THE BOY IN RED

"GROAAARRR!! KRAAAHHH!"

The earth-shattering roar of the giant monkey boss shook the entire dungeon.

Damn it, why now of all times? Ennis thought, her pupils trembling for a fraction of a second. The composure she had fought so hard to maintain instantly evaporated.

This was the absolute worst timing. Her body was in no condition to face the dungeon boss. Even catching her breath felt like an uphill battle; her chest heaved heavily, and every single breath burned her lungs like wildfire. Agony radiated from her toes to the crown of her head, as though her body was being relentlessly battered. Her clothes were torn to shreds, exposing skin covered in deep bruises, while fresh blood seeped from her new wounds, slowly staining her skin red.

Ennis gritted her teeth, forcing herself to ignore the stinging pain racking her body.

"I have to get out of here," she muttered. "As fast as possible."

Her mind instantly flashed to Taffi.

She must be awake by now, frantically looking for me, she thought anxiously.

Her lips moved, chanting a swift incantation.

Obeying her will, her weapon split right down the middle, reshaping into a pair of brand-new armaments: a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left. Suddenly, hundreds of glowing yellow eyes glared at her from the dark crevices of the stone pillars. The malicious gazes blinked in unison before unleashing shrill, piercing shrieks.

“KIEEEK! KIEEEK!"

Their cries bounced off the ceiling, creating an echo that made Ennis’s head throb painfully. The lesser monsters shifted restlessly, scratching the stone floor with their razor-sharp claws while baring rows of drooling fangs. Strangely, not a single one of them dared to make the first move.

Of course they wouldn't. None of them were foolish enough to steal the prey of the boss. The Crimson Guerezza.

Seeing the arrival of the Crimson Guerezza, the smaller white monkeys hastily retreated, pressing their bodies against the cavern walls to clear a path so the behemoth could advance without obstruction.

“MUNCH … MUNCH … MUNCH.”

The sickening sound of chewing echoed, prompting Ennis to tighten her grip on her weapons. Ennis thought, her vigilance spiking.

The Crimson Guerezza came to a halt a few paces ahead of her. “GRRR,” it growled.

Its massive, fanged maw continued to masticate something. Unrecognizable chunks of flesh occasionally peeked through the gaps of its teeth, while saliva mixed with blood dripped slowly from the corners of its lips, splattering onto the stone floor. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Ennis. The monster’s pupils narrowed into slits before it finally swallowed the last of its meal.

Instead of feeling relieved, Ennis braced herself even further.

It's coming. It's coming right now, she prepared herself.

Sure enough.

In a flash, the Crimson Guerezza dropped its posture. The thick fur coating the Crimson Guerezza's arms began to flatten, interlocking tightly. Within seconds, the surface hardened into a dense armor, before elongating into gleaming, razor-sharp spikes.

her eyes darting frantically to read its next move.

Ennis's instincts screamed in pure terror.

《 WARNING 》

Immediate retreat is advised!

《 WARNING 》

Immediate retreat is advised!

《 WARNING 》

Immediate retreat is advised!

. . .

The system's warning blared continuously. She took a sharp breath, trying to shut out the noise that was severely clawing at her concentration. Even without Priemone’s warnings, Ennis already knew that the monster before her was on an entirely different level.

She tightened her grip on the shield's handle and lowered her center of gravity. Planting both feet firmly onto the stone floor, she stood ready to absorb an impact or leap away at a moment's notice. Her golden eyes tracked every micro-movement of the Crimson Guerezza. At the very least ... I just need to hold it off for a little while, she reasoned.

If I can just manage to wound it, it will harvest enough nourishment to restore some of its power. Unfortunately, Ennis's calculations were dead wrong.

SWOOT!

A sharp, whistling sound sliced through the air. The giant red monkey moved with a velocity that defied all laws of physics for its colossal size. It was vastly faster than any Guerezza Ennis had ever faced before. In the blink of an eye, the massive frame vanished from her field of vision, leaving behind nothing but a violent gust of wind that slapped against her face.

Ennis’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. It's gone?!

Before her brain could even register where the monster had moved—

A dense, icy chill suddenly blew right against the back of her neck.

The monster had materialized directly behind her.

"Gasp!" Ennis flinched in horror, her golden eyes widening in sheer shock. Her chest throbbed violently, and her body's raw reflexes forced her to act instantly.

BOOM!

Right as the Crimson Guerezza’s arm slammed toward her, Ennis pivoted her body and hoisted her shield. The cataclysmic collision was unavoidable. The blow struck the surface of the shield with a deafening roar, absorbing most of the destructive force so that Ennis’s body wouldn't disintegrate along with the monster's assault.

