Sanctuary: Safe Haven

As the group was exiting the dungeon boss room, something strange happened. The door from which they had entered remained closed. Normally, this would indicate that the dungeon boss was still alive, but the group was certain they had killed the boss already.

Boran frowned, turning to the black orc. "Open the gate," he ordered. The orc moved to obey, placing its massive hands on the door and pushing with all its might. However, even with the black orc's enormous strength, the door didn't budge at all.

"What's going on?" Kael muttered, a hint of unease creeping into his voice.

Suddenly, two ominous red portals materialized in the room, their presence immediately making the atmosphere more sinister. A few seconds later, monsters began to emerge from the portals, one by one.

"Another low-calamity!" Arin shouted, eyes wide with shock.

"Another Crimson Brute Goblin!" Selene added, her voice tense.

"And there's more of them coming!" Kael's voice echoed the growing dread.

The atmosphere grew even deadlier as more monsters poured out of the portals. Boran quickly assessed their situation. His group comprised eleven low-transcendents and himself, a mid-transcendent. They were an elite team, but they were exhausted from their previous battle.

He glanced at the combat slaves: six low calamities and the rest high-ranking monsters, with only the black orc matching his rank as a mid-calamity.

Boran's mind raced as he formulated a plan. They could either try to destroy a part of the dungeon wall to escape or hold their ground against the oncoming wave of monsters. Unfortunately, he wasn't given enough time to think.

The monsters charged at them, their eyes gleaming with malice. The group quickly formed a defensive perimeter, weapons at the ready.

"Hold your ground!" Boran commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Protect the mages and ranged fighters!"

The first Crimson Brute Goblin lunged at them, its fiery weapons blazing. Boran met its attack with a powerful strike, his shield absorbing the impact. The black orc roared, swinging its massive axe and cleaving through a group of lesser monsters.

Kael focused his magic, creating a barrier to protect the group from the onslaught. Arin, his hands glowing with mana, began casting powerful spells to slow the advancing monsters. Selene darted around the battlefield, her daggers flashing as she took down enemies with deadly precision.

Despite their exhaustion, the group fought with relentless determination. Boran's sword clashed with the Crimson Brute Goblin's dual weapons, the sound of metal against metal echoing through the boss room. The goblin snarled, its fiery skin glowing brighter as it absorbed the energy from Arin's fire spell that was fired to hit a different target.

Arin quickly adjusted, launching a barrage of ice shards at the goblin. The shards pierced its skin, slowing its movements and sapping its strength.

Another goblin emerged from the portal, charging at Kael. The black orc intercepted it, its massive axe slicing through the goblin's defenses. Kael cast a burst of ice, encasing the goblin's feet and allowing the black orc to deliver a crushing blow.

Selene moved with blinding speed, her daggers finding weak spots in the monsters' armor. She leaped onto the back of a lesser wyvern, plunging her blades into its neck and bringing it down with a swift motion.

Arin's spells created a zone of freezing cold, slowing the monsters and giving the group a chance to catch their breath. Boran coordinated their attacks, directing the group's efforts to take down the strongest foes first.

Despite their best efforts, the monsters kept coming. Boran knew they couldn't keep this up forever. They needed to find a way out, and fast.

"We can't hold them off forever," Kael panted, casting another spell to reinforce the barrier.

Boran nodded, his mind racing. "We need to break through the wall! It's our only chance."

"Arin, focus your ice spells on that section of the wall!" Boran ordered, pointing to a weak-looking spot. "Everyone else, hold the line!"

Arin channeled his magic, sending a concentrated blast of ice at the wall. The stone began to crack under the intense cold. The black orc joined in, swinging its axe with all its might to widen the breach.

The group fought fiercely, their resolve unwavering despite the odds. Boran's sword cleaved through another goblin, his shield a constant barrier against the onslaught. Selene's daggers flashed as she took down enemy after enemy, her movements a blur of lethal precision.

Arin's ice magic continued to weaken the wall, the cracks spreading wider with each blast. "It's almost there!" he shouted, his voice strained from the effort.

"Keep pushing!" Boran urged, his voice filled with determination. "We're almost through!"

The black orc delivered a final, powerful blow to the wall, and with a resounding crash, a section of the dungeon wall crumbled, revealing a narrow passage.

"Go! Now! I'll use the remaining combat slaves to hold them off!" Boran commanded, leading the way through the breach.

The group hurried through the passage, their hearts pounding as they left the monsters behind. The black orc brought up the rear, ensuring everyone made it through before following.

As they emerged into a quieter section of the dungeon, the group paused to catch their breath. They had escaped the immediate danger, but the looming threat of the dungeon's deeper levels remained.

Boran gazed at his weary team, his expression a mix of pride and concern. "We escaped, but this isn't the way back to the surface. For now, we need to find a safe spot to regroup and devise a new plan before continuing. We still ha-

However, before Boran could continue, he saw the black orc's weapon falling towards Kael's head.

Fearing the worst, he quickly grabbed his glove to order the orc to stop, but the swing was too fast. When Boran heard the sound of metal striking metal, his eyes widened in shock.

"It's a monster! It can camouflage! Defensive stance, now!"

His mind raced. If this monster had remained undetected even by him at the height of battle, it could only mean one thing. "It's a great-calamity! Ready your shields!"

A figure holding a sword soon materialized out of thin air, blocking the black orc's blow.

It was a four-eyed creature with long arms and scaly legs. Soon, a fierce clash between the black orc and the great-calamity monster began.