Rupegia Novel Chapter 85: Trials – Alissa

Chapter 85: Trials – Alissa

I wake up with a gasp, but then I cry from the pain as my entire body protests against the sudden movent. My vision is blurry, my body is cold, I'm completely soaked, my head hurts, and I'm starting to get dizzy.

A horrible feeling wells up in my stomach, then it rises through my esophagus, and I puke.

I groan again as I fall on my side, trying to avoid the stinking puddle I just created.

I open my [Item Box], then I weakly move my finger towards the [Regeneration] magic tool and pull it out.

I press the small green gem against my forehead and feed it so mana. A mildly pleasant feeling starts to spread over my face, then it smoothly enters my skull and eases my headache.

I move my other hand and pull out one of Roxanne's Fast-Acting HP potions. Slight toxicity is worth stopping all this pain, and if even with [Pain Resistance], I can't endure this, then things must be pretty bad.

I uncork the flask and throw half of the glowing red liquid on my face while I eagerly drink the rest.

Ah, elderflower, tasty.

I sigh and focus inside my soul space.

"Wolfy, help-…" I stop my plea with a start as my whole body shivers in fear.

I can't reach Wolfy. I can't see the other wives through him. [Bind] is just not working.

The little "tunnel" I could use to enter the warm and cozy lake that's Wolfy's mind is gone.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…

A deep seething hatred starts to well up inside . It grows and grows and grows until it reaches a level that I've never felt before. I feel Wolfy's and Hana's draconic rage within , filling my mind with red fury and driving a burst of strength into my muscles.

I growl, then I grab a handful of sand and violently throw it away. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaah…" I shriek until my throat hurts, then I collapse on my back and start sobbing.

I'll murder you, Arreira. I'll desecrate your rotten body, you… you… pretentious FUCK!

I curl up and cry while the potion and [Regeneration] raise my HP back to 100.

I slowly open my eyes again and see a trail of faint crystal lights illuminating a path forward in the green sand. I finally notice that the whispering in my ears is actually the sound of waves running over the sand.

I sit up and turn around, and I see a dark river with a visibly strong current pushing broken planks down its length.

I recognize the color of the planks: they're from our ship.

Oh no… Wolfy's going to be so sad…

Blurry mories surface in my mind, and I sift through them. I understand that after the crash, we fell into the underground rapids and got separated, then I hit my head hard, and it gave

a concussion.

I cast [Spirit Light] to illuminate the area and look around. I'm in a dark green cave with nothing other than green sand and the river behind . My blurry mories lead

to believe that I ca through a tight tunnel with a strong current, so it's impossible for

to go back the way I ca.

I have two options: follow the river down or the path of crystal lights. Considering that I won't escape this cave by going down, I decide to bet on the path left for

by the goblin dick Dungeon Master.

"Gify, you there?" I ask, but my question just echoes through the cave without a response.

She may be with Wolfy, then. At least, I hope so…

My [Sense Presence] gives

absolutely no hits, so there isn't a single living being nearby, not even a bug.

I groan as I get up, the padding of my armor loudly squishes and squirts from all the water it absorbed.

We fell in the water while fully armored… Lina and Ciel could've…

NO! THEY DIDN'T!

I take off my helt and slap my cheeks to keep those dark thoughts away.

I need to find Wolfy as fast as I can.

He can't be dead. If he were, the feedback from [Bind] breaking would've made

go insane with grief.

I look into my "Status" and notice that the "Companions" entry still has everyones' nas, though I can't find their positions through the fellowship bond either.

This ans that nobody is dead, nobody is dead, nobody is dead, nobody is dead…

I pray to all of the Gods and beg for them to keep everyone safe. We can't lose anyone, not like this, and not after going through so much together.

But I need to survive, too…

I get up and activate [Breeze] to dry my armor. There are a few cracks in it, but the fibers are keeping the pieces together. It should last for at least a few more lee battles, even if I'm careless.

I spot my bow near , by the river, but my quiver is gone, so I can only use [Mana Arrow]s now. I pick it up and inspect it. It's impressive that it survived the rapids.

I dry it until it's usable again, then I pull out the lithograph and ergency rings from my [Item Box]. I try to send all kinds of signals through them, but, predictably, I don't get a response. If sothing is blocking [Bind] and the fellowship bond, then a lithograph would most likely get blocked, too.

I'd only heard rumors that a dungeon could block the fellowship bond, but now I have actual evidence that it's possible. The dungeoneer that worked on this place must've been a genius, or perhaps it was just Arreira himself.

With a lonely sigh, I take my sword out of its scabbard, clean it, and reapply its oil. After that, I take off my armor and dry it properly.

