The radiant light of the Holy Shield appeared fragile amidst the filthy sewage and corpses strewn throughout the sewer. Nearby, a jagged chunk of multicolored ice protruded from the shattered petrified ground—one of the Ice Demon's final works. Standing beside the ice was Alpha, Phyllis's summoned assistant. Despite the chaos, Alpha remained unscathed, even as the massive serpentine shadow prowling the sewer ignored him entirely.
"How is it that monster doesn't even glance at him but keeps coming after us?" Huarui shouted, frustrated.
Alpha? Phyllis suddenly realized she had been neglecting her familiar. Was it because Alpha exuded so little presence that even a predator like the serpent found him unworthy of attention? Or was it something deeper—an instinctive reaction to Alpha's true nature as a high-ranking demon? Whatever the reason, Phyllis felt relieved to see him unharmed. After all, Alpha was her first summoned familiar.
"Alpha, get in here!" Phyllis called out.
"Don't bother; we've got fifteen seconds left," Hatch muttered, resigned to his fate. "If Alpha gets close now, that thing might attack him."
"No! We still have a chance!" Phyllis's voice cut through his despair. "That creature is deliberately leaving the last pillar intact—it wants to finish us off before it destroys it. If we can break that pillar before the shield disappears, we can escape to the next level!"
She turned to Alpha, her gaze sharp with determination. "Alpha, use the Wind Blade Scroll I gave you! Destroy that pillar!"
The final pillar stood in the serpent's direct path. Reaching it would mean crossing a field of churning sewage and evading the serpent's towering form, which guarded the area like a relentless predator.
"Are you crazy?" Huarui's voice rose. "You're sending a magic novice to destroy a massive stone pillar with a Level 1 Wind Blade Scroll? It's impossible! That thing will kill him before he gets close!"
"If he fails, we all die! Do you have a better idea?" Phyllis shot back, her voice trembling with urgency.
Hatch, having accepted his fate, remained silent, watching the heated exchange. Meanwhile, Alpha remained unfazed. Calmly, he retrieved the scroll designed for novices and began walking toward the pillar. The massive black serpent loomed nearby, but Alpha didn't flinch or even glance at it.
"Twenty yards! That scroll's range is twenty yards!" Phyllis shouted, her attention fixed on Alpha.
Huarui turned away, unable to bear watching.
Phyllis, however, couldn't look away. This was the first time she had given Alpha such a dangerous task. She knew it was risky, but there was no alternative. She clung to the hope that the serpent wouldn't attack Alpha due to the demonic hierarchy. High-ranking demons naturally suppressed lower-ranking ones through their mere presence. However, if Alpha's lack of combat power became apparent, the serpent might devour him on the spot.
Alpha carried out her command without hesitation, steadily approaching the pillar. The sewage churned violently around him, and the serpent's shadow loomed large, but he showed no fear. His steps were measured, his focus unwavering.
Finally, Alpha reached the optimal range and activated the Wind Blade Scroll. The magical blade sliced through the air, striking the pillar. For a brief moment, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Then, with a sharp crack, the pillar split cleanly in two, the upper half crashing into the sewage below. A tidal wave of water surged upward, spraying the ceiling.
The serpent froze, its body going rigid as it stared at the fallen pillar. Even the creature seemed momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
"Is this real? Did it actually work?" Hatch, who had resigned himself to death, suddenly exclaimed in disbelief.
"What worked?" Huarui turned back, his eyes widening as he saw the shattered pillar. "Wait, was that really a Level 1 Wind Blade? Are you sure you saw correctly?" He grabbed Hatch, shaking him.
Hatch was equally dumbfounded. "It was definitely a Level 1 Wind Blade! And the cut—look at it! It's smoother than anything my swordsmanship instructor could manage. Since when was a Level 1 Wind Blade this powerful?"
Huarui turned to Phyllis, his expression accusatory. "You tricked me! That was a modified Wind Blade, wasn't it?"
Phyllis smirked. "Does it matter? It worked, didn't it?" But even she was puzzled. The scroll's power didn't seem proportional to the damage it caused. The result was almost too perfect, even for her to believe.
"What now? That thing's coming for us!" Huarui shouted as the black serpentine familiar began slithering toward them. Despite the last lock being broken, the creature clearly wasn't giving up. It surged forward, its massive tail dragging a trail of sewage and the corpses of mutated rats impaled on its crimson spike.
"We're doomed!" Hatch ducked under his shield like a frightened ostrich. Having used his Holy Shield, he was temporarily unable to summon any divine protection—a critical drawback of the spell.
"What are you waiting for? Get through the gate!" Phyllis shouted.
"What gate?" Hatch looked around in confusion, only to feel a sudden weightlessness. His vision went black as his body plummeted into a void.
