The heavy obsidian door slammed shut behind them with a deep, echoing thud.
Silence.
A vast, circular chamber swallowed them whole. The floor was engraved with a strange pattern—an inverted spiral—and at its center stood a shattered altar that seemed to have waited for centuries.
"There's... nothing? Seriously?"
The rogue stepped forward.
"Wait—!"
Too late.
A click.A breath.
And then the entire ceiling lit up with a searing, incandescent symbol.
[Trap Activated: Judgment of the Hollow Heart]
Chains erupted from the walls and floor, moving with a will of their own. A blue light surged through the room—cold, slicing, absolute.
A presence awakened.
Not a beast.Not a spirit.
A concept.
The Boss wasn't a visible creature.
It was the dungeon's fury made manifest.
[Origin Warden – Creator's Severed Link]Level: 32Type: Ethereal SpiritAbility: Automatic Judgment – Triggered by improper intrusion or ritual desecration
"That's… that's not a creature!""It has no body! How do we even hit it?!"
The rogue, still injured, was the first to fall.A chain pierced his chest, lifting him into the air.
"Aaaah—!"
His dagger clattered to the ground—useless.
The archer fired arrow after arrow… all deflected by an invisible force.A wave of energy hurled her against the wall. Her bow snapped.
"We… can't win…"
The priestess tried to cast a purification spell.
"Sacred light, dispel—"
Too slow.
A blade of shadow sliced the ritual in half. She collapsed to her knees, her gaze lost.
The warrior roared and charged toward the altar.
"YOU WANT TO FIGHT?! THEN SHOW YOURSELF!!"
He didn't see the runes beneath his feet.A second trap—tied to wrath.
Explosion.Heat.Silence.
[Party "Wandering Blades" – Status: Annihilated]
Lin watched with arms crossed. Neutral.
No smile. No mockery.
Just… a lesson.
"They didn't read the signs. They didn't listen."
He closed his eyes as the interface displayed the results:
[Mastery Points Gained: +730][Emotional Effect: Guilt – Impact x1.4][Dungeon Resonance: Activated][Progression Tree: Update Available]
He raised one hand. A simple gesture.
The room was purged.The bodies disintegrated.Silence returned.
"The next group… will have to do better."