[S2] Chapter 20: Tears

His reaction to the fact that Luna and Miko acted on their own authority and at the same time forgot the orc corpse in the dungeon was as calm as his response to the information about the giant gate that was probably being built at that moment. I am all the more surprised by the expression of suffering on his face after this phone call.

Personally, I am surprisingly relaxed. When Miko came out of the dungeon with Luna, I was slightly worried about how pale Miko was looking and how the two of them were holding each other's hands. But after that, they kept an appropriate distance from each other, so I can overlook that.

"And what do they say?" Luna asks, crouched down with her cell phone in hand.

"We were told to stop the construction of that gate and then destroy the dungeon."

Suddenly, Alex raises one hand. Wace looks at her with an amused smile and nods.

"Why don't we just destroy the dungeon? Shouldn't the gate disappear with it?" she asks.

"Most dungeons don't pop like a balloon when you destroy the core," Luna explains, standing up again. "Whatever they want to do with this gate, it's likely they'll finish it before the dungeon is gone."

Alex doesn't seem entirely satisfied with the answer she's been given. Still, I can't think of anything else to do apart from simply accepting the order from the Ministry. Not that I will play a role in the plan to destroy anything or anyone.

"Have you ever experienced anything like this?" Nada asks as she sits in her chair, hugging her legs. Excellent question. It's not clear to me from the reactions of our experienced mages here whether this is just a routine operation for them or whether they're just putting on a good face.

"The presence of living creatures in a dungeon is something that happens more often in the higher-ranked ones. But this is the first time I've heard of a gate being built," Wace explains in a calm voice, always trying to keep the mood relaxed.

"I don't understand why dungeon gates should be built in the first place," Miko mutters. The gathered eyes wander to her as she raises her head. She looks expressionless, a bit like when you have given up trying to understand a particular problem.

"We have no idea where the dungeon gates come from or who supplies them with mana. It's clear that magic is involved. But if we assume that dungeons are created because mages or beings with the ability to use magic can create these small worlds, why don't they also make a new gate when they need one?"

Before I fully think it through, I answer her, "What if the creator of the dungeon has absolutely nothing to do with the goblins, orcs, and this second gate? If we assume that these monsters come from their own world, they may be using the dungeon to work on their plan unobserved. Maybe the gate they're building isn't even meant to lead into our world."

"Exciting. It's almost a shame that we won't get to talk to these creatures." Wace sighs and smiles to himself.

"When do we leave? We shouldn't take too much time, should we?" Krystoff's first words since he came back from his tent. I don't know what he discussed with Wace while we were inside the dungeon, but I don't think he will ever get rid of that stern look on his face.

"I'd love to wait until tomorrow to get started, but you're right. We shouldn't overlook the time. Let's eat something, get a little rest, and then we'll head inside."

So, the mission ends today? They set up such a nice camp, and we only stay for two nights? That's really a shame. Not that I like sleeping on these field beds, I'm actually looking forward to getting back home, but everything is progressing faster than I thought.

"Do you have any plans yet?" Miko asks, her eyes fixed on Wace.

"Not really, do you? You used to lead missions like this a lot, didn't you?" he shrugs his shoulders and smiles at her in a way that can only provoke her.

"We both take care of the monsters, and Luna deals with the gate. She surely knows one of those spells that have enough destructive power."

"Do I look that violent? Nah, you're absolutely right. When I saw the gate, I already had in mind what I could do."

"I'm coming with you," Krystoff says and takes a few steps towards Miko. She just looks at Wace and sighs in annoyance. I feel sorry for him seeing how he's being treated. In the end, I think they're just worried about him, but I can imagine how it must feel not to be taken seriously. I, for one, am glad not to be part of Miko's plan, and I guess Krystoff being there doesn't make much sense to Miko either.

"Fine by me," Wace says, Luna just shrugs her shoulders, and Miko has already delegated the decision. And so the teams are decided. I'll stay in camp with Alex and Nada while the other four will go into battle. The thought actually gives me a slightly uneasy feeling. It's definitely not that I think they won't make it or anything like that. But knowing that Miko is putting herself in danger is kind of unpleasant. A part of me would like to stay by her side just to make sure she's okay.

MIKO

"She's really good for you, isn't she?"

"Shut up, Wace. That's why no one likes you."

"But seriously, you've changed. That makes me happy."

"Who are you, my father?"

"Hey, orphans don't make jokes like that."

"She can surely decide that for herself," Luna intervenes as she runs ahead, trying to lead us to the place where we stepped into the mountain earlier today.

In the end, it's probably just luck that we find the cave or the rest of it, as it's almost completely closed again. Thankfully, the self-repair process of the dungeon was not as quick as we expected.

Luna approaches the mountain, places both hands on it, and begins to deprive the mana of its form, creating another tunnel. No wonder she used to be in one of the best guilds in the country. Being able to manipulate external mana so precisely is even rarer than Kayla's healing abilities.

"What do we do when we're inside?" Krystoff whispers as if we are already surrounded by the enemy.

"You can talk louder. As soon as Luna has opened the hole, she can start drawing the magic circle while we make sure she's not disturbed. Then she'll destroy the gate, and we'll leave." In my theory, that sounds pretty simple, as it should actually be. If necessary, we'll have to go down and beat up a few goblins and orcs, although I'm not really interested in getting in Luna's line of fire.

