CHAPTER 17
The dungeon sprawled before them like a maze of shifting green. Trees twisted unnaturally, some arched into sharp, bone-like curves. Light barely filtered in, as if the forest swallowed it whole.
No one spoke. The heavy silence after the B-rank beast's fall weighed on their shoulders, save for the steady rhythm of their footsteps.
Every creak of a twig, every rustle in the leaves, it sets their nerves on edge.
They followed.
Not long after, a sound split the air-
A screech, deep, and feral.
Then they heard shouting, metal clashing, and magic detonating in short bursts.
All five tensed instantly.
They raced toward the sound, branches whipping past their faces.
As they broke through a thicker line of trees, a chaotic scene sprawled before them:
Two groups of heirs, at least ten in total, locked in battle with two C-rank monsters, twice their size, with black-scaled hides and jagged fangs dripping venom.
A serpentine Draketooth, coiled and hissing.
And a lion-like Teravor Beast, its golden mane crackling with charged mana.
The heirs were clearly outmatched. One swordsman, Karsen, heir to the Velmorian House, charged recklessly, blade drawn. His silver crest glinted with every desperate swing.
Beside him, a young water magician, a girl named Celene from House Irelith, hurled sphere after sphere of condensed aqua magic toward the beasts.
But their attacks barely slowed the monsters down.
Elias drew his blade but hesitated. "Do we help them?"
Zarethian frowned. "They wouldn't even help us."
But Sorayael's eyes were locked on the monsters, not in fear, but in excitement. She tilted her head, calculating.
They turned to her.
The wind shifted.
Ravelia's brows twitched violently, "Is she an idiot?" she hissed, stunned.
Silas clenched his jaw, "She'll fight with that injury?!" His gaze darted to Sorayael's side, where her shirt was still faintly stained from the earlier B-rank beast.
Meanwhile, Zarethian and Kieran stood still, eyes trained on Sorayael's unwavering form.
Zarethian smirked faintly, "No. She's brave."
Without hesitation, Sorayael sprinted toward the Draketooth.
The massive, obsidian-scaled serpent hissed, rearing back with glowing amber eyes. She lunged, the blade aimed for its throat, but the steel barely left a scratch. Sparks flew on contact.
A gasp rippled through the two heir groups cornered nearby.
Zarethian stepped forward, tone calm but resolute.
"Ha.. guess we'll join her."
Ravelia turned sharply, eyes wide, "What?! Are you out of your mind? That's not a beast we can handle-"
Silas raised his staff, "I'll support."
They marched forward, positioning themselves between the panicked heirs and the monstrous duo now looming before them.
Karsen blinked in disbelief, "Why are you doing this?"
Celene gasped.
"Wait... Young Master Aethenroth? Huh? THE Aethenroth's heir?!"
Whispers surged through the onlookers.
Just when they felt the relieveness, a sneer pierced the moment.
A wave of scoffs followed.
Zarethian raised a brow, lips quirking, "I prefer stylish deaths, at least."
But then,
"Quiet!"
Sorayael's voice cracked like thunder.
Silence fell.
Her eyes swept over the group; panicked, scattered, and uncoordinated.
She pointed swiftly.
Sorayael's gaze swept across the beasts. The hissing of Draketooth's coils tightening as if to strike, and the lion-like Teravor Beast, golden mane crackling with electric mana, prowling with deadly grace.
Kieran blinked but nodded immediately, drawing his bow and already conjuring the first gust.
Silas set his jaw, slamming his staff down. "Got your back."
Zarethian stepped forward, spinning his sword once. A faint red glow lit its edge. "We'll handle it."
Sorayael turned to the remaining heirs, most frozen in place or casting weak magic at random.
One of the heirs gulped and raised a trembling hand. "L-lightning shot...?"
The serpentine Draketooth let out a guttural hiss, tail lashing.
A wall of rock erupted just in time, deflecting the beast's lash.
A burst of wind-enhanced arrows shot through the air, one narrowly missed, the second struck true, causing the Draketooth to recoil.
Sorayael lunged forward, slicing at its flank.
On the other side,
The lion-like beast charged, its golden mane arcing with blue lightning.
Karsen dashed forward, blade glowing faintly from a water enchantment cast by Celene.
Zarethian's sword ignited with fire and metal sheen. "Ravelia, cover my flank!"
As the beast roared, lightning surged outward, but Ravelia's ice shield met it halfway, crackling and melting on impact.
Zarethian roared back, dashing through the steam and leaping into the air. "Now!"
His blade came down, searing through the mane, while Karsen darted beneath and landed a slash to its chest.
.
.
Other heirs scattered across the clearing, launching fire bolts, throwing spells, chanting buffs.
And for a fleeting moment, amid the chaos of monsters and magic, they moved as one.
Two beasts.
Two teams.
One strategy, unity in battle.
·_________________________________________·
1. Sorayael Elaris - Sword-user with unknown constellation-based magic (hidden); skilled in strategy and physical combat.
2. Kieran Elias Everen - Wind magic archer; precise and swift support from range.
3. Silas Kaelwyn - Earth barrier magician; excels at defense and battlefield control.