I didn't expect my life to end this way, in a dungeon raid being cornered in a cave, with all hope being thrown away in a glimpse. Funny how I confidently agreed to join the party without checking the risks. Questions ran through my mind like a river, what do I do? How will things turn out, but most importantly, will I be able to survive?
"Sir Adelram, what are we going to do now?"
Vanessa looked in front with her teary eyes and shaking knees, it almost felt relieving to see Adelram one last time, while he was rising both his arms sideways while facing the ferocious beast, it looked odd until five shadows rose from the ground and bowed at him. Vanessa's long, brown, curly hair waved from the gusts that the huge shadows gave off after waving their weapons as they prepare for battle, so she covered her face using her arms for protection against any flying dust. With little vision, she focused watching on Sir Adelram and noticed him taking out a short sword, she felt immense strength just by looking at it. She shakes her head to snap out of it and watched back at the fight, she really wanted to help, but from the looks of their situation, she might just be trouble for them. She compared her long brown staff to the jet black staff the mage was using, and the floating tome from the support. With their high-level equipment that has comparable strength, her staff's magical capacity felt nothing compared to the shadows.
A huge, red dragon roared at them, its roar sounds different from the first time they encountered it. Still, it made Vanessa tremble in fear, while Adelram didn't even flinch, instead he quietly inspected for any weak spots he could hit before the fight initiates. After a few seconds of investigation, he glanced at Vanessa and smirked at how she's just motionless about the Dragon's roar.
"Stay behind me, and just watch for yourself. Things are about to get messy."
"Ah– Yes! Of course."
She quickly enchanted some buffs to increase her defense, to avoid getting hurt during Adelram's upcoming fight—
"[Rock Skin]! [Continuous Healing]! [High Sense]!"
Adelram nodded at her after she buffed herself for safety and started walking towards the dragon, the shadow with a huge shield starts running at it, getting its aggro. Adelram and his four shadows followed as the one with the shield started hitting the body of the dragon.
Vanessa watched Adelram fight, and their teamwork, it's flawless. Every time the dragon tries hitting the Shadow with the bow, Adelram parries it along with the Defender, while the Support keeps on healing any damages that were inflicted by the dragon. The Mage continuously cast different kinds of spells and all sorts of debuffs for the dragon, and the Archer keeps shooting hundreds of magic arrows, preventing the dragon any time to rest. The tank keeps on getting its aggro, but even when it fails, it keeps up by blocking the dragon's attacks. The last shadow wielding the sword is the main source of damage along with Adelram.
As the battle's flames enraged, she slowly began noticing something really familiar, the shadow with a huge shield, the other one with a bow, one beside Sir Adelram is using a huge sword, and the two shadows few steps away from her, a floating tome and a jet black staff.
Could, Could it be? They're the—
"[God Strength]."
The Dragon's head quickly went down on the ground with Adelram's final spell that almost crushed the dragon's skull, and it looks like it was more than enough to kill it. Dust clouds form in the cave and winds flew around, making Vanessa's hair wave once more. Unable to see, she embraced herself as she heard the dragon's roar, not realising that it was its last.
After the wind blew, the dust settles, silence entered the cave, which felt odd but relieving, considering how much noise the battle made. Vanessa opens her eyes only to see Adelram sitting on the dragon's head, with the dragon having no signs of life. The five shadows went towards the dragon's head and faced sir Adelram, from that they bowed at the same time.
"Everyone of you have done well... And for that, you may all rest."
Adelram raised his arm, where Vanessa had to watch the shadows fade and disappear before her eyes. This really surprised her, but the sight made Adelram yawn as if he had done that for more than a hundred times. He arranged his black messy hair up after yawning, then he jumped from the dragon's head and ran straight towards Vanessa, which he saw her sitting down due to exhaustion before he even managed to see if the dragon really is dead.
"Vanessa, are you alright?"
"Yes, I am doing fine... Just, a bit tired from all this and I, I—"
Vanessa looked at her lap and tears started rolling down her face. Adelram understands very well when he looked around the cave and saw many corpses of other adventurers killed by the dragon. He looked back at Vanessa to check for any wounds, he got a bit worried over nothing when he found nothing too serious at all, just a few scratches and bruises, and she'll be okay.
