Yuira, Nurveus, and the soldier who summoned them hurried to the Blue Crystal Dungeon. Upon entering the cave, Yuira was shocked to find his diamond wall in ruins. He turned to the guards, his eyes narrowing. "Who did this?"
"W-we don't know," the guard stammered. "By the time we arrived, the wall was already shattered."
Yuira turned back toward the deeper tunnels. "Guard this entrance. Do not let anyone else in!"
Yuira and Nurveus ventured deeper into the cavern. In the central chamber, the Lord Terqio stood waiting. As Yuira stepped forward to face it, a magical barrier suddenly shimmered into existence, blocking Nurveus's path.
She touched the invisible wall. "Master, please open the barrier."
"It's not my magic," Yuira replied calmly.
"Then I shall destroy it myself, Master," Nurveus declared.
Yuira quickly raised a hand. "No need. I'll handle this one alone. You focus on killing the monsters outside the barrier."
Nurveus nodded. She turned her back to the shimmering wall and faced the swarm of Terqio monsters closing in on her.
Inside the barrier, the Lord Terqio lunged at Yuira. Holding his Magic Wand, Yuira muttered, "Barrier Magic... Barrier Room." A hemispherical dome of light appeared around him. Every time the Lord Terqio tried to impale Yuira with its spike-like arms, the strikes were deflected by the impenetrable barrier.
Outside, Nurveus summoned droplets of water the size of a finger. With a flick of her index finger, the water droplets accelerated, piercing through the bodies of the Terqio monsters one by one.
Hidden in the shadows, the man who had fed the poison to Lord Terqio watched the lopsided battle.
Heh~, that guy is using Barrier Room? He's no ordinary Mage. The man smirked, then shifted his gaze toward Nurveus. And that woman is certainly no ordinary Water Mage.
After several minutes, Yuira began to feel bored. He let out a long yawn while watching Lord Terqio's futile attempts to break his shield.
Aaaah~, how dull. Maybe I should stop using the Barrier Room.
The moment Yuira deactivated his magic, Lord Terqio's spike grazed his left cheek. In that same instant, Nurveus turned around. Seeing blood on Yuira's face, her mind flashed back to the moment Lucius died of poison. Her pupils, normally black, bled into a haunting crimson.
The ground beneath her feet began to crack. She raised her right arm, and the surrounding Terqios froze, paralyzed by a primal fear.
Yuira turned, seeing the change in her eyes. "Nurveus, wa—!"
Before he could finish, Nurveus swung her arm in a vertical arc. A massive crescent of pressurized water erupted, instantly shattering the barrier blocking her path. The Lord Terqio was sliced clean in half, its body bursting into flames until it was nothing but ash.
Her pupils returned to black, and Nurveus rushed to Yuira's side. She touched his face, her voice trembling with concern. "MASTER! Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine," Yuira said, gently holding her forearm to calm her.
Watching from the shadows, the mysterious man was horrified. What kind of power is that? That barrier shouldn't have been that easy to break... Could she be a Dragon?... No, a Dragon would never serve a human unless... she's a Half-Dragon.
Half-Dragons were a legendary rarity—humans born with the blood of a Dragon, possessing power that could rival or even surpass their progenitors. While true Dragons could shapeshift between human and draconic forms, Half-Dragons were locked in human form but retained draconic eyes and immense strength.
The man turned and bolted for the exit. When he reached the surface, the two soldiers leveled their weapons at him. "Halt!" one cried.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" the man screamed, swinging his axe.
Just as the blade was about to cleave a soldier, a dagger whistled through the air, clanging against the axe head. The force of the throw sent the man stumbling back. He looked up to see a man with maroon hair and a brown cloak: Velt Malvelle.
Velt unsheathed a standard longsword. "You two, get back," he ordered the soldiers.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" the man roared, charging forward.
As the man took his first few steps, three red afterimages of Velt suddenly appeared, slashing through his body. The man's momentum died instantly. Velt appeared in front of him and slammed the pommel of his sword into the man's head, sending him crashing to the dirt.
Velt stepped on the man's chest, his voice cold. "Who are you?"
The man offered no answer, only a glare of pure hatred. Damn it... this guy is an Expert-rank or higher.
Yuira and Nurveus soon caught up. Seeing them, Velt began to walk toward his friend.
Now's my chance! The man pulled out a Magic Scroll and tore it. His body erupted in brilliant light, and in a flash, he vanished.
"Tch, what was that?" Velt asked, frustrated. Yuira stared at the spot where the scroll had been torn, his gaze sharp, but he quickly dismissed it.
Walking back to town, Yuira and Velt chatted as the atmosphere in Aropa Village shifted. Residents were coming out of their homes, celebrating their safety. The Mayor approached them. "Sir, what about the dungeon?"
"The problem is solved," Yuira answered. "Though the dungeon will probably need a new Boss." The Mayor nodded, relieved. "I see. Thank you."
As they walked past the now-open Merchant Guild, Yuira prepared to go in for his license, but Nurveus stopped him. "Master, you should rest first."
"I'm fine," Yuira argued. "The whole thing took less than three hours."
"But," Nurveus reminded him, "your experiment from yesterday has been heating for over an hour now."
Yuira's eyes went wide. "Ah... you're right!" He took off running toward his shop.
In a dark, palace-like fortress, figures in black robes moved through the shadows. These were the members of a cult known as Doom Bringer.
The man who had escaped from Velt, Ben, appeared in the hall. Recalling his humiliation, he gnashed his teeth. Damn it all! I won't let them get away with insulting me.
The leader of the Doom Bringers, an old man with dark skin, white hair, and golden irises, approached him. "Ben, why have you returned? Do you wish to die?"
Ben immediately fell to his knees, trembling. "O-our plan at the Blue Crystal Dungeon failed. Someone interfered... Please, give me one more chance!"
The leader's voice was stern. "Very well. One last chance. If you fail again, we will use your corpse as an offering."
"T-thank you," Ben stammered, his body shaking as he hurried toward the exit.
The Cult Leader turned around and began walking toward a statue, accompanied by three people standing in a row. On the right was a woman with long hair, on the left was a muscular man with thick hair, and in the middle was a bald man with a thin body.
The eyes of the three statues were covered with blindfolds. Then the leader of the Doom Bringers spread his arms wide. "Oh, Fallen Angels, we beg you to be patient. For we will offer this world to you!"
To be continued...