After entering the chamber, the crowd scanned their surroundings cautiously, half-expecting the dark creatures to jump out from behind the gemstone or some hidden trap to spring from the walls.
But nothing of the sort happened. The room stayed still, and after a few tense moments, a collective sigh of relief escaped from everyone.
Then, a group of barbarians quickly claimed their spots, each picking a towering gemstone and getting to work.
They chipped away at the stones, greed overcoming their fear as they gathered as many fragments as they could carry.
The sound of pickaxes striking stone filled the chamber, echoing off the walls.
"These greedy bunches," Spark muttered with a smirk, shaking his head slightly.
Bronn, practically drooling, turned to Spark. "Boss, are we just gonna stand here? Look at all that treasure."
"Patience. Just wait." Replied spark, holding onto Bronn's shoulder.
As Bronn was grumbling under his breath, the air in the chamber suddenly shifted.
At the far end of the room, something was happening.
A group of parties made up of humans had claimed the largest gemstone. It was unlike any other in the chamber.
This one was darker, more solid, and far more valuable—a true gem among the rest.
Nearby, a group of barbarians watched with envious eyes, clearly wanting that gemstone.
Their voices rose as they began to argue over who had the right to it, their shouts echoing in the chamber.
Before the argument could get out of hand, the ground suddenly rumbled beneath them.
The dark gemstone began to shake violently, sending a shock through the entire room.
All eyes turned toward it, a wave of unease spreading among the crowd. Their instincts screamed that something was wrong.
The dark gemstone started to glow, its surface cracking and shifting.
They had seen this happen before—the stone was liquefying—but this time, it was slightly different, as there was a sense of dread filling their hearts.
Instead of melting into the floor, the liquid gemstone hovered in the air, twisting and turning as if it had a mind of its own.
It was a direct hit, yet the dark creature had not made a move to defend itself.
As the dust began to settle, everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the center of the storm with bated anticipation.
When the smoke finally cleared, the creature remained in the same spot, its transformation nearly complete.
All eight of its limbs had formed, towering over the crowd like a monstrous deity of destruction.
Panic spread quickly.
Their strongest attacks—spells meant to bring down mountains—had barely scratched the surface of the creature.
The creature had finished transforming, revealing a being unlike anything they had ever seen.
Its clawed mouth curled into a sinister sneer, its deep, black eyes glaring down at them.
Two tall antennae stretched from its head, and above it hovered a glowing, halo-like ring, pulsing with dark energy.
The room went quiet again as the crowd stood frozen. Their weapons were ready, but their hope was fading fast.
SCREECH!
Suddenly, a bone-rattling sound tore through the air—a screech so loud it felt like the chamber itself was ripping apart.
The creature's cry sent a wave of dark energy surging outward.
The ripple of destruction hit their barriers and shields, and in an instant, everything shattered like glass.
CRACK!
The horrific sound of flesh being torn apart echoed through the chamber.
The front line of the crowd simply vanished—half of their bodies gone in a split second.
All that remained were slumped torsos, blood splattering the golden floor as the creature's energy wave wiped out half of the room in one strike.
Bronn shook slightly as that ripple of energy touched him.
His eyes wide open, as he stared in disbelief at his forearm.
A shallow cut bled where he had blocked part of the wave.