Pain seared on Alphecca’s shoulders but it worked as it knocked him off the illusion. He opened his eyes and finally saw reality. His party was still asleep and the Fox’s Tails was looming above their head.

Tristana really didn’t hold back, her conjured spear from her hand pierced through his shoulders. He grabbed it and then broke it. The fox was still in its dream world.

He stood up. He immediately noticed Lenaya. It seemed that her magic was getting sucked up. A violet-like color was spreading on her veins like venom. Alphecca was compelled to immediately kill the fox.

He drew his sword with a swift, fluid motion, and in an instant, the blade flashed through the air, severing the fox's head cleanly from its body. The fox's head tumbled to the ground, eyes went wide with surprise. Moments later, the lifeless body slumped and collapsed, its many tails dissipating into a swirling mist before vanishing entirely.

The mist that surrounded the party instantly disappeared too. Still the party was asleep, Alphecca waved a light magic to dispel the effect of sleep and awaken them.

Alphecca glared… it shouldn’t be that simple, his instincts were telling him there was still more to that. Although he did cut the fox, he didn’t feel right. There were monsters that were in spectral forms but they could be immediately identified since they would be usually was formless. Still, the dungeons held many secrets and as time passed it could evolve too. Nothing was truly certain.

Redgar upon regaining his consciousness took a look at Lenaya. She was groaning, clutching her neck in agony, but she couldn’t vocalize it. She was back in reality but something was already coursing through her veins.

The Black Hood and Tristana held her hand. Trying their own healing magic. Left and right they channeled magical energy in an intention to fix her but Tristana immediately let go of her hand.

“What’s wrong with her?!” Redgar was clearly not okay with everything, he clutched Lenaya’s head as if it were the most precious thing of all.

“It's like a curse… it's sucking her magic, we have to get out of this dungeon!” Tristana gasped the air as pain struck her hands, she then showed it to Redgar and there were also purple veins spreading on her.

“We better move!” the Black Hood also had it but he was strong enough to at least slow down the curse. “Lover boy, I have to hold her hand as we transport, take my things,” the Black Hood said.

They immediately exchanged, Redgar giving Lenaya’s limping body and trading it for the Black Hood’s baggage.

Redgar’s face glared as he saw her face. “Lenaya… hold on tight! We will save you!!” he said.

“I… I will make it… do not worry my love…” Lenaya’s voice was dried as she tried to speak the words. She then smiled.

They must begin their climb up but Alphecca who was silently staring around suddenly spoke “We can’t leave… we have to kill the fox first… or she will die,” he said like he was sure of it.

“What are you saying!! We should hurry up!!” Redgar glared at Alphecca.

Alphecca then unsheathed his sword not even halfway through and cut himself on his arms.

“What the hell are you doing!?” Tristana who was watching the madness complained but the man just smiled at her as he went closer to the Black Hood who was carrying Lenaya.

He didn’t need to be that closer. He then waved his hand with blood dripping on it “Light… guide me,” Alphecca muttered as a light resonated from him.

It was thin… the light that flashed revealed a thread that was made out of magic. It was floating in the air… directly escaping from the mouth of Lenaya.

“It is draining her magic,-” Alphecca said, and using his hand that had the wound he placed it on the thread and he was instantly inflicted with the same curse. “-I have to kill it…”

Tristana’s eyes widened. The party didn’t understand Alphecca except for Elway who sighed. He knew what his old friend was planning. He would hunt the fox alone, it was possible if it was him.

“I would go alone,” Alphecca smiled.

The title he held was something that couldn’t be obtained easily. Magic capacity, ability, and martial prowess. Backed by accomplishments and numerous feats. The man was already legendary and he was still active. The party he had now was already his 3rd one. There were rumors and bad stories about him but the party knew that it was not all true.

He was a brutish one, someone who loved to fight. Bold in his words but wisdom in his every decision. He was a natural-born leader and would lead through his actions. If anything he was the best model for a hero.

The party silently stared at him. Lenaya mustered all of her strength to move her neck and look at Alphecca’s visage.

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“I calmed you down that's why we end up like this, you know that it would be my fault if you die you know?” Elway spoke but he was ready to leave, he threw a copy of the map of the dungeon. As far as he wanted to die with his friend he couldn’t. The only thing that he promised his family was that he would come back no matter what.

“Nah, you will all be in my way with your state, I better go on alone, take care guys,” Alphecca said, although it didn’t sound good they knew that he didn’t mean anything bad.

The party began to leave. Redgar who threw a gaze back didn’t see Alphecca. He was already gone. A waterfall of inferiority crushed his spirit. But he had to remain focused, all he wanted to do was to save the love of his life. He will make sure that she survives.

<--->

A lone man moved with unwavering purpose, his steps deliberate and swift. At times, he would vanish, reappearing moments later in a burst of speed, his flash step slicing through the silence like a blade. His eyes darted sharply, scanning the area before he would disappear again, a relentless predator honing in on his prey. The searing pain in his hands was his compass, a burning reminder of his mission.

