The Invincible Young Master

A/N: Changed 'Chamber' to 'cavern' as it sounded more fitting.

The cavern, once filled with the sounds of battle and fear, now stood in eerie silence.

Only the soft sounds of breathing and the shuffle of feet broke the stillness.

Whatever mysterious force had saved them from the creatures had vanished without a trace, leaving the survivors to cautiously survey their surroundings.

Those who were still standing didn't waste any time. Faces pale and hands trembling, they rushed back toward the tunnels they had entered from, abandoning any thoughts of treasure. Survival was all that mattered now.

The close call with death had shaken them, and the idea of risking their lives for glowing stones now felt foolish.

In small groups, they hurried out, their footsteps quickly fading into the distance.

A few, however, lingered behind. Greed hadn't let go of them just yet.

They hesitated but then resumed their haul of the glowing stones.

Every step was slow, their eyes darting around nervously, as if death was still watching them from the shadows.

Bronn watched as the remaining survivors cautiously returned to mining the glowing gems.

He felt the pull of those stones too, but before he could join them, a strange sound echoed through the cavern.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

It sounded like the rhythmic beating of a heart.

Everyone froze.

The sound didn't come from one direction—it seemed to fill the entire room, as if the very air was carrying the pulse.

Bronn's face tightened, his eyes scanning the cavern.

The thumping had grown louder, almost painful, and small cracks were spreading across their surfaces.

Thump!

Bronn's instincts kicked in.

"You four," he snapped at his followers, his voice firm and urgent. "Get out of here, now."

The old barbarian hesitated, his eyes wide with worry. "But, Your Highness—"

"I'll be fine," Bronn cut him off, still scanning the room. "I've got the boss with me."

Reluctantly, the barbarians obeyed, dashing into the tunnels without a second thought.

Bronn watched them vanish before turning his attention back to the cavern.

The thumping heartbeat began to fade, and for a brief moment, the tension eased.

The people left in the cavern let out a collective sigh of relief, thinking it was finally over.

But then, with a loud crack, all the glowing stones shattered, sending shards flying through the air.

For a moment, the fragments hovered, suspended like delicate glass.

Then, as everyone stared in shock and awe, the shards began to glow with a strange, otherworldly light. Slowly, they melted into a golden liquid.

The liquid spread across the floor like mercury, slithering along the surface in intricate patterns.

The solid stone beneath their feet began to shift, revealing an enormous formation that had been hidden under the surface all along.

Bronn's eyes lit up with excitement as he watched the glowing lines of the ancient formation snake across the ground.

"A hidden formation," he muttered, clearly intrigued.

Amelia, standing beside him, kept her gaze locked on the swirling patterns.

"It's ancient," she whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "I've never seen anything like this before."

Curiosity burning, Bronn turned to Spark. "Boss, what do you think this is?"

Spark grinned, his laid-back demeanor unchanged. "Do you really want to know? It's better if you see for yourself."

Bronn's expression shifted to one of exaggerated pleading. "Come on, boss…"

Spark waved him off, still refusing to explain. "Just watch."

As Bronn's impatience grew, the golden liquid finished filling every crack in the formation.

The entire cavern seemed to pulse with energy as the formation glowed brighter and brighter.

At its center, a swirling pool of golden light began to form, slowly spinning and shining with an intense glow.

Bronn, his eyes wide with excitement, turned to Spark again. "Boss, can you tell me what this is now?"

"Did you notice the creatures you smashed looked like ants?"

Bronn nodded. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Then tell me, in an ant colony, who's the one with the most power and protection?" Spark asked, his eyes gleaming with a knowing look.

Bronn scratched his head for a moment, thinking hard. Then, it hit him. His eyes went wide with shock. "The ant queen!"

"Exactly," Spark said with a nod.

Bronn's gaze shifted to the spinning light in the center of the formation. "Boss, are you saying this whirlpool leads to the queen's lair?"

"Possibly,"

Amelia, who had been quietly observing, stepped closer, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"How do you know?" she asked, her voice soft but persistent. Even with her sharp senses, she couldn't figure out where the portal led.

Spark chuckled at her question. "Curious?"

Amelia nodded.

"I just know," Spark replied with a teasing grin, clearly enjoying keeping his secrets.

The three of them began walking toward the swirling golden light, which cast a warm glow across the cavern floor.

All around them, other survivors edged closer to the portal, their voices filled with a mix of uncertainty and greed.

"Should we go in?" someone whispered.

"It could be dangerous," another warned. Discover more stories at мѵʟ

"But what if there's treasure?" someone else said, the greed in their voice obvious.

"We can't miss this chance," another person added, sounding determined.

The room was filled with whispers, torn between fear and the desire for wealth. Some people hesitated, but others stepped forward, eager to dive into the unknown.

Spark glanced at a group of humans huddled nearby, noticing their anxious glances. His voice was calm, but with a note of warning. "You should all head back."

The group stiffened, glaring at Spark.

"If you go in, none of you will come out alive," Spark added, unfazed by their reaction.

One of the men crossed his arms, sneering. "Hmph, we don't need you telling us what to do."

"Do they think they can take all the treasure for themselves?" another whispered, shooting a suspicious look at Spark's group. "They're probably trying to trick us."

Spark shrugged, not caring about their response. "Well, there goes my goodwill."

Bronn chuckled at Spark's relaxed attitude, though he kept his eyes on the humans.

"Fools," he said under his breath.

Amelia sighed, knowing that people rarely listened to warnings until it was too late.

As the discussions continued, the light from the whirlpool grew stronger, casting long shadows across the room.

While some turned back toward the tunnel, unwilling to risk their lives for what lay beyond.

Most of the people in the room, driven by greed more than caution, steadied themselves.

One by one, they moved forward, their faces a mix of nervousness and determination.

The golden light was too tempting.

The first group, a band of humans in worn-out armor, glanced nervously at each other before stepping into the glowing whirlpool.

They vanished instantly, swallowed by the golden whirlpool without a sound.

Then, another group—barbarians and mercenaries—followed, their eyes wide but focused, disappearing into the portal as well.

Without saying much, Spark stepped forward, leading the way.

The light from the whirlpool lit up his face as he took a casual step inside.

His figure dissolved into the swirling light, vanishing in an instant.

Bronn quickly followed, his large frame disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Amelia also followed behind. The moment she entered the whirlpool, the world around her twisted and spun.

A sudden rush of warmth wrapped around her, like being pulled through a tunnel of light. There was no sound, no sight—just the strange feeling of being drawn deeper and deeper into the unknown.

Then, with a flash, the golden light vanished.