Lefiya was running as fast as she could. She didn't know what had happened between Bell and Cruz, but she knew it had given her a chance to escape.
But again, why? That woman Ein had cut her loose and said run. Why did that woman help her?
Lefiya didn't have time to think about that as she kept running. Monsters were chasing her, but she was ahead of them.
Whether if it was because she was simply outrunning them or they were playing with their food, she didn't know. All she knew were Ice Sabers were hunting her.
Ice Sabers were a sabertooth tiger-like creature. Their fur was white with a floral pattern of blue decorating them. Their fangs were eight inches in length, while their claws were even bigger and sharper.
They hunted in packs and used a chirping sound to communicate. But when making their enemies afraid, they let out deafening howls.
Lefiya was currently being chased by a pack of these monsters. They had spotted her shortly after she started running.
Lefiya's lungs burned, and her legs felt like jelly. But she had to keep running, or else she would die. The air around her was cold, but there wasn't a storm this time.
But she could hear the breaking snow behind her before a claw slashed down her back. She yelled in pain before collapsing to the ground.
An Ice Saber but her leg while another aimed for her neck. Lefiya lifted her arm just in time to hear the bone snap. She screamed in pain once again as another bit her leg.
The pain was agonizing and didn't seem to stop. They just kept biting and scratching her. Blood poured from her wounds, coating the monsters jaws red with blood.
Right when Lefiya thought she was about to die, the pain suddenly went away. Lefiya was too hurt to move, let alone see what happened. But the one thing she did see was the ash of the monsters drifting away.
A red liquid was poured onto her back, and Lefiya felt some of her wounds healing. Once feeling some of the pain subsiding, Lefiya turned her head and saw Revis holding Cruz's corpse.
Her eyes widened in fear, but before she started crying, Revis sat her up. Lefiya whimpered in pain but didn't resist as she couldn't.
Revis set Cruz down before taking another potion and pouring it on her as well. Lefiya started to feel even better as her wounds slowly disappeared.
Once she felt well enough, she spoke. "W-why?"
Revis calmly answered. "Simple, you needed help. Now, I need to start a fire. Do you have any spells that can do that?"
"So Cruz is alive?"
"No, but if you don't hurry, he'll stay dead."
Lefiya quickly snapped out of her stupor before chanting her Fusillade Fallarica. She made sure it was low yield so it didn't turn Cruz's body to ash.
Once the fire was lit, Revis started praying. Lefiya watched in a mixture of shock and awe. Revis kept praying over and over again.
Lefiya didn't know what she was doing but let her do what she needed. If it could save Cruz's life, she wouldn't protest nor try and stop her.
Revis stopped chanting and looked down at Cruz. His body still remained lifeless, causing Revis to sigh in disappointment.
She turned to Lefiya to apologize before Cruz opened his eyes and gasped lungfuls of air. He quickly shot up and started panting.
"What the fuck. How am I alive?"
"That would be my doing," Revis answered.
Cruz's head turned to her, and his eyes widened. "What, how?"
"Matters not. As of right now, Bell is in Evilus custody. Your party is not far from here. Signal them and leave this place. There is nothing more you can do for Bell."
Revis then stood up and began to walk away before Lefiya called out.
"Wait. Why did you help us?"
Revis stopped and turned her head. "Simple. You're Bell's friends. He'll be glad to know you're alright."
"Is Bell going to be harmed?" Cruz asked, worried that his plan didn't work.
"He won't. Don't not worry about Bell. I will keep watch over him until it is time. Prepare Orario and tell your gods to keep an eye on the Empire's border. Evilus does not work alone."
With that warning given, Revis turned around and left. Lefiya quickly turned to Cruz and, without warning, hugged him. Cruz was a little caught off guard, but he patted Lefiya's back all the same. Once she realized what she had done, Lefiya quickly pulled away.
"Sorry, it's just. You were dead, and I was alone." Lefiya muttered.
"It's fine. I'm just glad you were able to escape."
"What about Bell? Why did you attack him and say all those things?"
