Lyon POV:
An intense explosion occurred around me. I got to my feet, still in a daze, when I saw two hands hold on to my left shoulder. A faint blue light emanated from them, revealing the faces of my mother and father. The people of Haiton Village stood behind them, stretching their hands toward me.
Lissandra, Nia, and Tobias placed their hands on my right shoulder. Those that I knew from Efros and Outer Astril appeared further behind; their arms raised in my direction.
A hand tapped my back, adding to the strength I needed to step forward as the familiar voice of my master drifted into my ears.
“Go.”
I broke out of the daze. The connections of the past glowed; they turned into water, forming stable currents that stuck close to my side. An enormous amount of Ki surged from deep within my body, filling it to the brim, then overflowing outward. It created powerful waves that swirled around me.
My hair: a couple of shades lighter. My physical attributes and Elemental Ki all increased by an absurd amount.
I stepped forward.
The Orc Leader’s lips parted, bringing back its sadistic grin as I arrived in front of it. Two large hands smacked together, creating continuous echoes that bounced off the walls.
“Yes. This. More. Fun.”
My gaze shifted to Terra. Her bloodied head flopped in my direction, and her glazed-over eyes pleaded with me to escape.
“... Ru…n...”
A whimper left her mouth before her consciousness faded. The Orc Leader grabbed the axe and swung it down, splitting the air in half as it aimed for my head. I stepped forward, letting my fist take its time along the route to the Orc’s stomach.
“G-guack..?!”
Blood splashed against the destroyed ground. Its face contorted further from the blow that ruptured its internal organs. My fist forced the Orc’s body to rise, then blasted it right into the wall in front of me.
I splayed my hand, and a torrent of water crashed through it.
“G-GRUAGGHHHH!!”
And its agonizing screams penetrated the air.
[The Orc Leader has revealed its true nature.]
[The Deviant Orc has started the process of transforming into a Highborne. Transformation Rate: 3%]
[The Deviant Orc is enraged.]
...
Several windows flashed into my vision. I noticed a large crystal, in the shape of an upside-down triangle, embedded in the Orc’s chest. Tribal markings appeared along its arms, paired with fierce red eyes that glowed.
“Break. You. Is. Fun.”
Sadism no longer quantified the pure elation of the Orc’s grin. It flickered out of view, reappearing behind me. Its axe cut through the space in a horizontal line, attempting to sever my head from my body. I twisted my neck to the side, and the violent shift of the air breezed past me.
“G-guahh?...”
I spun around and jumped in the same motion. My foot splintered its jaw, launching the Orc into a nearby wall.
“G-gruaghh...GRUAGHH!!!”
It spat out mouthfuls of blood. Its roar seemed to heal the jaw I had plastered on the other side of its face but didn’t seem to enlighten the Orc about its current predicament. I sidestepped out of the way of the axe and caught its fist with my hand. A shockwave of air shattered the ground beneath us.
“L-Let. Go.!”
My grip tightened, and I took my time applying force to it. I stopped once the Deviant Orc’s knees caved the surrounding earth. Thick droplets of sweat drenched sticky, red skin. I peered down at the Orc, forcing its gaze to lower further.
A torrent of water erupted around us while I observed its arm tremble. My glare turned that tremble into a quake. My glare turned that pride into a fear that made it beg.
“Are you afraid?”
The Orc’s pupils dilated wide enough for me to see my own reflection in its eyes. Its teeth gnashed together. Its thunderous roars of rage changed nothing. It continued to struggle to break free from my grip when my lips parted.
“Please don’t die on me.”
My hand rose, and the water wrapped around it in response. It formed a sharp spear with raging currents revolving back and forth. The Deviant Orc sensed the danger. It thrashed about, trying to break away from me in any capacity. I watched the sweat gather, forming a puddle at its knees.
“Pierce.”
“!Guack!!”
The sound of water gushing out and splashing against the earth came from the large hole I had opened in its stomach. Blood splattered the surrounding area, taking away some of the light in its red eyes. I swung the water spear down, severing the Orc’s arm in one smooth motion. I caught it, observed it, then discarded it to the side.
