Alongside the glowing fairy and Fiona's Illumination, navigating through the dark tunnels was a breeze.

Not long after they began their run, the three of them reached the end of the tunnel, arriving at the same area that branched into five different paths.

"Wait a minute, something is off about this," Fiona said, stopping at the crossroad.

Originally, there were five tunnels, but three of them have been closed off. Massive boulders now obstruct these tunnels, reaching from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. Out of the original five, only two tunnels remain accessible. One of them lead back to the sewers, while the other was located on the left side of the crossroads.

"Yesterday, these four tunnels weren't blocked off, but now only one remain."

Nessa looked from tunnel to tunnel and sniffed. "The smell of dirt is higher than before, and I can faintly see a layer of dust through the light. If what you say is true, then the tremors we felt are the result of these tunnels being sealed just minutes before."

"Is this Scourge's doing?" Fiona asked. "Their goal might be to seal off the tunnels they don't want us entering."

"And that's not it," said Nessa.

Alongside Lithero, she moved toward one of the closed tunnels and pointed at the ground. In the dirt, there was a large X embedded into the ground, as if someone marked it recently with something sharp. She moved to the next sealed tunnel, and near the entrance was another X. The remaining tunnel held no such marks.

Lithero floated around the mark and said, "Why are the grounds marked? That seems odd, doesn't it?"

"The other knights did this," Fiona mumbled. "Royal Knight Othelia and the others aren't here, but I'm pretty sure they would've came rushing over here if a loud noise like that suddenly echoed through the place. I think these markings must have been drawn by the knights so we know where they went."

"Was that before or after the tremors?" the fairy asked, fluttering around Nessa's head.

Fiona shrugged, uncertain whether the knights had marked the ground before or after the tremors. However, she was convinced that they had indeed marked the ground and were probably ahead of them. The only logical explanation for this action was to inform their comrade, Nessa, of their whereabouts. Fiona wondered if it would be wise to search the sewers in case the knights had sought refuge there for safety. But was that the best decision to make?

Fiona looked over at Nessa, waiting for her response. The knight inspected the marks and the tunnels before facing the remaining one. Without a word, the Sorcerer strode down the remaining tunnel and stopped randomly.

"This will be a great learning opportunity," Nessa shouted. "Fio, do you see or feel anything odd around the area?"

Fiona stared blankly at the small woman. Was there something else she was missing? What was so special about the spot Nessa was in?

She approached her and scanned the area, but nothing caught her eye. She wasn't really sure what she was supposed to look out for until she turned on mana sense, and it hit her like a bucket of bricks.

"Mana is gathering here," Fiona said, looking around the tunnel.

It didn't take her more than a second to locate its origins. On the right side of the tunnel, just an arms length away, a clump of mana was gathered at the wall. The amount was minuscule, hard to miss if a sorcerer wasn't close attention to their surroundings. Fiona wasn't surprised that Nessa found it with ease.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to find," Nessa praised, patting Fiona's arm. "From the looks of it, this is another activation rune, most likely from the same Conjuration Sorcerer that placed the trap near the coffins. This one is a bit different as it doesn't require someone to step on it, but rather them triggering its effects once they pass through."

Lithero hovered between the two sorcerers, eyeing the mana. "All we have to do is destroy it now, right? I bet the other tunnels had the same runes, which is why they were closed up."

"But why only leave one tunnel open?" Fiona asked, staring down the pathway.

"Because the others had already gone ahead and split up," Nessa guessed. "If it were me, then I'd send Othelia to one tunnel, Heade for another, and the remaining guards for the other while leaving the last one for us. No offense to the guards, but in this situation where we know little about the enemy, it'd be best for them to stay close then to separate. We royal knights will be just fine on our own."

Nessa approached the rune slowly, stopping before entering the rune's activation range. She placed her hand against the wall, and immediately the rune glowed a pearly white. The light grew stronger the longer she left her hand.

