Ais didn't know why she had come to this dark and cold cave; she only knew she had nowhere else to go.
After hurting the person who cared for her most, loved her most, and took the best care of her in this world, where could she possibly go after running away from Riveria?
No one else would accept Ais.
As a sword, she could only survive in a dungeon full of monsters.
So Ais swung her sword, thrusting and slashing, charging through the Dungeon with a momentum even more ferocious than the monsters themselves.
She used the spray of monster blood to hide the weak tears on her face.
She let the roar of her blade cover the childlike sobs caught in her throat.
She used her violent fighting spirit to destroy both the monsters before her and her own body, all to escape the loneliness that followed her like a shadow, eating away at her will.
It wasn't until her body sent signals of impending collapse that Ais woke from her intense emotions, realizing she had even forgotten to breathe.
After defeating the last monster, Ais plunged her sword into the ground, trying to take a deep breath as a burning heat spread from her limbs into the depths of her lungs.
When she forced herself to look up, she found herself in a vast wilderness filled with a pale, dark mist and countless dead trees.
Ais recognized this as the 12th Floor, the deepest level of the Dungeon's upper floors.
Because the monsters had been cleared out, the area was so quiet that only her own breathing could be heard.
The solitary feeling washed over her again, making her eyes burn.
Just then—
"—Are you in pain, little lost child?"
A solemn yet flippant voice echoed, startling Ais.
She turned her head and saw a figure emerging from the white mist.
He was dressed in black, with long, thick purple hair flowing from under his hood. His body was as slender as a woman's. Although he exuded a strong, decadent aura, his sharp features and inhuman air made Ais instantly aware of his identity.
A god?
Why is one in the Dungeon?
As she wondered, Ais saw more black-robed figures appear, gathering behind the purple-haired god like guards.
Evilus!
Vigilance flooded her heart, and Ais subconsciously moved to draw her sword.
"Those people can't understand you, can they? They're always hindering your progress, making you lonely, sad, and uneasy."
The god's voice, soft and sweet as honey, made Ais freeze.
Her heart pounded.
The sound of roaring black flames echoed in her mind, and a burning sensation spread across her back, awakening a surging impulse within her..an urge to break free from all beautiful illusions, to surrender her body and mind to those ferocious flames, and to lose herself completely in endless battle.
"Then let me give you strength. Come to me...I will grant you everything you desire..."
Looking at the god's gracefully extended hand, Ais's own hand moved slightly, about to let go of her sword's hilt...
But at that moment, the image of an elven royal's emerald-green eyes, filled with sorrow, flashed through her mind.
The memories they had made together over the past year became a flash of light and a cool breeze, awakening Ais from the black flames and making her grip her beloved sword tightly.
"I want power, but this is wrong... I can't go with you!"
The god's smile faded. Soon, he shrugged, his frivolous air returning.
"—What a pity. I thought I could win over the sister of the rumored 'Nine hells'... but now, I have no choice but to get rid of you as promised."
Hearing him say that, Ais quickly took a defensive stance. But the god suddenly snapped his fingers, and beneath his hood, his lips curled into a chilling smile.
Under Ais's surprised gaze, the god raised his hand and liberated his Arcanum!
Dark purple waves of light transformed into slender beams that pierced the cavern ceiling.
Immediately, the Dungeon shook violently as if it had awakened. The cave walls shattered and collapsed like an avalanche, and the sounds of ruin echoed from the entrance and exit.
High above, the barrier-like ceiling cracked like an eggshell. A new life broke free, and ominous black wings unfolded as a hissing roar filled the air.
It had sharp claws, ferocious fangs, and black scales and wings.
It was a Wyvern, a powerful dragon species that lived on the middle floors.
This one was clearly an Irregular- a strengthened variant.
In an instant, Ais's eyes went cold.
The dark flames that had just subsided flared up again, instantly shattering her sanity.
"Well then, bye-bye."
After waving goodbye to Ais, the god pulled a silver-white, orb-like magic item from his robes and turned to leave with his slightly panicked guards.
Feeling both the frustration of a failed recruitment and the thrill of a risky gambit, Thanatos was heading towards his objective, a high wall somewhere on the 12th floor.
When he suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.
Amidst the earth shaking chaos, a chilling sword whistle, like the howl of a vengeful spirit, cut through the air.
A human figure suddenly appeared in the flying dust and fog, and a sword light emitting a biting chill vanished in an instant!
"My lord! Be careful!"
"Enemy attack!"
The guards behind Thanatos immediately sensed the danger.
Shouting a warning, they quickly pulled the god back.
The next moment, a blade sliced through the air where Thanatos had just been, almost beheading him on the spot.
...
Question: On a rainy night, if you see a group of black-robed figures secretly following a little girl, what would most people think?
I don't know what others would think.
But Noah's first thought was that this was a typical gang of child traffickers.
