Deeper and deeper they fell while Pator kept hold of his staff that Lena was still holding the top off.
"W-What are we gonna do!" Pator screamed in a panic.
"I have no idea!" Lena screamed back.
"How deep even is this thing!" Lena screamed annoyed.
Lena looks around her only to find more and more walls that keep following them down.
"LENA I SEE THE END!" Pator screamed louder than before.
"Do you got any more mana on you!" Lena asked.
"YEAH!"
"Quickly then use air to slow us down."
Pator quickly turns around to face straight down and almost last second finally letting go of the staff with both hands aiming downwards a strong gust of wind shoots down only to then shoot back up and around the end.
"Prepare yourself this is still gonna hurt!" Pator screamed.
"Oi Kid!" Lena screamed as she pulled him above her.
"wha-what?!"
Although the air did help them a bit it was barely enough to fully stop them.
Thud. Thud. Lena fell first only to have pator fall ontop of her next. She slowly raises her head from the fall only to then.
Clang.
Have Benj's gauntlet fall on her head too knocking her unconscious.
A short while later.
Lena slowly open's her eyes and starts looking at her surroundings.
she is in some kind of mud block with a little hole in the side probably to let air in, there is 3 little magic crystals that are giving them a light source and Pator is sleeping while leaning his back to one of the walls and hugging his staff.
'how careless is this kid.' Lena thinks.
Even though he did make up a safe space this is still a dungeon just sleeping around is not the best of ideas.
Lena stands up and walks towards the little opening to see the outside.
There is nothing other than a small pond.
There are also magical crystals giving off light but these were all around the dungeon so Lena doesn't give them much thought. She goes back to where she woke up and sits down.
'How are we gonna leave this now.' Lena thinks to herself.
She looks towards the sleeping Pator, and decides to just watch guard.
A short while later.
Lena again slowly wakes up as she had succumbed to her body at fallen asleep at some point. She quickly looks around to find that Pator Isn't anywhere near where he was.
The little room is still closed up with only the little air way she heads towards it and looks around to find no one, she decides not to scream so that if there is an enemy she could surprise them as much as she can.
she walks up to the walls and knocks weakly on each of them only to find that one is thinner than the others making it pretty weak, with no other way she puts on Benj's gauntlent that fell with them, which pator most likely brought with them into the room, Takes her stance, and with a silent scream punches the wall breaking it only to be welcomed by a scream.
It was Pator's voice, She quickly looks at sound's direction to find pator crouched down near the pond of water. It was in one of the air way's blind points so she couldn't see him from there.
The boy crouched down is looking at Lena with shock. Lena takes her sword and goes to the boy who is now focused at the pond.
"What are you doing?" Lena asked the crouched boy.
"This water, It's amazing. You know, I've read in a book that dungeon water is one of the purest and richest in mana, apparently just thinking a quick dip in one could take all your fatigue away. Here just put your hand in and you can feel it." The boy said excited.
Lena then crouched down and did as the boy said.
"Oh, this really does just feel nice." Lena said with surprise in her face.
"Right!" the boy excited dived both hands in.
"But, I have had better water before."
"Huh? better than this?" the boy said intrigued.
"Yeah, The lake of Wothand." Lena said as she slowly put her other hand in.
"You went to the lake of wothand?!" The boy said with a jump.
"That is very far from here you know? like months maybe years!" the boy said.
"I did a lot of traveling as a kid." Lena said as she took of her shoes to put in her legs too.
"wow.... I've only read about it in books, but it sounds amazing, you sure are lucky to have been there." The boy said.
"Ok Let's get in" Lena said standing up.
"Get in?!" the boy said turning his head to Lena.
"Yeah we both still have our bodies down after that fight even though it's been while and yet here we have such a great opportunity, Let's head in." Lena said as she slowly took of her shirt.
"W-wait Lena b-but, aren't you a girl?" the boy said bright red.
'oh' Lena realized their difference in gender.
"Come on Look at me do I really look like a girl to you? I even punched a hole through that wall just now." Lena lied.
The boy looked up and down Lena's tall masculine body.
"O-oh I guess your aren't haha... sorry your name and the long hair had me mistaken..." The boy said apologetically.
"D-don't worry about it!" Lena said Angered at her own lie.
"t-then can I please just get in a bit further from you?"
"Sure." Lena said to the shy boy.
They both got stripped down and went to enjoy a little dip into the mana rich water It was barely deep so they had to stretch their body to get fully in.
