The magical gate's azure light winked out, plunging us into the inky blackness of a cave.
This C-rank dungeon—a shockingly unexpected place where Hidden Dungeon places for our quest—yawned before us.
Winstein leading the team, forged a path into the subterranean labyrinth.
Monster Diamonds, embedded in the cave walls like ghastly sconces, cast an ethereal blue glow upon our progress.
During our journey, Avyanna, ever the media-savvy knight, had already initiated her live broadcast with her hidden camera, a familiar tactic shared with the tiresome Stella.
Fortunately, despite her privileged background, Avyanna is not that arrogant like Stella; her commentary to her followers was concise and professional.
As we advanced, the strange team arrangement gnawed at my thoughts.
Avyanna, a Knight Tanker, should have been at the front, alongside Winstein.
Yet, she and I trailed behind, her strategic position inexplicably ignored.
Winstein and his team exhibited an unsettling self-reliance, seemingly oblivious to our presence as integral members.
"Halt!" Winstein's sharp command stilled our movement.
The air vibrated with a sound of footsteps—a rapid, unsettling rhythm utterly unlike anything human.
This ominous symphony was punctuated by the guttural shriek of approaching monsters. Winstein swiftly drew his blade, his nine B-rank knights mirroring his action, their similar swords glinting in the dim light of mana power.
"There's something incoming..! Right?!", Avyanna's query was a tense affirmation as she braced herself, her opulent knight's shield gleaming.
No response came; the knights were already attuned to the rapidly approaching threat.
"They're here! Annihilate them!" Winstein barked the order as the first monstrous ant—a brutal, human-sized insect—erupted from the earth.
The monstrous ants swarmed, their mandibles snapping, their assault relentless.
But Winstein's blade was a whirlwind of death, a single, precise stroke cleaving the first ant in two.
His knights met the onslaught with equal ferocity, parrying and countering, leaving a trail of bisected, lifeless insects.
Winstein pressed the attack, his sword a blur, dispatching five more monstrous ants within a minute.
The cave floor slickened with the ants' dark blood, fueling the relentless fury of the knights' assault.
Avyanna and I stared, amazed, as Winstein's elite squad decimated the monstrous ants.
Their swift, brutal strikes transformed the creatures' terrifying screams into agonized whimpers.
The precision of their preemptive attacks, each a deadly flourish, promised swift annihilation. Interestingly, Winstein's team consist solely of Knight Strikers; no healers, and the lone Knight Tank remained conspicuously uninvolved.
Their unwavering confidence in tackling this mission without support was breathtaking, yet a chilling undercurrent of foreboding pulsed beneath the surface of their impressive display. "Alstair... the ants are defeated! Winstein's team is incredible!" Avyanna exclaimed, her awe a stark contrast to my growing unease.
I just nodded, agreeing what Avyanna stated.
Amidst our observation, suddenly I feel something malicious incoming.
My apprehension was justified; tremors shook the ground, a clear indication of a Monster Ants movement from underground.
While Winstein's squad engaged the remaining ants at a distance, I braced for my own onslaught.
I channeled the Gaia Endowment spell, bolstering my strength and speed.
Then, with a burst of motion, I intercepted the emerging ants by kicking all of them, launching them brutally until it against the cave walls.
Their crippled bodies, their menacing cries silenced, lay testament to my swift victory.
A stark memory surfaced—my former self, the weakest Knight, paralyzed with terror at the sight of a single ant.
Now for me, these C-rank creatures felt like pathetic nuisances, easily crushed.
Their threat was utterly weak and boring.
"Alstair? What was that sound?" Avyanna asked, her confusion palpable.
She hadn't even noticed my lightning-fast intervention for tackling those Monster Ants.
"Just the wind," I replied, my tone nonchalant.
Minutes later, the sounds of battle faded—Winstein's triumph was complete.
"Magnificent work, boys!" Winstein boomed, his voice ringing with the satisfaction of a job well done, his final strike felling the last ant.
The unsettling quiet that followed, however, lingered, a stark reminder of the unspoken questions and potential dangers lurking beneath the surface of their seemingly flawless victory.
Wiping his sword clean of viscous black blood, Winstein sheathed it with a flourish.
"Onward to the Hidden Dungeon!" he declared, his team followed close behind.
He then turned to Avyanna and me, a confident smirk playing on his lips.
"Relax, you two. These minor threats are easily dispatched."
Avyanna's delightful was noticeable, a radiant smile illuminating her face.
I offered a short nod, my gaze lingering on Winstein's unsettlingly cheerful expression.
His friendly manner felt… disingenuous.
