The group cautiously followed the shadow wolves. The forest around them grew denser, the atmosphere more oppressive. The trees seemed to grow larger, and the sounds of the forest rose. However, the whole place felt like it had been untouched for countless years, only now seeing life with their feet stomping on the ground.

Sera glanced around in awe and whispered, "This place... it feels ancient."

“I don’t know about ancient, but it definitely feels weird.” Marcus felt his skin crawl just being here. He gazed at a patch of trees to the side and could’ve sworn he saw eyes move, watching his every move. “All I know is that I want to leave as soon as possible.” Shaking off that feeling, his eyes returned to Zayzal’s back.

“We can leave later,” Zayzal muttered. He should’ve felt similar to the two of them, but his [Adaptability] forced him to adjust to the uncomfortableness.“Right now, we’re stuck until we can deal with what’s up ahead.”

“...My gut’s telling me we won’t be facing an ordinary being,” Sera said, thinking of those wolves. Out of everything they’ve fought until now, from bears, wolves, goblins, kobolds, and all sorts of other weird creatures, those wolves stood out. 

Each emanated an aura that was similar to the boss wolf they faced in their first dungeon, except they were more intelligent and had more powers. Yet, not only were there eight of them, but they all lowered their head and were leading them to somewhere else. 

As if they were being controlled.

‘Looks like we’ll have a tough battle ahead of us.’ Sera concluded while taking glances at Marcus and Fenrir. It didn’t matter if she said anything now, but those two were the biggest liability in the upcoming battle. 

She and Zayzal have been through dozens of battles together, fighting every day, multiple times per day. Their ability to make split-second decisions with their lives on the line had vastly improved during their travels.

Marcus and Fenrir have only had this dungeon to practice on, yet they were about to be thrust into one of the most difficult battles any of them have faced to date.

‘All I can do is do my best to protect everyone as Zayzal takes the lead.’ She concluded, pushing out all unnecessary thoughts and focusing on the battle ahead.

As they traveled deeper, the forest opened up into a grand, shadowy space. The trees gradually disappeared around them, only to be replaced by a large, stone brick room. It was over ten meters tall and a hundred meters long.

“What the hell?” Sera shouted, looking around, only to discover that the forest behind them had completely disappeared. Now, all that existed around them were stone walls with no signs of an exit. 

Torches lit up one by one on the walls, faintly lighting up the darkness. Towering statues of Hungarian heroes and villains lined the path, their stone eyes seeming to follow the group’s progress with silent vigilance. Statues of people like King Matthias Corvinus, Elizabeth Báthory, Prince Árpád, Ferenc Rákóczi II, and more seemed to be turned to stone as they stared at the intruders.

At the end of the room stood a grand throne, and on it sat a commanding spectral figure surrounded by a pack of wolves.

It was a man of stern countenance and robust build, with a hawkish gaze that seemed to survey lands only he could see. He bore the rugged attire of a chieftain from times long past, with furs draped over broad shoulders and heavy, chain-linked armor.

Beside him, a spectral white horse stood by his side, its eyes glowing with the same unnatural light as the wolves. This majestic animal, like its master, was a relic from a bygone era, a beast of war that carried its rider through the turmoil of history.

The man's dark and long hair was pulled back from a face that was etched with the wrinkles of countless crusades. His presence alone dominated the room like nothing could escape his reach — he was the visage of Attila the Hun, the Scourge of God, the once-feared ruler whose name was etched in the annals of history as both a revered leader and a formidable foe.

The figure on the throne raised his head. His gaze fixed on the group, assessing them with a critical eye.

Sera, Zayzal, and Marcus’s eyes widened upon seeing his figure. Marcus was shocked as he hadn’t expected to see a man lost to history, in the flesh, here in this dungeon. 

However, Sera and Zayzal couldn’t believe that the boss was a humanoid!

