King glanced at Vi one more time, then he stepped through the archway, and Vi followed.

The darkness swallowed them both.

King stepped through the archway, and the temperature dropped immediately.

The air inside the dungeon was cold and damp, carrying the scent of moss. The entrance corridor stretched ahead, lined with ancient brickwork that glistened with moisture.

Torches mounted on the walls burned with pale blue flames, casting flickering shadows that danced across the floor.

Vi followed close behind, shifting her gaze left to right as they walked deeper.

"Stay alert," King said, summoning two construct seals that hovered at his sides. "The Gargoyle Imps blend in with the environment. They’ll drop from the ceiling or wait in alcoves. Don’t trust anything that looks like decoration."

Vi nodded, scanning the corridor more nervously.

They moved forward slowly, King leading the way with careful steps. The corridor opened into a larger chamber, revealing the first floor of the dungeon.

The Crypts.

The room stretched upward into darkness, high ceilings supported by exposed stone rafters that crisscrossed overhead. Deep alcoves lined the walls, carved into the stone and filled with shadows. Fractured pillars created blind spots at every corner, and stone coffins sat against the walls, their lids carved to resemble sleeping figures. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

King stopped at the edge of the chamber, studying the layout.

He’d cleared this dungeon more than seventeen times across different playthroughs. He knew where the ambush points were. He knew which coffins were traps and which were safe. He knew the exact pattern the Gargoyle Imps followed. And as he stepped into it, his memory freshened.

"There’s one on the ceiling," King said quietly, pointing upward. "Second rafter, left side. It’s pretending to be a gargoyle statue."

Vi squinted into the darkness, barely able to make out the shape.

"How can you tell?"

"Experience," King replied. "And it just twitched."

He raised his left hand, and a construct spear materialized in the air above him. The translucent weapon shot upward, punching through the Gargoyle Imp’s chest and pinning it to the rafter.

The creature shrieked, thrashing once before dissolving into ash.

[Gargoyle Imp Killed]

[+200 Runes]

"Two more in the alcoves," King continued, gesturing to the left and right walls. "They should wait until we pass, then attack from behind."

He summoned two more construct spears and launched them simultaneously. Both projectiles slammed into the alcoves, and two more shrieks echoed through the chamber as the hidden imps died.

[Gargoyle Imp Killed]

[+200 Runes]

[Gargoyle Imp Killed]

[+200 Runes]

Vi stared at King, impressed.

"You weren’t kidding about knowing this place."

King smirked.

"Stick with me. I’ll get us through, easy peasy."

They moved deeper into the Crypts, navigating between the pillars and coffins. King pointed out traps as they went, pressure plates disguised as regular floor tiles, fake coffin lids that would spring open if approached from the wrong angle, wall-mounted crossbows hidden behind loose bricks. He was basically functioning as a system hint box designed for the most amateur players.

Vi followed his instructions exactly, stepping where he stepped, and avoiding what he avoided.

They reached the center of the chamber, where a stone pedestal stood alone. A small chest sat on top, made of black iron with bronze reinforcements.

"Collectible," King said, approaching the pedestal.

He opened the chest carefully, checking for traps before reaching inside. The contents glowed faintly as he pulled them out.

[Stone Imp Fang x3]

[Black stone Shard x5]

[Minor Fire Resistance Potion x2]

King handed one potion to Vi and stored the crafting materials in his inventory.

"The fangs and shards are used for weapon upgrades later," King explained. "We’ll collect as many as we can."

They continued through the Crypts, clearing ambush points and looting chests as they went. King moved with confidence, dispatching Gargoyle Imps before they could even launch their attacks. Vi provided backup, using her barrier spell to block the occasional stray dagger or hatchet that King missed.

By the time they reached the staircase leading to the second floor, they’d accumulated a decent haul.

[Stone Imp Fang x8]

[Black stone Shard x12]

[Rusty Hatchet x4]

[Minor Fire Resistance Potion x5]

King stopped at the top of the staircase, staring down into the darkness below.

"The Second floor is harder," he said. "There are fire Imps, quite faster and hit harder. They coat their weapons in fire, so your barrier spell is going to be critical."

Vi adjusted herself, she was already getting confident and it was about to get more serious.

"Got it."

King handed her two more fire resistant potions, and they descended into The Smelting Chutes.

The environment shifted immediately. The damp brickwork of the Crypts gave way to jagged volcanic stone, rough and blackened by heat. The air grew warmer, and the smell of sulfur replaced the moss and moisture from above.