However, the creature's raw strength far surpassed her current capabilities.

Ennis was sent flying backward, smashing violently into the dungeon wall before crashing heavily onto the ground.

KRAK! An agonizing pain instantly exploded across her back.

Ennis groaned, suppressing a scream that nearly escaped her throat as she felt something shatter inside her body. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her vision momentarily blurred from the sheer impact.

But the Crimson Guerezza gave her no room to breathe.

The monster lunged once more, pursuing her through the air with terrifying velocity. Refusing to die just like that, Ennis forced her battered body to move. She leaped to the side and rolled away as fast as she could.

BLAARRR!

The Crimson Guerezza’s fist pulverized the exact spot where Ennis had been standing a mere second ago. The stone floor shattered into countless fragments. Massive fissures spread in all directions, while stone shards filled the air like deadly projectiles.

Cruelly, that emergency evasion drove Ennis straight into the waiting path of the white Guerezza horde, who had been standing by as if anticipating exactly where she would dodge.

SMACK!

A brutal strike hit her before she could even stand upright. Ennis was forced to shield herself once again.

CLANG! The heavy impact deflected her body for the second time.

To alleviate the pressure on her already injured spine, Ennis tried to roll the moment her body hit the ground. However, her depleted stamina caused her to lose all control over her movements. Her body skidded for several meters before finally stopping in a helpless, face-down position.

"Heugh ... it hurts ... haa ...."

She clenched her fists, desperately trying to lift her body. I ... have to get up ….

Yet, both of her arms trembled violently. Her entire body felt completely drained of strength.

"HUHU-HAHA! HUHU-HAHA!"

A chorus of mocking shrieks from hundreds of lesser Guerezzas erupted simultaneously, filling the dungeon with their triumphant cheers. Amidst the chaotic clamor, the Crimson Guerezza unleashed a long, resounding roar, asserting itself as the absolute ruler of the territory.

The behemoth then began to stalk toward Ennis. Slowly and deliberately, it relished the suffering of its dying prey. The Crimson guerezza put its face to her closely

SWOOT!

Without warning, a sword thrust straight toward one of guerezza eyes. A short moment of pathway Ennis summoned every ounce of her remaining strength to crawl and roll away, trying to escape but, her escape was immediately cut short.

SNATCH!

“AGH!”

A giant, red-furred hand clamped around Ennis’s ankle with a bone-crushing grip. Before Ennis could swing her sword to free herself, the Crimson Guerezza hoisted her high into the air like a rag doll, then hurled her with full force toward the dungeon's stone wall.

BRAKKK!!!

Ennis's body collided brutally against the wall, creating a large crater as fresh blood erupted from her mouth. The golden light in her eyes spun and blurred, rapidly giving way to an encroaching darkness.

her consciousness crumbled slowly, completely. Her grip loosened, letting the weapon in her hand dissolve into a faint red light before vanishing entirely as her body slumped down the stone wall and collapsed into total unconsciousness.

***

Silence enveloped the dungeon.

Ennis’s body lay slumped, motionless at the foot of the fractured stone wall. Blood still trickled from the corner of her lips, while her breath was so shallow it was almost imperceptible. Her consciousness had completely submerged into the abyss. Even the mechanical chiming of the system that usually flooded her ears was something she could no longer hear.

《 EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED 》

A glowing red status window materialized directly above Ennis's body.

A dense, crimson light emanated from the necklace hanging around her neck. The necklace vibrated faintly. Luminous cracks spiderwebbed across its surface before liquefying into a blood-like red fluid. The liquid floated upward into the air, swirling to form a vortex that grew larger by the second.

In front of Ennis’s prone form, the crimson fluid gradually began to mold into a human shape. It commenced from the head, followed by the neck, the shoulders, a pair of arms, the torso, until finally, two feet touched the stone floor of the dungeon. Within seconds, a boy of about ten years old stood there.

His dark red hair swayed gently despite the absolute lack of wind. A pair of glowing red eyes stared straight ahead without a single trace of emotion, as if entirely unacquainted with mercy. Slowly, he shifted his gaze toward Ennis, who still lay unconscious. His cold stare instantly softened.

His small lips moved, shaping a single word. "... Mama," he called out.

There was no response.

The boy waited for a few moments, as though harboring a sliver of hope that the woman would open her eyes and answer his call. However, the heavy silence remained the only reply. The gentle expression on his small face gradually withered away.

