The 30th Floor was unlike any floor Aizen and Lyra had conquered before.
The moment they stepped through the dungeon gate, an uncomfortable feeling crawled up their backs.
Darkness.
Pure darkness.
Not the normal darkness of night.
Not the darkness of a cave.
This darkness felt alive.
The entire floor was covered in enormous spider webs stretching from wall to wall. Some webs were thick enough to resemble ropes, while others were so thin they became almost invisible.
Destroyed eggs littered the ground.
Thousands of them.
Some were cracked open from the inside.
Others appeared crushed by something much larger.
The deeper they walked, the more unsettling the floor became.
Floor 30 truly felt like a giant spider's nest.
Aizen raised his hand.
A small flame appeared above his palm.
The fire wasn't meant for attacking.
It was simply for light.
Beside him, Lyra created another flame and amplified it with magic.
The two floating flames illuminated the darkness around them.
Yet even then, they could barely see.
The darkness seemed to swallow light itself.
"This place is very awkward. Too dark and we don't even know what kind of Spider it is."
Aizen said to Lyra.
Lyra kept scanning their surroundings.
Her eyes moved constantly.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Below.
Every direction.
"You're right. But I feel like someone's watching us, and I hear many legs crawling. It gives me a feeling just like Garroth."
Lyra replied.
Aizen frowned.
The mention of Garroth made him uncomfortable.
"You're right. Even though Garroth has helped us, I can't help but be creeped out by him. He's a living skeleton, and he doesn't even have footsteps or footprints."
Aizen told Lyra.
Suddenly Lyra stopped walking.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Wait. I hear something."
Immediately both of them became silent.
The dungeon itself seemed to stop breathing.
Then—
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
A strange sound echoed somewhere in the darkness.
Not footsteps.
Something else.
Something with many legs.
Something moving across walls.
Aizen tightened his grip on his sword.
Lyra's fire flame grew larger.
Far away in the darkness—
A figure moved.
Just for a moment.
Then vanished.
The figure was roughly the same size as Garroth.
Yet something felt different.
Neither of them could hear armor shifting.
No metal sounds.
No rattling.
Nothing.
It was as if the figure was gliding.
Or crawling.
Even though both Aizen and Lyra possessed eyesight superior to ordinary humans, the darkness completely overwhelmed their vision.
Without fire magic, they could barely see their own hands.
The entire room appeared wrapped in endless black threads.
Webs.
Strings.
Invisible traps.
The deeper they looked, the more they noticed.
Every wall.
Every ceiling.
Every corner.
Covered.
"I swear I saw Garroth creepily walking in the shadows. It's as if he's the Spider who created this black web. It's even the same color as his armor."
Lyra told Aizen.
"Huh? Isn't Garroth a skeleton?"
Aizen asked.
"I don't know. I don't trust him as much as you do. Be careful though. There might be traps. We have been here for a year. Now I'm more suspicious of Garroth."
Lyra said.
Aizen didn't answer immediately.
For the first time since meeting Garroth—
he wondered if Lyra might be right.
The two continued walking.
Carefully.
Slowly.
Every step was measured.
Every breath was cautious.
The room seemed endless.
Much larger than any previous boss chamber.
Then—
A horrifying screech echoed above them.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
The sound was so loud that the webs around them vibrated.
Aizen immediately looked upward.
But saw nothing.
Then the darkness disappeared.
Not gradually.
Instantly.
Like a curtain being pulled away.
The entire chamber became visible.
And both of them froze.
A gigantic spider hung above them.
Its body alone was larger than a house.
Blue eyes glowed across its face.
Massive legs stretched outward.
Invisible strings held it high in the air.
Countless smaller spiders surrounded it.
Hundreds.
Maybe thousands.
The destroyed eggs suddenly made sense.
Those eggs belonged to this monster.
"This Black Spider is no ordinary monster..."
Lyra whispered.
The giant creature slowly moved.
Its eyes focused directly on Aizen.