"By the way Lena why did you punch a hole through the wall?" the boy said to break the awkward silence to him.
"I Thought that there was an enemy and that you were in danger." Lena said with a relaxed tone as she looked at the cave's roof.
"O-oh" The boy's already red face got even redder.
"I-I just walked out to see the pond, but I brought out another wall so that you would be safe that's why it was thin... I-i was gonna put it down if you had screamed for me..." the boy said.
"Don't worry about it." Lena said.
Another moment of silence passed and then the boy once again talked.
"Lena have you ever read about dungeons?" The boy asked.
"A little bit, but I don't remember anything." Lena said relaxed.
"You see I have read my fair share of books on dungeons and something doesn't feel right..." The boy said with a serious voice.
"Huh? what could you mean?" Lena said still relaxed.
"The "boss" we fought wasn't right. Kent, Benj, and the miss were all gold adventurers who probably went through a bit of dungeon expeditions. So why would they mess up that bad?" The boy said in a serious tone.
"What are you trying to say?" Lena said getting herself together.
"Lena, In every book I have ever read, not once is such a boss mentioned, Bosses always tend to be more humanoid even if they would be more in the big or small side, but even when big they've never reached such a size, maybe twice or thrice the size of a human, but that thing was easily 5 times the size. Not only that, but it didn't do any magic while also not having any regenerative abilities." The magician said.
"So what you're saying is that we still haven't fought the actual boss." Lena said.
"T-that's what I think at least... I might still be completely wrong ahaha....." The boy said.
*sigh* "you just had to ruin the mood huh..." Lena said annoyed
"Now I don't feel like enjoying the water." Lena said as she looked at the boy.
"s-sorry..."
"don't worry about it ima just get out..." Lena said as she sighed again at the boy.
"M-me too!" the boy said hurriedly as he quickly stood up to leave.
Lena followed and put her cloth as the boy had his head turned.
They both put own their cloth and moved to the room to see what they had to carry with them.
"I will carry the loot bags you can just hold your staff and Benj's gauntlet."
"I-I can carry one bag!"
"Don't worry about it I'm used to this."
Lena said as she stood with 3 bags perfectly balanced.
The boy looked a bit down then continued to move.
There was only one way from where the pond was and it was just a straight path which they followed in.
They kept following it as it only led them to what felt like nowhere.
"L-lena d-do you think at the end of this I-it will be there?" the boy said with a gulp.
"Let's just hope not."
But sadly hope wasn't enough for it was almost a fated destiny they had angered the monster and it was just throwing back at them.
Only a few steps later Pator completely stops.
"What is it?" Lena asked the horrified boy.
"I-I-I-I-I I can feel it....!" the boy said shaking.
"This overwhelming aura. It's magical presence is too strong." The shaking boy says as he slowly bends his knees.
Lena just looks at him as she feels nothing.
"T-that thing We...We can't take out Lena! us two alone there is no way! I-I know let's just go back and wait! Kent and the others will surely be back." The boy said as he hugs his staff that is still standing unlike him.
"They won't be coming back for us. They probably think we died from that fall, plus if they figured out that that thing we fought wasn't the boss then they surely wouldn't be jumping into their own deaths." Lena said looking at the end of the tunnel where "it" resides.
"H-h-how do you know that! Kent promised me that he wouldn't abandon me! He told me that all I have to do is believe in him!" Pator said while looking at Lena with tears.
"Just tell me one thing pator, It's magical presence does that mean that thing specializes in magic?"
Pator looked at Lena confused for a second and then talked "I-I would guess so. If it had strength that would match that then we would be beyond fucked."
"Ok this might sound crazy, but if it's that case We might stand a chance." Lena said as she crouched down the shaking boy.
"W-what do you mean?" Lena with confusion still on his face asks.
"I have this trick I learned from someone really strong, and I mean REALLY strong so trust me pator, I won't be able to fight such a thing by myself." Lena said.
"N-no no matter how strong that thing is you just can't use one move to kill a boss!" pator said.
Lena then stood up pulled out her sword and had it placed next to Pator's neck.
"I was playing nice, but now I will be forced to do this." Lena says this as she looks down at Pator.
"Stand up." she orders pator.
"W-what are you doing?! are you crazy?!"
"STAND UP!" Lena ordered him again forcing him to stand.
"now stake a few steps backwards, but if you run trust me that monster will be the last of your concerns." Lena says with a commanding voice.
With a gulp Pator follows her commands.
When he is far enough from her he attempts to plant his staff into the ground, but then in an instant he didn't even get to process He had Lena again right next to him with her sword to his neck.
