The ground beneath them began to crack, jagged lines spreading out from where Ingrid stood, radiating with dark energy. Inoue could feel the tremors through her boots, the vibrations growing stronger with every passing second. Dust and loose stones started to rain down from the ceiling, making the already dim torchlight flicker and dance wildly.
Guil tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes narrowing as he sized up Ingrid. "Stay sharp," he muttered to Lea and Inoue. "We've come too far to back down now."
Ingrid's smile widened, her emerald eyes gleaming with a twisted delight. The sickly green light in her hand flared brighter, and with a sudden, violent motion, she thrust her arm forward. A wave of energy shot out, racing towards the trio like a creeping death.
"Scatter!" Guil shouted.
They leaped in different directions just as the energy blast struck the ground where they had been standing, exploding into a shockwave that sent debris flying. The force of the blast knocked Inoue off her feet, and she rolled to avoid the falling rocks. She caught a glimpse of Lea, who had managed to conjure a barrier of lightning just in time to shield herself, but the strain was evident on her face.
Guil was already on his feet, charging toward Ingrid with a battle cry, his sword raised to strike. But Ingrid was quicker than he anticipated. She waved her hand dismissively, and the ground beneath Guil erupted, sending him flying back with a grunt of pain.
"Is that the best you can do adventurers?" Ingrid taunted, her voice echoing through the catacombs with an almost bored tone. "You should have stayed in hiding, like the cowards you are."
Inoue gritted her teeth, pushing herself up from the ground. She could feel the cold sweat on her brow, the fear gnawing at the edges of her resolve. But she refused to let it take hold. She had trained for this, had faced dangers before, but this was different—Ingrid was different.
Lea unleashed a torrent of lightning bolts at Ingrid, the air crackling with energy as the bolts streaked toward their target. Ingrid simply raised her hand, and the bolts dissipated into the air as if they were nothing more than a light breeze. She turned her gaze to Lea, her expression now one of irritation.
"You're wasting my time," Ingrid hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "I have more important matters to attend to."
Inoue knew they couldn't keep this up for long. They were outmatched, outnumbered, and Ingrid was toying with them. But they had to do something—anything—to disrupt her plans, to weaken her grip on Narey.
Ingrid's emerald eyes narrowed with annoyance as she surveyed the trio. "I've already gathered all the mana I need from this wretched town," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "There's no point in wasting any more time here."
With a dismissive wave of her hand, the green light in her palm flared, and the air around her shimmered with arcane energy. "But don't think I'll leave you unoccupied," she added with a cruel smirk.
The ground beneath them trembled as a massive hole appeared.
"Consider this a parting gift," Ingrid sneered. Before Guil, Inoue, or Lea could react, Ingrid's form flickered and then vanished, leaving them alone to face the monstrous abomination she had summoned.
"Ingrid!" Lea heard Inoue shout in shock, her voice tinged with disbelief.
But Lea's attention was drawn to the gaping hole where Ingrid had stood. The edges of the pit crumbled away, revealing a massive underground chamber that seemed to extend endlessly into the earth. The green light from Ingrid's magic flickered from the depths, growing fainter as it descended.
Guil, now on his feet and recovering from the earlier blast, approached the edge of the hole cautiously. "What the hell is down there?" he muttered.
Before anyone could respond, a massive, skeletal hand emerged from the darkness, its bony fingers grasping the edge of the pit. The hand was followed by a hulking figure, a towering monstrosity made of bones and decayed flesh, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light.
The creature pulled itself up, standing between the trio and the pit, its head nearly scraping the ceiling of the catacombs. It let out a guttural growl, the sound reverberating through the chamber, sending shivers down Inoue's spine.
Lea's voice was barely a whisper as she stared at the abomination. "What… is that?"
Inoue didn't have time to answer. The creature lunged at them with surprising speed for its size, its massive hand swiping at Guil. He barely dodged in time, the creature's claws tearing through the stone floor like it was paper.
"We need to get out of here!" Guil shouted, slashing at the creature's arm in a desperate attempt to slow it down. But his sword barely made a dent in the monstrosity's thick, decayed hide.
Inoue summoned all the magic she could muster, conjuring a wave of water that crashed against the creature, trying to push it back into the pit. But the creature barely flinched, its glowing eyes locking onto her with a predatory glare.
Lea joined in, hurling bolts of lightning at the creature's head, but the attacks seemed to do little more than anger it. The creature roared, a deafening sound that shook the very walls of the catacombs, and began to charge at them.
Just as it seemed they would be overrun, the ground beneath the creature collapsed further, dragging it back toward the pit. It clawed at the edges, trying to regain its footing, but the earth gave way, sending it plummeting back into the darkness below with a bone-chilling scream.
