Chapter 58: Second Amazon

With each new chamber entered, an invisible force settled into place, sealing off whoever crossed the threshold within it. At the same time, it kept whatever dangers had existed in the previous chamber from following along behind them.

It worked almost exactly like an RPG video game in that sense, and honestly, it worked entirely in Mark’s favor, since it kept threats from piling up endlessly from one section into the next, confining each danger neatly to its own space instead.

What caught Mark’s attention first, changing his expression almost instantly, was the glittering sight of valuable resources scattered around the chamber, scraps of armored material and rare metals, the kind that could fetch a genuinely good price on the open market.

Still, something stood squarely between him and those resources.

A massive arachnid spider occupied the far end of the chamber. Golden markings traced across its large, rounded abdomen, while its sharp mandibles and long legs carried bright red tips.

The chamber itself looked noticeably different from the ones before it, rounder in shape, with a high, arching ceiling overhead. The spider sat perched in the far corner, nestled among thick clusters of silvery webbing.

Yet it wasn’t alone.

The chamber was guarded by the largest scorpions Mark had encountered so far in this dungeon. Each one was armored in heavy, dark green plating, their many eyes locking onto both Mark and Cassandra with unmistakable, murderous intent.

These were clearly the mini bosses, stationed specifically to serve and protect the true boss, the golden backed spider looming above them. The sheer pressure radiating off their combined presence alone felt genuinely foreboding, easily placing them somewhere around top tier Elite Tier monsters.

Two of the green scorpions snapped their heavy pincers together before surging forward on powerful, springing legs.

Their boss stayed put, watching carefully from its perch, both to ensure its own safety and to keep a close eye over the valuable resources scattered throughout its domain.

Mark let out a short, scoffing laugh, shaking his head without even bothering to glance toward Cassandra. "Cassie, go big."

"Go home!"

Cassandra’s reply rang out clearly across the chamber as her body surged rapidly upward in size, every proportion of her graceful frame swelling into something heavier, harder, and unmistakably more weaponized by the second.

She grew fully into her towering, gigantic form, rising past twenty feet in height, her sheer presence filling the space entirely.

Surprisingly, even the chamber’s high ceiling proved tall enough to accommodate her massive frame without issue, one more small advantage working cleanly in her favor.

Right now, these creatures amounted to little more than glorified insects standing before her. There was something almost darkly comical about watching a once genuinely threatening danger get reduced instantly to something so thoroughly insignificant.

Cassandra advanced with heavy, deliberate steps, the heels of her boots striking the stone floor hard enough to send a trembling rumble echoing outward with each footfall. The moment her shadow fell over the two mini bosses, they scrambled desperately to scuttle clear as she raised one massive foot high overhead, preparing a crushing stomp.

The descending foot of the giant Amazon struck the ground with a force that reverberated through the entire chamber, like thunder rolling violently across a stormy sky.

The two mini bosses had already proven themselves utterly insignificant beneath the sheer weight of her overwhelming strength.

When Cassandra finally lifted her foot again, all that remained underneath it were flattened bodies, shattered chitinous armor, and thick, spreading smears of blood soaking into the stone.

The spider boss had already begun scaling the nearby wall by then, climbing steadily toward some optimal striking height. It snapped its mandibles together with an irritated click before suddenly launching itself straight toward Cassandra’s chest.

What met it instead was the slashing, spiked head of her warhammer.

The weapon connected mid air, eviscerating the spider instantly and scattering its remains across the chamber floor in a single, brutal strike.

The entire chamber fell silent in the aftermath of that final kill.

Cassandra glanced around briefly before shrinking back down into her smaller, more human proportioned Amazonian form.

Mark nodded, striding toward the nearby wall in a few long steps. A gleaming orb sat embedded within its surface.

He pried it free with a low grunt of effort, examined it briefly in his palm, then tossed it over toward Cassandra.

"You’ve earned this one, as always, Cassie."

The Amazon caught it easily out of the air before drawing it close against her chest, gripping it tightly in both hands.

The dungeon core flared with a burst of bright light before dissolving entirely into her body, breaking apart into scattered fragments of light that sank beneath her skin and vanished.

From where he stood, Mark felt a sudden surge of raw strength and power rushing through his own veins in response. His muscles tightened involuntarily, and his senses sharpened all at once.

This was the familiar feeling of growing stronger, and it never failed to thrill him each time he felt it ripple through his body.