Then on Lyra.
As if deciding which one to eat first.
The pressure pouring from its body was far beyond any ordinary floor boss.
"Aizen! Quick! Attack its legs!"
Lyra shouted.
"Yes! I'll do my best!"
Aizen replied.
Without hesitation he leapt forward.
The nearly invisible strings became stepping stones beneath his feet.
Jump.
Jump.
Jump.
He raced upward through the air toward the gigantic spider.
At the same time Lyra began chanting.
Her magic circle expanded beneath her feet.
The temperature of the room increased rapidly.
The flames floating around them suddenly intensified.
The spider sensed danger.
Its giant legs moved.
The invisible threads trembled.
Aizen reached attack range first.
"Hah! Fiery Slash!"
Flames exploded from his weapon.
A burning arc crossed the air and slammed into one of the giant spider's legs.
BOOM!
Fire exploded.
Yet when the flames vanished—
the spider remained unharmed.
Not even a burn mark.
Aizen's eyes widened.
"It didn't burn at all?!"
Meanwhile Lyra completed her spell.
Her magic circle glowed bright orange.
The air trembled.
"FireFall!"
A massive wave of fire erupted from above.
Like a burning waterfall descending from the heavens.
The giant spider screeched.
For the first time—
it lost balance.
The invisible strings snapped.
Its gigantic body crashed downward.
BOOOOOOOM!
The floor shook violently.
Dust filled the room.
The spider landed heavily.
And became furious.
Its blue eyes glowed brighter.
Its sharp legs stabbed into the ground repeatedly.
Then Lyra noticed something.
Something strange.
Something embedded in the spider's back.
A spear.
A black spear.
Its blade shimmered gold.
Golden floral patterns decorated the shaft.
Ancient.
Elegant.
Powerful.
"Aizen! There's a spear on its back! It's probably its weakness!"
Lyra shouted.
Aizen looked carefully.
She was right.
The spear appeared completely different from the spider itself.
Almost like it had been sealing the creature.
"Great! I'll just have to get it before this Spider attacks!"
Aizen replied.
Neither of them realized...
touching that spear would change everything.
The moment Aizen set his sights on the mysterious spear, the atmosphere of the entire boss room changed.
The giant blue spider stopped moving.
Its countless eyes locked onto him.
For a brief second, everything became still.
The screeching stopped.
The smaller spiders froze.
Even the trembling web strands hanging throughout the chamber seemed to pause.
As if the entire floor was waiting.
Waiting for Aizen to make a choice.
"Aizen! Be careful!"
Lyra shouted.
But Aizen had already made his decision.
If that spear truly was the monster's weakness, then removing it might be the key to defeating Floor 30.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
Then launched himself upward.
The nearly invisible strings stretched across the chamber became footholds beneath his feet.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each leap brought him closer to the giant spider's back.
The creature remained motionless.
Watching.
Waiting.
It almost felt as though the monster wanted him to reach the spear.
That alone made Lyra uneasy.
Something wasn't right.
Something about this entire floor felt wrong.
Very wrong.
"Aizen! Don't touch it immediately!"
Lyra warned.
Unfortunately—
he was already there.
The spear rested deep within the spider's back.
Black metal.
Golden carvings.
Ancient runes etched across its shaft.
The moment Aizen placed his hand upon it—
a strange warmth flowed through his body.
His eyes widened.
The spear felt familiar.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like he had touched it before.
Somewhere.
Somehow.
"Strange..."
Aizen muttered.
Then he pulled.
Nothing happened.
The spear refused to move.
Aizen frowned.
Then tightened his grip.
Muscles tensed.
Lightning crackled around his arms.
"Come on..."
The spear shifted slightly.
The giant spider immediately let out an ear-piercing scream.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
The entire dungeon shook.
The floor cracked.
The webs trembled violently.
And suddenly—
the monster moved.
Gone.
It disappeared.
Aizen's eyes widened.
