by Turtle Me
Careful to keep the aether flowing within my body, I unsheathed my white dagger and dashed forward.
The baby-headed demons were fast and relentless, and their skin was as tough as an iron hyrax, but with aether pumping through my limbs in powerful bursts, I tore through them, wave after wave.
Despite the remaining thirteen of us fighting a common enemy, it was obvious that teamwork only existed within isolated groups of preexisting teammates. Save for the trio that I had met before, there was one other trio while the rest fought in pairs, trying to stay alive rather than trying to help out the rest.
More streams of blue fire lit the red sky, but that wasn’t the only magic on the battlefield. I could see giant earthen spikes erupt from the ground, bullets of water shimmering as they pierced through the monsters, and crescents of wind that bisected everything in their path.
They were spells I was all too familiar with, but each one was at a level that rivaled a veteran silver-core mage at the least. Even with all of these powerful mages mowing down the demonic infants, though, their numbers only seemed to increase.
‘Where are they all coming from?’ Regis wondered.
I wish I knew, I sent back as I pried my dagger out of the bulging black eye of a demonic infant.
“H-help!”
The pained cry rang out from just a few yards away. I turned to see five monsters pouncing on a warrior. He desperately tried to keep them at bay as he scrambled on his back, tucking himself under his shield like a turtle receding into its shell.
His left leg was broken and the monsters seemed to know it; more and more of them were gathering to finish off their prey.
My eyes locked with the warrior’s.
“You! S-save me! Please!” he shouted, frantically lobbing a blast of fire that only served to attract more of the monsters.
I instinctively stepped forward to help the struggling mage, but, as the warrior was flipped over by a pair of demon-babies, I saw the black runes between the mesh gap of his armor.
Anger flared within me as memories of the war came back: if it wasn’t for these Alacryans, my father and so many others wouldn’t have died.
My eyes narrowed as any remaining shred of mercy I had dissipated. I turned away, ignoring his screams of pain and anger as he succumbed to his bloody end.
I cast even the thought of him aside as I continued my rampage, like a deadly storm leaving behind only corpses. The aether within each monster was scarce, but enough for me to discreetly absorb and sustain myself. Despite the situation I was in, surrounded by both monsters and Alacryans, I blurred out everything except for the enemies within my range.
It was as if I was fighting alone against the army of beasts approaching the Wall all over again. Except, this time, I didn’t have elemental magic to help me.
It didn’t matter though. At this point, my physical prowess had exceeded the capabilities of my human body, despite my abated speed. The few injuries that I did receive from the monsters regenerated long before I needed to worry about them.
The monsters must’ve had some level of intelligence because the packs began avoiding me. The thought of running away crossed my mind. I had no allies here—only the Alacryans that I had been fighting against. Who knew what these people would try to do if they discovered my real identity?
Before I could make up my mind, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, the three Alacryans who I had run into when I first woke up in this dungeon. They had become separated from the rest of the Alacryans and were surrounded by over a hundred monsters.
Perhaps due to the compassion the woman had shown me, I kept one eye on them as I fought. I couldn’t help but be curious about them, powerful as they seemed to be.
Taegen, the crimson-haired mace wielder, fought more like a beast than a trained warrior—smashing, punching, kicking and throwing the beasts despite the injuries that he had sustained from the extended battle. The swordsman was more dignified, handling his mana-clad longsword with deft slices and stabs, his feet always moving, red claws cutting the air all around him but rarely landing a blow.
The woman that Taegen had referred to as Lady Caera was positioned in between the two warriors, who were obviously protecting her. She wielded a thin curved sword that was nearly as long as she was tall, with a blade the same color as her ruby eyes. As she sliced through monster after monster, I realized that her movements reminded me of… myself. They were sharp, efficient, and deadly without losing an inch of grace.
Even without her two protectors, she was able to hold her own against the waves of beasts that continued to assault them. A shimmering white aura surrounded her entire body as her movements blurred, drawing arcs with the blood of her enemies.
However, it wasn’t hard to see that they were barely holding on. They were clearly running out of mana and their bodies were fatigued and injured.
‘Despite the sight for sore eyes that is fair Lady Caera, I think it’d be a good idea to leave right about now,’ Regis commented.
Yeah, I agreed, my eyes still glued to the three of them.
As I was about to turn away, however, Caera misstepped, tripping over a corpse and giving the wave of monsters a chance to pile on top of her like starving hyenas.
“No!” Taegen roared, pushing and throwing aside the horde of monsters practically climbing on top of him in an effort to reach her.
The other guy was in no better shape, unable to do more than to keep the monsters on his side from joining those already trying to devour the girl.
‘Uh, Arthur? What the hell are you doing?’
I ignored my companion, willing aether through my legs and dashing as fast as my body would let me. My dagger blurred around me, cutting down every monster that stood in my way as I sprinted toward her.
Her words as I played dead in the sanctuary where I had woken up echoed in my head: “Have some pity on her, Taegen.”
If she hadn’t said those words—if she had heeded Taegen’s prudent warning—I wouldn’t be here now.
