Extra Survival Guide to Overpowering Hero and Villain-Chapter 253: Dunegon V
They stayed still for a full minute.
Fenric listened.
Slow breaths.
Careful focus.
Nothing answered.
"No pack response," he said. "These were sentries."
Liana nodded. "Which means something deeper controls this area."
They moved forward.
The chamber stretched wider than the others.
Stone pillars rose from the floor.
Some were cracked.
Some had claw marks.
The pressure did not increase, but it stayed constant.
Fenric kept his bow half-raised.
They crossed the chamber slowly.
At the far end, the tunnel split again.
One path was narrow.
Low ceiling.
Scratches along the walls.
The other path was wide.
Clean floor.
Fewer marks.
Fenric crouched and checked the ground.
"Narrow path has tracks," he said. "Multiple. Medium weight."
Liana looked at the wider path. "This one feels controlled. Like a main route."
Fenric nodded. "We take the main route. Less chance of ambush."
They chose the wider tunnel.
As they moved, the stone changed color.
Darker.
Denser.
The air felt warmer.
Fenric felt a slow pressure against his aura.
Not attacking.
Testing.
"Dungeon influence is stronger here," he said.
Liana adjusted her stance. "No reckless movement."
After some distance, the tunnel opened again.
This chamber was smaller than the last.
But cleaner.
No bones.
No debris.
In the center stood something different. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
A stone mound.
Cracked on top.
Fenric stopped immediately.
"That’s not natural," he said.
Liana narrowed her eyes. "Nest. Or spawn point."
They circled the chamber, keeping distance.
No movement.
Fenric picked up a stone and threw it.
The stone hit the mound.
The crack widened.
Something inside shifted.
The stone mound broke apart.
A dungeon beast rose.
Thick body.
Short legs.
Rock-like hide.
Dungeon earth hound.
It growled low.
Heavy sound.
"One," Fenric said. "High defense."
"I’ll draw it," Liana replied. "You aim for weak points."
The earth hound charged.
Slow, but heavy.
Liana moved to the side and struck its flank.
The spear scraped, not deep.
"Hard hide," she said.
Fenric fired.
The arrow bounced off its back.
"Eyes or mouth," Fenric said.
The hound turned toward him and roared.
Mouth open.
Fenric fired again.
The arrow went in.
The beast staggered.
Liana rushed in and drove her spear upward under the jaw.
Wind Aura pushed through.
The body shook, then fell.
The chamber went quiet again.
Fenric exhaled.
"This zone is different," he said. "Fewer enemies. Stronger ones."
Liana nodded. "Heavy path confirmed."
They waited again.
Nothing moved.
Fenric marked the chamber on the map.
"Stopping point?" Liana asked.
Fenric looked ahead.
The tunnel continued.
Pressure slowly increasing.
"One more chamber," he said. "Then we reassess."
They moved forward again.
Fenric took the lead.
Each step measured.
The tunnel ahead was shorter.
The walls were smooth, almost polished.
"This area is used often," Fenric said. "By something large."
Liana nodded. "No scrape marks. Controlled movement."
After a short walk, the tunnel opened into another chamber.
This one was wider than the last.
Lower ceiling.
Thick stone walls.
The pressure was heavier here.
Not crushing.
But constant.
Fenric slowed.
"This is near a core route," he said. "Or a guarding zone."
Liana scanned the room.
No bones.
No nests.
No loose stone.
Too clean.
"Something waits here," she said quietly.
They moved along the wall.
Halfway across the chamber, the ground trembled.
Not strong.
Just enough to feel.
Fenric stopped.
"Underground movement," he said.
The stone floor cracked near the center.
Something pushed up from below.
A heavy shape broke through.
Dungeon burrower.
Long body.
Thick plates.
Massive claws.
It hissed loudly.
"One," Fenric said. "High power. Close combat."
"I’ll hold it," Liana said. "You stay mobile."
The burrower lunged.
Fast for its size.
Liana met it head-on.
Her spear struck its claw joint.
Wind Aura cut deep.
The creature recoiled and slammed its body forward.
Liana slid back but held her ground.
Fenric moved to the side and fired.
The arrow struck between the plates.
It went in.
The burrower shrieked and turned toward him.
Liana attacked again.
This time at the neck joint.
The spear punched through.
The burrower collapsed.
Its body twitched, then went still.
The chamber became silent.
Fenric listened.
No follow-up.
No reinforcements.
He lowered his bow.
"This confirms it," he said. "Heavy floor guardians."
Liana nodded. "And we handled it cleanly."
They waited another minute.
Nothing moved.
Fenric marked the chamber carefully.
"Stop here," he said. "We’ve confirmed the threat level."
Liana agreed. "No need to push further today."
They turned back the way they came.
Slow.
Controlled.
The dungeon did not react.
They left the heavy path without incident.
At the split tunnel, Fenric paused once more.
"This route is dangerous," he said. "But manageable with preparation."
Liana nodded. "Next time, we bring support."
They continued back toward the safer zones.
The dungeon remained quiet behind them.
They did not rush.
Fenric led them back through the tunnel.
Liana kept watch behind.
No tremors followed.
No sounds from below.
The pressure slowly weakened as they moved away from the heavy zone.
Fenric felt it clearly.
"We’re leaving its control range," he said.
Liana nodded. "Good. It didn’t wake anything else."
They reached the earlier chamber with the earth hound nest.
The broken stone mound was already fading.
The dungeon was reclaiming it.
"No pursuit," Fenric said after listening.
They moved on.
The wider chamber with the pillars came back into view.
Still empty.
Still quiet.
They crossed it without stopping.
At the previous split, Fenric checked both paths again.
The narrow tunnel still had multiple tracks.
Nothing new.
"We didn’t trigger the side packs," he said.
"That’s good," Liana replied. "Means discipline matters."
They continued upward.
The pressure eased more.
Breathing felt easier.
Soon, they reached the area with the earlier boar sentries.
The bodies were gone.
Only marks remained.
Fenric slowed and listened.
Nothing answered.
They moved on.
The known tunnels felt familiar now.
Less threatening.
When they reached the flying-floor boundary, Fenric paused.
"No air movement," he said. "Floor is calm."
They passed through safely.
The bat chambers were silent.
No wings.
No echoes.
The bridges were empty.
They crossed without issue.
Once past the aerial zone, Fenric finally relaxed his shoulders.
"Clear," he said.
They continued toward the upper tunnels.
The lizard pool chamber was quiet.
Water still dripping.
The first chambers were unchanged.
Light from outside appeared again.
They exited the dungeon.
Outside air felt lighter.
Cleaner.
Fenric took a slow breath.
"Confirmed," he said. "Heavy floor exists. Controlled. Guarded."
Liana nodded. "And we now know its minimum strength."
They began the walk back toward Rivergate.
No one followed them.
The dungeon stayed silent behind them.
