"Is everyone ready?!" Sebastian's voice cut through the wind like a war horn.
Elijah scanned the group, his eyes sharp. "Let's head out now," he said, firm and calm.
"Time for some stretching," Sirius smirked, cracking his knuckles.
Sapphire moved toward Sukiro, worry etched across her face like brushstrokes on canvas. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "Are you okay to hunt now, Sukiro?"
Sukiro gave her a confident thumbs-up, flashing a grin. "You bet! I'm all fired up now!"
Sapphire exhaled a little smile, her concern fading. "Just be careful, okay? Stick with us the whole time."
From a few steps away, Sebastian watched the exchange. A quiet, content smile spread across his face not pride, not amusement just joy.
The party moved out from the village, boots crunching against forest earth, until they reached the shimmering barrier. Elijah stepped forward, placing his hand on its surface. The barrier dissolved into floating particles, a curtain of light melting into the air.
The Emeralds stepped through. Behind them, the barrier reformed like glass sealing itself, shielding the village once again.
"Be careful," Sebastian muttered, drawing his twin daggers. "We don't know what kind of monsters have broken out."
The winds intensified. Leaves spiraled upward, and the trees whispered warnings. In the clearing, eyes blinked open in the shadows.
LEAP!!
A goblin shot out of the woods, claws raised, screaming as it lunged at Sirius.
Its claws struck his chest and shattered like glass on stone.
Sirius hadn't moved. Not an inch. Not even to brace.
The goblin froze, wide-eyed.
These... weren't normal hunters.
In a single motion, Sirius punched downward. The goblin was crushed, obliterated along with the ground beneath it.
Smoke coiled from Sirius' mouth as he exhaled. Silent. Waiting.
eyes from the wood glared at them
Then they came. Monsters pouring from the woods, surrounding them.
Orcs. Fire Orcs. Goblins. Fire Goblins. Wolves. Fire Wolves.
Tornado-wrapped mites. Elemental beasts of wind and flame.
Floating cubes with glowing cores flypers. And worst of all, bodies suspended in midair levitators, with heads, limbs, and torsos orbiting around a central core like ritual stones.
"The highest ranked one is here an A-rank!" Elijah shouted, pointing. One Levitator hovered above them, its limbs shaped like ancient weapons octagram hands, a square torso, a blade-legged body, a circular head glowing like a moon.
"That's the boss," Elijah muttered. "Low or medium-level dungeons usually end with a Levitator."
"Yeah. Makes sense," Klaus nodded.
Two orcs charged Sukiro. He slid under their attack, his twin daggers flashing slicing through their stomachs cleanly. Blood hit the leaves like red rain.
Sirius punched a Fire Orc into the trees. One strike gone.
Sebastian sliced through the wolves, daggers carving arcs of silver death.
Elijah raised his arms. Flames erupted. Wind followed. His magic didn't just burn it spread, intensified, worked together.
Simultaneous magic. Two spells at once few in the world could pull that off.
DUMP!
A gust of wind flung Sukiro like a ragdoll. He slammed into a tree.
"Arrrgghh!" he groaned, blinking through pain. "What the hell was that?!"
A rock zipped toward him at insane speed. He barely dodged the tree behind him exploded on impact.
Floating.
Above him.
A Levitator. Not the boss a weaker one, with only a circular head and a square body.
"What rank is that thing?"
Branches. Rocks. Monster limbs. They all began to hover. Rotate.
Sukiro's breathing slowed. He planted his feet. Raised his hands.
"I can't let anything hit me. Even one hit... and I'm dead."
His gaze locked onto the levitator.
Suddenly a goblin was flung. Then an orc. The forest trembled.
"Something's coming," Sebastian said, voice low, but laced with excitement.
The ground shook.
A monster emerged arms like boulders, bigger than its legs. It moved like a gorilla.
But its body it shimmered. Covered head to toe in blue-pink a crystals, each reflecting distorted shapes.
It roared. The sound rattled the air.
It lunged at Sebastian with shocking speed.
Sebastian leapt to meet it.
"Finally... a boss," he grinned. "Let's see how tough you are."
Skill Activated: Swift Strike (A-Rank) — 35% Output
He blitzed through the air, a blur of momentum and steel. His daggers crashed against the monster's arm the crystals shattered like brittle glass.
The beast howled, confused and hurt.
Sebastian stepped back, grinning.
"You're an orc, aren't you?" he said.
"But you've infused yourself with mana crystals. Absorbed their power. Must've been painful... stabbing yourself with those."
He twirled his blades.
"All that, just to lose."
The orc howled. It raised its arms but swinging at him but he was too far away.
It fired the crystals
Dozens of glowing shards launched toward Sebastian like missiles.
But he didn't move.
"Too slow."
He slashed through every crystal with a single, fluid motion.
The shards turned to dust.
The orc staggered. Sebastian advanced.
"Let me show you how it's done."
He picked up a rock. Charged it with energy.
"Ready? Don't say it wasn't fair."
He hurled it inhuman speed. The air cracked.
The orc knew it was coming but he was too slow.
CRACK
The rock shattered the orc's eye. The beast screamed, grabbing its face.
Sebastian's expression didn't change.
"I had fun."
Skill Activated: Swift Strike (A-Rank) — 35% Output
He dashed.
A clean, blinding slash.
The monster's crystal head hit the earth. Blood poured through the cracks.
Sukiro gasped, still dodging rocks. "How the hell am I supposed to beat this floating freak?!"
He gritted his teeth.
"Wait... His strength is flight. But what if he can't fly?"
A plan formed.
The levitator hurled everything branches, limbs, debris all aimed at Sukiro.
Instead of dodging, Sukiro ran. Straight into the forest.
Just as another barrage came, he vanished into the dense trees.
Above, Elijah raised a hand.
Water Bullet (B-Rank) — 50% Output
High-pressure water bullets rained down on the monsters below.
Elijah stood over the battlefield like a god.
Meanwhile, Sukiro kept running. The levitator followed.
But that was its mistake.
In the trees, it lost visibility. Branches clawed at its body. Movement was restricted.
Sukiro was nowhere.
The levitator paused.
Scan.
Suddenly — WHAM!
Sukiro landed on its square body. Screaming. Stabbing.
Blade after blade after blade.
The levitator smashed into trees, trying to shake him off. Wood splintered. Bark exploded.
But he held on.
"Arrrggggggh!!"
Blood ran down his arms. His grip dug deep into the levitator's rock-like hide.
His eyes burned with fire.
He would not let go.
No matter the cost.