The boss lunged, teeth sinking into his shoulder. Arden's eyes widened.
" Is it trying to suck out my mana?"
He hit the boss's head with his fist ." Let go.. dog."
But the boss teeth sank deeper .
A sudden pain, shot up his arm like molten metal. Veins pulsed, skin swelling, reddening .
Arden looked at his hand in shock." No.. he isn't sucking out my mana . Is this.... poison ."
Small cuts opened in his sore red hand .
He groaned in pain. His eyes closed slowly, till it shut completely.
Arden laid on the cold, black floor. The place was pitch black .
Memories of himself with the Crimson Owl guild team flashed through his eyes . Their faces, laughter, the dungeon... betrayal. Pain .
He grit his teeth ." I was weak... weak because I was a healer. A useless support class that can't do anything in combat. But... I envied the rest." His voice shook."I kept it buried as they were my friends, one shouldn't be jealous of one's friend . I thought foolishly to myself."
"He yelled."But now? I want it all for myself . All of it, I don't care if I am greedy, selfish or whatever. I want everything... everything."
He clutched his chest ." Give me everything... I want it all."
—————
Arden hand returned back to normal slowly .
He grabbed the boss by it's neck. He opened his eyes and turned to look at the boss giving it a deadly stare .
" Are you seriously trying to poison me?"
The boss froze in shock .
Arden continued ." I trained myself to be immune with all types of poison for one week before coming here to face you . I even conjured poison of my one which i injected into you earlier ."
His grip in the boss neck tighten." So don't think your poison will work on me ."
The other wolves watched from behind, silent.
His grip got tighter ." Am jealous of your power and what you can do, I would have died if I hadn't been immune to all sorts of poison. I want your power so bad . I want it all ."
His eyes glowed red and so did his hands of which he used in holding the boss's head .
The boss struggled to free it's jaw but Arden pressed his head down to his shoulder.
The young girl's voice echoed in his head." It's a surprise gift ."
The glow faded. Arden's other hand reached to his pocket as he brought out another injection ." Since we're both injecting each other with poison. It's only right I give you another doze of mine." He smiled wildly." Now... Let's see which one of us dies first ."
The boss's eyes widened in shock.
Stab!
Arden stabbed the injected in it's neck and injected the fluid inside .
The boss finally withdrew it's jaw with force. Blood followed .
It turned away coughing blood, limbs trembling. It's breath grew weak.
It turned back angrily to look at Arden .
Arden crouched low, purple aura surrounding his body.
He placed one of his hand on his head as he raised his head to look at the boss his eyes glowing purple .
" Hey," he said, voice cold." How do you like my poison?"
The boss eyes went wide in fear. It howled loud,that made the dungeon tremble. It coughed blood immediately afterwards, lungs burning .
The wolves charged at Arden .
Arden stood up. His purple aura disappeared his palm glowed purple and so did his eyes .
" Come at me, filthy dogs."
One lunged. It's claws slashed his hand, but Arden didn't flinch . He touched it—just a tap .The wolf fell down, it's body swelled and became sore. Skin tearing in tiny cuts like something inside tried to burst out.
The wolves lunged at him slashing from different angles. He staggered but didn't fall as he kept touching them one by one laughing madly.
" Heal! Heal!"
Slash after slash, bite after bite, he staggered but didn't fall, his body kept moving to the rhythm of this slash like a drunkard. He kept laughing out loud, touching each one, sometimes barely, sometimes full palm." Heal!"
The wolves he touched dropped like flies each having thesame result the first one had.
The boss crouched, eyes shaking, arms trembling , watching it's army die in horror.
Arden yelled while laughing like a manaic." More . More "
His eyes glow changed colour from purple to gold and his whole body was glowing golden like sunlight in blood-red shadows.
He seized one of the wolf by it's neck. It whimpered, struggling in fear. Arden smiled ."Heal!"
The wolf swelled into a balloon, then exploded blood splattered everywhere dying Arden in red.
The other wolves backed away slowly .
The golden glow faded .
The boss howled again and the wolves hesitated but still attacked .
Arden moved among them, laughing wildly but kept touching everyone of them. They exploded splashing blood everywhere while he still took hits at thesame time .
The boss groaned in pain, coughing blood, he tried to move but fell.
Arden turned his head slightly to look at it, his glowing purple eyes locked on him .
" Wait there silently, when i'm done with them... you will get your turn ."
The boss froze, claw scraping the floor and howled loudly with all its strength.
Arden turned to face it.
"Don't howl at me… you darn dog!" Arden screamed, voice raw and overwhelming.
Arghhhhhhh!
The boss eyes widened as it lost its voice slowly Arden's scream overpowering it's howl.
Then—
Something strange happened, the remaining wolves, as if controlled by an unseen will turned on the boss . They sunk their teeth into its body ripping and shredding flesh.
Arden stopped screaming. Smiled breathing hard. His whole body drenched in blood. He raised his hand to cover half his face, letting only his glowing right eye shine brightly.
The boss roared in pain as he looked at Arden's glowing eyes, helpless as the wolves tore it apart .
Arden staggered forward, leaving them to finish it. He walked towards the passage .
————
Outside the dungeon, moonlight reflected off Arden's blood-soaked face.
He lifted his head and laughed hard. His voice echoing in the darkness .