A nagging suspicion prickled my senses, put me to stay sharp on him.
As we continue our journey, our progress led us to a seemingly impenetrable cave wall.
Winstein, unsheathing his blade, attempted to force a passage, but his strikes were instantly deflected by an unseen magical barrier.
"Just a little experiment," he said, his smile directed at Avyanna, a disarming casualness in his tone. "I believe it's time for our… special item?"
Avyanna, readily compliant, produced a necklace adorned with a vibrant green gem.
I recalled its origins—a priceless artifact from the Monster Realm, capable of discerning hidden magical energies, akin to William's enchanted gauntlet used during the Headless Knight quest.
Only elite S-rank Knights, or those with exceptional connections to the Knight Association, possessed such a treasure.
The expedition's true purpose crystallized: Winstein had brought Avyanna here to exploit the gem's power, gaining access to this dreadful dungeon.
He gently took the gem, its emerald light bathing the cave wall.
The illumination was fleeting, yet enough for me to decipher, through the gem's magical effect, a cryptic inscription in the Monster tongue.
Zeta's System translated the message: 'Embrace your shadowed curse; seek the blessed light.'
The instant I internalized the inscription, the cave wall vanished, the green light extinguishing itself as the gem shattered into a thousand glittering fragments, dispersed by a sudden gust of wind.
The hideous dungeon, long anticipated, lay revealed.
We stepped into the rushing air, emerging into a strangely artificial landscape—a seemingly boundless hill, crowned by a sky that was nothing more than a magically conjured illusion, a painted dome of blue above a cleverly disguised earthen floor.
A colossal wall, clinging to the hillside, hinted at a clandestine location, an artificial sky concealing its true nature.
The mystery of its creation baffled me.
"We've reached it – the Hideous Dungeon!" Winstein exclaimed triumphantly.
The cavernous emptiness was unexpected, yet the Hidden Dungeon's sinister reputation proved justified.
This C-rank dungeon, requiring a specialized key, was notoriously treacherous.
The Knight's Association remained unsure of its true risk of Hidden Dungeon since it contains random monsters within ranged from E-rank to potentially A-rank threats.
But at this Hidden Dungeon we currently in, the area was eerily silent; devoid of any discernible monstrous presence.
My gaze fixed on the hill's center, where a sorceress statue stood, her blindfolded eyes and long robes exuding an aura of arcane power.
Her scepter pointed heavenward.
"There it is! I sense it – the treasure!" Winstein declared as he point out the pile of Monster Diamonds lies around the sorceress statue; his voice brimming with avarice.
The Hidden Dungeon's infamous riches were the primary draw for most knights.
Fortunes favored some, yielding S-rank treasure items or valuable monster diamonds that guarded by weak opponents, while others suffered, facing high-ranking monsters for cheap rewards.
Looking at the rewards, the Hidden Dungeon itself feels like a gamble for some Knights.
Whatever treasure lies on this Hidden Dungeon, my sole motivation remained the miracle potion, the key to my family's salvation.
I really hope Kael statement about the existence of Miracle Potion in this Hidden Dungeon is true.
Moving by that hope, our trek toward the statue began.
From afar, a dazzling display of blue Monster Diamonds shimmered, a glittering mountain surrounding the sorceress.
Winstein and his crew reacted with unrestrained joy, Avyanna, equally enthralled, excitedly announced her discovery of mountains monster diamonds to her audience.
However, a grim spectacle lay beneath: numerous fallen knights, their lifeless bodies, lots of a huge hollow, strewn across the grass
Among them were B-rank, and even A-rank, knights – a chilling testament to the dungeon's brutal nature.
The ghastly sight of their ravaged forms defied comprehension.
Surprisingly, Winstein and his team are not become cautious for this findings.
They even insist on keeping our attention to the pile of Monster Diamonds., not to these victims.
"Secure those Monster Diamonds! The prize is ours!" Winstein urged, his focus unwavering.
The diamonds' allure was undeniable.
Yet, the unsettling presence of the fallen knights went unacknowledged.
Despite their initial fervor, Winstein and his team mysteriously slowed, positioning me and Avyanna at the front.
Avyanna's brow furrowed.
"My connection's gone. The audio's cut out, the video's pixelated. This is weird." She frantically examined the camera embedded in her armor.
My curiosity piqued, I asked, "What's the issue?"
"It seems something's interfering with the signal," I speculated, sensing—with my magical sharpness—an unseen disruption, a wave of chaotic energy.
This disturbance wasn't as far off as I'd initially anticipated.
It emanated from behind us, focusing on a member of Winstein's crew?!
A gasp escaped my lips.
