Cris was sitting lifelessly against a wall while a shadow searched through his bag. The man was looking for something that could be useful, but he found nothing that caught his attention.
"Nothing special... Wait, why would someone bring oil to a dungeon?"
He picked up the flask and observed it for a few seconds before simply throwing it aside. Then, his body began to change. His appearance slowly transformed until it became exactly the same as Cris's.
"Better hide the body."
After hiding it, he began moving toward the other students. It did not take long for him to find two of them, who immediately seemed to recognize him. He was already prepared to kill them if necessary, but soon realized that neither of them actually knew him.
Apparently, the only person who truly knew Cris was that Enrico.
The students passed through the hole, and, when they were far enough away, he finally activated his magic to create several traps. Like making holes in the stairs and making a floor appear in the abyss, exactly where the hole began, hiding the opening and preventing anyone from easily noticing what had happened.
While guiding the two students toward the boss room, he continued thinking about his plan.
'If they surprise me, perhaps I can start my plan now.'
After managing to escape from the boss, he was certain that it was finally time to begin everything. Especially after sensing Crimson's death. That event had made it clear that he could not wait forever.
So, he waited patiently.
And eventually found Enrico.
"You brought the other oil I asked for, Cris?"
At that moment, he realized that it would be impossible to deceive Enrico for long.
When he smiled, Enrico immediately realized that something was wrong. Apparently, Cris was not the kind of person who smiled like that. That small difference had been enough to awaken his suspicion.
Since Enrico was standing directly over his trap, he did not hesitate. He made the floor disappear and let Enrico and the others fall, then activated the second trap in the abyss.
And now his plan had worked. After Terroclast's defeat, finally, after years, he was close to achieving his goal.
'Only the boss remains.'
He casually moved his hand while watching the three of them witness Tolen's death.
'How childish... letting your emotions control you.'
His gaze then fell upon the blue core in Enrico's hands. A small smile appeared on his face when he realized that, despite everything, he had still managed to obtain what he wanted.
'Well, I got lucky. I only needed one core and the boss... but getting a second one would be great.'
Enrico carefully placed Tolen's body beside him and stood up. For a few seconds, he remained silent, still looking at the ground. Then, Cris noticed an opportunity.
He prepared himself.
'I'll take advantage of his emotional state and take the core.'
Cris waited for the right moment, keeping an eye on every movement Enrico made. However, before he could do anything, Enrico raised his arm and threw the core toward Elian.
"Elian, this core is good for increasing your speed. He seemed quite interested in it, so absorb it quickly."
Cris remained motionless for a moment. His gaze followed the core as it traveled through the space between them.
The situation had taken a completely different turn from what he expected.
Cores were much more useful to Nartheis than to humans. While a Nartheis could absorb a much greater amount of the energy contained within them, humans could not use them completely. At most, they received small physical boosts, and even those effects were quite limited.
Because of this, the impostor did not expect Enrico to simply give the core to Elian, especially after everything that had happened.
Surprised by Enrico's self-control, the impostor began observing him more carefully. Until that moment, he believed Tolen's death would cause him to act impulsively and let his emotions dominate his decisions.
Enrico pointed toward the doors of the room. Serenya immediately understood and appeared in front of the exit. Using the debris scattered around the area, she blocked the passage, preventing any attempt to escape.
"Kai, Cris is an enemy."
Kai appeared behind him with his sword already raised. He did not hesitate for even a moment. He advanced and struck directly at Cris, who moved backward at the last moment. Even so, he could not escape completely, and a cut opened across his chest.
"Almos—"
Cris interrupted himself when he realized that Enrico was already behind him. He turned in time to meet the boy's eyes.
Cold.
Filled with fury.
A fist wrapped in flames came toward him. Cris raised his arms and blocked the blow, but the force of the impact was enough to push him several meters backward. His feet dragged across the floor as he regained his balance.
Cris looked at Enrico and then at the other three surrounding him.
"Interesting."
Cris noticed that Elian had already finished absorbing the core. The remaining energy had been assimilated by the boy's body, and now there was nothing else he could do to regain that advantage.
"You are interesting. But, unfortunately for you, I have already begun my plan."
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure filled the room. The air seemed to become heavy in an instant, and the bodies of Enrico, Serenya, Elian, and Kai were pressed against the floor by the force of that presence.
"Jago, isn't your plan going a little too far?"
None of them could react.
Cris remained standing as he calmly observed the scene.
Then, a presence appeared behind them.
Rirus had appeared.
Enrico struggled to stand. The pressure was still crushing his body against the floor, but he continued forcing his arms, trying to lift himself with all his strength. His face was distorted by rage, and his eyes remained fixed on Cris.
'Get up... I need to kill him.'
Rirus, however, was not looking at Enrico. His eyes were fixed on the figure who had now been revealed as Jago.
"So, Jago, is this how it's going to be? Are you really going to throw away everything we built for your mother?"
Jago scratched his head, showing no concern about those words.
"Oh, come on. Don't give me that. You were obsessed with her. If you had absorbed her core, you would have been a Faizes long ago. But instead of evolving, you decided to remain trapped in this pile of garbage."