After she drew in a breath, the glow of the rune started to flicker, its once steady light wavering like a candle in the wind. The rune flared one last time in a brilliant burst of light before its glow dimmed and finally faded away, leaving only a faint outline of where it had been. The magic dissipated, the power within the rune unraveled and gone.

The royal knight frowned. "That's odd. Unraveling the rune's internal structure took longer than I thought. Well, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. The rune is gone, and we don't have to worry about getting buried alive."

"If you say so," Lithero replied, his voice laced with skepticism.

Nessa noticed the worried glances the two gave each other and said, "There's no need to be anxious. I might me short, but my experience is the opposite! Now, let's get moving before Scourge realizes we're hot on their tail. Fio, stick close while Lithy lights the way. Conserve your mana."

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Fiona nodded and stopped using Illumination. After that, Lithero was the first to move, flying at a leisurely pace so that Nessa and Fiona could follow.

Lithero took the lead, his miniature form radiating a gentle glow, providing enough illumination to light up the path ahead. The tunnel stretched out in front of them, a serpentine passage that grew increasingly claustrophobic the further they delved. The air hung heavy with the scent of moist soil, while the walls glistened with a thin layer of dampness, reflecting the faint glimmer of Lithero's light.

Fiona kept her senses sharp, her eyes scanning the shadows that danced at the edge of their light. Every so often, the tunnel would widen or narrow unexpectedly, forcing them to adjust their pace. Sometimes, a worm would pop out of the wall, but they were always quick to dive back in. They even encountered a mole in their path, but the vibrations of two people were enough to send the furry creature scurrying back into the soil.

As Fiona's legs ached and her breath caused sharp pains in her torso, the tunnel gradually began to rise. Her body seemed to ascend higher and higher, witnessing the walls and ceiling slowly moving apart. Then, she caught sight of it - a faint, white light radiating from a small door secured with a silver lock.

"Finally, a door!" Lithero exclaimed.

"Lity, wait—"

Too late did the royal knight call out as the fairy zoomed toward the door, his small hands touching its surface; Lithero pulled on a rusted handle, and with a soft click, the door opened with ease. Almost immediately, a gloved hand shot out from behind the door and grabbed the fairy, who was stunned. The figure behind the door retreated, Lithero held firmly in their hands.

Nessa's brows furrowed as she picked up the speed. A blade materialized in her hand in two heartbeats; a short sword engrained with markings on a blade that seemed too skinny to hold a sharp edge. Lining a curved crossguard were glyphs of the four main elements. As soon as Nessa tapped on a swirly symbol with her thumb, the symbol glowed, and her body became enveloped in a thin gust of wind that propelled her forward, bursting through the door and out of sight.

Fiona willed her legs to run faster as she retrieved her staff from her belt loop. She mumbled a small prayer to Sthito for good luck as she inevitably approached the door. Metal clanging and splintering wood echoed in the tunnel, but she didn't pay any attention to it. Instead, Fiona focused her mana into her staff, preparing a spell, and leaped through the opening.

The fight was over by the time her eyes adjusted to the light.

"A warehouse?" Fiona mumbled.

She inspected the place; crates and barrels were scattered haphazardly, some smashed open from the recent skirmish. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and something else—something rancid, like oil or metal. Shafts of light filtered through windows high above, shining upon walkways that connected to each wall. Crates and barrels caught Fiona's eye, aside from ropes and pulleys hanging from the walkways and some tables.

Besides that, Nessa stood in the center of the room, with bodies and stains of blood and oil all around. She had her blade aimed at a man groaning in pain. Lithero floated above his master's head, mischievously sticking out his tongue like an unruly child.

Nessa gestured over to Fiona. "Ah, you're here. Come quick, Fio. I caught myself a few suspicious men here."

"You dealt with them rather quickly," Fiona said, rushing to her side.

The floor was scattered with vines and rocks haphazardly strewn about. Some barrels lay broken and overturned, causing ores and a thick, yellow liquid to spill out. Fiona had to watch her step so that her boots didn't catch on the loose debris.