I halted abruptly, pulling Avyanna back as the secret plan of Winstein and his team finally revealed.
Winstein and his teams were executing a swift retreat from the Hidden Dungeon; their escape toward the cave a blur of motion!
Within moments, they vanished into the cavern's maw; clearly creating another invisible barrier that can't be opened by me and Avyanna since the special gem is on Winstein's hand.
From a distance, I witnessed Winstein's smug grin as he employed a crystal gem, sealing the cave entrance with a decisive click—a blatant act of entrapment, a cruel victory.
Panic seized Avyanna.
"Winstein! What's happened? Where's everyone?!", Her desperate cries for aid were swallowed by the silence; the camera died, its transmission abruptly terminated, leaving us stranded in the abhorrent confines of the Hidden Dungeon.
A suffocating wave of malevolence washed over us, a palpable aura of murder.
The oppressive atmosphere intensified, revealing a horrifying truth: the Witch Statue, now animated, a malevolent entity, stood before us.
A system notification flashed: the witch—my next objective
Meridian, the Ice Sorceress, raised her staff, unleashing a torrent of shimmering azure light.
From this ethereal energy coalesced a colossal ice spear, a jagged behemoth that hung suspended in the air.
Its chilling sharpness, its immense size—undeniable evidence of the brutal power that had reduced those knights to the gruesome piles of corpses scattered around the sorceress.
"Alstair, don't worry! I will protect you!" Avyanna sprang before me, her shield a defiant bulwark against the impending doom.
Her speed was admirable, her defensive preparations with fortified magical protection is swift, but I had a grave doubts about their efficacy.
The ghastly remains of those knights, their body hollowed and ravaged, still bore the horrific testament to Meridian's icy wrath.
"Avyanna! No!—"
My desperate cry was swallowed by the wind.
The ice spear, a missile of glacial fury, hurtled toward us, piercing Avyanna's defenses with contemptuous ease.
And it was not alone.
Multiple spears followed, a deadly volley. Avyanna crumpled, a crimson tide welling from grievous wounds that gaped upon her shoulder and thigh.
Her face was pale, her armor stained.
Frantically, I administered a healing draught from my inventory System, staunching the flow of blood and arresting the gaping wounds, but she lay unconscious, her shallow breaths a fragile testament to her survival.
Meridian, however, remained unsatisfied by this near-fatal strike.
Five more icy spears materialized, poised to deliver the final, merciless blow.
With terrifying speed, Meridian launched her deadly projectiles.
But I anticipated her assault, casting a searing bolt of lightning.
The ensuing collision was a cataclysmic explosion of light and ice, each spear shattered to oblivion before it could reach Avyanna.
A heavy silence descended, broken only by the faint rasp of Avyanna's breathing.
Even with her eyes veiled, I felt Meridian's gaze, a cold, malevolent scrutiny piercing the stillness.
"An unfamiliar aura, faintly human yet undeniably tainted by the malevolent essence of the Supreme Sorcerer in Mosnter Realm;Zeta Maurer... ", Meridian mumbling, her gaze fixed on the artificial sky, sensed something unusual.
"You are no ordinary mortal in this sacred place," she declared, her voice sharp. "You are a fragment of Zeta himself—his disciple, perhaps."
My purpose here, given her insight into my power, was self-evident.
I brandished my Dragon Scepter, a declaration of intent.
"If you understand the source of my strength, then my objective needs no further explanation."
A hint of melancholy colored Meridian's response. "I have encountered others who embraced Zeta's cursed system. You are only the second I've seen with such unwavering resolve."
Intrigue sparked within me.
"The second? I am eager to learn of the first.", I summoned a Lightning Bolt, preparing for combat.
"The first, also human, ascended to a higher echelon within Zeta's system," Meridian revealed, her tone cautious.
"I detect a subtle resemblance to you, though I could be mistaken." Six Ice Javelins materialized behind her, poised to strike.
"Only through a true sorcerer duel can I confirm my suspicions, curse-bearer."
Her words, "curse-bearer," resonated with a chilling finality, branding me an outcast, a pariah in every realm.
But that label fueled my defiance!
"Bring it on, Meridian!", I firmly challenged her.
Meridian unleashed her Javelins.
My counter-spell was swift, six Lightning Bolts obliterating the icy projectiles in a furious exchange.
Yet, she was relentless, summoning seven more, aimed directly at my head.
My response was instantaneous, faster, more precise; seven Lightning Bolts met seven Javelins in a deafening explosion of ice and lightning.
> Health Point: 100%
> Mana Power: 34%
> Possible Lightning Bolt Casting: 4
Shit!