I apply so anti-scent powder to myself and check my equipnt one more ti to make sure that everything's fine, then I follow the illuminated path while trying to keep my sanity from collapsing.

I start shivering, but not from the cold or the breeze. I feel lonely and vulnerable. Wolfy's presence was always there in my mind, a constant reassurance that we'd never be alone, that he'd be there to save us when danger appeared, that we were inseparable. But now, there's nothing but darkness in my soul space.

I hug myself, then I fall to my knees and cry. I've never felt so empty before.

After crying enough, anger flares up inside

again. I'm acting so pitifully, but Wolfy won't even be able to sleep without . I need to find him before his curse fills his mind with darkness.

I get up and dry my cheeks, then I continue on with renewed determination.

Before long, a faint mist appears, and it only thickens as I continue walking forward. The ceiling of the cave creeps higher, and I gradually enter a nearly pure white realm reminiscent of the Misty Forest.

"I'm sure this isn't a coincidence," I bitterly talk to myself.

The sounds of the river fade away, replaced with the nothingness. I exert my [Quiet Steps] and [Quiet Action] to the max so that only the faintest of sounds are produced when I take a step. The elven armor is so well-padded that the scales don't jingle at all and the rubbing of the wooden plates is nearly imperceptible.

I breathe in deeply, trying to discern any odd slls, but I don't find any except my own and that of the green sand.

I sense sothing disturbing the mist. There's a "void" in it, slowly making its way towards .

I get my bow ready and prepare a [Mana Arrow], then I abandon the illuminated path and wait in the darkness to ambush it.

I slow my breathing and clear my mind. I completely freeze every single muscle, becoming perfectly still, like a trap ready to be sprung. My body is still tired from the battle and the rapids, but this small amount of effort is nothing.

The presence cos closer and closer, but I still have no idea what it is. Only Yunia knows [Hide Presence], but I'm sure she isn't as skilled with it as the being coming this way. It must be a monster.

It eventually reaches the illuminated path, but the mist makes it impossible for

to see its outline.

Suddenly, it stops, then I hear a faint noise twice.

It takes

a second, but then I recognize what it was: sniffing.

I draw my bow and release the arrow. It whistles through the air, then I hear a high-pitched grunt followed by sothing falling on the sand.

I create another arrow and dash forward.

I quickly find the being, and discover that it's a humanoid-looking monster. It has an arrow sticking out of its chest, and it's wheezing as it gasps for air.

I sigh in relief, happy that I didn't hurt a humanoid, then I draw my bow and shoot an arrow through the monster's eye.

It twitches and dies, then I walk closer to inspect it.

What is this Godsdamned creature?

It's a naked, pale human-like creature without any features or a single strand of hair. There are only three completely black eyes, a mouth without lips and full of humanoid teeth, and two slits for nostrils. It doesn't even have nipples or genitals. Its body is thin, it doesn't have any kind of claws, and its limbs are long and bowed. It wields a nicely made hunting bow made of bone with a pouch full of small wooden arrows.

I grab one and pull it out of the pouch, then I imdiately recognize the sll of poison.

I prick the skin of my wrist with the arrow and feel it starting to get numb. It's a paralyzing poison.

I take the pouch and secure it to my waist. The arrows are rather small for my weapon, but I can still fire them.

I realize that this creature would look rather ridiculous pulling on such a small bow. I pick it up, then I pull the string and imdiately realize that it's as stiff as Wolfy's cock. Its draw weight must be massive… like Wolfy's cock.

I snort and imdiately hold it in.

Ugh… I have a problem: Hana is rubbing off on …

The sll of blood might attract other things, so I sprinkle so anti-scent on the body and hide it under the sand. Now, it'll take a long ti for any odors to escape.

I put my war face back on and continue following the illuminated path. The glowing gems look like they were just casually thrown about like one would to lay a trail towards a trap. A dungeon is already a trap by itself, though, so I guess willingly falling into this trap is just another monster for the Lord.

I continue for a while, then I stop for a quick al. I still have a thick bar of chocolate, but I'll save it for ergency rations since Wolfy said that it's high energy.

I pull out the [Conjure Bland al] magic tool and produce a bar of very nutritious sawdust, not that I know what sawdust actually tastes like, it's just what I assu since it's so incredibly flavourless and uninteresting.

I have hot tea ready to drink, but its scent is too strong, so instead, I just conjure so water in my mouth to wash it down, then I resu my journey.

I ambush another one of the creepy monsters. This ti I hit its throat, making it bleed profusely.

