[Elizabeth’s PoV]

Looking at the scene before me, I was mesmerised. Right in front of me was Alisha, standing over the corpse of the noble, Harry. With some light bruises on her face and neck, bloodied fists and breathing heavily, her face looked determined and focused. A brilliant sight, a sight that made me glad I had followed these children to this point.

They had grown from when I had first met them, at that time they were rather weak and were determined to just kill any human, regardless of the consequences. Now they were here, with the strength to fight and save those they wanted. Now they valued the lives of innocent humans more. We never shared much of the experiences we had in Zalus, but whatever they saw must’ve changed their way of thinking.

Seeing Alisha look over to me and nod, I smiled gently as she moved to Olivia to receive some healing. Grabbing a cloth, I wipe down my blade carefully and check for any damage. Seeing nothing wrong, I sheathe my sword and take one last glance at the still burning body of Harry. I had seen the tail end of that fight. He had started adapting quickly to Alisha and nearly turned the tables.

This is likely going to get harder from here. If the council woman's words are to be believed, they have six level 20s left. If that is true, what are the councils true levels and identities? We had always believed them to be above all in Crater, except for the nobles. Something to investigate once we leave this place I suppose.

Seeing Alisha healed again, we prepared once again and continued down the hall. Seeing Gray disappear, Alisha took the lead and Sally moved beside me. I only had one thought in mind as we made our way towards the cave.

I would give my life to ensure these children succeed.

[Alisha’s PoV]

As we keep running down the tunnel, we pass by more guards killed by Gray. We had no more sudden run-ins with any nobles, which was slightly unexpected considering the other two we had left behind. Seeing the tunnel starting to open up, I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind as I refocused myself.

As the tunnel widens, we finally step into a massive cave. I sensed Gray next to me as I glanced around, it was nearly exactly as he described, with one problem. The path down led to a lower floor with thousands of people, Hybrids, all crowded around.

All of them looked weak, obviously from hunger and thirst. There were some who were laying there, either dead or unconscious. I could smell the rot of death all around.

Under the feet of the Hybrids was a massive magic circle, glowing faintly that pulsed weakly and golden red in colour. On the upper rim of the cave were kneeling cloaked humans, none of them above the level of 15. On the far side were huge doors, separating the upper levels in half, reaching to the lower level. It too had a faint glow to it, a purple blue glow.

Standing in front of this door was a human with long golden hair with his hands behind his back which was facing us. Seeing his System prompt made my heart skip a beat.

[Dracovish

Level 22 Clairvoyant Human

Apprentice Mind Flayer

Health: ???/???]

‘Mind Flayer? What type of Class is that?’ Thinking this to myself, I also saw his level and knew he was likely the one that the council person talked about. I couldn’t make out his face. Turning my attention to right in front of myself, there were five humans standing there, blocking our way forward.

“So, the monsters have come to play. Better be careful, your friends down there are looking rather weak, a fight between us might wipe them out.”

Looking at the one speaking, it was the girl that attempted to ambush us previously, Rebekah. With a large two handed sword she was staring directly at me. Without a word I stepped forward as she did the same. At this point I knew it was useless to try and speak to these people.

Breathing in, I launched myself at Rebekah as quickly as I could. Gathering Lunar energy into my fists I saw Rebekah pull back her sword as it covered itself in a raging fire. She knew magic as well?! And it was the same type that Ash used!

As I stepped into range, I threw a fist towards her jaw. Seeing a grin on her face, she pivots and dodges, before swinging the sword…not at me, but towards the Hybrids. I knew the fire was going to fly into them before it left her sword, thinking quickly I used my wind magic to push the fire away as it left her sword.

It slams into the upper lip of the cave, a scorch mark lingering as the fire is quickly put out. I heard the others fighting around me. I knew I had to move our fight out of this cave and into the tunnels, but before I could I saw a hand reaching out, grabbing my shirt.

“Not that way, waste, we’re taking the fun downstairs.” With strength from her I didn’t expect, she threw me head first into the lower levels. Seeing the faces of some Hybrids getting closer I panicked, I could kill them by landing like this.

Using wind to adjust myself, I found a spot to land, just enough space between all of the Hybrids. Landing as gently as I could, I’m about to look up when I noticed something was wrong with people around me.

