Kard's shadow suddenly burst forth behind him, taking the shape of a knight, then a figure rose out from that black matter like the undead. "You've worked hard. I'll handle this from now." Letti mumbled beside him, patting his shoulder once before standing up with a nonchalant expression. She wasn't even bothered with the grotesque scene, but her eyes did seem to display a sharp glint.
Kard couldn't speak because of the lump on his throat, so his eyes could only widen in shock and confusion. 'How did she arrived here so fast?... No, forget about that! It's useless. The enemy is too strong! You'll die. You can't defeat it alone.'
"You can't defeat it alone!" He thought out loud, almost screaming as he tried to keep her from facing the Head of the Nymphis druids by grabbing her shoulder.
Letti faced him and spoke in a placid tone, "I'm not alone."
Kard's hold loosen as he stared dazedly at Letti. He felt powerless as he expected the boy to die in a swift death. 'There's no hope. No matter how many we are. The real monster is behind us just biding his time with superior magic.'
"Let me borrow your sword." She grabbed the fallen sword calmly without waiting for any confirmation.
She wasn't even bothered with the weight, holding the sword expertly like it was merely a twig.
"Souls of the defeated, Awaken!" She called out. Instantly, a pitch-black shadow spread over half of the giant room.
Like the dead rising from the underworld, an army of shadowlike monster varying in type rises under her command. And what's more surprising is how the majority of the monsters were Nymphis druids. The monsters all seemed to take the form of a black fire with ice blue markings to define their features aside from the endless pool of darkness.
Countless portals also appeared in front of her, followed by Nymphis druids staggering out.
'What's happening? Is he a mage? A summoning spell? This is far from a normal summoning spell!'
Pamela and Chongky thought collectively. No mage could physically summon that number of creatures without depleting every drop of their mana. Summoning a creature is counterproductive in a fight because damaging the creature means using more mana to restore the summoned's body.
A mage with an endless pool of mana. Is that what they see right now?
'No. He'll definitely die.'
"Party leader!" Pamela and Chongky smartly dragged Kard's body to the side near the fire.
A deranged insectlike shriek suddenly pierced through the room, comparable to the Head Nymphis druids' cry earlier. The noise comes from Ragnarok, a spider hybrid akin to a failed experiment with eight long and steel-like legs and unnerving red eyes. The spider hybrid also looked scarily buff with a human-like gait.
The Nymphis snarled at the threat and threw an arm of person and pounced on the direction of the spider hybrid. It made a clean cut on the spider's torso, but instead of dying, the spider's thorax simply mended itself. The spider screeched once more before sending one of its legs to the Nymphis' face, catapulting the Nymphis several feet away.
"Let's see who will run out of mana first." Letti grinned icily. She jumped in the air with a light spring, slicing a Nymphis druid swiftly in their torso.
The great battle between shadowy monsters and the Nymphis druids commences.
The spectators could only watch in astonishment as the intensity of battle continues to increase. It was exactly like how they would envision the epic stories describing heroic battles in their childhood. 'Such a glamorous person exists'; they seem to agree on mentally.
The most surprising thing is how the new porter maneuvers its body with lethal precision, cutting up Nymphis druids with a huge ass sword with her lithe body. She behaves purely on instinct or looks to be ingrained in her since youth—that monster-like perception of judging where and how to move her body with the lesser energy spent.
"The spiders are eating the druids!" Somebody stuttered, horrified. The lesser ranked spider hybrids were indeed spinning their web around their prey.
"Is that a knight?" Another one asked. Palleus, in his physical form, was slaying druids left and right without a break. It was equally beautiful and mesmerizing like a true embodiment of a gallant knight.
"The monsters are protecting us. That kid is controlling them, right?" People were beginning to have hope as the fight looks like it was ending soon.
This young mage saved them.
'I've been hoping for this to happen...someone strong.'
Kard rubbed his cheeks in surprise. He didn't notice the tears streaming on his cheeks. He was too tensed that his body just slumped on the ground as the burden lightened on his chest.
They made it. They are safe now.
He wept not only for being alive but also for the people that were too late. He will never forget the blood in his hands in this lifetime. It was a mix of emotions he didn't know how to describe. But one thing he was glad is that they could avenge the people who perished. Them dying won't be in vain.
"Party leader..." Pamela and Chongky whispered.
An earth-shattering quake suddenly occurred along with the disappearance of the portals. Letti kicked off the torso of a kneeling impaled Nymphis as she glanced up to where the sound of rocks grinding together is.
The statue stood up, towering over the whole room ominously.
[I welcome thee, Demon King's envoy, Leticia Eleanor.]
Its mouth didn't move, telepathically speaking to Letti. The voice sounded otherwordly like a whiff of magic itself. The others who hadn't heard the voice could only gape at the height in fear. It was unnerving just to wait for the statue to do something in this tense silence.
"How do you know my name?" Letti made her voice sound casual, but she was itching to put the enemy through the wringer. Nobody had called her that name since she woke up inside the Mist Forest. The name was the only thing she recalled of herself.
The monster obviously knew something important about her.
