Chapter 51 – The Warden's Wrath
The chamber trembled as the Ancient Mythril Dragon completed its transformation.
No longer just a massive, scaled beast—it now floated above the ground, its body cloaked in a swirling abyss of dark blue flames. Its horns had lengthened, curling backward like the crown of a demon king. Its eyes, once filled with curiosity, now radiated pure fury.
"You have drawn my blood… You've earned the right to witness my true form—
Warden of the Abyss."
Rio gritted his teeth, his sword trembling slightly in his hand—not from fear, but from anticipation.
Retina clutched her staff tighter, and Iris stepped closer to Rio, her eyes glowing fiercely with beast vision.
The Warden let out a roar that shook the entire dungeon. Giant chunks of stone cracked and crashed from the ceilings. Mana surged around them like a storm. The air became heavier—so heavy, it was hard to breathe.
"Don't break now," Rio said, forcing a grin. "We've already made it this far."
The dragon struck first.
With one swipe of its claw, a wave of dark abyssal energy rushed toward them. Retina raised a quick barrier to protect the group, but the sheer force shattered it instantly, blasting them apart.
Iris flipped mid-air, slamming into a wall, while Retina hit the floor with a hard thud. Rio, thrown back, stabbed his sword into the ground to slow his momentum.
Blood dripped from his forehead.
"Damn… This is beyond S-rank…"
He looked up. The Warden had taken flight, charging up a breath attack. Its chest glowed ominously, pulsing with unstable mana.
Retina, still on the floor, shouted, "Rio! That's not just any breath—it's an Abyssal Annihilation Beam! If it hits us, we're finished!"
Rio didn't wait.
He sprinted toward the beast, leaping off the broken terrain. Mid-air, his sword began to glow—a deep, shimmering violet as he activated the king's blessing once again.
"A Thousand Slashes—Limit Release!"
His body blurred as he flashed through the air, striking the Warden with hundreds of consecutive slashes. The impact pushed the dragon back, disrupting the breath attack. The beam fired—but it blasted harmlessly into the ceiling above.
The ground quaked again as the dragon crashed into a pillar.
Iris, now back on her feet, transformed—her beast form releasing a torrent of speed and agility. She darted between falling debris, launching piercing strikes at the dragon's wings to slow it down.
Retina floated into the air, eyes glowing pure silver as she gathered a powerful spell.
"Aetherbind: Celestial Chains!"
Glowing chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the dragon's limbs and anchoring it.
Now was the chance.
Rio charged again, sword raised, his aura blazing like never before.
"This ends here!!"
The dragon struggled, roaring furiously, but couldn't escape the binds. With a final leap, Rio drove his sword deep into the dragon's chest, releasing the full force of his mana.
The dungeon rumbled… and then—
Silence.
The Warden's glow faded. Its body, massive and intimidating just moments ago, now lay still. Its wings crumbled to ash, and its eyes closed gently, as if finally at peace.
[ Final Boss Defeated – Abyssal Dungeon Cleared ]
[ Rewards Unlocked – Level Up! New Skills Unlocked! ]
The system notifications blinked in front of them. They had done it.
Rio dropped to his knees, exhausted but victorious.
Iris ran to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You did it, idiot. We did it."
Retina smiled softly, her hands still glowing faintly with residual magic. "I can't believe… we survived."
As the light of the dungeon faded and a portal back to the surface appeared, the three stood there—stronger, closer, and more legendary than ever.
But deep within the shadows of the collapsed dungeon…
A set of eyes opened.
Watching. Waiting.