Afraid that I’d be too late, I took a risk that I normally wouldn’t. Releasing aether throughout my body, I released my aetheric intent.
As the translucent aura surged around me, making the very air grow heavy, the demonic monsters reacted. Their pale, spiny bodies stiffened from the sudden pressure, and some of the closest ones collapsed unconscious.
Clearing off the monsters that had piled on top of Caera, I found her lying on the ground, bleeding and unconscious.
Without thinking, I bent down, leaning my ear over her face to try and hear her breathing.
‘Wow. She’s even prettier up close,’ Regis said with a whistle.
Regis’s voice brought me back to reality and I jerked away.
They were my enemies, the ones responsible for killing so many of my people. So why was I helping them? Why was I relieved that this girl was still alive?
“Step away from her,” said a growling voice from behind me.
I stood up calmly, dusting my pants. “When she wakes up, tell her that we’re even now.”
“Even? Who do you think—”
I turned around to face the girl’s two protectors, looking at each of them with a cold gaze.
“You’re the girl that we saw half-dead in one of the sanctuaries,” the brown-haired swordsman said with mild surprise.
The mace-wielder beside him, however, didn’t react as calmly as his companion. He rushed forward with explosive speed, and his lightning-clad mace swung straight at my face.
Stepping forward, I dipped just underneath the path of his weapon and struck below his ribs, right at his liver, with all of my aether concentrated on my fist.
My counterattack didn’t connect, though. In that split second, he had managed to bring his other hand up to block my strike.
Still, the force of my attack sent the crimson-haired warrior skidding back, a cloud of dust billowing up from his heels scraping across the rough ground.
His expression turned from anger to surprise as he looked down at his hand, now a bloody mess from blocking my attack.
“I’m a guy,” I corrected, shaking my throbbing hand. Even with all of my aether strengthening and protecting my hand, it still felt like I had punched a wall of diamond.
Taegen lifted his mace once more, his red face twisted in rage, but his sword-wielding companion held up an arm.
“My apologies for his crude behavior… and thank you for saving her,” the swordsman said. As he lowered his head, I noticed his eyes linger over the teal cloak draped over my shoulders as if it was familiar to him.
At that moment, the sky suddenly changed. The once blood-stained sky cleared, becoming in an instant a beautiful expanse of blue, but something was missing. I scanned the horizon, briefly confused.
It was the giant red orb that I had mistaken for a sun. It was gone and so was the pillar holding it up.
“Finally!” someone cried in the distance.
I couldn’t quite grasp what was going on, but the hundreds of corpses that had littered the desolate ground were gone along with the red sky.
The swordsman let out a sigh as he sheathed his longsword. “It looks like this wave has finally come to an end.”
“This wave?” I asked. “Does that mean there’s more?”
Going down on one knee, he handed the girl’s sword to Taegen before gently picking her up. “Until we can get close enough to destroy the power source, these waves will continue.”
“Power source?”
“That giant red moon that you saw in the sky,” he explained.
“Apologies for the questions, but this is the last one,” I said, surveying the mages setting up camp. “Why are there so many”—I caught myself about to say “Alacryans” and paused—“people here?”
The swordsman looked at me with a curious expression. “Why? Have you never come across a convergence zone on any of your ascents?”
My mind spun as I tried to make heads or tails out of his question before answering vaguely. “This is my first ascent.”
The swordsman’s eyes narrowed as he studied me. “Even if it is your first, thorough research is always done unless you’re seeking death. And with your strength, it seems more plausible that you’ve had formal schooling. Where are you from?”
‘Say you’re from the outskirts of Vechor!’ Regis insisted.
“I’m from the outskirts of Vechor,” I said quickly.
“Then a talent such as you would’ve been reported to the capital. Unless coming back alive from your first ascent is your rite of passage,” he said as if thinking aloud rather than directly talking to me. “Regardless. I must tend to Lady Caera before the next wave begins. I will relay your message to her.”
The swordsman walked away with the crimson-haired warrior following close behind. A soft white aura enveloped his hand, spreading over Caera’s wounds and stopping the bleeding.
After a few steps, the swordsman, still holding the girl, stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “It’ll be about twelve hours before the next wave comes. It’d be best for you to rest a bit before moving forward with the rest of us.”
I frowned. “Together?”
“You can go off on your own to see if you fare better. Several have. The fact that the red moon still rises means that they have all died.” When I looked unsure, he added, “Destroying that is the only way out.”
I watched as the swordsman walked off before thinking about what to do next.
Hey, how did you know the name of a city in Alacrya? I asked Regis.
‘Not a city, but a dominion, which is another word for kingdom. And it’s because of Uto’s will. I don’t know everything he does, but I do know some basic knowledge.’
And you never thought to tell me this?
‘The knowledge I have hasn’t been very applicable while fighting beasts,’ Regis replied with a mental shrug.
Though I was annoyed to learn I’d had a fount of knowledge floating around behind me the entire time we’d been in the dungeon, I let it go. If it wasn’t for Regis, the swordsman would’ve been a lot more suspicious than he already was.
