There weren't many monsters to encounter. There was perhaps only a mixed handful of Breeze Bats and Slimes, neither of which requiring a whole squad to be dealt with. And those were only the ones that weren't being so docile.
This dungeon, if it was even able to be called that, was one of the most lackluster. Not just for Sier, who had challenged his fair share, but for the three teens, who had only until then heard stories about them. Even still, they continued on.
That was, until they reached what appeared to be a dead end.
"Damn. Did we miss a turn?"
Eric cursed as he looked around. Sier, however, stepped forward.
"Remember, we're in a place created by mana. It can take any form. And, in this case..."
He went to put his hand against the wall, only for it to go straight through. A light blue ripple appeared where he touched the wall until he pulled his hand back out.
"... It's a fake wall."
The young squad stared at their senior curiously.
"How did you know it wasn't real?"
Sier looked back at Yvonne.
"Visit enough dungeons and you start to recognize their traps. Low rankin' ones like this one usually don't have the mana capacity to make more than a few of these. And they're usually in places that're more conspicuous."
Sier turned back around, walking through the fake wall. The teens looked between each other before continuing after the young man.
Crossing onto the other side of the wall, they immediately stopped. Sier was standing still a little ways in front of them at the entrance to a decently large room, staring straight across to the other side. What was strange was how the place was already lit by torches lining the walls.
"Sier? Is something wrong?"
The young man put a hand up, making them go quiet. A few seconds passed in pure silence, quiet enough to make their ears ring.
"... Golem. Not too strong, seems like."
Sier calmly stepped forward, passing an unseen threshold. Then, at the other side of the room, the bricks making up the wall began to move. They moved out of the wall and floated in the air surrounded by a faint blue glow, then swirling together.
The three teens quickly moved next to Sier. It was all too clear they were about to fight the dungeon's Bulwark. Yvonne and Claudia reached into their travel bags, each grabbing a single seed from within. Eric, meanwhile, reached for the two tomahawks at his waist, lighting the blades on fire.
The floating bricks finally took shape, taking on a vaguely humanoid form. It was a little more than twice as tall as Sier at nearly four meters, and was more than three times as wide. A glowing blue swirl formed on what could be called its face, forming an eye.
"Any tips on fightin' this thing?"
Right before Sier could give an answer, the golem reared back its left fist. The four of them dodged as it threw a punch forward, launching its own fist. It crash against the wall behind them harmlessly.
Sier spoke quickly while the golem gathered more bricks to replace the missing ones.
"Fire won't work on this one! Claudia, Yvonne! Use your Woods Magic to hold it down! Eric! You an' I will go for the core! It's the swirl on its head!"
Sier shouted his orders to each of the teens who nodded without question. Acting quickly, the twins threw the seeds in their hands to the ground. They held out their already stretched hands, conjuring a faint, blue-ish green glow. The seeds then sprouted, growing into full sized pine trees in the blink of an eye. The roots acted like tendrils, wrapping around the limbs of the golem and holding them down.
Sier ran with Eric, each of them readying their weapons. The golem's head shifted to face them, but it was already too late. Leaping into the air, they brought their blades down on the swirl pattern on the golem's face, breaking it instantly.
There was a small eruption of mana that nearly threw the two off balance, but they managed to recover before landing on the ground. The twins ran up to them, making sure they were alright.
The four of them looked at where the golem once was, binded in tree roots. Sure enough, nothing but lifeless bricks remained.
"Y'know... I was expectin' this whole epic fight to the death. Like all those stories I read before I joined the Guild."
Sier laughed out loud at Eric's comment. The three teens looked over at him, feeling nothing but confusion. The young man ceased his laughter to explain upon seeing their expressions.
"I get it. I was like that early on, too. But somethin' I learned not long after is that you really shouldn't waste time. If you can beat a monster as fast as that, don't let that chance pass you by."
Sier sheathed his sword and dusted his hands off.
"Now, who wants to check out the loot room?"
Without even waiting for an answer, Sier hopped over the roots of the trees and walked over to the spot in the wall where the golem formed from. Much to the surprise of the teens, the missing bricks formed the doorway between this chamber and another smaller room.
They quickly followed after Sier, not wanting to be left behind. Upon entering the small room lit by a single torch, they saw a chest only slightly larger than the one in the old study room.
"Another mimic?"
Sier quickly did his usual check to answer Yvonne's question. This time, however, nothing happened. Figuring it was safe, they walked over and opened it.
Upon doing so, their eyes lit up. Within the chest was a pile of gold big enough to fill one of the twins' bags. On top of the pile sat another skill scroll along with a necklace holding what looked like a small, uncut amethyst.
"That's... That's a lot of gold..."
Eric let out a surprised breath as he stared at the contents of the chest. Sier reached into it and grabbed the other two items. He stashed the skill scroll while holding the necklace up for his juniors to see.