[The Deviant Orc has started the process of transforming into a Highborne. Transformation Rate: 45%]
I ignored the floating window, focusing only on the Deviant Orc. It healed the open hole in its stomach but was unable to grow its arm back.
“YO—”
My hand grabbed its face and smashed it right back into the ground where it belonged. The corners of my mouth rose, curving upwards as I watched fountains of blood spurt out from the Orc’s body. My fist rained down on it, cratering the earth with blows that shook the dungeon.
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I picked up its beaten body and dashed it into an open pathway. It flipped several times, bouncing off the sides of the walls before disappearing out of view.
“GRRUAAGGGHHHH!!!”
The Deviant Orc reappeared with a raised fist aimed at me. Steam left its mouth, but that’s not the only thing that did.
“????”
A trail of blood wet its face as my foot smashed it into the side of the cave. The Orc’s shoulders twitched before it stared at me descending from the sky. I wriggled my foot down on its head embedded into the ground while sharp stalagmites pierced through the air.
I observed them stay upright in the earth when my body blurred along with the Orc’s. Loud bangs echoed across the entire dungeon, ending with the Deviant Orc’s head piledrived into the middle of the spiral centre.
“GRRAAGHHHH!!!”
The Orc knocked me away, enraged by the fact I had humiliated it. It glared at me when I raised my hands and smacked them together.
“….”
A clapping sound bounced off the destroyed walls, entering the Orc’s ears and freezing it in place. Its lip quivered. It arched its back toward the ground before a roar, loud enough to shake the very walls around us, erupted from its mouth.
[The Deviant Orc has called for reinforcements.]
Hundreds of Orcs rushed toward the centre of the dungeon, growling in unison. I instantly splayed my hands. Torrents of water separated themselves from me, covering my party members, simultaneously healing and protecting them.
The surprise that flashed through my mind at being able to heal others by myself vanished as fast as it came. I remained in a perfect state of tranquillity when the constant surge of Ki decreased.
I was running out of time.
“Ha. Ha. You... A little. Weaker now...”
“Foo...”
Its mental attacks failed to reach my mind. A small breath escaped my lips, and powerful walls of water blocked the entrances to the spiral centre. The armies of Orcs smashed their fists against the high barriers, climbing on top of one another in an attempt to vault the blockade and join the battle.
I splayed my hand toward the Deviant Orc, and several torrents of water rushed forward, crashing into the giant axe used to guard its face.
“Weaker and weaker~”
[The Deviant Orc has started the process of transforming into a Highborne. Transformation Rate: 60%]
The Deviant Orc lowered the axe, revealing short hair that had sprouted from its head. There was a noticeable change in its facial structure, becoming more streamlined and slim.
“It’s over.”
Its sadistic grin returned to mock my claim as the water lifted me up into the air. I concentrated everything I had into the palm of my hand that stretched towards the Orc. I gripped my wrist, feeling the Mark of a Pantheon aid me with a little more power.
The waves rippled around me. They became violent, ready to erode and destroy anything in their path as my lips parted.
“Surge.”
The Deviant Orc’s narrow eyes bulged, and the torrent of waves shot forward like a bullet. A thin blue line bisected the Orc’s body down the middle; the cut so clean not a drop of blood hit the ground. The waves encircled it before imploding apart.
It had no time to react.
[The Deviant Orc has started the process of transforming into a Highborne. Transformation Rate: 65%]
[The Deviant Orc’s transformation has been forcefully cancelled.]
[The Hidden Boss Monster has been defeated.]
[The reinforcements summoned by the Boss Monster have been erased.]
[You have gained the title ‘Orc Slayer.’]
[A gate has been summoned in zone 8. The dungeon has been cleared.]
...
I ignored the system notifications and flopped to the ground. Blood gushed out of my nose as my vision blurred. I fought back the urge to fall asleep and made my way over to Terra.
The barrier of water clung to her wounds, healing as much as it could before fading away. Her complexion had returned to normal, and thankfully, the head injuries she suffered weren’t as bad as they looked.
I turned my head, avoiding her parts of her bare body the water had failed to conceal while I covered her with my spare clothes. I placed her beside the pathway leading to zone 8 before turning my attention toward Barrel. The Deviant Orc had held back a lot, but he was still battered and bloodied all over.
