As they ran from the aggressive Hollowed Scourges, using the chaos as their only chance to escape, the group hurried down the staircase toward the exit.
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from outside the tomb — as if something massive was slamming against the structure from the outside.
Ishy immediately stopped running and pulled the remaining prisoners into a nearby hiding spot. He already knew what was coming. The mother had arrived.
Lina, Kael, and the other prisoners huddled beside him, hidden deep in the shadows. Lina was the first to notice something wrong. A thin trail of blood was slowly flowing out of Ishy's ear.
She looked at him with worry and asked in a soft, cautious whisper. "H-hey… is that an effect from the whistle you blew earlier?"
Ishy replied in a cold tone, though a slight warmth could be heard beneath it. "It doesn't matter if it came from the whistle or not… At least we're safe for now."
The other prisoners nodded in quiet agreement. Like him, they only wanted to escape this nightmare alive.
While Ishy scanned the area, the side effects from the Whistle of Death grew worse. A warm trickle of blood began flowing from his nose — a clear sign of internal hemorrhage. At the same time, an overwhelming heat surged from inside his body, making his head feel like it was on fire.
He tried to shake it off, but the effect only intensified, becoming more dreadful. His thoughts slowed down, and making decisions felt increasingly difficult.
Ishy leaned back against the cold stone wall, taking deep, shaky breaths in an attempt to stay calm and not panic. He looked at the remaining prisoners — most of them younger than him.
Conflicting thoughts clashed violently in his mind.
"Dammit… these prisoners are only slowing me down. But… they're human. They share the same fate as me."
He peeked carefully from behind the wall toward the exit. His heart sank when he saw a massive, shadowy figure passing by outside. Because of its enormous size, the creature couldn't fit through the entrance and had begun climbing up the outer wall of the tomb toward the top.
Ishy gulped softly. He turned back to the prisoners. A strong sense of responsibility washed over him. For the first time, he felt like an older brother to them — and a leader, whether he wanted the role or not. His gaze lingered on Lina and Kael, who were quietly trying to come up with a plan with the others.
The effect from the Whistle's Curse grew even worse. The ringing in Ishy's ears became deafening, drowning out almost all outside noise.
He grunted in pain as his legs gave out, causing him to slide down the wall until he was sitting on the cold stone floor.
A soft groan escaped his lips while he fought to hold back the agony.
Dammit… this effect is getting worse. I'm not going to die here… These people need my help…
He covered his face tightly with both palms, desperately trying to endure the amplified curse.
Lina noticed Ishy struggling. Without hesitation, she tore off a small piece of her white tunic and gently pulled his hands away from his face. She wiped the blood from his ears and nose with careful, gentle movements.
"Don't worry, Ishmael… I… I can help you," she whispered in a calm tone, trying to mask her own fear. "It's not much, but it's enough to show that I care about you too…"
She held his chin lightly and tilted his face upward so she could clean the blood more easily.
Ishy looked at her with the same cold tone, but a faint trace of gratitude appeared on his face. He let out a soft, pained chuckle.
"Tch… showing me that you care? Just don't drag me down to hell with you. That's all I care about…"
He sighed softly and let Lina continue cleaning his face. His eyes shifted to the side, watching over the other prisoners and Kael.
Kael knelt beside them and spoke in a low, careful voice.
"Ishmael, do you have any plan for escaping? I heard the Hunters are almost done clearing the hatchlings upstairs."
A second later, another loud thud erupted — this time from directly above them. The impact was much stronger. The roof of the tomb cracked violently, sending dust and small stones raining down. Distant screams echoed from the upper floors where they had left the Hunters.
Meanwhile, on the top floor, the remaining Hunters were fighting desperately for their lives against the mother beast. Scarlet was the first to get wounded, slashed across her side by the creature's giant claw. She dragged herself backward while the lead Hunter and his companion tried to hold the monster off.
The mother was a gigantic Unholy Being, roughly the size of a school bus. It had the shape of a massive komodo dragon, but its head was covered in dozens of eyes that glowed with malevolent hunger.
The entire tomb began to shake violently as the Awakened Beast rampaged on the upper floors. One by one, the ceilings started to collapse, sending chunks of stone and dust crashing down.