"Don't act rash and just listen." Lena said as their eyes met.
"S-sorry..."
This time he followed her commands without any alteration.
"Now shoot at me a fireball that is strong but that wouldn't waste too much of your mana."
"Huh?"
"Actually doesn't even have to be a fireball, anything that Isn't ground magic shoot it towards me."
"O-ok." He says as he aims his staff at her making a fireball his own size that wouldn't explode but would burn anyone who comes into contact with it.
"Now attack."
"A-are you sure about this?" pator said only to be met with silence.
"B-blame yourself!" he said as he shoots the fireball at Lena.
Lena stands still waiting for it reaches to her and then suddenly out of nowhere the fireball is cut in half and dispersed into the air making it non-existent.
"h-huh?!"
"Do you understand what just happened?" Lena says to the boy.
"N-no..."
"Here look at this." Lena says as she throws the boy her sword.
"This thing... I see!" Pator says.
"I've read about this before! Implementing your own sword with magic that counters incoming magic! B-but that only works with magical swords, how? o-OH! this thing is blunt! It doesn't leak any magic so you could use it as a staff! But I have seen you cut things before how did you do that?" pator said thinking hope exists.
"I've used Barely-sharp swords since the beginning so I've gotten used to them, at first I had no idea why, but almost a month ago made me realize why He would use barely-sharp swords. Magic really is a painful thing to fight." Lena said as she looked at her sword.
"S-still that technique is mostly used by top adventurer's those with custom carvings, s-so how?" Pator questioned.
"I did say I learned it from someone really strong right? I've seen examples of it for years, Plus this isn't the only thing I've learned from him, but I doubt we will be able to use the other thing fighting a boss." Lena said taking back her sword.
"Plus I think that thing is pretty cocky, so we might be able to take it out while it has it's guard down." Lena said turning around.
"w-what do you means?" Pator asked.
"Just think about Pator. We conveniently fell into a room with a pond that would help us recover that has a straight path into the boss room. That thing made those paths using it's own magic forcing us to meet at it." Lena said.
"B-but why wouldn't it get everyone? why only us?" Pator asked.
"No pator. It is not after us, but you." Lena said.
Pator just stood there with his eyes widened in shock.
"M-me?"
"remember Pator I jumped after you I didn't fall. That thing wanted you alone going for it, The reason I do not know." Lena said.
"W-why? I-I am barely just a kid you know? What 14? I haven't lived long enough to anger anyone so why?" Pator said confused.
"As I said I don't know, but will you keep it looking down at you? Don't you wanna show it that you are the superior one between the two of you?" Lena said enticing the boy.
"y-y-y-yea...." Pator said quietly
"Say it loudly pator! You're our genius magician who only in three months surpassed even me!" Lena said.
"Y-yeah!" Pator said!
"Now Let's go get this son of a bitch!"
"YEAH!"
With confidence they both walked into their supposed death.
Lena slowly started feeling the bosses presence as they got closer while Pator fully ignored it believing that his own presence must have scared the boss.
The end of the tunnel finally became visible and all they could see was another room like thing.
The Room was a perfect 4 Wall with a roof room that was Huge.
As they got closer they could make up the details and that's when they saw it.
Leaning its back at the other side of the room sleeping was the supposed boss.
As tall as them with back like that of a hedgehog and a face that only had one eye and a mouth that opened from ear to ear.
As they got closer the boss slowly woke up and then finally stood there in front of them as if forcing itself on top of its legs
Another thing that stood out out as it finally stood up was the red weird bulging it from the center of it's body.
As soon as They entered the room Lena threw the bags to the side, Pator gulped, and the monster cracked its neck as if preparing.
Pator placed Benj's gauntlet next to the bags and quickly prepared himself for what was about to happen.
Lena unsheathed her sword and waited for the monster to make the first move.
The monster laughed at their stillness and placed both it's hands in front of itself into one fist as if it had clapped, Then slowly moved them away from each other making an orb of fire appear from where they had been held, the more It's hand got away from each other the bigger the orb got.
Lena kept still as Pator stood behind her.
Then finally when it found it as enough it shot the orb fire at Lena that was almost twice her size.
Lena then quickly said
"support me!" as she cut the fireball in half downwards up.
As soon as it was cut in half she gives a sprint from exactly the middle of the fireball she had just cut.
The monster in a moment of surprise is taken off guard and has his hand right hand cut off by Lena.