In desperation, the Faceless Man rips the arrow out of its throat, and now it really starts to bleed.

Dammit. He's taller than I expected.

It wheezes and gurgles, then it tries to draw its bow and fire at , but due to its agony, it drops its monster version of [Hide Presence], allowing

to perfectly pinpoint its location.

I fire another arrow, and this ti, I pierce its forehead.

I quickly bury it under the sand, too, but that clearly doesn't work because I soon et another two coming from downwind.

I get in position again to fire and nearly groan from how the tension is hurting my muscles. I'm getting too tired for this.

I breathe in deeply and calm myself, ignoring the pain and fatigue as well I can.

Wolfy's love -and his huge cock…- really made

lazy, but I trained for this; I just need to shake the dust off my survival skills.

I remain closer to the glowing gems this ti so that I can actually make out their outlines before I attack.

They quickly, yet silently, walk along the illuminated path. I can guess their posture through the "void" they create, and I believe their hands are hovering over their quivers, so they must be alert and ready to fight.

My heart beats rapidly, and a cold fear starts to grow inside . I don't have [Gate] or [Bind] to pull

out if I need it. I either win, or I die. I can't afford to make a single mistake.

I nock an arrow and wait.

They get within range of my arrows, so I raise my bow and tense up, then I see the extrely faint shape of an outline taking form.

I cast [srizing Butterflies] at the sa mont that I draw and release. Before I can fire a second arrow, [Battlefield Perception] triggers, and I use [Muscle Explosion] to dodge out of the way.

My muscles protest against the sudden movent, but then I hear the whistle of an arrow flying past

exactly where my head was just a split second ago.

I fire another arrow, then a third, and one last enemy arrow shoots towards . [Muscle Explosion] hasn't recharged yet, and my "Speed" doesn't boost my [Dodge] enough, so I fail to fully evade it.

The thin arrow slams against

like a sledgehamr, then it sinks into my collarbone, cleaning stabbing through all of my armor.

I drop my bow and imdiately use [Fox Transformation], then I make a mad dash towards the survivor.

[srizing Butterflies] finally does its job, and the surviving Faceless Man gets distracted. It only rembers that I exist when my claws sink deeply into its shoulders and my jaw crushes its head.

As soon as I feel it die, I release its body and carefully bite the arrow on my shoulder, then I pull it out and return to my humanoid form.

I drink an HP potion and an antidote, then I apply an anti-scent on my wound and run away as fast as I can.

My exhaustion stops my legs from working any longer, and I collapse on the sand.

I pull out the [Proximity Warning] crystals, activate them, and throw them in all four directions around , then I close my eyes and imdiately fall asleep.

I don't know how many days have passed while I've been following this path, but I'm starting to get the impression that this is truly a trap. It might be that I've just been walking around in circles, but I have no way to confirm it.

I wake up, conjure my sawdust, and eat it with a piece of chocolate, then I drink so conjured water and continue moving along the path. I avoid most of the Faceless n and only kill the ones I can perfectly ambush. I keep going until I beco too tired to walk, then I get so sleep and repeat it all again.

I don't have Wolfy's [Blessing Magic] or an enchanted shield to defend against them, and their arrows have such a strong penetrative power that even my armor isn't enough protection. It just isn't worth fighting them, so I won't make the sa mistake twice.

Sotis, they co when I sleep, but I'm so wary of them that I wake up even before the [Proximity Warning] triggers.

I can't tell when it's day or when it's night. I only know when it's ti to walk and when it's ti to rest, and there's nothing else for

to do here besides walking and fighting.

The Dungeon Master is trying to wear

down, to catch

off-guard, but I've trained for my whole life for this.

I crouch and wait for the small Faceless Man to co closer.

When Wolfy needs

the most, I won't disappoint him.

The Man seems to be moving rather aimlessly, almost stumbling around as he follows the illuminated path.

I'll fight until my body falls apart. I'll press on until I grind the stone into dust. I'll reunite with Wolfy one day.

I draw and release the arrow.

His cock will slam against m-…

"Hngh~…" The Faceless Man lets out a weird grunt, and I nearly gasp in surprise.

With a sinking feeling in my heart, I dash towards the collapsing figure.

The outline appears in my sight and gains a shape, and it's different from that of a Faceless Man.

The shape gains color, and I see dark brown with a pattern of lots of thin and parallel black circles all over it. That's our elven wooden armor.

They take their helt off, and Wolfy looks at

with a pained face while clutching the arrow that's sticking out of his chest.

"NOOOOOO!" I shriek in horror and rush up to him.