"What?!"
The giant spider was no longer beneath him.
Not because it teleported.
Not because it used magic.
It simply moved so fast that he couldn't follow it.
Even Lyra lost sight of it.
"This boss has a second phase when its weakness is touched?!"
Lyra shouted.
"I don't know it myself!"
Aizen replied.
The giant spider appeared behind him instantly.
CRASH!
One enormous leg slammed directly into Aizen's stomach.
"GHAAAH!"
Aizen coughed blood.
Before he could recover—
another leg struck.
Then another.
Then another.
Eight sharp legs attacked simultaneously.
SLASH!
SLASH!
SLASH!
His chest was torn open.
Blood sprayed through the air.
Deep scars formed across his body.
The force launched him across the chamber.
He crashed through several giant webs before finally stopping.
Pain exploded throughout his body.
Everything hurt.
His ribs felt broken.
His lungs burned.
His vision blurred.
"Damn it..."
Aizen forced himself upright.
The giant spider wasn't done.
Its eyes glowed brighter.
Its massive body rushed toward him.
Fast.
Too fast.
Much faster than before.
The monster had become several times stronger after the spear was touched.
But that was also its mistake.
Because it focused entirely on Aizen.
And ignored Lyra.
The two had spent over a year fighting together inside the dungeon.
They knew each other's strengths.
They knew each other's weaknesses.
Most importantly—
they trusted each other.
"Aizen!"
Lyra shouted.
"I know!"
Aizen answered.
Even while injured, he charged forward.
The spider immediately targeted him again.
Exactly as they expected.
The monster considered Aizen the greater threat because of his physical strength.
And while its attention remained fixed on him—
Lyra began chanting.
Mana gathered around her hands.
Blue chains appeared.
Then more chains.
Then dozens.
The entire room filled with magical links made from pure mana.
"Chain Lock!"
Lyra chanted.
BOOM!
The chains erupted from the ground.
The giant spider screeched.
Several chains wrapped around its legs.
Others locked onto its body.
Some wrapped around its neck.
The monster struggled immediately.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Several chains shattered.
But it wasn't enough.
The spider slowed.
Even if only temporarily.
That brief opening was all Aizen needed.
"Haha..."
He coughed blood.
"Got you."
Then he jumped.
The giant spider struggled violently.
Lyra's face became pale.
Maintaining Chain Lock against such a powerful monster was exhausting.
But she endured.
Because she trusted Aizen.
Aizen landed directly upon the monster's back.
This time he grabbed the spear with both hands.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
Lightning exploded around him.
The spear vibrated.
The monster screamed.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
Then—
RIIIIIP!!
The spear finally came free.
The giant spider froze.
Its body convulsed.
The dungeon itself trembled.
For a moment, everything became silent.
Aizen stared at the spear.
The strange warmth returned.
Even stronger this time.
As if the weapon had been waiting for him.
Waiting for someone worthy to claim it.
Then suddenly—
he felt something wrong.
Very wrong.
Aizen turned toward Lyra.
And his world stopped.
Someone stood behind her.
A familiar figure.
Ancient armor.
Dark metal.
A skeletal shape.
Garroth.
But something was different.
His arm.
The arm wasn't skeletal anymore.
Flesh covered it.
Dark flesh.
Twisted flesh.
Sharp claws extended from his fingers.
And one of those claws had pierced Lyra's back.
Straight through her body.
Blood dripped onto the floor.
Time seemed to freeze.
Aizen's eyes widened.
His breathing stopped.
His heart skipped.
Lyra slowly looked down.
She saw the claw protruding from her stomach.
Then looked back.
Confusion filled her face.
"Garroth...?"
She whispered.
The claw withdrew.
Blood followed.
Lyra collapsed.
"Agh..."
Her body hit the ground.
Motionless.
Everything became quiet.
Too quiet.
Aizen stared.
Unable to process what he was seeing.
Garroth.
The guide.
The administrator.
