Chapter 16 : Back To The Main Quest

I’m falling. Free-falling, with a smile on my face. An angel summons a giant sword of light, while a divine being charges at me at the speed of light. They want to kill me. It’s amusing, so amusing to see them so desperate.

They’re closing in at an incredible speed, one hurling their gigantic blade of light, the other trying to cut me down as they charge straight at me. I dodge them with ease, as if this were just a game.

They continue their assaults, one attacking me up close, the other from a distance. I parry every strike, creating shockwaves so powerful they warp the landscape around us. The plain where I was flying is gradually transforming into a desolate desert. This is so fun, so fun...

They’re out of breath. Divine beings? Exhausted so quickly? Ridiculous. I charge at them. With one kick, I send one crashing into the ground at unimaginable speed. The impact creates a crater like a meteorite, and their life ends instantly.

The other, realizing the danger, tries to flee. Too late. I chase after them, impaling them with my sword. In a swift motion, I set the blade aflame, burning their pathetic body to ash.

A vicious smile spreads across my lips. Suddenly, chants and cheers of joy echo in the distance. Other humans, familiar faces, look at me with admiration, raising their arms to the sky as if we had just won a battle.

Then, I wake up. Abruptly pulled from that strange dream.

Right now, we’re in a newly rebuilt inn in the kingdom of Orthosomo, in Aqualida. The air is pleasant again, and life is returning to normal. The entrance to the dungeon has been temporarily closed after the events of the past few weeks, but I fully intend to return the moment it reopens. Elvie went out to buy provisions. The Aqualida dungeon is massive, much of it submerged underwater, so it’s best to be well-prepared.

‘Aley! I have good news!’ Elvaria suddenly bursts into the room, breaking the door with a sharp blow. Clearly, she hasn’t yet fully realized her new strength.

‘Ah… oops,’ she says, biting her lip, a bit embarrassed.

‘No matter. Now that we’re S-rank adventurers, we can afford to pay for repairs,’ I respond, sighing slightly. ‘What’s going on, Elvie?’ I ask, curious to see what has her so excited this early in the morning. Despite her mature appearance and beauty, Elvaria still retains this childlike behavior, making her unpredictably endearing at times.

Her green eyes suddenly light up with excitement. ‘Listen up, Aley! They’ve just reopened the Aqualida dungeon! We can finally start descending the tower!’ she exclaims, throwing herself at me, overwhelmed with uncontrollable joy.

The Aqualida dungeon is one of the strangest structures. You enter from its summit and descend deep into the earth, beneath the water. Several zones are completely submerged, requiring constant vigilance.

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‘It’s open?!’ I exclaim, astonished by the news.

‘It’s open!’ she responds, a wide smile lighting up her face.

‘We can finally get back to our main quest: conquering that damned dungeon and finishing the Prism of God.’ Ah, finally, the path before us is clear again. Once we conquer this dungeon, it’ll be time to return to Iveralmn. That mysterious voice that sometimes appears in my head has been urging me to go there...

‘Alright, let’s go!’ Elvaria exclaims, holding out her hand, a big smile on her face. I take it, and we start moving forward.

‘It’s the S-rank adventurers!’ we hear from the street as we race forward, leaving behind faint afterimages. We have to be careful not to go too fast, lest we create shockwaves that could ruin the kingdom, which has only just been restored.

The buildings around us are still under reconstruction, and it would be a shame to destroy them again with our excess power. The kingdom, once of unparalleled beauty, now resembles a city in the midst of growth. While its original form has been preserved, silver and gold statues have been erected at every corner, depicting Elvaria and me as heroes. The plaques beneath our statues exaggerate our battle with the angel, but no matter.

We stand before the enormous dungeon tower. The staircase that once led to the entrance at its summit has been destroyed. And, I admit, that was my fault. Running at full speed along the tower, the shockwaves caused the structure to collapse...

‘Aley, shall we climb?’ Elvaria asks with a confident smile. For us, this kind of challenge is no longer really a challenge.

Suddenly, a group of adventurers emerges from a newly constructed tavern at the edge of the tower and heads toward us with determined expressions. Are they planning to fight?

I instinctively place my hand on my sword’s hilt, ready to draw.

‘What do you want?’ I ask, my tone icy.

The group consists of two elves, one with blonde hair, the other with white. Both are extremely beautiful, but... ah, I can already feel Elvie’s piercing gaze. Better avoid trouble and look away. There’s also a young man among them, probably around fifteen. Brown-haired, blue-eyed, and slightly tanned, he eventually speaks, visibly trembling:

‘Y-you’re Novus Obris, right?’ His voice shakes with emotion as he continues.

‘My name is Lein, Lein Mart. I-I’m a huge fan! I saw your battle against the monster, it was... magnificent! C-can I have an autograph?’ His eyes sparkle with admiration, and I quickly realize the two elves behind him are a bit jealous of the attention he’s giving me. Ah, I see, they’re both in love with him.

‘Hey, Lein. Yes, that’s us, Nov—’ But, of course, Elvaria cuts me off again.

‘Yes, that’s us, Novus Obris, in the flesh!’ she says proudly, puffing out her chest.

‘And of course, we’ll give you an autograph!’ she adds, just as proudly.

Lein hands us a piece of paper, smiling broadly, visibly delighted to get an autograph from his idols. At that moment, I start to realize that now that we’re S-rank adventurers, life is smiling on us: money, popularity... maybe I could settle for this simple life—

‘Aley, you’re thinking about giving up on the Prism of God quest, aren’t you?’ says Elvaria, fixing me with an accusatory look.

‘No, no, not at all, ahah!’ I reply, trying to defend myself. I take the paper Lein hands me and sign it, then pass it to Elvaria for her signature.

‘Thank you, thank you so much!’ he says, his smile radiant, his face glowing with happiness. It warms my heart to know that something as simple as an autograph can bring so much joy.

‘Alright, it’s time to tackle this tower,’ declares Elvaria, turning toward the gigantic dungeon that looms over the city.

‘Indeed, let’s go,’ I agree, looking at the tower with determination. This dungeon... I’m going to savor every moment of its exploration.