"Where are we? I'm going to die!" Hatch screamed in terror, only to have his mouth covered by a hand. "You won't die. I've got you," Phyllis said from behind him.
Hatch's descent slowed, and he landed gently, like a feather. He realized it was Phyllis's Levitation Spell that saved him.
The area around them was pitch black—silent and void of any sound or light.
"Where are we?" Hatch asked, his voice trembling.
"Shh…" Phyllis raised her staff, conjuring a faint glow.
In the dim light, Hatch saw black stone walls embedded with black crystal runes he couldn't recognize.
"There's no sewage here…" Hatch pointed out. It was clear this layer wasn't meant for waste disposal. They had stumbled upon something entirely different.
"Black magic crystals… used to enhance inscriptions? What could they possibly be hiding here?" Phyllis murmured, her voice filled with awe. She understood the value of what she was seeing. Black magic crystals were rare and expensive, especially Grade 7 crystals, which were embedded here. She had recently acquired similar crystals from a dragon's lair, so she knew their worth. A single crystal embedded in the wall was worth at least 10,000 gold coins, and the alchemical process to shape them into rune inscriptions only added to the cost. Each brick in the wall could fetch over 100,000 gold coins on the black market.
While Phyllis was marveling at the wealth around them, Hatch, oblivious to its value, glanced around nervously.
"Where's Huarui? And Alpha?" he asked, realizing they were missing.
"Huarui should be fine," Phyllis said softly. "Spatial magic is his specialty, and he's an earth mage. Self-preservation is his strong suit."
"And Alpha?"
"He'll be fine with Huarui," Phyllis replied, her voice steady. But in truth, it wasn't confidence that calmed her—it was the contract that linked her to Alpha. If something happened to him, she would feel it immediately.
"Let's go," Phyllis said, leading Hatch forward. "We need to find them quickly."
Unbeknownst to them, Huarui and Alpha had indeed entered the same portal. However, the black serpent had followed them through. As a result, their first priority upon landing wasn't admiring the value of the walls—they were figuring out how to survive.
"Wait, what? Did that really work?" Hatch, who had been completely resigned to death and boredom, suddenly let out a startled cry.
"What worked?" Huarui turned his head, only to gape in disbelief at the collapsed pillar. "No way, was that really a Level 1 Wind Blade? Are you sure that's what you saw?" He grabbed Hatch, shaking him frantically.
Hatch, still in shock, stammered, "Yeah, it was definitely a Level 1 Wind Blade. But how did it cut through that pillar? And look at the cut—it's so smooth, cleaner than anything my swordsmanship teacher could ever manage! Since when was a Level 1 Wind Blade this powerful?"
Huarui turned his accusing gaze to Phyllis. "You tricked us! That wasn't an ordinary Wind Blade, was it? You modified it, didn't you?"
Phyllis smiled faintly. "Modified or not, does it matter? It worked, didn't it?" But inwardly, she was just as bewildered. The magic released by the scroll didn't seem proportional to the pillar's destruction. The result was so perfect, so beyond her expectations, that even she struggled to believe it.
"What now? That thing is coming for us!" Huarui's voice brought them back to reality. The black serpentine familiar had noticed the Holy Shield dissipate and was now slithering toward them, no longer circling. Its movements were slow and deliberate, its crimson-tipped tail glinting ominously as it dragged a string of mutated rat corpses impaled on its spike.
"We're done for! This is it!" Hatch yelled, hiding beneath his shield like a frightened ostrich. Having just used the Holy Shield, he was temporarily unable to summon any other divine protections—a severe drawback of the spell.
"What are you waiting for? Get through the gate!" Phyllis shouted.
"What gate?" Hatch looked around in confusion, but before he could find an answer, his body suddenly felt weightless. His vision went dark as he began to plummet into the unknown.
"Ahhh! Where are we? I'm going to die!" Hatch screamed in terror, only to have his mouth covered by a hand. Phyllis's voice came from behind him, calm but firm: "Relax. I've got you."
Hatch felt his descent slow, his body becoming as light as a feather before gently landing. He realized it was Phyllis's Levitation Spell that had saved him.
The surroundings were pitch black—silent, void of sound or light.
"Where are we?" Hatch whispered.
"Shh..." Phyllis motioned for silence, then cupped her hand over the tip of her staff, emitting a faint glow.
In the dim light, Hatch saw black stone walls embedded with crystal runes that he didn't recognize.
"There's no sewage here…" Hatch noted, pointing out the obvious. Clearly, this layer wasn't designed for waste management. They had stumbled upon something entirely different.
"Black magic crystals used for enhancing inscriptions… What could they possibly be hiding here?" Phyllis whispered, her voice filled with awe. She knew the value of what she was seeing. Black magic crystals, especially Grade 7, were rare and expensive, with powerful effects on both black and spatial magic. The cost of just one of these crystals exceeded 10,000 gold coins, and crafting them into intricate runes was a painstaking, manual process. This meant each engraved stone here could fetch over 100,000 gold coins on the black market. And these were just the walls. The central structure of this place was likely even more valuable.
