"The dungeon bosses?!"
Everyone in the tent was alarmed. Typically, to trigger the dungeon boss room to open, one had to clear out all of the floors to the dungeon, particularly the final level. That meant that it could take months for a country to clear an S-Class Dungeon, especially when there were hundreds of S-Class monsters in their way. Yudonia's dungeon had just been discovered. How could they have reached the boss stage that quickly?
"I know how you feel. I felt the same way when I first saw the pictures. But those two are most definitely the bosses of this S-Class Dungeon." The President sympathised with their shock. "As long as the bosses remain, the dungeon would never disappear. Most likely, the previous raiders of this dungeon had dived deep into it, cleared the path by destroying all those stone guardians, but failed at the final obstacle. The Boss Room," said the elderly man, his eyes were still firmly on the corpses that were littered outside of the final chamber.
"The dungeon has already been cleared?" Aria muttered to herself.
"To be exact, the conditions to unlock the Boss Room has been fulfilled," the President clarified. "I'm guessing that whatever the civilisation was during the Age of the Dragons, they tried to clear this dungeon and had succeeded to defeat the twenty-three floors that it had. Even though they had sustained multiple casualties, they still persevered and attempted to clear the Boss Room. If I had to guess, the two bosses were far more challenging than anything that they had ever fought, and they failed to beat them and were forced to seal the dungeon up in Mount Eiger to prevent others from discovering the dungeon."
"..."
That wasn't good news at all to the S-Rankers. They couldn't beat fifteen of those stone guardians. Although they didn't know how strong the Dragons were when they raided the S-Class Dungeon, they must've been much stronger than the forces of Yudonia. If the Dragons had no solution to the two bosses, the S-Rankers in Yudonia failed to see how they would be capable of conquering the dungeon.
"Shouldn't we discuss this with the World Council? The danger levels of those bosses are unknown, and god knows if they're way stronger than S-Class."
There were many speculations of what was the highest class ever recorded. In modern history, the highest recorded class was that of Divine Hero Everlus, who had recorded the highest ever SSS-Class some one thousand years ago. No one else had ever replicated his astonishing feat. Though, it wasn't due to lack of trying. There are five SS-Class Rankers living in the modern age, and they were all powerhouses backing their own nations. However, if Yudonia pleaded to the World Council hard enough, perhaps one or two of them would lend the minor country their abilities to take down the two insane bosses.
"That's the problem..." The President sighed, unsure if he should relay the bad news or not. 'I can't repress it… Either way, they will find out. Better it comes from me,' the old man thought as he breathed into the microphone. "Parliament has decided that there will be no efforts to reach out for now. We will continue to monitor the S-Class Dungeon and test the reach and abilities of the bosses."
"Why shouldn't they talk to the World Congress? Wouldn't that be… Oh… Right..." One of the S-Ranker was raising his objections when it suddenly hit him. Yudonia's whole purpose of conquering this dungeon was because they wanted to be recognised as one of the big powers on the world stage. If they were to beg a foreign power to come into their land and help defeat the two bosses without trying to take them down first, their efforts thus far would be for nothing.
It was a risk. No one knew how powerful the Angel and Demon Stone Guardians were. Were they S-Class or were they at a much higher realm that had been forgotten by time? Based on how many Elder Dragons had perished at the mercy of the dungeon, one's imagination could go quite far.
"It is unfortunate..." The President grimly said, his voice slightly bitter. "Who knows? Maybe the bosses had been corroded by the river of time and are much weaker than they were in their heyday. Either way, the Association will be testing the water and formulating plans to tackle the two Bosses. Our estimates suggest that we can raid the Boss Room in two to three days. So for now, all of you is to rest up and recharge. You're allowed to return back to your homes if you wish, but we suggest you stay in the tents. That way, you'll get instant information and updates."
The President packed up his files, and the projector turned off. With a groan, he left the S-Rankers with one final remark. "You're all dismissed… If you have any questions, feel free to meet up with your respective group leaders."
Leaving the stage, the President left the four groups leaders with the bustling mob, ready to bombard question after question. Aria rubbed the temples of her forehead twice, churning down all the information that she'd just received. The S-Class Dungeon had been raided once by an ancient civilisation. Thousands of those Stone Guardians were once present in the dungeon. Elder Dragon corpses were littered all over the dungeon…
'Something is missing...' Aria couldn't get over the feeling that the President was hiding something, the Archmagus just couldn't put her finger on what…
'S-Class Dungeon… Bosses… Stone Guardians… Elder Dragons… Wait, that's it!!!'
The young maiden leapt to her feet and stood upright amongst the seated crowd. Yvette and Luke, who were the two flanking her plastic chair, jolted back as well. Worried, the blonde elf asked: "Aria, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" The Archmagus tapped on her roommate's thigh to trigger Yvette to make some room for her to pass. Once out in the aisle, Aria cried out. "Go back to the room first! I'll meet you in a bit!" And with that, the young woman ran out of the tent, not bothering to look back even for a second.
