The rumbling sound in front of them grew louder. The ground tremors made grains of crystal sand jump around their boots. Dozens of crystal penguin monsters slid rapidly, filling the entire field of view. White dust billowed high behind the herd of monsters, covering their glowing blue lower bodies.

Illya clutched her chest. Her breathing was labored. She closed her eyes for a moment, checking the mana flow within her body. Her face turned pale.

"Not enough..." Illya whispered. Her voice trembled.

She stared at Fyar with wide eyes. "Fyar, my mana isn't enough to transport us all at once. Three people at most."

Fyar was silent. His brain spun rapidly, processing the information.

Damn. What should I do?

Three people? Maybe Cyhas, Illya, and Rasie.

But I need her ability to kill that creature. Think, Fyar!

I've already gained the power for area neutralize. But still, can I defeat them? There are too many. If there were six, maybe, but this is dozens!

But... what choice do I have now!

Fyar turned to Zaefal.

Zaefal returned the gaze. He nodded slowly, as if understanding what Fyar was thinking. Zaefal stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the group. He was ready to hold off the first wave alone so the others would have time.

"Illya, take Rasie and Cyhas and get out of here," Zaefal said calmly.

"H-haaaah?! Oi, idiot! What about you guys, damn it?! I'm coming! I'm going to fight against them with you!" Rasie shouted. She took a step forward, drawing her weapon.

"Don't be stupid, Rasie! If you die, who will take care of Illya and Cyhas?! At least if you live, there's hope you guys can get out of here! Don't be stupid! Do you want us to die foolishly here?! At least one of us lives!" Zaefal shouted. His eyes bulged, the veins in his neck standing out.

"Zaefal..." Rasie said, her voice softening.

"Go, Rasie. As your thank you, just spread my name as a brave, handsome adventurer with a beautiful girlfriend! And hey, you forgot I just leveled up? No way I'll lose that easily!" Fyar said. He smiled thinly, though his eyes betrayed his worry.

"P-purple hair..." Rasie bit her lip, feeling torn. She looked at Fyar and Zaefal in turn.

Fyar sighed deeply. He turned to Illya. "Go, my dear. We will meet again."

"No, Fyar. No, I won't go. Fyar, I... I'm going to fight with you!" Illya shouted. Her hands trembled.

"Illya!" Fyar shouted. "Please!"

Illya flinched slightly. She took a half-step back.

"No, Fy..."

"Illya!" Fyar shouted again. He then smiled thinly at the girl. "I'll be fine, remember? We were in this situation this afternoon, and somehow we survived. Well, now it will be the same!"

Cyhas squeezed her eyes shut behind Illya's back.

The distance to the monsters was fifty meters.

Forty meters.

"Go!" Zaefal shouted at Rasie, Illya, and Cyhas, who were still hesitating.

Illya trembled, her breath ragged. She looked at Zaefal and Fyar in turn. "No... no... I... no... I..."

"A-ashole..." Rasie muttered. Tears flowed slightly down her cheeks. "You fucking ashole... you..."

"Come on, Illya..." Rasie said, pulling Illya's arm.

"R-Rasie?! You want to leave them? Rasie, no! Rasie..."

Suddenly, the air pressure changed drastically.

A strong wind hit them from above, making their cloaks flutter wildly. The aurora light on the ceiling was suddenly covered by a giant shadow.

SCREEEEECH!

A sharp shriek split the air. Fyar's eardrums rang painfully.

Fyar looked up.

A giant owl swooped down from the height. Its wingspan reached ten meters. Its feathers looked hard and shiny like silver metal. On the bird's back, a man stood upright casually. Both his hands were tucked inside the pockets of his white coat.

While the bird was still hovering ten meters above the ground, the man jumped down. His body fell freely.

Tap.

He landed smoothly on the white sand, right in the middle between Fyar's group and the incoming wave of monsters. No dust flew when his feet touched the ground. The man stood with his back to Fyar. His furry white cloak fluttered gently in the wind.

The herd of monsters in front of them continued to advance, ready to crash into the new barrier. Their distance was five meters.

The man raised his right hand. He simply pointed his index finger straight forward, as if aiming with a toy gun.