No one was reacting to me. Not one of them had turned to see me land or even acknowledge my presence. Glancing at those around me they all had blank expressions on their face, eyes were unfocused and they were just standing there…unmoving. What is this?

Looking at the magic circle, I wondered if this was somehow causing the Hybrids around me to be like this, but I couldn’t tell. The flow of mana here was extremely difficult to follow, almost chaotic in a way. Hearing laughter behind me, I turn and see Rebekah standing a few feet away, with some people between us.

Without a word, Rebekah swings her sword as she charges at me, cleanly cutting a dozen people as she charges at me. Horrified at this unexpected situation, I felt myself grow angry. Charging at her, I parry her sword that she swung as I reach out for her neck, wanting to claw it out. I don’t understand why she suddenly started killing them, didn’t they need sacrifices?!

Grabbing her neck I put strength into my legs as I apply my Lunar Blessing and leap back to the upper levels, dragging Rebekah with me. Landing, I slam her into the ground as I continue to force more strength into her neck with one hand, using a knee and my other hand to keep her arms pinned.

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During this entire time she never once stopped smiling, causing my anger to surge. I felt my hands start changing into claws as my fangs also grew longer. I wanted this human dead for killing my brethren so nonchalantly in front of my eyes. Just as an aura swirls around me I felt pain in my head, causing me to freeze for a moment.

The pain felt like someone stabbed a thin needle into my brain, but it quickly disappeared. It was enough for Rebekah to free herself and regain her stance. Blinking, I wondered what the hell just happened as my claws returned to being hands and my fangs retracted. Looking at Rebekah, she charged at me once again as I reacted right away. Her sword lights up with fire once again as she swings it directly at me this time.

Pivoting and spinning to her right, I slam my right fist into her face while forming a wind wall behind me with my left, blocking the fire being sent down to the lower levels. Seeing her stumble from the hit, I move in once again and slow my strikes, putting as much strength as possible behind each hit.

Using wind to add power to my strikes by pushing them forward with each hit, I avoided her sword swings as I kept striking her. Strangely she wasn’t dodging at all, and her sword swings were getting stronger. The fire that kept coming from it was getting hotter and harder to block. Feeling my body getting singed with each strike, I step back to figure out what was happening.

Still with that smile turned smirk on her face, Rebekah laughed once again. “You noticed too late, monster.” Gripping her sword with both hands, a massive wave of heat burst from her. I could feel my lips drying fast from the heat as the air around me rose in temperature quickly. The heat suddenly withdrew from around me back towards her.

I could see the air around her sword slowly swell, I’ve never seen something like this. With my back to the lower floors I prepared to block her sword strike as she swung down.

“Retaliation!”

As she screamed that word, she swung. In that moment I realised something…this wasn’t a sword strike. Quickly putting a wall of wind in front of me and crossing my arms in front of my chest I’m hit with a blast of fire magic so powerful that my vision went white. I felt my skin melting from the heat passing through my wind magic, my eyes drying so quickly I had to close my eyes.

A bang rings out as the force of the blow sends me flying into the lower level straight into the ground. Gasping for breath, I slowly got up by feeling around, I couldn’t see yet. My vision was slowly returning yet I could tell by smell. The force wasn’t focused on me, I was just collateral. She’d been aiming at those on the lower level the entire time.

The lower levels are packed, with barely any room to stand, a huge area. Yet where I stood now had no one within ten metres, the smell of burnt flesh hung in the air, causing my stomach to turn. Smelling Rebekah land nearby, I turned to face her as my vision slowly recovered to the point that I could just see her figure.

She was panting heavily, the sword was snapped in half. Laughing once again she said “You’re one tough piece of work, monster.”

Feeling pain from my arms, I knew they were in a bad state, but I wanted to finish this. Moving fast, I approached Rebekah once again, drew an arm back and shaped my hand like a sword as I strike it directly into her heart. There was no resistance, no attempt to back away from her at all as I heard a choked laugh.

“Farewell trash, I hope to kill you in the afterlife too.”

A massive surge of mana erupted from her, something I didn’t expect at all. As I attempted to pull my arm back from her chest, she grabbed it tightly. Jumping, I put both feet on her chest as I bent my knees as I used her chest to kick myself away, slipping my arm as it broke from her grasp.

