Sera - A Dungeon Revival LitRPG

After what felt like an eternity, Sera found herself back in her dungeon. She remembered everything, how Haziel had so effortlessly dismantled her, and how she was now reduced to a barely conscious head.

Despite this, the weight of the world around the elder dryad pressed in with strange clarity. Everything was now moving at a crawl. The air itself felt thick, as though the entire battlefield had been submerged in viscous liquid. Every detail, every movement, stretched out before her, suspended in time.

Her gaze immediately locked onto Haziel. The angel stood across from her, wreathed in crackling red lightning, but she was moving sluggishly. Each arc of electricity wound lazily through the air, as if the lightning itself had been trapped in molasses.

Haziel’s arm was slowly lifting, red energy building in her palm, but her movements were agonizingly slow. Am I seeing things right?

Sera blinked, struggling to process what she was seeing. Haziel had always been impossibly fast, but now, it was as if time itself had fractured, leaving Haziel suspended in this strange, sluggish state.

Why is she moving like that? Sera watched Haziel’s hand inch upward, the red lightning gathering in her palm with excruciating patience.

There was no panic. No rush. Sera felt detached, almost floating within the stillness, though somewhere deep inside, something more primal stirred, a pulse of instinct awakening within her. Deep within her core, an instinct stronger than thought, called to her.

She felt it pull, and in the blink of an eye then, her body reconstructed itself. Black sinew wove together like delicate threads of a tapestry. The raw, primal energy of her regeneration coursed through her, roaring to life as her form restored itself completely.

Sera inhaled sharply, suddenly whole again as if the destruction inflicted on her moments ago had never happened. Her hands flexed in front of her, fingers moving smoothly, perfectly. I'm not sure where this power of mine came from, but I suppose there's not much use pondering about it for now.

The confusion lingered, but beneath it, a sense of calm purpose took root. Whatever had triggered this change, whatever power now pulsed within her, was simply part of her now, woven into her being. And while the world around her moved in slow motion, Sera realized she was free from it. She could move just fine, unhindered, while everything else remained trapped in this strange crawl.

Sera stared at the angel, an emptiness settling into her chest. For a fleeting moment, she didn’t want to do anything. No retaliation, no violence. She could stand there, simply watching, letting the stillness take her. What’s the point?

But then, without warning, a sharp, stabbing pain tore through Sera’s mind, like claws raking against the inside of her skull. She winced, clutching at her head as the searing sensation intensified.An overwhelming urge, primal and all-consuming, surged through her.

Sera’s fingers twitched, her breathing ragged as the overwhelming compulsion consumed her mind. Kill the angel.

Sera’s perception flickered, the slow-motion world around her subtly shifting. Haziel’s form, once moving like a sluggish specter, began to speed up, snapping back to normal time. The sharp crackle of red lightning grew louder, more intense.

Haziel’s confusion was immediate. Eyes widening as she saw the elder dryad standing tall, fully healed and radiating an aura of raw, unfamiliar power. "How are you still standing? You were—"

"Things are different now. I’m sorry, but this is the end of the road for you." Sera said bluntly.

Haziel’s expression twisted into one of anger. "You arrogant wretch!" she spat, raising her hand, red lightning flaring brighter in her grasp.

The angel’s voice dripped with venom as she lunged forward, lightning crackling violently as she aimed the full force of her attack at Sera’s chest. But to Sera, the world slowed once more. Haziel’s movements unfolded before her with painful clarity, each arc of lightning creeping toward her like a lazy flicker of flame.

It was painfully slow. Sera’s gaze followed Haziel’s attack as it inched forward. Each bolt felt like it was crawling toward her, crackling with energy but devoid of the usual speed and ferocity. There was no panic in Sera, as if she were watching from outside herself. Is this all you have left?

She didn’t wait for the strike to land. With a single thought, she reached deep into the forest beneath her feet, tapping into its ancient power. The ground responded immediately, trembling as thick, gnarled black roots erupted from the earth, twisting and shooting upward with a violent surge.

The roots coiled around Haziel mid-flight, wrapping around her arms and legs like snakes, binding her in place with brutal force. The impact knocked the angel off her trajectory, her body jerking as the roots tightened, dragging her back down to the ground. The once-radiant glow of her divine form dimmed, struggling against the sheer weight of the forest’s power.

Sera’s lips barely moved as she spoke. "Your mistake was not killing me faster."

Haziel thrashed within the grip of the roots, her wings straining, teeth clenched in frustration. Red lightning surged from her body, sparking wildly as her rage intensified.

