She’s My Wife, So I’ll Protect Her However I Want

Chapter 06: The Abyssal Warden

—Floor 10—

The deeper they ventured, the more the air grew heavy, pressing down on them like an unseen force. The once-steady flicker of torchlight along the dungeon walls dimmed, as if the very flames feared what lay ahead. The distant sound of dripping water, which had been their only companion through the corridors, had ceased entirely. It was too quiet.

Arthur was the first to speak, his voice barely above a whisper. "This isn't right… There should've been monsters here. Where did they all go?"

Mira frowned, scanning the area. "Yeah… This place is usually crawling with them. But it's empty."

Elara shivered, rubbing her arms. "Something is wrong. Definitely wrong here."

Leon had been silent up until now, but his grip on his sword tightened. He couldn't shake the eerie feeling gnawing at his gut. Dungeons didn't just become empty like this—not unless something stronger had already claimed this place.

They pressed on, each step echoing unnaturally against the stone floor. The atmosphere was thick with an unspoken dread.

And then, they arrived.

A massive door loomed before them, adorned with ancient engravings and long-forgotten symbols. The carvings seemed to twist under the dim light, their meaning lost to time. A thick layer of dust covered the floor in front of it—untouched. No adventurers had passed through here for a long time.

Arthur hesitated, placing a hand against the door. He swallowed hard. "This door… It's giving off a weird energy."

Leon took a deep breath and nodded. "No point in standing around."

Together, he and Arthur pressed their palms against the door and pushed.

A deep, guttural creak filled the chamber as the heavy stone doors groaned open. Darkness yawned beyond, vast and suffocating. At first, there was nothing.

Then, something moved.

A heavy presence filled the air, sending a deep chill through their bones. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

Then—red eyes.

Glowing like embers in the void, two piercing crimson orbs cut through the darkness.

A figure stepped forward.

A towering mass of jagged black armor, as if it had been forged from the abyss itself. Standing over ten feet tall, its presence alone was suffocating. The massive battle-axe in its clawed hands was still stained with fresh blood. It wasn't a relic of past battles—this thing had killed recently.

Leon's breath caught in his throat. "That's…"

Arthur's voice was hoarse. "T-that's a B-Rank monster… The Abyssal Warden."

Elara stiffened. "The Abyssal Warden? What kind of monster is it?"

Kael, who had remained silent in the back, finally spoke. His voice was calm but cold.

"It's an executioner."

The others turned to him.

Kael's eyes stayed locked on the monster. "It doesn't hunt for food or survival. It hunts to eradicate. It was created—born—from the hatred and resentment of fallen warriors. The dungeon doesn't spawn these creatures naturally. The only way an Abyssal Warden appears…" He paused, eyes narrowing. "...is if the dungeon itself is changing."

Mira's face paled. "What?! That thing's supposed to be on Floor 20! How the hell is it here?"

Before anyone could react, the Warden moved.

Not walked. Not stepped.

It charged.

Faster than something of its size should have been capable of.

"Dodge!" Leon shouted, instincts kicking in as he threw himself to the side.

The Warden's axe came crashing down where he had stood moments ago, the impact shattering the stone floor. A shockwave rippled outward, sending dust and debris flying.

Arthur barely managed to leap back in time, his glasses slipping slightly down his nose. Mira rolled out of the way, barely avoiding being crushed by the falling rubble.

Elara gasped, gripping her staff tightly.

Kael, standing near the entrance with the supply bags, narrowed his eyes. He stepped back, making sure to remain unnoticed, but his gaze locked onto the Warden's stance.

He muttered, just loud enough to himself. "It's adjusting its stance. It's about to swing again."

Leon, who had just caught his balance, suddenly tensed.

Move.

Without thinking, he dove to the side just as the Warden's axe came sweeping across the chamber in a brutal horizontal arc. It would have cleaved him in half had he hesitated.

Arthur, already mid-cast, shouted, "Frost Chains!"

Blue chains erupted from the ground, latching onto the Warden's legs, ice rapidly forming over its body.

Mira took the opening. Her hands crackled with electricity. "Thunder Spear!"

A massive spear of lightning formed above her, sparking wildly before launching toward the Warden's chest.

Boom!

The impact sent a shockwave through the room, crackling energy illuminating the darkness.

The dust settled.

And the Warden still stood.

