CHAPTER 1008: CHAPTER 154 - SHREDICA’S WINTER AND THE FINAL PIECE (4)

I had absolutely no idea why she said something like that. Her words lingered in my head, unsettling and vague, like a riddle that refused to make sense no matter how hard I tried to piece it together.

Was she part of something bigger? Some hidden organization? Maybe Leon was in their way somehow? I couldn’t tell. I honestly didn’t have a damn clue what was going on anymore. All I knew for sure was one thing and it was that I needed to get that final piece. Whatever it took.

After walking for what felt like forever, we finally reached somewhere different.

We’d gone even deeper now. We were far below the point where sunlight or warmth could ever reach. The air here felt heavy, cold, and thin, like every breath I took was scraping my throat raw. I hadn’t seen a single monster so far, but the ground was covered with skeletons, scattered like a field of bones. Some were crushed into the dirt, others still in the shape of the people or creatures they once were.

It made me wonder... maybe there had been monsters here long ago. Maybe this place was once crawling with life until the harsh environment drove everything away. The air was stale and lifeless. I thought monsters would evolve to survive this kind of place, to change, adapt, and become something more terrifying, but judging from all the bones, I guess not.

Up ahead stood a massive double door, tall enough to make me crane my neck just to take it all in. It looked ancient, with strange engravings all over its metallic surface. The faint glow from my torch flickered against it, revealing old claw marks and dried stains that looked disturbingly like blood.

It gave off the feeling of a final gate, something straight out of a dungeon where the boss was waiting at the end.

"What’s this place?" I asked, my voice echoing faintly.

"Probably the boss room," she said, her tone calm, almost too casual for a place like this. "It’s likely where the thing you’re looking for is being kept."

So this was it. The place where the final piece was hidden.

"Are you going to go inside? Alone?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her expression unreadable.

"Well, it’s me, so... yeah," I said with a half-smile. "Doesn’t look like I’ve got much of a choice. Unless you’re planning to tag along?"

She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "I don’t have anything with me right now except my body. I have no weapon with me. I’m practically defenseless—and offenseless." She gave a faint shrug. "More than that, I just wanted to guide you here. That’s all. If you’re willing to risk it all, then go ahead. I’ll wait here. But if three days pass and you don’t come out... I’ll assume you’re dead and leave."

"Sounds fine to me," I said.

I took a deep breath, tightened my grip on my sword until my knuckles turned white, and looked at the door. It was enormous—so tall that I couldn’t even see where it ended in the dim light. I reached out and pressed my palm against the cold metal. It was icy to the touch, smooth but solid, and for a second, it felt like the door itself was breathing faintly beneath my skin.

I pushed.

The doors groaned, then gave way surprisingly easily. Despite their size, they opened without much resistance, as if they’d been waiting for someone to push them open. Almost like something—or someone—was expecting me.

I stepped inside. Behind me, Claire stayed where she was, leaning slightly to the side and waving her hand at me in a lazy motion, almost like she was saying goodbye.

I didn’t look back. I just kept walking.

Almost instantly, a heavy pressure filled the air around me. It wrapped around my chest like a giant invisible hand, pressing down, making it harder to breathe. The darkness ahead swallowed everything. It wasn’t just dark—it was alive. It felt like walking into the belly of something enormous.

Thankfully, I had picked up a torch from one of the skeletons outside. The faint orange glow from its flame flickered weakly against the endless black, and I started lighting the torches along the walls one by one. Slowly, the room began to take shape.

The more I lit, the more uneasy I became. Even with the light spreading across the chamber, the air stayed thick, heavy—like the shadows themselves were watching me. I could feel it... something massive was here. Something that was breathing, alive, and aware of me.

Each step echoed faintly, bouncing back in strange rhythms. It almost sounded like... a heartbeat.

I stopped.

That’s when I saw them—two faint golden lights floating in the darkness ahead. At first, I thought they were reflections. But no, they moved. Slowly. Rhythmically.

Eyes.

Something alive was staring back at me.

That breathing I’d been feeling—it wasn’t the walls. It was it. The mist curling in the air ahead was its breath. Deep. Heavy. The sound of something huge inhaling and exhaling filled the room.

My heartbeat quickened, but I forced myself to stay calm.

I needed to get that piece. No matter what was waiting for me, I couldn’t back down now.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr..."

The growl came low and deep, rumbling through the air like thunder. I could feel it vibrating in my bones. My knees started to shake, but I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood.

When did I become such a coward? I wasn’t like this before. I’d faced worse—at least, I thought I had. Maybe this was the echo of the person I used to be. A memory. One tied to Tsubasa, maybe.

But I wasn’t going to let that hold me back.

I tightened my grip on the sword again and took another step forward.

Then—

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A roar exploded through the chamber, so powerful it felt like the whole place was collapsing. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the shockwave almost knocked me off my feet.

The creature charged forward, and for the first time, I saw it clearly.

A massive beast with wings for arms, its body covered in shimmering blue scales that glowed faintly in the torchlight. Its golden eyes burned with intelligence and fury. A wyvern.

It towered over me, wings flaring wide, the sound of its breath like a storm rolling through the cavern.

For a second, I thought I’d freeze. But I didn’t. Somehow, all the fear that had been clawing at me just... vanished.

I dashed forward, blade drawn, letting instinct take over.

The sound of steel clashing against scales filled the air, sparks bursting in all directions. But when I looked at the result—my blade had barely left a mark.

This thing’s skin was like armor.

And as I stepped back, chest heaving, I realized something—this fight was going to be way tougher than I thought.