"Aria?! Where are you going? And… She's gone." Yvette wanted to call her friend back, but she was too fast for the seated elf to chase. "Hah… Sometimes, I really wonder how her mind works."
"That's Aria for you!" Luke nodded his head with Finn as his backup. They were former party members, and they knew how Aria was when it came to subjects of her research. "There was once we saw a bolt of glowing ball lightning in the dungeon. Fascinated by that incorporeal phenomenon, Aria chased it down, ignoring all of the monsters in the dungeon. We had a hard time tracking her down back then..." The two men closed their eyes as they thought back to their former predicament. Having Aria as a teammate does have its benefits, but the demerits were as prevalent as ever.
"Ah, my condolences." Yvette clapped her hands together and gave the pair a silent prayer. She had been living with a more matured and homebound Aria, so those occurrences were few and far between. But there were the odd times where the Archmagus would wander off and do whatever she pleased.
"It's all in the past…" Luke chuckled and moved into the empty seat that Aria had left behind. Finn did the same with Luke's. "So, what are you going to do now? Are you going back to your tent? Or do you want to hang out with us?"
Yvette looked at Luke with a raised brow before turning her attention to Finn. The towering man was wearing a straight face and was looking dead ahead as if he were uninterested, but every now and then, she could see his dense pupils flashing down towards her. The elf found it to be quite adorable that Finn was trying to steal quick glances at her and lightly giggled.
"I think we can stay here and talk for a while," she replied with a warm smile. "I want to hear what the group leaders might have to say, as well. Also, I don't think Aria would return anytime soon."
"Haha! You're most definitely right!" Luke slapped his thigh while Finn's stoic stone face cracked a small grin. At least now, there was a flower to accompany them.
❖❖❖
"Hey, old man! Old man!" Aria's voice echoed through the vast plains of the military base, turning the heads of all the soldiers that were tending to their own business.
As if knowing that this was about to occur, the Association President and his secretary turned their heels around to meet with the annoying Archmagus. "Aria… How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my formal title?"
"That's not important now!" Aria simply didn't care about honorifics at this point of time. "You're hiding something, aren't you! About the power of the bosses!"
"Archmagus Aria!" Instead of the President responding, the bespectacled secretary got angry in his stead and began to raise her voice. "You may be an honoured S-Ranker, but you have to be careful with your words! The President he-!"
"The Elder Dragon corpses!" Aria cried out, shutting the secretary up once and for all. "Senior Kama found the Boss Room, and there were thirteen corpses outside in one picture. However, in some later pictures, there were only twelve! Either the corpses had been reanimated, or the Association has procured one of those dead Elder Dragons!"
The Archmagus' sharp observation wasn't something that an average human could comprehend. The bespectacled woman leapt back, silent as a church. Her superior was in a similar state, minus the shock. The President knew of Aria's intellect, and yet, he had been careless in his plans.
A wry smile crept up Aria's face as she noticed their reactions. She continued: "If we use Arcane Magic, there's a way to creep into the memories of the dead Elder Dragons. It's one thing if they had been reduced to skeletons, but Arcane Magic is capable of reading the memories of intact corpses with their brains still uninjured! Since Rhykius had been there with you, he must've used his magic to witness the attacks of the two bosses! Old man, you can't fool me!"
"..."
There was a long awkward silence. Aria had hit the nail on the head. Rogue Lord Kama did bring back one of the Elder Dragon corpses, and the Arcane Warlock Rhykius did use his magic to read the memories of the Dragon. Therefore, the Association President did know the abilities that the two bosses possessed.
Knowing that the gig was up, the elderly man sighed. "Come with me." Three simple words. With those three simple words, the President turned around and led the Archmagus into his office. However, before he left, the old man gave one final order. "Jessica, stand watch. Don't let anyone come in."
"Y-yes, sir!" The bespectacled secretary showed one salute and stood her ground like a sentry outside the military tent.
The President's office was rather simple. A desk and legions of cabinets holding thousands of confidential documents. Though, Aria didn't care about those files. She came here to see details about the S-Class Dungeon's bosses. The highest authority in the military compound typed in furiously on his laptop, bypassing all sorts of security clearances to reach one last folder. With two clicks of his mouse, the President opened up a video, depicting the scene of Rhykius meeting up with the Elder Dragon corpse for the first time.
"We did bring out one of the Elder Dragons. It has already been transferred to our labs for testing. Over the next two days, we'll be moving the other corpses as well. After all, no one in the world has ever seen a fully intact specimen of a Dragon."
"That's true..."
All the remains from the Age of the Dragons were either fossils, skeletons or dusted soil. It was virtually impossible to find a specimen that was free of decomposition.