The one who supposedly helped them.
The one who saved them after Floor 10.
The one who welcomed them at Floor 20.
The one they trusted.
Had just stabbed Lyra.
"YOU!"
Aizen's voice trembled.
Lightning crackled around him.
The spear in his hand vibrated.
"GARROTH!"
The dungeon shook.
"WHY!"
His grip tightened.
"DID!"
His heartbeat accelerated.
"YOU!"
Lightning exploded outward.
"STAB!"
The floor cracked beneath him.
"MY!"
The air trembled.
"ONLY!"
His eyes glowed brighter.
"PARTNER!!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A shockwave erupted throughout the chamber.
For the first time—
Garroth smiled.
Not kindly.
Not calmly.
Predator-like.
Hungry.
Cruel.
And at that moment—
something broke inside Aizen.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Memories flooded his mind.
Fragments.
Pieces.
A life he had forgotten.
A café.
A smile.
A girl's voice.
A woman calling him.
"Raizen."
The image became clearer.
Miyako Mizaki.
His girlfriend.
His happiness.
His past.
His human life.
Raizen Hayashi.
A high school gang leader.
Strong.
Feared.
Confident.
Then—
pain.
An enemy gang.
A kidnapping.
A desperate rescue.
A warehouse.
A trap.
Blood.
Miyako dying before his eyes.
His own death shortly afterward.
The memories shattered through his mind like broken glass.
Then another image appeared.
His current family.
Gone.
Lost.
Then Lyra.
His partner.
His closest friend.
The person who stayed beside him for years.
Stabbed.
Again.
Someone important.
Again.
Someone he cared about.
Again.
Taken away.
Again.
Something inside Aizen began to crack.
His heartbeat changed.
His blood boiled.
His soul trembled.
His body felt as though it was evolving.
Ascending.
Transforming.
And Garroth—
watched with excitement.
Because what he saw wasn't grief.
It was awakening.
Garroth's grin widened beneath the shadows of his armor.
For years he had waited.
For years he had watched.
For years he had guided countless adventurers deeper into the dungeon.
Most died before reaching Floor 20.
Some reached Floor 15.
A few reached Floor 20.
None reached the truth.
None were special enough.
None possessed the strange power that flowed through Aizen and Lyra.
But these two were different.
Very different.
Garroth looked at the unconscious Lyra.
Then at the trembling Aizen.
His tongue slowly slid across his lips.
Like a starving predator staring at a feast.
"You know..."
Garroth spoke calmly.
"I was wondering when this moment would happen."
Aizen didn't answer.
His head remained lowered.
Lightning continued dancing around his body.
His breathing became slower.
Heavier.
Dangerous.
Garroth laughed.
"Did you really think this dungeon had one hundred floors?"
Silence.
"Did you really think I was helping you out of kindness?"
Still silence.
"I guided you because I needed you to survive."
Garroth stretched his clawed hand.
Dark flesh continued spreading through the gaps of his armor.
"What use would dead prey be to me?"
The temperature inside the room seemed to drop.
The giant blue spider behind Garroth had stopped moving.
Almost as if it feared him.
Aizen slowly lifted his head.
His golden eyes were changing.
Blue lightning flickered within them.
"Prey...?"
His voice sounded different.
Lower.
Colder.
Garroth smiled.
"Yes."
His skeletal helmet cracked.
Pieces fell away.
Beneath it was not bone.
Not darkness.
Not a skeleton.
It was flesh.
Rotting flesh.
Living flesh.
A face that looked partially human.
Partially spider.
A monstrous smile stretched across it.
"The dungeon ends at Floor 30."
Aizen froze.
"The extra Seventy floors?"
Garroth laughed.
"They don't exist."
The words echoed throughout the chamber.
Even the walls seemed to mock them.
"The so-called Floors 31 to 100 are merely my nest."
Garroth spread his arms.
"A place where I consume powerful adventurers after they've grown strong enough."
The realization struck Aizen immediately.
