Chapter 250: Ch250: Escape The Dungeon

*Rumble~*

A violent tremor rolled through the dungeon.

The walls shuddered, and the floor buckled beneath their feet as though something huge were twisting beneath the stone.

Cracks raced across the ceiling with sharp, splintering snaps. Dust and loose gravel rained down, while the grinding roar of shifting rock filled every chamber.

Everyone froze.

Floryn hurried to Daniel’s side, nearly stumbling as another tremor threw her off balance. He was the closest person to her — and, at that moment, the closest thing she had to safety.

"What’s happening?!" Daniel asked, his voice sharp, but the unease in his eyes betrayed him.

Alucard stared at the widening cracks above them, his expression darkening.

"Oh no. Hurry! We have to get out of this dungeon!" he shouted.

A deafening crack split the air.

That was all the warning they needed.

Without wasting another breath, everyone sprinted after Alucard. Their boots pounded against the trembling floor as chunks of stone crashed behind them, bursting into clouds of dust.

"How do we leave? There’s no exit!" Floryn cried, her voice shaking with every word.

"Just follow him!" Zero shouted over the thunderous noise.

Alucard charged toward the end of the passage without slowing. A solid stone wall stood directly in his path.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. ’What is he doing?’

Alucard didn’t stop.

Instead, his body passed straight through the wall, its dark surface rippling around him like disturbed water. Within an instant, the stone swallowed him whole.

Daniel’s eyes widened. ’What the fuck?!’

Dozens of questions exploded through his mind, each one more urgent than the last. But the ceiling was collapsing, and there was no time to ask any of them.

Daniel clenched his jaw, braced himself, and sprinted toward the wall. At the final step, he squeezed his eyes shut and plunged into the solid stone.

An icy wave of darkness swept over him.

For one disorienting moment, he felt weightless. The air vanished from his lungs, and a freezing pressure wrapped around his body, squeezing him from every direction.

Then he stumbled out into another chamber.

<| Dungeon fourth floor |>

Daniel caught himself before he fell and whipped around. Behind him, the wall shimmered faintly, revealing the hazy outline of the tunnel they had just abandoned.

Deep cracks tore through its ceiling, and entire slabs of stone were already collapsing into the passage.

The dungeon was tearing itself apart.

"Move!" Alucard roared.

Daniel turned and ran.

The fourth floor was in ruins. Broken pillars lay across the chamber, shattered tiles crunched beneath their boots, and crooked fissures stretched along the walls, while a foul smell hung in the frigid air — the greasy, acrid stench of burning chicken feathers.

It clawed at Daniel’s throat and made his stomach tighten.

"Hoo... why the fuck is it so cold here?" Daniel muttered.

Every time he breathed out, a small cloud of white vapor appeared from his mouth. He rubbed his arms while sprinting, trying to force warmth back into his prickling skin.

*Boom. Boom. Boom.*

The ceiling gave way.

Huge rocks tore loose overhead and plummeted around them. Each impact shook the floor, blasting sharp fragments of stone through the air.

One boulder struck a nearby pillar and split it apart; another crashed only a few steps behind Daniel, showering his back with grit.

"Keep running!" Zero yelled.

The gate leading to the third floor appeared through the thickening dust.

Just before they reached it, an enormous slab crashed down and blocked the entrance. The impact sent a brutal shock wave through the chamber, forcing everyone to stagger back.

Alucard thrust out one hand.

Lightning surged from his palm and slammed into the fallen slab. For a fraction of a second, cracks glowed across the rock like veins of fire.

Then it exploded.

Fragments burst into the passage beyond, clearing their path in an instant.

At the same time, Daniel heard a sharp crack above him.

He glanced up.

A jagged rock had broken loose from the ceiling and was hurtling straight toward Floryn. She was still running, unaware of the shadow sweeping over her.

Daniel reacted without thinking.

He twisted around and unleashed the first form of lightning. The force struck the rock in midair and shattered it moments before impact. Fragments scattered harmlessly around Floryn, peppering the floor near her feet.

She flinched and looked back. Her gaze shifted from the broken stones to Daniel. For an instant, surprise softened the fear on her face.

She had noticed.

But she didn’t say a word.

There was no time.

They were all running for their lives.

<| Dungeon Third Floor |>

The instant they crossed into the third floor, the temperature changed again.

Heat crashed into them like a furnace door thrown open. The sweat on their skin returned immediately, running down their temples and soaking into their clothes.

After the biting cold above, the sudden heat made every breath feel thick and suffocating.

Dust rolled through the chamber in dense, churning clouds. It swallowed the walls and turned the path ahead into a murky brown haze. Every collapsing stone sent another wave billowing through the air.

Daniel coughed as grit filled his mouth.

He grabbed the collar of his tunic and pulled it over his nose and mouth. With his other hand shielding his eyes, he pushed forward blindly, following the muffled pounding of the others’ footsteps.

The floor lurched beneath him.

He stumbled, regained his balance, and kept running.

...

Moments later, through the haze, Daniel saw daylight. A thin white glow pierced the dust ahead.

"The exit!" someone shouted.

They summoned what little strength remained and charged toward it.

...

One by one, they burst from the mouth of the dungeon and spilled onto the open ground. Daniel stumbled several steps before dropping to one knee. His lungs burned, his muscles trembled, and every inch of him was coated in gray dust.

The others were in no better condition. They stood hunched over or collapsed against nearby rocks, gasping desperately for clean air.

*Cough! Cough! Cough...!*

Before anyone could recover, a deep groan rose from beneath the earth.

The ground split open.

Cracks raced outward from the cave entrance as the entire dungeon sank into the depths.

Then the earth began pulling itself back together.

The jagged cracks sealed one after another. Loose soil crawled over the opening, smoothing itself across the torn ground until the enormous chasm disappeared completely.

When the trembling finally stopped, only a small, unremarkable cave remained.