{Passageway 3}

The silence was deafening.

The dry, warm cave gave a comforting red glow mixing with the wafting cinnamon aroma, creating an alluring feeling that would make most feel like a warm loaf delicately placed inside an oven.

However, in the 3rd passageway, it was not just anyone.

The figure who walked through the dim cave possessed muscles so huge they nearly bulged through the flimsy black garments, the groaning cloth barely kept in tack with each near-silent step he took.

From beneath the black garments, the man's eye shone with a ferocious green light that, albeit weaker than the "Miniboss'" still possessed a ferocity and power of its own.

Up ahead, as the man progressed through the shifting and swerving tunnels that tilted slightly downwards, the light began to diminish, and the air started to freeze.

Fog could be seen floating with each breath taken, and a sinister sound rang out in front.

KLKLKL

Like the clacking of wood or something else…

The man squinted his glowing eyes, which could barely pierce through the veil of darkness now that he had progressed.

The frigid air tore at his skin and stung his lung.

KLKLKL

The sound was getting louder, and it was getting closer.

KLKLKL

A deep frown set onto the man's face, "Hahh!"

He forcefully exhaled, shaking the crystalline ice crystals off him before stomping the ground and getting into a wide battle stance.

Something was coming… and he was prepared to fight!

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{Meanwhile... Passageway 5}

"Huff… huff…"

A fierce battle had gone on, and the victor had yet to be decided.

"Damn!" the man cursed out in annoyance.

After having fended off the 2 other rats, what awaited him near the far corners of the room was no rat.

There near the far corners of the room was no longer a ball of fur, but a ball of dark red flames steadily growing in size, as low rumbling growls poured from out of the deadly flames.

The man grimaced as he reluctantly lifted his chest up from his knees.

"Sigh, it never ends…" he murmured as his light green eyes began to shine an even fiercer light.

WOOOOSH!!

He disappeared from where he stood, appearing forward once again, now nearly 20ft (6.1m) from him and the creature and rapidly approaching, but then…

Sktsktskt.

The sound of rapid footsteps entered his ear, to which he responded by vaulting backward and somersaulting in the air.

The man landed gracefully on the ground, a visibly annoyed expression plastered across his face, or at least through the small cleft that his eyes peeked through.

"Sigh… welcome back," he sarcastically mumbled.

In front of him was the rat he had just delivered a full-forced kick, "Hmm, that seemed to knock out your sibling though…" as he peeked over his shoulder at the still unconscious rat whose body was awkwardly contorted.

The flaming rat's growls and groans became even more grueling as the blast of heatwaves nearly pushed the cloaked man back.

"Fuk, I don't have time for this!" he pealed his eyes at the vicious ball of light before shooting a suspicious glance around, 'I'd prefer not to use it yet… but I may not have a choice.'

The shadowy figure, upon affirming his thoughts, began to glow a bright green glow that shook the room and battled the chaotic red glow from the ball of flames.

SCREEEE!!

The rat feeling the intimidating aura threateningly, screamed at the man before leaping at him.

[3 SECONDS:]

BOOOM! The man's eyes glowed a fierce as a powerful aura swept forth, nearly uncloaking his face.

The man disappeared from his spot and appeared next to the rat that was still mid-air and delivered a swarm of blows to its stomach and face.

[3 SECONDS UP:]

The rat's eyes widened in shock as its target was no longer in front of it.

Alongside that, the stinging pain it felt and the force from the side sent it toppling along the scalding semi-melted floor.

The man glared at the ball of flames not too far away, "This ends now!" as he bent his knees, preparing to launch forward and deliver the final blow.

Yet the ball of flames began to behave strangely, contorting and squeezing together from its round shape as if someone were squeezing a ball of slime.

"Wuh-" before the man could react, a 10ft (3m) diameter beam of flames was shot straight at him.

"Ugh!', the shadowy figure, now fully illuminated by the oncoming beam of destruction, gaped in total awe and fear.

"GAHHH!" he quickly surrounded himself in an aura of green, shielding himself from the flames.

The flames continued to press onto the man's barrier smoldering the air around him and melting his footing as he was steadily pushed back.

The room had ascended to far hotter than the blistering heat outside under the red sky, and yet a chill was still prevalent.

The man gritted his teeth as his feet slid back, droplets of sweat cascaded down his face, and yet his attention was divided, still glancing around, 'Damnit, I may have no choice. I just gotta go all in now!'

BOOM!

An explosive aura was set loose once again, solidifying the creaking green shield and sending a cooling breeze of wind throughout the seething hellscape.

"Gahhh!" the man rushed forward, his newly donned protection once again brand new, as the rushing flames gushed and flowed over his protective barrier.

Each step he took felt like a weight of thousands of tons being pushed upon him, and yet he persevered.

He had to make it back to the mini-boss and… his brothers, his family.

"Gahhh!!" the man was now only a few steps away, close enough to see the fear in the eyes of the creature cocooned within its own heat, with scalding marks even being present on it.

He gritted through his teeth as he shuffled forward, the arm-length distance feeling like thousands of yards away.

