The Minotaur's roar shook the ground, Its massive hooves pounded the ground as it rose fully from its throne.
But everyone's attention was divided between it and the six skull-masked figures surrounding them.
"Yuki" Owen growled telepathically, his body tensing. "Stay close to me. Don't let them separate us."
The lead figure tilted its head, studying them with unsettling calm. "The Dark Reapers paid well for this"
Odessa's expression hardened. "Alfred, defensive formation. Now."
Alfred immediately slammed his shield into the ground, activating [Barrier Wall]. A translucent dome expanded around the party, shimmering with protective energy.
One of the hooded figures laughed, a woman's voice, mocking and cold. "You think that'll stop us?"
She raised her hand, and shadows formed around her fingers. With a casual flick, she sent a blade of shadows crashing into Alfred's barrier.
CRACK!
The barrier cracked with fractures but held.
Alfred grunted, sweat pouring from his forehead. "That hit... that was S-Rank power!"
"Impossible" Garrick breathed. "How did S-Ranks get past the dungeon restrictions?"
"They're not S-Rank" Odessa said aloud. "They're all A-Rank. But their skills... they've been artificially enhanced. Some kind of external buff."
Sera's hands trembled. "Artifacts? Drugs?"
"Does it matter?" Tomas snapped, his Wyvern circling nervously above. "We're surrounded by assassins and there's an A-Rank Minotaur behind us!"
As if reminded of its existence, the Minotaur bellowed again and charged.
The ground quaked with each thunderous step. The beast's war axe swung in a wide arc, aimed directly at the barrier.
BOOM!
The impact shattered Alfred's barrier completely. The protective dome exploded into shards of light, and the shockwave sent everyone stumbling.
"Scatter!" Odessa commanded.
The party broke formation immediately. Garrick's Giant Komodo Earth Dragon lunged at the Minotaur's legs, trying to slow it down. Sera's Three-Headed Basilisk spat venom at its eyes. Tomas's Wyvern dove at its back, claws tearing across its thick hide.
But the six assassins weren't giving them time to breathe.
Two of them targeted Odessa. One wielded twin daggers crackling with lightning. The other conjured chains of fire that lashed out like whips.
Odessa's Azure Sky Dragon intercepted, coiling between her and the attackers. It unleashed [Compressed Water Stream], but the dagger-wielding assassin dodged effortlessly, closing the distance.
"Madam!" Alfred charged forward, shield raised, intercepting the fire chains. They wrapped around his armor, searing into the metal, but he held firm.
Meanwhile, three more assassins converged on Yuki and Owen.
"There's the prize" one of them hissed, a man's voice. He drew a longsword that pulsed with green energy. Poison-enchanted.
Another assassin, smaller and faster, moved like a shadow. Twin short swords appeared in their hands, already mid-swing toward Yuki's throat.
Owen reacted instantly.
He launched himself off Yuki's shoulder, activating [Piercing Dive] and collided with the assassin mid-strike, his claws tore slightly across their skull mask. The mask cracked but didn't break. The assassin stumbled backward, cursing.
"Yuki, transform! Now!" Owen commanded.
Yuki didn't hesitate. [Beast Shift] activated. Black scales rippled across her body. Her eyes blazed golden. Wings and tail erupted from her back. Her stats skyrocketed.
The longsword-wielding assassin thrust at her heart.
Yuki caught the blade with her bare hand. Her scaled palm closed around the steel, and she squeezed. The sword shattered like glass.
The assassin's eyes widened behind the mask. "What?!"
Yuki drove her clawed fist into his gut, launching him across the chamber. He crashed into the wall with a sickening crunch and didn't get up.
"One down" Yuki growled.
But the other two assassins weren't backing off. The fast one with twin swords darted around her, looking for openings. The third, a hulking brute with a massive hammer, swung at her from behind.
Owen intercepted the hammer strike with [Shockwave], redirecting the force into the ground. The floor cracked, and the assassin lost balance.
Yuki spun and delivered a [Dragon's Breath] directly into the brute's chest. Flames engulfed him, and he screamed, staggering backward, his robes catching fire.
