The sun started to set but there was no sign of the stampede, Hina and Philip's group was near the dungeon, Free was with Lina in second group, and Okoto was far away.
"Sooo boorrriiinnnggg...." Philip said, he lay on the ground, other adventurers just laze around. "The stampede isn't even occuring, are we sure the info is correct about the stampede".
"It is" Hina said, chanting a small spell out of boredom.
Suddenly the ground starts to tremble. "Everyone hide!!" Hina yelled, everyone hide behind bushes and branches. Slowly the monster starts coming out they pass through the hiding adventurers, the adventurers wait and after a minute the wave ends, the mages quickly cast an illusion spell, other mages cast sound blocks, almost half the monster got confused and walk to the wrong direction, after the stampede pass far the mages and Hina kills the monsters they trapped.
At Free's group, they did the same thing after the wave left the one they trapped under the illusion were ambushed with swordsmen and Lina's paper bomb spell. "Good" she said, blasing another orc easily.
"Attack attack attack" Free said, firing rains of Javelin and lightning spells at the monsters. 'It's easier than i thought' Free thought, nuking a high-tier a Javelin spell.
At Okoto's group, they were sitting quietly when the monsters came. "Everyone prepare the spell now" a mage yelled but Okoto cut him out.
"We're last so we don't need spells" he said, turning to the adventurers and gave a grin. "So...ALL OUT WAR!!!" he yelled, the other roar and ran to the stampede all out, with no spells and mages help. "Thanks For giving us the last group, Free!" he said, slicing a kobold.
At Free side the last monster falls to the ground and everyone were breathing hard, both swordsmen and mages. "We did it" Lina muttered.
"Y-yes" Free said, throwing up at the stinky smell of blood.
"Young master, are you okay?" Lina calmly ask, giving him a cloth to wipe his mouth.
"The blood really stink" Free said, wiping his mouth.
"Monster blood do smell stinky at first time" she said, looking at the adventurers slowly taking out the core of the monsters. "Can you go and see what others are doing" she ask, Free nodded and took his skyboard, and flew to the sky, he first goes to Okoto and there was an all out battle.
"What are they doing?" Free mutter in the sky, he fire a javelin spell while landing to the ground beside the mages who were just sitting quietly. "What is this mess?" Free asked.
"The group leader Okoto didn't follow the instructions, he just ordered an all out war against the last stampede and we are just waiting for them to end it" a mage replied, Free sighs and stare at the sight of the swordsmen killing monsters easily, he sat down with the mages. 'Atleast no monster was able to go near the village'.
"The spell you launch was quite cool and amazing" the mage beside him said, he look at him and shrugged.
"Not that good" Free said, he look at the sky and it's was dark, clouds covered the sky it was about to rain. "I'll go and look at mom and dad" Free took his skyboard and flew to the sky, and went to where the dungeon was.
Free flew there slowly, thinking about Sylvia and the others, he look back at the village then smiled 'It should be over by now' Free thought to himself.
After sometime he reached the dungeon, he lands in the gate of the dungeon. "Mom! Dad! Whe-" his eyes suddenly went in dread, his legs starts to tremble, in his sight all adventurers were injured badly and Philip was in the ground, a sword piercing his stomach. "D-D-DADDDDD!!!" Free screamed.
45 hours earlier.....
Philip and the other were launching spell left and right, Philip was killing monsters that escape from the battle field. "So boring" he mutters, all swordsmen were killing small monsters while the mages were feasting their attacks on the stronger monsters.
"Die you stinky monsters!!" a young mage yelled with excitement, firing multiple chantless fire spell.
"Look like that's all" Hina said, firing a wind spell, she turn away walking toward Philip. "Dear, it's over" she said, Philip was now laying in a tree, resting.
"Look like it-" Philip didn't finish his sentence suddenly a loud roar came.
ROAR!!!. It came from the dungeon, the ground starts to shake faintly, everyone got up from their resting place, Philip stare at the dungeon, a chill was creeping down his spinel.