My mana reserves were critically low, a dangerous condition exacerbated by Meridian's amplified spellcasting!
It become painfully worse when I notice ten glacial ice javelins materialized around her, poised to obliterate me.
Desperation clawed at me since rely on Lightning Bolt spell to counter those deadly Ice Javelin is meaningless!
The simultaneous impact of the ten javelins overwhelmed my usual Lightning Bolt defense!
There's no way I can quick cast Lightning Bolt in one time for defend those incoming ten Ice Javelin!
My survival hinged on a desperate gamble.
A frantic systems check revealed a potential spell that can be an alternative.
Just as I located the spell, Meridian unleashed her deadly Ice Javelin.
No longer cast Lightning Bolt, instead, I invoked Lightning Spark, generating a shimmering blue electrical maelstrom around myself.
As the ice javelins pierced the electric field, the Spark reacted instantly, birthing a furious barrage of Lightning Bolts that shattered the incoming projectiles.
The speed of Lightning Bolt launched was breathtaking – the entire Ice Javelin disintegrated in seconds.
Meridian's astonishment was noticeable as her attack failed; forcing her to penetrate once more by casting ten Ice Javelin spell again to strike my head.
Fortunately, another Ice Javelin met the same fate.
Seizing the initiative, I advanced, maintaining the Lightning Spark's protective field.
Each step was agonizing, demanding intense concentration.
Minutes stretched into an eternity as Meridian, now clearly desperate, continued her futile assault with those repeated Ice Javelin toward me.
Her relentless attacks betrayed her surrender.
Then, an ominous shift in the air.
A potent, unique aura emanated from her, unrelated to her Ice Javelin spell.
What is this unique flow of mana from her?
Is she casting another spell, simultaneously while casting Ice Javelin spell?
No, it couldn't be.
The thought of a sorcerer simultaneously casting two spells was ludicrous, yet the evidence was undeniable: Meridian was preparing a second, devastating spell.
The deadly ice spell that I just realized and far more dangerous than Ice Javelin: Frost Bite spell.
"You've arrived too late, curse-bearer. Victory is mine," she declared, her voice chillingly calm, laced with malevolent triumph.
Before I could react, a frigid cold wind swept forth, instantly encasing the ground and my feet in ice.
The paralyzing cold was unbearable, forcing me to abandon the Lightning Spark, leaving me defenseless.
My body trembled, fear seizing my heart.
>Health Power: 35%
>Mana Power: 45%
*Warning, you had frozen due to frost bite spell, your casting time will be reduced!
Damn!
The system's curt assessment captured the gravity of my difficult; on how fucked I am right now.
"My calculations regarding your abilities, curse-bearer, were evidently flawed," Meridia taunted, her voice dripping with scorn. "
You are significantly weaker than the original Zeta's inheritor. He possessed far greater power and cunning." Her icy breath, a visible plume in the biting wind, marked the deployment of her Frost Bite spell.
"However," she conceded, her tone deceptively placid, "I must acknowledge your resilience in forcing me to use Double-Casted spell. Now you no longer can fight back, human! It's my time to win this sorcerer's duel! "
Ten glacial spears, poised and menacing, now orbited her, awaiting their deadly release. Immobile in this frozen state, I was utterly incapable of summoning my Lightning Spark or Bolt.
How the fuck could I possibly evade those lethal projectiles?
Yet, amidst the impending doom, a grim inspiration flickered.
The scattered remains of fallen knights near Meridia offered a macabre spectacle that might be a game changer on this crucial condition.
I frantically checked my system's inventory, retrieving the special item that can save me from the brink of annihilation: the Soul of a Necromancer.
>Utilized Soul of Necromancer (x1)
>You now can use Resurrection Spell for once!
The Necromancer's Soul, a malevolent gleam, ignited the mana coursing through the fallen knights, resurrecting them from their icy slumber.
Eleven dead Knight, risen from the frostbite's grip, formed a desperate shield on what it left from their body to protect me against the onslaught.
Even I still forced to kneel due to the Frost Bite effect, at least those eleven resurrected Knights had already formed firmly in front of me, waiting for incoming Meridia's brutal attack.
Despite the newly defense formation, Meridia's ice javelins launched with lethal precision, pierced the resurrected warriors, their bodies becoming ravaged husks, yet they held firm, absorbing the deadly barrage.
I gasped, witnessing their horrifying sacrifice.
"Using the dead as pawns? Their annihilation is assured! You are doomed, sorcerer!" Meridia taunted, summoning another Ice Javelins then launched it for fully extinct those resurrected Knights.