‘W-What… the… hell…’ Zayzal stuttered internally. ‘If he’s the final boss, then what exactly are these dungeons? I thought they were just places that spewed out monsters, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Or, maybe this place is just different. Maybe it’s not a dungeon at all.’ He had so many questions that he wished he could just dissect this whole place and learn its secrets. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury.

The silence was broken by the deep, resonating voice of Attila. “Intruders in my sanctum,” he began, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “You tread upon the resting ground of the Hunnic spirit. What brings you to this sacred place?”

‘Maybe we can settle this peacefully?’ They thought.

Sera stepped forward, her voice steady. “We’re explorers, seeking knowledge and strength. We mean no disrespect.”

Attila's gaze swept over them, “Explorers... or conquerors?”

“...”

“Foolish.” The man shook his head as he stood up from his throne, his armor clanking. “Explorers, conquerors, it matters not. Regardless of if you’re a beggar or a king, you have encroached upon my territory. For that, death is your only end.”

Reaching behind his back, he took out a large composite bow, already notched with an arrow, and raised it at them. “May you join the Romans in the afterlife.” He stated, pulling back on the string.

“Get behind me!” Sera shouted while holding out her shield, but they didn’t need to be told twice. Zayzal, Marcus, and Fenrir dove behind her as a golden barrier enveloped them.

Thump! 

Attila let go of the string. The arrow whistled through the air for a split second before it slammed into the barrier, cracking it. The group slid back a few feet from the force but stood their ground.

Sera pumped more mana into the barrier, but before they could react, they heard three thumps. 

Crack! Crack! BOOM!

The barrier exploded, with a fourth arrow incoming.

“I got it!” Sera shouted, ducking behind her shield. 

BOOM!

An explosion rang out, followed by Sera tumbling on the ground. Zayzal and Marcus watched, dazed by how easily Sera was thrown around until they heard the sound of him nocking another arrow.

“Scatter! Stay near Sera, Marcus!” Zayzal yelled, grasping his spear hard as he dashed away. He didn’t wait for a response.

‘Tell me when he’s about to shoot an arrow.’ Marcus telepathically said to Fenrir, who growled in response. 

Tick!

Fenrir yelped upon hearing the bow set. Marcus took that as a sign and dove to the side.

BOOM!  

Looking back, he saw an arrow embedded in the stone where he was and shivered. ‘Damn! One shot from that thing, and I’m dead!’ 

Suddenly, Fenrir yelped again. 

‘Shit!’ He yelled and rolled again, forcing all of his muscles to push him as far as possible. 

Another explosion rang out behind him, but he didn’t need to look back to know what it was. Instead, he glanced to the side and saw Zayzal charging, not at Attila, but one of the wolves.

He quickly reached the first wolf, who seemed to stare at him with empty eyes. 

“HA!” Zayzal let loose a battle cry as he thrust his spear forward. The wolf merely waited until the last possible moment before it dove into a puddle of darkness beneath it. As soon as it disappeared, another two wolves leaped onto him, moving from two different sides.

He frowned but remained calm. Pivoting, he used the butt end of his spear to smack the wolf on his right away before swiping at the one on the left. He felt the tip of his spear dig into the wolf’s skin, followed by its painful cries, and hurriedly thrust, jamming the blade into the side of its neck.

However, as he did so, a wolf leaped out of a black puddle and sunk its teeth into his arm.

“Ugh! Dammit!” Zayzal groaned. In an instant, he let go of his spear and used his free hand to grab the short sword at his side. Quickly, he slashed the base of the wolf’s neck, killing it instantly.

Throwing it off, he froze for a second, hearing the bow thump. Without even thinking, he dropped to the ground. Good thing he did, as an arrow that would’ve blown his head off had just whizzed by.

He didn’t even have time to react before another two wolves were on top of him. He tried to grab his spear, but one of them beat him to it, standing on it. Meanwhile, the other had lunged at him and grabbed hold of his leg.

Thump!

‘FUCK!’ He screamed internally, closing his eyes, knowing damn well there was no escaping the coming arrow in his current position.