In the center of the vast, empty cave sat a throne made of rough stone. Perched upon it was a colossal Tenebris, towering at least ten feet tall, his gaze fixed upon us. He was encased in impenetrable black armor, radiating an aura of imnse power.
At his side rested his weapon of choice, an Odachi sword that matched his own imposing size. His eyes, initially filled with a chilling boredom, suggested he had only just been awakened from a long slumber.
In the blink of an eye, those eyes ignited with a fiery red intensity. He locked eyes with Cypher and offered a subtle, unnerving smile.
anwhile, I silently retreated to the side, knowing that this was Cypher’s fight. I only joined him rely to observe and to intervene if the situation took a turn for the worse.
From the system shop, I bought a bucket of popcorn and settled in to watch the scene unfold. I couldn’t help but be amazed. It was as if I was watching a live-action adaptation of my own creation. This was the scene I had written, the battle I had envisioned, playing out right before my eyes.
The tension in the air was palpable. The two swordsman seed to recognize the strength within each other.
"You... You have an interesting aura," Tenebris said, his voice a deep rumble that sent a chilling wind swirling through the room.
Cypher’s face betrayed a hint of nervousness. A monster capable of speaking human language was a clear sign that this was no ordinary foe. Even in the reality of this world, Elite rank monsters and above possessed intelligence on par with humans. Still, speech was still primarily limited to humanoid monsters.
"..." Cypher remained silent, his hand tightening around the grip of his sword.
Tenebris slowly rose from his throne. As his hand closed around the hilt of his Odachi, the massive sword vibrated, emitting a crimson glow. "If you’re ready, co at ," he said, pointing the tip of his sword towards Cypher.
"You can do this, Cypher. I’ll support you from the side," I encouraged him, hoping to bolster his confidence as he stepped closer to Tenebris.
Cypher responded with a firm nod, his gaze unwavering. He channeled his mana, coating his sword in a vibrant aura of power. I, too, readied myself, drawing Arcanum and shaping it into karambits, my own weapon of choice. Although I intended to stay on the sidelines, I couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.
"Macaron, go to a safe place first," I ordered Macaron as he flew quietly above us watching us silently.
The silence stretched, thick with anticipation, as Tenebris and Cypher locked eyes. Then, without warning, Tenebris broke the stalemate, launching himself forward with surprising speed. He swung his massive Odachi in a sweeping arc, aiming to slice Cypher in two.
Cypher reacted swiftly, raising his own sword to intercept the blow.
KWAANG!
The sound of the two blades colliding reverberated through the cave, shaking the very ground beneath our feet. Tenebris didn’t relent. He pulled his sword back montarily, then unleashed a furious barrage of strikes, each blow aid with ruthless precision. It was as if he intended to shatter Cypher’s sword with sheer force.
But despite the overwhelming power behind Tenebris’ attacks, Cypher’s sword remained unscathed. Not even a single scratch marred its surface. Under normal circumstances, a weapon would have been destroyed multiple tis over by Tenebris’ raw strength and the density of his mana. Yet, Cypher’s sword held firm. However, Cypher’s true strength far surpassed that of Tenebris.
As the battle intensified, that’s when I noticed my chance. I carefully crept closer, my eyes fixed on Tenebris’ heels, searching for an opening in his defense. With a swift, silent movent, I lunged forward, activating my spectral seal and coating my karambit to deal a higher damage. In a single, precise strike, I slashed at Tenebris’ heels, aiming to hinder his movent.
Tenebris was caught completely off guard by my sudden attack, my karambit plunging into his armor, finding the vulnerable flesh beneath. He stumbled, his balance lost, and for a fleeting mont, his guard faltered.
"You b!tch! How dare you interfere in our battle?!" Tenebris roared, his eyes blazing with fury as he turned his attention towards . He slashed his sword in my direction, but I evaded it with ease.
That was all the opening Cypher needed. He imdiately launched a series of powerful, precise strikes. Tenebris, his movents still hindered by my strike, was unable to effectively defend himself against the sudden attack.
With one last strike, Tenebris’ armor and sword shattered and beca to ashes as a simple-looking cane dropped on the ground.
"...?" Dumbstruck, Cypher stared at the cane. "W-What’s this?"
He looked around the room, searching for any sign of a hidden weapon or a piece of armor. But there was nothing. The sword that Tenebris wielded had disintegrated, and his armor had vanished completely.
In other words, the only "reward" was the plain old cane lying on the ground.
"This is it...?" Disappointed, Cypher slumped to the ground. "After all that effort, after defeating the boss... this is the reward?"
I decided to approach him and grab the cane from the ground. "Don’t be disappointed. Don’t you know that this is—"
I was about to reveal the secret of the Fendral sword when I was interrupted.
"Hey, how did you two get in here?" a deep voice demanded.
I spun around to see the three Rogues I had encountered earlier. The burly one wielded an axe, the thin one a Viking sword, and the short one a bow.
’Didn’t they say they were going to leave? How did they get back so quickly?’ I wondered.
"Hey, we just asked who you are. How did you get in here?" The burly man scowled nacingly, but the Rogue with the bow stopped him and addressed us more politely.
"Didn’t your guild get the mo? The Sapphire Blood Guild Master put in an official declaration to conquer this Dungeon. Which guild are you from?"