He would check the map Elway gave him from time to time. He was approaching a dead end, but the pain in his hands was pulling him toward the end of the passage. Arriving at the terminus, he saw mist continuing to flow out from a crack in the wall, and the thread he was following extended inside. He followed it and discovered a path that led to a hall of ice.

The frigid corridor loomed ahead, its walls glistening with frost, beckoning him forward. The icy air wrapped around him, pulling him in, urging him deeper into its frozen embrace. His resolve hardened, the chilling path drawing him closer to his goal. He was sure that the crack was not there before.

He breaks the ice making it wider, then began his lonely stride slowly as things ran through his mind.

Being on the top alone was probably the loneliest thing. He had been walking the path of the sword for a long time now. All of his adversaries that his time had to offer were already bested if not defeated. After accumulating his prowess he had just been looking for a better fight that’s why he continued his career as an adventurer.

It was truly a thrill although it was not the fight he was looking for, he wanted to test his swordsmanship to the limits of possibilities, to feel the edge of his mastery, as sword master vs sword master. The solitude he felt was suffocating and more ever he felt lonely.

Still, he had to go on. Continue and fight despite the losses and challenges.

He could feel the presence of the one he was hunting; the curse on his arm throbbed with a fiery intensity. The pain, sharp and unrelenting, served as his radar, guiding him with each pulsating beat. His target was near.

The dungeon room opened up before him, revealing a mesmerizing sight. It was like stepping into a garden of crystalline flowers, each petal catching and refracting the dim light, casting prismatic glimmers across the field. The soft, eerie illumination highlighted the delicate beauty of the flowers, turning the field into a sparkling wonderland.

In the midst of this enchanted field sat a gallant figure, its fur shimmering like polished silver. A fox, majestic and ethereal, held its ground with an air of regal defiance. The man’s breath caught in his throat; he knew without a doubt that this was the one he sought. The real one.

Its tails were like streaming in the air with a life on its own. The curse that he was following was flowing into its mouth, a mist was also slowly releasing out of its mouth and a growl like it was chanting. It blinked twice before laying its eyes on the human that found it.

Its tooth showed up like it was smiling.

“Oh, I’ll erase your smirk on that stupid mug of yours…” Alphecca threatened and drew his sword.

The fox stood up and, by spreading its tails, it reared, releasing a very intimidating aura. It could suffocate normal humans and drive them insane, but not Alphecca. He smiled, recognizing the fox's attempt to intimidate him. It wasn’t that scary now that it was really in front of him; its strength was probably part of the illusion too.

“Isn’t that cute?” the man muttered and rushed into an attack.

He used the flash step but the fox followed suit. Claws, bites, and tails lashing them like a whip. The man dodged and countered the openings like clockwork. The fox’s limbs were getting carved up. The man was a beast and the melee proved to be the man’s forte.

The fox began a quick spin even creating a vortex of small blizzard. It flattened the flowers on the field, it sprayed glitters beautifully and the magic of the fox flowed out. Alphecca evaded by doing a flash step.

The fox hissed in frustration, its eyes narrowing as it decided to rely on its magic. Suddenly, shimmering ice particles began to float around the fox, swirling in a mesmerizing dance.

Alphecca silently marveled at the breathtaking scene before him. Witnessing a new monster in its epic glory was a rare and magnificent sight. He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, savoring the wonder of magic and the crisp, invigorating essence of ice.

“It wouldn’t be fun if it is not like this…” he said. He could actually end the battle by drinking the Dragoon Flower extract in his pocket but he had to heed and stop himself. He want to fully immerse himself in the fight.

The particles turned into icicles, the same magic it used back on the illusion. The man began moving to the right encircling the monster.

The fox released a gekkering sound as the icicle launched itself rapidly flying. The man just needed a bit more adjustments to dodge it but the wolf launched an attack too. It began by jumping sideways diagonally left and right, with each tight turn it would leave some kind of floating orb.

While dodging and parrying the icicles the distance shrank between the two until Alphecca was close enough to make an attack but the fox was now cautious so instead it jumped off the air firing icicles from its mouth, it was more precise than the floating ones.

“Hmm… being a monster is a convenience…”Alphecca said. He didn’t have the time to attack, the fox was clever. Of course, it’s a battle of life and death, it would use everything in its power.

Alphecca executed his flash step to evade most of the icicles. Still, a few managed to reach him, forcing him to cut them down. As soon as the large fox landed, it launched crawling icicles across the ground.

The man immediately jumped up, but the fox's follow-up attack caught him by surprise. The fox dashed again, hopping left and right, leaving ice orbs in its wake.

‘It's trying to limit the ground,’ Alphecca realized, understanding the fox's strategy to confine his movements. Sooner or later, he would run out of space to move into. A smile cracked on his face—this monster was actually thinking of how to defeat him. The idea was both terrible and amusing.

“You're showing me something, so I have to reciprocate,” he said, raising his sword into the air. “Release.”

His entire body flashed with light. His eyes glowed with the magic of light, and his hair floated from the particles of magic, putting him in a higher state.