Despite the worsening pain from the Whistle's Curse, Ishy forced himself to endure. Blood continued to trickle from his nose and ears, and the ringing in his head grew louder, but he made a firm decision — he would help the prisoners escape this treacherous Fallen Dream.
He slowly pushed himself up from the floor, gasping for air. Through gritted teeth and visible pain, he spoke with defiance:
"Brothers… and sisters…"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "I'll help all of you get out of here… but on one condition. You have to help yourselves by not slowing me down. Okay?"
His words sparked a flicker of hope in the prisoners' eyes. They had been desperately wishing for someone to lead them. Every one of them nodded in agreement, some with tears in their eyes.
Ishy nodded back and began leading them out of the hiding spot, taking advantage of the moment while the Awakened Beast was still busy fighting the Hunters above.
He carefully navigated the group through the falling debris, trying to find a safe path toward the exit. They were only several meters away from freedom when the ceiling directly ahead of them suddenly shattered.
With a deafening crash, the Hunters and the massive Awakened Beast came tumbling down from the upper floor, landing heavily in their path.
Ishy immediately halted the group. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to evade the deadly encounter.
The [STATUS] menu suddenly appeared before Ishy's eyes, notifying him about the Unholy Being that had just fallen in front of them and the other prisoners.
[You have encountered an Awakened Beast: The Tomb's Guardian]
[Description: An evolved komodo dragon named The Tomb's Guardian, created by the Catalyst Anchor. It exists only to survive and protect its hatchlings. Misfortune awaits those who disturb her nest — they will meet their demise.]
Ishy sighed in annoyance at the late notification. He spat on the ground in frustration.
"Of course you do… telling me when the beast is already right in front of me."
He quickly scanned his surroundings, desperately thinking of every possible way to escape the collapsing tomb.
His gaze then shifted to the Hunters, who were still trying to regain consciousness after falling from the upper floor.
Ishy turned to the prisoners and spoke with urgency. "Alright, brothers and sisters… here's the plan…"
He kept his eyes fixed on the massive Tomb's Guardian as he continued.
"I will distract that monster. You all need to run as fast as you can toward the exit. And don't worry about the chains — you have to endure the pain if you want to survive."
Meanwhile, the [STATUS] menu flashed before Ishy's eyes once again, forcing a critical choice upon him:
[Will you fight the Tomb's Guardian or flee?]
[The decision will be decided by your action: Fight or Flight.]
The timing couldn't have been worse.
At that exact moment, the colossal Tomb's Guardian slowly rose to its full height. Its massive komodo-dragon-like body scraped against the stone floor, sending sparks flying. Dozens of glowing eyes across its head locked onto the group with predatory hunger. Saliva mixed with blood dripped from its jagged maw as it let out a low, rumbling growl that vibrated through the collapsing tomb.
Ishy's heart hammered against his ribs. The ringing in his ears from the Whistle's Curse was still deafening, and fresh blood continued to trickle from his nose. Despite the pain and dizziness clouding his thoughts, he made his choice.
"Run!" he shouted at the prisoners, his voice strained but firm. "All of you — go now! Head straight for the exit! I'll follow right behind you!"
Before the group could even take a step, a sharp gunshot cracked through the air.
It was the lead Hunter's companion — the same man who had been ordered to guide the prisoners earlier. He had regained his footing and fired his weapon at the beast.
The Tomb's Guardian roared in pain and fury as the bullet struck its thick scales, causing it to stagger sideways. The impact echoed loudly throughout the crumbling hall.
Lina hesitated, glancing back at Ishy with wide, terrified eyes. "But what about you—?"
"Go!" Ishy snapped, pushing her forward. "Don't stop!"
Kael grabbed Lina's arm and pulled her along as the prisoners began sprinting toward the exit, their heavy chains clinking chaotically. Ishy stayed a few steps behind, his burning ankle and pounding head making every movement agony.
The beast shook off the gunshot wound and turned its many eyes toward the fleeing group. Its massive tail slammed against a pillar, causing more debris to rain down from the ceiling.
Ishy clenched his jaw, forcing himself to keep moving despite the curse's relentless assault on his body. He knew the "Fight or Flight" prompt was still hovering in his vision, waiting for his next action to register.
Not yet… he thought grimly. Not until they're safe.