Mira's eyes widened. "Are you—?! That should've fried it!"

Cracks formed along the ice as the Warden moved again, shattering the chains like brittle glass.

Arthur cursed. "It's resisting my magic…?!"

Leon wasted no time. He sprinted forward, his blade glowing with a green aura. "Gale Crescent!"

A powerful arc of wind shot forward, slashing across the Warden's shoulder. A deep wound opened, black ichor spilling out.

The Warden growled, its red eyes burning brighter.

It was enraged.

Kael, still standing in the back, whispered, "It's shifting weight to the left. It's gonna swing low."

Leon felt it before he even saw it. His instincts screamed at him.

He jumped.

Just as the Warden swung its axe in a devastating sweep, cutting through where his legs had been.

Leon landed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Too close.

Mira snarled. "I've had enough of this—Infernal Burst!"

A torrent of fire erupted from her palm, engulfing the Warden in flames. The heat was so intense that the stone beneath it cracked.

Elara stepped forward, chanting, her staff glowing faintly. "Divine Blessing!"

A warm light enveloped the group, easing their wounds and restoring their stamina.

Leon saw the opening.

He sprinted forward, blade glowing brighter.

He jumped, aiming for its neck.

"Sky Cleave!"

His blade cut deep, cleaving through the Warden's armor, sinking into flesh.

The monster let out a final, shuddering breath—then collapsed with a heavy, earth-shaking thud.

Silence.

Leon, still catching his breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead. "That thing… was way tougher than expected."

Arthur adjusted his glasses, his hands slightly trembling. "It wasn't supposed to be here." His voice was steady, but the unease in his eyes betrayed him.

Mira huffed, crossing her arms. "Barely won. Stupid boss was way too durable."

Elara stepped forward, staff still glowing faintly with residual magic. Her gaze swept over the group. "Is anyone hurt?"

Leon stretched, rolling his shoulder. "Nah, just tired." He glanced at the others before turning his attention to Kael, who remained near the entrance, silent as ever, gripping the supply bags.

"...Kael, you good? You're more experienced than you look. Great job."

Kael blinked, as if surprised by the praise. Then he gave a small nod, his face unreadable. "Yeah. Thank you." His voice was calm, but there was a slight hesitation—like he hadn't expected to be acknowledged.

Mira smirked, hands on her hips. "Must be nice standing in the back doing nothing."

Arthur shot her a glance, adjusting his glasses again. "He did his job, Mira."

Kael didn't respond. Instead, his eyes were fixed on something near the fallen Warden's body. A faint glimmer caught the dim light of the chamber. Slowly, he stepped forward, kneeling beside the corpse.

Among the shattered armor and ichor-soaked ground, a magic stone lay half-buried in the dust. Unlike typical monster drops, this one was different. It was larger—almost the size of a fist. A soft green glow pulsed from its surface, shifting like liquid beneath the crystalline structure.

Arthur frowned. "That's… not a normal magic stone."

Mira stepped closer, peering over Kael's shoulder. "Why does it look weird? It's supposed to be darker if it came from a B-Rank monster, right?"

Elara crouched down, studying it with a concerned expression. "I've never seen one like this before…"

Kael, still kneeling, reached out and picked it up. The moment his fingers touched the stone, a faint hum vibrated through the air. It wasn't loud, but enough for those closest to feel it.

Arthur adjusted his glasses again, his curiosity piqued. "That reaction… it almost feels—"

Kael suddenly closed his fingers around the stone, cutting off the glow. "It's nothing special," he said simply, standing up. "Just a magic stone. Maybe a bit more valuable than usual."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "You sure? That thing looked… off."

Kael gave a small shrug. "I've seen a few like this before. It's just experience."

For a moment, the group was silent. There was something about the way he said it—calm, almost dismissive. But something in his eyes said otherwise.

Mira scoffed. "Well, whatever. As long as we can sell it for a good price, I don't care."

Elara looked unconvinced but said nothing, standing up and brushing off her cloak.

Arthur exhaled, finally lowering his hand from his glasses. "We should leave. The dungeon's already acting strange, and I don't want to stick around to find out why."

Leon nodded. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

Even as they prepared to leave, the uneasy feeling never faded.

If a B-Rank boss had been on Floor 10…

Then something was very, very wrong with this dungeon.

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(Chapter Ended)