Chapter 38: Arin vs Zarl

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Arin vs Zarl

The dungeon itself shook violently! Cracks spider-webbed across the stone floor around the figure standing at the center of it. His sword lay many feet behind him, but it was irrelevant. His breath came heavy, his fists clenched tight. The Dungeon Master’s Mark burned on his hand.

[ Mental Status: Unstable.]

[Dungeon Master Rage: Active.]

"Zarl," He breathed out the name, his voice dripping with anger. "Come out now!"

The chamber was silent, then a voice echoed through the chamber. "You called?"

Arin’s head snapped towards the entrance where a man stood. Dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask, only his eyes were visible-calm, in contrast to the tremor that rocked Arin. It was Zarl Baghud. The man glided into the room as if walking through his own home.

A snarl contorted Arin’s face. "You!"

Zarl halted, a slow smile forming on his lips as he met Arin’s glare. "Hello, Arin."

Arin didn’t answer, instead vanishing.

BOOM!

The floor he stood on exploded, and Arin had traversed the distance between them in a blink. His fist shot towards Zarl’s face.

Zarl raised a hand and met the blow.

BOOM!

The force sent tremors through the chamber, yet Zarl hadn’t moved. Arin’s eyes widened in surprise as he realized his fist had been stopped dead by Zarl’s bare hand.

"You’re angry," Zarl said.

Arin snarled back, "Change Mira?"

A grin spread across Zarl’s masked face. "She’s still herself."

"Then let her go!"

Arin didn’t finish his sentence as Zarl pushed forward.

BOOM!

Arin was blasted back, smashing through a stone pillar that then crumbled around him. Zarl calmly lowered his hand.

"You’ve become stronger," He said.

Stones shifted and settled as Arin rose from the rubble. His eyes blazed with rage. "Do you find this amusing?" "No. Educational," Zarl replied evenly.

Arin charged again, throwing his entire being into a devastating punch. Zarl dodged effortlessly, and Arin’s fist slammed into the wall instead.

BOOM!

Zarl sent a swift kick to his back, and Arin rocketed forward, flipping in mid-air and landing on his feet. Before Arin could make another move, the chamber shifted. The walls reconfigured, stone sliding on stone. The floor tilted, throwing Arin off balance. Zarl raised a hand.

"Change."

The dungeon walls contorted, rising from the floor to seal Arin in place behind them. A new corridor opened behind Zarl, cutting off his retreat. Arin stared, bewildered. "What did you do?" Zarl chuckled. "This is my dungeon."

A darkness fell over Arin’s face. He looked at the glowing Mark on his hand; it felt like nothing. He tried to extend his awareness to control the dungeon; nothing happened.

The Mark only glowed.

Zarl saw his frustration.

"Still can’t control it?"

Arin narrowed his eyes. "You..."

"You are the Dungeon Master," Zarl declared, spreading his arms wide, "but not the Dungeon Master of this dungeon."

Arin roared and launched himself at Zarl. Zarl snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

A section of the floor collapsed beneath Arin, and he plummeted into darkness. Before he could regain his composure, multiple monsters clawed their way out of the shadows to meet him. Arin landed amongst them, followed by roars echoing through the chamber. Zarl looked down from above. "Let’s see how long your rage lasts."

Monsters swarmed Arin. He punched the first one squarely in the chest, sending it flying into the wall with a BOOM! Another appeared from his blind spot.

Arin spun, kicking it across the room.

A third lunged, and Arin grabbed it by the head, slamming it into the ground. But more creatures kept appearing, one by one, then three at a time, then five, ten-the dungeon simply kept churning them out. Arin roared.

"COME ON!"

He charged into the horde, his fists landing blows with rapid-fire BOOMS!

Monsters became airborne, yet Arin kept fighting. His rage drove him forward, but the dungeon continuously thwarted him. A wall appeared beside him.

He smashed through it. The floor rose, sending him leaping. The ceiling lowered, and he punched it aside.

Zarl watched from above. "Interesting."

Arin looked up. "STOP HIDING!"

"I’m not hiding."

Suddenly, the wall behind Arin opened, and Zarl was there. Arin attacked instantly, but Zarl blocked. Their fists collided-BOOM! Arin’s arm vibrated. Zarl was unmoving. Arin attacked again and again; each blow was parried by Zarl. Then, Zarl grabbed Arin by the arm, flinging him across the chamber.

BOOM! Arin slammed into the ground, vision blurring. Zarl stood a few feet away.

"You are the true Dungeon Master," he said calmly, "but you lack what I possess."

Arin pushed himself to his feet, glaring at Zarl. "Shut up."

"Knowledge."

Zarl raised his hand, and the dungeon responded. Pillars of stone erupted from the ground. Arin dodged one, smashed through another, and an instant later, a monster appeared behind him. Arin spun, punching it away with a SLAM! Another, then another... Zarl watched.

"Your authority is sealed within the original dungeon. This place was carved from the original."

Arin’s face twisted. "The original?"

"The Dungeon Master’s original domain."

Arin remembered Ayan’s words: This is not a natural dungeon. This place had always felt... off.

Now it made sense.

Zarl had stolen the old dungeon and rebuilt it according to his own will.

"You stole it!"

Zarl smiled. "I inherited it."

"You destroyed it!"

"I refined it."

Arin roared, pure fury engulfing him. "YOU’RE NOT THE DUNGEON MASTER!" He launched himself forward, his fist aimed at Zarl’s face. Zarl caught it. A hush fell over the chamber. Arin stared at his fist in Zarl’s grip, then up at the masked figure.

"No," Zarl’s grip tightened slightly, "I am not."

He released Arin, who stumbled back. Zarl then gestured towards the glowing Mark on Arin’s hand. "You are. And that’s precisely why you will never understand."

Zarl raised his hand again, and the dungeon responded immediately. The walls shifted, the ceiling moved, and dozens of monsters spilled from hidden passages. The chamber came alive with them as Zarl stood at the epicenter.

"I created this dungeon," he said, meeting Arin’s gaze directly. "I know every wall. Every corridor. Every single monster. And I know exactly how to use all of them."

Monsters surrounded Arin. His breathing was heavy, his body weary, but the rage still simmered. Zarl, a silhouette in his mask, looked at him.

"You have the title. I have the experience," he said, raising one hand. Arin clenched his fists. Zarl grinned. "That is the difference between us."

The monsters charged. Arin roared and surged forward. The battle continued.