"Are we continuing, Fifth Elder?" Lucas Netherfrost asked, scanning the battlefield around them.
The Fifth Elder remained silent, his expression calm as he surveyed the devastation.
Giant corpses of dungeon monsters and fallen soldiers littered the area, evidence of a fierce battle that had taken place.
Among the carnage lay the body of a massive black lion-shaped monster, its Tier 7 status evident from the Mana fluctuations.
Now dead, with a gaping hole in its head, soldiers were already scavenging its valuable parts.
"We've reached the 77th floor, we can't turn back now. The others are likely in the same situation as us, so we must press on," the Fifth Elder declared.
"But-"
"No 'buts'," the Fifth Elder interrupted, his tone resolute. "This time, we must obtain the Saint Core at all costs. Our clan's survival depends on it. If the Royal Family or other powers get their hands on it, we're done for. We must ensure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands and it doesn't matter whether we get the Saint Core or not as long as it doesn't fell into our enemies hands."
Lucas surveyed the remaining soldiers and experts, their numbers have greatly greatly diminished.
They have also lost quite a lot of the experts they have brought from the Clan only a handful of them remained. And some of them are seriously injured.
Lucas Netherfrost turned and looked at the remaining experts and shook his head, they also looked at Lucas Netherfrost and shook their heads with heavy sighs.
They know that despite the losses, they have to through this mission through to otherwise if the other Clans or the Royal Family gets it then they are completely finished.
"No time to waste, let's move," the Fifth Elder said, leading the group through one of the portals ahead.
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Felix swore to the heavens that in his two lives, he had never felt so much fear before.
Even back on Earth, when he was threatened or when his business rivals sent assassins or hitmen to kill him, he never felt much fear.
From growing up in an orphanage to becoming one of the most successful and wealthiest individuals on Earth, he never experienced fear like this.
When his private plane exploded and he thought he was going to die, he still didn't feel as much fear.
But now he finally knows what fear and terror feels like.
His heart beating stopped for a second, and he could smell the scent of fear lingering around him.
He finally knows that although death is invisible but is present everywhere. He finally knows that death is omnipresent.
His entire being to his soul trembled to the core, his face turning pale with shock and astonishment.
Facing a colossal being in front of him, Felix and the others felt like tiny grains of sand. Even Godzilla would look like a little lizard compared to this creature.
"B..bi.. big bro, are we going to die?" Nixie's eyes filled with tears as she clung to Felix.
Zephyr and the others looked pale with sadness and grim smiles.
"You're right about that," Felix nodded.
"But how are we going to escape from here? Are we just going to die here?" Nixie said with reluctance.
BOOOOOOM!
Suddenly, a massive and apocalyptic force came crashing down on them.
Felix and the others were slammed to the ground causing the hard ground to crack, vomiting blood uncontrollably.
Their faces turned as white as a sheet of paper, terror evident in their eyes as they looked up at the Drake.
Felix was filled with terror and horror, convinced he was about to die. "Damn, this is so frustrating," he cursed silently to himself.
"Oh, Your Greatness, we apologize for intruding into your magnificent abode. Please forgive us," Felix managed to say, struggling to stand as he bowed before the Drake.
The Drake's eyes flickered with amusement as it towered above Felix, regarding him like an insignificant ant.
BOOM!
Suddenly, Felix felt an immense surge of pressure, causing his body to rupture with bloody holes and his white suit to be stained red. His bones creaked under the strain, as if they could snap at any moment.
Though seething with fury, Felix gritted his teeth in silence, unable to do anything.
After a few agonizing moments, the pressure subsided, and Felix sank to one knee, gasping for breath, his face drained of color as blood continued to gush from his wounds.
"What are weak and puny humans like you doing here?" boomed a loud, rough voice across the area, as the Drake continued to look down upon Felix and the others with disdain and mockery in its eyes.
Trinity and the rest of the group rushed to help Felix, standing up while casting fearful glances at the Drake.
"Oh, Great One, we did not mean to disturb you. We mistakenly arrived here, and we will promptly leave, never to disturb you again," Felix respectfully pleaded, his voice trembling and his face pale.
Hahahaha," The Drake raised its gigantic serpentine neck and laughed uproariously. Its booming laughter caused the space around them to crack and twist.
Felix and the others grunted as they spat out another mouthful of blood. Felix was filled with fury as he stared at the arrogant Drake, but he knew he was powerless.
Their strength was incomparable; this Drake could kill him a billion times over. Challenging the Drake would be as futile as trying to break an egg with a rock.
Felix would not make such a low-level mistake. Survival was their priority now. If they could escape this place, Felix would do anything, even if it meant kneeling and kowtowing to this creature.
Dignity and pride meant nothing when faced with such an abominable creature. As long as he could survive, everything else was irrelevant.
"You want to leave?" The Drake stopped laughing and said to Felix and the others.
"Yes, Your Greatness," Felix hurriedly nodded.
"You are much smarter than the other humans who came here before, but you know what? I can't let you guys leave," The Drake said mockingly.
Felix's face immediately turned ugly as he clenched his fist. The others also had pale faces as they looked at each other bitterly.
"Do you know how many years I've been sealed up here? Ten thousand years! I've been sealed up here for ten thousand years, and the ones who sealed me up are you humans," The Drake said with madness in its eyes.