Fuck! They're fast.

 

"Mihara... If anything happens to me, just keep running deeper."

 

"Hah?! Why are you saying that?"

 

"They're gonna reach us soon... Just don't stop running... The cave will tell you where to go."

 

I let go of her hand as I stop running for a second and walk back a couple steps.

 

"I'm not letting you behind to die! Come with me!"

 

"Don't worry about me, just go."

 

"Hoooh... You're one courageous fucker aren't ya?"

 

"What!? Already?!"

 

The surprise was clear in her words... I'd already known they were coming but... They are fricking fast...

 

"Marcus, Lancer, you two go and lead the rest in, this cave is weird... You lot, just standby-by... I'mma deal with these two personally."

 

The men, one wielding a glaive and the other a pair of Katars, turned around and started walking towards the entrance without saying a single word. The others stood there, behind Gahan.

 

I wish I had some way to see their strength...

 

<< Yeah... That'd be very helpful... But you realize they are quite strong, don't you? >>

 

I do... Well... You know my plans, why are you pretending I actually think I can put up a fight?

 

<< Ah... Sorry... It's just... I can't feel at ease with you using yourself as a meat shield... >>

 

Hadn't we already discussed this? Why are you behaving this laid back now?

 

<< I... I just... I don't wanna see you die... >>

 

Haah... I guess there's that... but it's the most effective way...

 

I pulled the dagger I'd gotten from the goblin out and prepared my stance to fight the mercenary.

 

"Huh? You seriously intend to fight me with this shit...? Are you joking?!"

 

"WHA-"

 

Suddenly I felt my side hitting the floor after my legs were swiped.

 

He's stupid fast. He closed the more than 10-meter gap in less than a second in heavy armor! How broken is this world!? GLORIA!?

 

<< I told you they were strong! What did you expect! >>

 

Fuck... This is worse than I anticipated...

 

I looked at Mihara, she was trembling. This body's vision was hazy after the sudden impact to the floor but I, from the control-room, could clearly see the mercenary raising a breathtaking double-handed sword from his back.

 

"Go! Just go!"

I screamed at her, who was still frozen by fear.

 

"MIHARA! GO!"

 

She started stumbling backwards hearing my words. Tears flowing from her eyes as the large mercenary slowly pointed his sword downwards toward my back.

 

"Remember my name for eternity. This me who's finishing you off, is Gahan."

 

A sharp pain assaulted my very soul as the sword penetrated through my spine until reaching the stone ground underneath.

 

But somehow... It didn't feel half as bad as I thought it would... Hey... Gloria... Why am I not dead yet?

 

<< Huh?! I guess the blow didn't take enough HP to kill you... >>

 

Huh... That's... A bummer...

Anyhow... Let's keep the schedule.

Dematerialize

 

"Mihara, Run!"

 

With these words, my body started disintegrating once more. The shock made the crying Mihara dart away from where we were and the mercenary jump back to where his colleagues waited.

 

"The fuck is this shit!? Self-destruction?"

 

When the dust settled, my body and Mihara were nowhere to be seen, leaving only the three confused mercenaries staring blankly at the sword embedded into the stone ground. Trying to comprehend what had happened.

 

---------------

 

Haah... At least I managed to buy her a couple seconds...

 

<< But how do you intend to help her? >>

 

I mean... I am this dungeon, right? We can always do stuff to it to help her.

 

----------

 

A girl kept running aimlessly.

She saw her lover get killed in front of her.

Hatred filled her heart. Not for the killer, but towards herself.

Towards her powerlessness.

She felt completely useless... She let her uncle betray her. She let the mercenaries take her sister from her. She let that man kill the man she had just come to love.

What did she even deserve...?
Was she even worthy of their feelings…?

 

A trifurcation approached.

 

'Where should I go?'

 

The despair increased as she heard the slow footsteps of her chaser.

She knew magic but... It was clearly not enough to kill a person, let alone a mercenary leader.

Confusion.

 

There's three ways to go... Which one is the right one?

She squatted down crying. The pressure had been too much for her to bear.

 

“"The cave will tell you where to go."”

 

His words reverberated inside her mind, like an illusion.

Her memory playing tricks with her mind.

 

"The cave..."

 

As she looked up towards the split, a single stone fell from the ceiling of the cave, slowly rolling into the right branch.

 

"That's it!"

 

The once confused girl darted towards the direction the stone directed her. For some unexplainable reason, hope once again filled her heart...

She could once again feel the terrifying gaze she felt once she entered the cave.

 

----------------------

 

"FUCK!"

Gahan angrily shouted when reaching the trifurcation. The men following him at a slow pace.

 

"Did you lose her, boss?"

One of them asked.

 

"Not really... But this' getting annoying... The cave has too many different paths... If I chase her aimlessly, I won't be able to return quickly enough to help you guys explore..."

"I'mma use that..."

 

"That!? It's been almost a decade since you used it... I'm getting excited about this manhunt..." Said the other one, leaning on his glaive.

 

"Shut the hell up! why the fuck you make it seem like it's a big deal? I never use it because it's pretty useless most times."

 

"We know, we know... But it's not like you get to see a legendary class skill every day, right?"

 

"I can't understand why you guys care so much about this... I just learned it from my father, that's all."

 

"Aye, boss. But... It's not something the likes of us can understand... Even the Royal Magicians failed to learn it."

 

"Yeah, yeah, now shut the hell up cause I'mma use it."

 

The two men fell silent in contemplation while Gahan sat on the floor, his legs crossed in a lotus.

Green light started emitting from his body, forming a sort of barrier around him.

 

"Sonar."

 

With his voice, the barrier expanded outwards indefinitely in waves until it became undiscernible from the air around it. Like the ripples in the water after a droplet fell.

 

<< Gun... I've seen this magic before... >>

 

A childish voice resounded in a dark room, as the images of Gahan sat on the floor, and of Mihara running, were laid side-by-side as if in a large screen. A man sternly staring at them with an annoyed expression.