Inside the cave, the campfire had burned down to its last embers, leaving only a few faintly glowing coals flickering in the ashes.
Their shadows stretched long across the stone walls.
The warmth of a full meal had driven away the midnight chill and eased the exhaustion left behind by the brutal fight.
Kiriya sat up, stretching his shoulders and back, feeling his condition more or less restored.
When he turned his head, he saw Lina sitting quietly, her gaze lowered to the edge of her shield.
The faint, flickering firelight danced in her ice-blue eyes, making them look even clearer, and faintly reflected a trace of something contemplative.
"Seventy-two hours…" she murmured softly, her fingertip absentmindedly tracing a shallow scratch along the shield's surface.
Kiriya raised a brow and chuckled, his tone deliberately light.
"Relax. At worst, it's just overtime farming mobs and with a nice chunk of EXP attached."He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes with a casual slap.
"Besides, without this, I wouldn't have had the chance to discover that our lady knight is secretly a great cook. Totally worth it."
"You really are too carefree." Lina glanced up at him, her tone carrying a hint of exasperation, though the corner of her lips curved ever so slightly.
Some of the tension in her gaze was swept away by his irreverence.
"It's just the truth." Kiriya's smile softened, growing more serious.
"Which is why we'd better make good use of our time and get rid of this red glow as soon as possible. It's blinding to look at."
He drew his sword in one smooth motion, its blade catching a cold gleam in the dim firelight.
"If I remember right, there are stone monsters around here. Taking them down shortens the timer and gives decent EXP."
Lina nodded, rising with practiced ease. She packed the remaining meat and utensils back into her bag.
"Mm. Safer to move at night anyway." She paused, her tone turning casual, almost teasing.
"…And maybe eat a little slower next time. You did just down ten skewers."
Kiriya immediately put on a solemn expression.
"Of course. The head chef's orders shall be obeyed. Rationing, noted."
"Smart mouth." Lina gave a soft snort, but didn't pursue the matter further. She turned toward the cave entrance, her steps light and sure.
"Come on. Stay alert."
"Aye aye."
The canyon was cloaked in silence beneath the night sky, the only sound the wind whistling mournfully through the jagged rocks.
The crimson glow above Kiriya's head became their only source of light, cutting a sharp but steady path through the darkness.
They moved one after the other, maintaining a perfect, unspoken distance as they made their way toward the marked ruins on the map.
It wasn't long before a dull, grating sound—like stone grinding against stone—echoed from the darkness ahead.
"They're here." Lina's voice dropped as she raised her shield soundlessly into position.
[Gargoyle]
Level: 28
HP: 18,000
Skills:
[Stone fist Slam] – Delivers a powerful blow to a single target, dealing high physical damage and causing a brief stagger.
[Rage] – When HP falls below 30%, it enters a berserk state, increasing attack and defense by 30%.
Between the fallen columns of the ruined stone hall ahead, two hulking stone constructs were patrolling slowly.
Their massive frames gleamed faintly, joints glowing with a dim, sinister red light—true Gargoyles.
"Same plan?" Kiriya asked, glancing at Lina, a spark of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
"Mm," Lina replied briefly, cold mist already gathering around her.
"You find an opening. I'll hold them."
The fight began in an instant.
Lina didn't charge recklessly. Instead, she closed the distance with perfect precision and slammed her shield into the ground—
"Ice Wall Barrier!"
A thick wall of ice erupted from the earth, neatly separating one of the gargoyles from its partner—if only for a few seconds.
Almost simultaneously, Kiriya moved.
"Clone Summon!"
Two phantoms split from his form, identical to him, their blades flashing as they struck from three sharp angles toward the isolated gargoyle!
The gargoyle let out a low roar, its massive arm lifting to strike—only for Lina to close the gap like a silver streak.
"Frost Domain!"
A burst of frigid air rolled outward, drastically slowing the gargoyle's movements. Her sword, glistening with frost, stabbed with pinpoint accuracy into the monster's knee joint.