"That roar..." he mutters, some mages turn to him but the moment they did, something suddenly smack one mage into a tree with so high force the tree broke, Hina took a step back and glance at Philip. "Yes it is, a emperor, dungeon emperor" his voice was a whisper but it reach everyone's ear .
"EVERYONE KEEP YOUR GUARD UP, MONSTER EMPERORS CAN BE DEADLY AT NIGHT DUE TO THEIR INSANE SPEED!!!" a veteran adventurer yelled, suddenly something appeared infront of him for a split second and he was smack into the ground by the head.
"Ahhh! run!!" the mage yelled, he started escaping the battlefield but got hit badly with a deadly claw attack.
The dungeon emperor was stealthy, it was quiet like a owl at night, Philip closed his eyes and starts to release high physical pressure, Hina was sweating, gripping her wand tightly. Suddenly Philip move forward, he swing his sword and the dungeon emperor got it's hand wounded, it gave a loud deafening roar. Everyone started to panic except Philip.
"Everyone quiet down!!" Philip said, with his eyes still closed, everyone quiet down."If we want to defeat that monster we have to work together" he said, Hina behind him relax herself.
"We need to provide light so we can see that emperor" she ordered, every mage starts to chant spells and the swordsmen stand as their guard, the area was slowly lit up.
They look around and froze in fear, infront of the dungeon gate was a Kobold, above 3 meters tall, it's hand was bleeding due to Philip's earlier attacks, everyone took a step back except Philip, who was smiling.
"Finally some action" he mutter, sprinting at the Kobold emperor. The Kobold swing it's arm and throw Philip to a tree. "Gah!" blood gush out from his mouth. 'It tricked me!!'.
"Dear!!" Hina shouted in worry, then she prepare a spell. "You dare hurt him!!!!" she launch a high-tier spell and trees nearby shook by the impact, but when the dust cleared, the Kobold wasn't there. It appeared behind Hina and with a kick she was thrown at the dungeon's gate.
The Kobold starts to attack the mages and swordsmen with it's claws, it cut down a swordsman arms, one was stabed, a mage got's it's stomach pierced. Philip slowly got up from his place and attack the Kobold. The place was now dim, due to the mages getting injured.
"We have to end this before it gets more messy" he said, swinging his sword at the Kobold. Philip vanish and appeared behind the Kobold , he swings his sword but it dodge, and gave him a kick in the gut. Blood spat from Philip's mouth, his clothes got torn a little. He stands up.
"Hina prepare a big spell now!" he shouted, Hina got up from the ground and gave a nod, she starts to chant spells. Philip on the other hand was still fighting the Kobold. It attack with its claw, Philip barely dodge. His clothes got cut and he look at the cutted place it was cleanly sliced. 'I need to be careful' he thought, the Kobold gave a loud roar and sprint toward Philip, it attacked him with a claw. Philip dodge it but suddenly a kick lands on his waist. 'Too fast!'.
The Kobold grab Philip's foot and smack him in the ground twice. It threw Philip to the dungeon's gate. "Ahh!!" Philip screamed in pain as he made contact with the hard rocky walls of the dungeon's gate. He slowly got up, his sword was in the Kobold hand. The Kobold grip the sword tightly and throws it toward Hina. "Nooo!!!" Hina was mid chanting, Philip spring toward her and pull her back.
"Dear, i'm done!" Hina said, the sky got darker. "Take this!!!" she yelled, dropping the lightning above the Kobold, a dragon in lightning shape descents with a menacing face. Boooommm!!. The ground trembled under attack. But when the dust cleared the Kobold was gone . It dodge again. "Where is it-" Suddenly a wand hit her in the head, she crashed into a tree with deadly force.
"HINA!!!!" Philip gave a punch straight into the Kobold's face, it flew like a ragdoll. Philip sprint toward Hina, he checked her pulses. She was alive but badly injured, blood was all over her face. "You've done it" Philip mutters in a dark voice.