————
Verona sat outside. The lantern beside her illuminating the place . She stared at the moon like she was trying to read it's quiet face .
"I wonder how he's doing…" she murmured.
Thud!
She turned . Something —or someone—had collapsed not far from the door .
She approached cautiously." Are you alright?"
A groan answered.
She turned the person around .
Her eyes widened. "Arden…?"
He was soaked in blood from hair to boots, black coat torn, eyes half-open like he was slipping in and out of reality.
"Arden! Are you okay? What happened?!"
His eyes dimmed. "I'm… back," he whispered, barely, before collapsing completely.
Verona grabbed him and pulled his arm over her shoulder, struggling under his weight. She dragged him inside, shutting the door softly behind them.
She set him on the wooden bed, pulled his coat off, then his soaked shirt. His wounds looked terrible—claw marks everywhere, dried blood glued to his skin.
She fetched water and a cloth.
Slowly, gently, she cleaned him. His hands. His legs. His chest. His forehead. She wiped away every last streak of blood. She tended the claw marks with ointment, blowing cool air over each one.
Then she carried the bowl and cloth outside.
—————
Sunlight filled the room.
Arden blinked awake, staring at the ceiling. He sat up slowly. A cloth slid off his head onto his lap. His body ached faintly—echoes from last night.
Verona slept upright against the wall, arms crossed, exhaustion heavy on her face.
He glanced at his bandaged chest, at his hands. Little flashes of last night flickered before his eyes.
He got up carefully, walked to Verona, and draped his blanket over her shoulders.
She blinked awake almost instantly.
"Arden! You're awake!"
He smiled softly. "Yeah. Thanks. For taking care of me."
Verona removed the blanket from her body. Smiled and nodded ." No, it's nothing ."
She stood up .
He insisted, "You should sleep more. You didn't rest well."
Verona shook her head. "I'm fine. You must be hungry. I'll make breakfast."
She left, and Arden walked to the mirror.
He stared at himself—at the dried traces of power in his eyes, at the memory of laughter he didn't fully recognize. His hand hovered over his bandaged chest.
" That power I used... that must have been the gift that strange girl mentioned ."
He placed his hand on his chest.
"Heal."
Green light flared. His whole body glowed.
In seconds—everything healed. Bones. Muscles. Skin.
He gasped. "What's going on? The healing process was too fast. I had a broken rib, so it should have taken longer to heal it completely. No… my healing doesn't work that fast."
He flexed his hands . "No pain.'
He dropped down and did quick pushups. Five. "No strain. I seem to have gotten better."
He undid his bandages. "How… did my healing improve so much?"
The young girl's smile flashed in his thoughts. "Is this her doing? What's her game?"
Verona peeked in. "Your bath is ready."
He nodded. "Thanks."
But she froze, staring. "Your injuries… they're gone?"
He scratched his head awkwardly. "I, uh… healed myself with magic."
"Magic? So you're… a healer?"
"Yes," Arden said.
She lit up like a child. "I've never met a healer before not even any of the hero classes ."
He chuckled. "Up in this hills, not many to be found."
"Well, you're here now," she said brightly. "That counts."
He smiled faintly. "I'll go wash up."
—————
Outside. They ate quietly at the small table—rice and curry, steam drifting lazily.
Verona fiddled with her spoon. "Arden… may I ask something?"
He looked at her. "Go ahead."
"What kind of work… puts you in a state like yesterday?"
Silence stretched.
She quickly backtracked. "Ah—never mind. I shouldn't pry. Forget I asked."
Arden spoke quietly. "Just consider it… finishing a job that should've been done three weeks ago."
Verona nodded slowly. "An unfinished work, huh?Must've been a tough one."
Arden's gaze lingered on his food ." Yeah, it was."
————
Later.
Arden chopped wood shirtless, sweat shining down his arms.
Verona approached. "Your healing magic is amazing… Yesterday you could barely stand. Now you're working like nothing happened."
Arden chopped a wood splitting it into two then he picked another wood and positioned it .
" That's just how healing magic works."
Verona sighs ." It does come in handy."
He split another log cleanly.
"Well, I won't bother you too much. But don't overwork yourself, alright?"
He wiped sweat from his brow. "Sure."
————
That night. Arden lay on his mat behind Verona's bed, staring at the ceiling until sleep pulled him under—
————
He floated asleep but naked, glowing gold in an endless white void.
The girl floated beside him—white and gold gown, bare feet, innocent face with something not-so-innocent behind the smile.
"That fight in the dungeon… mmh," she hummed, amused. "Hard to tell who the real beast was."
Arden said nothing.
She drifted closer. "I can't wait to see what else you'll show me, Arden."
She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. Light swallowed everything.
————
Arden woke abruptly. Verona wasn't beside the bed.
He held his head ." I think I overslept."
His vision was… green. Literally green.
Lines, arrows, numbers pointed at objects around the room—like floating signals. Like some interface only he could see.
"What…?"
The door opened. Verona entered with a tray.
He looked at Verona . Arrows pointed towards her indicating numbers .
She froze. The tray dropped.
"A-Arden… your eyes…"
He spun to the mirror.
Green light glowed from his eyes—bright, sharp, unnatural.
He touched his face.
"What's… what's going on…?"