He lifted his head once more.

His crimson gaze shifted toward the Guerezza horde that still surrounded Ennis's body. The monsters were momentarily bewildered by the sudden appearance of an unrecognized, foreign entity. A few of them shrieked, baring their fangs, while others began to claw the stone floor restlessly.

Those two red eyes flared with unadulterated wrath; a suffocating murderous aura bled from his small frame.

The boy suddenly raised one hand forward.

The shadows beneath the feet of the Guerezza horde instantly turned a deep, visceral red.

CRAT!

A long spear manifested from blood materialized in a flash and shot like lightning, impaling the chest of one of the white monkey monsters until it jutted out from its back. Simultaneously, dozens of crimson spears erupted from the shadows, piercing every single white Guerezza from bottom to top.

Their shrieks echoed, filling the dungeon.

"KIEEEKKK!”

JLEB! JLEB! JLEB!

Body after body was skewered in midair before slumping lifelike, devoid of vitality. They were slaughtered without even a chance to flee.

Seeing his subordinates butchered in an instant, the Crimson Guerezza roared in fury. His fear was completely swallowed by wrath. “GRAAHHH!”

With a cataclysmic burst of power, the colossus lunged straight toward the boy. His armored arms rained down a relentless barrage of consecutive punches, each powerful enough to pulverize a boulder.

BONK!

Before a single strike could reach its mark, a transparent, hexagonal red shield materialized in front of the boy. The Crimson Guerezza’s fist slammed against the surface of the barrier. Instead of shattering, the shield reflected the entire destructive force of the impact right back at its wielder.

BOOM! The Crimson Guerezza stumbled several steps backward. Both of his arms trembled violently from absorbing the sheer recoil of his own strength.

Before the behemoth could even stabilize his footing—

ZWING!

A glowing red magic circle emerged on the ground beneath where he stood. A dozen thick iron chains enveloped in an aura of death erupted from the circle, moving nimbly to tightly bind the arms, legs, and the robust neck of the Crimson Guerezza.

“GRRRAAGGHH!”

The giant monster roared, exerting all his might to break free. His muscles tautened, and the veins across his body bulged violently. However, the harder he struggled, the tighter the chains constricted him.

The boy stood perfectly still. His face did not display the slightest shift in expression. Slowly, he raised one hand, then swept it to the side.

SPLASH!

In an instant, as if an invisible blade had slashed through the air, the Crimson Guerezza’s head was cleanly decapitated from its neck. Dark blood sprayed, drenching the floor, while the head rolled for a few meters before coming to a dead stop.

Paying no mind to the carcass, the boy flicked his fingers again. He executed the exact same motion toward the remaining horde.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

One by one, the heads of the surviving Guerezzas severed from their torsos. Their screams were cut short before they could even echo. In less than a few seconds, the entire dungeon transformed into a sea of corpses and blood. Not a single living Guerezza remained.

Silence reclaimed the chamber.

Once the slaughter concluded and no threat was left, the aura of death enveloping the boy’s body slowly faded. His crimson gaze fell back onto Ennis, who was still unconscious.

His small body then slowly dissolved back into a blood-like fluid. The liquid floated toward Ennis's neck, merging once again with the necklace hanging there.

Shortly after, a system window appeared, hovering before Ennis’s still-closed eyes. Several notifications of consecutive level ups popped up, accompanied by a warm current that spread slowly throughout her entire body.

A few moments later, Ennis’s fingers twitched faintly. Her eyelids fluttered before finally opening millimeter by millimeter.

With her head still feeling incredibly heavy, she forced herself to sit up, suppressing the agony that shot from her chest to her back. Her gaze swept over the battlefield, and her expression instantly froze. "... What on earth happened?"

Before her lay a sight that was almost impossible to believe.

Hundreds of white Guerezza carcasses were strewn across the dungeon floor. Most of their bodies were still impaled by the red spears protruding from the ground, while the rest were missing their heads, severed by cuts so clean it looked as if they had been executed in a single strike. Not far away, the headless torso of the Crimson Guerezza lay slumped, surrounded by a pool of dark blood that was beginning to dry.

Ennis’s eyes widened. "Who ... did all of this?"

She tried to recall what had happened before she lost consciousness. However, her memory cut off precisely after her body collided with the stone wall. The only conclusion she could draw was that someone had saved her.

Ennis murmured, looking down at her own palms.

"Perhaps one day, we will meet again."

