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Alexia was wearing a black suit and gloves, leaving aside her leather armor for today. The relaxed expression on her face, combined with the sparkle of her scarlet eyes, gave her an air of total confidence.
"Oh! What a coincidence, we arrive at the same time. I wasn't very sure you would accept the invitation," said Alexia when she saw the young man in front of her, before greeting him.
Standing before her was Théo. A young man of medium height, with short midnight-blue hair and hard facial features. On his back, one could see a large sword that gave off a sinister feeling.
"Hahaha, that's because what you proposed suits me," replied Théo, who had sat on a rock with a half-smile on his face when he saw Alexia.
After scanning the surroundings, noticing no one else had arrived, he finally asked the question that had been bothering him for a while.
"How many members will the group have?"
"Just three," replied Alexia.
"Three? Hmm, I hope this won't be a suicide mission," murmured Théo.
Théo was very surprised. Entering a dungeon with only three people was rare. Normally, for a Rank D portal, there should be four people of the same rank to eliminate any remaining risk and stay cautious. If there were only three, that probably meant each of them was at the peak of Rank D.
"…"
"And who's the third one? He's a little late, don't you think?"
Alexia was about to answer when she saw Déon arriving.
Déon was dressed in a shirt and pants, over which he wore metal armor. His confident stride and face gave him the look of an apprentice knight.
"Hello… Sorry, I hope you can forgive my delay," he said in a calm and composed voice, lowering his head slightly.
"It's fine. We just arrived as well, right?" she asked, looking at Théo.
He didn't answer Alexia. He simply smiled slightly as he looked at Déon before speaking.
"So, you were the third person, huh? Surprising…"
"Yes, indeed, it is surprising, isn't it?" replied Déon, staring straight into his eyes.
Alexia, noticing the atmosphere becoming tense, didn't have time to intervene. At first, she had wanted them to be three in the portal, but with the tension she felt between Déon and Théo, she changed her plans.
"How about one last person? That way the team will be balanced. You two will attack, I'll be your support, and the last person will be the healer."
"Fine with me," replied Déon.
Théo, for his part, just nodded in response.
"Give me five minutes. I'll be back."
After Alexia left, an awkward silence settled between the two young men, but neither made the first move to break it.
A few minutes later, Alexia returned. This time, she was accompanied by a short girl. She looked about 160 cm tall, with short blue hair, blue eyes, and wearing a mage's robe.
"This is Amelia. She will assist us as support," said Alexia as she made the introductions.
"Nice to meet you," said Déon, bowing slightly.
Théo, on the other hand, had a somewhat complicated expression on his face upon seeing Amelia.
Without further delay, they entered the forest, following Alexia, who was leading them toward the portal.
Déon wondered how Alexia knew the exact location of the portal, but he already knew the answer. It was surely the work of Alexia's tutor. About ten minutes later, they finally stood before the famous Rank D portal.
"Here we are. Are you ready?" asked Alexia, visibly eager to enter.
Only Amelia answered. As for Déon and Théo, one replied with a smile, while the other still had an expression hard to describe.
"What's wrong with them?" wondered Alexia before they all passed through the portal's veil together.
As they crossed, the world seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second, and all they could see was an expanse of white light. The next second, they were inside the portal.
"Damn, what is this place again?" Déon complained inwardly, scanning the area where the portal had brought them.
It was a huge surprise when he realized where he had landed. The portal had brought them to a desert buried among mountains. At first glance, there were no monsters, but they could all feel that this place was dangerous.
Above their heads, in the sky, was a miniature sun burning so brightly it seemed just a few meters away.
Despite the sudden environmental changes they were subjected to, none of them seemed shaken. Each of them wanted to close this portal as quickly as possible.
…
At the very heart of the desert where they had landed stood a huge mausoleum in poor condition, made of stone, with a peculiar architecture.
Despite the dilapidated appearance from the outside, the inside resembled a very complex labyrinth that was well maintained despite the absence of life. From time to time, one could sense the presence of specters here and there in the labyrinth, whispering inaudible words.
At the center of the labyrinth was a secret room, hermetically sealed and completely dark, letting no light in. A small hole could be seen on the walls near the central chamber. It served as the lock for the room.
Inside the room, full of darkness that seemed to devour light, reigned an absolute silence that allowed even the faintest movements of the wind to be heard.
Just after Déon and his companions entered, something inside the room seemed to awaken from a long slumber.
The next moment, a great tremor shook the entire portal, as if to signal the presence of intruders in this place. The expedition had just begun.