"Two down" Owen said smugly.
The fast assassin hesitated, reassessing. Then they whistled sharply, a signal.
The lead assassin, who'd been watching from the edge of the arena, finally moved.
They raised both hands, and the entire arena darkened. Shadows poured from their body like ink spreading through water. The atmosphere dropped further, and an oppressive aura filled the air.
"Enough games" the lead assassin said coldly as he activated his skill. "[Domain Expansion: Abyssal Chains]"
Black chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around everyone in the arena, party members, assassins, and even the Minotaur. Everyone except Yuki and Owen.
Odessa struggled against the chains, her Azure Sky Dragon thrashing. "What is this?!"
Alfred was pinned to the ground, his shield useless. "This...This is an SS-Grade skill!"
The lead assassin stepped forward slowly, deliberately. "Impressed? This artifact cost the Dark Reapers a fortune. But for a true dragon? Worth every credit."
They stopped ten feet from Yuki and Owen, tilting their skull mask mockingly.
"Yuki Goldberg. You have two choices. Surrender the dragon, and we'll let you and your little friends leave this dungeon alive." The assassin said. "Or refuse, and we kill everyone here. Starting with them."
One of the chained party members, Tomas, screamed as the chains tightened around his chest, ribs creaking.
"Stop!" Yuki shouted.
"If you want it to stop,Then choose" the lead assassin said simply.
Owen's mind raced. The domain skill was binding everyone with mana-draining chains. Even Odessa's Azure Sky Dragon, an S-Rank beast, couldn't break free. If this continued, they'd all die.
But Owen wasn't bound.
Why?
He activated [Dragon's Eyes], analyzing the domain more carefully. The chains were targeting mana signatures, specifically, signatures that couldn't resist the skill.
But Owen's mana signature was... different. His [Dragon King Bloodline] made him register as something else entirely. Something the domain couldn't suppress. Something it couldn't bind.
An idea formed.
"Yuki" Owen said telepathically. "Deactivate [Beast Shift]"
"What?! Owen, if I do that..."
"Trust me"
Yuki hesitated, then let the transformation fade. Her scales receded. Her wings and tail vanished. She returned to her base form, a C-Rank hunter, weak and vulnerable.
The lead assassin laughed. "Smart girl. You've accepted your...."
Owen moved.
He activated [Sovereignty of Space-Time].
Time didn't stop perfectly. But it slowed just enough. Everything slowed to a near halt, the assassins, the chains, even the struggling party members. Only Owen moved at near-normal speed, though even he felt the strain of the distorted timestream.
His low Mastery of the skill meant he couldn't maintain this for long. Seconds at most.
But seconds were all he needed.
He shot toward the lead assassin, channeling every ounce of mana into [Piercing Dive]. His small body became a black and gold comet, distorting the air around him.
The lead assassin's mask turned slowly, too slowly, as Owen closed the distance.
Owen's claws struck the assassin's chest.
Time resumed.
BOOM!
The impact sent the lead assassin flying backward, crashing through one of the stone pillars. Their body hit the far wall and crumpled.
The [Abyssal Chains] domain shattered instantly, the black chains dissolving into smoke.
Everyone collapsed, gasping for air.
The remaining assassins, only three now, stared in shock.
Owen landed in front of Yuki, his wings spread protectively, his golden eyes blazing with fury.
"You made a mistake" Owen growled, his roar echoing through the chamber. "You threatened her."
The Minotaur, freed from the chains, roared and charged at the nearest assassin, crushing them beneath its hooves before they could react.
The last two assassins looked at each other, then at Owen, then at the rampaging Minotaur.
They ran.
Owen didn't chase them. He was exhausted from using [Sovereignty of Space-Time], his mana reserves dangerously low.
But they had won.
Yuki collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Owen..."
Owen flew to her, nuzzling against her cheek. "I told you. I'll always protect you."
Odessa staggered to her feet, staring at Owen with a mixture of awe and terror. "What... what are you?"
Owen met her gaze evenly, even though he knew she couldn't understand his words, he still decided to respond.
"I'm hers."