Though consumed by curiosity, she knew now was not the time to look for answers. Her top priority was to get out of the dungeon while she still possessed the strength to move. She clenched her fists. The level up she had just received had partially restored her condition, but the damage she had sustained was far too severe. The regeneration effect was only capable of returning a fraction of her stamina and closing a small portion of her wounds. Agony still dominated her entire frame.

With a heavy breath, Ennis forced herself to stand.

“I must return immediately.”

***

With painful effort, Ennis dragged her body out of the dungeon.

Every single step felt like a bone-shattering torture. Both of her legs trembled violently, and a searing agony shot from her back to her chest every time she breathed. Although the level-up effect had managed to close most of her external wounds, her condition was still far from good. Dried blood clung heavily to her tattered clothes, leaving a trail of crimson along the path she traversed.

"Haa ... haa …." Her breath sounded heavy and irregular.

Her left hand continuously pressed against the side of her body that had taken the worst of the impact, while her right hand leaned on Priemone, which had transformed into a sword, using it as a crutch to keep her body from collapsing. Fortunately, no more monsters stood in her way. There was only the trail, which felt extraordinarily long.

Even so, time seemed to move much slower than usual. Her vision began to spin with flashing lights. Every now and then her body would sway, nearly falling, but she always forced herself back up. Just a little more … I have to make it ….

The kid must be worried, she thought.

After walking for god knows how long, the morning sunlight finally welcomed her. Ennis emerged from the mouth of the dungeon and continued her steps toward the main road leading to the town. From a distance, the silhouette of the town gate finally came into view. Ennis’s lips curled into a faint, barely visible smile.

Finally …, she thought.

However, her sight grew increasingly blurred. The buildings in the distance turned into distorted shadows that were difficult to recognize. In front of the inn gate, which looked faintly familiar to her eyes, she could dimly see a young kid pacing back and forth restlessly. The figure kept staring down the road with a deeply furrowed brow.

Taffi’s eyes widened to their limits. "M-milady ...?" she called out with a trembling voice.

The next fraction of a second, she sprinted forward with all her might. "MILADY!!"

Her tears burst forth before she could even reach the woman. Seeing Ennis's state—covered in wounds and drenched in blood—Taffi’s heart felt as though it had stopped beating. "M-milady … w-what happened to you?! H-how could you …?"

Her knees gave out, her body lost every ounce of remaining strength, and the world before her dissolved back into darkness. Right before her body could hit the ground, a pair of small arms managed to catch her, and Ennis collapsed into her embrace.

"MILADY!" Taffi clutched the woman's body tightly, letting Ennis's head rest upon her lap. Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks. “What happened? Where did you go? How did you end up like this?” she sobbed.

There were so many questions Taffi wanted to ask, but Ennis could no longer hear her voice. Her consciousness had plunged back into the dark abyss.

***

Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm, golden hue into the inn room. The atmosphere was incredibly serene. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves swaying in the wind and the chirping of birds outside the window.

Gasp!

Ennis jolted awake. Her eyelids snapped open, capturing the silhouette of the wooden ceiling. Her breath hitched, and her right hand reflexively gripped her chest, which was tightly wrapped in thick gauze. The lingering trauma of last night's battle felt entirely too real. The memory of the agonizing pain when her body was smashed against the stone wall seemed to set her wounds ablaze all over again.

Ennis blinked repeatedly, trying to dispel the dark spots hovering over her vision. Before she could even calm her racing breath, a familiar warmth suddenly collided against the left side of her body.

"Milady!" Taffi embraced Ennis tightly, as though loosening her fingers even a fraction would cause the woman before her to vanish like smoke.

The girl’s small frame shook violently. The tears she had suppressed since last night broke loose once more, flowing as warm droplets that immediately soaked the blanket covering Ennis’s legs. “Milady! Y-you have no idea….”

“... How terribly worried I was about you!”

Ennis froze, slightly shocked by such an overwhelming explosion of emotion. Her breath caught for a second. Yet, as she looked at Taffi’s face—noticing the heavy dark circles under her swollen eyes—Ennis knew this young girl had stayed awake the entire night just to tend to her wounds and ensure she didn't die.

Slowly, the tension in Ennis’s shoulders melted away. A pang of guilt rippled through her chest, feeling far sharper than the fractured bones she suffered. With a gentle, affectionate movement, she raised her still-stiff arms to return the warm embrace. Her palm moved softly against Taffi’s trembling back, trying to impart the peace she had failed to provide.

"I’m sorry, Taffi," Ennis whispered softly, her voice raspy. "I won't do it again.”

