“I always sucked at saying goodbyes.”
I said as I touched the back of my head awkwardly. After spending nearly 3 months, I was ready to depart to War God’s Battle Area. I didn’t feel too attached to Quipax, especially not as Whifur. Not only did I spend less time here, but I was also cooped in the palace during the duration. Even when I managed to get out and mix with the people, I was treated as a divine and important figure which made things needlessly complicated.
Well, it was over. Time to shed this cumbersome political shell and become a simple warrior once again.
“I am sure you will return without much time passing.”
The Queen smiled as she lightly touched my face. I shot her a confident smile.
“Of course I will. But I may waste my time on the road if you plan on burying me under documents as soon I return.”
Both of us laughed. She was to remain here. Not only a ruler leaving her country to join dungeon expeditions was incredibly risky and irresponsible, but she also had to prepare for the battle against Moloch.
“The bordering countries are in unrest,” she said suddenly, her tone heavy with concern.
I raised an eyebrow. "Good. They should be if they want to survive against Moloch."
She sighed. “I wish that were the case. They’re on edge because we’re mobilizing troops.”
I clicked my tongue. Of course. If you raise your sword people will be afraid you will bring it down to them. But we did warn them about Moloch. I understood not trusting prophecies as I also believed that the future wasn’t set in stone but it shouldn’t be so hard to believe the possibility of a demon king returning. I mean, you live in a fantasy setting, for fuck’s sake.
“Good luck navigating through the political shitstorm.”
Well, I wouldn’t be one to take care of it. She chuckled softly, but there was still a shadow of worry in her eyes. “Just stay alive out there, Champion. We need you.”
I gave her a mock salute, hoping to lighten the mood. “I plan to.”
The truth was, I had no idea what awaited me in the War God’s Battle Area. While I had access to information related to War God’s Battle Area thanks to Quipax’s intelligence web, because of its difficulty the expeditions to it were rare and the successful ones were even more so.
“I’ll send word as soon as I find something useful,” I promised, my voice more serious now.
The Queen nodded, her gaze softening. "I believe in you."
And with that, the conversation ended. It was time to go, to cast aside the burdens of a royal advisor and immerse myself in the thrill of combat, where things were simpler. You either win, or you die.
I turned my back to the palace, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. No more titles. No more divine figure nonsense. I was heading to where I truly belonged—where the only thing that mattered was strength.
As I made my way toward the gates, my companions—Gökbörü, Artemeni, Thalia, and Aurora—stood waiting. Each of them had a look of anticipation on their face. Blanche was also there and looked a little bit unsatisfied with our group.
“Will we have enough resources to last the trip?”
Instead of answering her with words, I reached into my shadow and pulled a bag of holding from it. It was Shadow Storage, a skill I acquired after defeating\absorbing that corrupted elf. It allowed me to store things inside my shadow. While the storage area wasn’t big, I was able to cheat the system by storing bags of holding there.
Blanche raised an eyebrow as I casually pulled the bag from the shadows, her skepticism giving way to a begrudging nod of approval.
"That should suffice," she muttered, crossing her arms. She still seemed unsatisfied, but at least now it wasn't about the supplies. Maybe it was the group itself, or maybe just the situation we were headed into. Either way, she was coming along, whether she liked it or not.
I jumped on my horse and offered my hand to Blanche.
“Normal horses would be too slow and durable but these guys won’t accept you as their rider. So, you are coming with one of us.”
Horses descended from the horse of the First Champion of Aliera chose their own riders and Blanche wasn’t one they would accept. Blanche hesitated for a moment, looking up at me with a frown before accepting my hand. Her touch was as cold as her demeanor, but I’d gotten used to it by now.
Others, especially Thalia looked at her with what I assumed was jealousy but I did not comment.
Blanche settled in behind me, her grip light but firm, and we set off. The rhythmic thudding of hooves against the dirt road was almost soothing, a welcome contrast to the constant tension that had settled over us for the past few weeks. The journey ahead was uncertain, but for now, it was just us and the road.
Aurora, riding beside us, broke the silence. “The War God’s Battle Area… We’ve heard stories, but what do we actually know?”
I glanced at her. Unlike us, the wind didn’t mess with her hair. She must be using magic. I wondered how sustainable it was.
“You out of all people didn’t read the intel?”
Aurora gave me a small shrug, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “I read it. But I want to hear what you think about it.”
I sighed, closing my eyes to focus on summarizing everything.
“War God’s Battle Area is made up of three floors. To conquer the first floor we need to complete 5 trials and get 5 key items. Not all trials require us to fight but with our luck, it will probably devolve into fighting nevertheless. We will be given a base to defend on the second floor. We will be supplied with constant minions and given some objectives that can help us to destroy the enemy base. We don’t have a lot of information related to the last floor but it is something like a boss rush. We will need to defeat 10 enemies back to back without any rest.”
Aurora nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. “Sounds like a grind. Do you have any plans for conquering each floor?”
I cast a glance over at Gökbörü who was having the time of his life, his mouth agape as he enjoyed the ride.
“One or two. But no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Plus, the last full conquest happened 20 years ago. Who knows how things changed with that amount of mana gathered there.”
While many things about the dungeons were unknown, it was obvious that things would change and get harder as the dungeon was gone unconquered for a long time.
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The ride continued as we fell silent. The War God’s Battle Area was still a few days away, but already, the landscape was changing. The once clear skies began to darken, storm clouds swirling on the horizon as if nature itself was warning us to turn back. Or maybe it was just my pessimistic ass reflecting what I felt about my environment.
