The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 173: Fall

In an extraordinary manner, we had been traveling through the cave for about half an hour without encountering any problems. Perhaps a few relatively small spiders or some minor creatures appeared, but we didn't face any significant issues. However, as time passed, it became clear that the cave, or whatever this cursed place was, was quite deep. Despite having traveled in only one direction for half an hour, it seemed we weren't even close to reaching the end of the cave.

Such a massive dungeon was indeed incredibly interesting. As the journey continued, the tension in the air grew. No one in the group was speaking; only the sounds of our footsteps and the occasional clang of Gorun's axe against his armor could be heard. Liriel's light orb continued to illuminate the path ahead, while shadows danced in the dark corners of the cave. Everyone was on high alert, but no one knew what was coming.

After a while, the narrow tunnels of the cave gave way to a wide and high tunnel. Giant crystals hanging from the ceiling sparkled as if responding to Liriel's light. However, this gleam created a strange feeling of unease.

"Stop," Vash'tor suddenly ordered, raising his hands to halt the group. He examined the surroundings with a deep, muffled grunt. "Something's wrong here. This much silence isn't normal."

At that moment, Liriel's face darkened. "Mana waves are stirring again," she said quietly, as if afraid that raising her voice would awaken something. She closed her eyes and murmured a short incantation. With a motion of her hands, she drew an energy flow in the air, and in response, the crystals on the cave walls suddenly began to emit a reddish light.

"This is a trap," Liriel said sharply. "The crystals were placed here to protect this area. The energy buildup could cause an explosion."

"Get back!" Vash'tor shouted, pushing the group back with his massive hands. But it was too late.

One of the crystals suddenly cracked, and a powerful wave of energy was released. The wave threw the group aside, sending each of us tumbling to different corners of the cave. For some reason, I took the hardest blow, and when I hit the ground, my head was spinning, and my armor had cracked. However, it was enough to realize that the magic embedded in my armor had protected me.

As the smoke cleared, I gathered myself to check on the group. Liriel had created an energy shield and managed to protect herself. Gorun was leaning on his axe, slightly wounded but still standing. Vash'tor seemed to have used his strength to shield himself, though blood was dripping from his left arm.

"Is everyone okay?" Vash'tor asked, looking around without paying attention to his wound.

"I'm fine," I answered, out of breath.

Liriel muttered something and, using her magical light, looked deeper into the cave. "The energy has completely stopped… but this isn't normal. The mana waves have disappeared completely." Discover hidden tales at mvl

"This trap was just the beginning," Vash'tor said, gritting his teeth. "Worse things are waiting for us in this cave. From now on, we'll proceed with double the caution. And this time, if anyone disrupts the formation, I'll personally deal with them."

After this warning, the group gathered again. However, something had changed in the atmosphere. It was as if the cave was testing us. It was certain that we faced a darker and more deadly journey ahead.

As we continued, Liriel quietly approached me. "The energy here… it's unusual," she whispered. "The power that created this dungeon is no ordinary force. If we're not careful, we might die here. But… I can't quite understand it… I feel like something is trying to pull us into its boundaries."

These words made me even more uneasy. I didn't know what we would find in the depths of the cave, but I knew it was no simple dungeon. And deep inside, I had a sense that the journey's end would bring not only victory but perhaps a great loss.

My thoughts spun in my head, tangled and unclear. This cave was truly testing us; with every step, a new sense of danger filled me. Taking Vash'tor's warning into account, we continued on without breaking formation. However, after the crystal explosion, it felt like the cave was watching us. The energy Liriel had mentioned seemed to be pulling us somewhere.

Throughout our journey, we encountered more traps. First, massive stones fell from the ceiling of the cave. We only survived because of Vash'tor's quick reflexes and Gorun's axe, which he used to cut through the stones and clear the way. Afterward, hidden mechanisms on the ground triggered, and sharp stones suddenly shot up from beneath our feet, causing us some difficulty. However, none of these obstacles were deadly. It felt as if the cave was trying to scare us but didn't want to kill us.

Eventually, the path narrowed, and we had to crawl through a low tunnel. When we emerged from this narrow passage, a vast cave appeared before us once again. But this time, the cave was even larger and much cleaner. It was so clean that it appeared brighter than before. What caught everyone's attention, however, was the massive sword at the center of the cave.

The sword was approximately twelve meters long and incredibly thick. At first glance, it might have been mistaken for a statue, but the details on its surface revealed that it was a real weapon. It had a blood-red inner surface; the closer one got to the sharp edge, the darker the color became, as if it were swallowing the darkness itself. Its shine, despite Liriel's light orb, was menacing. The energy surrounding the sword made the air feel heavy.

"This thing…" Gorun said, astonished. "It can't belong to a human… This must be a weapon of the gods!"

"No," Liriel said, examining it carefully. "This is not just a weapon. There's a sealed power within it. It's no ordinary object. Don't approach it!"

But just then, the ground of the cave trembled once again. Liriel screamed, "Something's coming!"

From the darkness, a massive creature emerged. It seemed to be a guardian, fed by the dark energy of the cave, standing next to the sword. The creature, about four meters tall, had a nightmare-like appearance. Its muscular body was covered in spikes, and it held a gigantic hammer. Its eyes were locked on us, and it seemed programmed to attack.

