"Damn it."
As they ran, they were attacked by a swarm of blade-shaped flying fish capable of cutting through the surrounding walls. Alaric used his spear to slash some, then spun backward, channeling magic into it and thrusting forward, piercing through all the fish.
"Careful!"
Behind him, water dripped from the ceiling and formed into a humanoid creature. Taking a step back to dodge its strike, Kai appeared behind it and cut it in half. A girl with her hair tied into two buns leapt from behind, and several flowers bloomed, absorbing all the water from the Nartheis and making it vanish.
"Good work, Meilin."
"I only did my job, Sir Liang."
"You're really strong, Xuanwu."
"Could you not call me by my name?"
It was already clear that Kael was trying to get closer to Liang, but was being rejected—though he seemed to be making progress with Liang's companions.
"Your magic is really strong, Meilin."
"You think so? Not many usually do."
He jumped from one conversation to another. Now that Alaric thought about it, it seemed Kael was trying to keep everyone united somehow, preventing conflict within the team while enemies lurked around.
Exchanging a few words with Lyssandra about keeping an eye on Kael, Alaric moved ahead, analyzing the corridor. He hadn't expected this cavern to be so beautiful inside; the walls were covered in ancient drawings carved with great care.
"To continue, pass the first battle."
Reading the inscription above a door, he called the others to gather. When they came close, the decision to enter was easy. Liang requested that he and three others step in first to check, and after choosing, he entered.
"You can come in. Looks like the boss only moves when we do something."
Kai peeked his head out from the door to inform them, so they entered cautiously. At the front, Kael and Valença positioned themselves on opposite sides of the boss, while Liang gathered mana in his hand, forming a small jade dragon.
"I'll wake it up, so be ready."
The boss had the appearance of a monstrous armored crab without eyes. Liang explained that they would use its blindness to deliver a fatal blow, and asked that during the fight no one make too much noise, since it likely moved by sound.
"And it's a peak level two Faizes, so be careful."
When Liang stepped on a square, Kael and Valença did the same, causing the boss to tremble. It rose with sharp legs, releasing a water jet and then spinning, striking everyone by surprise.
"Multiple Aquatic Slashes!"
Spinning his spear, Alaric summoned multiple slashes, dealing deep wounds to the Nartheis. He had put a lot of mana into the attack, already draining half his reserves. Several golden swords pierced the crab's belly and, upon connecting, exploded in light. Kael, above, created a water spear and hurled it, striking the underside of its armor. Kai seized the opening to cut off one leg with his hero-infused sword magic.
"You're Princess Elowyn? I thought you only threw weapons around."
"I want to defeat someone myself, so I'm preparing new things for that."
"Kael, don't trust her. She's Enrico's enemy."
The three who had just attacked spoke as they dodged multiple water balls spat by the armored crab. A comedic drop ran down Alaric's head as he watched Kai try to convince Kael to stay away from Elowyn.
'What a lovely discussion…'
"Summon: Furious Tiger!"
A tiger bit into the crab's leg, tearing off a piece. From above, Dorian conjured chains that bound the creature, while behind him, numerous icy blades rained down, piercing its shell.
"Scarlet Emperor's Slash!"
A crimson blade extended with magical energy, descending in a strike that split the ground, releasing a wave that cut through everything in a straight line, severing the crab's arm. The boy's cold eyes marked him as Shengtian's Rank 6, Han Longwei.
"Good work, Han. You're stronger than I thought. Want to fight later?"
The cold look vanished from his face, replaced by embarrassment—Longwei had wanted to look cool for his leader, but Kael had ruined his image.
'Damn you, Kael.'
"Beast Claws of Ice!"
She leapt, delivering a slash that tore into the crab's belly. A blazing ray from Valença blasted through the other side. Alaric and Kael combined their water magic, forging a massive spear that pierced straight through the Nartheis.
"Good work, now it's my turn."
Around Liang, a jade dragon coiled, transforming his arm into a dragon's maw. A condensed sphere of magic charged inside it and fired at the Nartheis, devastating everything in its path.
"Heavenly Jade Dragon's Maw!"
With the final strike, Liang shattered the core that was revealed after so many blows. The dragon's maw faded from his arm, and he gathered everyone around to see if they received a reward.
"Why are your attack names so long?"
"Please don't ask questions, Sir Kael."
"It's because that's how it's always been in some Tianlong families, though there are people nowadays who don't use long names in our territory."
Meilin had gotten quite close to Kael and answered calmly. Curious, he asked her rank, and she replied that she was Rank 7. Leaving the two to talk, Alaric picked something up from where the armored crab had fallen.
"A chestplate?"
"Should we complete it?"
Liang seemed to want it, but as he raised his hand, Kael stepped forward and began explaining that the armor seemed suited only for water mages. Alaric understood perfectly—considering that, they would have to decide who should keep it.
"Why not give it to Kai?"
"Me?"
"You told me before you had a magic called Ocean, didn't you?"
The Ocean magic seemed unique, so all the Tianlong students were surprised at its name. Was it arrogance, or something truly special? Alaric wanted the armor for himself, but how could he convince them?
"Looks like you want it too… How about this: you use it during the dungeon, but it'll go to the water mage who deserves it most by the end of the mission."
Kael's eyes curved with a confident smile. Kai nodded beside him, agreeing that it should be given to whoever proved most deserving. Alaric realized he wouldn't need to say a word—he had two fools working things out for him.
"Are you sure neither of you will regret it?"
"As long as it's fair, I'm fine with it."
"I'm the strongest here, so winning it will be easy."
Liang looked at Kael's audacious words and promised to prove he was the strongest. Alaric put on the chestplate, feeling a surge of mana—it stored magic from the air, filling naturally. He also noticed he felt more resilient.
"If you insist, I accept the challenge."