REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO

Gideon's party kept moving forward. As they reached deeper into the dungeon, another wave of monsters attacked them.

This time, the number was even higher than before. Around twelve goblins and ten dire wolves came charging at once.

"They are here. Don't let a single one escape." Gideon's voice rang out.

Three dire wolves tried to leap straight onto the group, but they were forced to stop midway, blocked by Jessi's ice wall.

The monsters quickly tried to go around it and attack from the sides. But Gideon and Ronald had already moved into action.

Four goblins tried to charge in from the left. Ronald cast lightning that struck all of them and turned into chained, twitching corpses.

Two dire wolves rushed in from the right, looking for an opening. But two wind blades shot out from Gideon's right hand and sliced them cleanly in mid-air.

A few dire wolves tried to leap from above the ice wall, but what welcomed them was a hurricane of flames, fire magic launched by Melissa and Luna together. The beasts were turned to ash before they even landed.

The monsters kept slamming into Jessi's ice barrier. And eventually after a few heavy hits, it cracked and shattered.

Five or six goblins broke through just then and shot toward Jessi.

But just then…..

Logan dashed in instantly.

With an ice blade in each hand, he moved like a blur and sliced them all in clean halves. His movements were sharp, quick, and deadly.

The few remaining goblins were burned to cinders by a fireball launched from Gideon's palm.

And just like that, all the monsters were wiped out.

Their teamwork was smooth and well-coordinated. Even though Logan and Luna were new to the group, they faced no problems. Of course, the difficulty so far wasn't that high. Till now what they had faced felt more like an F-class dungeon's difficulty at best.

"Anyone got hurt?" Gideon asked.

"Nope." Jessi and Melissa replied.

"It was just a warmup boss." Ronald said.

"I am all ok." Luna replied.

Logan didn't say anything. Something felt off. It was easy even after being a D-class dungeon. And too easy at that. He couldn't quite put it in place but he had a nagging feeling.

"Let's get going then." Gideon started moving forward again.

The group continued walking deeper into the dungeon.

The atmosphere was getting heavier. The air felt denser, colder. A strange silence surrounded them….. not even the sound of insects or wind could be heard.

They kept moving, alert and focused.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Still nothing.

Not a single monster appeared.

"Is it just me… or is this way too quiet?" Jessi finally broke the silence.

"It's been over forty minutes," Ronald added, his grip on his spear tightening. "There's no way a D-class dungeon should be this empty."

This time all felt that something really was off.

"Something doesn't seem right," Gideon muttered, glancing around. "We should have faced hundreds of them by now."

Logan remained silent, eyes scanning every corner. His suspicions were growing stronger. He could feel it. something was waiting….Watching….

Luna walked beside him, stealing a nervous glance. "Where are the monsters…?"

"They know we are here. But they are not charging at us for some reasons," Logan replied calmly, though his tone was sharper than usual.

A few minutes later, the narrow path finally opened up into a wide, spacious area. The stone path ended. Before them stretched a large, circular clearing surrounded by broken pillars and collapsed ruins. It looked like an ancient arena lost in time.

The moment the last member stepped past the narrow path, the ground started trembling beneath their feet.

Rrrrmm!

"What the hell?" Ronald staggered slightly.

The trembling grew stronger.

"Watch out everyone. Stay close." Gideon warned everyone.

Behind them, the path they had just walked through began to collapse. Large chunks of stone and root started to drop, sealing the corridor completely.

Dust and moss kept falling from the ceiling.

BOOM!

A huge boulder fell and the entire passage disappeared, replaced by a wall of rubble.

"They trapped us…" Jessi whispered, her voice dry.

Melissa took a step back, eyes wide. "There's no way out."

The ground finally stopped shaking.

But the silence didn't return.

Instead, something else began.

A low growl echoed from the far left.

Then another from the right.

And then—dozens more.

Glowing red eyes started appearing from the shadows, one pair at a time.

Hundreds.

From every direction, monsters began pouring out.

Dire wolves….. at least a hundred of them. Their blackened fur rippled with muscle, claws dragging against the stone.

Then came the goblins.

Dozens… then hundreds.

All armed. All screeching. All ready to kill.

"No…" Luna whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "There are too many…"

"Stay calm," Gideon said sharply. "Form a tight circle. Defend each other's backs. Don't panic."

Jessi activated her mana. "What the hell is happening. How come they thought this all through."

"Ronald," Gideon called, "prepare a wide-range strike. We need to control the front line."

Ronald nodded, charging his spear with lightning. Sparks danced around him.

Melissa stood near Luna, her hands glowing with fire.

Logan raised his arms slowly, two ice blades forming once more. His expression remained calm, but his instincts screamed otherwise.

And then….

Suddenly the ground began to shake again.

But this time, it wasn't like before.

It was heavier.

Rhythmic.

Thud…

Thud…

Thud…

From the far end of the arena, something massive stepped into view.

A towering creature — at least four meters tall. Its skin was dark red and cracked. Two grotesque heads growled in unison, both baring their sharp yellow teeth.

It had three pairs of muscular arms. It looked terrifying.

In one hand, it held a massive, jagged axe. In another, a giant shield covered in dried blood. Its other hands twitched and clenched, eager for battle.

"Wh… what the f**k is that?" Jessi's voice trembled.

"An orc," Gideon replied, his voice grim. "But not a normal one. This one seems far superior to the normal ones we usually fight in a D-class dungeon."

The orc raised its axe high and smashed it against its own shield.

BOOM!

The impact echoed like thunder.

Then it roared — a twin-headed howl that shook the walls.

The goblins screeched louder in response.

The dire wolves howled together.

And then, without warning….

They all charged.

From every direction, the monsters rushed forward like a tidal wave.

Luna's breathing quickened.

Ronald gritted his teeth.

Jessi muttered under her breath, "can we come out of this alive?"

Gideon clenched his fists and shouted, "Don't panic. We can do this if we don't lose our cool."

"Charge!" His voice roared.

To be continued....