"Those, those Shadows... W-who are they? Why do they look so familiar? Also their weapons and skills and equipment,"
Somehow, from how Vanessa reacts and what she said, Adelram kind of knew what she will say next,
"—Are they the five Legendary Adventurers!?"
Adelram glanced at Vanessa without saying anything, a look that only means an obvious answer. He stood up and went to the dragon to check it for any parts that were considered as valuable. After a few steps, he stopped on what Vanessa said to interrupt him—
"—Why didn't you save the other adventurers?! Why did you not show your power earlier?!"
"I did not want to show my true strength because this was your raid..."
He continued walking to the dragon's corpse without looking at Vanessa. The way he avoids her eyes obviously means that he is not in his proper mood.
"Well, I planned to do so after you all get killed."
The air began to feel different after saying what he shouldn't have, but it is too late to take it back now. So the only thing he can do at this point was saying something that will make her feel better.
"But, the dragon spared both of us, I thought it would be too late if I didn't show my power when the Dragon was about to attack us. Also, I did not expect that the party is willing to leave you behind... Well, to be honest, I was quite surprised that this dragon was generous enough that it killed the others first before us. Who would've thought that these adventurers were to die first where they want you to take the dragon's time while they flee. Their demise was the results of such cowardly actions, using a woman as a bait, is it not?"
He slashes down the head and inspects what is inside. Vanessa looked at Adelram while still absorbing the words he said, his words came out like praise and made her smile gently.
"I don't know what to say, but... I guess I will have to thank you for saving my life back there."
"I didn't save your life, it's you who chose to stand up even when the odds are against you. Even I would have run away if I can't win a fight."
"Then would you say I'm lucky I met you?"
"No, it was your actions that you have made it this far... But, you could say you're lucky too– uh... I guess, also can you stop with the formalities? It's awkward hearing it from you."
Adelram took out a huge red glowing orb from the carcass of the dragon, he also took some dragon teeth, scales, and anything else that can be sold off, no matter how much the price is.
He went out of the dragon's body to see Vanessa who was just there sitting near the walls of the cave and thinking of something that she didn't even notice that Adelram is out.
Adelram tapped her shoulder and she quickly snapped out of it.
"Yes! Oh, you're done checking the dragon's corpse, what is it now?"
From the instant reply, Adelram found it quite adorable and funny, he chuckled slightly at her. Vanessa got a grip on what's happening, so she pouted and looked the other way with a Hmph!
"Let us proceed, shall we? Now, what I am about to do is supposed to be a huge secret, but since you're here, I suppose you would stay quiet about this, do you understand?"
The tone in his voice sounds as if he isn't playing around anymore, Vanessa's pout disappeared when she glanced at sir Adelram with a curious face. But instead of asking, she silently nodded without a doubt.
"Good."
Vanessa stood up to see clearly what's about to happen, she observed Adelram standing in front of the dragon's head, with a serious face.
One thing she knew about him is that he's a person you should not mess with, although he usually is a bright person. But he can get really merciless on his enemies, seeing on what happened to the dragon just now.
"[I Adelram summon thee, rise up and bow to me.]"
A few seconds of awkward silence and the ground starts shaking up, and strong pressure is building up to the point where standing became difficult for Vanessa.
She feels like she is about to vomit everything she ate this morning, not because of the smell or anything, but all due to the immense pressure she's feeling for quite some time now.
"What's going on!!! Adelram!"
She saw Adelram standing calmly like it's nothing. Barely conscious, she saw something from the carcass of the dragon rising up—
"An— another Dragon!? That's impossible!!"
Gusts of air as the black dragon's head rose high from the cave and roared as loud as it can. The cave trembles as the roar echoed, Vanessa's hair waved as she covered her eyes with her arms, still fighting for her consciousness.
A few seconds passed, Vanessa noticed her body feeling really light. Strangely, the pressure disappeared when the silence came. She opened her eyes and saw the black dragon bowing down to Sir Adelram. The once wise, evil dragon, now bowing in respect to him, this sparked questions and filled Vanessa's mind out of it.
"What did you do?"
"This is the secret I told you to be quiet about."
"Ne— necromancy, is it not?"
Sir Adelram smiled with a nod as an answer to Vanessa's rhetorical question. The dragon disappeared when Adelram waved his hand and starts walking towards the huge glowing portal. It's orange color meant that the dungeon is finally cleared, and the party is allowed to leave.
"Yes, I am a Necromancer."