"These guys were nothing," Nessa remarked. "Though I was a bit surprised when an entire group was lying in wait for us, they still could not do anything against an experienced fighter. Isn't that right, Scourge?"

Fiona peered at the injured men lying around her. They didn't look like members of Scourge. Most, if not all, wore simple close-fitted outfits and gear that most men that worked in a warehouse would wear; aprons, boots, and leather gloves. What shocked her wasn't the weapons lying around, but their hands—none of them were wearing a ring with a green gem on it. Were these guys really members of Scourge?

"Why is there a tunnel that leads directly to the sewers?" Nessa asked the man. "Quite suspicious that none of the guards were aware of this, provided that the capital conducts safety checks every month."

He glanced at the blade hovering just an inch away from his neck. "Scourge? Are you crazy, lady?! We're just a bunch of laborers that work day and night for our families! I don't even know what Scourge is or about this tunnel!"

Lithero snickered. "The ugly human thinks we're stupid, master. I say we beat the answers out of him!"

The man frowned. "U-Ugly?"

"Good idea, Lithy," Nessa said. "We can round these troublemakers up and toss them into the dungeons where they belong. With winter on the horizon, the cellars will be quite bitter. Fitting for members of an organization that seeks to cause trouble for Lethos."

"Like I told you, I have no idea what Scourge is!" the man protested. "That tunnel there just appeared out of nowhere minutes ago! You're a royal knight, so you should know something about magic and its effects, right? Maybe it's some sort of illusion."

Fiona looked over at the bodies once more. Their chests were rising, so they weren't dead. It seemed like Nessa hadn't dealt a killing blow but instead left them unconscious.

Apart from that, what could possibly explain why laborers would carry weapons when their main task was simply to move and organize products within a warehouse? It is quite perplexing how they immediately took action upon learning about the existence of a tunnel, even though it was clearly visible.

Regardless of whether or not magic was involved, wouldn't it have been more appropriate for them to inform the guards or their supervisor? Moreover, why did one of them grab Lithero, a tiny flying fairy, as if they were fully aware of his presence? There was definitely something off about the whole situation.

"I don't see a Scourge ring anywhere," said Fiona.

Nessa turned her head to peer at the bodies. "I actually noticed that as well. My assumption was that every member of Scourge had been instructed to remove their rings in order to evade capture now that we're aware of their existence. If Scourge is as intelligent as I believe them to be, then—"

Blood drained from Nessa's face as she whipped her head back toward the grunting man. Fiona followed her line of sight in time to see him pulling out a piece of paper with a weird marking on the front; a rune, Fiona guessed, by the faint traces of mana that radiated off it. How in Sthito's name did they miss that!

In an instant, a wicked smirk crept onto the man's face as he defiantly tore the paper in two. "Our boss sends his regards!"

Suddenly, a surge of mana enveloped the building, exerting a violent pressure that seemed to crush her bones. It was a sensation she knew all too well, a sign of a powerful sorcerer attempting to overpower another with sheer force of mana. A dazzling white light streaked across the warehouse floor, twisting and turning to form a colossal rune that consumed most of the space. The rune emitted a gentle glow, accompanied by a soft humming sound.

Nessa took the initiative, swiftly snatching Lithero and dashing towards Fiona. With determination, she pushed Fiona down to the ground, protecting her with her own body. Meanwhile, the surrounding light intensified, shining as bright as the midday sun if some stupid soul were to stare for too long.

The ground beneath them trembled violently, causing the walls of the warehouse to creak and moan. Nessa's words were lost in Fiona's racing heartbeat, her breath barely audible. The air thickened with an overwhelming surge of mana, a sensation unfamiliar to Fiona. Her lips quivered as she tightly gripped her staff, channeling the power of the earth to create a protective dome of stone. However, her efforts were in vain, as a searing wave of heat and the crackling of flames assaulted her senses.

Within moments, a deafening roar engulfed her ears, and a blinding reddish-white light consumed everything.