The Kobold got up from it's place and roared again but Philip was suddenly infront of it, he threw a deadly punch at it's gut then kick it's head. The Kobold falls to where Hina had struck her spell, it took a sword that was close and grips it tight and roars. but, Philip was very mad, he closes his eye and his physical energy starts to increase. "Adrenaline burst!! Fourth form!!!" he yelled, his physical powers increased, his physical pressure sky rocketed, he look at Kobold. And suddenly he was behind it, he gave a punch in the back of the Kobold making it fly and crash into another tree.
"You'll die" Philip said, he ran toward the Kobold, but his muscles ache. He gritted his teeth and lands a punch into the Kobold head, gut and hands breaking all it's critical spots. The Kobold snarls but Philip simply kick it's 3 meter tall body to the pile of other stampede monsters. "Die" he said, taking a random sword and was about to stab the Kobold, suddenly the lights went off.
"Sorry i ran out of mana!" the last mage girl said, hiding in the bushes. Philip didn't saw in the dark and the Kobold swing it's claw slicing Philip right in the chest. "Lord Philip!!".
"Gah!" Philip falls to the ground, the Kobold gave a mocking roar, and kicks Philip into a tree beside Hina. His clothes were badly torn, breathing hard, he turn to Hina she was bleeding badly from her head. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. 'If you get injured badly please use this' Lina voice ran in his head, with his hands trembling he slowly extend his hand toward Hina with the paper on his hand. But the Kobold took the paper and puts it on himself. Its body healed and the Kobold gave a mocking snarl, it took Philip by his throat.
Philip was having hard time breathing, he tried escaping the Kobold's grip but it was still not enough. His eyes starts to closes 'Our first child will be happy!" Hina's voice came, memories flood into his mind. His time with her, their first meeting at the dungeon, arguing with eachother, the time Lina joined their party, Hina running away from her home with him and Lina. All his memories flooded. 'I love you Philip.... let's have a happy family somewhere far away from my home'. Philip gritted his teeth and gripped the Kobold's hand tightly, the Kobold hand starts to get crushed, Philip's hair starts to turn grey, his eyes glowed.
"You'e forced me to do it" Philip said, breaking the Kobold right arm. The Kobold let go of him. Philip stand up, his hair floating menacingly. "Adrenaline burst. Final form" he mutters in a dark voice, many punches contact into the Kobold's body before it can even blink. Philip was suddenly behind it, his foot was suddenly in the Kobold's back breaking it, the Kobold roared in pain but Philip didn't stop, he gave thousands of kicks and punches under the blink of an eye. The Kobold was thrown to the gate, it's body printed in the gate. "Die you ugly creature" Philip landed a last punch in the Kobold's chest breaking the bones till it's core cracks. The Kobold gasp for breath and dies, Philip turns away and suddenly a sword flew right beside him it went toward Hina, Philip's eye went wide. Clang!. A sword broke in half and the sword pierce into Philip's stomach, he shielded Hina using his body and the sword he grabbed in panic, he look back and falls into the ground, his hair turns to its normal colour again.
At present....
Free rushed to Philip, he took Philip into his arms. Philip was spatting blood, he glance at Hina. "G-go...heal your.....mom" he said weakly.
"Dad i'll heal you first!" Free yelled, he starts to heal Philip's body but Philip gently grab his hand and put it away. "Dad?....".
"It's pointless.....i used adrenaline burst fifth form, my organs are all damaged.... Only light or holy magic can heal me so.....go" Philip didn't ask but ordered, Free nodded. He gently put Philip in the ground and rush to heal Hina.
The mage girl was just staring at the scene, Free quickly healed Hina and he heals the others too.
After a while Free finish healing everyone of them."All done!" he said, rushing back to Philip. "Dad your turn" he said, but Philip had his eye barely open, the sword was still pierce all the way in to his stomach. "D...Dad....".
"Free..... Promise me.... You'll protect....them" Philip said, he slowly reached his hand and touch Free's face, and smiled. His chest rise and fell and didn't rise again.
"A...AHHHH.....AHHHHHHHHHH!" Free cried out in rage, suddenly a big goblin rise from the bushes hiding behind the bush. Free gritted his teeth and took the broken sword in his hand.
