Point of View: Tharok
We moved forward cautiously.
Our group advanced in silence through the tunnel, bodies leaning slightly forward, arms ready to brace or react at any moment. Even so, there wasn't any real tension in the air. We were still on the ground floor… and that, in theory, meant low risk.
The masks distorted our voices, making them rougher, harder to recognize.
"That's strange…" one of the warriors muttered. "We should've run into monsters by now."
"Yeah…" another added, sniffing the air. "Dungeons on this continent are full of them. Meat, hides… the markets in Dalaran are always busy because of that."
I didn't respond immediately.
My eyes scanned the walls.
Rock.
Crystals.
Shadows.
Nothing else.
I frowned slightly and brought a hand to my jaw, thinking.
"I don't think we'll find monsters… at least, not the kind you're expecting."
Several gazes turned toward me.
Even Sara tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on mine.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
I exhaled slowly.
"Dungeons aren't just places where monsters and resources appear."
A brief silence followed.
Then one of the warriors snorted.
"Of course they are. We go in, clear it, kill the boss… and it resets. It's always been like that."
I shook my head.
"That's what we see. Not what they really are."
Sara narrowed her eyes.
"Then… what are they?"
I looked straight at her.
"An ecosystem."
They didn't understand.
That much was obvious.
I placed a hand against the rock wall.
"Think about it. In a dungeon where we gather meat… there have to be creatures feeding on something. And for those to exist… something has to sustain them."
They went still.
Processing.
I continued.
"There must be plants… or something equivalent. Something that feeds herbivores. And then… predators that hunt them."
One of them growled, confused.
"Monsters hunt each other?"
"Yes."
"But they always attack us."
"Because we're intruders," I replied. "Not because they don't have their own cycle."
Sara spoke again.
"If that's true… then why does overflow happen?"
I nodded.
"Because the dungeon doesn't create many monsters directly… but the ones that exist reproduce quickly. Very quickly. Even if they kill each other, their numbers keep growing… until they can't be contained."
The group fell silent.
Different from before.
Heavier.
"I didn't know that…" one muttered.
Sara looked at me again.
"Then… why do you think there won't be monsters here?"
I gestured subtly at our surroundings.
"We've been walking for several minutes. Have you seen water? Any kind of vegetation?"
They looked around.
This time more carefully.
"No…"
"Nothing."
I nodded.
"And we're on the ground floor. This is where the most basic creatures should be. The ones that need to feed constantly."
Understanding began to settle in.
"Then…"
"There's no foundation for that ecosystem," I said. "This dungeon doesn't work like that."
One of them crossed his arms, uneasy.
"So what are we going to find?"
I shrugged slightly.
"A different type of resource. Minerals… or creatures that don't rely on that cycle."
"That only happens in Exuvia…"
I shook my head.
"No. It's just more common there. Not exclusive."
I paused.
"And this dungeon belongs to King Rangar."
Sara tilted her head.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"That he didn't build his power with hides and meat alone."
The atmosphere shifted.
"Then…"
"It could be valuable," one said.
I nodded.
"Yes. And dangerous."
We kept moving.
Silence returned.
But now it was different.
More alert.
More tense.
Suddenly—
The one leading stopped.
We froze.
"I smell something…"
My body reacted instantly.
I lowered my stance slightly, shifting more weight onto my arms.
Ready.
"Rangar's subordinates?" someone whispered.
The warrior shook his head.
"No… it's not their scent."
Another crouched and pressed his ear to the ground.
We all held our breath.
A few seconds passed.
"Four…" he murmured. "There are four of them."
He lifted his head.
"Heavy. Very heavy."
Sara frowned.
"What kind of creatures?"
"I don't know… but they're not fast."
I thought quickly.
"They shouldn't be dangerous… we're still on the ground floor."
"Better than running into Rangar's forces…" someone muttered.
I looked at the scout.
"How far?"
"Less than a minute."
I nodded.
"We hide. Observe. Then we leave."
We moved immediately.
Pressing ourselves against the walls, blending into shadows and rock formations.
Silence.
Total.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Each one made the ground tremble slightly beneath our hands.
And then they appeared.
My eyes narrowed.
They were humanoid.
But not flesh.
Their bodies were made of stone.
Uneven. Massive. As if the cave itself had taken form.
But the most striking thing…
Was their chest.
A metallic orb embedded at the center.
It glowed.
Faintly.
But I felt it.
We all did.
Origin energy.
My breathing slowed.
"…So this is the ecosystem…"
No one answered.
The creatures moved together.
Without speaking.
Without deviation.
As if they had a purpose.
One of the warriors beside me tensed.
"They don't look easy…"
I shook my head slightly.
"They're not."
I kept my eyes on the orb.
"The ground floor won't be a problem…"
But they weren't weak.
Not really.
I looked again at their bodies.
Stone.
Weight.
Durability.
"But if this is the most basic level…"
I paused.
"The first floor…"
My gaze hardened.
"Is going to be a problem."
A serious problem.
I had a feeling…
This mission wasn't going to be as simple as it seemed.