The man slowly lifted his hands, his entire body coated in the green aura that was even now continuing to be pelted in the blazing red flames.

The man's hands slowly progressed, grasping around the creature's throat, a creaking sizzle let out by direct contact with the source.

A deadly glint in his eyes as his veins bulged, and he squeezed as hard as he could!

"DIEEE!!"

SCREEEEEE!!

FWOOOSH!!

A brilliant explosion of light set off, causing a ringing sound to resound in the room and painting it a pure white as all sensors were dulled from such an encounter.

"Huff… huff… huff…"

There near the corner of the room were two big craters, the man in a smaller one and the rat who was previously a ball of flames now reduced to a husk of bones, not an inch of fat or muscle present on the beast.

Though a strange red orb could be seen present within its chest cavity.

The man slowly got up from lying down, his thin frame was bare naked with burn marks caked onto his pale skin with a light shade of green, causing spots of dark purple and black to be present all over.

His slick dark brown hair was nearly all singed off, and his small lips and big nose gave a strange look to him, not ugly, just, "Eh."

"Sigh, I'll need to see about gettin healed up when I'm back", the man murmured as he stumbled to his feet.

His senses were dulled with even his equilibrium being thrown off, and yet…

Sktsktskt

Barely audible tiny footsteps sounded in his ears as he quickly turned to see the very first rat he had knocked down leaping into the air to attack him.

A cocky smile spread across the man's bare face, 'Hmph, even in this state, you're no ma-'

WOOOOSH!

KLUUUNG!

A tiny red pebble zoomed through the air and connected with the man's temple, sending his vision blank for just a brief second, and in that brief second…

SCREEEE!

SLASH!

A massive chunk of flesh was clawed out from the man's jugular as he choked up and tumbled to his knees, trying to hold himself together with hands that were flowing in his own blood.

His teary eyes peered around, 'It was still here?! It survived the explosion?! Who?!' and then their eyes met.

The boy's mischievous obsidian eyes and white hair, which gave off an ethereal glow, was smirking as he exited from the shadows, his bloodthirsty gaze causing the man to shiver.

Though he could barely speak, the man understood now.

They all underestimated this boy, but it truly was him who had caused all this chaos, and yet…

The man's eyes teared up, stumbling backward and crawling towards the exit as a trail of blood ran behind him.

The last creature gazed upon this pathetic display with absolute delight, taking this opportunity to leap onto wounded prey.

WHAM!

However, its wishes went unfulfilled as Oz slammed it headfirst into the ground with a hammer fist strike before calmly striding over to the now injured "Unshadowed figure".

The man's eyes widened in shock and fear, "St-strong?"

Oz, upon hearing this, simply smiled, "Ya think so? Preciate it!" beaming a bright smile that sent shudders down the man's back.

Yet as the man knew he couldn't escape, he plopped himself onto his side, tears and blood streaming down, "Why… not… fight?" the man asked through gargles and chokes for air.

Oz gazed down at him as he kneeled next to the dying man, "Mmm, why would I waste energy?"

A simple answer, one that enraged the man yet he could find no logical flaw in it, the boy was strong, but he and his men were elites with many tricks up their sleeves.

No doubt a "fair and honest" bout could have gone either way with injury on both sides.

"Good l-luck out there", the gargled out one last time as he rolled onto his back and slowly closed his eyes, feeling the seductive voice calling to him.

He had no refutes to its call, and so he wafted, prepared to enter the next life.

KCHOOOONK!!

The man's eye burst open to see the devilish boy kneeling atop his chest with his hand pierced into his neck, "Sorry, ain't gonna let such free exp pass me up."

The man, who was still shocked, had no time to respond as Oz ripped the man's head from his neck.

The shocked look still plastered atop his face, Oz giggled at the sight and gently placed the head down before cracking his knuckles and returning to the rat who still smudged into the ground.

CRUNCH!

He stepped onto its head, pressing down firmly as a thick, goopy red liquid leaked out from its skull.

Oz nodded at the sight and looked around, surveying the area for any danger before walking over the lake of "red fruit" before him.

The red cantaloupes bobbed up and down in the liquid as if charmingly dancing for the Oz to come and consume them.

A devilish smirk spread onto the boy's face, "Time to dig in."

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{Meanwhile in Passageway 2}

No sound whatsoever.

In the 2nd passageway, a shadowy figure teetered forward through the shadowy cavern as he basked in the insidious red glow of the labyrinth.

AAAAAAGHH!

The horrid shrieks continued to ring throughout.

The lanky figure, whose men referred to him as "Mini-boss", continued through the small walkway for what had felt like an hour had finally arrived at the end.

AAAAAAAGH!

The source of the sound was finally ahead, yet…

There was another wall, a cloak to traverse through, 'Damn, I doubt the newb woulda gone all this way yet…' the black wall that ebbed and morphed almost enticingly stirred his interest.

'The men should be fine. I need to know what I'm dealing with.'

WOOOMP!

Off he went to encounter something he could never have expected.

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