As Lord disappeared into teleportation inside the tunnel, the atmosphere surrounding the group of people seemed tense. Erick looked around the group as a feeling of discomfort descended upon them. Past events weighed heavily on his mind, and he thought, "I should have controlled my temper, but that crazy dog almost killed the kid."

"I am sorry because of me, Master," said Derik as he moved near and whispered quietly. His head hung low, a tangible weight of responsibility on it.

Erick comforted him, saying, "You don't have to apologize, without you, we might have passed out or possibly perished because of the whisper."

Emily, the youngest swordsman in the group, clutched her sword tightly, her wide eyes reflecting a mix of fear and concern.

"Can we truly fight against the dark mage of Shadow Enclave?" she asked in an uncertain voice. Her question hung in the air, casting a shadow over the party's confidence and stirring a shared fear of potential failure among them.

Erick took a deep breath, his gaze encompassing the entire party. "That black mage is not someone to be taken lightly, but we can't let fear paralyze us. We knew this journey would be dangerous, and without the Lord, it gets just a bit more twisted."

He paused for a moment to look around the party members and continue, "However, we have to press on. For our kingdom, for our family's future, we must retrieve the weapon, even if we have to sacrifice our lives."

The party was engulfed in a mix of confusion and doubt, but the underlying understanding of the importance of their mission for the sake of their kingdom anchored them. Each member braced themselves to continue the journey. Erick observed everyone slowly regaining composure, and he released a long sigh. He knew the path ahead was uncertain, but he was determined to lead his companions through the challenges, driven by a profound sense of duty to their kingdom.

As Lord returned to the entrance of the tunnel, a sly smile crept across his face, his eyes gleaming with calculated malice.

"This aligns perfectly with my grand design," he mused, his voice a low, ominous whisper.

"I'm going to take advantage of the chance to take those three souls while the shadow enclave has their focus. And upon my return to Eldoria, I will ensure that Erick bears the full weight of blame for the demise of the princess and other esteemed royals. His house will be tarnished with the mark of betrayal, and in doing so, I will undoubtedly ascend to the pinnacle of power."

Lord's laughter, dark and chilling, reverberated through the tunnel, its echoes casting an ominous pall over the environment, forewarning of the malevolent storm gathering in the shadows.

On the other side of the tunnel, a group of men stood watch, their eyes fixed on the entrance to the dungeon. Three days had passed, and their leader had yet to emerge. "Something must have gone wrong inside; otherwise, the leader would have already come out with the weapon," said one man, his voice tinged with concern.

"Who knows, maybe the weapon hasn't appeared," pondered another, voicing the collective unease.

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"But why does the leader need so many sacrifices, and why did he even take a—" Before he could finish his thought, a loud explosion nearby jolted their attention. The group guiding the outside dungeon gate swiftly turned towards the disturbance; their senses heightened as a man in his twenties leaped from the ground, sparking a wave of anticipation and uncertainty among them.

"Shadow enclaves," remarked Erick, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the man in a black cloak. Surveying the scene, he discerned about ten figures concealing their faces with cloaks.

"There are about 40 men underground!" shouted a cloaked figure with his hands on the ground, prompting Erick's suspicions.

"Did he use detection magic?" Erick's mind raced, his sharp instincts assessing the situation as he braced for the unfolding encounter with the mysterious and formidable foes.

"Blow the tunnel!" yelled another man, launching a fire attack towards Erick.

With lightning reflexes, Erick sprang into action, swiftly dodging the incoming fire attack as he closed in on the man who had utilized the detection magic spell. The man quickly cast a shield to protect himself from Erick's attack. As Erick moved to strike again, he noticed some men jumping into the tunnel.

"Damn!" Erick shouted as he found himself surrounded and blocked by two shadowy figures. Taking a defensive stance, he assessed his surroundings, searching for a weak spot to retreat to his group.

A swordsman charged towards Erick, unleashing a flurry of attacks. As Erick was busy countering the swordsman's attacks, a mage cast an ice spear towards him. Sensing the surge of mana directed towards him, Erick reacted with lightning speed, slicing it down with a single, fluid motion. However, the relentless onslaught persisted; two more spears hurtled towards him, their speed making evasion impossible. Despite managing to dodge one, the other struck his hand, eliciting a groan of pain.

Noticing the opening, the swordman moved forward, aiming for Erick's head. Yet, in a sudden twist of events, the swordsman stumbled and fell to the ground. Erick's gaze swiftly shifted to Derik, standing beside him, having employed ground magic to immobilize the swordsman's legs. A genuine smile graced Erick's face as he commended, "Good kiddo."

Derik's unexpected intervention provided the opening Erick needed. With renewed determination, he swiftly rushed towards the mage. In a swift motion, the mage's head rolled to the ground, followed by his body slumping lifelessly.

Princess Aurora leaped out of the cave, capturing Erick's attention after he had beheaded the magician. As she landed gracefully on the ground, her eyes met Erick's, and she informed him, "Let's go; others will join us soon."

"Alright," Erick said, his tone resolute, as he stood up and pulled out the ice lodged in his hand muscles. Derik noticed the hole in Erick's hand and hurriedly approached him. Worried, he took a potion out of his dimensional ring and applied it to Erick's wound. In a miraculous turn, the bleeding from Erick's hand immediately ceased, and the wound vanished, leaving no sign of injury.

"Wow, what's that? I didn't feel any pain," remarked Erick in excitement.

"Fairy tears," replied Derik while throwing the empty bottle on ground.

"What?" Erick and the princess both exclaimed in unison.

"How can you use something legendary to heal a petty wound?" Erick asked, shaking Derik.

"Where did you ever get fairy tears when they had already gone extinct a few decades ago?" asked the princess in astonishment.

"I stole it from Master," replied Derik.

Erick's excitement peaked, and he asked, "How did you manage to steal from that old man?"

Derik shrugged his shoulders, but Erick persisted. "Tell me."

The princess glanced towards the now-excited Erick but couldn't help but ponder, "Shouldn't we move quickly before that mage disappears with the weapon?"

"We should," Erick said in a serious tone.

With a heavy realization settling over him, Erick thought, "It's just the three of us now, and inside, we will be facing the most formidable enemy." Taking a deep breath, he declared, "Alright, if we die, we die."

The three entered the gate, unaware that from this moment forward, they were about to descend into a nightmare.