[Don't be suspicious, for I am an ally. I am only one of the many trials you will encounter to prepare you and your army for the second Corruption. We are doing this to revive your beaten legacy, Leticia Eleanor.]
"Who are these 'we' you're calling? And who are you? Why are you here?"
[Who we are is of no importance. Our existence is also unnecessary to divulge. What matters is you assemble the Demon King's army.]
The magic circle below the trapped adventurers suddenly vanished.
[Now then, reap those detestable human souls to have them swear an eternal submission to the Demon King!!]
The adventurers look at themselves in confusion at the seemingly two-way conversation happening with Letti and the statue. They couldn't hear another voice, but they did saw the chilling glare that appeared on Letti's face.
"So you do know a lot about this unknown ability." She muttered darkly, looking down at her pale hand. She did have an inkling suspicion that she could use human souls as shadow kins.
'I don't want to listen anymore.'
"I'm sorry, but I will never go as low as using a human soul for servitude." She answered dismissively.
[Foolish! This is your fate, Leticia Eleanor! Isn't this what you wanted? With their strength, not even the Linarest empire could defeat you.]
"Who are you to decide things for me?" she scoffed, "do you really know who you're talking to?"
[It can't be! You don't remember—]
Letti wasted no second anymore after the statue started babbling about an overlooked variable to the entire plan.
"Lulu, come out!"
The said warlock suddenly materialized behind her into its original gigantic size. Without any word, the warlock conjured a massive offensive ice spell and hurled it straight to its head, pulverizing half of its body in an instant.
Letti watches the rest of the statue crumble like black sand, unamused. The glow slowly diminishes as if the life force that controls the statue was puffed out.
"As I thought, it was a mere puppet." She clicked her tongue in anger. It was just a fixture created from the gate's mana. This was the root cause of the fluctuating mana, but puppets are generally easy to finish off.
Sir Palleus walked up to her respectfully after piercing the navel of the finally defeated the [BOSS] Nymphis, which was beaten to a pulp, with its sword on the wall.
Ragnarok has left the task of organizing the dead carcasses to Lulu and the other warlocks while he rallies his kind to behave against the newly added Nymphis druids.
[My liege.]
Letti grumbled. "I know. I wasted a perfect opportunity to ask the puppet about myself."
She glanced up in exasperation. This gate definitely knew something about her, but it's useless now.
[About what the puppet mentioned...]
"The plan stays the same." She was silent for a second before speaking once again, "if I am to defy some ludicrous obligation made by my old self, then I have to double time the effort to protect myself of the unforeseeable future." By doubling the effort means gathering more monsters to her small arsenal.
She already asserts to herself a long time ago that when the time comes when her past self conflicts with her present life, she will remember that change is constant in a person's lifetime. Her past will always be different from the current one with or without her memories.
"The puppet mentioned the coming of a second Corruption. We could probably use that information as a bargaining chip someday." Some information guilds weigh their service in exchange for the same value of the information you can offer rather than money.
"Little Letti/Newbie!"
She cut off her link with Palleus when Kard and the two mages neared her with bewildered faces. "You fuckin' did it, dude!" Pamela slung her arm around her shoulder happily. "We thought we're a goner for a second out there, and then you appeared like a miracle!"
"You really saved our asses. Thank you, kid." Kard looked shy but still held his hand for a handshake.
She accepted the handshake, meaning each word she says next. "You also work hard as the leader, senior. Don't devalue yourself. Also, thank you for following my selfish request." She'll really have a hard time defeating the druids without her feral druids to even out the fight.
He looked like he was relieved of a huge burden at her words and let go of her hand. "Don't mention it. But what is the reason for that strange request anyway?"
"Ah." She didn't know how to reply to that statement. It was always like that whenever people inquire related to her summoned. "I thought it could serve as a sign to point the others here."
"Hmm... that's actually a good idea." Kard muttered, impressed while rubbing his chin. Letti surprises him every second that he thought this kid could make a career in Randell.
A huge blast suddenly erupted at the entrance and wreck open the heavy double door, creating a commotion inside the room.
Letti grimaced at the influx of mana that immediately washed over her from the remnant mana from the spell. 'They're really strong.' She surmised.
"To destroy a door..." Chongky mumbled in awe.
Letti silently agreed. The shadowlike creatures also turn back to shadows and retreat to where they came from as the thick dust cloud slowly cleared up.
The people outside the [BOSS] Dungeon weren't originally too enthusiastic in entering the room and see the remainder of the bloodbath. They didn't really think anybody inside could survive this long facing the boss, especially when it was Kard's party who recklessly entered the dungeon.
"Do you think somebody survives?" Somebody whispered to the person beside him.
"I doubt it." He answered back. "It's hard enough killing the lower-ranked druids. They don't stand a chance. Their leader was too desperate to salvage his reputation."
The Guild Master heard the conversation but didn't bother turning around to correct them. They probably didn't saw the well-disposed bodies of the druids on the way with no signs of casualty. Kard was able to pinpoint the druid's weakness and execute everything cleanly accurately.
He fervently hopes they just made it in time.
