Zone A was trying to kill them.

The open battlefields of Zone B were gone. Replaced by hostile terrain which was really twisted.

Deep-narrow canyons where wind howled like a dying animal. Dead forests of black, needle-like trees that tore at their clothes and skin.

The monsters here weren't just strong. They were smart.

Phase Spiders that blinked in and out of sight. Attacks coming from impossible angles.

Shrieker Bats whose sonic screams could disorient and knock them unconscious.

Each battle was brutal. Draining.

They were winning. But the victories were costly. Chipping away at their energy and mana reserves.

Dante's new sword, Soul-Drinker, was terrifyingly effective.

In battle, he would simply walk near an enemy that Eric or Jin was fighting and just swing his sword around them. He could feel the monster's energy draining away. Flowing through the black blade. Into him.

'A parasite. That's what I am. Feeding on their kills while they do the bloody work. It had been the case from the start even the sword I got had the same skill, It was like the trial had taken interest on me.'

It allowed him to stay fresh. To command with a clear mind while the others grew tired.

Their destination was marked on the map with a single symbol. A teardrop.

It led them to the base of a black mountain. A narrow path snaked up the sheer cliff face.

At the top, hidden in mist was a cave entrance.

"Whatever's in there," Eric rumbled. Looking up at the dangerous path. "They didn't want anyone reaching it."

"The best rewards require the biggest risks," Dante said. His eyes fixed on the cave. "Lana, Talia, take point. Watch for ambushes."

The climb was grueling. A vertical marathon.

When they reached the entrance, they found something strange.

The cave wasn't dark. A silver-blue light pulsed from within. The air that flowed out was cool and pure.

It felt safe.

Too safe.

'Nothing that feels this safe actually is. Stay alert.'

They stepped inside.

The cave was massive. Walls lined with crystals that pulsed witha soft light.

In the center, a perfectly circular pool. No more than twenty feet across.

The liquid inside wasn't water. It was shimmering. Swirling. Shining with rainbow colors.

"What is this place?" Rina whispered.

Before anyone could answer, the shadows moved.

They pulled away from the walls. Not solid. Living darkness.

Shaped like people but with long, razor-sharp limbs. Faces that were nothing but burning red eyes.

They moved without sound. Flowing across the floor like spilled ink.

"Wraith-Stalkers!" Edgar's analysis flooded Dante's mind. "A-rank assassins! Partially incorporeal! Highly resistant to physical damage!"

'Shit. A-rank. And they're assassins. They'll go for the backline first.'

The Stalkers didn't charge.

They simply vanished.

Fwoop.

They reappeared inside their formation.

A perfect ambush. Designed to kill the support.

One appeared behind Masha. Its shadow-claws slicing where her head had been.

She threw herself sideways. Off-balance. Vulnerable.

Another appeared beside Rina. Red eyes burning. It raised its claws for a killing blow.

'No. Not Rina. She dies, we lose our endurance. Fuck them.'

Dante moved.

His speed, boosted by stolen cores, was a blur.

He appeared beside Rina as the claws came down.

He thrust his hand forward. The Ring of the Maelstrom flaring to life.

A violent vortex of force erupted from his palm. Slamming into the Wraith-Stalker.

The creature's form was violently disrupted. Its attack dissolving.

Shreeee!

It shrieked. A sound like tearing silk. Then teleported away. Wounded.

Rina stared at him. Eyes wide with shock.

He had placed himself between her and death.

'She's seeing a protector. A hero. Good. Let her think that. As long as she keeps healing, I don't care what she thinks.'

The other Stalker reformed. Claws raised to strike Masha.

"Guardian!" Dante roared.

His spectral shield appeared. Phantom Ward snapping into place around her.

SCREEECH!

The Stalker's claws scraped against dark energy. The ward held. But cracks appeared instantly.

Masha looked from the spectral protector to him. Her expression complex. Confused. Grateful.

'She's starting to understand. Power concentrated in one person protects everyone. Finally.'

"Don't just stand there!" he bellowed at the rest. "Counterattack!"

His command broke them from shock.

The battle began.

Chaotic. Swirling. The Wraith-Stalkers were everywhere at once. Teleporting. Striking. Vanishing.

Eric and Jin were almost useless. Their blows swinging through empty air.

"Talia, with me!" Dante ordered. "We're hunting these bastards!"

They became a predator pack.

He used Soul-Drinker as a sensor. The moment a Stalker appeared, the sword's hunger would tug toward it. Draining a trickle of its energy.

Ahh.. early-warning system.

"Left!" he yelled.

Talia was there instantly. Her daggers a blur. Boxing the creature in. Forcing it to defend.

While the Stalker was pinned, the heavy hitters fired.

Erica unleashed concentrated plasma lances.

Lana fired volleys of invisible kinetic bolts.

The combined high-energy attacks destroyed the Stalkers. Making their forms explode into dissipating shadow.

'Good. They're learning to adapt. To coordinate without me micromanaging every move.'

The fight was desperate. High-stakes.

Twice, a Stalker slipped past and got close to Rina.

The first time, Dante summoned Ouroboros for a single second.

One of its seven heads appeared from the floor. Jaws snapping shut on the Stalker. Crushing it. Then vanishing.

The second time, he used Soul-Drinker's draining power. Sucking the Stalker's energy so fast it couldn't complete its attack.

Left vulnerable. Lana finished it.

He was everywhere. Commands sharp. Actions decisive.

Finally, the last Wraith-Stalker fell.

The cavern went silent. Only their ragged breathing remained.

They were wounded. Bleeding from minor cuts. But alive.

Masha looked at him. Chest heaving.

The anger was still there. But fighting with something else now. Respect.

He had saved her. Orchestrated victory against impossible odds.

Rina simply stared. Her heart filled with gratitude and something else.

Dante ignored their looks. His gaze fixed on the pool.

Then said "After we share the mana cores, we will get our main objective from here".

The Pool of the Firmament. The map had called it a legend. A place where the world's lifeblood pooled.

It promised to strengthen anyone who bathed in it. To temper their flesh and bone.

A fundamental upgrade to their physical bodies.

After getting their harvest.

"Everyone," he said. Turning to his battered, exhausted team. "We earned this. Together."

He gestured to the shimmering liquid.

"Get in. Heal your wounds. Claim your reward."

One by one, they limped to the edge.

No argument. No discussion of who deserved it more.

They had all fought. They would all share the prize.

They slipped into the liquid. A collective gasp of pleasure and shock echoed through the cavern.

"It's warm," Erica breathed.

"It doesn't hurt," Jin said. Wonder in his voice. "It feels... incredible."

Dante was the last one in.

As he submerged himself, a sensation unlike anything he'd felt washed over him.

Not the cold, parasitic rush of stolen mana.

This was warm. Vibrant. Deep. Seeping into his very cells.

He felt his muscles knitting together. His bones hardening. His skin growing tougher.

Becoming more.

A feeling of invincibility.

'This is it. This is what we needed. Physical enhancement. The dragon won't be able to kill us as easily now.'

He looked around at his team. Their bodies also being reforged.

Erica's burns fading. Jin's cuts closing. Masha's exhaustion melting away.

Rina glowing with renewed vitality. Even Lana looked peaceful for once.

'They think I saved them out of loyalty. Out of care. They're wrong. I saved them because I need them.'

'But the result is the same. They're alive. They're grateful. They're mine.'

He floated there. Surrounded by his victorious team.

They were finally ready.

Ready for Zone A's true trial.

Ready for the Bone Dragon.

Ready for the wish.

His wish.

And Dante could feel the fantasy he will live in the new world, not as a hero but something else.

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