It was the second day of their exploration in the dungeon. The class was split up into groups A and B, with Ancel once again leading group A and Dave leading group B. The lineup this time was...

⫸ Group A: Ace, Alan, Aria, Hilda, Warren, Freya, Marcia, Soren, Vella, Isabelle.

⫸ Group B: Caspar, Bridget, Glenn, Hubert, Ryu, Lucia, Bryce, Gin, Bryce, Mia.

They started from floor 5 using the warp device they had used previously. The warp floors seemed to have no enemies at all, making it convenient to use them as an area to make plans and discuss certain tactics that the class would use. Eventually, they easily bypassed the 6th floor and were currently fighting on the 7th floor, surrounded by a crowd of trees.

The Sacred Dungeon had a unique ecosystem with various environments that differed from floor to floor. The area where the class was located was a forest-like environment where many treants resided. Ancel noted that, because of the magical flow of this area, treants were bound to respawn numerous times due to the ancient power of the Dungeon.

"Warren, there's a treant coming your way!" Ace shouted. He was covering for the backline, adapting to the formation of his group. Thanks to the rotation of different party members, the mid position was much weaker without Bryce or Marcia to hold off anyone aiming for the backlines.

A treant is a humanoid monster with tree-like characteristics. This one approached Warren as it noticed he was struggling to fend off the incoming enemies of the frontline.

"Yeah, I got it! [Offensive Art: Wild Swing]!" Warren shouted, activating his art.

As the name suggests, it is a powerful yet reckless swing, but if the attack lands in succession, the user will inflict significant damage to its target. Several treants were cut down by a single slice, with half of their bodies falling to the ground like firewood being chopped in half.

Ace used his Offensive Art, [Rising Edge], to hold off the group of treants passing through the class's formation. This art is an ability that empowers the edge of his blades, attacking upwards.

Everyone gradually learned more Arts on their own, but they were still far from creating their unique abilities. Despite their quick progression, they were not on the same level as Ancel and Dave. As of right now, it will take at least a few more weeks until their stats eventually surpass the average Paladin.

"That's the last of them! Great job, everyone!" Alan said, his morale boosted. He took down the last treant with a shield bash combo, stunning the tree figure and thrusting his sword through it.

"Nicely done. Despite the new rotation, you guys still have your formations solidified. The front line is doing well keeping the enemy back, and the backline is doing well in providing support and covering fire," Ancel said to the group.

However, once again, Ancel kept his eyes on Ace. His presence within the dungeon had not gone unnoticed. He didn't belong to the front line or the backline and merely did whatever the situation called for, being adaptive to any event that occurred to him.

"Wow...! You guys are amazing!" Hilda said.

"You guys gave us an easier time at the backline," Soren added.

"I have never felt so confident until we had you four rotated in," Isabelle complimented.

Everyone was amazed at the predominant figures of Group A: Ace, Alan, Aria, and Freya.

Ace was what mainly caught Ancel's eye. Someone who could surpass Razor in a fight, Ace took advantage of what he had and, by taking the words of advice from his teacher, he understood that no matter the tactic, a victory is a victory. Ace had defeated many of the monsters in many creative ways, weakening them by aiming for their legs, utilizing his throwing knives for support, and eventually aiming for vital points. This was in contrast to the others, who at the start simply stabbed or fired spells until a monster was dead.

Alan was not too far off from being one who could surpass Ancel himself in terms of leadership and strategy. He was only second to Ace, though Ace was much more of a quick thinker, making tactics on the spot. Alan truly shone in morale boosting, ensuring that his fellow frontliners did not falter in the face of incoming enemies that attacked them. He understood that his role was important for everyone's survivability.

Aria's strengths lay in her combat ability, much like Ace himself. She had a strong foundation in her spear proficiency, but was still rather slow with her spell casting. Despite her innocent nature, she had a screw loose when it came to the enemy, fighting gracefully yet deadly at the same time, ensuring she stayed in position, keeping enemies at bay within the middle as a mid-range fighter, thanks to her versatile class.

