The Dungeon, as far as the reports from expeditions stated, continuously expanded in width on every floor. The further down you went, the larger and more spacious the floor was.
Ash's eyes glanced around him as he pulled his teammate back hurriedly. The grass and towering trees indicated they were on the 3rd floor, but it was completely different than what Ash had heard about it.
Were they in some secluded area on the 3rd floor? Was this how the Voidanium fragment had remained hidden for so long?
It had always been right under their noses, but nobody dared venture outside the limits of the map that guided adventurers through the explored floors. Just how many secrets lay in the Dungeon that remained undiscovered?
The numerous steps of the Shadows awoke Ash from his deliberation. He needed to move. Thinking now would only result in his death.
"They're catching up!" he muttered in distress, attempting to pick up the pace. He grunted as he heaved the body along. Ash's mind wasn't functioning, and the thought of picking Julius up and running never occurred to him.
[They are after you. Drop the human.]
"!"
Draegan's message flashed before Ash like a shooting star, carrying with it a hope of survival. The only question was: could he trust Draegan with Julius's life?
The approaching whispers forced Ash to make a decision. Could he leave Julius alone? Would the Shadows not attack him on sight, regardless if he wasn't their target?
Ash knew there was only one way out of his current predicament. If he were to ignore Draegan and stubbornly drag Julius's body, the Shadows would inevitably catch up and kill them both. However, if Ash separated himself from Julius, there was a small chance that both of them would make it out alive.
"Sorry, Julius!" muttered Ash, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to let go after having laid his companion against a secluded tree.
Ash stood straight, sensing the oncoming army of Shadows.
"Let's go," he told himself confidently.
[Follow the path that calls to you.]
Weirdly enough, Ash knew exactly what Draegan was talking about. He felt drawn in by a mysterious power that lay in the distance. All he had to do was make it there as fast as he could.
[Shadow Step]
Ash was consumed by darkness once more as he shot towards the mysterious destination. The adventurer always positioned himself to prepare for his next leap. Ash dashed from trunk to trunk, exiting his Shadow Step and casting it again to reach the next tree.
[Shadow Step]
[Shadow Step]
[Shadow Step]
Ash finally escaped the lush vegetation and arrived on a gradual hill, gasping for breath. A single tree lay at the top, its pink flowers swaying without any wind. Producing any kind of sound was beyond the amount of energy Ash had left. All he could do was stand with his hands on his knees and pant desperately.
After a few minutes of recovery, Ash heard the metallic hissing of a Shadow. He groaned as he pushed his body past its limits, continuing up the gentle hill slowly. Ash's body ached terribly. He was not used to using so much essence.
Ash finally reached the top, but at that moment, his body gave in to the fatigue. The dark-haired boy slammed face-first into the rough bark of the pink-flowered tree, crying out in pain before taking a better look at his point of impact.
The stem of the tree was hollow. It felt like there was an object deep within it. Without the power to think anymore, Ash reeled back his arm and closed his eyes. Just one more punch, he thought to himself.
[Shadow Punch]
Ash's fist penetrated the trunk of the tree. A powerful cyan glow burst through that momentarily blinded the boy in awe. He could feel the air around him vibrating as if the object within the trunk was shivering.
"There it is…" muttered Ash in disbelief. He reached into the tree, pushing his arm deep into the ground, and touched a metal object. He could feel the energy of the fragment pushing him away, but he forced his hand to grab onto the lozenge-shaped artifact.
In one final push of strength, Ash tore the fragment out of the ground. Roots snapped as the tree began to die. The fragment had acted as its core, and the fact that it could supply a living organism was fascinating.
Ash stared at the fragment as if he were in a trance. The black octahedron had lines of blue energy resembling veins, pumping power around its body.
"Argh!" screamed Ash.
He dropped the fragment in distress. A wave of pain that originated from the palm in which he was holding the artifact washed over him. The boy writhed in pain as blue light flowed through his body. Was he going to die?!
The Shadows approached the twitching body, clumping together like a horde of lifeless monsters blindly advancing. A message suddenly flashed before Ash's eyes. His vision was blurry from the tears streaming down his face, but he was able to read Draegan's warning in time.
[Move now, or you will die.]
"!"
No matter the amount of pain Ash was feeling, he still had a desire to live. He thrust his left arm forward, grabbing onto the now lifeless fragment, and used his other arm to drag himself closer to the tree.
Ash had initially believed the Shadows to be the threat to his life, but he was soon corrected. The army of Shadows looked up in a synchronized movement before raising their great swords and shields. Ash was unable to see the larger Shadow amidst the mob of darkness.
A purple star shined brightly in the sky, growing larger as it zoomed towards the ground.
"What the-"
An enormous explosion of violet energy erupted right in front of Ash, annihilating a large majority of the Shadows that had been grouped. Ash gritted his teeth at the arrival of this new individual.
The air felt heavy as if the person in front of him was attracting everything in the room. Was that one of the Three? No, it couldn't be. This kind of power didn't match the magic that the Three could produce, and yet, its intensity was so similar.
Ash could tell by the silhouette of the adventurer that she was a girl, but he could not learn anything else. She wore a black hoodie with the hood covering her head, her shorts not fully covering her thighs.
The pressure surrounding the girl increased as she glared at the Shadows. Ash did not doubt the power of his rescuer. She was a Guardian, and considering how terrifying her power was, she had to be in the top 10.
"What the hell are you creatures doing here?" she asked, her voice spreading across the room like a blizzard. "So this is why you wanted me here, huh?"
A group of five Shadows roared, charging the new arrival together.
"No, no, I'm not in the mood right now," she snarled, sticking out her arm and holding her middle finger back with her thumb. Purple essence swirled around her hand, and in one flick, she obliterated the approaching Shadows.
"She just flicked them away with raw energy" murmured Ash in awe. He couldn't help but stare at the female warrior in fascination, admiring how one of her arms was still stuffed in the front pocket of her hoodie.
Essence was the natural force of the world. Zane had taught Ash that essence was like a river, and mages were individuals who used the current of the river to turn the gears of their magic. They could only use a fraction of the available essence in the world, and the stronger you became, the more you could access. This person was different. It was as if she could guide the river with her own will. She could command the natural force of the world.
"Bring me your leader."