Ethan placed his hand on a huge door,and exerted his force to push the doors.

Crunngggg!

The metallic door groaned as it moved, the sound deep and heavy like the growl of some ancient beast.

The ground shook faintly as it swung open, hunting for a glimpse of the interior.

Then,a huge, spacious room opened before them.

Flame torches burst to life one after another along the stone walls, casting a golden glow across the chamber. The flickering light revealed the sight of four hulking monsters kneeling on the ground.

From afar,they looked like lifeless statues, however as they observed them they saw that though their heads were bowed low, their massive shoulders were rising and falling with heavy breaths.

And at the far end of the hall to the direction they bowed was a raised platform where stood a throne. Upon it sat a monstrous figure. As the last torch lit, the shape of the creature became clear, and everyone froze.

"Orcs…" Ethan spoke nervously and his expression grim as his eyes swept the room.

The four kneeling orcs were large and thick with muscle.

Their armor was crude but heavy, and their weapons scarred from battle. Even without moving, their presence pressed down on the group.

Ethan's sharp gaze measured them quickly. They were late stage Intermediate Knights in strength, but with their brutal bodies they might be able to fight at the level of Advanced.

A deep sound rumbled through the chamber. The orc that sat on the throne shifted.

The stone cracked beneath its weight as it leaned forward slightly and the dull eyes flickered to life with a greenish glow.

Its gaze locked onto the intruders at the entrance.

The creature was massive, far larger than the others. Its skin was dark green, its chest covered with scars.Some that looked old and some looked new.

Yellow eyes glowed faintly in the torchlight. When it narrowed them, a predatory chill filled the room. Its lips curled upward, exposing long jagged fangs.

"Finally," the orc growled, its voice echoing across the chamber like rolling thunder. "I have waited for ages for the chosen ones to appear. The moment I have long awaited has arrived."

The sharp grin on its face twisted into something almost amused. The weight of its words settled over the group like chains.

Randall frowned and let out a breath. "Is this some kind of standard dungeon speech, or is he just spouting lofty nonsense because of the reward?"

Haro swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Maybe… I don't know for sure if his trash talk is worth …"

The others turned to glare at him. He raised his hands helplessly. "Come on, guys. Do you really think we're going to get god-tier treasure from clearing a E-rank dungeon?"

His words snapped everyone back to their senses.

Ethan's shoulders eased slightly. For a moment, the orc's speech had shaken him. He had wondered if some miracle awaited them. But Haro was right.

This was still only a E-rank dungeon. Such treasures would not appear here.

The four kneeling orcs stood up abruptly.Heavy footsteps echoed as they turned around with weapons in hand, facing the intruders.

Ethan's grip tightened around his sword. His voice rang out, steady and commanding.

"Prepare yourselves."

"Lord Ethan!" Joel called giving him a glance.

"Yes. Follow my lead." Ethan's tone left no room for doubt.

In one swift motion, Ethan swapped his blade for a heavy greatsword. Mana surged through his veins as he dashed forward with heavy steps.

One of the orcs, having a hulking brute figure with a scar across its chest, stepped forward. The ground trembled under its weight. With a roar, it ripped a massive club from the sack placed on back and charged to meet him.

Ethan planted his foot, channeled mana into his legs, and kicked off the ground with Lightning Steps.

Air cracked from the sudden burst of speed. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance. His greatsword swung in a heavy arc toward the monster's torso.

The orc lifted its club and met the strike head-on.

BANG!

The weapons collided with a violent crash. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the chamber causing dust to shake loose from the ground.

Ethan's arms vibrated from the force of strike.

His eyes widened slightly. The creature's strength was greater than he expected.

"It's not enough," he muttered through clenched teeth. He pushed harder, slamming his boots grinding against the stony ground and started to propel ahead.

The orc's muscles bulged as it braced to add more strength. But before it could, Joel darted in. With nimble steps he slid low beneath the giant's legs. His blade flashed, slashing across the thick tendons at the back of its heels.

The orc roared in pain and its stance faltered.

Joel rolled down and came up behind the monster. But as he steadied himself, another orc lunged at him from the side.

He barely twisted away, feeling the rush of air as the axe missed his head.

CLANG!

The axe struck the ground and got embedded.Joel used the opportunity to jump up and slammed the Orc chest.

"Grahhh!" The first orc stumbled a bit and then turned around to punch Joel when a figure appeared that nimbly jumped over his fist and slashed her claws.

"Great..Ryu...Keep him busy.."Joel praises.

Meanwhile sharp whistle cut through the chamber. An arrow streaked through the air and buried itself in the eye of the first Orc.

"Krrhhh!"

The creature shrieked, clutching at its face. Another arrow followed a heartbeat later, piercing the other eye.

"Now!" Ethan roared.

His greatsword tore free, shoving the blinded orc back.

Randall sprinted forward, following Ethan's lead.He stepped over Ethan's back and using his shoulder as a foothold, propelled himself.

As he leapt into the air, he gave Ethan a fleeting, apologetic glance. "Forgive me, my lord, for stepping on you."

"Focus ahead.."Ethan shouted, causing Randall to sharpen his gaze at prey.

His sword glowed brightly as he poured all his mana into it.

"DIEEE!"

With a swift and clean motion, he slashed across the orc's neck. The blade cut deeply.

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