Lastly, Freya was an underrated hero in the class with her covering fire. Thanks to her experience hunting animals, her skill with the bow was unparalleled. Both she and Ace were the only ones who didn't show any signs of fear or hesitation when it came to the enemy. Ancel noted that they would be integral in the war, believing their mental capacity would hinder them less compared to the other heroes.

But everyone had made great progress nevertheless, thanks to their Hero's Progression Passive. It was the backbone of every summoned hero, with its abilities granting heightened learning and increased proficiency, while also improving their mental confidence.

"That was the first time I saw Aria fight like that. I'm glad you're able to hold your own," Vella pointed out.

"I'm not someone who needs to be protected! - Ow-" Aria said in an angered tone, but her sentence was interrupted by Ace, who flicked her on the forehead.

"Lose the temper there. You'll be blind to everything if you show that kind of anger," Ace said to her.

"Sorry... I'm just sick of being judged. Of course, I can hold my own," Aria pouted.

"Well, objectively, you look weak. Your psycho self is doing all the work for you."

"Ace... you're not supposed to say something like that to her," Vella braced herself for Aria to lash out, but surprisingly, she remained calm.

"I know that," Aria replied.

The chatter continued as they explored the rest of floor 7. There was nothing but forestry and greenery, with bright lights emitting from the mana crystals above. Despite being a dungeon known to hold treasures, Ace seemed to have no luck finding any as they went through wave after wave of enemies that came by. Eventually, they made it to floor 9, the last floor they needed to go through before reaching the warp point located on the floor beneath them.

Floor 9 had a dark forest theme this time, instead of a bright green forest they went through. It was a misty forestry with barely any mana crystals to light up the entire room.

"Be careful, there are werewolves that roam these parts. They'll be a bit tougher than usual, so be on your guard," Ancel announced.

"I think we might know where these things might be," Freya said. She pointed out the footprints on the floor belonging to a two-legged monster, being the werewolves that Ancel mentioned.

They treaded slowly across the floor, trying to find the staircase below. They had already trained enough for today's dungeon session, and Ancel had already noticed how tired some of the members looked from the constant fighting. He led the group, taking point and commanding Ace to scout ahead.

"Ace, you'll be much quieter than I am on the front. Mind if you scout ahead? You can let us know if there's danger ahead. I'll be right behind you if something happens," Ancel asked.

"Understood," Ace replied.

Ace went a few meters ahead of the group, diving through the misty atmosphere first. He already felt the presence of the monsters on this floor, being on guard with his weaponry at hand. Looking behind him were the silhouettes of his group, making sure he was ready if a werewolf were to jump and surprise Ace. Noticing there were werewolf footprints, Ace made the signal to stop.

Suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps as if someone was about to attack him.

Clang!

Ace, who already had his guard up, intercepted this attack, aiming his dagger down on the opponent's neck, only to realize that the opponent that attacked him was none other than Caspar from group B.

"A-Ace...?! Sorry! I thought you were a werewolf when I sensed something! Please... take your knife off me..."

"Open your eyes, I could've slit your throat just then," Ace let go of Caspar, who was moments away from dying from friendly fire, noticing that he had some blood on his armour indicating that he encountered a fight with the werewolves.

"If you're here, where is the rest of the group?" Ancel soon caught up to the two.

"I... lost my way. The mist became stronger the deeper we went into the floor."

"RRRAAAGGHHH!!" A monster let out a screeching cry that echoed throughout the entire floor. Everyone immediately went on guard, and the atmosphere became much tenser. Faint stomps could be heard, and the tremors of the floor gradually increased.

"The mechanism of this floor... and a guardian of the floor, this could be bad."

"What do you mean?" Ace asked him.

"The sacred dungeons have their gimmicks and mechanisms that make it harder for their 'guests' to progress. Some have traps, and some have difficult monsters. I only explored the first 15 floors with the previous group as a training knight. From memory, the previous party only made it through this floor with ease thanks to one of the Heroes. Sacred Dungeons always respawn their guardians, so we have to face it to get through this floor," Ancel explained.

