The king nodded, approving of Ryuen's determination and bravery.
He had expected nothing less, but he cast a knowing glance at Erina and Aika.
Silently telling them to be prepared in case something went wrong.
It was a little reminder of how dependent mortals could be.
Jun slipped into a sleek black suit that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
Made from lightweight metal. It was armor designed for easy movement—something he could easily run in.
Aika's frustration was evident in the way she stomped ahead, every step screaming irritation.
Her anger understandable, but for one reason.
The mortals living under their roof dared to disregard the king, her own father.
Erina, on the other hand, remained composed, her hands clasped behind her back as she walked beside Ryuen.
Her tails swayed gently, occasionally brushing against him, and she couldn't help but notice the way his gaze flickered toward her each time.
She glanced between Ryuen and Jun, noticing the deadly aura simmering between the two men.
She found it somewhat amusing.
As they stepped into the palace courtyard, Jun slowed his movement, letting Ryuen move ahead while the girls went to secure their ride.
"Tell me, mortal…"
"…My name is Ryuen—or Takeru. My father didn't name me 'mortal,'" Ryuen interrupted coldly, his hazel eyes fixed on the trees in the garden.
"Tch.... I was raised with manners...."
"....do I shall call you by your first name." He paused briefly before continuing.
"Tell me, Ryuen, how does it feel to be a mortal surrounded by beings far superior to you?"
Ryuen didn't bother looking at him.
He shrugged and answered flatly, "I wouldn't know. I don't compare myself to anyone."
Jun's lips curled into a faint smirk. "But you kill those superior to you, don't you?"
Ryuen froze, his hazel eyes narrowing as Jun's words settled.
There was a mischievous glint in the prince's tone.
Slowly, Ryuen turned to face Jun, his expression slowly turned grim. "What do you mean by that?"
"Spare me the act," Jun replied, his smirk widening. "We both know you are—or were—an assassin."
Ryuen's demeanor shifted, turning menacing. "Yes, I was. What are you going to do about it?"
Jun shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. Just stay away from my sisters, and don't even think about...."
"...I've left that life behind," Ryuen interrupted, "I chose teaching instead, and I wouldn't kill anyone unless it was absolutely necessary."
Jun raised an eyebrow.
"So modest of you. But don't think earning my father's favor makes you anything special."
He paused, his voice dropping to a cold edge. "Mortals are… replaceable."
Ryuen's gaze hardened. "That's called abuse of power."
Jun smirked, brushing off the remark, but Ryuen' continued.
"Replaceable or not, I'm still here, standing beside you. That should count for something, shouldn't it?"
Before Jun could respond, Aika's voice came before his.
"Will you two stop dawdling? Some of us actually want to get this over with."
Jun clicked his tongue in irritation and left Ryuen's side.
Moments later, Erina appeared, leading two horses. "I'll ride with your guard," she announced, earning a low growl from Aika.
"Jeez, relax," Erina said with a playful smirk. "I'm not going to steal him from you."
Ryuen heaved a sigh, watching the interaction.
'So much stress,' he thought as he mounted his horse, taking his place behind Aika.
The horses rode out of the palace, their hooves striking the ground in a satisfying rhythm as they moved with the speed of the wind.
Ryuen no longer felt surprised by the impossible nature of this world.
Instead, he simply observed it, letting his eyes take in the strange creatures, towering buildings, and other fantastical sights.
But let's be frank, he was more interested in the food and the different looking people that passed by.
They approached the centre of the city, where there were less people and less structures.
Where air grew heavy, with the smell of rotten flesh and blood wavering in the air.
The dungeon loomed ahead, its entrance resembling the gaping maw of a lion.
At its center, a pulsating purple glow radiated an ominous energy, making Aika's ears twitch involuntarily.
Erina dismounted, her expression growing serious as she assessed the aura emanating from the dungeon.
Her brows furrowed, and her ears flicked in irritation.
"This doesn't feel like a place for Class D beasts," she muttered, glancing at the group. "Do you sense it?"
"Oddly, yes," Ryuen replied, "Whatever it is… it's giving me goosebumps."
Aika frowned, her arms crossed under her breasts.
"Father must have been mistaken. The aura here is far stronger than a lower-class dungeon."
Jun scoffed and stepped forward, "Regardless of its class, he sent us here for a reason. We'll deal with whatever is inside."
Ryuen could feel the faint aura radiating from within the dungeon.
And he was surprised that he could sense it at all.
It was a very uncomfortable feeling, almost as if the dungeon itself was alive and watching them.
"You look worried," Erina remarked, noticing his expression.
"You have a feeling it's something more, don't you?"
"Not particularly," he replied, gesturing toward the two rounded boulders on the dungeon's entrance.
Inches above the nose.
"What do you think about those?"
"The eyes?" she asked, following his gaze. He nodded.
"That might just be how it was built," Erina added, tilting her head.
"Look closer, Erina," Ryuen said, finally glancing at her.
"Those are eyes, yes... but did you stop to wonder if they're actually real?"
Aika's brows rose. "Are you saying," she began, her words coming out slowly, "that the dungeon itself might be the beast we're supposed to handle?"
Ryuen shrugged.
"I don't want to jinx it, but if that's the case..." He paused, his tone growing serious.
"Then we need to do something before it fully wakes up."
Jun scoffed again, folding his arms.
"If it's truly a beast, then why does it have a dungeon gate in its mouth?"
"Maybe it's both," Ryuen suggested.
"A dungeon and a beast. The gate could be the entrance to its home—or stomach." He exhaled, turning to the group.
"So, who's volunteering to go into its mouth?"
His gaze settled on Jun, who immediately averted his eyes
Ryuen then glanced at the girls, only to see them do the same.
"Seriously?" he said in disbelief.
"I....uh... personally don't want to get swallowed," Erina said, laughing nervously.
"Why don't we just attack it from out here?"
"That would work, but only if it doesn't have a soul core," Aika chipped in, unsheathing her sword.
"We should target the eyes, ears, and nose first. That way, it won't sense us coming."
"That won't be necessary," Ryuen said, drawing their questioning gazes.
"Look closely. Its eyes are already open. If this thing is a creature, it's useless unless it wakes up and starts rampaging."
He crouched down, pulling a dagger from his boot. "Go for the neck and heart regions."
The group nodded in agreement and began spreading out, their movements silent and calculated.
Despite him being a human–a mere mortal, they were surprised he could understand and adapt to everything around him.
He managed to discover what they couldn't, which was odd, yet impressive.
As they approached the supposed dungeon, Aika suddenly froze, halting the others in their tracks.
"What's the matter?" Jun asked, his expression clouded with concern.
"There's a force field," Aika said, stepping back cautiously. "And I don't think this thing is alone."
The other three straightened, squinting to make sense of what she was talking about.
Then, without warning.
WHOOOSH
A tentacle shot out from the dungeon's entrance, wrapping around Erina's leg and pulling her to the ground.
Another tentacle emerged, coiling around Ryuen's neck and arms.
Like it had read his mind, and knew he would escape if he wasn't restrained.
Jun attempted to conjure a spell–create a blast possibly.
But before he could raise his hand, a tentacle struck him in the gut, knocking the air out of him and wrapped tightly around his torso.
Aika rushed toward them, sword in hand, in na attempt to free them.
But before she could swing, three more tentacles lashed out, gripping her tightly.
The force dragged all four of them into the dungeon's maw, and vanished behind the purple energy.