'this thing really is magic only' Lena then turns around to get it's head too, but is then distracted by the hand just grew out of nowhere.
The monster gives an ear to ear smile to Lena and then punches her sending her backwards.
'That barely hurt but it should still be annoying to take many of them.' Lena thought.
The monster then turns towards pator and again starts preparing for an attack, but this time instead of a fireball with one hand on the red thing and then the other a finger pointing at him Lena could see a little bit of water.
"PUT UP A WALL!" Lena screams at pator.
Pator instantly implements his staff into the ground making a huge earth wall appear out of nowhere.
But even that had a hole pierced through it by the condensed water shot by the monster.
Lena Looks at that and then Taking advantage of the situation attacks the monster only to then have it shoot another one at it's sword breaking it in half.
Attacking lena's sword had put the boss at a split moment of disadvantage So Lena quickly clench's her right fist as hard as she could punches the monster throwing it into the ground. She quickly sheathes her sword to her waist.
The Monster is thrown back which then makes Lena jump on top of it punching it as much as it can. The monster tried to retaliate but is only then quickly shunned down by another punch.
'this thing might be a weak spot!' lena thinks as she starts giving a punch to the weak red like thing.
But instead it was as hard as metal and is then met by another smile from the monster as if it's making fun of her.
Lena angered tries to punch the monster again only to then be blown away with wind from where she was sitting.
She is sent flying up quite the distance and then as she looks down at the monster it realizes it's about to attack Lena with another fire ball in the exact same way. Lena in a panic unsheathes her sword and remembers how it was broken in half. She still holds it in front of her with nothing else to do, but then in a moments notice a Piece of earth comes shooting from the ground right to where Lena was falling protecting her from the attack while letting her getaway.
She quickly stands back up after falling on top of it, and runs down it to where Pator was.
Pator is unharmed and is hiding at behind the wall he created earlier.
"I-I moved away last second as the monster shoot at where I was before creating the wall. I-I'm sorry if I was in the way earlier I-I just thought you needed help." Pator said apologetically.
"you did well Pator" Lena said looking through the corner of the wall at the monster who was slowly standing up.
"T-thank you." Pator said.
"Do you any iron control magic?" Lena quickly asked the boy.
"y-yes but only simple stuff."
"Then can you flatten out the end of my sword? it doesn't have to be sharp."
"s-sure!" Pator said with one hand on the sword making the uneven parts either fall off or blend into the sword.
"perfect, good work pator."
"haha.. tha--"
"It's back up Get ready this time I want you to use ground magic to support my steps and if you see any change to attack take it!"
"Y-yes b-but Lena can you do something for me?"
"Is it related to the monster?"
"yes"
"Ok quick what is it."
"oh um right! You see...." pator said his plan to Lena.
"I see... sure that would help us greatly."
Lena said as she stood up while Pator followed.
Pator put one his hands on the wall protecting them and broke it down by removing his magic.
Lena then quickly starting running around the monster with her sword in her right hand.
The monster as if ignoring her takes aim at Pator.
'It really is targeting him.' she thought to herself as she ran towards it.
The monster then quickly turned around and shot the fireball it had prepared at Lena.
"shi--" Lena said only to be interrupted by an explosion.
Pator took his chance while the monster focused on Lena to send in a chain of explosions at the monster who took them head on.
The monster then jumped back and shot a barrage of quick water bullets that Pator countered with similar attacks as he moved himself around with ground magic.
Lena who had at the last Second brought her sword to the ground and launched herself high using a quickly ascending pillar that immediately stopped hit the roof of the room
As she looked around for a safe way to fall she found that both the monster and pator were about to clash fire bombs at each other.
The bombs then clash sending Lena from falling downwards to hitting the wall from the shockwave.
It still made her back hurt but falling down from that height is worth the damage compared to falling straight down.
Pator had immediately put up another earth wall that protected him from the explosion and shockwave while the monster took it straight on.
Once the aftermath of the explosion clash was over Pator immediately Placed his staff at the general direction of the monster and created a spiral of fire that shot diagonally at the monster the same one he did first time fighting the huge monster.
He could Hear the monster scream in agony as it burned so he took as sign to fully commit to the move sending an explosion through the middle of the hollow spiral.
But as the dense fireball slowly moved through the spiral only to then immediately explode as he shot it out, Making the huge explosion heat him head on while he was unguarded.
Lena saw it as it happened so she looked at the Monster who was burning down as one of his fingers were pointing at Pator.
