The First Cataclysm.
A harrowing event that the population of yore no doubt endured in its entirety. It was composed of a sequence of events that would go on to shape the current society of today.
Nico wasn't aware of the precise details - his passion for combat trumping his desire to learn about history during his younger years. Nonetheless, he was conscious that if it weren't for the timely arrival of the Major Races, his world would have been well and truly doomed.
Of course, these strange, otherworldly entities at the time had not offered to help for free.
The former inhabitants of Crelerath had to give up something of equal value - which Nico now understood was probably related to the fact that each race now had their own territory to call home within this world...
The First Cataclysm also included the battle between the Three Ancient Heroes and the Duke-ranked Demon.
Nico knew the Meosan Empire was among those unfortunate souls subjected to a trial said to be even worse than hell itself… if his experience with Sharp Gaze and the ruined city inside the trial of hope was any sign to live by.
Not much was recorded on the topic… at least on how the Dungeons had originally manifested out of thin air. Historical scholars, particularly those who enjoyed an interest and passion in studying the happenstance of old, cautiously shied away from researching such a topic.
Not because they weren't interested - rather, it was the complete opposite -, but because of a certain rumour that had been passed down among each generation, warning them of the danger of doing so.
Those who had attempted to uncover the origin of these otherworldly Dungeons had all but mysteriously disappeared off the face of Crelerath… with not a single clue of what had happened to them; no mangled remains or signs of any disturbances regarding the missing scholars.
Of course, Nico doubted the whole thing.
And, although he was aware that there was no such thing as the impossible when it came to magic and magical events - they were coined so because they naturally defied all logic and rational phenomena - the reason he doubted the rumour had to do with the fact that the power required for such a thing to occur, would be off the scale.
Why would a being or beings who held such power bother themselves with such a small and insignificant task?
To not even leave a single remnant of their victims behind was no small feat.
Maybe because he didn't have the full details - he had heard the story from a passing comment his Aunt once made - perhaps was the reason why he couldn't understand why someone with so much power would do such a thing.
If the whole rumour were to be believed in the first place, anyway.
Shaking his head to stop himself from digressing further, Nico wondered what it must have been like to be one of the first to enter an otherworldly bastille before the Major races arrived… not knowing what to expect and most likely ill-prepared for any conflict they would face.
He did not envy them one bit.
But he realised with a grim start that the sacrifice of those who had entered first was cruel, but necessary. After all, the intel gained from their expeditions would have gone on to save countless lives in the future.
The boy released a bleak sigh.
'Of all the things I had to go and think about during my rest, it had to be this.' Nico shook his head internally, his lips twitching in amusement.
He closed his eyes, his breath creating another misty cloud. He mentally counted the amount of time left for them to reach the Dungeon Core. 'Nine days left.'
It seemed things were yet to truly heat up.
'Here's to hoping they never do…'
***
"Brace!" Nico shouted over the clinking cacophony towards Leon.
The half-blood tensed his muscular body, pushing the golden aegis in front of his burly form. Several thuds echoed a moment later, the vibrations from multiple threads of silk striking the shield travelling up Leon's arms.
He gritted his teeth and held on.
It was his job as the tank not to let anything through. And he'd be dammed if he didn't try his best.
Nico surveyed the half-blood's knack for using the golden shield and nodded in satisfaction.
'Nice.'
He turned his attention to the approaching monstrosities and took a breath, "Isaac! Oliver! Fire!"
A few paces behind, two green-haired boys each nocked an arrow with a flaming head on the strings of their bows. Their delicate faces scrunched together in concentration, while their eyes surveyed the quickly approaching arachnids intensely like two hawks.
Inhaling slightly, they let the projectiles loose with a vivid twang. As the two arrows flew through the air, the light generated from their blaze dispelled some of the hazy gloom.
Now bathed in some illumination, Nico's confidence rose. The corner of his lips rose slightly.
He swiftly got into stance and rushed towards his enemies. Only one thing was on his mind:
Becoming a living, breathing whirlwind of destruction.
As if sensing his desire, the ominous spear in his grip seemed to hum slightly, excited at the prospect of quickly shedding some blood.
'Focus on the plan.'
The brown-haired boy scrunched his brows together in concentration, recalling the contents of the plan he and Leon had devised. It was relatively simple, which meant there was also less chance of things going wrong.
The strategy only relied on Leon and himself. More accurately, on the half-blood halting the ranged attacks of the arachnids, while Nico dealt with any of the over-eager abominations seeking to plunge their fangs into his burly companion.
Coupled with artillery fire in the form of flaming arrows - an idea proposed by Isaac after briefly studying the frigid interior of the Dungeon - the spiders had no choice but to keep moving lest they get picked off one by one.
'Here we go.'
Having spent a majority of his rest and watch the night before mentally preparing himself for an eventual fight, Nico was raring to go. He shelved any thoughts of his cloaked teammate - who stood at the very rear of their formation - to the side, determined not to let them fester.
A manic grin split his face as the first spider approached the armoured form of the fiery-haired half-blood.
'First Form - Horizon's Dash!'
'Second Form - Mercy of the Soothing Zephyr!'
Boosted by a combination of the first and second form - the former used to build up speed, while the latter employed to catch the Demon off-guard - Nico's grin stretched as he sensed Leon take a half-step to the side.
The gap was enough for his spear to sail through the air and pierce the skull of the lithe abomination. A sound of shattering ice echoed thereafter, the madness in the arachnid's eyes turning dull; the spark of life slowly extinguished from its icy visage.
Nico quickly removed his weapon from the Demon's skull and hastily jumped back, several threads of tightly compressed silk already heading his way in the brief moment it took him to kill the deranged arachnid.
Leon instantly filled the empty space, grunting as a bead of sweat slid down the side of his face.
He clenched his teeth.
It pained him to use the last memento of his father like this.
He quickly rid himself of such unnecessary thoughts, though. Now was not the time. He could brood about it later.
For now, the half-blood would just do his best to eradicate those vile Demons. That was all that mattered.
His shield vibrated slightly, as if resonating with his thoughts.
An involuntary smile graced the half-blood's face, feeling as if his father was right there beside him to help whenever the situation got too dire. Leon bellowed, swinging the sledgehammer in his left hand with deadly precision.
Overhead, another round of burning projectiles crashed into the ranks of Frozen Spiders.
Weird, distorted shrieks resounded in response.
Taking another half-step to the side to let his brown-haired companion skewer another Demon, Leon's eyes blazed with determination.
They would win.
He would make sure of that himself.