His mouth moved slowly.

"Pew."

The tip of his index finger emitted a blinding golden light. A thin laser beam the size of a needle shot out. The beam penetrated straight into the center of the monster line.

When the beam hit the monster's body, the monster exploded like fireworks, killing the monsters beside it.

Ten monsters in the beam's path instantly vanished. Their crystal bodies disintegrated into fine dust particles within seconds. Only the core crystals fell from their bodies, clinking on the ground. Their existence was erased just like that.

The remaining monsters behind them panicked. They tried to brake their slide. Their claws scratched the ground, creating a painful screeching sound.

The man moved his hand to the left with a lazy motion, like swatting a fly.

A wave of invisible pressure hit the remaining monsters.

Crash!

Dozens of monsters were flung simultaneously toward the rock cliff wall on the left. Their bodies hit the rock wall hard. Their crystal shells shattered into pieces. Blue blood stained the white cliff.

In five seconds, dozens of monsters were wiped out.

Silence returned. Only the sound of the wind blowing softly remained.

Fyar's mouth was locked tight. He stared at the man's back with disbelief.

Adventurer?! Who is he?! A demon?!

He has horns. Is he from another race? Fyar aimed his pistol at the man's head.

Rasie slowly moved forward, in line with Zaefal and Fyar. "Illya, Cyhas, get back." Rasie pointed her sword forward.

Who is he? An Adventurer? He's not human. Another race? A dungeon dweller? From his horns... what is that?

I have to be alert. He could be a member of 00... but did he save us? Zaefal muttered inwardly. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly gripped his sword.

The giant owl landed behind the man. Its large claws gripped the crystal ground until it cracked. The bird's eyes stared sharply at Fyar's party.

The man yawned softly. He brushed a little crystal dust off his coat shoulder. Slowly, he turned around.

His face was handsome with a strong jawline. His hair was messy blond, shimmering under the aurora light. A pair of red eyes with vertical pupils like a dragon stared at them with a bored look. Two curved horns grew on his forehead. He wore an all-white outfit with gold details and a magnificent cloak on his shoulders.

"Okay, okay, okay, okaaaay," the man said flatly. "You're probably thinking... oh no? Who is he? Why did he save me? Oh no, kyaaa." The man mimicked a hysterical voice with an expressionless face, his hands moving dramatically.

Rasie took a step back. Her legs were trembling. She said nothing.

Illya prepared to cast a spell, her hand raised slightly.

"Yeah... that is what you're thinking right now... although there was no 'kyaa'," Fyar said flatly, still pointing his pistol.

The man slowly walked toward them. His steps were casual yet intimidating.

"Human... human... uhh, human. Do you have an idea where you are right noww?" he said. He turned to Fyar.

"How can you live in a place like this? Hmm, like how can you get here?" The man smiled thinly.

He turned to Zaefal. "Like... damn, you guys... how did you get here? Know what I mean? Like, I'm surprised there are humans in a place like this. Like damn like really damm!"

The man clapped his hands slowly. "You guys are great for not dying yet. Well, even though you would have died even if I hadn't come just now."

"Right, right?"

The man sighed deeply. He tidied his blond hair that was blown by the wind.

"Well, to be honest, at first I didn't intend to save you. But, but, buuut..."

He looked at Rasie. His glowing red eyes widened slightly.

"Oh my... I changed my decision after I saw an angel here."

Rasie flinched slightly. "H-huh?"

The man approached Rasie. He touched the girl's hand gently.

"Red hair... barbaric face... smooth skin... soft lips..." The man looked at Rasie's body from top to bottom. "Trained body..."

"You are so perfect... i can write a poem for you."

"I can write a book to explain how beautiful you are, lady..."

"Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet!"

The man coughed lightly. He lifted Rasie's hand and kissed the back of it politely.

"Allow me to introduce myself my angle, my name is... Hasya Veltaqiues."

"O-oi?!" Rasie was shocked. Her face turned slightly red. "W-what are you doing, idio-.."

Before Rasie could finish her sentence, Fyar stepped on her foot hard.

Rasie turned, wincing. She saw Zaefal and Fyar glaring at her sharply. They both shook their heads in unison, signaling her to be quiet.

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