The trio was left standing on the edge of the pit, panting and shaken, the sounds of the collapsing catacombs echoing around them.
"We need to move.Report this to the knights." Inoue said breathlessly, her eyes wide with the realization of how close they had come to being crushed. "There's no telling what else is down there."
But as they turned to leave, a familiar, cold voice echoed from seemingly nowhere, chilling them to their core.
"This isn't over," Ingrid's voice rang out, dripping with malice. "You can't escape the fate I have in store for you. I'll be waiting..."
The pit rumbled again, and the trio exchanged uneasy glances. Whatever awaited them in the future, it was far more dangerous than they had imagined. And Ingrid was far from defeated.
"Let's go," Guil said, "We need to evacuate the town and inform the guild and knights about the situation."
The trio emerged from the catacombs, battered and weary, but victorious. The first rays of dawn greeted them as they stepped into the open air, where the townsfolk of Narey awaited with anxious hearts. As soon as the people saw them, a collective cheer rose, relief and gratitude washing over the crowd.
"They've done it!" an elderly man exclaimed, his voice quivering with emotion.
"They've saved us!" a young woman cried out, rushing forward with tears in her eyes.
The villagers surged forward, surrounding the trio in a wave of warmth and appreciation. Hands reached out to clap them on the back, and voices overlapped in a chorus of thanks.
"You're heroes!" a child shouted, his eyes wide with awe as he gazed up at Guil, who ruffled the boy's hair with a tired but proud smile.
"Thank you, thank you all," Lea responded, her voice soft but filled with sincerity as she shook hands and accepted the villagers' gratitude.
Inoue, usually reserved, found herself touched by the outpouring of emotion. She offered a small, humble bow to the crowd. "We couldn't have done it without your support. This victory belongs to all of us," she said, her words causing another round of cheers to erupt.
That night, the inn was filled with laughter, music, and celebration. Guil, Inoue, and Lea had their wounds treated by the town's healer, Elena, who worked diligently to ensure they were fit for the journey ahead.
"Elena, you're a miracle worker," Guil said as she finished bandaging his arm. "I feel like I could take on another golem right now."
Elena chuckled softly. "Let's hope you don't have to, at least not for a while."
Despite the aches and bruises, the trio couldn't help but join in the festivities. The inn's common room was alive with the sounds of fiddles and tambourines, the townsfolk singing and dancing with joy. Guil led a lively conversation, recounting their battle with the golem, exaggerating details to the delight of their listeners.
"And then, just as the beast was about to crush Inoue, I swooped in like a bolt of lightning and—" he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Guil, you were the one nearly flattened," Lea interrupted with a playful grin, causing the room to burst into laughter.
Inoue, sitting back , couldn't help but smile. The camaraderie, the warmth—it was moments like these that made all the struggles worth it.
The next morning, a unit of knights arrived, clad in shining armor and bearing the crest of the kingdom. Their leader, a stern but noble-looking man, introduced himself as Stanford, Chief of the King's Vanguard. He listened intently as Guil gave a full report of the events that had transpired—the fall of Ingrid, the battle with the golems, and the state of the catacombs.
When Guil finished, Stanford nodded with approval. "You've done more than just protect this town; you've saved it from a darkness that could have spread far beyond its borders. For your bravery, you are to be summoned to the capital, where his majesty will reward you properly. Moreover, your party shall be ranked up from Bronze to Gold."
Guil's eyes widened with excitement, and he couldn't contain his joy. "Gold rank? Meeting the king? Are you serious?!" he exclaimed, practically bouncing with energy.
Lea, who had been standing calmly beside him, couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Calm down, Guil. You're going to scare the horses," she teased, her smile warm.
Inoue, more reserved but no less pleased, bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you, Sir Stanford," she said earnestly. "We'll make preparations and head to the capital in the coming days."
Stanford smiled, a rare warmth in his expression. "Take your time. You've earned it," he replied, his tone sincere.
As the knights prepared to leave, the trio exchanged looks of shared triumph.
"Gold rank, Inoue! Can you believe it?" Guil said, barely able to contain his excitement. "We're gona make so much money!"
Inoue smiled softly, feeling a sense of pride welling up within her. "We've come a long way," she agreed. "And yes some extra coins wont hurt my wallet."
Lea placed a hand on Guil's shoulder, steadying him. "Let's not forget, we've got a lot more to do before we start celebrating again," she reminded him gently.
Guil nodded, still grinning from ear to ear. "Right, right! But still…Gold rank!"
The capital awaited, and with it, new challenges and opportunities that would shape their futures as adventurers. But for now, they allowed themselves to savor the moment, knowing they had earned every bit of the victory they were celebrating.