"I wanted to plant seeds of doubt in Evilus's mind about Bell. If they think we hate them, they'll pounce at the opportunity to try and turn him to their side. It also caused a distraction and gave you the chance to escape."
Lefiya was quiet for a moment. "Was it Bell who killed you?"
Cruz nodded. "Yeah, I wanted him to. Despite how much it would mess him up, I needed him to do it. I don't think I could've endured the torture they would've put me through."
Lefiya frowned before patting Cruz on the shoulder. "It's ok. Bell's strong, so he'll pull through, and maybe Revis will tell him what she did to make him feel better."
Cruz softly nodded. "Yeah, maybe. She kind of weirds me out, though. Her actions and words are completely different. But enough about that, signal the party. Sadly, we'll have to leave if Evilus has Bell in their headquarters."
Lefiya felt sad and then felt a shiver up her spine. "What are we gonna tell Alfia."
Cruz's face paled before he looked at the snow. "That we tried our best to get him back but failed. Let's just hope she doesn't kill us in the process."
Lefiya nervously swallowed and then nodded before casting Arcs Ray. She aimed it at the sky and caused it to detonate above her.
A few minutes later, the rest of the party appeared, with Bache running ahead.
"Lefiya! Cruz!" She yelled.
She was quickly by their side and held them both in a bear hug. "I'm so glad we found you. I assumed the worst when you went over that cliff."
Lefiya and Cruz both tapped on her arms as they couldn't breathe. Bache seemed to realize this and pulled back.
Ottar and the others approached, and Ottar spoke. "It's good to see you're alright. Have you seen Bell Cranel anywhere?"
Cruz grimaced while Lefiya looked away.
"Yeah, we found him. Evilus has him at their headquarters, so there's nothing we can do."
"That is unfortunate. However, judging by your tone of voice, there's more."
It was Lefiya who spoke next. "After we fell off the cliff, we were captured by Evilus. After a while, that Revis woman brought Bell to us. After they arrived, we began making our way to their hideout when Cruz started to fight Bell. While he did so, a woman named Ein cut me free and told me to run. Cruz died in his fight with Bell."
"What?! How are you still alive then? How is your falna still active?!" Bache shrieked.
"Yes, this is most uncommon," Hedin added.
"I didn't want them to rape Lefiya. I also knew I couldn't withstand the torture they would give me, so I came up with a plan. The plan was to plant seeds of doubt in Evilus's mind about what we truly think of Bell. After a while, he disarmed me and seemed to pick up on the plan. He stabbed me in the heart with Longclaw, and I did die. But Revis brought me back and with my falna somehow."
"Hmm, most interesting indeed. Ottar, I recommend we head back. If Evilus has the boy, we have no means of finding them at this time." Hedin said.
Ottar was quiet for a minute. He knew Hedin was right, but he didn't want to disappoint his lady. But he also had to worry about the lives of his familia as well.
"Revis also said we should keep an eye on the Empire's border. Said she wasn't working alone." Lefiya said.
That was all Ottar needed. The Empire would be a problem if they invaded, and Orario would need all the hands it could get.
"Hmm, very well. We're heading back to the surface. We tried, but it appears we failed. Let's hope Cruz's plot was able to work."
Bache, while saddened by this, knew there was no point in arguing. Nobody knew where Evilus's stronghold was. On top of that, problems with the Empire were about to start. If Bell were here, she'd know what he'd tell her to do.
So, with a heavy heart, she and the rest of the rescue party headed back. They had failed their mission.
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Bell sat on his bed, looking at his hands. He was in a modest little room located in Evilus's stronghold. All he really had in the room was a bed.
But he didn't seem to register it as he kept flashing back to driving his sword through Cruz. His blood dripping onto the snow as his lifeless corpse laid there.
Cruz was one of his best friends, and he killed him. All for the sake of infiltrating Evilus. Which might not work if a god asks him his loyalties. How could he convince himself to believe he would join them when the idea disgusted him?
Would Cruz's sacrifice be in vain?