"A place like this, you'd probably wonder what a piece of jewelry's doin' here."
He looked to the teens, getting a nod from the twins. Eric, meanwhile, had a look of realization.
"Oh! It's an enchanted item, isn't it? It's laced with mana that can enhance your abilities a bit if you wear it."
Sier nodded with a smile.
"Aye. Gotta get it appraised to see the effects. Should be one back home."
While the young man put the necklace away, Claudia looked back down at the chest.
"What about all the gold?"
This made Sier cross his arms, wondering what to do.
"It's an awful lot to carry in those bags you two have. Ugh, I should've brought my backpack with me."
He scratched the back of his head with an apologetic look.
"Sorry, guys. I usually come a lot better prepared to dungeons."
Eric shrugged.
"It's fine. Shouldn't be a big deal if we split it up."
Sier nodded.
"Go ahead and grab as much as you feel comfortable carryin'. We can leave the rest if need be."
Yvonne gave the older teen a concerned look.
"Are you sure? We may end up leaving some behind."
Sier nodded with a small smile.
"It'll be fine. 'Sides, we'll get payed when we turn the quest in."
The young man and the three teens looked over, noticing a faint blue glow coming from behind them. On the ground a meter or so away was a runic, blue circle.
"Oh, thank the Gods. Thought we'd have to walk all the way back. Alright, new plan."
Without warning, Sier bent down and picked up the chest with no small amount of effort. The three stunned and worried teens watched him huff as he walked over to the circle.
"W-Well? C'mon! I certainly don't have all day!"
X
'Why... Why is this happening?'
Her eyes darted around the cobbled streets, sweat glistening on her face. The heat of the burning buildings did nothing to help the cold chill that ran up her spine.
Around her were bodies, young and old, men ,women, and children. All burning or sliced apart. Her own knights were counted among them.
Then, she looked up at the lone figure standing amidst the purple blaze. His sharp teeth were bared in a sadistic smile, a set of elongated fangs coming down almost to his chin. His eyes didn't reflect the inferno, being a cold, solid, pitch black with green pupils.
She gripped her halberd, shaken yet ready. Whoever this person is, they won't go unpunished for this crime. Not while she still breathes.
X
A blue circle appeared on the ground outside the cave. Seconds later, Sier and the others materialized out of thin air. The young man laughed as the three teens nearly lost their balance.
"Ah, I forgot about that part. Yeah, don't worry. You'll all get used to it."
He set the chest down for a moment, his arms feeling strained. As he did so, however, he glanced around.
Eric stepped over to make sure Claudia and Yvonne were doing well. After all, that was their first experience with a Rune Warp. Other than feeling a bit dizzy, they were otherwise fine.
"Oh, shit..."
The three of them instantly looked over, only to see Sier begin a mad dash through the forest and down the hill. It didn't take them long to realize why, either. Straight ahead from the mouth of the cave, they could see smoke rising into the air. And it was in the exact direction of Holleon.
X
Ari sidestepped another throwing knife barrage, only to have to block another stab from behind aimed at her throat. She stepped back while batting away her attacker, only for him to reappear to her right.
She didn't raise her weapon in time to defend against a slash that cleaved straight through her shoulder pad, drawing a bit of blood. However, she took the chance to swipe with her halberd, nearly slashing the cloaked man.
As he jumped back, he landed at the base of the town square fountain. From behind him, the floating orb appeared.
"She is quite powerful. To be fighting this long without her fire...
The man's eyes momentarily shifted from the woman to the orb.
"She the one, ma'am?"
The female voice coming from the orb hummed, moving out of the way as Ari went in for another attack. Only, she didn't end up hitting her mark.
"No."
The man's grin disappeared.
"Then, the hell d'you have me fightin' for?"
He ducked under a quick swipe then sidestepped a few stabs. He countered the last with a parry, sending Ari off balance long enough to put a knife into her left arm. She shouted in pain, taking a few steps back.
The man stared at her as readied more knives from beneath his cloak.
"The fair lady says you're not the one we're after."
Ari's eyes went wide as the man vanished, only to reappeared right in front of her. Painfully, he pulled out the knife still stuck in her arm.
"Trust me when I say your pain's nothin' compared to the shit this mission's been puttin' me through."
Without any warning, he spun around, kicking her straight in the face and sending her flying away.
Ari coughed as she rolled over, trying to get back on her feet. Just as she did, however, she heard something that nearly made her heart stop for a second.
"Ari!"
Looking over, she saw Sier come to a stop, clearly haggard from a long run. Instantly, the man's focus shifted to the young man.
"Sier, you need to run! Get back to Alag-"
Ari was cut off by a boot pressing her into the ground.
