For The Greater Good-World 1: A Corrupted Cove || World//Zero ||

29. A Dire Problem

He first saw the shard. It was huge, probably as tall as the trees. It was like a mountain or an iceberg above water, as only the top half was visible from the ground. It was gleaming a deep purple color and had sparks of violet electricity zapping through it. The ground around it was absolutely destroyed by the corrupted piece, the grass dead and the earth replaced with hard black and purple rock. Standing on this patch was the Dire Boarwolf itself, bucking its back legs and shaking its head in frustration. It looked like it was having some kind of aggressive temper tantrum, but Alec didn't want to get near it at all. Every once in a while it would glance back at the group on the top of the hill, but wouldn't charge, and continue squealing in what Alec could only guess was in pain or agony.

He shifted his gaze from the Dire to the darkened crystal pierced through the earth.

"Cynthia!" Danny suddenly cried out. "Kai!"

A growl suppressed the air as the old mentor went to the boy's side. "Hold on, Danny," he warned. "It's not safe!"

Danny continued to shout, calling out his mentor's and friend's name. Meanwhile Alec continued to look at the Dire Boarwolf as it groaned ferociously. "Something's wrong," he muttered.

Elliot, who was standing near him, looked his way. "What?"

Cynthia!

"The Dire. Something's wrong with it."

"What's wrong with it?" Aris asked.

Kai!

Symphony walked in front of the crowd to get a better look. Her face stiffened. "I think it's that crystal! It's controlling it!"

"Could that be what's corrupting the dungeons?" Alec asked.

"I think so!"

"Guys, look!" Mindy shouted, pointing to the hybrid.

Everyone turned around toward the Dire. Like a dog chasing its tail, it was spinning 'round and 'round into a tight, compact ball. Sparks of purple electricity sparked off its fur and the sizzling of lightning filled the clearing. Then, to everyone's surprise, a burst of radioactive energy came from it like a smoke bomb. Alec was both amazed and traumatized.

"We have to get out of here!" Mindy proclaimed. "It's too strong!"

"I agree!" Aris said. "Let's just find Cynthia and Kai and leave!"

"Everyone, wait!" the older mentor said.

No one listened, and instead turned around and ran back to the hill, attempting to go back down. But they couldn't. A green barrier was blocking them from going through. Alec remembered this border before; he'd seen it in the first dungeon. Soon enough everyone else seemed to realize that as well. Even then, some didn't accept that they were stuck and continued to pound their fists against the barrier, though to no avail. It was hopeless. It seemed like they had no other choice.

"The only way to get out of here is if we beat this dungeon," the mentor proposed. "We have to defeat the Dire!"

Alec stared at the Dire Boarwolf again, drawing out his sword. He went against the Crab Prince, though failed. If he couldn't defeat so much as that World Boss, then how was he supposed to slay a giant boarwolf? He then thought back to that battle with the Crab Prince, and then to what he witnessed with Symphony and that other World Boss that she and her mentor were fighting. She was able to take it down because she was with a group of people helping each other fight it. That was what happened with Alec as well, where his mentor and Elliot and the berserker came to his and Sean's aid to defeat the Crab Prince. As he looked around at the group that he was with right now, they all stayed back by that green barrier blocking the outside, afraid to even step up and challenge the supposed dungeon boss. Even Symphony looked a little fearful, though she kept her staff in her hand.