Astroth : The Last Dragon

Dungeon

That revelation slipped the ground underneath Kazuma's feet. The dungeon, a topic among fantasy-loving teens, is used in all fantasy novels or webtoons. A place where monsters stroll around and adventurers eliminate them for some rewards. 

"Is this the same dungeon I'm thinking of?" Kazuma sweated profusely. Although he couldn't ask for the magician's knowledge through words, he tried to crawl around and jump to attract attention towards him.

Unfortunately, his actions had the opposite effect on the magician. He scowled and yelled at him, annoyed with his ignorant actions. He thought Kazuma was an ordinary beast and was delighted to live once again with some skill.

His nickname 'The Mad' has some reality and meaning behind it!

Furthermore, he even kicked Kazuma and activated some restraint magic on his soul, marking the beginning of a striking pain in his head. That pain somehow tried to split apart his existence.

"No! Stop it, you bastard. I get it! I get it!" Kazuma screamed in his head.

Kazuma writhed in pain and slithered around, resisting that pain. The pain was even more intense than what he felt in the summoning circle. He wept blood tears from his eyes and squealed in pain.

"Have you understood your position? Don't play around before me or try to outsmart me by your worthless means. You’re under my control. A slave should be a slave!" Zoukar snickered.

Gradually, he let the bind loosen and released Kazuma from that torturous pain. Now Kazuma realized how grave the enslavement was and he fell into another hellhole from the previous one.

As tears flowed down his cheeks, he rebuked inwardly, "Bastard! One day when I'm going to be freed, that day my retribution on you will begin. Your death will be my doing. Wait and see!"

While burning in a rage, Kazuma stared at Zoukar for his next action. Until now, his aim revolved around learning and receiving all the magic or information he could suck from Zoukar. However, after the heinous treatment, he had to think about how to free himself.

He again listed what he knew about enslavement and its functions. He remembered that this binding works best on beast souls or souls with no consciousness or free will, but the magician made a mistake and summoned Kazuma, a human soul with consciousness and free will.

For the time being, he decided to react as Zoukar wanted him to, so as to not attract any unnecessary attention and reveal his cover. He would only take action when everything appeared as a clear sky. Until then, he had to bend as he always did for his survival and future.

"Haah! I went from being a shuttle to a proper slave this time," he lamented.

"Ok, let us depart from here! I'm stuck in this small detached cave from the dungeon to hide and take a breather while regaining my strength,'' Zoukar exclaimed.

Kazuma stared at him with his deep eyes and thought, "What is there in the dungeon that he is required to perform a summoning in haste, disregarding his usual self? I remember he said something about my body being rare and he wanted to experiment first, but couldn't, due to the dire situation. Doesn't that mean I'm going to be his meat shield?"

Kazuma frowned with nervousness.

Zoukar chanted some weird spell, and the detached cave opened to another one. He must have used some of his magic to create an illusion to disappear from enemy sight.

"If he can create such illusions then why does he need me? It could only be if such magic is hard to be stable while fighting!" Kazuma contemplated.

Zoukar took a sneak into that main cave or dungeon to spot any enemy presence. He let out a sigh of relief when found the path clear. He glanced back at Kazuma and snorted.

"Follow me!" he said and began marching into the dungeon.

Kazuma had no other option but to follow since he was already in a soul bind. Meanwhile, he didn't even know what the dungeon was and how it worked. To run away from the magician and die somewhere else gruesomely, that's the lamest thing one could experience.

Henceforth, he followed as the magician, Zoukar, commanded!

When he stepped into the dungeon, he saw a similar cave to the one the magician and he was in before, but its scale was a lot bigger than he imagined. One could only ponder what type of creature lives here for the size of the cave to be enormous. Another argument would be Kazuma's short stature, which made the cave appear even larger than it was.

Now the problem for Kazuma was that he had no information or intel about the place. He knew it was a dungeon, and Zoukar summoned him at a critical time. That would explain him currently in the middle of the dungeon away from the entrance.

If Zoukar amounts to much just as he speaks, then the monsters must be giant terrifying creatures, challenging for even a magician that received a nickname. He introduced himself as a well-known black magician, hence this dungeon sounds like trouble for Kazuma.

Then he pondered the reason why Zoukar summoned him rather than gathered his mana for an even more crucial step. Many such thoughts crossed his head and jumbled around in there, with no answer to them.

Before he could contemplate further, some loud rumbling began in one of the corners of that dungeon. Kazuma sweated profusely and frowned in reflex to the intimidating threat he could feel.

Then again, those sensitive senses must belong to the reptile he possessed when summoned from nothingness. Rather than being happy for the senses, he felt more frightened since those senses could accurately narrate the danger ahead.

Gradually those crackling and bustling noises approached them and came closer than before. Kazuma squinted his eyes and whatever he saw let his eyes widen and his jaw dropped.