—Alicia's Perspective—
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Why did I bring them here?
That question echoed over and over in Alicia Clinton's head like a chant of regret. The sound of howling winds and distant magical roars in the depths of Elarian Wild only worsened her spiraling thoughts.
Everything had gone wrong.
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A Few Days Earlier…
It started with a harmless idea. A silly one, in fact. Her father—the grand Guild Master of Castle Town—was pressuring her to find a suitable husband.
"You're getting older, Alicia. You've scared off every nobleman within three provinces. At least pretend to consider someone," he had pleaded.
In frustration, Alicia had slammed her guild register on the desk. "Then I'll find one myself! A real one! Someone who doesn't buckle at the sight of a B-rank beast!"
That's when the idea hit her. Why not take a few promising adventurers on a dangerous dungeon mission? See who could rise above the odds. It would be like her own twisted little test. A trial. If anyone could survive and stand beside her at the top, maybe… just maybe, she'd consider them worthy.
So she picked two candidates. One: Renji Harasen, noble blood, serious, powerful—he checked all the right boxes.
And the other?
Juichi.
That idiotic, reckless, carefree moron who laughed in the face of death, called Sakata "Pervy Old Man," and snored like a dying bear.
He wasn't supposed to be a real candidate. But he had intrigued her from the moment he stood up for that orphan girl at the guild gate. That and… well… he looked good shirtless during combat. Not that she'd ever admit that out loud.
So, she devised the plan. A simple dungeon crawl. There were rumors of a Basilisk General residing within the ruins of Elarian Wild, a powerful A-Rank magical beast that even veteran guild squads feared.
Perfect.
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Present Moment — Deep in the Dungeon
Alicia's breath hitched as she pressed her back to the cold, moss-covered wall of the ancient ruin. Her palms trembled, slick with sweat and blood. Her heart raced, not just from fear—but guilt.
She ran.
She left them behind.
She had planned to help, to reveal her true strength when needed. But when that enormous Basilisk General emerged from the darkness—its black-and-crimson scales glistening under dungeon torches, its forked tongue slicing the air with mana—panic gripped her heart like a vice.
She froze. Then she bolted.
"I'm a coward," she whispered.
No, a voice inside her said. You're not. You're just not ready.
She forced herself to breathe as she tried to retrace her steps—her mind spinning with the last image of Juichi yelling, "Leave it to me! This snake's nothing compared to Pervy Old Man!"
That damn idiot. Brave. Arrogant. Suicidal.
Alicia clenched her fists.
She was going to go back.
That's when the dungeon's air changed.
A shadow washed over her—thicker, colder than anything she'd ever felt. The very walls of the dungeon groaned as mana pressure pulsed like a heartbeat. From the far corridor, the stone split open—and from it emerged something far worse than she imagined.
A figure cloaked in fog and shadows.
Species: Abyssal Drake-Spawn.
Class: S-Rank.
Name: Morvath, The Hidden Sovereign.
It was humanoid in shape, but its body shimmered like obsidian dragon hide. Its eyes were hollow slits glowing blue. Horns curled from its head, and black flames pulsed in its hands.
Alicia staggered backward. "No… this isn't part of the mission…"
Morvath didn't speak. It moved like a wraith, hovering above the ground, its flames licking the walls, disintegrating vines and stone.
Alicia pulled out her staff, mana flowing into her arms. "I—I didn't come here to die!"
With a roar, she cast Heaven's Mark, a powerful light-element spell.
But the flames vanished midair.
Morvath swiped with one claw, and the corridor behind her exploded.
Alicia flew backward into a wall, coughing blood.
Her vision blurred, pain flaring through her ribs. "Why… Why did I drag them here…"
---
Flashback: Night Before the Dungeon Dive
Juichi had stood in the hallway outside her quarters, holding a meat bun in one hand.
"You sure you want to go through with this?" he asked, munching on it casually.
"What? You scared?"
"Nah. I just don't wanna waste time pretending this is a mission when it smells like a dating event your dad forced on you."
She froze. "You… knew?"
Juichi shrugged. "Pervy Old Man hinted at it. Said your dad's desperate enough to toss his daughter into a dungeon if it meant grandchildren."
Alicia was red. "I—I wanted to test who's strong enough to handle danger!"
Juichi had grinned, leaned forward, and whispered, "Then you better survive it too, Princess."
---
Present
The memory lit a fire in her chest.
She stood up. Bloody, bruised—but not broken.
Her staff pulsed again, and this time, a different magic formed.
One she hadn't used in years.
Volcanic Cascade.
Flames burst from her feet, engulfing the corridor in a raging inferno.
Morvath hissed, stepping back.
"I'm coming back," she whispered. "You better not die before I do, Juichi."
---
Meanwhile — Juichi and Renji vs Basilisk General
Crimson Dominion flared through the darkness like a comet.
Renji dashed forward, his blade a blur, slicing through the thick hide of the Basilisk General. The massive serpent roared, tail whipping toward him.
Juichi grabbed it midair. "Hey! Snake boy! You ever heard of personal space?"
With a roar, Juichi's body glowed. His muscles tensed, and raw energy exploded from him.
Renji's eyes widened. "That… that's Substitute Power. You're using it like First Stage Mode."
Juichi smirked. "Pervy Sensei's training wasn't just shouting and getting punched in the face, you know."
The battle intensified.
Renji's strikes grew sharper, his footwork a dance of deadly elegance. Juichi's attacks were unpredictable, wild, but devastating.
The Basilisk General shrieked, vomiting poisonous mist.
Renji cut through it with a clean arc of Crimson Dominion. "Fall already, beast!"
The final strike came when Juichi launched himself like a cannonball, slamming his fist into the beast's jaw.
With a thunderous crack, the Basilisk General collapsed.
---
Back at the Dungeon Entrance
The pair stumbled back toward the exit.
Dead bodies littered the path—adventurers who likely served as Alicia's 'security.'
"She was being followed," Renji murmured. "I thought they were guards."
"They were," Juichi said, kneeling by a corpse. "This guy's armor has guild insignia."
Renji clenched his fists. "We have to find her. Now."
They rushed toward the exit—only to find it caved in.
"This isn't over," Juichi said.
Renji's eyes narrowed. "No… it means the boss isn't dead. The Basilisk General wasn't it."
Juichi smirked. "Then there's a Hidden Boss."
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To Be Continued...
Where hearts are tested, truths unfold, and darkness closes in.