The Fourth Sister’s Inferno

(Elysia PoV)

"Hyah!"

With one strike from Irine, the red ape-like monster burst apart into chunks of flesh. Its blood splattered everywhere, staining her uniform with a sticky green liquid that smelled foul.

"Ugh... I’m disgusting." Irine tried to wipe away the remaining blood stuck to her uniform.

Imaria stepped closer and used a light spell, a sacred church magic used to cleanse garments stained with blood.

"[Purifica.]"

That was the incantation. A soft light enveloped everyone, including Elysia. When the glow faded, their clothes were spotless once again.

"It’s a church-exclusive spell to keep us pure and clean before entering the altar of worship. Because it’s so versatile, many people study it just to use in dungeons."

"Woah! Can you teach us, Imaria?" Celina grabbed Imaria’s shoulders with excitement.

"Of course. But actually, you can learn it yourselves from the library books. It’s only a basic spell." The church elf smiled kindly, then turned to Elysia. "Isn’t that right, Lady Ely?"

Elysia nodded faintly, lowering her gaze to hide the wry smile on her lips.

It was true, the spell was extremely useful. She had read about it once in the library but never bothered to learn it, thinking it was pointless. Who would have thought the dungeon would be this filthy?

Who would have imagined that the spell she once deemed useless was, in truth, the most practical and efficient one?

Elysia bit her lower lip, slightly annoyed that she had overlooked something so important.

While everyone was focused on Imaria, Elysia glanced toward Mireya, who was crouched, examining the corpse of the monster Irine had defeated.

"What is it, Sister Mira?"

She shook her head slowly. "That monster Irine fought usually lives on the second floor. Which means we’re getting close to the second level of this dungeon."

"I see..."

The dungeon they had entered was a beginner’s dungeon licensed under the academy. There were five levels within, and the deeper they went, the stronger the monsters became.

"So, what do you say? I’ll ask again, do we continue or stop here? The headmaster actually only required us to reach the first floor."

"Is it alright to go further, Sister Mira?"

Still wearing her faint smile, Mireya shrugged. "There’s no rule forbidding us from going deeper. So yes, we can. Besides, I’m confident I can protect all of you."

"Then let’s go!"

The group resumed their journey. The deeper they went, the wider the cave walls became, to the point that all of them could walk side by side.

Elysia’s sharp hearing came with its own curse. Her rabbit ears twitched uncomfortably at the shrill screeching of bats flying overhead.

After walking for quite some time and defeating several monsters that Celina easily crushed with her greatsword, they finally reached the end of the first floor.

There stood a neatly arranged stone staircase descending into thick darkness. The hiss of wind whispered faintly, hinting that great danger awaited below.

Elysia didn’t feel nervous or afraid, yet she noticed her companions swallowing hard.

"If you’re scared, it’s better to turn back."

"Who’s scared?!" Irine and Celina shouted in unison.

Mireya chuckled softly before stepping down the stairs first. As their instructor, she couldn’t allow her juniors to lead the way.

"Come," she said gently, motioning with her hand.

Elysia followed without hesitation, then Celina and Irine, with Imaria taking the rear.

The echo of their footsteps resounded with each step they took. The place was eerily quiet, too quiet, for Elysia had expected the corridor to be crawling with monsters.

Her gaze was drawn to the walls on either side, where strange runes were carved. It was clearly some kind of magical inscription, perhaps meant to prevent monsters from nesting near the stairs. She could only guess, choosing not to ask her sister further.

When Elysia finally saw the end of the staircase, Mireya halted their steps.

"From here on, use [Night Vision]. The monsters on the second floor are sensitive to light. Even a flicker could attract them. You understand what I mean, don’t you?"

Once everyone nodded, Mireya extinguished her light spell.

Elysia channeled mana into her eyes. Her lavender pupils glowed softly, flickering beautifully like fireflies in the night. When the light faded, the darkness before her vanished.

She could see as if it were daylight, only tinted with a faint violet hue. She had wanted to use it from the beginning, but Mireya had forbidden it to conserve mana. The reasoning was clear, for the sake of efficiency.

Just as they descended the last few steps, a low growl reached Elysia’s ears. In front of them stood several smilodons, their fangs gleaming.

"Smilodons, huh?" Mireya muttered, glancing at Elysia. "Can you take care of them, Ely?"

Elysia nodded, tapping her boot twice on the floor just as the monsters charged toward them. Ice spread swiftly, freezing the dungeon floor and causing the beasts to slip and tumble uncontrollably.