I rush to his side and fall to my knees, then I start to madly apologize while tears stream freely down my face, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I take off my helt and desperately search for the [Regeneration] magic tool inside my [Item Box].

"Alissa…?" He whispers weakly, then he gives

a gentle smile that stabs at my heart.

"Y-yes, it's . I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I pull out the gem and press it against his chest while I search for the Fast Acting HP potions.

"The arrow…" He begs, his voice strained because of the pain.

I pull out the potion, then I grab the arrow and yank it out in one go. I imdiately douse the wound with half of the potion and force him to drink the rest, then I activate [Regeneration].

I sniffle and dry my tears, then I question him, "Why are you using [Hide Presence]?"

"To hide… from the monsters," he grunts with less stress in his voice than before as the healing starts to take effect.

I frown in confusion. "And what about your [Heal]?"

"My mana organ… hasn't healed yet."

Right, he strained it during the battle.

I lean in closer to his face and give him a pained smile as I whisper, "You can stop using [Hide Presence] for now. There are no monsters around us."

He slls weird.

He nods weakly and grabs sothing, then [Battlefield Presence] activates, and I look down at his hand.

A long and thin dagger stabs

in the belly, right where a crack in the plate had opened up into a slit. The blade sinks through the padding, breaks through the dark dragon scale underneath, passes through even more padding, and pierces into my gut, then he twists the blade.

"Hghr…" I groan as I feel lightheaded from the pain.

Then he takes the blade out and tries to stab

in the shoulder.

[Pain Resistance] prevents

from passing out, then I use [Muscle Explosion] to grab his wrist.

He sits up and easily overpowers , then he uses his leverage to push the blade down into my shoulder.

"Wolfy…?" I whisper and cast [Blinding Lights] on him.

Suddenly, he pulls the blade away and stands up, then he takes a step back.

"Alissa…?!" He gasps as if he just noticed that I'm wounded.

"Why…" I groan weakly and apply pressure to my belly while I use the [Regeneration] tool on myself.

[Battlefield Perception] activates again as he lunges forward at . I cast [srizing Butterflies], and he stabs it with his dagger, breaking the spell.

I jump backward and grab my bow, then I draw a [Mana Arrow] and release. It hits him square in the chest, and he falls on his back, then grunts in pain.

"Alissa… I love you…" He coughs.

"No, no, no, no. Why… is this happening…?!" I shriek, then groan in pain.

He still hasn't stopped using [Hide Presence].

"Wolfy… stop using [Hide Presence]!" I angrily yell at him.

He looks around as if he's confused. "What…? I don't understand…?"

"Let

see your soul!"

He looks at

as his head trembles. "Soul…? My vision is blurry…"

I fall on my knees in pain, and I notice that my glove is now completely red with my own blood.

[Battlefield Perception] triggers again, and I instant cast [Earth Bullet] in front of .

The spell hits Wolfy's beautiful face, making his head snap back violently. He collapses on the floor, and I can finally sense his presence.

This isn't Wolfy, this is a monster.

I draw another arrow and shoot it through its head, then it dies after a few more seconds. Wolfy's armor dissolves, revealing another Faceless Man.

FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK-…

I groan in pain, and my legs shake. I imdiately drink another HP potion and continue using the [Regeneration] tool, but I'm bleeding so much that my head is starting to feel really light.

I walk onward with unsteady steps, trying to get as far as I can from the bleeding monster corpse.

I desperately [Clean] my hands and apply all the anti-scent I can on my armor and my wound. I won't let them catch

now after getting so far.

Before long, I discover that the illuminated path leads to a circular gray platform.

Is this… the end…?

Hope spurs

into one last burst of speed, but just as I step onto it, my knees fail , and I collapse.

As my vision darkens, the platform starts to glow with a white light, then I pass out.

Announcent

Hall of Fa of Patrons

The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their nas sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their nas are:

Prince PreownedFIN.

Lord Andrew yers.

Lord Samuel Lim.

Lord Bill.

Lord Novgarod.

Lord DJ.

Lord Ashadun.

Lord Michale Erwin.

Lord Bakerdea.

Lord D4rk Sheep.

Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.

Lord Maurice.

Lord Krawn.

Lord Empyrean.

Lord Mattirro Draca.

Lord Joshua Tal.

Lord Colorblind.

Lord RottenTangerine.

Lord Cidant.

Lord Fullmoon.

Lord Joxsan Herrera.

Noble Salty Panda.

Noble Mild Fracas.

Noble EESDESESESRDT.

Noble Aclys.

Noble Jordon Gotthold.

Noble Tyler Mills.

Noble Shawn Plumley.

Noble Kale Daley.

Noble Stellerbattle.