Everything.
Every recovery room.
Every warning.
Every piece of guidance.
All of it.
A lie.
A trap.
Garroth wasn't helping them become stronger.
He was raising livestock.
Preparing food.
Preparing them.
"So that's it..."
Aizen whispered.
Garroth nodded proudly.
"Your magical energy is unlike anything I've seen."
His eyes shifted toward Lyra.
"A Royal Dragon."
Then toward Aizen.
"And a Black Lion."
His smile widened further.
"Imagine what I'll become after consuming both of you."
Mana exploded around him.
"I'll become a God."
The entire room trembled.
The webs shook violently.
The remaining spiders fled in terror.
Such was Garroth's greed.
Such was his obsession.
Such was the truth hidden behind his friendly words.
Then Aizen finally moved.
He pointed the golden spear toward Garroth.
The weapon vibrated violently.
Blue lightning crawled along its shaft.
Golden energy followed.
The two powers merged together.
Garroth immediately noticed.
His eyes widened.
"Interesting."
His smile grew even larger.
"You're still standing."
Aizen took a step forward.
Crack.
The floor shattered beneath his feet.
His heartbeat echoed.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Not weak.
Not exhausted.
Not tired.
Predatory.
Hungry.
Violent.
His heart felt alive.
More alive than ever before.
A new power surged through his veins.
His muscles reconstructed themselves.
His wounds rapidly healed.
His broken body repaired itself.
His magical energy exploded outward.
Blue lightning surrounded him.
Golden light emerged from his chest.
The two powers merged.
His hair slowly began glowing.
His lion ears stood upright.
His tail released sparks.
The golden spear responded immediately.
It was as if the weapon had finally found its rightful owner.
Garroth stared.
Then laughed.
"Wonderful."
His voice shook with excitement.
"Wonderful!"
Dark flesh spread further throughout his body.
His armor shattered.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Metal pieces fell apart.
Then his true form revealed itself.
A massive spider body emerged.
Gigantic legs erupted from his back.
Eight enormous limbs pierced the floor.
His upper body remained vaguely human.
His lower half became a monstrous spider.
His face twisted into something horrifying.
Half human.
Half beast.
Entirely monstrous.
"Aizen!"
Garroth roared.
"DIE!"
Eight poisonous legs shot forward simultaneously.
Each carried enough venom to kill powerful adventurers instantly.
Each strike was aimed to impale.
To tear.
To consume.
Yet—
Aizen vanished.
Garroth's eyes widened.
The attacks missed completely.
BOOM!
The ground exploded where Aizen had been standing.
"What?!"
Garroth spun around.
Too slow.
Aizen already stood behind him.
The Golden Heart had awakened.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to change everything.
Enough to turn the battle around.
Enough to make Garroth afraid.
The first strike came.
FLASH!
The golden spear pierced one of Garroth's legs.
"AAARGHH!"
A scream echoed.
Before Garroth could react—
Second strike.
FLASH!
Another leg fell.
Third strike.
Fourth strike.
Fifth strike.
The attacks became impossible to follow.
Blue lightning danced throughout the battlefield.
Golden flashes appeared everywhere.
Garroth couldn't see him.
Couldn't track him.
Couldn't predict him.
Aizen moved like a storm.
No.
Faster than a storm.
Each heartbeat made him stronger.
Each second increased his speed.
His body had completely entered a new state.
Golden Heart.
A power born from rage.
Loss.
Determination.
And the refusal to lose someone precious again.
Garroth swung wildly.
Eight legs attacked.
Poison sprayed.
Webs exploded.
The entire chamber collapsed around them.
Yet none of it touched Aizen.
Not a single attack.
Not a single scratch.
Not a single hit.
Because Aizen was already somewhere else.
Always moving.
Always attacking.
Always advancing.
Garroth finally felt something he hadn't experienced for centuries.
Fear.
Real fear.
"No..."
He stepped backward.
"No!"