The door to Bell's room opened, but he didn't seem to care. He was still playing back Cruz's death in his head. The door closed, and Revis sat down on the bed next to Bell.
Again, Bell didn't react, and Revis just pulled him close and held him once again. His head was in her bosom, and Revis ran her fingers through his hair.
She leaned her head next to Bell's ear and whispered. "Stay the way you are. Cruz is alive, and so is the elf. Don't react and play the part."
Bell's eyes widened, and he was about to pull away, but Revis held him tighter. "Play the part." She whispered.
Bell's mind was racing. Cruz was alive. But how? Bell knew he had stabbed him through the heart. That's when it clicked. Revis followed the religion of the Lord of Light. A deity known for bringing people back to life as they still served a purpose.
Revis had brought Cruz back to life and saved Lefiya in the process. Once realizing this, he grabbed onto Revis and held her as well.
"Thank you." He whispered.
Revis didn't reply. Instead, she kept holding back while tears streamed down his face. To anyone else, it would look like she was comforting him as she grieved. But in reality, they were tears of joy for Bell, knowing he didn't kill his friend.
But in reality, he still did. He was the one that drove that blade into his chest. He was the one that stopped Cruz's heart. Nobody else.
"I've been assigned as your guardian and watcher. You can't go anywhere without me. I'll always be by your side and make your stay here enjoyable. Or as enjoyable as I can." Revis said.
Bell nodded before Revis whispered again. "But you'll need to act like you're still hung up about what happened. You need to pretend your friends are still dead. You need to be underestimated."
Bell nodded. If Bell wanted to honor what Cruz had done, he'd needed to play the part. So all Bell did was focus on driving the blade through Cruz's heart and felt his mood start to drop.
But with this act of kindness, the puzzle has been solved in Bell's head. He muttered, but Revis couldn't hear him. She leaned closer, and he spoke again.
"You're a spy. Aren't you?"
Revis didn't answer, but two taps on his shoulder confirmed his theory.
"Your secrets safe with me."
"Your weapons are also secure. I have them safely tucked away so no one can use them."
"Thank you. I don't know how to repay you."
"You'll find a way. But for now, rest. Is there anything you want to eat? You must be hungry." Revis asked.
Bell chuckled. He couldn't remember the last time he ate. "Yeah, I am. I'm guessing I don't have a lot of options, though?"
Revis smirked as she pulled away. "No, but I'll get something you'll find enjoyable."
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The 18th floor was on fire. To the surprise of everyone, a Black Goliath had spawned on the 18th floor. No one knew why or how it spawned, only that it was killing them.
The entrance to the 17th floor was blocked, and monsters were pouring in from the 19th, effectively trapping the adventurers on that floor.
Welf was helping the defenders at the entrance to the 19th floor. He had been swinging his sword for what felt like hours.
Bugbears, BattleBoar, and Lizardmen all fell to his blade. But a Welf grew tired. The dungeon just replaced those he had cut down. He was nearing his limit.
But he vowed to himself he would survive. There was so much more he wanted to do. He wanted to be one of the greatest blacksmiths that ever lived. Surpassing the goddess of the forge, Hephaestus herself.
Welf swung his sword down, slicing a lizardman in half. Pain shot through his ribs as a Bugbear slammed into his side. Welf winced in pain as the monster backed up.
He held his side before cutting the monster down. Welf looked around him and noticed he was the last one standing. He took in a deep breath as more and more monsters surrounded him.
His back was pressed against a tree and yet in the face of death. He smiled.
"Right then. Come on, you bastards! I'm taking you all with me!" Welf declared.
Welf swung his greatsword and cleaved a BugBear in half. He blocked a blow from a Lizardman before cutting its head off.
A BattleBoar punched Welf in the side, sending him into the wall of the dungeon. Welf's body caused the wall to crack, and he nearly dropped his sword. But through sheer grit, he held on.
Blood dripped down his forehead, and his arms felt weak. Yet Welf still stood, and he still smiled. He readied his sword again and waited for the monsters to come to him.
