Kael stood near the entrance of the stone chamber.
Miri's sky-blue hair was soaked red at the ends.
Fighting with one knee, her other knee has completely buckled.
Still, she raised her bow, magic arrows forming with shaking hands.
"Get back!" she screamed at the monsters closing in.
Rovan lay nearby.
His left arm was gone.
The end of an amputated left hand was sealed using magic, but he was barely conscious.
Toma was still standing… barely.
One leg had been torn away at the thigh. He leaned on his shield, teeth clenched in silent agony.
Kael's breath caught short in his throat.
They were the adventurers' party from Day 2, whom I had joined once.
And they had been hunted.
Kael didn't miss the details.
The monsters weren't scattered in the chamber.
They were positioned.
All escape routes leading outside of the stone chamber were cut off.
Someone led them here, Kael realised.
Adventurers used monsters to kill other adventurers.
Something cold formed in his chest.
Is this the Monster Train (Pass) Miss Eina was talking about?
A common (though illegal) tactic where a party deliberately draws the attention of a large group of monsters and then runs past another party, "passing" the aggressive horde onto them.
And then when everything is calm down, they will return to loot whatever is left behind by either the dead adventurers or the magic stones of monsters killed by the dead adventurers
"Damm it, those monsters!"
Kael grit his teeth, his voice trembling with fury.
He no longer stands at the entrance of the chamber and takes off running towards the nearest monsters.
There were all kinds of monsters inside the stone chamber.
Kabold.
Goblins.
Even the horned ants.
Looking around, goblins and kobolds jumped on each other so they could reach the centre, magic stones piled up on the ground, and many of the horned ants were only half finished.
They don't have the strength or time to finish off the horned ants; at this rate, they will summon reinforcements of their kin.
I have to kill them quickly, before they summon more horned ants. Otherwise, we're all gonna die.
Kael quickly started to deal the last blow to the fallen horned ants outside the circle.
Kael completely discarded his defence and started quickly, slashing their neck joints between the hard shells with his sword or throwing his dagger at the horned ants inside the circle.
I don't have time for a defence.
I haven't recovered my stamina completely.
I don't know if any other adventurers will come to help.
After his joining, the number of monsters started to drop. No new monsters came from outside.
That is a relief!
"Ughhh"
"Roivan" x2
The sound of Roivan's cry and others' screams came to his ears as the horned ant ramped on Roivan's body.
The horned ant's horn was lodged in Roivan's stomach, the horned ant's jaws were about bite Roivan's body in half.
"No…"
Kael jumps in the air by stepping on the bodies of monsters.
Damn it, I can't reach them. Besides, if I step too deeply inside the circle of monsters. I will be surrounded too.
My daggers are also all used up.
Kael was looking at his surroundings to find something useful. It was then that he found Roivan's broadsword cut in half and flying in the air after leaving Roivan's hand during impact.
This could work!!
Kael once again leapt into the air toward the broken broadsword.
After gripping the hilt of the broadsword in one hand, Kael throws his own sword at the horned ant's neck joints - the one that lodged his horn at Roivan's stomach and Roivan with his feet at the horned ant's jaws trying to free himself.
Swish
"Screeeee!"
Ant screamed in pain as Kael's sword pierced through his neck. Then, its body collapsed into black smoke.
Freeing Roivan, who then falls to the ground.
"Kael!!!" x3
"Stay alert, I am going to create an escape route. Be prepare"
Kael landed on the other side of the circle from the air.
His hands were gripping Roivan's half-broken broadsword.
Kael didn't stop at his feet, he started to find an angle where he could create an escape path.
As the only one with mobility, I have remained outside the circle of the monsters and forged a path for escape.
"Get away from them."
I can't find an escape route, this chamber is too crowded with monsters!
I can only use myself as a distraction.
Every monster in the stone chamber turned around to look at Kael.
The first Goblin lunged.
Kael cut its head off in one stroke.
The second goblin stabbed him from the side.
Kael didn't slow down and drove his blade into its throat.
A third monster - a kobold- rushed towards Miri.
Kael moved between them.
Clank.
Steel rang.