Another spear strike pierced his shoulder.
"STOP!"
Another cut removed one of his arms.
"WAIT!"
Another slash severed two spider legs.
Garroth crashed into the wall.
Blood splattered across the webs.
His body trembled.
His regeneration couldn't keep up.
His healing couldn't keep up.
Nothing could keep up.
Aizen simply overwhelmed him.
Far away—
Lyra slowly regained consciousness.
Her vision blurred.
Pain filled her body.
She remembered the claw.
The betrayal.
The stabbing.
Then she saw it.
Aizen.
Standing amidst blue lightning and golden light.
His hair glowed.
His ears glowed.
His tail crackled with electricity.
The spear in his hand shone brilliantly.
For a moment—
he resembled a legendary hero from an ancient tale.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"Aizen..."
She whispered weakly.
Then she understood.
He had awakened again.
Not because of victory.
Not because of training.
Not because of talent.
But because he refused to watch someone important die again.
The Golden Heart.
A power born from protecting others.
And Garroth—
the monster who triggered that awakening—
had just made the greatest mistake of his life.
Far ahead, Garroth looked toward Lyra.
Then toward Aizen.
And for the first time since meeting them—
he regretted everything.
Because the prey he wanted to consume...
had become the hunter.
Garroth stumbled backward.
His gigantic spider body crashed against the ruined walls of the boss chamber.
Pieces of stone fell from above.
Dust filled the air.
Several of his legs had already been severed.
Dark blood flowed endlessly from his wounds.
The once-proud dungeon administrator now looked pathetic.
Broken.
Terrified.
Desperate.
Meanwhile Aizen continued walking forward.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Every footstep echoed throughout the collapsing chamber.
Blue lightning crackled around his body.
Golden light pulsed from his chest.
The Golden Heart continued beating.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Each beat felt like a war drum.
Each beat made Garroth's fear grow even stronger.
"N-No..."
Garroth muttered.
His body trembled.
His regeneration had slowed drastically.
The wounds created by the golden spear refused to heal.
The spear was not ordinary.
Whatever power sealed the giant spider had now become Aizen's weapon.
Garroth finally understood.
The spear wasn't the spider's weakness.
It was the prison.
And Aizen had become its master.
"W-Wait!"
Garroth shouted.
Aizen didn't stop.
The young Black Lion simply continued walking.
His expression was empty.
Cold.
Almost emotionless.
Yet behind those eyes burned years of pain.
The loss of his family.
The death of Miyako.
The betrayal of Garroth.
And the sight of Lyra being stabbed before him.
"W-Wait, Aizen!"
Garroth pleaded.
"I wasn't in my right mind earlier! I was forced by the Blue Spider!"
The excuse echoed throughout the room.
For a moment, silence followed.
Then Aizen stopped.
Garroth's face brightened slightly.
Hope.
A tiny spark of hope.
Perhaps he could survive.
Perhaps he could trick the boy one last time.
Then Aizen slowly lifted the golden spear.
His glowing eyes stared directly into Garroth's.
"I..."
His voice was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"Don't..."
A small spark of lightning danced along the spear.
"Like..."
Golden energy gathered around the blade.
"Lies."
Garroth's eyes widened.
"Aiz—"
FLASH!
The spear disappeared.
Then reappeared.
Garroth felt something strange.
His vision tilted.
The room spun.
Then he realized why.
His body had been cut apart.
A single strike.
That was all it took.
The power gap had become overwhelming.
Several pieces of Garroth's body fell to the floor.
Then more.
And more.
The monstrous spider administrator collapsed into countless fragments.
His mouth opened.
No words came out.
No final speech.
No last trick.
Only fear.
Pure fear.
The same fear he had inflicted upon countless adventurers.
Then Aizen raised his hand.
Blue lightning gathered.
Golden sparks mixed with it.
"Electric Burn."
BOOOOOM!
Lightning exploded across Garroth's remains.