With a snap of her fingers, sharp ice pillars surged upward from the frozen ground like spears. They pierced through the smilodons’ bodies, lifting and impaling them against the cavern ceiling.

The metallic scent of blood dripped from above, filling their nostrils. The lifeless bodies now hung grotesquely overhead, a gruesome sight to behold.

"Ugh, you’re as merciless as ever, Ely. Look what you’ve done, how are we supposed to take their hearts now?" Irine grumbled softly.

"Just end the spell." Elysia snapped her fingers again. The ice vanished instantly, and the smilodons’ bodies dropped to the floor. "Now we just collect them, right?"

"Ugh... annoying."

While they were gathering the hearts, a voice called their names from behind. Turning around, Elysia saw another of her sisters, Syrene, approaching with light steps.

Behind her were Arabella and her three friends, all pale-faced, looking like people at the edge of despair.

Elysia tried her best to hide the satisfied smile tugging at her lips. She could already imagine they had been scolded for whining too much along the way.

"I didn’t expect you to get this dungeon too. Anyway, you all look quite fresh, don’t you?"

Mireya nodded slightly. "We’re fine. How about you?"

"Ugh... how should I even say this? The girls I brought are too spoiled." She shot a sharp look behind her, then turned toward Elysia. "Ely, why did you lie to me? I thought you recommended them because you knew them well."

Elysia fought the urge to roll her eyes, but Syrene noticed.

"Ely, don’t turn away when your elder is speaking to you."

Elysia fell silent for a moment, then whispered softly, "On the contrary, Sister." She turned her gaze aside to avoid meeting Syrene’s eyes. "They’re spoiled and mischievous."

Syrene let out a long sigh. "So that’s what this was about. Really, using your own sister to discipline naughty children." Her lips curved into a thin smile as she ruffled Elysia’s snow-white hair.

"Sorry, Sister."

"I don’t mind."

In truth, Elysia had only told half the story. She didn’t want to risk telling the whole truth. Sometimes, restraint was the wiser choice than facing the consequences later.

At least, she held to her principle to forgive once, as long as no one truly endangered her life or those dear to her.

Elysia stepped closer to Arabella’s group and smiled mockingly. They instinctively stepped back, their faces tense with fear.

She leaned in near Arabella’s ear and whispered, "After this, I hope you remember who you’re talking to. Understand?"

Arabella could only nod stiffly. The others followed suit when Elysia’s sharp gaze swept over them.

After Mireya and Syrene finished exchanging a few words, they decided to continue exploring together. There was no rule against it, and doing so might increase their chances of reaching the third or even the fourth floor.

But once again, before they could move, the rabbit ears of Elysia and her sisters twitched.

"You hear that?"

Elysia nodded. "Twenty, maybe twenty-one."

Syrene grinned, stepping forward with confidence. Her neck cracked audibly as she rolled it. "My body and mind have been stiff for a while. Let me loosen up."

Elysia glanced at Mireya. "Sister Mira, is that alright?"

Mireya simply shrugged. "Ely, in a group there should only be one alpha. Syrene was born a pure alpha. Let her do her part. Besides, she is..." Her words stopped midway, ending with a faint smile as if on purpose.

Elysia turned her gaze back toward her fourth sister’s back.

Suddenly, a massive axe appeared in Syrene’s hand, taller than she was. Its enormous blade glowed red, tearing through the surrounding darkness like a silent blaze.

She rested the great axe casually on her shoulder. Her left hand settled on her hip, while her right gripped the weapon’s handle firmly.

As she tightened her hold, flames roared from the axe. The searing light pierced through the dark, revealing the silhouettes of approaching monsters. Though faint, Elysia recognized them as another group of smilodons.

"Time to have some fun."

Syrene lowered her stance. Her body leaned slightly forward, then with one powerful step, she shot forward so fast Elysia couldn’t even track her movement.

In an instant, she was already among the smilodons. With one spinning strike, a wave of fire surged like a tsunami, burning through everything in its path.

The acrid stench of scorched flesh filled the air. One swing, and the entire pack turned into drifting ash.

Amid the blazing embers, her fourth sister stood proudly, resting her axe on her shoulder. Her back looked broader than ever.

Not only Elysia, but everyone except Mireya stood frozen, speechless. There were no words to describe what they saw. Her sister looked like a war goddess standing amidst an inferno that refused to die down.

A faint curve formed on Mireya’s lips. "She’s the strongest among our generation."