"Now's as good a time as ever. Should we test it, ma'am?"
Before the man could get an answer from the orb, three sets of footsteps came running around the corner, stopping behind Sier. Ari froze as she looked up from the ground.
"No... Sier! Get them out of here!"
She panted as she tried to resist the force keeping her down, only to be stomped on the back painfully. The man looked down at her with a frightening glint in his cold eyes.
"That shoutin's annoyin'."
He looked back up when he heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed. On instinct, he raised a knife to block a slash aimed at his side. Without too much effort, he deflected the attack, nearly knocking Sier off his feet.
"You three, get back to Alagon and get the Guard!"
Sier shouted his orders as he ran back in for another strike, only for it to be blocked just like the first one. Eric and the twins had gone still seeing the destruction around them and were only then broken out of their stupor by the shout. Without knowing what else to do, they did as told and began running.
The man saw this and smirked. He reached into his cloak, retrieving three knives. Right before he could throw them, however, the blade of a halberd nearly sliced his hand off.
The man jumped back to get some distance and stared at Sier and Ari, who was back in the fight, injured as she was. The man sent one last glance at the retreating teens before smiling and the two siblings.
"What valiant Heroes. Dyin' with this backwater town all for the sake of a few tots."
He laughed out loud, making the siblings flinch.
"Ah! This is gettin' fun again!"
As he stopped, he grabbed his coat, throwing it to the side. The man was revealed to be much more than Ari first thought. A Viper Orc, though not like any she had seen. His skin was a few shades more pale than the ordinary murky green. What should have been a head of pitch black hair was a mess of solid grey. His eyes lacked sclera, being pitch black aside from his green pupils. He wore no shirt, instead being replaced by several bandoliers holding knives made of bone. His brown trousers had a few tears in places, obviously being worn often. He had no armor aside from his black iron boots.
"I can't even begin to tell you how stuffy that shitty cloak was."
He cracked his neck as he got ready to go again. Ari moved to stand next to her brother, whispering to him.
"We need more time. Got anythin' that could help?"
Sier shook his head.
"Maybe a distraction or two. Won't be long enough for anyone to get here."
She silently cursed to herself, trying to think through the pain about what to do. Being down an arm while facing such a strong enemy isn't what she would call ideal.
The man ceased his stretching, giving the two siblings a murderous glare.
"Hope that break helped. You'll need all ya' can get."
With a wide smile, he drew fistfuls of knives and threw them at the siblings. They split up to avoid the attack, which quickly proved to be a mistake.
The focus was put on Sier, who narrowly deflected a stab aimed at his forehead. He partied another stab before being kicked in the side. He barely had time to recover before being forced to block a downwards slash.
As he held the clash, the man grinned. With only a little more effort, he began to overpower the young man and push him back. Knowing he had to do something, Sier acted quickly.
{Quickstep}
The man blinked and his target vanished before his very eyes. Well, that was how Sier thought things would have went.
With his skill, the young man quickly maneuvered around the orc and sent a slash aimed at his back. But the man was too fast, catching his wrists and kneeing him in the gut.
Sier doubled over in pain, giving the man the opportunity to take a stab at his neck. It was deflected, however, by Ari's halberd.
The man looked over in surprise and moved his head just in time to avoid the blade. He jumped away from the two to get a bit of distance.
Ari reached a hand out for Sier. She immediately regretted it, grunting in pain as her wound was further aggravated. The young man was still trying to get air back in his lungs from how hard he had been hit.
He held his stomach as he panted. His hand unconsciously wandered until he felt something. It was a pouch on his left hip. And that pouch gave him a good idea. It wasn't the one that contained what he needed, so he reached for the one on his right hip.
The man watched from a distance as Sier pulled something out of his pouch. It was a small glass bottle with a rounded base containing a black liquid that reflected a myriad of colors in the light of the purple fire. Ari saw what her brother held and knew exactly what to do.
The man's body tensed as Sier threw the bottle at him as hard as he could. Right as he moved to avoid it, however, it exploded in a flash of brilliant orange and purple flames.
Ari put her hand down, only for something to be placed in her grasp. Sier only said two words before rushing towards the burning path. There was no way this man who had been toying with them would go down that easily.
Sure enough, the man emerged from the smoke left in the wake of the blast with his grin even more manic than before. His body had noticeable scuff marks on it and the bits of clothing he had were noticeably singed.
With a laugh, he clashed with Sier once again.
{Quickstep}
He spun around, deflecting the young man's stab.
{Quickstep}
Sier disappeared before the orc could try a counter attack, landing a kick to his face. The man easily recovered and jumped back in.
{Quickstep, Quickstep}
Sier grit his teeth in pain as he faked the man out, scoring a shallow cut on the orc's arm. The man retaliated with a punch to the younger man's jaw, sending him flying back.
