A month had passed since Ryan began preparing for the dungeon expedition. During that time, he had made sure everything was in place—the right team, supplies, and most importantly, the strategy. His parents had returned to Duskveil, though they came back empty-handed. Despite their efforts, they hadn't been able to locate the stronghold of the Evil God cult.
In the grand hall, Ryan sat with his parents and Scarlet, discussing their next steps.
"We searched every possible location," Roger said, leaning back in his chair, frustration in his voice. "But the cult is clever. They covered their tracks well."
Helena nodded. "We'll keep searching, but for now, the focus should be on your journey."
Ryan nodded. "Thanks for trying. We'll handle things on our end."
Roger's gaze shifted to Scarlet. "Look after him, Scarlet. This journey won't be easy."
Scarlet smiled softly. "I will uncle Roger."
With the discussion settled, Ryan and Scarlet left Duskveil territory, accompanied by a group of miscellaneous Level 1 knights who had been carefully selected for the journey. Their destination was the dungeon, and they were soon to meet Seraphina and her guards on the way.
After a few hours of travel, they arrived at the meeting point. It wasn't long before Seraphina's carriage came into view, escorted by a handful of well-trained guards. The moment the carriage doors opened, Seraphina stepped out gracefully, her eyes lighting up when she saw Ryan.
"How have you been, Seraphina?" Ryan asked with a warm smile.
"I've been well, Ryan," she responded with a gentle smile of her own. "And you?"
Ryan nodded. "Busy with preparations, but I'm ready now."
As they exchanged pleasantries, Seraphina's eyes shifted to Scarlet, who stood beside Ryan. A brief moment of silence followed, and then Seraphina's lips formed a small pout. It wasn't hard for Ryan to see why—he and Scarlet had grown quite close during their training, and Seraphina clearly noticed.
"You must be Scarlet," Seraphina said, her voice light but with a hint of curiosity.
Scarlet nodded, offering a polite smile. "Yes, it's nice to finally meet you, Lady Seraphina."
The air between them was subtle but charged with unspoken tension. The two girls moved to the back of the group, exchanging quiet words that Ryan couldn't quite hear. He felt their gazes on him from time to time, a mix of curiosity and perhaps something more.
They continued their journey, eventually reaching the outskirts of the dungeon. The atmosphere changed the moment they arrived. The air was thick and cold, with an unsettling silence hanging over the area. Dark stone pillars jutted from the ground, surrounding the entrance like ominous sentinels guarding a forbidden secret. The sky above seemed clouded, casting eerie shadows across the barren landscape.
The dungeon's entrance loomed before them, a dark maw carved into the earth. Faint whispers of wind echoed from within, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly beneath their feet.
Ryan took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. The real challenge was about to begin.
"Well," he said, his voice cutting through the stillness, "this is it."
Scarlet and Seraphina stood by his side, both of them looking just as serious.
"What's inside?" Scarlet asked, her eyes scanning the entrance warily.
Ryan glanced toward the dark opening. "We'll find out soon enough."
With that, they stepped forward toward the entrance of the dungeon. The shadows seemed to grow longer as they approached, as if the darkness itself was reaching out to greet them.
Just as they reached the entrance, a loud, echoing sound came from deep within the dungeon, making them all freeze in place.
Ryan's heart pounded in his chest. "What was that?"
The others looked at him, equally on edge, but no one had an answer.
Without another word, they stood there, waiting… for whatever was coming next.
Ryan took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. The real challenge was about to begin.
"Well," he said, his voice cutting through the stillness, "this is it."
Scarlet and Seraphina stood by his side, both of them looking just as serious.
"What's inside?" Scarlet asked, her eyes scanning the entrance warily.
Ryan glanced toward the dark opening. "We'll find out soon enough."
As they approached the entrance, something unexpected happened. A portal—dark and swirling—suddenly materialized at the entrance, pulling them in before they had time to react.
Ryan shouted, "Hold on!" but in an instant, the portal had sucked them inside, and they were hurtling through a tunnel of swirling darkness. When they finally landed, it was with a heavy thud.
Ryan groaned, slowly pushing himself up from the cold, rocky ground. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, glancing around.
Seraphina and Scarlet were nearby, looking dazed but unharmed. But as Ryan's eyes swept the area, he realized something was missing—there was no sign of the knights who had accompanied them.
"Where are the others?" Seraphina asked, her voice uneasy.
Ryan shook his head. "I don't know… It looks like it's just the three of us."
Scarlet looked around, her eyes narrowing. "We should check our panels—make sure there's no issue with our stats."
Ryan nodded in agreement. "Good idea. Everyone, open your panel."
He opened his own panel first, quickly checking his stats.
Ryan's Panel
Level: 1 Magister
Age: 10
Skills:
Earth Spear (Level 3)Earth Clone (Level 2)Amplification Magic (Level 3)Primary Gravity Manipulation (Level 5)Primary Northern Sword Flow (Level 5)
Satisfied that nothing had changed, Ryan glanced at Scarlet, who was also checking her panel.
Scarlet's Panel
Level: 1 Magister
Age: 10
Skills:
Primary Flame Manipulation(level 5)
Fireball(level 4)
Flame Clone(level 4)
Phoenix Fire Art(level 3)
Lastly, Seraphina opened her panel, revealing her stats.
Seraphina's Panel
Level: 1 Magister
Age: 10
Wind Magic Affinity: High
Skills:
Wind Blade (Level 5)Primary East Flow Swordsmanship (Level 5)Wind Clone (Level 3)Wings of Wind (Level 3)
"Everything seems fine," Ryan said after a moment. "No issues with our stats."
Seraphina nodded, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the dark dungeon. "But where are the others?"
Ryan frowned, his mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know… but we need to stay alert. Whatever's in this dungeon isn't going to make things easy for us."
The dark corridors of the dungeon stretched before them, silent and ominous. Ryan could feel the tension in the air. Something was waiting for them inside, and they would have to be ready.
"We move together," Ryan said, his voice firm. "Let's go."
With that, they stepped deeper into the unknown, the shadows of the dungeon closing in around them.
to be continued....