Fire and electricity consumed every fragment.
The flesh burned.
The webs burned.
The poison burned.
Nothing remained.
Not even ashes.
The dungeon administrator known as Garroth had finally disappeared.
Forever.
The room became silent.
The battle was over.
Aizen stood there for several moments.
Breathing heavily.
The Golden Heart still pulsed within him.
Yet the rage slowly faded.
Then he remembered.
Lyra.
Immediately he turned around.
His eyes searched the battlefield.
There.
Lying near the broken chains.
Unmoving.
Aizen rushed toward her.
His heart tightened.
For a brief moment, he feared the worst.
He knelt beside her.
Carefully examining her wound.
The injury had been severe.
Garroth's claw had pierced through her body.
Directly through the liver.
A fatal wound for most people.
Yet Lyra wasn't most people.
The healing magic she had cast on herself before losing consciousness had saved her life.
The wound was already closing.
Slowly.
Painfully.
But it was healing.
Aizen let out a long breath.
"Thank goodness..."
His shoulders relaxed.
For the first time since the betrayal, he felt relief.
Lyra was alive.
Exhausted.
Injured.
Unconscious.
But alive.
Without wasting another moment, he carefully lifted her.
Supporting her back.
Then placing her gently onto his own.
She felt lighter than usual.
Not because she weighed less.
Because Aizen had become stronger.
Far stronger.
The Golden Heart still granted him tremendous power.
"Let's go."
He whispered.
"There has to be an exit."
The chamber had already begun changing.
The giant spider's corpse was gone.
Garroth's remains were gone.
The webs were slowly dissolving.
Then Aizen noticed something.
A hidden pathway.
At the very back of the boss room.
A staircase.
Ancient.
Massive.
Endless.
The stone steps stretched upward into darkness.
As if leading somewhere forgotten by time.
Aizen adjusted Lyra on his back.
Then began climbing.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The stairs seemed endless.
The deeper he went, the stranger the surroundings became.
Along the walls stood ancient sculptures.
Most were damaged.
Some were broken.
Others had survived the passage of countless years.
One sculpture immediately caught his attention.
A Black Lion.
Not an ordinary one.
Its posture radiated authority.
Power.
Pride.
The statue seemed almost alive.
Aizen paused briefly.
"There he sees Fragments of some of his past. And he sees Sculptures of some unknown Black Lion..."
The strange feeling returned.
Like familiarity.
Like recognition.
Yet he couldn't understand why.
Walking further, he discovered ancient drawings covering the walls.
Thousands of years old.
Perhaps older.
One drawing appeared repeatedly.
A woman.
A Black Lion woman.
Long black hair.
Golden eyes.
A magnificent golden spear.
Each mural depicted her differently.
Fighting.
Standing.
Leading armies.
Slaying monsters.
Watching over people.
"Who is this person? Ugh... I'm too tired to think."
Aizen said while carrying Lyra on his back.
Using the spear as a staff, he continued climbing.
The Golden Heart's transformation slowly subsided.
His glowing hair returned to normal.
The lightning around his ears faded.
His tail stopped crackling.
His appearance gradually became the same as before.
Only his eyes remained slightly brighter.
A reminder that something inside him had changed forever.
The stairs continued.
The murals continued.
Then Aizen stopped again.
Another image.
This time, the mysterious Black Lion woman was fighting a giant titan.
A colossal being towering above mountains.
Yet she stood against it alone.
Her golden spear shone brighter than the sun.
The titan fell.
The woman remained standing.
Victorious.
Aizen stared at the image.
Then at the spear in his hand.
The difference was obvious.
Her spear glowed with pure golden brilliance.
His spear glowed with both blue and gold.
Blue lightning continuously danced across its surface.
"Why is her spear shining brighter than mine? Is she the First Legendary Black Lion in history?"
Aizen wondered aloud.
He looked closer.
"She's the same Black Lion as me. Nobody had golden eyes as a Black Lion. Only brown, green, blue, and grey."