"I suggest everyone stay back first, just in case." Mila piped up and raised his staff, which emitted a bright glow.
The giant double doors exploded in smithereens and created thick dust clouds at the impact.
"It's the Guild Master!"
They expected the aftermath of a massacre, but what welcomed them exceed their expectations as they all look around, startled and confused at the different voices shouting in relief and joy inside the room.
As the dust let up, they saw a considerable amount of people still alive and uninjured while bustling around nursing the injured ones. Even the fatally injured adventurers were already taken care of by the healers and mages.
The whole room was obviously damaged savagely, indicating a previous battle had occurred, but there was no enemy in sight.
"How..." The Guild Master sputtered in disbelief.
"Guild Master." Kard greeted him in good condition, albeit he was cradling a bandaged arm, followed by Pamela and Chongky.
"Where's the Nymphis?"
"The porter eliminated the Nymphis," Kard answered nonchalantly.
"Porter?" He asked in confusion before his eyes unconsciously focused on an indifferent man sitting crossed legs while being nursed by a healer. He was ragged, obviously from fighting, but he didn't look like he could match up against those monsters with those thin arms.
"There must be a mistake—"
"I and the others present in the room before can bear witness to legitimize the report. He was also the one who told me the monster's weak point." Kard cut him off with a serious gaze. He can't blame him not believing him immediately since he wasn't here when the kid cut down the druids with a large sword effortlessly.
"Senior!" A voice suddenly shouted before a figure rushed to them through all the people with a huge backpack.
"Malik!" Pamela and Chongky exclaimed excitedly while Chongky quickly recovered by clearing his throat at his unexpected blunder.
"Senior, you're all alive!" Malik was already crying a stream of crocodile tears while sniffling loudly.
"Of course, we are. Do you think we're weaklings?" Chongky sneered intimidatingly.
The Guild Master sighed, correcting his disbelieving expression into a steady one. "My mistake. This isn't the time to talk about what happened. I will read your porter's documentation and your verbal report later. Look after your party, Kard."
"Thank you, Guild Master." Kard nodded sincerely.
The Guild Master paused, then said. "And that porter, make sure you get him to our guild."
Kard was in agreement. The kid has a powerful ability even his guild master has problem wrapping his head what happened.
That kid is the first of its kind...
The Guild Master dismissed them soon after and went out first to dispatch the miners while ordering his people to secure other parts of the cave.
"Hey, have you seen Letti?" Malik suddenly remembered the androgynous fellow porter after he calmed down, looking around wildly for a tuff of light brown hair.
"He's resting over there?" Pamela pointed to the figure sitting listlessly on the altar's stairs. His blank expression somehow showed a cool and handsome side profile, creating an obvious attraction to some female onlookers.
"Did you see that guy?"
"He's probably new. There's no way we haven't met a person that handsome before."
"I heard he's the porter who saved the party."
"Really?! Ah, so handsome~."
Those were only some of the hushed conversations they keep hearing around them.
"Let's go—"
Kard tugged Malik's collar to stop him from running to Letti. "Let him replenish his mana for a while. He probably used up a lot of mana earlier."
"Woah, so he's a mage? Huh, didn't expect that." Malik mumbled.
"He was the one who killed the Nymphis," Pamela added.
Malik's eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected news, turning to look at Pamela in a snap. "Really? Amazing!" He gushed in awe.
"Senior, please tell me exactly what happened." He pleaded to Chongky.
"Hey, don't touch my robe with your hands!"
"Hoho, it was unbelievable." Pamela sniggered mischievously, baiting Malik to get more hyped.
"Okay, okay, let's chat later. We got work to do." Kard urged them to walk while reminding some people to carry the injured out of the dungeon along the way.
Meanwhile, Letti was actually idly waiting for the people to clear off the dungeon contrary to what the others were thinking.
'When are they leaving?'
"You!" A scathing voice suddenly was heard before a pink-haired female mage came stomping over to Letti with a seething glare.
Letti turned her head softly at the voice, only to return that fierce glare with her look of disinterest. "Hello." She nodded as a greeting.
But Eunice wasn't in the mood for pleasantries from the way her face looks even more twisted. "Did you forget where your position is? Do you know how expensive my bag is? You're so useless. You can't even do a porter's job right!" She shrieked, holding her green bag up, which was slightly dirtied underneath.
"Ah, I forgot about that," Letti stated noncommittally. What could she do? Lulu is the only capable and unthreatening-looking shadow she has aside from Palleus, but she forgot Lulu was filling up as the porter when she called him on the spur of the moment.
'Ah, that puppet is really annoying. I'm glad I destroyed it immediately.' Letti patted herself mentally.
Eunice's face looked like it would explode any moment in anger at her placid answer. "Do you know who I am? I could blacklist you in almost all guild in Ruvia with my word!" She shrieked arrogantly. She badly wanted to let this guy know how stupid it was messing with her. She has a lot of connections to important people that this measly guy could only dream.
"Looks like you'll be unemployed in Ruvia," A smooth, buttery voice butted in amusement.
"Then, what do you think about going to Linarest?"