The second floor was vertical, a series of shafts connected by narrow stone bridges that spanned open drops. Molten slag trickled down the walls, glowing faintly as it dripped into grates set into the floor. The sound of bubbling lava echoed from below, a constant reminder of how far they could fall.

King stepped onto the first bridge, testing its stability before crossing. The stone held, and he gestured for Vi to follow.

They moved carefully, navigating the narrow walkways. King kept his construct spell semi-active, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

SCREECH!

A Fire Imp lunged from the shadows, wielding dual curved swords ignited with orange flames. The creature moved fast, closing the distance in seconds.

King summoned a construct barrier, blocking the initial strike. The flaming swords slammed against the translucent shield, sending sparks flying.

Vi activated her barrier spell, layering it over King’s construct to reinforce the defense.

King, using that opening, dismissed the shield and countered immediately, summoning a construct blade that drove through the Pyre Imp’s chest. The creature convulsed, its flaming swords sputtering out as it collapsed.

[Fire Imp Killed]

[+400 Runes]

"Good timing," King said, glancing at Vi.

"Thanks," Vi replied, heaving a deep breath.

They continued across the bridges, encountering more Fire Imps as they descended deeper into the Smelting Chutes. King dispatched most of them with quick strikes, conserving mana for the boss fight ahead, which was the most likely to be a challenge. Vi provided eef\support, blocking attacks and healing minor injuries with her barrier spell’s secondary function.

Halfway through the second floor, King spotted another chest tucked into a small alcove carved into the wall. He crossed a narrow bridge to reach it, checking for traps before opening it.

[Pyre Imp Horn x2]

[Volcanic Steel Ingot x3]

[Flame-Resistant Cloak]

King transferred both items to Vi while he equipped the cloak immediately, replacing his Grand Magus Oathcloak temporarily. The flame resistance would be critical for the boss fight, even though it had a ’common’ level.

They pressed forward, clearing the remaining Fire Imps and collecting drops as they went. King led Vi through a series of vertical drops, using construct platforms to descend safely without triggering the boulder traps he knew were waiting on the staircases.

At one point, a Fire Imp attempted to push a massive stone boulder down toward them, but King anticipated it. He summoned a construct wall that redirected the boulder into a side passage, where it shattered harmlessly against the far wall.

Vi watched the entire sequence unfold, shaking her head in disbelief.

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the Smelting Chutes, where a wide corridor stretched ahead. The walls glowed faintly with residual heat, and the air shimmered with waves of rising temperature.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive set of double doors, carved from blackened stone and reinforced with iron. The doors radiated heat, and faint orange light leaked through the cracks around the edges.

King stopped in front of the doors, turning to Vi.

"This is it," he said. "The boss room. Once we go through, there’s no turning back until we clear it or die."

Vi swallowed hard but nodded.

"Alright then."

King checked his profile one more time. Mana was at seventy percent. Health was full. He had three Basic Mana Potions left and four Minor Fire Resistance Potions.

"Use one of the fire resistance potions before we go in," King instructed. "The boss uses fire-based attacks almost exclusively. This’ll give us an edge."

Vi uncorked the potion and drank it in one go, grimacing at the taste. King did the same.

[Fire Resistance +20% for 30 minutes]

King dismissed the notification and placed both hands on the doors.

He looked at Vi one more time.

"Try to be quick on your feet. We might have to separate so I can trigger his aggro toward me. The boss has five main attacks, and I’ll call them out when I see them coming. Focus on dodging or blocking if anyone gets to you and let me handle the damage. I need you to keep us alive with barriers and healing."

Vi nodded.

"Understood."

King pushed the doors open.

Heat washed over them immediately, a wave of scorching air that made Vi flinch. The doors swung inward, revealing the boss room beyond.

The Red-Imp Core.

The chamber was massive, circular, and surrounded by a moat of slow-moving lava. Four stone pillars rose from the floor, providing cover from ranged attacks. The ceiling arched high overhead.

And at the center of the room, standing perfectly still, was the boss.

The Red Arch-Imp.

The creature was massive, easily twelve feet tall, with ruby-red skin that gleamed like polished stone. It wore no armor, its body covered in hardened molten plating that cracked and leaked faint orange light. In its hands, it gripped a heavy volcanic halberd, the weapon’s blade releasing hot steam.

The boss turned its head slowly, locking eyes on King and Vi.