CHAPTER 38: THE DUNGEON AWAKENS

"Fire Fist!" Nolan shouted, raising his hand as flames engulfed his arm.

Before the Minotaur could react, Nolan leapt into the air. His fist struck its cheek with devastating force. The impact sent the creature flying, its massive body slamming against the dungeon wall. Seven of its teeth shattered on impact. It struggled to stay conscious, disbelief written across its monstrous features.

Finally, with a low, guttural roar, it collapsed—and in an instant, its body disintegrated, leaving behind only its core.

"Fire Fist!" Nolan shouted, raising his hand as flames engulfed his arm.

Before the Minotaur could react, Nolan leapt into the air. His fist struck its cheek with devastating force. The impact sent the creature flying, its massive body slamming against the dungeon wall. Seven of its teeth shattered on impact. It struggled to stay conscious, disbelief written across its monstrous features.

Finally, with a low, guttural roar, it collapsed—and in an instant, its body disintegrated, leaving behind only its core.

"Well, that’s done already," Nolan said, his eyes locking on the last Minotaur.

The creature glared at the fallen comrade Nolan had just defeated, then turned its gaze back to him. It raised its massive axe, exhaling with a snort that sent a cloud of dust scattering from its nostrils. With a growl, it charged, holding its axe backward, ready to strike.

Should I dodge? Nolan thought for a moment. No. I’m done dodging. I’ve been running from these attacks for too long. That might have looked cool before... but now? Not so much.

As the axe descended—an enormous weapon nearly 30 feet long—Nolan bent low, gripping the edge of the axe with one hand. He dragged it sideways, redirecting the massive weapon away from the Minotaur, then tossed it aside effortlessly.

The Minotaur stumbled back slightly, realizing now it stood no chance. Panic flashed in its eyes as it turned to flee, but Nolan was already faster. In an instant, he dashed in front of it, leapt high, and struck its jaw with a devastating punch. The impact sent the beast flying, its head smashing against the stone ceiling of the dungeon. Its legs dangled helplessly, barely touching the ground, before it disintegrated completely. The core clattered to the floor.

"This core... it’s massive. There’s no way I can carry it alone," Nolan muttered. "Zuru, I need your help."

Raising his hand, he summoned the boar. From the ground, Zuru appeared, charging toward him. Nolan rubbed its head. "Amen, can you pack these cores for me? Keep them safe here while I move forward. When I’m back, we’ll take them out together, and then we can leave."

Zuru nodded solemnly and began moving the three Minotaur cores with ease.

As Nolan readied himself to continue, a strange sensation prickled at him—something was watching. Then, a voice echoed in his mind: "You are the one I’ve been waiting for."

"What...?" Nolan whispered, closing his eyes and activating his search ability. Tracing the source of the voice, he saw it: the last floor of the dungeon. Without hesitation, he dashed forward at impossible speed, dodging massive monsters, including a towering Hydrat, determined not to waste a single moment in unnecessary battles.

Finally, he reached the top floor. It was vast, a cavern so wide it seemed to stretch forever, but the darkness concealed everything. Nolan stretched out his hand, dispelling lingering magical illusions. A crack split the ground before him, and the air shimmered blue.

Then he saw it.

A colossal Behemoth. Its immense presence radiated raw power.

"So... you are the one," it rumbled, voice echoing through the chamber. "The one I have waited for all these years. A worthy opponent... but know this, you cannot defeat me. I have not fought in a long time."

Nolan’s smile widened. "Then it’s perfect. You’re going to make me stronger too. I can’t wait to destroy you."

The Behemoth towered before him—easily 70 feet tall. Its skin was a deep, earthy brown, patterned like a massive tiger, and enormous wings sprouted from its back. Its jaw was colossal, pure white, gleaming like polished bone, every detail radiating raw, terrifying power.

"Ha ha ha! What do you mean, ’make you stronger’? You are going to die!" the Behemoth bellowed, its voice reverberating through the cavern like a crashing wave.

Nolan stared at it, unflinching. "You... you’re terrifying," he muttered under his breath. "More terrifying than I ever imagined..."

But he refused to back down. I won’t lose. Not today.

The Behemoth’s massive head lowered, eyes blazing. "Mortal... mortal, tell me your name!" it demanded.

Nolan straightened his shoulders, his gaze unwavering. "I am Nolan Thorne," he said.

"You are truly special. No mortal would have even passed out standing in front of me because of my divine presence. I sense the energy from you. You have a lot of potential. I can also see your whole body is covered with divine energy.

He gave you this power, I don’t know what he was thinking. He knew we were going to meet anyway. I’m not going to hold back on you."

"What are you trying to say? Be blunt," Nolan said.

"This is a blessing. Your power is a blessing given to you by Archangel Michael, and you haven’t even been able to use 20 percent of it," the Behemoth said.

"What do you mean, 20 percent? Tell me," Nolan demanded.

The Behemoth laughed. "Well, if you don’t die while fighting me, I’m going to tell you everything I know. But for now, get ready, prepare yourself."

The moment I saw it, I knew this was the most terrifying thing I had ever laid eyes on. My body was shaking, but I tried to steady myself, to loosen the knot of fear tightening in my chest. It was truly terrifying. One small mistake, and I might die. Its divine presence was overwhelming, and I couldn’t tell if something like this truly wanted to destroy the world, it could do so effortlessly.

Well, let’s see. Let’s see what I can do against something this powerful.

Nolan thought," has he smiled.