I decided to play the role of the innocent. I used the cane as a prop, feigning as if I have a foot drop. "Oh, sorry, we didn’t know. There was another pathway, and that’s how we got inside here," I said, limping and moving towards Cypher.
"Another pathway?" The one holding the Viking sword said, clearly not believing my words.
"Yes." I replied, acting innocent.
"..." The burly man’s expression hardened. "What were you doing in here anyway?"
"Oh, we simply hunted a monster," I replied, trying to act oblivious.
"And where’s the reward?" The short man asked.
"Sadly, the monster didn’t even drop anything," I raised my other hand with a smile. They wouldn’t suspect that the cane I was using as a support was, in fact, the reward.
The burly man then whispered sothing to the others and pointed at Cypher, who was still sitting on the ground.
"The one next to you... Isn’t that Cypher Knoxx? So you’re both from Glacial Sphere Academy?" The Rogue with the bow asked.
I secretly rolled my eyes at them. ’How co they don’t know ? Heck, I’m even ranked first in our class!’ I was about to retort but I nodded at them, "Yes, he is."
The thin one contacted their guild master. "This is Ken. Sothing ca up, and it seems that two students from the Academy are here. What should we-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a clear command rang out.
{Kill them, no questions asked.}
’Damn it. Just when I thought we could get away...’ As soon as I heard those words, I imdiately prepared myself for another fight.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
anwhile, at Glacial Sphere Academy...
Ezekiel had just finished a grueling five-hour-long live stream. His viewers were relentless, constantly asking for Remillia. He tried his best to focus on the ga, but his viewers persistently distracted him, sending virtual gifts with captions like: "We need the @Liari update!"
In the end, the ga session, which was supposed to last only three hours, dragged on for a painful five hours.
He let out a sluggish sigh, massaging his aching neck. "I’m sleepy, but I need to eat first."
He made his way to the cafeteria. He grabbed a tray and as he was browsing the available als, he overheard two students chattering nearby.
"Did you notice how close Remillia and Ezekiel have been lately?" one girl said.
"Yeah, but aren’t they just close because they’re in the sa squad?" the other girl replied.
"There’s another reason for that..." The first girl whispered to her friend. "Apparently, Remillia is always by his side because she likes him."
The other girl’s eyes widened. "Oh my! Is that true?"
The first girl eagerly nodded. "So of our classmates are even saying she’s going to confess to him soon."
The other girl still can’t believe it. "What? Confess? I don’t believe it. Soone with a background like hers...?
Ezekiel instinctively put down his food tray and slowly backed away. He was completely bewildered. Confess? Follow ? Like ?
Just then, he bumped into soone.
"Ah!" the person gasped.
Ezekiel quickly turned around. Angela was glaring at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
"What are you doing?" Angela said.
"Oh sorry," he mumbled, putting so distance between them.
"Move if you’re not going to eat," Angela said irritably.
"...Hello? Ezekiel?" a voice called out.
Still in a daze, he was interrupted again. He turned to see Whitney.
"...Yes?" he said, sowhat absentmindedly.
"Are you waiting in line or not?" Whitney asked, gesturing towards where Angela was selecting her food.
Ezekiel scratched his head, backing off. "No you can go ahead."
He was about to leave the cafeteria when he heard the sa voices again.
"I’m glad you’re both here, Angela, Whitney! We have sothing to ask regarding Remillia. She’s your friend, right?"
"Yes, why?" Whitney was the one who answered.
"You see... Is it true that Remillia is going to con—"
’Seriously, these girls just can’t get enough of gossip!’ he thought to himself.
He quickly grabbed a tray and squeezed between them. Seeing him, the two girls imdiately shut their mouths.
"Continue. What about Remillia?" Angela urged them to speak, seemingly eager to hear the latest gossip.
"N-next ti! I still have sothing to do!"
"M- too! I think I need to do my essay!"
They quickly fled when he glared at them. Seeing them finally gone, he sighed in relief.
Whitney was silently watching him, when she suddenly rembered sothing.
"So did Remillia accept it or not?" she asked suddenly, catching Ezekiel off guard.
He was completely lost. "What do you an by that?"
Whitney smirked at him. "You’re looking down on too much. Everyone already knows that the Gilded Sword Guild gave her an offer."
Imdiately, Ezekiel’s expression stiffened.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about—"
Whitney cut him off. "Don’t even pretend. Why would the Gilded Sword Guild even contact her in the first place, considering her background?"
Whitney then approached closer to him and whispered, "Unless you personally vouched for her, having witnessed how capable she is, aside from her class rank."
Whitney gave Ezekiel a cold glare. However, she quickly switched to a bright smile. "Cheer up, I’m just kidding! But I don’t think you should use the Gilded Sword Guild so easily. Who knows, maybe Remillia won’t accept it, since you’re practically strangers?"
She was subtly provoking him. However, he smirked, as a cold emotion stirred deep within his heart. "How sure are you? You and Remillia are just friends. But what about my relationship with her? I’m sure you’ve already heard the rumors, right? So, who do you think she will choose? Friendship, or...?" He provoked her by not finishing the sentence.
This caused Whitney to glare at him, and Ezekiel didn’t back down.
Angela, who was still in the dark about their conversation, looked utterly confused.
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