"That scream does not sound like it will let us pass, and the mist isn't helping either," Alan commented.

"Should I use a spell to light up our area?" Vella suggested. As a Healer, she has access to light elemental magic, and chanting a light orb is no problem for her.

"Would that be wise? It will draw the enemy to us, whatever that thing we heard just then," Ancel turned his attention to Vella.

"Not just the enemy but our friends as well," Ace stepped in.

"Not a bad idea... Best to regroup just in case something happens. Do it, Vella."

"Got it. [Light Orb]" Vella chanted her spell, forming a bright ball of light that shone brightly around their area. The mist gradually became easier to see through, opening their line of sight to various silhouettes.

"It must be the others!" Caspar exclaimed.

"Idiot, be on your guard like you did against me. Their stances and poses say otherwise," Ace stepped in front, preparing his stance.

"I honestly don't like these kinds of wolves... they're coming!" Freya shouted.

The silhouettes eventually revealed themselves to be the werewolves of this floor, but they also revealed friendly allies as well.

"Mia! Play a loud tune, we need to rally everyone to our position now!" Ace shouted.

He spotted both Bryce and Mia, who were in hiding, blending in with the mist together. Mia saw the light that Vella activated around her. She was shocked when she was given a sudden order, but she knew what Ace wanted to do.

"G-got it!" Mia replied.

[Musical Art: Offensive Overture]

Mia played an upbeat tune on her lute. An aura surrounded both herself and her targeted allies, causing everyone's offensive power to be temporarily increased. She continued playing, drawing in more and more werewolves but also attracting the majority of their classmates. They slashed their way to regroup with the whole class, with Dave leading the charge in a successful pincer attack against the werewolves that stood in their way between Group A and Group B.

[Wind Slicer]

[Seeking Light]

[Fire Wall]

[Earth Shard]

Several spells were chanted against the incoming werewolves. The firewall blocked their way only temporarily, but whoever could chant a spell did so against the wolves that bravely charged their way through, going on all fours and attempting to leap at whoever was near.

"Glenn, you're here! We'll guard the front! You ready?!" Alan's shield started to glow as he waited for Glenn to be in position.

"I am! Let's go!" He replied.

Ancel was impressed as he watched both Alan's selflessness and bravery holding the frontline despite being outnumbered. Even Glenn, who followed Alan's order, didn't hesitate to do so either, understanding his role as one of the class's tanks.

The two Paladins took the frontlines, igniting their shields together to create a shield wall, activating the [Defensive Art: Shield Fortification]. This ability uses both magic and fighting spirit to create a wide barrier using their shields as its base. Both Glenn and Alan stopped 3 werewolves from getting through the frontliners, focusing their attention on them.

Ace took this opportunity to help the two who had taken it upon themselves to grab the enemies' attention. He cut down two werewolves on his way to the Paladins and, once he was free from any incoming werewolf, he found his opportunity to take down the werewolves in one swoop.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[Offensive Art: Dashing Edge]

Ace dashed, and thanks to his ability, it granted his weapons an extra edge, gathering the wind as the blades traveled while empowered by Ace's aura, making the attack a deadly single sweep.

The werewolves were about to overwhelm the two shielders, but in an instant, the werewolves that used their strength in an attempt to break the shield wall had died, with Ace at the front with his blades clean as the werewolves' heads were all cut cleanly by him. There were no more werewolves in sight.

The skirmish was far from over, but it allowed everyone to take a deep breath, with Dave giving his report explaining the screeching cry they heard earlier.

"Good thinking signaling your location with the light ball. This mist became much denser as we moved forward," Dave said.

"Did you encounter the presumed boss of this room?" Ancel asked.

"It's a minotaur. We only saw the silhouette, but its slam separated us, obviously at the start, but now..."

"We're regrouped as one," Ancel finished his sentence.

