Sanctuary: Safe Haven

Boran's team watched in tense anticipation as the battle between the black orc and the great-calamity monster began. The creature, with its four eyes, long arms, and scaly legs, stood menacingly, holding a dagger that emanated a poisonous aura. The team's mana reserves were dangerously low, and their muscles ached from the grueling escape from the dungeon boss room.

They knew they couldn't afford to engage directly, so they took up positions to support the black orc.

The black orc, standing eight feet tall, roared in defiance and charged at the monster with a speed that defied its massive size. The great-calamity creature responded with equal ferocity, its long arms and scaly legs moving with deadly precision.

Boran barked orders to his team, "Support the orc with spells, but conserve your strength! We can't afford to run out of mana now!"

Kael nodded, focusing on casting protective barriers and small offensive spells. Arin, despite his fatigue, conjured fireballs and ice shards, aiming them at the monster to create openings for the black orc. Selene darted around the battlefield, looking for any chance to strike with her daggers.

The black orc's axe swung with tremendous force, colliding with the creature's dagger in a shower of sparks. The monster retaliated, its long arms whipping around to strike at the orc's flanks. The black orc blocked and countered with remarkable agility, its movements a blur as it kept the monster at bay.

The great-calamity creature unleashed a chilling fog that began to fill the chamber. Boran felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as the fog drained their strength and mana, siphoning it to the creature to aid its recovery.

"Stay out of the fog!" Boran shouted, his voice strained. "It's draining us and healing himself!"

The team quickly adjusted, retreating to the edges of the chamber to avoid the fog. Kael cast a wind spell to try and disperse the fog, but it was slow to dissipate. The black orc, in the thick of the battle, seemed unaffected by the draining fog, its sheer willpower and strength pushing it forward.

The monster lunged with its dagger, aiming for the black orc's chest. The orc parried the blow, its axe flashing in a deadly arc that sliced into the creature's scaly leg. The monster howled in pain, its four eyes burning with rage. It swung its long arm, catching the black orc off guard and sending it crashing into the dungeon wall.

Boran's heart pounded as he watched the black orc stagger to its feet. "We need to give it more support!" he urged, summoning his remaining strength to cast a powerful fire spell at the monster.

The spell struck true, causing the creature to convulse and momentarily lose its balance. Arin seized the opportunity, launching a barrage of ice shards that struck the monster's torso. Selene dashed in, her daggers finding weak spots in the creature's scales, but she quickly retreated as the monster swung its arm in retaliation.

The black orc, regaining its footing, charged again with renewed fury. It swung its axe in a wide arc, aiming for the creature's neck. The monster dodged with incredible speed, its dagger flashing as it aimed for the orc's side. The black orc twisted, the dagger grazing its ribs, but it used the momentum to bring its axe down in a crushing blow to the creature's shoulder.

The monster screamed, its dagger clattering to the floor. It retaliated by releasing another wave of the draining fog, but this time, the black orc was prepared. It roared, channelling its immense strength, and swung its axe with such force that it created a shockwave, dispersing the fog and striking the creature in the chest.

Boran's team, seeing their chance, unleashed a coordinated assault. Kael fired a series of mana missiles, Arin conjured a wall of fire to trap the creature, and Selene threw her daggers with pinpoint accuracy. The combined attack overwhelmed the monster, forcing it to its knees.

The black orc, seizing the moment, lifted its axe high and brought it down with all its might on the creature's head.

Just as the axe was about to strike the creature's head, it let out a scream that pierced everyone's ears, causing a momentary paralysis.

The creature used that small window to punch the black orc with all its strength. The orc was thrown like a cannonball through the dungeon. The gap between a great calamity and a mid-calamity was too vast; if it had been a different monster than the black orc, it would have surely been turned into meat paste with that punch.

Fear flashed in Boran's eyes. He had placed so much confidence in the black orc, only to see it defeated. Desperation took over as he shouted his next orders, "F*ck it! Forget it! Use the life-saving treasures of the kingdom! NOW!

"

One by one, the group members turned to light and were shot outside of the dungeon.

In their haste, they forgot Kael, who had already passed out. The scream of a great-calamity-ranked creature was far too much for a simple B ranker like him to handle.

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Outside the dungeon, Boran and the rest of the group lay in an open field, their chests heaving from exhaustion. The one-time treasure they had used had transported them out of the dungeon instantly.

Boran was the first to catch his breath. He cursed his mind as he looked back at the dungeon, a chill running down his spine. What in the hell had just happened? Was someone playing tricks on them? Multiple low-calamities chased them out of a dungeon boss room, and a great-calamity even showed up. How unreasonable is that?

That wasn't what a dungeon should do!

Trying to calm his rage, he looked around at the people present in the field and made a mental headcount. His face suddenly paled.

He realized he was missing someone. To be sure, he checked again.

"KAEL IS GONE!!! WHY DID NO ONE CHECK ON HIM?!" he shouted.

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Back in the dungeon, a small man with spiky green hair lay lifelessly on the ground. Just a few feet away, a great-calamity monster eagerly approached, ready to snack on him.

As the monster got close enough, it extended its claws, ready to seize the human. Suddenly, it sensed something was wrong. Its hand froze, and as it looked up, it saw a bone spear aimed at its head and a sword poised to slash its sides.

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