A hug heals everything

82

A magic circle glowed and four people took shape in the blink of an eye: the general, Arnaldo, Alex, and the mage from the hunters' association. They were standing in front of a huge mansion.

The general's eyes shone coldly as she stepped forward, the other three following her.

The gate was closed. They looked through it, but there was no sign of anyone waiting for them. Arnaldo rang the bell a few times, but no one came to receive them.

The general gave Arnaldo a look, and he immediately understood what he was supposed to do. He placed his hand on the lock and, with a casual gesture, the latch broke and the gate swung open.

"Let's go."

They all followed in the general's footsteps, their perceptions spreading, covering the surrounding area.

"Strange. There doesn't seem to be anyone here. I thought we'd be attacked the moment we set foot here," Arnaldo said, looking at the beautiful garden filled with exotic flowers.

System notification:

You have entered an abandoned dungeon.

Dungeon of the Spider King.

Difficulty: Not determined.

Clearing reward: Not determined.

Alex looked at the system window that had just appeared in his field of view. He looked at his companions, who had received the same notification.

" We must be careful. Besides the sign of plant life, I don't sense anything else around the mansion. And since this is a dungeon, there is likely a surprise waiting for us inside."

The general continued walking. When they were about to enter the mansion, she turned to Alex and handed him something she took from her system inventory.

" This is a Return Stone. If something happens and I am unable to protect you, just break it and you will be teleported out unconditionally."

Alex received the stone and stored it in his inventory. Arnaldo drew his sword, and with a single swing, the door was sliced into several pieces.

The four entered, and again there was no sign of life inside the mansion. If it weren't for the notification they received at the gate, everyone would have thought the mage had miscalculated the teleportation coordinates.

The quartet walked through the corridors of the luxurious mansion. Beyond the epitome of modern luxury that the world could offer, there was nothing noteworthy to report.

" I sense a very faint life signal coming from above."

Following the general's words, Arnaldo and Alex focused their senses to the maximum, but neither of them detected anything; nothing registered in their perception.

Alex took pride in his attributes. He had 91 points in perception, yet even so, he could feel nothing but the walls enclosing the place.

The mage in the group used detection spells several times, but without response. As they walked, everything seemed in order; there wasn't a speck of dust, and everything was impeccable.

Alex looked with curiosity at the cave paintings of various spiders, each one similar yet distinct at the same time. If a true art connoisseur had been among them, they would have stopped to admire the art for longer.

It was then that they all reached the upper floor where the rooms were located. At one door, they saw a red liquid dripping. With just a thought from the general, the blood floated toward her hand.

" This is the blood of the three-star hunters I sent," the general said, a scowl forming on her beautiful forehead.

" Are they dead?" Arnaldo asked, tightening his grip on his sword.

The general felt the blood on her fingers, closed her eyes for a moment, and spoke slowly.

" Their hearts are still beating, that's all I can say. Whether they are alive, I cannot tell," the general said after a brief consideration.

" Let's see what's inside."

Following the general, Alex equipped his sword, feeling a 40-point increase in his attributes. His hair grew long and took on a bright purple hue.

Arnaldo gave Alex a curious look, and Alex simply shrugged. The sword saint opened the door, and the quartet stepped inside.

" There was a bitter battle here."

With that, the general raised her hands. Pools of blood flew from various parts of the completely destroyed room. It wasn't just red bloodthere was green blood that flew toward her.

Her crimson eyes shone, making it seem as if thick crimson liquid filled her eyes. Images of a battle unfolded in her mind.

" What is the general doing?" Alex whispered to Arnaldo.

" She's gathering information. She has an ability that allows her to absorb fragments of memories by coming into contact with blood."

Alex was astonished.

" That was really possible?"

Alex asked, remembering that the first time he met the general, she had collected a drop of his blood. At the time, Alex wondered why the general hadn't asked anything and had just acted to protect him from Tatiana.

Now it made sense. She knew what had happened before not through the cameras, but because she had seen fragments of Alex's memory.

" Don't be so surprised. That's the least of her abilities," Arnaldo said, embarrassed, trying to push a persistent memory from his mind.

" Why did you suddenly turn red? Is something wrong?" Alex showed some concern as he looked at his companion's face.

" I'm fine," Arnaldo cleared his throat, and his face returned to normal.

" Let's go. There's nothing here that deserves our attention. I've discovered where Lúcia should be."

Alex's heart skipped a beat when the general said these words. He wanted to ask questions, but the general's gaze made him remain silent, and he simply followed her.

They then arrived at a room located deep within the upper floor. Without ceremony, they entered the room.

" The life signal is coming from here."

Alex, Arnaldo, and the mage nodded in response. Now they could also feel the faint life force that the general had mentioned.

" Stay behind me. It could be dangerous," said the general, positioning herself in front of everyone.

The mage conjured a defensive barrier that Alex would not have been able to break at his current level.

It appeared to be a very well-decorated female room, exuding contemporary artistic beauty. A huge bed covered a large portion of the vast room.

Alex approached the bed to see a woman lying on it. Blood-red sheets covered the bed. The woman slept peacefully, her body facing upward and her hands crossed on her chest.

A massive white dress, the color of snow, covered her body. On her hands were a pair of gloves made of pure silk, and a beautiful tiara adorned her head. Her black, soft hair was spread out despite the tiara.

" Lúcia?" Alex tried to run to the woman lying on the bed, but his body froze. He couldn't move; his entire body was paralyzed.

The general simply raised her hands, and Alex was prevented from making any movement.

" Wait a little, don't be impulsive. We have to check in case there's a trap," the general said, moving in front of Alex toward the woman lying on the bed.

The mage cast several spells and gave a positive signal to the general, who then raised her hand toward the woman.

" It's clear. There's no trap, but be careful nonetheless."

Alex regained control of his body and threw himself onto the bed, his emotions bubbling over.

He called out to her several times, carefully turning her body, but she gave no sign of waking.

The mage stepped forward and cast some spells.

" She's fine. At least her body is okay," said the mage, stepping back slightly. He was quite surprised by the level of beauty the woman possessed.

" Why isn't she waking up?" Alex asked, concern evident in his eyes.

" It seems she is in a chemically induced deep sleep. She will wake up in a few hours," the mage said, reassuring Alex.

" Are you sure about that?" Alex asked, just to make sure.

" He's right. Lúcia will be fine," Arnaldo reinforced the mage's words.

" Let's go. There's no one else here," the general said, gritting her teeth.

" And the hunters from the association?" Arnaldo asked, worry forming in his heart.

The general simply gave him a dark look and said a single word.

" Let's go."

There was nothing more to be said. Arnaldo and the mage swallowed hard, their hearts sinking.

***

Alex was in a corridor, walking back and forth. He had just returned from the hunters' association. Although Lúcia seemed to be fine, the general insisted that she had to undergo various types of tests.

Two full days had passed, during which Lúcia was subjected to various complex procedures of which Alex had no idea.

" Mr. Wellny, you may come in now,"

A staff member from the hunters' association looked at Alex and said politely.

" Brother."

As soon as Alex entered, he saw his sister coming toward him. Instinctively, he opened his arms, and his sister threw herself into them.

Alex held the girl's body in a firm embrace, fearing she might leave. He felt warm tears running down his shoulder, but he didn't care.

" You're finally safe," Alex said softly.

Alex tried to pull the girl away, but she hugged him even tighter.

" Just let me stay like this a little longer," Lúcia said, trembling slightly. Alex decided to follow her wish, and the two remained like that for a while.

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