My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 1007: Dreams of the Past: Marduk’s Dungeon (Part-2)

One minute ago;

Seeing the light at the end of the dark pathway, Rael and Eon let go of their hands, preparing themselves with a bunch of potions filling up their pockets, just in case.

"Eon, I need you to unleash your fifth soul skill, Time Reduction, as soon as we spot the monster." Rael passed the instructions, explaining his new strategy he actually just thought instead of following their favorite old combo. "Once you slow down the time in surroundings, you should get away from me and better to retract into this same path. I'm going to activate Cursed Land. You might be immune to damage but if your body gets buried, the magma around this place would get you."

Eon nodded. "Understood, bro." After a brief pause, she added. "Do you know what I think?"

Rael halted his footsteps and looked at her. "I know. You want us to wear that armor, just in case."

"Uhh…" As Eon's frozen, Rael let out a smile as he patted her head. "Don't worry. I'm sure that it won't come down to that."

"Why? Did you realize something?" She asked.

Rael replied. "I'll tell you once our next battle is over."

"Alright…"

They continued to walk and eventually got out of the narrow pathway.

A massive lake of bubbling magma spread out before them, illuminating the cavern in hues of molten red and fiery gold. The stench of sulfur filled their nostrils, making it hard to breathe. The heat was suffocating, sweat dripping from their brows as they surveyed their surroundings.

On the far side of the magma lake, a colossal black tortoise emerged from the molten depths, magma cascading off its massive, charred shell. Its size was overwhelming, dwarfing even the largest beast they had encountered so far, Xyliroth, in that erased timeline. Fiery eyes glowed ominously as the beast regarded them with malice.

"Yes, I knew it. This was a test," thought Rael.

"Of course, it's in magma," Eon muttered, her voice heavy with exhaustion and exasperation. "Why would this dungeon make anything easy?"

Rael tightened his grip on his scythe, his eyes locked on the creature. "It's not just the heat. Look at its shell. We have to abandon our original plan. Cursed Land doesn't work on it."

The tortoise's shell shimmered with a faint aura of unyielding energy reinforcement, making it clear that brute force wouldn't be enough to harm it.

Eon groaned, rubbing her temples. "Let me guess. Its only weak spot is..."

"The neck," Rael finished grimly, noticing how the tortoise occasionally stretched its neck out of its shell, revealing the vulnerable spot. But as soon as any perceived danger arose, the head would snap back into the protective fortress of its shell.

The cliff encircling the magma pond was narrow, offering little room to maneuver. One misstep would plunge them into the molten lake, spelling a possible instant death. To make matters worse, the tortoise remained in the magma, fully submerged save for its head and shell. It didn't seem inclined to leave its molten sanctuary.

Rael scanned the battlefield, his mind racing. "It's impossible to fight it directly from here. That shell would be too durable for our attacks if my assumption is correct."

Eon's lips turned into a faint smirk. "I guess it is a good thing I didn't bring out those treasures. Now, I'm really interested in what you have realized, bro."

"Wait for it, sis… wait for it."

The tortoise let out a low, low growl. A concentrated beam of fiery energy erupted from its mouth, aimed directly at them.

"Careful." Rael shoved Eon to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack as it carved a glowing scar into the rock behind them.

"Split up!" Rael shouted, sprinting along the ledge to the left while Eon darted to the right. The tortoise's head swiveled, tracking Rael, its glowing eyes narrowing as it prepared another blast.

Eon called out, her voice sharp. "It's targeting you! Keep moving, but don't get too close to the edge!"

Rael gritted his teeth, his scythe gleaming as he deflected a second beam, though the force nearly threw him off balance. The heat from the attack was overwhelming, but he kept his footing, baiting the creature's attention.

As Rael dodged and weaved around the narrow ledge, Eon studied the tortoise's movements. Its attacks were powerful but predictable, with a brief pause between each blast as it recharged. More importantly, every time it attacked, it extended its neck slightly, exposing the vulnerable spot.

"Rael!" Eon called out, her voice carrying over the roar of the magma. "I have an idea. You keep its attention—I'll go for the neck."

Rael glanced at her, his eyes widening in alarm. "That's insane! If you miss—"

"I won't miss," she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. "But I need you to keep it focused on you. Don't let it see me coming."

Rael hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Fine. Just… be careful."

Rael lunged forward, spinning his scythe in a wide arc. He hurled a barrage of weak energy slashes at the tortoise, aiming for its glowing eyes. The attacks harmlessly ricocheted off its shell, but the beast reared back, its attention locked entirely on him.

"Come on, you oversized boulder!" Rael tried to taunt the beast, skidding to a stop near the edge of the magma lake. He waved his scythe, his eyes blazing with determination. "Is that all you've got?"

As if it understood him, the tortoise let out an enraged bellow, its fiery eyes burning brighter.

It lunged forward slightly, its neck extending as it fired another energy beam directly at him. Rael barely managed to leap out of the way, the blast scorching the rock where he had been standing.

Meanwhile, Eon crouched low, her eyes fixed on the tortoise. She timed her movements with precision, darting from one rocky outcrop to another, staying just out of its line of sight. As the tortoise focused entirely on Rael, she sprang into action.

Eon sprinted toward the cliff, her heart pounding in her chest. The heat was unbearable, and the ground beneath her feet felt like it could crumble at any moment. But she didn't hesitate. As the tortoise lunged toward Rael, its neck fully extended, Eon leaped into the air.

The hourglass was twisted in her hands, "Soul skill: Time Reduction."

Time seemed to slow as she soared over the magma, her Arcana spirit briefly flickering to life despite the dungeon's suppression. She landed squarely on the tortoise's back, her boots skidding slightly on the slick surface of its shell.

The tortoise roared in surprise, twisting violently in an attempt to dislodge her. But Eon held firm, driving a dagger into the cracks between its shell plates to anchor herself.

"Now, Rael!" Eon shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

Rael saw his opening. He channeled all his remaining energy into the scythe, unleashing the soul skill: Slice of Death, aiming at its head.

The tortoise retracted its head, and Rael collapsed to the ground, dismissing the death scythe. As he expected, the slash did no significant damage to its shell either.

As the tortoise's head came out of its shell, it looked at its prey, Rael, taking heavy breaths and out of soul energy.

The beast opened its mouth and gathered demonic energy, intending to blast him into pieces, but Eon reacted swiftly, jumping forward and stabbing its neck with its dagger. The pain forced the beast to lurch forward, leaving its vulnerable spot fully exposed.

"Eon, go."

Eon proceeded to summon the death scythe.

With a fierce cry, she brought his scythe down in a devastating arc, slicing through the tortoise's neck. The blade cut deep, severing vital tendons and arteries in a single blow.

"Kraaaa…."

The tortoise let out a final, pained roar before collapsing into the magma, its massive body sinking beneath the surface. The cavern trembled as the beast vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the molten lake.

Eon leaped off the sinking shell, landing beside Rael in a crouch.

They exchanged a glance, their faces streaked with soot and sweat.

"Nice timing," Rael said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Eon chuckled weakly. "We made it."

Both of them raised their hands and clapped.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, the dungeon lord's smile widened further, one of his legs trembling in excitement. "They passed three trials with ease. But, I guess it is because of their teamwork. Let's see what they would do if each of them had an opponent to worry about. The penultimate test where everyone failed to clear so far."