The javelins exploded upon the resurrected knights, pulverizing them one by one until only dust remained.
I clearly understand the gradual fall of my resurrected Knight, but it will not made me doubt on my preparation to fully deploy the counter spell for this damned Ice Sorcerer.
My counter-attack was brewing.
Unseen by Meridia, I channeled the power for the Fire Storm spell, but due to the reduced casting time spell, each agonizing second stretching into an eternity.
Five knights fell.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Then, a searing pain ripped through my shoulder as an ice javelin shattered my magical barrier.
It was a miracle I still can breath amidst the excruciating pain and deadly cold that almost made my body froze.
These icy spear would have been fatal - putting me in one strike to death - if I'm not prepared my magical barrier shield earlier.
The pain had made me crumpled to my kneel; the frost biting deep.
Meridia, sensing victory, aimed a final Ice Javelin at my head.
But my moment had arrived!
I will not made this moment as your victory, Ice Sorcerer!
I quickly raised my Dragon Scepter, unleashing a maelstrom of fire.
The inferno consumed the frigid air, melting the frozen earth and vaporizing Meridia's ice.
The frost clinging to my leg released its icy grip.
Despite the agonizing wound, I staggered to my feet, fueled by fury and desperation.
Both me and Meridia stood, two battered sorcerers, locked in a dance of pain and defiance.
"You cursed fiend! You orchestrated this inferno?! You hideously preparing Fire Storm spell!" Meridia spat, her voice thick with hatred.
"Enjoying the inferno, Ice Sorceress?" I bellowed, my voice a volcanic eruption of unwavering determination.
Meridia, her defiance barely masking her fear, snarled, "I'm not defeated! Not by a cursed wretch like you!"
She braced herself, attempting a perilous dual incantation: Frost Bite and Ice Javelin, a simultaneous assault.
But such a gambit wouldn't succeed under my watchful gaze!
Before she could summon her power, a searing of my Lightning Bolt lanced out, striking her with paralyzing force.
She tumbled from her haughty perch atop the hill, a scream ripped from her lips as gravity claimed her.
Yet, surrender was not in her option.
With desperate limbs, she scrabbled for purchase, her will shaping the imperfect Ice Javelin despite her crippled state.
It formed slowly, a glacial spear aimed at my heart.
I understand she will force those half assess Ice Javelin to strike out of desperation.
However, my Lightning Bolt alone wouldn't suffice to counter it
Divine Thunder and Fire Storm spell also out of option since those two demanded a casting time I didn't possess.
Necessity sharpened my focus.
The Blade of Fire—the spell was my only recourse.
Ignoring the searing agony in my frostbitten leg, I lunged forward, channeling the raw mana surging through me.
The Dragon Scepter blazed, a fiery blade materializing in my grasp.
Anticipating my move, Meridia hurled her half-formed Ice Javelin, a feeble imitation of its true power.
I met it with a swift, scorching slash, the icy projectile dissolving into harmless vapor.
Her eyes widened in shock, a momentary lapse in her icy composure.
Before she could unleash the Frost Bite, I closed the distance, the Blade of Fire piercing her defenses.
A silent gasp escaped her lips; her mana, drained dry, vanished like morning mist.
Despite the flames consuming her flesh, she dragged herself closer, blood staining the ground, her fingers grasping my shoulder.
"To perish at the hands of Zeta's curse-bearer...how ironic," she rasped, her voice a chilling whisper.
"Indeed," I replied, my tone calm yet resolute. "It is the curse-bringer's curse, you might say."
A bitter smile played on her lips. "I retract my statement. You rival the first curse-bearer I faced; you both embody the very essence of Zeta Maurer."
"This 'first curse-bearer'...tell me more," I pressed, my curiosity piqued.
For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the air.
Then, the fire consumed her blindfold, revealing eyes of glacial blue, a hue revered—and feared—throughout the Monster Realm.
Finally, after long pause, she spoke, her voice barely a breath.
"You will meet him...in the Sea of Ice."
I can see her body gradually disintegrated due to burnt of my fire magic.
"It was a good battle, Meridia. As a fellow sorcerer, even you still insist took me as a curse-bearer, I still respect you.", I said it genuinely.
Meridia, once again, smiled, "So long, curse-bearer. Under the heaven, above the hell, we, sorcerer, are unite with the cosmos."
Meridia ended her statement as her body gradually burnt entirely into ashes, let her sorcerer scepter fell near me and getting burned.
A profound stillness settled amidst the crackling flames around me.
Even without celebration or trying to reaffirm my victory, the System's already give me a notification that I'm the winner of this duel between Sorcerer.