An explosion rings out behind me, the shockwave sends me flying, without my vision completely recovered I only see my heading straight into a wall, being sent upwards. Slamming into the wall, I land on the upper levels as my consciousness flickers.

Groaning, I feel a hand on my shoulder as warmth spreads throughout my body. I knew it was Olivia tending to my wounds and opening my eyes, my vision could make her out slightly.

Feeling her breath on my ear I hear her whisper “Alisha, stay calm. Sally and Gray are fine, we’ve killed our opponent, Elizabeth has nearly finished…however, every single one of those that we fought only aimed to kill everyone on the lower levels…and they nearly succeeded.”

Sucking in a breath, I knew the outcome before she finished. In the short moment that we entered this cave, the humans were waiting for us before aiming mainly at those at the lower levels. But why wait for us before killing them…why kill them.

“Come on, let's get you up, I’ve healed you up. I can’t do anything about your exhaustion. You did well.”

I wasn’t exhausted, nor tired. That final blow had simply been way stronger than I had expected, draining me of a lot of stamina. Getting up with Olivia’s help, I couldn’t help but look down at the lower floor. What was previously filled with Hybrids was now nothing less than a killing floor. Only a few hundred Hybrids remained alive.

The magic circle was now brighter, the golden colour was more obvious and it was pulsating faster. Trembling as I stared at this scene, I couldn’t believe it. Sure they were all low level, but for them to be wiped out this quickly, even though we had only been fighting for a short period of time.

As my vision completely returned, I turned to look where Dracovich was standing. He is still standing there looking at the doors, I could see in front of him were five chained humans with sacks over their heads. We only had to defeat him for this nightmare to finally end. But how do we protect the remaining Hybrids while doing so, even with all the death around them they still haven’t moved.

“Olivia, what's wrong with them?”

Shaking her head, Olivia says “I don’t know, they haven’t mov-”

As she was about to finish speaking, a loud cry came out and as I turned, I saw Elizabeth, Gray and Sally moving away from the last level 20 who had metal spikes erupting from him. As he fell, the magic circle pulsed once more, a lot more strongly this time.

“It was like this for the others that we defeated. Sally was about to kill her target when they suddenly erupted into flames, Gray’s opponent did something similar. When they helped me kill my opponent, they suddenly collapsed, dead. It's…It’s like they’re…”

“Committing suicide.” Finishing her sentence, I still didn’t understand why these humans did so. Seeing the others climbing their way back up to us, I turned to the next target that we would go after once we regrouped.

Just as the others joined us, the magic circle pulsed one last time. A strange light green liquid started coming from the ground, flowing like a river around the magic circle, circling towards the centre of the magic circle, the liquid forming into a ball.

The smell of this ball…of the liquid…it smelled like…life? Not sure how to describe it, Olivia spoke “The feeling I get from that stream of liquid…it’s like the lifeforce of living creatures…”

Wondering what that meant, I watched as the liquid from the ball launched itself in a stream at the doors, slowly covering it…like it was filling a container, as creaking came from the doors.

Dracovich finally turns and looks at us. He had dull, lifeless eyes with an expressionless face, just like the Hybrids from before.

Without moving his mouth, a voice rings out into our ears. “You have done well. Even though you were never a part of my plans, you have played your part. Your reward will be given.”

Wondering what the hell he was talking about, I watch as the liquid slowly stops coming from the magic circle and the ball grows smaller as the door is completely submerged. With a resounding crack from the doors, Dracovich turns once again and raises his arms.

“Now, deliver us to our freedom! Allow me to escape from this cage and become one with you!”

As if responding to him, the door's pulse and one last crack sounds out as the doors start opening, a foul aura spreads from the doors as I feel a terrifying force weigh down on me. I felt powerless, my mana froze, no longer circulating in my body, breathing became difficult. It wasn’t only me, Gray and Sally were the same. Elizabeth and Olivia looked terrified, but not as bad as we were.

The door opened further as the Hybrids remaining collapsed. Seeing their System information I knew they had simply passed out. Looking at the doors I waited for whatever was on the other side to reveal itself, as I saw my System give terrifying news.

[A Domain has been established. You face a God, mortal.]