When dealing with such people, Noah always followed his personal brand of justice, which was: "What's the point of talking about justice with these fiends? Just attack them all at once!"
This meant: if you can use poison, don't fight fair. If you can attack from a distance, don't engage in close combat. If you can launch a sneak attack, don't fight head-on. If you can overwhelm them with numbers, don't fight alone. In short, do whatever works!
In this situation, however, Noah had no choice but to launch a sneak attack by himself.
Although he'd lost the men in black robes along the way, Noah had cleverly followed the little blonde girl instead.
After watching her cut down monsters with a swordsmanship that even amazed him, he followed her deeper into the Dungeon and, as expected, saw the group of black-robed figures again.
Noah had originally planned to behead the purple-haired man in a single strike, but his target's guards were more alert than he'd expected, and his control over his own weak, collapsing body was severely diminished.
In the end, Noah could only watch as the purple-haired man ducked, dodging his blade.
However, he didn't dodge it completely.
Because the man lowered his head so quickly, the sword that was meant for his neck missed and grazed the top of his head.
The sword's energy swept past, shredding the hood and sending hair flying as the god let out a scream.
The attack had missed, and the opportunity was gone.
Even as Noah wanted to strike again, the guards had already drawn their weapons and were slashing at his back.
In desperation, Noah had to abandon his target and turn to face his new enemies.
Swords and axes flashed, but they all missed the silver-armored figure. At the same time, a sword light glimmered like a ray of moonlight, sliding across the bodies of the guards.
Noah leaped lightly, stepped on a heavy axe that swung past him, and withdrew from the crowd.
When Noah slowly came to a stop and turned around, blood blossomed from the guards' bodies, instantly dyeing the ground scarlet.
The few who were still alive clutched their wounds and cried out in fear.
"This speed and swordsmanship! This is at least a Level 3, maybe even a Level 4 adventurer! None of us are a match for him besides Lord Valletta! Retreat!"
Thanatos, who had fallen to the ground, scrambled to his senses, broke out in a cold sweat, and quickly touched his neck.
Although gods cannot die and are simply sent back to tenkai when their physical bodies are destroyed, being beheaded was still a terrifying prospect.
After confirming his neck was intact and his head was still on his shoulders, Thanatos breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, his vision was obscured by scattered purple hair.
Huh?
Feeling a strange chill on his scalp, Thanatos subconsciously reached up and touched the top of his head. It was completely smooth.
His expression froze, twisting into a mask of ugly, unbridled rage.
"You—! You despicable, back-stabbing mortal! You dared to chop off my precious hair and make me BALD?!"
Facts have proven that no matter how handsome a man is, he cannot pull off a bald look.
Not even a god.
The roar resounded throughout the 12th floor, almost drowning out the monster's own roar. It also attracted danger from the sky, the black Wyvern scanned the area below with its red eyes.
Discovering its target, the Wyvern opened its fang-filled maw and unleashed a huge fireball of terrifying heat.
Dazzling light filled the cavern.
A scorching flash consumed their vision, as if a sun had suddenly appeared in the dim Dungeon.
"Run!"
Two guards drew their magic swords and fired ice magic at the incoming dragon's breath, while the remaining guards ignored Thanatos's fury and dragged him away.
"My god, is this world always so intense?"
Feeling the scorching breath of the dragon, Noah couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
In his old world, this dragon was probably only two tiers below the Demon King.
There were no more than ten beings of that level on the entire continent.
How could he have run into a monster of this caliber so soon after arriving?
Tsk, am I just cannon fodder in this world?
Slightly bewildered, Noah was about to dodge when he saw a silver sphere, a magic prop of some kind, on the ground out of the corner of his eye.
Didn't that thing fall from that purple-haired pervert just now? It must be something good, right?
His body reacted before his mind could fully register the thought. Noah darted forward, snatched the silver ball, and dove behind a rock.
The scorching fireball passed over him by a hair's breadth, so close he could smell the singed blood from his own wounds.
The flames struck the ground, shattering the earth with a loud bang. Then, as the pitch-black Wyvern turned its head, the destructive flames swept across the entire cavern.
But after unleashing its breath, when the Wyvern closed its sparking, fang-filled mouth, it looked around with confusion and surprise.
Its target was gone.
The target called "god," the one whose destruction the Dungeon itself had willed it into existence for, had disappeared.
On the other side, Ais, who had avoided the scorching blast, stood up from behind a slope and stared silently at the scene before her.
Both the dead trees and the living ones had been burned to ash in an instant.
Thick flames licked the cavern's ceiling. On the charred ground where the fire had subsided, large patches of the rock and sand had melted into amber-colored crystal, dotted with lingering orange-red flames, giving it an otherworldly and mysterious beauty.
But Ais had no time to appreciate it, because the Wyvern in the sky had now locked onto her.