-1520!
Aggro locked. The gargoyle turned heavily toward her, the red glow in its eyes intensifying—
Lina raised her shield, bracing herself for the petrifying gaze.
But then, something went wrong.
The second gargoyle suddenly smashed through the remnants of the ice wall with a deafening crash, letting out a roar far louder and more savage than its companion.
Its entire frame seemed to swell as its red light flared; it had entered berserk mode. And instead of targeting Lina, it lunged straight at Kiriya!
"Watch out!" Lina cried, trying to intercept—but she was a moment too late.
Kiriya's heart clenched. He instinctively had his phantoms scatter and—
"Blink Step!"
His body blurred, vanishing just as the gargoyle's massive claws slammed down. He reappeared behind it, landing in its blind spot.
"Phantom Slash!"
A crescent-shaped sword arc tore across its back.
-2150!
But the berserk gargoyle's defenses were stronger than expected—no stagger.
Instead, it roared, even more frenzied, and spun with shocking speed, its claws tearing through the air toward Kiriya.
"Your opponent is me!" Lina's voice rang out, urgent. She abandoned the nearly-dead gargoyle entirely and charged the berserk one.
"Frost Thrust!"
A spear of icy energy shot forward like a javelin, trying to reclaim its attention.
The gargoyle's movement only faltered for a split second—its hatred locked firmly on Kiriya.
The injured gargoyle had already broken free and was closing from behind, forming a deadly pincer.
"Tch." Kiriya clicked his tongue, calm despite the danger. His body flowed like water, dodging strike after strike in a tight space.
"Fall back to me!" Lina shouted, slamming her shield into the ground to draw attention.
"Don't panic!" Kiriya barked back.
"Keep the wounded one controlled! This big guy is mine!"
As the berserk gargoyle's claws came crashing down again, Kiriya didn't retreat—he stepped in.
"Blink Step!"
A short-range teleport! He ghosted under the gargoyle's descending arm—directly into its blind spot.
The monster's strike hit nothing but air. Its massive body pitched forward from the momentum, exposing the faintly glowing core at the back of its neck.
"Got you." Kiriya's lips curled into a razor-sharp grin.
"Phantom Thrust!"
He focused every ounce of power into the sword tip. The phantoms mirrored him, three points converging in perfect harmony.
Crunch!
A sharp, wet crack echoed through the canyon.
-2140! (Critical! Weak Point Penetration!)
The gargoyle froze mid-motion, the red glow in its eyes snuffed out. Its enormous stone body shattered into rubble with a thunderous crash.
Almost at the same moment, Lina dispatched the wounded gargoyle with a clean strike.
[System Message: You have slain [Berserk Gargoyle]. Red Name duration reduced by 10 hours. Remaining time: 61h 12m.]
EXP Gained: +6850 EXP
Silver Coins: 34
Materials: [Petrified Heart] ×1, [Rough Stone] ×12
[System Message: You have leveled up! Lv. 29.]
[System Message: Party Member Lina has leveled up! Lv. 28.]
Kiriya shook the blood and dust from his blade, casting Lina a look that was half-grin, half-challenge.
"So? Didn't I say to leave it to me?"
Lina stared at him for a long moment. The knot of fear that had gripped her chest moments ago dissolved into helpless exasperation.
She walked up to inspect the spot where he had barely dodged death, confirming he was unscathed, before letting out a quiet sigh.
"…Don't take risks like that next time." Her voice was softer than usual, colored by a trace of lingering fear.
"Relax. I know my limits." Kiriya sheathed his sword with a faint smile.
"And besides, wasn't I counting on you being here?"
Lina shot him a glare but didn't reply. Instead, she turned to collect the coins and materials left behind by the fallen gargoyles.
"…Hurry up. Looks like we'll be at this all night."
Kiriya watched her back and chuckled, then followed.
The night stretched endlessly before them, but with someone walking beside him, even grinding mobs to work off a red-name penalty didn't feel so unbearable.