Fatigue from the entire day was taking a toll on his body, but Kael didn't stop.
"Kael—!" Miri cried.
"I'm here!"
Kael replied while slashing the head of 3 kobolds at the same time.
He fought like a man trying to outrun death itself. His will was already burning.
But there were too many monsters.
Rovan collapsed, and Toma fell beside him.
They were barely alive… their body was completely broken.
And Miri was alone again.
Still fighting on one knee with her bow and arrows, her magic was completely exhausted.
A pack of six kobolds broke from the ring.
They didn't move with instinct like what Kael encountered before.
They moved with purpose.
One kabold was attacking Kael to hold him back.
One attack on Roivan, who was collapsed on the ground.
One attack, Toma, who lost his consciousness while leaning against his shield.
And three kobolds attack Miri, who has recovered somewhat and was about to chant her magic.
One from the front.
One from the left.
One from behind Miri.
Raising her bow to aim at the kobolds, she turned around.
But she turned too late.
The moment seems to stretch.
Miri's breath caught in her throat as the kobold's claws closed in on her face.
Kael ran.
Too slow.
I'm not gonna make it
No—
Colors drains from Kael's face. As he watched Kobold's claws closing in on Miri's face.
Kael's face began to fill with despair.
His eyes dilated, and his heart sank to the bottom.
My life is one big joke, isn't it?
For so long I can't even remember the faces of my parents.
Drifting in the corner of the city to another without even knowing who I am
Oh I remember it, that dream I keep having.
Hiding in some corner, just so I can survive. As my family and friends were slaughtered by an evil dragon.
Clinging to life so desperately just so one day I can finally take my revenge on that evil monster?
Pathetic!!
Pathetic!!!
So pathetic!!!!
Am I… am I going to once again, watch as monsters claim yet another life in front of me in front of me?
And I can only watch from the side helplessly, doing nothing yet again!!!!
It's so fucking frustrating!!!!!!!!
Suddenly, the shadow of a black dragon so big that it blocks out the sun passes through Kael's mind
NO NO NO!!
I REFUSE!!
I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT!!!
I REFUSE TO ONCE AGAIN WATCH FROM THE SIDE HELPLESSLY!!
I REFUSE TO STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING!!!!!!!!!
MOVE! MOVE!! MOVE!!!!!!
FASTER, I HAVE TO MOVE FASTER!!!
FAST ENOUGH TO LEAVE BEHIND ALL MY HELPLESSNESS AND FRUSTRATION!!
I HAVE TO MOVE FASTER, SO THAT I CAN LEAVE BEHIND ALL OF MY POWERLESSNESS!!!!!
I WANT TO MOVE FASTER. FASTER THAN EVEN DEATH IT'S SELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I DON'T WANT TO BE POWERLESS ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kael's soul broke past its limits.
Not with rage but with refusal.
Refusal to watch someone else die yet again.
Refusal to accept this ending.
Inside Kael's chest—
Something ancient answered.
Light.
Not from outside.
From within.
A memory stirred in his blood.
A blessing older than when the gods came to the mortal world.
『 Lumen Verdan — Awakening 』
Golden radiance burst from Kael's body.
Not blinding, but holy, heavy, resolute and warm.
Kael's wounds sealed and all the blood on his body evaporated.
His fear burned away,
The monsters froze—not in terror, but in recognition.
This was not prey.
This was a soul remembered by light.
Kael grip hilt of a broken broadsword in his hand as the sword was surrounded in golden light.
His eyes were completely filled with light as if he had lost his consciousness and a divine being was standing in his place.
Kael moved.
He moved so fast that only a shadow was left behind.
He appeared between Miri and the first monster.
One cut.
And cleaving the kobold in two.
The second lunged.
Kael thrust his golden sword, Light followed steel.
The monster died without a scream.
The third tried to flee.
Light chased it.
It did not escape.
And meet the same fate.
But this can only be seen in mortals' eyes.
In fact, Kael or rather his body, moved so fast that before the monsters inside the chamber could react, they were already cut into many pieces.
The entire stone chamber was filled with golden light and black smoke.