground continued to shift slowly, with distant hills receding and nearby buildings gradually changing positions.
It felt as if an invisible pair of hands was reassembling a shattered jigsaw puzzle.
A landmark familiar to him was slowly disappearing, forcefully pushed aside by a moss-covered stone wall emerging from the void.
On the other side, Kaylon remained seated on his wolf's back, motionless.
His team members had already fallen into utter chaos, their panicked chatter mixing with the whimpering of the wolves.
But Kaylon did not care in the slightest, his gaze remaining locked onto the giant beast as only a single thought occupied his mind.
The “key” that lord had been searching so desperately for must have finally appeared this time.
“Shut up,” he spoke slowly, his voice not loud but carrying an intimidating authority that silenced the team instantly.
Kaylon pulled his wolf around to face the direction of the giant beast and spoke with firm resolve.
“We are heading back.”
“Captain!” the Deputy Captain's voice cracked as he urgently protested. “That thing is too dangerous! We are marching to our deaths!”
“I'm not blind,” Kaylon coldly cut him off, his gaze slowly sweeping across every team member.
“Follow me back this time, and regardless of the outcome, everyone gets at least fifty gold coins. Any deaths or injuries will receive additional bereavement pay for your families.”
Silence fell over the team as everyone hesitated.
After a moment, a young Warrior swallowed hard, gripped his sword tightly, and was the first to turn his wolf back toward the giant beast.
With the first came the second.
Archers, Shield Guards—one by one, they turned back.
Though fear lingered in their eyes, it was eclipsed by their greed for gold coins.
The Deputy Captain gave Kaylon one last look, sighed helplessly, and nudged his wolf to follow.
Kaylon did not wait for the others. He squeezed his legs against the wolf's flanks and spurred it into a full gallop, charging straight toward the giant beast.
Right at that moment, the monster tide swept in.
Kaylon had witnessed monster tides before, but he had never seen a spectacle like this.
Every monster, regardless of species, level, or diet, was stampeding in the exact same direction.
That was away from the giant beast.
A Miasma Hound bolted past him at lightning speed.
A creature that would normally pounce and bite madly at the scent of humans did not even spare him a glance now, its eyes filled with nothing but pure terror.
A Rotting Wood Armored Turtle tumbled out of the bushes, rolled over, scrambled to its feet with its four legs flailing, and continued its desperate flight.
The broken shaft of an arrow was still lodged in its shell, a remnant left by some unfortunate adventurer.
In the sky, swarms of Lost Butterflies fluttered, their wings shimmering with phosphorescent light in the gloom.
They resembled a glowing river, slowly flowing through the dim sky.
“Captain!” the Deputy Captain's voice called out from behind, laced with anxiety.
“Are we still going forward? We are heading straight into the oncoming monster tide!”
Rate on N.U.