The mystery only deepened.
Then he continued walking.
More murals appeared.
And this time—
something enormous covered the wall.
A dragon.
A gigantic black dragon.
Larger than mountains.
Larger than kingdoms.
Eight enormous wings stretched across the sky.
Purple eyes.
Purple jaws.
Purple energy flowing from its mouth.
The creature looked less like a dragon and more like a calamity.
A walking disaster.
Aizen stopped completely.
The mural stretched across an entire section of the staircase.
The Black Lion woman stood before the dragon.
Her spear was no longer golden.
It had become black.
Dark.
Terrifying.
Yet somehow more powerful.
"What is that dragon?"
Aizen asked himself.
"Is it like Dragon King Zelfhar? Or is it a different creature?"
The image fascinated him.
"As for that woman... her golden spear turned black. And she's flying without wings. How is that possible?"
Questions filled his mind.
Yet answers remained absent.
The murals felt important.
Extremely important.
But exhaustion prevented him from thinking clearly.
Then he felt movement behind him.
Lyra shifted slightly.
A small sign she was recovering.
Aizen smiled faintly.
"Almost there."
His pace increased.
One hour later—
he finally reached the end.
Light.
Real sunlight.
For the first time in what felt like forever.
The staircase ended.
The dungeon ended.
Aizen stepped outside.
Fresh air greeted him.
The smell of grass.
The sound of birds.
The warmth of sunlight.
They had escaped.
The Ancient Forest stretched before him.
The same dangerous forest from before.
Yet now it felt different.
Because they were free.
Truly free.
Unfortunately—
Lyra remained unconscious.
And fighting while carrying her would be difficult.
So Aizen searched for shelter.
After walking for some time, he discovered a small cabin hidden among the trees.
Ancient protective magic surrounded it.
Elf Magic.
Powerful.
Sophisticated.
Yet weakened by age.
Normally, such a barrier would stop most travelers.
Aizen simply walked through it.
The remaining magic shattered instantly.
The cabin door creaked open.
Inside was surprisingly clean.
Safe.
Warm.
Perfect.
Aizen carefully laid Lyra near the fireplace.
Then gathered wood.
A fire soon crackled within the cabin.
Orange flames illuminated the room.
After making sure Lyra was comfortable, he stood.
Now came another problem.
Food.
He hadn't eaten properly in days.
And Lyra would need nourishment when she woke up.
So Aizen returned to the forest.
Fortunately, luck favored him.
A large cow-like beast wandered alone nearby.
Completely unaware of the hungry Black Lion watching from a distance.
"Sorry."
Aizen muttered.
Then threw the spear.
FLASH!
The weapon pierced directly through the beast's head.
A clean kill.
The creature collapsed instantly.
Aizen lifted the enormous body as though it weighed nothing.
Returning to the cabin, he began preparing food.
Unfortunately—
he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
"How does Lyra make this look easy?"
He muttered.
Still, he tried.
Skinning.
Cleaning.
Preparing ingredients.
Creating bowls using Earth Magic.
The process took far longer than expected.
At one point he accidentally broke three stone bowls.
At another point he nearly burned the meat.
Eventually, however, he managed to create something resembling actual food.
Using ingredients from Lyra's storage ring, he added vegetables and seasonings.
Surprisingly—
the final result looked good.
Actually good.
Aizen stared proudly at his creation.
"That was very exhausting."
He sighed.
"I didn't know it would be like this."
Looking toward the sleeping Lyra, he smiled slightly.
"If Lyra feels this way while cooking, she should tell me if she's tired."
He took a small bite.
Not bad.
Not amazing.
But edible.
"Even though I'm not good at Earth Magic, this Golden Heart made it stronger and easier to use."
He stood up.
"I should wake her up now."
But just as Aizen turned toward her—
he froze.
Because Lyra was already awake.
Her eyes slowly opened.
And she was staring directly at him.
End of Chapter 6.8