He killed the BattleBoar that sent him here before a BugBear slammed into his stomach. Welf hunched forward, gasping as the air exited his lungs.
A lizardman drove its axe into Welf's side while another was driven into his shoulder. Welf yelled in pain before kicking a Lizardman away and elbowing the other in the jaw. He quickly swung his sword, killing the two before another axe was driven into his back.
Welf fell to the ground, the strength leaving his legs, and his sword clattered on the ground. As he was falling, another axe slashed across his face, causing him to lose sight in his right eye.
Once on the ground, Welf had no more strength to fight. Yet he reached for his sword all the same. Only for a BugBear to crush his hand.
Welf held back his yell as he didn't want to give the monsters the satisfaction of hearing it. But when all hope seemed lost, and that landform axe got closer and closer to Welf's head.
A gust of wind blew past, and all of the monsters were dead. Welf weakly looked up at his savior, and his one good eye could see an elf dressed in green.
"You were very brave holding your own. Let me heal you." The elf stated.
She leaned down and started chanting. Small green orbs flew from her palm and surrounded Welf. Welf felt his wounds begin to heal, yet he still couldn't see out of his right eye.
"Noa Heal"
Once the spell was done, Welf sat up and looked at the elf who had saved him. She was wearing a green cape with a white short-sleeved shirt. He did blush a little, seeing her wear a speedo, but she didn't seem to notice.
"I apologize, but it looks like your eye is permanently damaged."
Welf shrugged. "Eh, that's fine. But who are you? You weren't with the expedition?"
"My name is Ryu Lion. I'm a part of the Astraea familia. She felt a disturbance in the dungeon and sent me and my captain down. What exactly happened here?"
"I don't know. It seemed like the dungeon was angry. I don't know how to describe it. One second, everything was fine. The next, all hell broke loose."
Ryu nodded as she looked around at the aftermath. Many monsters and adventurers lay dead, with only Welf remaining.
"Wait, what about that Goliath?! We need to take that thing down, or else-
"Calm yourself. The Goliath was defeated by my captain. The situation is under control now."
Welf sighed in relief. "Thank the gods. Wait, my friends!"
Wlef pushed himself up and began hobbling into the woods. His body was tired, and he was exhausted, but he kept pushing forward.
"Wait, you're in no condition to move!" Ryu yelled after him.
Welf didn't listen, and he kept running until arriving at a small clearing in the woods. Mikoto stood guard in front of a hollowed-out tree where Haruhime was hidden.
"Miko-
Welf promptly fell to the ground from exhaustion.
"Sir Welf!" Mikoto yelled as she ran to him. She crouched by his side and turned him over. She gasped, seeing his missing eye.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. It'll all over now." Welf reassured.
Mikoto helped Welf into a sitting position as Haruhime exited the tree. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing Welf.
"Don't even start Haruhime. I'm ok. Just a scratch is all."
"B-but your eye-
"I have another one, and besides, I match my goddess now," Welf joked. He really wasn't bothered by the loss of his eye.
He was alive, and that's all that mattered to him. Ryu had been watching their interaction quietly. She was surprised, however, to see a massive wolf with a bloody jaw and a baby dragon fly down. She almost attacked them but stopped when Welf warmly greeted them.
"Met, Silver. Good job keeping the monsters away." Welf said.
Met walked up and licked his face while Silver landed on Haruhime's shoulder and nudged her.
"Sir Welf, we should be back to camp. The expedition should be back soon." Mikoto said.
Welf chuckled. "Love to, but I can't walk. My legs feel dead, and I'm pretty sure I lost a bunch of blood."
Mikoto sheathed her katana and threw Welf's arm over her shoulder. It was an awkward sight as Welf was a good foot taller, but Mikoto carried him all the same.
"I shall escort you. Hopefully, someone else knows what happened." Ryu said.
The group started their journey back, unaware of the figure watching them from the trees.
"Lucky, lucky. Looks like the redhead has some promise. Well, looks like he'll be needed for what comes."