Hearing such a long string of words—something rarely uttered by Ennis—Taffi slowly loosened her grip. She looked up with eyes and a nose flushed red, staring at Ennis as if to confirm that the woman before her had truly returned. Ennis smiled faintly, wiping away the remnants of Taffi's tears with her thumb.

Ennis stated, casting the blanket aside. "Come on, let's pack our things and head to the location written in the envelope."

Taffi’s eyes widened at her words. “Are you certain, Milady? Don't you need more time to rest? Your wounds haven't fully healed yet!”

Taffi's concern was entirely justified. The moment Ennis lowered her feet to the floor and began a light stretch, a piercing ache immediately shot through her chest. Krek. Krek. Krek. Her joints creaked in protest, and she was forced to grit her teeth to keep a groan of pain from escaping her throat. Last night's level-up had indeed saved her life, but unfortunately, it hadn't erased all of her internal damage. Yet, she refused to appear weak in front of Taffi, who had chosen to follow her.

Holding her breath to blunt the sharp pain, Ennis reached for her backpack resting on the table near the bed. Her trembling fingers moved to open the inner pocket, drawing out a tightly sealed silver envelope.

"One night of rest is enough," Ennis answered without looking back. Her eyes scanned the lines of instructions written within. Their time was short, and staying in one place for too long would only invite an onslaught of danger.

Seeing her resolve, Taffi let out a sigh. "I will go wherever you go, Milady."

Ennis turned her head and returned the smile. "Thank you."

***

Several hours later.

Sunlight pierced through the canopy of leaves, dappling the path that cut through the forest. Birds chirped from high up in the branches, while a cool breeze occasionally shook the boughs sheltering their journey.

Ennis walked at the very front. Her pace was significantly slower than usual. Every now and then, she still winced whenever the sharp agony in her back flared up again, but she desperately tried to conceal it so Taffi wouldn't worry any further.

Behind her, Taffi carried the bag of provisions, occasionally casting sidelong glances at Ennis's back. "Milady ... if your body starts aching again, we can stop for a moment."

Ennis shook her head. "I'm fine," she replied stubbornly.

"But—"

"Don't worry." She turned her head, offering a faint smile. "If I truly lack the strength to walk, I will definitely tell you."

Taffi could only let out a soft sigh. "... Alright."

Silence enveloped the two once more. The only sound remaining was the crunch of their footsteps against the dry leaves.

Not long after, the distant echo of a clack-clack-clack from wooden wheels frictioning against the earth resonated from afar, accompanied by the neighing of horses and the chatter of several people. Ennis halted her steps instantly, her ears twitching as she focused on capturing the direction of the sound, while Taffi stopped right beside her.

"The sound of a convoy," Ennis murmured flatly. "Do you hear it?"

Taffi nodded. "Yes."

Without wasting words, the two immediately veered off the path, pursuing the origin of the noise. The closer they stepped, the clearer the voices became. Soon enough, the trees began to thin out, and the view before them opened up. Dozens of horse-drawn carriages lined up in a long procession along the road.

Most of them were piled haphazardly with household items: sacks of wheat, wooden crates, blankets, clothes, and even small cages filled with chickens. Walking amidst the carriages were men, women, children, and even the elderly, all bearing exhausted countenances. A small child was crying from pure fatigue. Some people could be seen helping to push a carriage whose wheels had become trapped in the mud.

Ennis observed their movements for a moment before deciding to approach. She stepped toward one of the carriages in the middle of the line, which was currently slowing down due to the uphill contour of the road.

Ennis raised her left hand to catch the driver's attention, while her right hand reached into her cloak pocket, drawing out the silver envelope she had unsealed this morning.

"Excuse me," Ennis called out in a calm yet firm voice.

The man turned his head. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Ennis pulled the envelope from her bag. She unfolded the parchment inside and presented it to the driver. "We are looking for this place."

The man accepted the letter, read the address written upon it, and then nodded after scanning the contents inside. He handed the envelope back to Ennis. "If that is your destination, it happens to be in the same direction as our group."

"Really?" Taffi asked.

"Yes." The man pointed toward the front of the moving convoy. "They don't live in that town anymore."

the leader of the nobles issued a decree to relocate all residents along with essential facilities to a new territory."

He offered a warm smile. "If you don't mind, feel free to join our group."

"In that case … we will be troubling you."

The man let out a small chuckle. "No need to be formal. On a journey like this, the more people there are, the better it is," he chuckled.

And so, without realizing it, Ennis and Taffi joined their ranks.