I let out a sigh, rubbing my temples. Now wasn’t the time to fight with friends. Through the short and rather tense conversation with the swordsman, it seemed that our suspicions were correct.
I was no longer anywhere near Dicathen.
The dungeon I had wound up in was somewhere under the very continent that I had been at war with.
272
On Guard
Surveying the battlefield, I watched to see what the rest of the Alacryans would do.
My gaze came to rest on a black-haired man in thin leather armor highlighted with greaves and bracers made out of a copper-colored metal. He was kneeling beside the corpse of the warrior who I had let die.
I had expected some sort of mock burial or at least a blanket thrown over the body, but instead, the black-haired warrior began rummaging through his stuff, looting every piece of equipment that hadn’t been devoured or ripped up by the demonic monsters.
Even though I had been the one to let him die, I was repulsed by his people’s behavior.
Shaking my head, I walked away, wanting to keep some distance between me and the Alacryans.
There were no hills, rocks, or any sort of natural formations in the extensive plains, so I just found a spot far enough away that I could still keep an eye on the Alacryans. I sat on the hard, uneven ground, anxiously twiddling a dried weed that tenaciously clung to the ground.
My eyes wandered around the six separate camps that were quickly going up.
Collapsible tents had been assembled and fires had been lit. One group already had a thick chunk of raw meat hanging over their fire, filling the air with the sweet and smoky aroma of meat mingled with heavy spices.
I was able to survive by absorbing aether, and I hadn’t thought much about food since finding myself in the dungeon, being focused solely on surviving and growing stronger, but it was at that moment I was reminded of the wonders of food.
‘Never thought I’d see a picnic down here. Wait, are you drooling?’ Regis scoffed.
“Wha—no!” I exclaimed, wiping my chin and ignoring Regis’s cackling.
It was only when a few of the Alacryans looked at me that I realized I had just spoken aloud.
Clearing my throat, I closed my eyes and began cycling aether throughout my body. I didn’t need to eat and barely needed any sleep, so I might as well get some training done. Without the aid of aetheric materials like crystals or monster corpses, I couldn’t utilize the three-step process I’d invented for training my aether passages, so I opted for just subtle channeling of aether throughout specific parts of my body to slowly carve out more aether passages.
I wasn’t worried about someone sneaking up on me. When Regis was inside me, he could see through my body to the outside world like “a slightly tinted glass container,” as he put it. While it was a bit disturbing to think about first, I had long since grown used to it. Honestly, it was comforting to know that I had another pair of eyes capable of seeing behind me, even though most times I didn’t need it.
‘Someone’s coming.’
I turned toward the sound of the obviously unmasked footsteps that were drawing closer.
Just a few yards away, a young woman with light brown hair that sat just above her shoulders was walking calmly toward me. Her thin frame was covered by a black mage’s robe that she had left purposely untied. Underneath, she wore a black leather corset and very tight leather shorts. All in all, the outfit didn’t leave much to the imagination, and I couldn’t imagine why she wore such clothes into battle. Then I noticed the many eyes following her steady walk across the battlefield.
In each hand she carried a plate of flame-grilled meat and vegetables, still steaming.
“I come in peace,” she said, holding up the plates.
‘I like her already,
Arthur,’ Regis remarked with a sigh.
Holding in the urge to roll my eyes, I remained silent, keeping my guard up.
“I know you set yourself all the way over here for a reason, but I just wanted to express my gratitude,” she continued, shooting me a shy smile. “If it wasn’t for you killing so many carallians, I’m not sure if my team and I would’ve made it through.”
I frowned, mentally linking the term carallians to those infant-headed demonic fiends. “I appreciate the gesture, but it’s not necessary.”
“I insist.” The girl bent down to put the plates on the ground, then tucked her fallen bangs back behind her ear while she held my gaze. “My name is Daria Lehndert, by the way. If you’re looking for a team, we have an extra simulet, and strong Strikers are always welcome… especially ones that are handsome.”
‘Oh man… the inner Uto in me is having some very naughty thoughts,’ Regis muttered.
Do you know what a simulet is? I asked.
‘The inner Uto is too busy thinking of other things to care what a simulet is.’
Get your mind out of the gutter, I snapped.
Regis let out a sigh. ‘I think it’s an artifact of some kind used by lessers. That’s all I can muster up from Uto’s knowledge bank. I don’t think he particularly cared for what small things like these were.’
How frustrating. It wasn’t like I could ask without arousing suspicion, and I wasn’t close enough to any of these Alacryans to have these things come up naturally in conversation.
My eyes lingered on Daria’s frame as she ambled back to her camp, trying to remember what sort of spells she had casted and what sort of abilities she had. Her robe covered whatever mark, crest, or emblem she must have had tracing her spine.
If only I was still able to see mana.
The aromatic wisps drifting up from the freshly grilled food must’ve reached my nostrils because I found myself staring at the two plates of food, one filled with cuts of grilled meat and the other with vegetables and potatoes.
My salivating mouth won the fight against my dignity as I walked over to where Daria had left the plates on the ground.