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A few hours later, the expedition arrived at the 18th floor. It had been a few days since the ambush and Bell going missing.
This caused morale to be low, and it only sank lower seeing the carnage on the 18th floor. The expedition was quick to investigate, but once they saw everything was fine, they felt a small amount of hope.
However, the group left behind by the expedition was smaller, causing them to be disheartened again. Out of the 75 adventurers that they left, only 25 remained.
So much death and little reward caused people to question this expedition. Why did they come here? Why did they follow that prum who got himself killed?
It was his fault that everyone was dead. Of course, this wasn't exactly the case. Well, in terms of the 18th floor, it wasn't. But they didn't care. Everyone wanted a scapegoat, and Finn was the easiest one.
It was his fault they were ambushed. It was his fault most of them were dead. His fault that the 18th floor was attacked. Everything was his fault, and the survivors would make sure everyone knew it.
Back with Welf and the others, they were worried. They had seen Raul and Narvi. They knew Narvi would be okay, but seeing Raul still and unmoving worried them. Add to the fact that Aki was still a mess, and Alicia was the only one holding it together.
More grief found its way into their hearts after hearing Bell went missing, rescuing Delta. But they were filled with a little hope, knowing a rescue team was down there searching for him.
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Raul was alone in his tent. Alicia was able to convince Aki to leave and eat something. Raul soundly slept, not aware of the world around him.
The flap to his tent opened, and Bete walked in. He looked at his sleeping comrade and scoffed.
"Of course, someone like you would get injured like this. Had to play the hero, didn't you."
Raul didn't respond, causing Bete to growl. "You know the cat is worried for you. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. But I wonder why you don't act on it. Weaklings like you die fast, so you should spend it with someone you love."
Bete stopped talking, hoping for a response from Raul. Anything would work. But all he was met with was silence.
Bete scoffed again. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time. I should be doing my mission and running up to the surface to inform the doctors of your situation. Yet here I am checking on you. Fucks the matter with me?"
No answer again, which caused Bete to turn around. "Screw this shit. I'll make sure the doctors are ready for ya. So don't be a weakling and die while I'm gone."
With his words said, Bete left the camp and started running to the surface.
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Raul didn't hear any of what Bete said. He wasn't even aware of his surroundings. But he was alive and was having an experience in his mind.
In front of him stood a great Sphinx. It was 30 feet tall with a golden headdress and sapphire blue eyes. They swirled around like oceans, causing Raul to be lost in them. Its body was made out of obsidian, giving it an ethereal look.
"Hmm, so you're the one that has been chosen, boy. You don't seem like much."
Raul was confused. Chosen by what?
"I don't understand?"
"Don't understand what? You have been chosen to wield a great power. A power you will need in the future."
"But why me? Why not someone like Bell? He's much better than I am."
"That boy has his own destiny. He is meant for great things as well. Just not this."
Raul nodded, and the Sphinx continued. "You have been chosen to wield a great power. One that has not been seen for ages."
"What is it?"
"It is a sword made from the blood of a dragon and a meteorite. It has great magical properties, the likes of which are only seen in the Crozzo's magic swords. However, this one does not break, nor does it dull."
"But why was I chosen? There are so many other people that are better than me."
"You're right, there are. But the sword chooses its wielder, my boy. The sword has seen your bravery and selflessness when taking an arrow for your friend. As such, it has deemed you worthy."
Raul sat in thought. A powerful sword had chosen him to wield it. Part of him was glad as it could help in the Long Night. But another part was confused and nervous.
Why him? He wondered. He wouldn't revive and answer for a long time. But right now, he was taking some of Bell's advice. Just take it on the nose.
"So what's this sword's name?" Raul asked.
"Myrincaster."
I bet a lot of you thought Welf was about to die. Also, Lord of Light, for the win
Anyway, I'm gonna end this here. I want a good stopping point so it'll be easier to pick up next chapter.
But a quick little side note. To make Raul's situation a little sadder, he doesn't know about Bell being gone. So just keep that in the back of your mind.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you later.