He had made the fireball explode by having a condensed water bullet attack it as soon as it was dispersed. Lena found the monster then again laughing after that so she quickly ran after it to finish the plan pator had made.
As soon as she was close enough she quickly shot a small weak fireball at the red thing at its center only to have it disappear as if it wasn't existing as soon as it made contact with it.
The monster turns towards Lena with the smile still occupying it's face.
And from the exact same orb as it's both hands again clapped and moved away from each other another fireball appeared that would most likely explode.
Lena Stood her ground with her now halved sword looking at the monster.
The Smile on the monster only got bigger as Lena didn't move.
'This is my only way out of this.' Lena said preparing herself.
The monster then as if physically pushing the explosive circle sends it towards Lena.
Lena with her sword to on top of her prepared to cut the thing but not in half this time.
All she could do was hope that her body won't give in as the ball slowly got closer.
And as soon as it got soon enough She quickly started swinging her halved out sword all around. Left Right Up Down Intercepting with the Explosions as much as she can as she doesn't have the length to cut it fully in half again. With air and water magic flowing through it She continued to cut down as much, but for her who isn't a magician this was hell to keep her sword flowing for that long. Her mana pool is only so much, the more she swung the more stamina and more mana she consumed.
Finally as if the last second before collapsing the fireball ceased to exist.
With as much energy as she could muster she looked at where pator was.
And all she could think of was 'i give up.' her only shot left of winning is down on the ground holding his staff with his left hand as his right hand is replaced with a fountain of blood.
The explosion from earlier had taken his hand away from him.
While Lena was busy swinging her sword Pator kept the monster from attacking her anymore with only his left hand as he laid on the ground.
He saw that Lena was done and then quickly put up a wall to gesture Lena to come to him.
She quickly did as fast as she could.
When she got there he asked her.
"s-so how did *cough* attacking the red thing go." Pator asked as he coughed out blood.
"It did exactly as you said. it just disappeared as soon as it made contact." Lena said while gasping for air.
"Haha... a tleast * cough cough* at least we have one more piece of information on that thing now." he said as he made a slight grin.
"W-what do you mean."
"L-lena that thing in his center. That Isn't his heart *cough* that isn't a body part, nor is that a weak point, That is merely a catalyst." Pator said almost laughing while Lena had her eyes fully awoken.
"Every attack he has done yet had to do with that thing *cough cough* when he shots explosions it's always behind them, when he shots water bullets one hand is on it when,*cough cough* he shot you upwards it was from on top of it. That's why his magical presence was overwhelming." he said almost laughing at himself.
"Even the slightest piece of information Didn't even help us one bit in the en-" He says only to be interrupted by Lena
"No..."
"what?" he is peaceful look is quickly turned into one of confusion
"No... If that is a catalyst, Then there is Hope There is still thing I can do." Lena says as she stands up.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Dont worry about it and just wait here, I know some first-aid I can help you once that monster is done." with confidence and power that came out of nowhere Lena quickly runs towards Benj's gauntlet.
The monster turns towards her and immediately starts working preparing a water shot.
Lena ignores it and puts Benj's gauntlet on her right hand.
The monster just smiles thinking that she had given up her hope for a miracle.
Lena with confidence looks at the monster with her sword in her right hand.
And without any tricks without any faints without any fraud she just runs straight at it.
The monster's smile turns into a laugh as it shots the water bullet at Lena's right Leg.
But Lena who is working in pure adrenaline just ignores the minor hole in her Leg and continues moving.
Then raises her right hand with the sword as if she was about to swing it.
The monster prepares itself for a sword attack as it puts all its focus on the halved sword.
Then as it's focus stays on the sword it realizes why is the sword so far from it's wielder?
Lena had thrown the sword away from her making the monster's gaze follow it.
As soon as she got next to the monster with her right hand that is now cladded with a gauntlet that is too oversized for her over the monster catalyst she smiles at the monster.
It quickly realizes what's about to happen and roars.
"Boom motherfucker." Lena says with a smile staring at the monster's one eye.
And in a second of silence Lena quickly shot back by the monster's body as if it has self exploded.
An explosion so huge it had the room shaking, but not falling apart, That thing had prepared this area for an intense fight so it somehow still stood an explosion that big.
Pator Laid down with a face that could only show one emotion and that is of amazement.
Lena was shot back with her whole front body hurting and feeling as if on fire while her right hand had the gauntlet just barely protect it.
The monster was blown to smithereens.
after flying into the wall falling face forward forces herself onto her legs with her right hand made into a fist raised up.
"Let's see you regenerate from that."