The barrier shimmered faintly for a moment before collapsing entirely, and the echo of Kaelen's footsteps faded into silence.
Anya stood still in the corridor long after he had gone. The fractured remnants of the formation glowed faintly around the archway, like dying embers fighting against the dark. She reached out and brushed her fingertips against the fading light.
He actually did it.
No one had ever broken a formation set by him before. Yet somehow, that human—Kaelen—had shattered what the dungeon itself had deemed unbreakable.
A faint, long-buried feeling stirred within her chest. Hope. Small, fragile, but painfully bright.
She pressed a trembling hand to her heart and whispered, "Please… make it out."
The dungeon groaned softly in response, its air thick with shadows. Anya straightened, her expression carefully blank again. If the Master discovered she had helped an outsider escape, she would suffer greatly—perhaps die.
But as the final flicker of light vanished into the dark, she smiled faintly. For once, she didn't care.
Because someone had promised to return.
Meanwhile...
Light consumed Kaelen as he crossed through the broken formation, the world twisting violently around him. Pressure crushed in from every side, and when the storm finally eased, he stood beneath a sky choked with smoke and dust.
A system message appeared before his eyes.
[You have entered: The Banepeak Mountains]Region Type: Dangerous ZoneRecommended Level: 35–50Environment: Fire-Aligned / Barren Wasteland
Kaelen scanned his surroundings. The landscape stretched endlessly, bleak and lifeless—black stone cracked underfoot, the ground veined with molten fissures that glowed faintly in the distance.
"So this is The Banepeak Mountains," he muttered. "Figures the game would toss me somewhere that looks like the world's oven."
He pulled up his map. The coordinates didn't match any accessible teleport gates.He frowned. "Off-grid again… great."
Still, danger meant potential—and potential meant power. If he was going to keep his promise to Anya, he needed both.
He extended his hand. "Come on out, Luna."
A soft azure glow formed beside him, the light shaping into the small yet regal form of a dragon. Her shimmering blue scales reflected the faint orange of the molten landscape. Despite her hatchling size, Luna radiated undeniable presence—raw potential that felt ancient and untamed.
Kaelen smiled. "Let's see how we handle a fire map."
Luna let out a soft chirp, her eyes bright with excitement.
The air trembled. A hiss echoed from beneath the cracked earth, and a blazing serpent erupted from the ground, its body wreathed in flame and molten energy.
[Blazing Serpent – Lv. 40 (Elite)]
Kaelen's eyes sharpened. "Guess we start strong."
The serpent lunged, fangs dripping liquid fire. Kaelen sidestepped, boots sliding across the scorched earth as he raised his sword. "Let's test our new strength!"
"Divine Charge!"
He burst forward in a streak of golden light, closing the gap in an instant. The serpent barely had time to recoil before Kaelen's sword slammed into its side, sending embers scattering into the air.
"Dragon Slash!"
Azure energy erupted from his blade, forming a crescent-shaped wave that tore through the serpent's body, splitting molten scales apart. The beast shrieked, twisting in agony. Before it could retaliate, Luna soared overhead, her wings stirring the air into a cyclone of heat.
She unleashed a breath of pure azure fire—not normal flame, but condensed dragon essence. It burned clean, devouring the serpent's inferno effortlessly.
Kaelen stepped in again, this time calling out his final strike.
"Judgement Strike!"
His sword gleamed bright gold, lightning-like power gathering along the blade before he brought it down in a single decisive blow. The strike cleaved through the serpent's head, scattering molten fragments across the ground.
Silence followed. Then, with a hiss, the serpent crumbled into black ash.
Kaelen sheathed his weapon and let out a long breath. "That's one down."
Luna landed beside him, her eyes gleaming proudly. Kaelen grinned. "You're getting sharper with those attacks. I barely had to lift a finger."
The little dragon tilted her head and gave a soft, smug trill.
For hours, they hunted.
The Banepeak Mountains stretched endlessly, barren and cracked. Steam rose from the fissures that carved through the land, and the faint scent of sulfur clung to the air. Each step echoed across the wasteland, and with every few minutes, another creature emerged—ash golems, molten hounds, and fiery serpents.
Despite the oppressive heat, Kaelen's focus didn't waver. Each battle pushed his control of his class further. He had started to feel the rhythm of it—the perfect balance between divine power and dragon energy that defined the Divine Dragon Swordsman.
His movements were sharper, his strikes heavier, his body lighter. Every attack felt instinctive now, an extension of both his sword and Luna's will.
Luna, too, was evolving. Her attacks grew fiercer, her dragonfire more concentrated. Even the elite monsters that would normally overwhelm others were crushed beneath their seamless coordination.
Hours bled into the afternoon, the burning sky beginning to fade toward dusk. The wasteland's horizon pulsed faintly with molten light, like a dying forge.
Level Up: 20 → 23
Kaelen wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaning on his sword. "Not bad for a day's work."
Luna landed beside him, flicking her tail with satisfaction.
"Let's see what you got from those kills," Kaelen murmured, pulling up her stat page.
[Luna – Ancient Dragon Heir]Level: 23Growth Stage: Hatchling (Evolving)New Skills Unlocked:• [Azure Cataclysm] – A devastating area attack that engulfs everything in a field of azure flames.• [Draconic Rend] – A precise, single-target strike imbued with condensed dragon essence. Extremely lethal to enemies of higher rank.
Kaelen let out a low whistle. "You're turning into a little powerhouse."
Luna blinked up at him, proud and content.
He couldn't help but grin. "You know, it's starting to feel unfair."
The dragon let out a soft rumble, almost like laughter.
They took a short break, Kaelen sitting atop a jagged boulder overlooking the endless scorched plain. The twin suns had begun to dip behind the mountain ridges, bleeding the sky with a mix of crimson and ash-gray. The heat faded slowly, replaced by a creeping chill.
Kaelen leaned back, watching the horizon. The stillness here was strange—no signs of other players, no villages, nothing. Just the hum of molten veins deep underground.
"This place is too empty," he murmured. "Feels like something's hiding out there."
Luna tilted her head, ears twitching as if sensing something distant. Kaelen followed her gaze toward the horizon, where faint echoes rumbled—a deep, rolling sound that vibrated through the ground.
He frowned. "That didn't sound small."
For a moment, silence returned. Then the wind shifted, carrying the faint scent of scorched earth and… something older.
Kaelen rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his coat. "Alright. Whatever's out there, we'll find it tomorrow."
He looked at Luna, who gave a small nod before curling up beside the rock. Her scales shimmered faintly in the fading light, the air around her pulsing with warmth.
Kaelen leaned back against the stone, exhaling slowly. Despite the harsh terrain, he felt calm. Each battle had made him stronger—each step closer to his goal. And now, with this strength, he finally had the means to keep his word.
He thought of Anya—her calm voice, her quiet despair, and the faint glimmer of gratitude when he promised to return.
He clenched his fist. "I'll get you out of there," he whispered.
The sun finally vanished beyond the peaks, and the world of Banepeak fell into dim crimson twilight. Streams of molten light ran through the land like veins of fire beneath a sleeping beast.
Kaelen closed his eyes, letting exhaustion wash over him. Tomorrow, he'd keep hunting. Tomorrow, he'd grow stronger.
Because one promise was worth more than all the gold and glory the game could ever give.