04:00
I followed Lesley at a brisk pace through the silent castle corridors. Everything was calm, with no demons wandering about at this hour. Not even the soldiers patrolled the halls near Selene's main meeting chamber.
Lesley opened the double doors without a sound. As I stepped inside, I saw a majestic throne elevated several meters above the ground. To the right of the throne, six imposing chairs occupied strategic positions, each with its own table. The hall was grand and richly adorned, a display of the demon empire's full might. Without hesitation, Lesley walked behind the throne, and I followed closely.
She stopped before a pillar identical to the others in the room. I frowned, not understanding her actions. When she pulled out a golden key hanging from her neck, the pillar began to move, revealing a red door covered in intricate runes.
Lesley inserted the key but didn't turn it. A few seconds later, a familiar energy stirred within me. Before my eyes, a dimensional tear appeared as if scissors had sliced through the air itself, top to bottom. It looked like the vertical eye of a beast, a vibrant purple, pulsing as though alive.
"Let's go!" Lesley said, stepping into the rift.
I followed without hesitation.
My world spun as a rare, subtle energy enveloped me. Before I could process the sensation, we were already in a room I recognized instantly.
My entire body broke out in goosebumps. My heart skipped a beat as I spotted that solitary chair in the small enclave. I had returned to the same mountain that had tormented me for three whole years—and three years don't fade in sixty days.
Lesley noticed the shift in my posture, the trembling hands, the distant expression.
"Come on, Glenn!" she said, snapping me out of my stupor.
I nodded and followed her again, trying to leave behind all the bad memories of this place.
The door opened, and we walked toward an elevator. Lesley activated it deftly, and we began descending into the depths of the mine. The sound of gears couldn't drown out the clanging of iron on ore or the echoes of the slaves' pickaxes.
A lump formed in my throat, but before I could speak, the elevator stopped. Ahead of us stretched a dark, unprotected corridor as far as the eye could see.
Lesley quickened her pace. After more than ten minutes of walking, my thoughts had calmed. I tried to focus on the present, leaving the past behind. Finally, we reached a sturdy black door, rusted and seemingly unused—perhaps not opened in ten years.
There was an odd lock, a puzzle of runes and minerals. When Lesley input the correct sequence, the door swung open. Outside, the sky was pitch black, with no moons to light it.
"Where are we?"
"On the southeastern face of the Imperial Forge Mountain," Lesley explained. "You know two of the six internal areas: the mining wing, which we just came through, and the main entrance where they forged your Nexus."
"Is this an emergency exit?"
"No, strategic! Now let's go, the others are already waiting."
We stood at the foot of the mountain. Ahead, the rocky, sandy terrain gave way to a low, dry forest.
A small surge of prana reverberated in the air. Lesley shot forward like a meteor, and I followed, wreathed in lightning. Though I wanted to run with the same agility, since I didn't know how far our group was, I decided to be cautious and use magic instead.
We moved at a moderate speed, quickly crossing the forest until we reached a trail leading to a clearing. There, four hooded figures awaited us. In front of them, a small cave with a ground-level entrance was blocked by a large boulder.
"I see you've arrived. I'll give you a moment to introduce yourselves," Lesley said, addressing the boulder.
With a skillful push, she moved it aside and entered the cave.
I stopped a short distance away, studying my allies. The first word that came to mind was:
"Dahlia?"
"Young Master!" she exclaimed, pulling back her hood and bowing slightly. "You figured me out faster than I expected."
"Your prana signature is too unique!"
'Not to mention I've thoroughly experienced all that energy,' I thought.
She wore a sleek black robe with sleeves to the elbows and fitted pants that wouldn't hinder movement.
She stepped closer as I observed the other figures. They all had familiar builds and features, but I still couldn't place them.
"You still owe me a fight!" said a voice I recognized instantly.
"Aeloria?"
Pulling back her hood, she revealed herself dressed in attire similar to mine and Dahlia's, though in blue.
"I was invited to your dungeon raid party. You know it's important to have strong, trustworthy allies!" she boasted.
"Since when are you so talkative?"
"You should show more respect to your seniors!" she scolded.
Looking to the side, I immediately identified the figure next to her.
"You brought your sister to a dungeon?"
Seraphine revealed herself, wearing a black overcoat over an intricate graphite armor set, far more imposing than what she'd worn during our duel—though her spear was missing.
"Glenn!" she greeted me. "I hope we can work well together as a team."
I was curious about the spear but decided not to ask.
"Same here. And you?" I said, pointing to the last figure.
He was a large man with a meter-long shield strapped to his left arm and a sheathed sword at his waist.
"A pleasure to see you again, Young Master Glenn."
"Dorian?" I asked.
"In the flesh!" he replied, pulling back part of his overcoat to reveal red plated armor.
His height was impressive.
Since he hadn't used a shield in our fight, it took me a moment to connect the dots.
"I've been assigned to lead this raid."
I frowned, looking at Dahlia.
"I thought it'd be you or one of these two lunatics."
"My role here is strictly as a healer and support. Dungeon raids are where you all truly need to grow," Dahlia explained.
"And you two don't question the big guy as leader?" I asked the siblings.
"My close-combat style isn't suited for leadership," Seraphine said.
"Originally, it was supposed to be me," Aeloria added, "but Dorian volunteered, and I didn't see an issue."
"What about you, Glenn?" Seraphine asked. "Any objections?"
"None! This is my first dungeon, and the last thing I want is to be giving orders to spoiled brats like you," I quipped.
"Who are you calling a spoiled brat, you three-affinity anomaly blessed by the gods?" Aeloria shot back.
"You dare call your leader spoiled? You don't know the authority I hold on this mission," Dorian said with a manic grin.
Before the argument could escalate, Lesley intervened:
"I see you all have good chemistry. Now let's move—the less time we spend here, the lower the chance of being discovered."
She entered the cave, and the five of us followed.
"We have a solid team. Dorian and Seraphine will be the vanguard—he'll handle defense and damage mitigation, she'll take frontline offense. Dahlia is your healer, but don't expect her to carry the group. She's only permitted to use life magic."
We all nodded silently.
"Aeloria will handle terrain control and ranged support. She'd be the leader if Dorian hadn't taken charge. If he fails, Aeloria automatically assumes command."
"Yes!" they replied in unison.
"Finally, Glenn is our wild card, but he needs to learn. Let him handle his own problems. Don't coddle him or ask for favors. I want him to learn properly—understood?"
"Yes!" we answered.
"Glenn, your job is to learn from the veterans. You'll support both vanguard and rear guard and protect the healer."
"Understood!"
"No more delays. Good luck!"
Before us, a black spatial rift pulsed with repulsive energy. Unlike the orderly portal from the castle, this one looked haphazardly made—jagged and distorted.
Dorian entered first.
"Formation: Me, Seraphine, Dahlia, Glenn, then Aeloria!" he called.
One by one, we stepped through. Crossing the portal, I felt the familiar sensation of falling—the same as when I'd died on Earth. Everything went black, an unbearable pressure crushing my chest. I searched for the crimson orbs, but there was nothing. Then the world spun, and my feet landed on something slimy.
"BLARGH!" I vomited everything I'd eaten that morning.
"Hahaha! Welcome to the warriors' world, rookie!" Dorian taunted.
As I lifted my gaze, I finally saw our destination.
"What a disgusting place!" Dahlia and Seraphine said in unison.