With their total count of 22, this floor will be a breeze, but Vella's light is drawing in the boss of this floor, coming closer and closer. The pack of werewolves eventually regrouped as well, as if they followed a chain of command, following their superior.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

"That doesn't sound good," Warren commented.

"We'll participate in this fight, frontline take your positions!" Ancel ordered. Both his shield and weapon started to glow a bright blue, with Dave following up preparing a stance also imbuing his weaponry with mana.

"It's that thing we saw from earlier!" Bridget exclaimed.

A large silhouette appeared before the heroes. Horns were emerging from the mist and steam was formed through the nostrils of the beast. It stood tall at 5 metres wielding a giant axe that can cut anyone in half with a single swing. Its black coat held several burnt marks and its eyes glared at the group in rage gripping its axe so tightly that veins emerged from its hands.

The pack of werewolves followed the Minotaur ready to follow their leader to battle. Some were armed with wooden clubs while others relied on their claws and fangs. They also took a stance going in all fours waiting for the Minotaurs signal.

"RRRAAAGGHHH!!" The minotaur let out a battle cry. Intimidating almost everyone who stood their ground at the frontline.

Aria and the other girls stared as their mental capacity has eventually reached its limit with their hands shaking as they held their weapons. Even the boys, Alan although holding his weapons with steadiness kept having second thoughts about whether he can shield against such an axe or not.

"That's... the same one as last time... how is it not dead?!" Ancel recalled his first memory on this floor. Remembering that a mage took it down with their fire-based spells.

"We can worry about that later!" Dave reminded him.

'That thing is eyeing the mages specifically'

Ace observed the Minotaur. He took his position joining the other frontliners. 'It's best if it aims for me' Ace held several throwing knives waiting for the Minotaur to begin its charge.

"They're charging!" Freya shouted.

"RAAAAARRRGHHHH!!!!"

The minotaur swung its axe, aiming to take both Alan and Glenn out of the action, but Alan's shield easily blocked the attack.

"Don't worry about this one! Aim for the werewolves. Dave and I will handle this!" Ancel shouted.

Alan and Glenn braced for the worst, with Alan's legs shaking and Glenn falling to the ground in fear. This left Glenn vulnerable for a few seconds, allowing the werewolves to leap onto him. However, he was saved by Freya, who shot the incoming monsters down with ease.

"Stand up! You're supposed to stand bravely out there!" Freya shouted.

"R-right!" Glenn picked himself up. "I'll cover this side, Alan!"

"Then leave the left side to me," Alan replied.

Ace threw whatever throwing knives he had towards the enemy, only having at least four left in his pocket for a vital moment against the minotaur. He then switched to his main weaponry, covering the middle area with Aria's support.

"[Wind Slicer!]" Just as Ace was about to slice down another enemy, he knew a monster was right behind him. He took out the monster he had his eyes on first, and just before he could transition to a counterattack, the werewolf behind him was taken down by Aria's spell.

"Thanks. But you should watch your back as well." Ace threw one of his throwing knives directly at a werewolf that was close to leaping onto Aria. It gave enough time for someone else to finish it off for them.

"S-sorry..."

"Save them for after."

In the fight against the minotaur, Ancel took hits with his shield, being an unwavering force for the minotaur to know he was a threat. Dave took his chance and chanted a spell.

"[Holy Bind!]" Light elemental ropes appeared before the minotaur's legs, binding them together and causing the giant monster to lose its balance and miss its swing, landing a devastating attack on the ground.

'Now's my chance!'

Ancel saw the opportunity to thrust his sword into the minotaur's chest, causing it to scream in pain. However, the minotaur grabbed Ancel's sword and picked him up, throwing him across the forest like a baseball. The momentum of Ancel's body flying eventually stopped after he broke through two trees. Despite taking a lot of damage himself, Ancel still picked himself up, but he needed time to return to the front.

