Chapter 115: Element 115

  Arixa’s warhammer came down with a sickening CRACK, splitting the latest monstrosity in two, its thick, black ichor spraying across the bloodstained cobblestones. The pulsing veins of its chitinous body convulsed before collapsing into a motionless heap.

  No time to celebrate.

  Arixa pivoted, sensing movement to her left, just as another beast lunged at her. Its bladed limbs gleamed, raised high to cleave her in half.

  She caught the limb mid-swipe, muscles tensing as she gripped its cold, segmented exoskeleton. The creature screeched, thrashing, but Arixa’s grip didn’t budge. With a snarl, she ripped the limb clean off, blood and cartilage snapping under her brute strength.

  Before the beast could react, she swung upward—her warhammer met its skull with catastrophic force. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, the creature’s head caving in like brittle stone. A sickening crunch followed as its body slumped to the ground.

  Beside her, Vealeth moved like a specter of death. His blade weaved through the battle, finding openings in the beasts’ tough exteriors. Precise, effortless, lethal.

  One quick step—Vealeth sidestepped a lunging monster. A single thrust to the throat. The beast gargled, collapsing, black blood gushing from the wound.

  Another enemy leapt from behind. Without looking, Vealeth flipped his sword in reverse and impaled the creature through the eye in one fluid motion.

  Arixa exhaled, wiping sweat from her brow, her breath heavy. “Damn things don’t stop coming.”

  Vealeth slashed through another creature before shaking the black ichor from his blade. His voice remained steady, controlled. “They’re slowing, though. We just have to hold until—”

  A deafening screech tore through the battlefield.

  The ground trembled beneath their feet.

  The remaining creatures froze, their multifaceted eyes twitching, before they suddenly turned their heads toward the horizon—as if sensing something.

  Arixa’s grip tightened around her hammer. “…That didn’t sound like slowing.”

  Vealeth sighed, rolling his shoulders. His muscles tensed. “Looks like round six.”

  Neither hesitated.

  They braced for the next wave.

  Thalron moved like flowing water, his rapier flicking through the air with deadly precision. Each stroke severed limbs, pierced exoskeletons, and ended lives before the beasts even registered they had been struck.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  A clawed limb shot toward him—Thalron tilted his head, dodging it by a fraction of an inch before plunging his dagger into the creature’s throat. The beast shuddered and fell, twitching.

  Slyven stood nearby, unbothered by the chaos. His movements were lazy, almost dismissive, swatting aside hulking monsters as if they were mere insects. His piercing gaze scanned the battlefield.

  He observed.

  He evaluated.

  He judged.

  “They’re doing surprisingly well,” he murmured to himself, then shrugged. “These casualties are acceptable.”

  Then—a blur of motion descended from the rooftops.

  A figure landed without a sound.

  A casual brush of dust from his shoulder. A lazy grin. Vaelis Il’Theron—the White Blade—had arrived.

  Thalron tensed.

  Slyven barely spared him a glance. “What are you doing here?” he asked, tone flat. “Shouldn’t you be protecting your house and lord?”

  Vaelis scoffed, his trademark smirk playing across his lips. “My lord’s estate is clear. And besides—” He chuckled. “The monsters devoured each other.”

  Thalron’s eyes narrowed. Vealeth’s Psycha field.

  “I didn’t want to sit around,” Vaelis continued, tilting his head toward Thalron. His smirk widened. “So now I’m here.”

  Slyven waved a dismissive hand. “Then make yourself useful.”

  Vaelis mock-bowed, then turned toward Thalron. His smirk deepened.

  He winked.

  Then—he vanished.

  Thalron’s eyes barely tracked the movement. The White Blade became a blur of motion, dashing through the enemy lines like a spectral force of destruction.

  A white streak cut through the horde.

  The sheer momentum of his Ki-infused motion sent monsters skyward, their bodies spinning mid-air.

  Vaelis skidded to a stop—flicked viscera from his blade.

  The creatures, still falling…

  Exploded.

  Chitin and flesh burst apart in the wake of his movement, raining lifeless bodies across the battlefield.

  Then—he turned.

  His gaze met Thalron’s.

  And in one unspoken moment, Thalron understood the message.

  If we had fought outside of structured duels… I would have won with ease.

  Thalron’s grip on his rapier tightened.

  Marcus drove his fist through a beast’s skull, the impact sending shockwaves outward. The creature collapsed lifelessly, its blood pooling at his feet.

  He exhaled, shaking off the excess gore from his gauntlets. “Finally,” he muttered.

  Vira stood beside him, her golden eyes smoldering, residual lightning flickering around her fingers. The last of her opponents lay smoldering at her feet, charred beyond recognition.

  She lifted a hand, assessing it. Her mana reserves were low.

  “How are you holding up?” Marcus asked, his voice edged with exhaustion.

  Vira flexed her fingers, rolling her shoulders. “Mana’s running low, but…” She smirked faintly. “I’ll manage.”

  Marcus turned toward the unstable dungeon portal, its energy flickering violently. Unlike typical dungeon entrances, which remained stable and uniform, this one flashed erratically—like something was trying to break through.

  His gauntlets buzzed again.

  The symbols on their surface glowed faintly, pulsating with an unsettling energy.

  Vira noticed. “Still reacting?”

  Marcus nodded. “More than before.”

  "What about your Grimoire? That thing seems to have a mind of its own."

  "Yeah is been behaving...strangely...like, it's anticipating my needs", Vira said eyes locked to the "Grimoire" in question"

  She looked at Marcus, "you and Stem know something, don't you?"

  Marcus sighed, "Vira you know I trust you more than anyone, I didn't want to cause panic but this and all the other weird shit we've experienced...might be connected to something...bigger."

  Vera's brow twisted, worry plastered on her face.

  But as she began to ask for more information, an energy, so volatile, almost audible, surged from the dungeon's portal entrance.

  Vira narrowed her eyes, watching the unstable energy swirl around the portal’s edges. Something was wrong.

  “Whatever’s on the other side,” she muttered, “it’s different from anything we’ve faced before.”

  Marcus rolled his shoulders, stepping forward. "We have to get in there, let's stop standing around."

  Vira exhaled sharply, gathering the last of her arcane strength.

  “Right behind you.”

  With one final look at the battlefield they had cleared, they stepped into the dungeon’s depths.

  And the world shifted around them.