A tear slowly ran down Rirus's face.
He raised one hand, and a teleportation circle appeared beside him. Energy began concentrating inside the circle until a hand emerged from within it.
Rirus remained motionless for a few seconds.
"I never thought my own son would say that."
Suddenly, Rirus stopped moving, and Jago tilted his head slightly and smiled.
"Then tell me, Father... how was the meal I prepared for you today? I hope you enjoyed it."
Inside his own mind, Rirus concentrated, trying to fight against whatever was holding him back. Everything seemed distant, as if he were separated from the outside world by a wall he could not cross. He tried to move, but his body did not respond.
Until a feminine hand held his.
Rirus looked at her as the woman began pulling him forward. For a few moments, he could not understand who she was, but, when he saw her face, his eyes widened.
Without saying a word, he followed her.
Outside, Enrico noticed that Rirus had frozen. The pressure still kept everyone pinned to the floor, but, for some reason, Rirus's body had stopped completely. Seeing what seemed like a betrayal, he tried to use it to his advantage.
"Hey, if you free us, we'll help you."
Rirus did not answer.
"Sorry, but he can't hear you."
Jago's voice made Enrico look in his direction. A magic circle appeared in his hand, slowly rotating as strange energy gathered inside it.
A core emerged from within the circle.
It pulsed like a heart, releasing an energy that made the environment feel even heavier.
Jago approached Rirus and pressed the core against his chest, exactly where the skull Nartheis's own core was located.
Then, he began forcing the two to fuse.
Rirus began moving again.
His body began trembling violently as the two cores were pressed against each other. The energy coursed through his body all at once, making him arch his back as a scream escaped his throat.
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
While his father screamed, Jago simply watched with a curious expression.
Rirus began to grow before them. His body rapidly increased in size as his structure transformed into a gigantic skeletal figure. The bones lengthened and rearranged themselves, forming an enormous body that made everyone around him seem small. Then, a huge sword made of bones appeared in his hands.
Jago watched the transformation without showing any concern, although there was clear curiosity in his expression. Then, he moved his arms, and a magic circle appeared around everyone present, surrounding Enrico, Serenya, Elian, Kai, and everyone else who was unconscious.
Except him.
The ground beneath them began to disappear. Their bodies slowly began sinking, as if they were being pulled into the earth itself.
"Goodbye. If you manage to defeat him, I'll be grateful. If you die, I'll wait for someone else to come and kill him."
Jago calmly watched as everyone was swallowed by the circle. When the last part of Enrico's body was about to disappear, he turned around and began walking away.
But then he stopped when he saw the boy's other hand emerge from the ground.
He was trying to get out while the circle continued pulling his body downward. One finger pointed directly at Jago, and then Enrico's face appeared.
It was distorted with fury.
"I'll kill you, Jago."
Jago simply looked at him.
The next moment, the circle pulled Enrico inside, and the opening disappeared completely.
"Hm..."
Jago remained looking at the ground for a few seconds. Then, he finally turned around and began walking.
"Better go to the portal and wait. Everything is happening exactly as I imagined."
Far below, in the same place where Enrico and Serenya had fought Azure, the group was thrown onto a platform together with the gigantic skeleton. The impact made the ground tremble, and some of the students had to support each other to avoid falling.
Some, such as Vanessa and Sílvia, woke up while they were still falling and managed to prepare themselves before hitting the platform, so they did not need to be saved. As soon as they realized where they were and saw the gigantic creature before them, everyone who could still move assumed combat positions.
Enrico also stood up and faced the enormous skeleton. Then, before his eyes, information appeared about the monster in front of him.
[Boss: Rirus – Hidden Form – Level 1 Faizes]
[Berserk Necromancer of the Lost City]
The first to attack was Kai. He advanced without hesitation, holding the sword with both hands while concentrating his mana into the blade.
"Heroic Magic: Crescent Slash!"
A blade of energy flew toward Rirus. It was an attack capable of cutting through magic, but the gigantic skeleton did not even seem to care. He simply moved one finger, and the blade stopped in midair.
Kai's eyes widened. His attack, which should have been capable of cutting through other spells, could not even get close to Rirus. The difference in level between the two was simply too great for Kai to affect him.
Then, Rirus moved his skeletal sword.
The enormous blade descended toward Kai.
Kai managed to raise his own sword in time and blocked the blow, but the force of the impact was absurd. His body was sent flying as if it weighed nothing and crossed the space until it crashed into a wall with a loud bang.
Kai immediately lost consciousness.
Vanessa advanced alongside Sílvia, while Caelan and Valença remained unconscious a few meters behind them. The two did not waste time trying to understand the enemy's strength; they knew that if they remained still, they would be defeated before they could even react.
Vanessa stomped her foot against the ground and spread her mana across the platform. The surface quickly began to soften, transforming into a large area of mud beneath Rirus's feet. The terrain lost its stability, but the gigantic skeleton only sank a few centimeters before remaining motionless.
"Now!"
Sílvia extended both hands. Vines began emerging from the cracks in the platform and rapidly advanced toward Rirus. They wrapped around his legs and climbed up his skeletal body, attempting to restrain his arms and prevent him from raising his sword again.
