Around Bronn, the chamber looked like a graveyard, littered with the bodies of those who hadn't survived.
Broken and lifeless, they lay in twisted heaps, blood pooling around them. The air was thick with the smell of blood and dust, a grim reminder of the creature's terrifying power.
The few who were still alive either had powerful treasures protecting them or were cowering in the ground, narrowly escaping the surge of dark energy.
Regardless, they all wore the same expression: sheer terror.
"That was something," Bronn muttered, his voice strained as he clenched his fist tight, trying to stop the bleeding.
He glanced over his shoulder. "Boss, you alright?"
A calm voice answered him. "Yep."
Bronn turned and saw a massive ice wall behind him, shimmering in the light.
Behind the wall stood Amelia and Spark, completely unharmed, watching the scene unfold.
"Boss, you could've asked your mate to shield me too," Bronn said, pretending to sound offended.
Spark's lips curled into a grin. "Why would you need protection? Aren't you supposed to be a proud warrior? Besides, it's just a scratch."
Bronn grunted, flexing his hand as the bleeding stopped. The wound wasn't too deep, and his tough body was already starting to heal. "If you say so."
But his attention quickly shifted back to the massive figure in the center of the chamber—the Queen.
Her dark, pulsing body towered over the survivors, her glowing halo casting an eerie light.
She stood still for a moment, her cold, soulless eyes scanning the room as if she were enjoying the fear she had created.
"Boss... is that the Queen?" Bronn asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes," Spark replied, his gaze fixed on the creature.
The Queen advanced slowly, the ground trembling beneath her weight.
Each of her eight limbs moved with a chilling fluidity, as if she was toying with the idea of ending everyone in the room with a single blow.
In front of her stood a lone human, one of the few who had survived the Queen's earlier attack.
He was surrounded by a shimmering barrier of water, created by a powerful artifact—a treasure from his family meant to protect him from even the strongest attacks.
The Queen's black eyes locked onto him, and her towering form cast a long shadow over the man like a specter of death.
She raised one of her sharp, jagged limbs, its edge glinting dangerously in the light.
With ease, she brought it down toward his water barrier.
His lifeless body fell to the floor, blood pooling beneath him, the air now thick with the metallic scent of fresh blood.
It was at that moment the remaining survivors realized the horrifying truth.
"Don't look up," someone whispered harshly. "Don't meet its eyes!"
The few who were still alive quickly obeyed, dropping their heads and refusing to glance in the creature's direction.
Even the brave barbarians knelt down.
Their eyes stayed fixed on the stone floor, watching as the monster's feet clattered past them.
For a brief moment, a fragile hope flickered—they might survive if they stayed kneeling.
And for a while, it seemed to work.
The creature moved among the kneeling survivors, sparing them as it scanned the room.
But then it stopped, its head snapping toward the only three figures who still stood.
Spark, Amelia, and Bronn.
The creature began moving toward them, its massive frame cutting through the air like a silent predator.
"Looks like it wants us to kneel," Spark remarked casually, breaking the suffocating silence.
His calm voice made some of the survivors wonder if he had lost his mind, laughing in the face of certain death.
"I was born with stiff knees," Spark continued lightly, as if the creature in front of him was no more than a small annoyance. "I'm not built kneeling."
Beside him, Bronn grinned, his eyes gleaming not with fear, but excitement. "Queen, You'll have to get through me first."
[Light-solid-swift]
Without warning, Bronn's figure blurred as he disappeared from where he stood.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, Bronn reappeared right in front of the creature, his massive fist swinging at the creature at a blinding speed.
The fist connected with the creature's one limb.
The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, cracking the stone beneath them.
But the creature didn't flinch. Its dark, gleaming limb had blocked Bronn's powerful punch without effort.
Bronn's eyes widened, not in fear, but with excitement. "What?! It blocked me that easily?"
His grin only grew wider, muscles tightening as he prepared for the next attack. "Looks like this might actually be fun."