It had likely been a top level Elite Tier dungeon core, carrying an immense reserve of mana behind it.

Cassandra had just climbed from 4.4 all the way to a full 5.0, a jump of 0.6 in a single absorption.

This clearly wasn’t mere coincidence. It tied directly back to growth she’d been denied for years on end, and Mark strongly suspected the same principle likely applied to every other member of the Amazon Order waiting somewhere within his soul space.

With that thought settling firmly in his mind, Mark closed his eyes, letting instinct guide him.

His consciousness slipped free, arriving within his own soul space a moment later.

He stood before a massive set of double doors, doors that had once remained sealed beneath the weight of ancient petrification, positioned at the very top of a long, spiraling staircase.

Now, their surface gleamed as solid, polished copper, fully freed at last.

It was time to call forth the second Amazon.

Mark pushed against the doors.

They swung inward without the slightest resistance, hinges letting out a soft hiss as they opened fully, revealing yet another vast, rectangular hall stretching out even further than the one before it.

This particular chamber felt noticeably darker, carrying a heavy, almost oppressive sense of severity woven through its atmosphere. Towering pillars lined both sides of the long passageway ahead.

Mark glanced briefly at the familiar ivory sculpture positioned near the entrance before continuing forward, hands tucked into his pockets, eyes fixed straight ahead as he advanced.

Along the way, he glanced to his right and spotted a crude, roughly hewn altar built from heavy slabs of stacked rock and stone. Still, it radiated a brimming, unmistakable wave of energy he had no intention of disturbing, so he continued walking without pause.

Turning his gaze to the left, he noticed a large throne fitted with high armrests, resting atop a heavy stone dais.

Hanging from a hook mounted just above the throne was a long, brass, pole like battle axe, its curved blade gleaming sharp, displayed almost like a prized trophy.

The throne itself sat completely empty, though, leaving him briefly wondering what exactly that meant.

He made his way toward the throne positioned on the left, only to realize he could barely reach the base of its raised platform standing at full height himself.

Glancing toward the nearby wall, he spotted a glowing stone tablet, displaying fresh information about this particular Amazon summon:

Summon: Penthesilea the Barbarian Enforcer

Title: Giant Champion of the Amazon Order

Type: Polymer

Tier: 5.0 | Potential: 7.5

Description: [She is a giantess warrior, standing at a measured height of 25.0 feet tall, weighing approximately 1,500 pounds, with a waist width of 140 centimeters and hip width of 237 centimeters.

Carrying numerous documented records of justified, seemingly impossible feats in both combat and war, even against potential primordial gods themselves, she stands as a battle hardened veteran who has led entire forces through vicious, bloodstained campaigns, enduring some of the most severe ages this world has ever known. She also carries genuine potential to eventually serve as a queen.

She is bound directly to the Amazonian bloodline of the Royal Barbarians, standing ready and fully prepared to fulfill her loyal duty as a fierce, dedicated female warrior.

She also wields her own signature Amazonian weapon, one of the most brutal and iconic instruments carried within the order’s long history. She possesses truly immense, herculean strength and power, forged entirely through a lifetime of rigorous, unrelenting discipline.

While in Super Mode, the limits of her base strength and combat intelligence surge dramatically, accompanied by additional growth in her overall size. Her Amazonian blood awakens fully during this state, granting her the ability to harden her entire body into a solid, metallic form.]

Mark studied the information eagerly, leaning forward slightly, eyes narrowed with interest.

"Huh, they’ve all got names and titles attached. That settles that question, then. And she’s clearly bigger than Cassandra too, both in height and weight, by a pretty wide margin. Impressive. Still, they’re sitting at the exact same tier right now. Guess we’ll find out soon enough which of them is actually faster."

Just then, heavy footsteps rang out, reverberating steadily across the rough stone floor of the new chamber.

His attention snapped immediately toward the long passageway stretching ahead, swallowed almost entirely in darkness between the towering rows of pillars.

His eyes locked onto an enormous silhouette, unmistakably feminine in shape, emerging slowly from the gloom.

She carried broad shoulders, a powerfully proportioned hourglass frame, and long, striking legs, each detail gradually revealing itself with every heavy step she took closer.

The Amazon’s eyes finally dropped downward, settling squarely on the small, unfamiliar intruder standing uninvited within her chamber.