For a moment, it seemed to work.
Vanessa took advantage of the opening and launched a large amount of mud at Rirus, trying to cover his body and make his movements even more difficult. However, the skeleton simply raised his sword.
A single movement.
The vines were cut apart all at once.
The next strike hit the ground, sending a wave of force that caused the mud to be thrown in every direction. Vanessa was forced to retreat, while Sílvia jumped backward to avoid the blade.
"He's not even taking us seriously..."
Vanessa muttered as Rirus advanced. Sílvia made new vines emerge in front of them, creating an improvised barrier. The sword cut through the first layers, but Vanessa took advantage of the moment and transformed the ground into mud again, causing Rirus's body to lose its stability for a brief moment.
The two exchanged a glance.
They knew that this would not be enough to defeat him.
But at least they had managed to make him stop for a few seconds.
Vanessa and Sílvia continued trying to restrain Rirus when Enrico advanced to help them. He raised one hand and launched a sequence of fireballs at the gigantic skeleton. The flames struck his body and exploded one after another, illuminating the platform and forcing Rirus to raise his sword to block some of the attacks. Even so, the explosions did not seem to cause any significant damage.
"Keep attacking!"
Serenya took advantage of the opening and used her control magic to lift the debris scattered across the platform. Stones and pieces of wall began floating around her before being launched at Rirus one after another. The impacts struck the skeleton from several sides, making some of his bones tremble, but Rirus continued advancing as if that were not enough to stop him.
Vanessa spread her magic across the ground again, once more transforming the platform into mud. Sílvia took advantage of the instability to make new vines emerge around Rirus's legs, trying to restrain him while Enrico continued launching fire and Serenya hurled debris.
For a few moments, the four managed to pressure him.
But the difference in strength remained absurd.
Rirus simply raised his sword and cut the vines restraining his legs. Then, he advanced through the flames and debris, ignoring the attacks as he approached the two girls.
Vanessa realized the danger too late.
A single swift slash passed through her body.
She was cut in half and died instantly.
Sílvia was in shock. Her eyes widened as she stared at Vanessa's body. She brought her hands to her face and screamed in despair.
"Nooooooo!"
Rirus's sword descended toward her, and Sílvia could not even react after seeing her friend killed like that.
But at the last moment, Serenya used her control magic and pulled Sílvia to the side. The blade struck the ground where she had been a second earlier, leaving an enormous mark across the platform.
"Sílvia, don't stop! If you stop now, you'll die too!"
However, before Serenya and Sílvia could move away, the ground around them began to move. Skeletal creatures, similar to zombies, began emerging from the earth one after another. Their bodies were made entirely of bones, and as soon as they emerged from the ground, they advanced directly toward Serenya.
She tried to react using her control magic, but there were too many.
One of the creatures struck her body and sent her flying.
"Serenya!"
Elian and Enrico reacted immediately. The two advanced to prevent the creatures from reaching Serenya and Sílvia, managing to save them before they were surrounded. However, Enrico could not escape completely.
One of the creatures struck his arm.
The impact was so strong that the bone broke immediately. The force of the blow continued through his body, striking his ribs, and Enrico was thrown against the wall on the right with a loud crash.
His consciousness began to fade little by little, and his vision became increasingly dark. Even so, Enrico could still see what was happening in front of him.
Elian had been grabbed by Rirus's hand.
The gigantic skeleton closed his fingers around him and began increasing the pressure.
"Ugh..."
Elian tried to resist, forcing his arms and using all the strength he still possessed to escape. His muscles trembled as he tried to pry Rirus's fingers apart, but he could not.
The pressure continued increasing.
Enrico could barely remain conscious, but he realized what would happen if this continued.
Elian would be crushed.
'System, I have a proposal. I want more power. In exchange, I—'
[That is impossible at this moment. The only agreement capable of overcoming this would require sacrificing your life. It would not kill you, but it would buy time for the others.]
Enrico felt his vision becoming increasingly blurred. His body barely responded, and the pain running through his arm and ribs made it difficult even to think properly.
'This is all my fault. If I had prepared better... if I had taken more risks...'
He tried to get out of the crater, supporting himself with the arm he could still move. His body trembled with every movement, but he could not advance. All he could hear were Elian's screams.
"Aaaaah!"
Enrico clenched his teeth and tried to stand once again. Then, suddenly, Rirus's hand was cut. Elian fell to the ground, unconscious, and a wave of relief passed through Enrico when he realized who had just arrived. Apparently, the letter he had left for her had worked.
He closed his eyes.
Virelle had arrived.
Virelle observed the scene around her with complex emotions. Her eyes passed over the injured students, the fallen bodies, and the debris scattered across the platform before finally stopping on Rirus. Her expression slowly changed, and her eyes became empty as she stared at the gigantic skeleton.
Rirus did not wait. He raised his skeletal sword and advanced toward her. The blade cut through the air in her direction, and the moment it touched Virelle, it simply shattered. The bone fragments fell around her while Virelle remained completely motionless.
Then, she raised her eyes toward Rirus.
"You know... I hate it when someone touches what I'm responsible for."
Virelle's eyes burned with fury.