I couldn’t help to think about Larve and how I left her in a place she didn’t know well. Yeah, she has been in Quipax for 3 months but…
Shit. I am not really fit to be a caretaker, aren’t I?
I shook my head. It is okay. It will be okay.
As we made camp that night, the mood was strangely calm. Thalia and Artemeni set up the tents while Blanche and I gathered firewood. Aurora stood at the edge of the camp, creating a magical barrier so we wouldn’t wake up to an unpleasant surprise.
As we settled into the camp, the crackling fire cast long shadows around us, mingling with the remnants of twilight. I inspected the faces of my group to see how were they doing.
Thalia's eyes were focused as she muttered prayers and mantras but as the most physically weak among us, I knew that riding horses all day was hard on her. Yet, she was still an Amazon and the smile she wore was proof of her resilience.
Artemeni, with his ever-steady hands, set about sharpening his weapons, his eyes flickering to the horizon every now and then. Her shoulders were tense but I felt like she was impatient about jumping into the combat rather than being in unease. She was probably eager to use what she practiced in the Time Dilation Chamber.
Blanche sat a little apart from everyone, staring into the flames. Her face was unreadable as usual, but something told me she had her own fears. Well, at least she wasn’t suffering from the curse of her family like our previous expedition.
Aurora was probably the most relaxed one among us. She calmly drank tea while reading the book she brought.
I gave each one of them a bag of holding after we ate. Everyone had their own bag of holding they brought but it was an insurance.
“It has food, water, healing potions, and signals in it. In case we ever split up.”
I explained before everyone went to sleep.
As I lay down, staring up at the stars that peeked through the thick cloud cover, I tried to shake off every bad thing in my mind.
…
I opened my eyes wide open as soon as Gökbörü sent a warning through our bond. I wasn’t one to sleep heavy on the field and I immediately borrowed Gökbörü’s Enhanced Senses and Combat Instincts. From the looks of it, we had around 1 or so hours until dawn. I quietly nudged Blanche, who was resting nearby, and she awoke with a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes met mine, instantly alert. I motioned for her to stay quiet. Without a word, she began to scan the surroundings as well, her senses finely attuned to danger.
I rose slowly. The others were still asleep, oblivious to the growing threat in the darkness. But how? Aurora’s barrier should have at least warned us. Gökbörü's senses pulsed through me, giving me a better understanding of the situation. It wasn’t a large group—maybe four or five—but their movements were too precise to be mere bandits or wild creatures. Trained.
I moved silently toward the others, gently tapping Aurora on the shoulder first. She blinked awake, the faint glow of mana already lighting in her palm before I shook my head. No magic. Not yet. I quickly woke Thalia and Artemeni, whispering short commands as they nodded and armed themselves.
I approached them first as Shadow Melt was active thanks to the darkness. It would be really hard for them to sense me approaching. Their outlines became clearer as I moved closer yet even with my Night Vision and Gökbörü’s Enhanced Senses their forms seemed to blur at the edges, like they were partially slipping out of reality itself. Some kind of skill or item if I had to guess. Their weapons were already drawn. Damn. Whoever they are, they’re not here to negotiate.
I manifested one of my daggers, gripping it tightly. Its dark steel glinted faintly in the moonlight, eager for a taste of action. With Gökbörü’s senses guiding me, I pinpointed the nearest target and moved in swiftly, activating Shadow Walk. My body became one with the darkness, and before they could register my approach, I was behind the closest one. With a single precise motion, I put it through their neck.
The figure dropped instantly, their body catching fire violently. The heat licked my body harmlessly as my fire resistance was through the roof.
I felt a shift in the air behind me. Instincts flared. I spun just in time to parry a downward strike aimed at my head. My blade clashed against theirs with a sharp, metallic ring. Up close, I could see more details now—their eyes, obscured beneath hoods, glowed faintly. Their weapons were coated with a faint shimmer, likely mana-infused.
My group joined the battle, the night gave into flashes of magic and mana. The remaining attackers realized they were outmatched. Their movements became more erratic, less precise as panic seeped into their formation. One of them attempted to retreat, but Aurora’s magic flared to life, trapping him in place with a binding spell. His body froze mid-step, unable to escape as glowing chains wrapped around his legs.
Another tried to flee in the other direction, but Gökbörü pounced from the shadows, his sharp fangs tearing into their throat. I approached the last standing figure slowly, sword still in hand.
“Who sent you?”
They didn’t respond. Instead, the figure raised a hand, something small and dark glowing in their palm. Gökbörü’s instincts screamed for me to take cover and I manifested a shield in front of me. A massive explosion rang, sending me flying backward. The explosion hit like a sledgehammer, hurling me into the air. I slammed into the ground, skidding across the dirt before coming to a stop.
“Fuck.”
I was fine despite the dull ache creeping upon my body. I staggered to my feet, blinking away the dizziness. Thalia and Artemeni were already up, weapons drawn, scanning for any more threats. Blanche dusted herself off beside me, her face impassive despite the chaos. Aurora was muttering a spell under her breath, her magic forming a shimmering protective barrier around us.
The figure who had triggered the explosion was now nothing more than a charred silhouette, reduced to ash and smoke. A suicide attack, meant to cover their escape or take at least one of us. I grunted, brushing off the dirt. "Everyone alright?"
Nods all around. The ambush had failed, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. These weren't just random attackers—they were trained, equipped, and prepared to die if necessary. Whoever sent them wasn’t playing around.
“Pack up quickly,” I ordered, turning to the others. “We’re leaving before the sun rises. No sense in sticking around for more of them.”