"However, before it had been moved… It was just as you've said. Rhykius had cast his high tiered arcane magic to peer into the corpse's memories." The President turned the screen towards Aria and clicked the play button without hesitation. In the video, Rhykius knelt down next to the Elder Dragon and chanted out in a solemn monks prayer. Mana began to flow into the motionless body, and soon, a borderless window flowed out from the Dragon's skull and the depiction of the events prior to the Dragon's death started to play.
As they'd anticipated, the Dragon had faced the two bosses before its demise. Unlike the decrepit state that they were currently in, the Angel and the Demon were completely intact, free from the slightest blemish.
All of the Angel's twelve wings were glowing with a resplendence only matched by the depictions of heaven. On its head, a golden halo dazzled any who dared to stare right into it. The Demon was in its perfect form as well. The gaping hole in its chest was gone, and its entire body was free from any cracks, unlike its current form. They were the textbook images of how bosses of an S-Class Dungeon should look like.
Like playing a video game, the memories played in a first-person perspective. There were about a hundred Elder Dragons flying into the Boss Room, each one fully scaled and brimming with magical energy. There were some Elder Dragons that were even completely made out of elemental energy. Even without sensing their mana, Aria could tell that she was no match for those monsters that flew without a care about the montgen levels.
The Dragons began the assault with a charged up breath attack. It was like an entire rainbow had collided with the Demon Guardian that barged forward to block the attack. The walls shook, and the radiance level shook to the maximum. It was as if a nuclear explosion had occurred within the deepest part of the S-Class Dungeon. However, just like the thick walls surrounding it, the Demon Guardian was completely intact. That breath attack was by far the strongest magical maelstrom that Aria had ever seen. There was no person or country in existence that could replicate that strike and yet… The Demon Guardian could withstand it with ease.
Angered by their tactics, the two Stone Guardians decided to punish their intruders. The Angel Guardian flew up into the skies and spread out all of its wings. The first wing glowed in pure white light, and thousands of the same Stone Guardians Yudonia's rankers saw were instantly created. Its second wing beamed, and the entire chambers turned violet with savage thunderbolts and stormy winds. The third wing twinkled, and starlight dust dripped down, creating illusions of the world turning grey. The pattern continued…
Each time the Angel Guardian activate one of its wings, a new magical ability was unveiled, distorting the world and the Boss Room. The Demon Guardian wasn't a slouch either. It summoned out two flaming scimitars that dripped molten lava from its tips. It also possessed a physical shell that nullified all magic and made it impervious to regular attacks.
The Demon Guardian spread its Draconic wings and moved so quickly that it could be mistaken as a teleport. It slashed the two scimitars and annihilated one Elder Dragon out of existence practically instantaneously. As two others charged forward to restrain it, the two melancholic eyes that it hid, finally opened and sent two fiery beams out, melting the foes that dared to challenge its hegemony.
Half of the Elder Dragons split up and physically assaulted the Demon Guardian, pushing it far into the corner for their comrades to deal with the Angel Guardian. The Dragons spent at least a few minutes to pull out the Demon Guardian's wings to prevent it from having that explosive speed.
The other half of the raid force wasn't slacking off either. For the Elder Dragons, dealing with the stone guardians that were summoned were as easy as squashing a cockroach. They rampaged through the Stone Guardians that Yudonia's S-Rankers had spent so much time and effort to defeat. However, it would be a nuisance if the Angel Guardian kept spawning them out. So, with much trial and error, the Elder Dragons combined their might to take out the Angel's wing responsible for all those summons.
That single wing cracked and disintegrated with one of the Elder Dragon's strongest breath, much to the surprise of Aria. At the corner, the Demon Guardian was also on the verge of collapse after that one exchange. Were the Elder Dragons winning? Just like that?
Of course not.
Another wing of the Angel Guardian radiated out as both Guardians were teleported into the same place. Its halo dropped down golden pixie dust, and all of their broken parts were rapidly being pieced back, making the Stone Guardians seem as good as new.
Despair fell upon the Elder Dragons, who had just used all of its power to give the two bosses that slight bit of damage. They were fatigued and mana exhausted. Alas, in the world of the dungeons, there was no such thing as a rest period.
As if in rage, the two Stone Guardians rose up high, until their heads were almost touching the ceilings. Then, dense images of a radiant sun and a luminous moon graced the top of the Boss Room. Although Aria couldn't feel the mana through the memory, just looking at the two attacks made her breathless and weak on the knees. So one could imagine how the Elder Dragons felt.
And finally…
Flash!
That was how the memory ended. The last thing that the Elder Dragon had seen was a flash of bright white light. That was also how the video ended. Rhykius released his Arcane Magic on the corpse and collapsed onto the floor, his head entirely drenched with sweat. No one could blame the S-Ranker for having such an adverse reaction. What he had just witnessed went beyond the common sense of every living human, elf, dwarf, giant, beastmen or any other living race.
That was a fight… From the Age of the Dragons.
And to that… There was only one response…
"What the fuck?"