The minotaur looked at the mages in anger, knowing it had a chance to disrupt the group's momentum. It swung its axe with greater strength at Dave, successfully pushing him back, and was about to throw the weapon. Ace took it upon himself to cover for Ancel and Dave's spot, drawing the minotaur's attention and throwing the last of his throwing knives, landing them in one of the minotaur's eyes. The axe dropped to the ground as the minotaur covered the pain of losing its eye.

Ace dashed in, landing multiple stabs on the minotaur's lower chest, but it wasn't enough. The minotaur began to slam the ground with all its strength, causing a shockwave that shook the area and made the heroes and monsters lose their balance. Ace's body was flung a few meters back, but he regained his momentum and aimed for another attack.

[Offensive Art: Dashing Edge: Two Fold]

Ace dashed twice, attacking from left to right in an instant, trying to cut the tendons of the minotaur's legs. However, his attacks were too shallow, lacking the strength to make a clean cut. Knowing his attempt had failed, he jumped back, noticing that both Dave and Ancel were back in action.

"ACE LOOK OUT!" Aria shouted. She went to Ace's side, but noticed that several werewolves were about to take advantage of Ace's positioning and held them off.

Ace was distracted for a moment as he thought he was safe from the minotaur. A werewolf leapt on him, trying to bite his neck for an instant kill. After a few seconds of struggle, he managed to close its jaw with just his physical strength, repeatedly stabbing the wolf until--

Stab!

Aria's spear pierced through the werewolf's throat, almost reaching Ace's neck as well. His heartbeat started to increase the moment he saw the spear appearing out of nowhere. He shoved the humanoid wolf off and breathed heavily, having been in two situations where his life could have ended.

"You're crazy, that almost hit me as well," Ace said to her.

"And you're the one who told me to watch my back!" Aria fired back.

'...she got me there,' Ace thought, feeling slightly embarrassed at being lectured by Aria so soon after he gave her those words.

The number of werewolves started to dwindle, with only the giant minotaur left standing in the way of completing the floor. Despite its wounds, it still hadn't fallen, attacking stronger than ever the more it was wounded.

Numerous spells and arrows were fired at the minotaur, but at one point the monster hadn't even flinched from the recoil of the projectiles.

"It's unbreakable...!" Ancel shouted. Both he and Dave took hit after hit with their shields, but they were slowly getting tired from receiving recoil from each powerful blow. They tried their best to look for an opening, but due to their roles, they had to ensure the hero's survival.

"Aim for the head, Freya!" Ace shouted.

"Don't you think I already know that?! My arrows aren't doing anything at all!"

Five arrows had barely penetrated the minotaur's skin, hanging on like darts. Even the spells from the mages looked as if they were attacking a wall, taking each hit without breaking.

Ace observed how the minotaur was attacking and had an idea on how to end the fight. Using what he had learned from Olivia, he imbued both mana and aura into his weapons. If it was used to penetrate armor, then it should be able to slash through the minotaur's tough hide as well. The paladins were already using their mana to strengthen their equipment, but if they made one wrong move in going on the offensive, they could consider their lives over.

"Ancel, Vella, grant me some buffs," Ace said.

"What?! Are you crazy? There's still a group of werewolves at the front if you're thinking about going in there--" Vella lectured him.

"If none of us do something to help them, then I will."

"We have to help Ancel and Dave, come on Vella. Ace is the fastest out of all of us, he can get through the wolves easily," Alan said, going along with Ace's request.

"Fine. This better work, Ace!"

"Thanks. I'll make this quick."

Vella went along and chanted [Light Veil], forming a light barrier around Ace. Alan chanted both [Paladin's Boost] and [Strength], increasing Ace's overall stats.

"[Utility Arts: Quick Step, Overdrive]!" Ace increased both his agility and attack speed as he charged into the frontlines, taking down any werewolf in his path. He was almost unstoppable at this point.

"[Offensive Art: Dashing Edge: Four-Fold]!" Ace closed the distance between him and the Minotaur, dashing back and forth and successfully cutting off its limbs. Without its limbs, the Minotaur lost its ability to stand and fell to the ground, allowing Ancel and Dave to finish it off with their arts.

