Chapter 10 — Guardian of the Heart
A month later.
After repelling the attack of the "Flaming Seals", the goddess Loki personally assembled a team:
• Hulk — leading the power of the Heart.
Ais is the Sword of the Wind.
• Finn is a captain with a genius for strategy.
Riveria is the wisest magician.
Grey is a silent warrior, the only one who is not afraid of the Hulk in a rage.
Their goal is to go down to floor 61, which is not registered in the official guild scrolls. This floor is alive. He's not just deeper, he's different.
⸻
The descent was difficult.
After the 59th floor, everything changed: the sky turned purple, the ground became soft like skin. Magic crackled in the air. The space was distorted. As if the world didn't want them in.
But the Hulk felt the call. It was like a heartbeat, guiding me forward.
When they reached the 61st floor, everything went quiet.
In front of them was a black plain, in the center of which stood a single figure.
He was... not human. Not a monster. Something in between. Tall, in white robes, with a face indistinguishable in the shadows.
He stood on the border between light and darkness.
— You've reached it. Children of the top. Gods. And you..." his gaze fell on the Hulk. — The flame inside the flesh. The heir of destruction and will.
"Who are you?" Hulk asked.
— I am the Guardian of the Heart. I was created when the Dungeon was born. To observe, evaluate... and judge. You've awakened my heart. Now you have to understand its essence.
Finn took a step forward.
— What happens if it doesn't pass?
"He'll disappear." His body is too close to the core. Without acceptance, he will... disappear into Memory.
The Hulk came over.
"Then let's get started."
⸻
The test was not a fight.
Instead of a blow, there is a flash of memory. He was thrown back into his childhood. He's a five—year-old boy in chains. The Colosseum. Blood. The laughter of the evil god Demalkos, who created him as a toy.
He felt the pain. Humiliation. Fear.
"I am a weapon… I'm not human.… I am not worthy of freedom..."
He collapsed to his knees.
But a figure appeared from the shadows. Ais. The Finn. Riveria. Warm. And even Loki.
"We don't see you as a weapon. And the will. You're ours. And you're your own boss.
The voice of the heart sounded inside:
"You can choose. You will remain a slave to the past, or you will become the future.
And the Hulk stood up. Not with rage. But with quiet confidence.
— I accept myself. Entirely. Even the dark one. Even a weak one. I'm not a chain. I am the key.
⸻
The Guardian of the Heart was gone.
A path down appeared in front of the Hulk — a shining spiral leading to the Dungeon core.
"You passed." For the first time in thousands of years. Accept the blessing of your Heart.
A symbol descended onto the Hulk's body, a golden spiral embedded in his chest. It wasn't a level increase, but a new status:
Fusion with the Core is activated. Ability: "Rhythm of the Depths".
It allows you to hear the Dungeon's breathing, predict monsters, feel magical currents and ... communicate with the Core.
⸻
They returned upstairs, and silence enveloped them.
Finn said:
"You've become something more. Now... your power doesn't just tear down walls. She creates the path.
And the Hulk looked up at the ceiling of the Dungeon.
"I'm not downstairs anymore. I am a part of it. But I won't let others use it. I'll be the Guardian. The last one.