But that was when he noticed something. By the time he turned around, it was already too late. He was stabbed straight through the stomach by the spear tip of Ari's halberd. And, from that point on, his little game was over.
Ari held her halberd in the man for another second before retracting it and moving away. She kept her eyes on the orc who had yet to fall over as she backed up to where her brother was still trying to recover. What unnerved her, however, was the cold stare the orc kept trained on her as she moved.
Sier got back up, this time on his own, and watched what his sister was already witnessing. The siblings' faces were contorted in a mixture of horror and disgust.
The orc, who should have been holding his wound in pain, turned to face them with his smile growing impossibly wider. They could see straight through the small hole in his stomach, his guts sloshing around as he stepped closer, the lack of any blood, the warping of his musculature as it tried to move even when severed.
"Horrifyin'... Ain't it?"
He chuckled at their expressions before his smile began to fade. His eyes widened as he began coughing violently. Foam escaped his mouth as he fell to one knee, continuing to cough. But, there was nothing to cough up. Nothing except the tiny pieces of his lungs and throat that sat in his palm.
"Rust boar, eh?"
Even through the spasms and coughing, the orc stood back up with his eerie grin returning.
"I actually forgot 'bout that for a while. Good on ya'."
He walked forward as he continued.
"Seems this body ain't gonna last much longer. Shall I, ma'am?"
He stopped not far in front of the siblings. From behind him appeared the orb from before.
"I believe I have seen enough from the girl."
The orc nodded along, already knowing his orders. With a smile, he lunged forward, aiming at Ari with a knife in each hand. Right before he could reach her, however, his eyes widened. A pillar of black and indigo flames erupted in front of him, forming a wall that kept him from reaching his target. A gasp came from the floating orb, something the man hadn't heard in the nearly thirty years he'd been a part of this mission.
"It's him."
X
Sier and Ari ran as fast as they could. Neither knew how long the distraction would last, especially with how much of his remaining mana the young man had put into it. They kept going, reaching the edge of the east side of town. They both tried to ignore the destruction all around them as they fled. It wasn't like there was anyone left to turn back for.
Ari stopped when she heard Sier collapse behind her. She quickly rushed over to help him back up. As she did, however, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. The man who had attacked Holleon had nearly caught up.
While still running, he readied the last of his knives. His mouth was split open by a smile as he reared his arm back.
{Spear Bullet}
With a rush of wind, he threw his knife at untraceable speeds. Well, mostly untraceable.
Hearing a strange sound, Sier looked up from the ground. The moment he did, however, his eyes widened in shock. Ari stood behind him protectively, her halberd up in a guard. Only, the halberd's handle had been blown to pieces.
Ari stumbled before falling back, the only sound coming from her being her choking on her own blood. Sier could do nothing but watch as she hit the ground, gasping for air that just couldn't make it to her lungs. He was broken out of his shocked state when her fear ridden gaze shifted to him.
In the blink of an eye, Sier moved to his sister's side, his hands hovering over the pieces of wood and bone lodged deep in her neck. Tears came to his eyes as he began to panic, not knowing what to do. He tried to speak but he was unable to get anything out.
Ari reached out a hand, only for it to fall limp. Her body began to shake violently as the life began to leave her eyes. With her strength leaving her and her voice no longer being usable, she managed to mouth a single word that she hoped Sier understood.
"Live."
And with that single word came a final spasm that signaled the end of a life. A final, violent death rattle that left Sier shaking in place. He wasn't able to take his eyes off his sister's faded gaze. Her auburn eyes lacked light. Her cheeks were pale. Her body was so still you'd think her a statue.
His ears rang to the beat of his own heart. Tears nearly completely clouded his vision. His throat felt as dry as the sands of Jaora Sain. His lips quivered as he tried to let out a yell, only for it to come out a quiet whimper.
Nearby, the orc smiled. This body's job was done, for now. And, with its end came a few parting words. He didn't really know or care if the young man would even register them, but he supposed this wasn't exactly a day to forget.
"Be proud, boy. Your quick thinkin' got the best of me."
He fell to the ground as his body began to wither and decay into a wispy, pitch black substance that started at his feet and slowly began making its way up his body.
"Can't wait to see you again. I've just gotta see more of that fire!"
He laughed as he completely disappeared, leaving only Adrik, a fresh corpse, and the floating orb. It stayed in place for a few more seconds before disappearing as if it were never there to begin with.
Sier, however, hadn't moved an inch, simply staring into his sister's eyes. He heard nothing. He felt nothing. He thought nothing. It was all just blank. A blank mind, and a heart that rushed through every emotion far too quickly for its owner to keep up.
There was only silence. Silence broken by the roaring of the purple fire lighting up and burning down the town.
That was all he heard. And that was all he felt.