"We won!" Alan shouted out.

There were no more werewolves in sight, and the Minotaur was nothing more than a corpse slowly transforming into small mana particles, shining brightly as they travelled across the floor.

"Somehow," Ancel swung the blood off his sword, which, despite being full of dents and scratches, had managed to protect the heroes he was assigned to.

"It was thanks to Ace, who gave us that opening, Ancel," Dave added. "Wait... is he okay?"

"Ace...?" Aria walked up to him, who was standing still before falling into Aria's arms the moment she got closer to him. "Ace...!"

"I'm not dead... my legs just stopped working, and I feel really tired," Ace replied, struggling to stand up.

"Mental fatigue. You used a lot of Arts in that fight, after all," Ancel said.

'I've never seen a hero use Arts that proficiently. I'm glad he's on our side, or he would be a monster if he served another kingdom,' Ancel thought to himself.

"I-I can walk... my mind is clearing up now..." Ace said, barely standing on his own feet.

"Are you sure...? I can help-"

"I'm fine... my mind is just cloudy right now," Ace cut off Aria's sentence, gently pushing her back. "Thanks anyway..."

"From memory, there's a break room on this floor. We'll head there to rest before we head down," Ancel said.

There was no sign of any enemies on the floor, and the mist slowly lifted after the minotaur's death. With the mist gone, the group made their way to the center of the floor, reaching what looked to be a giant tree surrounded by a wall of vines. Within the trunk of the tree was a room with a giant mana crystal in the middle, warding off the monsters that came near it. The trunk held numerous wooden chairs and tables, where the group took a seat, taking a break from their exploration.

Ancel reflected on the fight they had just had. He couldn't believe that such a monster was able to put both him and Dave on their knees. If they hadn't drawn its attention, the backline would've died to such a monster by now. Despite the hurdle, everyone seemed to have emerged even stronger than before.

The two Paladins kept their distance from the class, having a private chat with one another.

"Looks like the development will go well," Dave said.

"Yeah. My report to the king will be most positive," Ancel replied.

"So, you think it's worth betting on these kids?"

"I believe they will be. King Regis's dreams will be realized soon thanks to them."

"True, they're good fighters. It will be worth the while to invest in them."

Everyone had the chance to catch their breath after the fight. Some checked on their stats, noticing the increase in their levels, while others chatted, letting out their concerns about the upcoming floors. Ace, on the other hand, looked exhausted. He had been pushing himself in the earlier hours of their exploration, and the Minotaur fight took the last of his energy. If he had used any more Arts, he would've passed out for good.

After chatting with Dave, Ancel walked up to the group of heroes, reminding everyone of their last push to floor 10.

"We're close to the last floor, so we'll do a quick break here before reaching the stairs. There are probably a few enemies ahead, so be on your guard until then. And Ace, try not to use any more Arts for now. Overuse of arts can lead to a lot of bad consequences. I'm sure your trainer has told you of the risks." Ancel said to him.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Ace replied. He drank all his water in one go and looked desperate for more. When Freya noticed, she offered her drink, right before Aria had the chance to.

"Here. You're pushing yourself, you know that?" Freya lectured him.

"...I know."

"You always say that," Freya sighed. "Though what you did, it saved us honestly."

"Because I want everyone to return home."

"You should worry about yourself before worrying about us. Aria saved you from that wolf because you were reckless."

"Freya, calm down. We won the fight," Alan said, trying to calm her down.

"Yeah, but if Ace pushes himself when we're in a real fight, I worry that he'll be killed because of it," Freya said, still concerned.

"I won't let that happen! I'll put even more effort into going home for everyone, so don't burden yourself, Ace," Aria spoke up.

Ever since they had their talk, Aria had felt guilty that Ace had said she was a burden. She took it as if she was weak in Ace's eyes, and wanted to prove him wrong. She had made the decision to work even harder than before.

"Then I'll be counting on you, Aria," Ace said to her.