While Phyllis marveled at the craftsmanship, Hatch, oblivious to the value of what he was seeing, glanced around nervously.
"Where's the prince? And Alpha?" Hatch asked, realizing they were alone.
"If it's Huarui, he'll be fine," Phyllis replied softly. "Spatial magic is his specialty, and as an earth mage, self-preservation is his strong suit."
"And Alpha?"
"He'll be fine as long as he's with Huarui," she said, her expression impassive. But it wasn't confidence that reassured her—it was the familiar contract. If something had happened to Alpha, she would have felt it. Though, if it came to that, it might already be too late.
"You really are oddly calm about this…" Hatch muttered, finding her attitude strange.
Phyllis shot him a sharp look. "What would you have me do? The Holy Shield was gone, that creature was trying to kill us, and the Frande Formation opened several portals simultaneously. I only had time to pull you in because your Holy Shield had drained all your strength!" She sighed. "Thinking about what-ifs won't help. We have to move forward."
Hatch fell silent. He finally understood that, in those split seconds of chaos, Phyllis had chosen the most vulnerable person to save. But why had she thought him—a saint knight with no active protection—needed saving more than a magic novice like Alpha? He didn't know that Phyllis had made her choice out of a mix of logic and fear. To her, Alpha wasn't just her familiar—he was hers, something she had to protect.
"Let's go," Phyllis said, leading the way. "Hopefully, we'll find them soon."
Meanwhile, Huarui and Alpha had also passed through one of the portals in the Frande Formation. Unfortunately, the serpentine creature had followed them.
Upon landing, their first thought wasn't to admire the craftsmanship of the walls—they were focused entirely on survival.
Huarui quickly cast Earth Shield on both of them, then tore apart a Group Wind Speed Scroll. The intermediate wind magic dramatically increased their speed, allowing them to stay ahead of the serpentine monster, which moved like a flash of black lightning.
They ran blindly through the dark, twisting tunnels, turning corner after corner, until they finally emerged into a vast, open chamber. On the ground before them was a massive blood-red formation, glowing ominously.
"That's a sealing formation made with red magic crystals… and augmented with black magic crystal runes?" Huarui gasped, recognizing the setup. "Who could afford something like this?" He turned to Alpha, expecting awe, but found his companion standing still, his expression strangely blank.
"What's wrong? Scared? Can't blame you. Each of these bricks is worth tens of thousands of gold coins. You know how much the kingdom earns in a year? Barely 300 billion. And this sewer was built when the kingdom was founded! Frande must've been filthy rich!"
Alpha remained silent, his gaze fixed on the formation's red glow. The light reflected off his face, making his pupils twist and shift unnaturally.
"Alpha? Keep up, don't get lost," Huarui called out.
Alpha blinked, his pupils returning to normal. He glanced at the formation, then jogged to catch up with Huarui.
"Thinking about stealing a brick or two? Don't bother," Huarui teased. "The runes are a single entity. If you mess with even one, the entire formation could react violently. With this much augmentation, the resulting magical backlash could level the Frande Academy!" He whistled, clearly impressed.
Alpha didn't respond. Instead, he walked ahead of Huarui, his steps unusually brisk.
"What's with you today?" Huarui tried to slap Alpha's shoulder but missed. Startled, he chalked it up to the dim lighting. But a sudden image flashed in his mind, and he grabbed Alpha's arm, pulling him into the shadows of a nearby corner.
"That thing's following us," Huarui whispered.
The serpentine creature wasn't their only concern. Though most of Huarui's summoned cockroaches had stayed outside the formation's radius, he noticed they were avoiding the red lines altogether.
"If even my summons avoid this formation, it must be dangerous… Interesting," Huarui muttered, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Suddenly, Alpha pointed toward the far side of the chamber. "There's someone there," he said softly.
"Don't be paranoid," Huarui scoffed, but he peeked around the corner anyway. Sure enough, he spotted a gold-robed figure standing near the formation, their back turned. Huarui's eyes widened.
"Golden robes… a ceremonial staff… Is that Cartis?!" His shock quickly gave way to excitement. "What's he doing here? This just confirms it—there's something huge hidden here!"
Cartis appeared to be talking to someone, though no one else was visible.
Huarui's curiosity got the better of him. "Let's sneak closer—"
Alpha grabbed his arm, stopping him with surprising strength.
"Fine, coward. I'll go alone," Huarui said, slipping away.
Alpha remained in the shadows, his shoulders rising and falling as he took deep, uneven breaths. His silvery beast-like eyes glinted briefly in the darkness before fading back to blue.