For some reason, though, the creature left everyone and directly attacked me with the greatest force I had ever seen in my life.

The creature's strike was so fast and powerful that I had no chance to defend myself. The hammer hit me, and my body was sent flying through the air before crashing onto the ground. The armor on my chest cracked, and the impact forced all the air out of my lungs. I felt like I was suffocating; breathing was almost impossible. My vision blurred, but the battle cries around me pulled me back from the brink of unconsciousness.

"ETHAN!" Liriel screamed, panicked, as she rushed toward me. But the creature noticed her too and charged at her with its massive hammer.

"No…!" I snarled, trying to get up. My whole body was aching. Even the magical protections in my armor couldn't fully absorb the blow. But the fact that I was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.

Gorun roared and threw his axe at the creature to distract it. "Come here, you damn ugly thing!" he yelled. His axe struck the creature's shoulder, but it seemed unaffected as it continued its assault. Liriel, however, managed to create an energy shield just in time to protect herself.

Vash'tor, trying to wrestle the creature to the ground with his arms, shouted, "Ethan, get up! We can't protect you. Get up and fight!" But when the creature threw Vash'tor aside as if he were nothing, I realized that it was far too powerful for any of us to handle.

Everything was blurry. My body didn't want to move. But somewhere deep inside me, something was calling to me. The familiar darkness… It appeared every time I faced hopelessness, strengthening me, yet also consuming me.

No, I thought. I can't use this power here. They… they don't know. They shouldn't.

But seeing the creature raise its hammer for another strike, I realized I had no choice. Either I used this power, or we would all die here.

"Enough!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the cave. I closed my eyes and released the power sealed inside me.

A dark aura quickly enveloped my body. This feeling... it was familiar, but terrifying. The energy emanating from my skin surrounded me like armor, and the dark armor appeared once again. But this time, my mind was clear, and my power was under my control.

Liriel's voice rose in panic. "Ethan, what are you doing?! This energy... this dark element! How... how is this possible?!"

I didn't respond. My only focus was on stopping the creature. The dark armor had filled me with power. When the massive hammer of the creature came down on me... I felt nothing. When I opened my eyes and looked at the creature, it was gone. And at that moment, I noticed that the legs of all the professors were shaking. Even Vash'tor was sweating in fear and kneeling on the ground.

I didn't understand what was happening, but it seemed like the oppressive aura filling the cave had no effect on me. It was as if the one who was emitting this aura had willed it to be so. When I looked at the massive sword, I saw it shrinking, but it was still gigantic.

The air in the room was filled with an indescribable pressure. The fear in everyone's eyes was the same—fear that couldn't be put into words. Vash'tor, perhaps for the first time in his life, was kneeling, gripping the ground with his hands. The usually unhesitant, confident giant was now out of breath, drenched in cold sweat. The deep breaths coming from beneath his armor echoed through the cave. His hands were trembling, but he wasn't trying to hide it.

Liriel's face had turned white. The usually graceful and self-assured mage now had wide eyes. Her lips parted as if she didn't know what to do. She tightly gripped her energy shield, but it seemed like it wouldn't be enough to protect her. With trembling lips, she whispered, "This... this can't be. This feeling... no one can have this kind of power."

Gorun, who had always clung to his enormous axe as a source of confidence, had now dropped it to the ground and staggered backward. The powerful warrior's eyes were filled with fear; he was trying to look away from the dark aura and shrinking sword. His massive hands clenched involuntarily, and his chest heaved with each labored breath. "This... this must be a god..." he whispered, as if even he found it hard to believe.

As the sword continued to shrink, the aura filling the room grew denser. Before our eyes, the metal surface of the sword began to crack, as if shedding its shell... And from within it, an unimaginably terrifying figure emerged. Its blood-red eyes slowly opened, and a threatening dark energy radiated from them. My gaze locked onto the creature—it wasn't just a demon; it was the physical manifestation of pure destruction and darkness.

When the being fully emerged, even the cave walls seemed to crack, as if they couldn't bear its presence. Its massive size seemed to fill the entire cave. Two enormous horns spiraled atop its head, adding to the menacing look of its dark armor. With every movement, the armor produced heavy, resonating metallic sounds. The bright red core in its chest wasn't filled with a heart, but with pure energy emanating from its soul. Behind it, two large dragon-like wings spread, dark energy flowing through its veins, and the sharp tips of its wings looked like a lethal threat.

The creature slowly raised its head and scanned the surroundings. There was neither mercy nor anger in its eyes—only the absolute certainty of its existence and an overwhelming sense of dominance. With each breath it took, the surrounding air trembled, and the cave's darkness intensified. For a moment, its eyes locked onto mine. I felt pressure in my chest, but this time it wasn't fear—it was as if the being recognized me...

Meanwhile, the others were completely paralyzed.

"Finally... Everything necessary for my ascension is ready..." it said, looking at me with the deepest, most terrifying voice I had ever heard. "The force of both dragons and demons.... You, child... Your fall will be the cause of my rise...." It added, its voice cracking the cave walls.

"It can't be.... He can't be real!" Vash'tor exclaimed loudly, pointing at the creature. "The killer of dragons... Annaxor!"

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If you don't remember who Annaxor is, you can look at "Chapter 74: Short Saga"

I also added an illustration of Annaxor