"You're going to end up like how uncle pushed himself if you put this much effort in," Freya said with concern.

Ace immediately shot a glare as Freya finished her sentence.

"Can we save this tension for the war? I don't want to think about the stress when it comes to a dungeon," Alan asked.

"It's a life or death situation for anything," Ace said.

"Even in high school, you two are usually so serious," Vella joined in, referring to the two cousins.

"Rarely see the blank duo show any other expressions, either their apathetic one or their serious one," Warren added.

"Blank duo...?" Ace said, confused.

"Hey! I came up with that name," Hilda popped in.

"Hmm, so it came from you. I guess it's a bit common in our family I think." Freya replied with a shrug.

Tensions began to ease as the conversation changed. Everyone returned to their usual cheerful mood once they had rested enough to finish exploring the rest of the floor. The mist lifting made progress easier, and while there were occasional fights with the monsters of the floor, they were nothing too major compared to the Minotaur. Ace stood back from most of the fights, noticing that everyone was fighting even harder than ever.

'If they fight like this every time, it'll be much easier for me.' Despite the break, Ancel still suggested that Ace shouldn't use any more Arts, and Ace agreed with the suggestion. Using eight Arts consecutively in a short time frame is Ace's current limit, as using his [Dashing Edge] multiple times takes a toll on his mental stamina. However, once he levels up, this will not be a problem for him.

Everyone eventually made it to the stairs leading down to floor 10, where the warp point was located. With this floor, the group can easily return to explore the deeper levels of the dungeon. The stairs went in a spiral, taking a few minutes to walk down.

They eventually reached a floor with a bridge-like layout spanning across a deep chasm. Everyone felt relieved the moment they stepped onto the floor, as they all wanted to return to their dorms and rest, while some wanted to explore the shops in the upper districts. They all walked towards the stone tablet located in the center of the bridge, relieved that they wouldn't have to fight any stressful battles for a while. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to end like that, as something appeared between them and the warp point.

"What is that...?" Someone asked.

"Don't tell me we have to fight again!"

A dark portal appeared, and a mysterious figure emerged from it. The figure was dressed in black armor that emitted a dark aura surrounding the entire figure, screaming death to anyone who came near. It was more imposing than the minotaur they faced. Its helmet hid bright red eyes that were fixed on Ace. The armored figure chanted a spell, summoning ghoul-like creatures to its side and rallying its forces against the group.

"That's a guardian, right?" Alan asked for reassurance. But when he looked towards Ancel, his body language said otherwise.

"...I hope so... Dark magic like that is bad news... I've never encountered anything like this before..." Ancel had a hesitant tone in his voice.

"Our only way is to push through. Ancel, we'll handle the armored figure. Everyone else, try to get the ghouls off us." Dave ordered.

'Why is that thing looking at me...'

The armored figure's eyes glowed brightly, fixated at Ace as both of each other look directly in the eyes. Ace took a stance, feeling the killing intent the figure had for him.

"For some reason, it's looking at me." Ace commented. He was at the back yet the unknown enemy seemed to have noticed him specifically.

"If it gets you riled up... I'll try to assist you if worst comes to worst," Warren said to him.

"Thanks, Alan, Glenn. Please help me out. I can't use as many Arts as I want right now."

"Got it."

"I'm not looking forward to it if it does aim for you, but I'll help regardless."

"I'll help out as well! I also noticed its gaze on you," Aria joined in.

"Thanks. I'll be counting on you." Ace replied.

The mysterious figure chanted something, imbuing its sword with mana, then after a second, it fired a dark bolt aiming for the group.

"[Holy Wall!]" Ancel intercepted the bolt, forming a wall of light to shield his team.

"It's not like the minotaur, so it will just take one of us to grab its attention," Dave said.

"Then you can use your Holy magic to finish it off," Ancel replied.

The armoured figure took a stance and ordered its ghouls to attack the Hero group. Soon after, it charged forward.

"It's coming!" Dave shouted.