Most of his wounds had been sealed, and he appeared to be in a somewhat stable condition. I moved his unconscious body beside Terra’s.
Finally, I made my way to Kana. Her Ki Armour was on a much higher level than everyone else’s, so her injuries, while severe, could have been a lot worse. I bent down and took off my remaining top. I turned away from her exposed side, slipping the fabric over her head and covering her body.
“Oddjob...”
Her eyes flickered open. Kana gripped my hand, shedding a few tears as she stared at the endless white ceiling.
“Pathetic. I’m so... Pathetic... Please... Please don’t tell him...”
Her words trailed off, and she passed out again. I felt her squeeze my hand one last time before it fell back down to her side.
‘...’
I stared at her for a few moments. Maybe this was why Kana was unable to draw her blade. This experience could prove detrimental to her breaking through that wall, but so what? She was still alive, and that was more important than becoming strong.
Still, I hoped that Kana could solve the issue and tap into her true potential; that was one of her dreams after all. I sighed inwardly before moving her towards the others. I glanced back at the huge axe that stood embedded in the centre of the spiral room.
I picked it up and ripped a part of my trousers off. I wrapped it around the handle, creating a sling, and hoisted it on top of my bare back.
I placed Kana over the little room left on my shoulders while her hands instinctively clasped each other, securing her grip around my neck. I held Barrel in one arm as Terra’s head rested against my chest.
It would be a bad idea if I let the blood rush to her head after the trauma she had just suffered, so I held her as upright as I could. Most of Barrel’s damage was done to the body, so this layout worked better.
I hurried down the pathway, turned the corner, and saw the familiar cave where the Deviant Orc first appeared. In the distance was a large gate that had a white, swirling light rotating inside of it.
There was nothing left to do here. I made my way through the gate without looking back.
The dungeon scenery faded.
***
The brief light surrounding us vanished just as quickly as it came. My eyes adjusted, and I saw the plaza full to the limit, packed with hundreds of people. Dozens more sat on the rooftops of nearby buildings, all staring at the dungeon entrance.
Their intense gaze increased the tension in the air, tightening it like a loose knot.
“T-they’re back!!!!”
The silence was broken by a shout. The whole plaza erupted into a loud cheer, causing the very ground to shake beneath their feet as rounds of applause rang out.
The sun had already begun to set, but it was relieving to know that they were aware of the change that took place in the dungeon from the outside. They cared enough to wait around this long to see the result; it was a good sign, and it was just like many of the people in Efros to act this way.
It was why Terra and Kana weren’t exactly treated like nobility all the time. Though they could enforce their status whenever they wished, and everyone would comply without a complaint. Efros was just...
Different.
I gently placed Terra and Barrel down on the ground before raising the large axe into the air while the thunderous cheers grew louder. I noticed Kana sitting down, meditating, and wondered just when she had moved.
“Wait... That’s an axe that Bloodborne Orcs often use, right?”
“Ha? How can I Bloodborne Orc appea... The difficulty increased THAT high???”
“Orc Slayer! Orc Slayer!”
“Orc Slayer!!”
The crowd chanted out a title. This was probably how the system knew to add it in advance. The soldiers soon climbed the elevated steps, arriving at the platform in front of the dungeon and threw extra clothes on Kana, who then got to her feet.
Hubert flickered to Terra’s side, holding her close to his chest. I saw his eyebrows furrow before a sigh of relief left his lips.
“Master Lyon...”
His words trailed off as the world around me spun once more. I flopped to the ground, devoid of any strength. My consciousness slipped away, but my lips curved into a smile.
At the very least, everyone had survived. I had managed to save my Master’s precious friend, Kana and Barrel. That was more than enough for me to feel satisfied.
My eyes closed, and I saw everyone appear before me once again. I knew I couldn’t have done it alone; they all gave me strength, just like Keo Yeboah told me all those years ago.
I watched my father and mother stand at the front of everyone else with bright smiles. They opened their mouths in unison as the sound of their familiar voices drifted into my ear one last time.
“We’re proud of you, Lyon.”
They faded along with the others, and I was greeted with the familiar scenery of darkness. Only a shred of consciousness had yet to leave me when a voice I hadn’t heard in years suddenly made itself known.
“You have a long way to go, my son.”