With a primal scream, Haziel’s power exploded outward. Red lightning tore through the air, bursting from her body in a violent shockwave. The forest trembled under the sheer force of the blast as the red energy crackled through the sky, obliterating the roots in an instant. Ash and debris scattered in every direction, the once-strong tendrils turning to dust under the angel’s divine wrath.

Haziel rose to her feet, her wings flaring wide as she hovered above the charred earth, her chest heaving with exertion. The remnants of her power crackled around her, lighting up the clearing in an angry, red glow. She locked eyes with Sera, her defiance unbroken.

But Sera remained rooted in place, her expression eerily calm as she watched the storm of red lightning approach. The blast struck her directly in the chest, the heat and raw energy surging through the air like a tidal wave, but it washed over her as if she were made of stone. The searing power that had obliterated the forest left no mark on her. Sera’s body remained unscathed as the last remnants of the blast fizzled out around her.

The silence that followed was heavy as Haziel stood frozen with disbelief. Her chest heaved with the effort of her assault, but for the first time, there was hesitation in her movements. She took a step back, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Slowly, realization dawned on her face, and a dark, knowing grin spread across her lips. "I see now. I finally understand what you’re saying."

Sera met Haziel’s gaze, her own expression unwavering. The calm that surrounded her was unsettling, as if she had already accepted what was to come. "If that’s the case, then why are you still fighting?"

For a moment, Haziel didn’t respond. Then, the angel’s wings flared wide, and with a powerful beat, she shot into the sky, leaving a trail of red lightning in her wake.

Sera watched her ascend. But there was no fear, no rush to follow.

Haziel soared into the sky, her wings cutting through the air with a fierce grace. As she rose higher, the red lightning surrounding her body pulsed violently, surging with raw power.

The angel's body glowed with an intensity that had not been there before, her flesh dissolving into pure, radiant energy. The harsh, crimson light that once radiated from her wings faded into something far more divine.

White light now arched from her back. Her wings glimmered brighter with the ethereal glow of pure energy. A burning halo formed above her head, its edges crackling with a fiery, radiant force. It hovered there, molten with divine judgment, casting a harsh, searing glow down on Sera.

Haziel’s eyes blazed with light as she stared down from her position in the sky, no longer an angel bound by flesh, but a being of pure celestial wrath. Her very presence was overwhelming, almost suffocating.

So, this is what she really is, Sera thought. She watched as even as the sky above rippled with the angel’s divine energy.

Under normal circumstances, Sera would feel fear. But there was a part of her that knew that the outcome of this conflict with the angel was inevitable.

Time slowed again as Sera's perception sharpened. She clasped her hands together, fingertips pressing into her palms as she connected with the ancient power of the forest beneath her. The earth responded to her immediately, vibrating with the deep hum of the forest’s magic echoing in her core.

The air grew heavy as the soil beneath the forest floor shifted. The ground split open with a deep, groaning crack as black roots surged forth. They twisted coiling around one another like serpents given life, growing rapidly as they spiraled upward. The roots wove together in an intricate pattern, forming something massive: something ancient.

The hydra’s body took shape, immense and towering, birthed from the pulsating roots of the forest. Its serpentine necks coiled through the air, undulating like dark, living tendrils. Each head was crowned with twisted, imposing antlers, gnarled and sharp like the weathered branches of an ancient tree. The skin of the hydra was rough and bark-like, covered in thorny vines that pulsed with a deep, ominous energy.

Seven massive heads swayed in the air, their glowing eyes burning with an otherworldly light, each one focused on the angel hovering above. The hydra’s presence filled the clearing, its immense form blotting out the canopy.

Thick, coiling vines bound Sera's body to the main head, snaking tightly around her legs, waist, and arms. The forest had merged with her, its power flowing through her veins, interwoven with her very being. She wasn’t just commanding the hydra, she was the hydra, her thoughts and movements mirrored in the colossal beast.

And so, I've become an abomination. The thought flickered across Sera's mind briefly, but there was no time to linger on it.

Sera's voice was now imbued with the raw, primal power that surged through her, echoed across the clearing. "Haziel, come and meet your destiny."

Haziel’s burning gaze narrowed to slits, wings flexing with divine might as she prepared to descend. Meanwhile , the hydra’s seven massive heads reared back, their glowing eyes locked on the angel, ready to strike. In that suspended moment, it felt as though the entire forest held its breath.

Sera watched the angel, her heart pounding with a growing sense of urgency. The immense power of the hydra coursed through her, every pulse of its energy echoing within her veins. But something was off. The weight of the creature, the sheer magnitude of its strength, was overwhelming, almost too much to direct. I can’t lose control now.

