By the third day inside the S-rank gate, the group was drained but alive. They had cleared six sub-dungeons, each more twisted than the last. Only Kaen remained eerily unaffected by fatigue.
While the others rested in a hollowed-out cavern, Kaen walked alone through the gate's deepest passage. The shadows here were thicker, heavier—almost sentient. They pulled at him, whispered secrets in forgotten tongues. He smiled at the familiarity.
Back at camp, Mira stirred the last of their rations. "We're almost out of food and potions."
Lirien nodded. "If we don't find the gate core soon, we'll have to risk exiting."
Zian stared into the fire. "We're close. I can feel it."
Leon looked up. "What happens if we reach the core and… can't beat it?"
Kaen returned, silent. His presence alone made the fire flare.
"You won't have to," he said calmly. "I found it."
Before anyone could ask, the ground trembled. The sky cracked, and a roar shattered the air. From beneath the cavern, a behemoth rose—ten stories tall, made of obsidian and blood crystal.
"A Fragmented Titan," Kaen said casually. "Haven't seen one of these since…" He trailed off.
The squad leapt into action. Kyel coordinated the team. Mira bombarded its joints with explosive light. Leon struck at its legs. Lirien and Zian launched dual assaults from opposite flanks.
Kaen watched, then finally stepped forward, his hands weaving a sigil of pure darkness. The Titan froze. Zian jumped and plunged her blade into its core, a radiant burst tearing the construct apart.
Silence.
The dungeon's collapse began, but instead of chaos, it released a wave of warm light. Zian fell to her knees, overwhelmed by emotion.
"I… I remember a battlefield. I stood alone against many."
Kaen stepped beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You still do," he said. "But now, you're not alone."