{Argus's POV}
"The last one." (Argus)
Argus slashed the skeleton swordsman, sending its head flying. He stood there, panting as he looked at the remains of the undead. He was now on the 5th floor, near the magic circle that led to the dungeon's guardian.
Argus had used the same tactic he did on the 2nd floor. Running and gathering groups of undead before facing them all at once. While it worked, it had pushed him to his limits. Each floor had demanded more from him, both physically and mentally. Fighting and killing these undead required his full effort, knowing that a single mistake could cost him his life.
As he stood there, no injuries or slash marks were visible on his body and wounds had already healed. The only signs of battle were the bloodstains on some parts of his clothes and armor. But despite his healed body, Argus felt the strain. He had overused his two skills, and now his head was throbbing painfully.
"Looks like this is my current limit. I'm too tired." (Argus)
Argus said to himself, feeling the exhaustion weighing him down. The constant fighting had pushed him close to his breaking point. Even though his body was healed, he knew he needed to rest and recover since he needs to enter another dungeon after this.
"I won't be facing the guardian, so I can take my time to rest. Speaking of which..." (Argus)
Argus reconnected his communication with Astrea, who was inside his Soul Sea, and re-established their shared vision and communication.
"Astrea, I'm at the magic circle now. You can fight the Boss like I promised." (Argus)
He waited for a response, but only silence followed. Argus sighed, knowing exactly why Astrea was acting this way. She hadn't spoken since their connection was cut during the earlier battles.
Astrea could only speculate about what had happened, but Argus knew she was likely angry at him. She probably guessed that he had used the risky tactic of running and gathering the undead again, and it worried her deeply. Argus had even blocked her from seeing what was happening during the fight, which only made her more concerned. Her silence now was a mix of anger and worry, and he knew he needed to reassure her that he was fine.
"As you can see, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." (Argus)
Argus tried to reassure Astrea, but she still didn't reply. He sighed, knowing she was still upset. He picked up Sylvan, who was gently swaying in its pot, and stepped into the magic circle, waiting to be teleported to the Guardian Chamber.
When the magic surrounded them, Argus and Sylvan were taken to the Boss Chamber. Argus looked around and quickly spotted the boss: A small skeleton mage in an old, battered robe. The mage's robes were tattered and worn, with frayed edges and faded colors. The mage's eye sockets glowed with a faint, eerie blue light as it prepared to cast its spells.
Argus was about to check the boss's stats when a magic circle appeared next to him. Astrea came out, her face calm and controlled. But her attacks were anything but calm. She didn't say a word. Instead, she let all her anger out on the skeleton knight. Her spells hit the knight with powerful force, breaking its bones into pieces. Even though her attacks were fierce, her face stayed calm and focused.
As soon as she finished, Astrea vanished, returning to Argus's Soul Sea without saying anything.
Argus stood there, surprised at how quickly everything had happened. He took a moment to get his bearings, and then he heard the sound of metal clattering as the boss's drops hit the ground. The chamber was eerily quiet now, except for the sound of the falling loot, showing just how fast Astrea had ended the fight with her calm anger.
"I apologize Astrea."(Argus)
"I'm sorry," Argus said quietly, his voice laced with regret.
A while back, he had scolded Astrea for being reckless, for charging into danger without thinking, and she had taken his words to heart, following his advice to be more cautious. But now, here he was, doing exactly what he had warned her against, acting recklessly. The irony wasn't lost on him, and it made his apology all the more sincere.
He didn't try to comfort her or offer any excuses. There was no point in pretending that this would be the last time he'd act on impulse. He knew himself too well, a while back or not, recklessness was part of who he was, something ingrained in his nature. So instead of making empty promises, he simply apologized, acknowledging that he would likely repeat this behavior in the future.
Sylvan, resting in Argus's hand, extended its roots gently around his fingers, trying to comfort him. Argus gave a small, bitter smile, appreciating the gesture but still feeling the weight of what had happened.
"I'm fine Sylvan. Go back for now."(Argus)
After a moment, he sighed and recalled Sylvan back to his Soul Sea.
'Let's get out of here'(Argus)
He then jumped onto the platform and grabbed the Dungeon Core. As soon as he touched it, a bright light surrounded him, and in the blink of an eye, he was teleported out of the dungeon. He found himself standing in front of the dungeon portal, which was slowly closing behind him, marking the end of his first real dungeon dive.
"You're back Mr. Argus. Shall we call it a day?"(Sebastian)
Argus was greeted by Sebastian. The two guards, like the others, were also amazed by how quickly Argus had cleared the dungeon. Sebastian noticed that Argus had taken more time on this dungeon compared to the first two. He also detected a distinct smell of blood on Argus.
Argus had already changed his clothes before being teleported to the Guardian Chamber and had wiped off the blood on his body, but the smell still lingered, noticeable to a strongman like Sebastian. Sebastian also saw that Argus's breathing was slightly rough, which he hadn't observed in the first two dungeons.
'Isn't Master Argus a summoner? Why does he have a smell of blood? If the monsters inside are zombies or ghouls, they shouldn't leave blood since they are dungeon monsters.'(Sebastian)
All parts of a monster inside a dungeon disappear after it dies, except for the drops, and everyone knows that. Sebastian noticed that Argus had no visible wounds, which made him think Argus must have used healing potions. This led Sebastian to speculate that the smell of blood might be from Argus himself.
He wondered what had happened inside the dungeon and concluded that Argus's summoned monster might not be able to fully protect him, even if it wasn't necessarily weak. It was possible that the monster had failed to shield Argus from some of the dangers inside.
Sebastian did not question him though since he was only here as an escort like what the person he served ordered.
"No, I want to clear another one. Please guide me there."(Argus)
"Very well, follow me Master Argus."(Sebastian)
The two headed to the next dungeon, with Sebastian leading Argus.
***
{Astrea's POV}
Let's go back to when Astrea heard Argus's call. She was filled with anger, but not all of it was directed at her Master some of it was directed at herself. She was angry at Argus for blocking their communication and shared vision. But there was more. Astrea had grown much stronger after her recent breakthrough, and she was eager to help Argus clear his quest. However, things didn't go as planned. Instead of helping, she ended up causing more trouble.
Astrea's actions made Argus's quest more difficult. Because of this, she wasn't allowed to help him clear the dungeon. To make matters worse, her realm was sealed to the Beginner Realm. Although she could still use her Mana and magical skills, her realm stats were reduced to 250 each, and she could only access 50% of her Mana or star energy. Also she can still transform to her Demi-Human form.
When she was summoned to the Boss Chamber, all of her frustration erupted. She unleashed her anger on the Skeleton Mage, using up almost all of her energy. The only energy she had left was just enough to avoid falling into Manaless Fatigue.
***
Manaless Fatigue/Mana Fatigue:
Occurs when the body is entirely depleted of Mana. Symptoms include severe exhaustion, weakened physical and magical abilities, impaired cognitive function
The body may struggle to naturally regenerate Mana, requiring external sources or extended periods of rest to recover.
***
After Astrea vented her frustration, her anger began to lessen. She also heard Argus apologize sincerely, which helped calm her down even more. Although she felt her anger dissipate, she decided not to respond to her Master. She wanted him to believe that she was still upset, hoping it would make him feel slightly guilty.
However, knowing Astrea, this approach might backfire. Her feelings for Argus run deep, and her true emotions might show through despite her efforts to appear distant. Even though she wanted to make him feel a bit guilty, her love and care for him could overshadow her intentions.