When Haziel closed the distance, Sera’s perception of time began to right itself. The sluggish crawl that had slowed the world moments ago melted away, replaced by the chaotic pace of battle.

I need to focus. Sera thought. She gritted her teeth, her hands clenched as she tried to rein in the hydra’s raw power. The massive heads swayed, muscles coiling like serpents preparing to strike, but the creature felt unwieldy, its size a hindrance against Haziel’s terrifying speed. Haziel moved like a streak of light, too fast to track, and each time Sera commanded the hydra to strike, it was just a fraction too slow.

The angel roared as she unleashed another blast of red lightning. Her form streaked through the sky, crackling energy trailing in her wake like the tail of a meteor. The bolt struck the hydra’s central body with brutal precision, and the resulting explosion was deafening. Bark, roots, and vines were torn apart, erupting into the sky in a violent shower of debris. The shockwave ripped through the forest, shaking the trees down to their roots, sending splintered wood and shattered earth flying in all directions.

One of the hydra’s heads let out a guttural, rage-filled roar, its massive form momentarily disoriented as the blast carved a gaping hole through its torso. Thick roots, which had woven together like sinew, were obliterated, leaving behind a blackened wound. She’s too fast.

Sera tried to command the black roots to repair the damage, but before they could fully twist and bind themselves together, Haziel was already on the move again. The angel launched another bolt of searing red lightning, this one aimed with surgical precision at one of the hydra’s side heads.

The head exploded in a violent spray of roots and vines, chunks of the hydra’s body scattering across the clearing. The force of the blast sent the hydra stumbling, its massive limbs tearing through the earth as it fought to stay upright. The forest floor shook beneath its weight, trees uprooted and thrown aside like brittle twigs as the creature thrashed in disorientation.

Sera winced, feeling the impact as if it had struck her own body. Her connection to the hydra was deep and every very blow Haziel dealt reverberated through her. This is ridiculous, I shouldn't be losing like this.

Haziel darted through the air like a blazing comet, her movements too quick to follow. Sera tried again to lash out, commanding the hydra’s heads to snap toward the angel with all the force they could muster.

But Haziel danced out of reach with infuriating ease. The hydra’s attacks missed their mark, smashing through trees and tearing deep scars into the earth instead. One of the heads crashed into the ground, uprooting a grove of ancient trees, leaving the forest floor scarred and barren.

"Come on!" Sera hissed. She pushed harder, trying to bring the hydra’s movements in line with Haziel’s erratic, lightning-fast strikes. But every time the hydra lunged, the angel was already gone, her form flickering between flashes of light and destructive energy.

Another blast of red lightning tore through the air, striking the hydra’s torso with devastating force. The impact sent shards of bark and vine spiraling into the sky, the explosion rippling through the forest like a shockwave.

The creature staggered backward, its immense form shuddering as two of its massive heads whipped around in confusion, their glowing eyes darting, trying to lock onto Haziel’s evasive form. The angel moved too quickly, her targets slipping from the hydra’s grasp before it could retaliate.

Sera clenched her fists. This isn’t working.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, the pressure of the battle bearing down on her. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, Sera forced her breathing to slow, feeling the tension in her chest ease. She focused on the steady rhythm of her heart, the pull of the forest’s power beneath her. I can’t let this slip away.

Gritting her teeth, she centered herself, pulling the world back into focus. Slowly, her perception shifted. The frantic blur of Haziel’s lightning-fast movements softened, each flicker of red energy becoming clearer, more defined. Time stretched, the rapid pace of the battle easing as the noise and chaos dulled. Now.

Sera’s eyes snapped open as she directed the hydra’s largest head to strike. She could feel the creature respond immediately, its movements no longer sluggish or imprecise. The massive head reared back, dark roots coiling and twisting as it gathered its strength. Its jaws opened wide, revealing a maw filled with thorny, bark-covered teeth. The hydra let out a thunderous roar that shook the ground beneath them, as it lunged toward Haziel with terrifying speed.

Haziel twisted midair in an attempt to dodge. But this time, the angel was just a fraction too slow. The hydra’s massive jaws snapped shut with brutal force, enveloping her entire form in a crushing grip. The vines and bark that made up the creature’s body closed around the angel like a trap, sealing her inside.

Sera’s breath caught in her throat as she watched. The final glimpse of Haziel’s radiant light disappeared behind layers of twisted vines and thorn-covered bark, the last flicker of red lightning extinguished as the hydra’s mouth sealed shut with an ominous crack.

Got her.