The goblin stare at him then at Hina supported by a tree. It rush toward Hina.
"Where do you think you're going?" Free said, his voice dangerous and venomous. He vansih from where he was standing and was suddenly behind the goblin.
The goblin dodge the attack, but Free kept attacking, his eyes was like a beast, glowing yellow. The seal in his heart cracks bigger and bigger, the mana starts to raise higher. The goblin swing it's claw at Free but it was thrown away by the mana released from Free's body and crashed into the Kobold emperor dead body.
Free was completely taken by rage he grip the broken sword tightly then spells starts to combine with eachothers, Free use chantless spells, combining multiple spells making it into one big spell.
The mage girl stare in disbelief and dread as the soells change from yellow to dark. "No that's-that's a void bomb spell" she mutters in dread, Free drop the spell into the goblin and Booom!. The blast echoed through the forest, birds flew away, the dungeon gate explode sealing it completely and the goblin dissolve into dust, the Kobold emperor body too dissolve into dust too.
Free falls into his knees, tearing up. The seal regenrated, his mana comes back into normal he stare at the sky, it was slowly clearing. Free slowly walk to Philip he also took his skyboard in his had, he sat beside Philip and quietly sob there. The mage girl just stayed silent, her mana was now half of it's full.
Someone approach Free and Free swing his skyboard at it and. Crack!. His skyboard broke into pieces, he look at the man and it was Okoto with a big grin as always. "Hey boy, you didn't come back so we came here to-" Okoto freeze, his grin faded as the twin moons shine brightly and he saw what was infront of Free. "Don't tell me...." he mutters Free just look at him with his eyes red from the sobs.
"LORD PHILIP!!!" Lina yelled, she rush and and sat beside Philip, tearing starts falling fron her eyes. "Lord Philip...no no please its a lie!" she said, hugging Philip head. Okoto wipe his eyes, he turn back to the others from his and Lina's group.
"Carry the injured, we're returning..." he mutter but it was clear, the adventurers all silently nods and take the fainted adventurers and protectors. Okoto slowly and gently took Philip's into his arm. "You were stronger than me, brother. now rest in peace" Okoto said, covering Philip's body with a mage's robe. "Let's go homel he mutter, while a woman with a big sword handed her sword to a mage and carries Hina in her back.
Free starts to walk ahead, his eyebrows bleed faintly, the explosion earlier gave a faint cut from under his left eye till his eyebrows. Lina followed behind, with other adventurers quietly going back.
4 hours later.....
Free reached the village his half broken skyboard in hand, everyone at the village cheered at his return, they waited for others to arrive.
"We're saved!!" a man yelled.
"Wait something's wrong?" Rael noticed and she rush to Free, worried. "What happen Free, you're eye is bleeding?" she asked, everyone went quiet sensing something wrong. Free walk back home without any words, Rael tried to pursue him but she suddenly saw Lina, Okoto and the others arriving and she saw Hina fainted in a swordwoman back and a body in Okoto's arm, covered in a robe, she quickly realize what had happened.
Free reached his home where Sylvia, Elina and Hinata were waiting, Sylvia upon seeing Free rush to him and she hugges him tightly. "I was really worried!....Free?" she said, looking at his broken skyboard and his eye being red and a cut in his eye. "What happen?" she asked.
"I'm sorry..." Free said, he hugged her back with tears continously coming out. "It's all my fault..." he said, voice filled with guilt.
"What are you saying, brother!" Hinata yelled from the window, just then Lina came back, eye covered by her hair. She didn't said anything, she walk past Free and Sylvia. "Lina?" Hinata mutters.
"Mom?" Elina called, but Lina didn't said even paid attention.
Sylvia was now worried, she look at Free then she glance at Okoto approaching with another woman carrying Hina in her back, she saw Okoto didn't have his cheerful grin like everyday. then, she too realized what had happened. "No, not lord Philip...." she said, Elina and Hinata were quiet, confused.
"We couldn't save him. Philip is dead" Okoto said, Hinata and Elina falls to the floor hearing it.
To be continued....