"How long do you need for this spell?" Wace asks a little hesitantly. He was one of the people who had deliberately looked the other way the last time Luna had used forbidden magic.

"Probably around five minutes."

"All right. By the way, Miko... what's that in your hand?"

"This?" I show the others a chunk of black metal that I'm carrying around with me. Even if it doesn't look like it, it's actually a magical item that Lilith gifted me ages ago. If I channel mana into it, I can change its shape. Most of the time, I use it as a sword, which I transform it into at the moment to demonstrate it to the others.

"Looks forbidden."

"Just like your face."

"Is that a compliment?"

Ah, I picked the wrong insult for someone like Wace, who, unfortunately, has a rather pretty face from a purely objective point of view. Anyway, I'm sure he knows exactly what I meant.

"Pretty dark," Krystoff remarks after we have reached so deep into the mountain that I can no longer see the entrance we came through. Without commenting on his observation, I use my mana to create a small ball of light that floats beside me.

"Can you hear that?" Wace seems to have good ears because he can hear the wandering monsters before anyone else. Barely a minute later, when Luna opens a hole leading to the construction site, the noise pours into the tunnel.

Krystoff and Wace take a look down and are similarly paralyzed by the mass of goblins and orcs on the move. Luna looks over at me, and I turn off my magic light, leaving us standing in the dark for a moment.

Without waiting too long, standing close to the ledge, Luna begins to draw with her fingers into the air. Without having to concentrate on it, I can see her mana clearly as it appears in front of her, gradually forming a magic circle.

I get down on my knees and crawl to the edge to take a closer look at the ground below. The monsters don't seem to notice us. I almost feel sorry that they are being wiped out without even realizing it.

Suddenly, I hear an unusual noise, like a hiss, followed by a loud bang, before complete silence returns. Without knowing exactly what has just happened, I turn my head towards the others. Luna is sitting on the floor. Wace has his hand on her shoulder while the magic circle has shattered.

"What are you doing? Why are you pulling me down?" Luna seems more irritated than angry and looks at Wace, who instantly forms a barrier of mana around his body. In the corner of my eye, I see mana particles trickling down and discover a hole in the ceiling above Luna. Something has shot in there and pierced right through the stone. Even though everything here is made of mana, the rock is at least as dense and hard as the real thing.

"Miko, watch out!" Krystoff suddenly yells. I turn my gaze forward and see someone standing in front of me. A woman with purple skin, long white hair, and a horn sticking out of her forehead. Her eyes are pitch black, and her irises glow a bright yellow. We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity.

I want to jump up, but I can't. Instead, I slowly crawl backward without breaking eye contact with this creature.

"Hello, how can I help you?" she asks with a friendly voice while bowing to us. I get goosebumps all over my body as I realize that she speaks our language. She's not human, but she's not a regular monster either. I've never heard of anyone like her. The aura she radiates is terrifying, and despite her calm demeanor, I realize how strong she is.

"Are you really here to talk?" Wace asks, sounding quite calm. "Or are you trying to stall for time?"

"Stalling for time? I wanted to allow you to enjoy your lives a little longer. Too sad that it didn't come across. My bad, I beg your forgiveness."

While the two of them are talking, I stand up and get ready to fight. My mana forms a protective layer around me, and I shape my magical metal into a short sword. My hand is shaking slightly, I don't want to admit it to myself, but I'm scared.

What also worries me is that we've never fought together in this constellation before. I have no idea what the strengths of the others are or how exactly they act in such situations. It is our fault that we have not prepared ourselves for the possibility of encountering an enemy that could cause us serious problems.

Without giving it a second thought, I start my attack. I trust the others to adapt to me more than I trust myself to look out for them.

I go for heavy swings with my sword, and I don't even try to aim at any particular spot. Each hit should do considerable damage, although I still have to land a hit. It feels like she dodges every single one of my attacks with ease. Whenever my gaze falls on her face, I see her smiling until her attention suddenly turns away from me. Wace appears next to us and throws a kick, which she deflects with one hand; that's my chance. I bring my blade down on her other arm with full force.

It sounds like steel clashing on steel, but it is her palm that stops my blade in its tracks. Before I can react, she grips the sword with her hand and breaks it as if it were nothing. Wace is just about to regain his position when she jumps up and performs a spinning kick with both legs at the same time. I drop to the ground and evade, but Wace takes the hit and slams into the stone wall next to him with devastating force.

Before I can get up myself, my body is pulled upwards. She holds me by the forearm with the hand she used to break my blade. Before I can even try to pull away, she puts pressure on my arm, and I can see it being crushed right before my eyes. I don't know if the pain or the sound is worse. I scream loudly and get thrown off into the direction of the slope.

I open my eyes briefly and see that she's carried me steeply upwards so that I don't slide down the slope but only end up hitting the ground hundreds of meters below. Unexpectedly, I suddenly feel something, no, someone bumping into me. An arm grips my waist tightly, and I realize from the arm that it is Krystoff, who seems to have thrown himself after me.

"Idiot."

"Shut up."

We fall relatively straight towards the abyss, maybe we'll land on an orc, not that this would help. I do like to know what he's up to, but I'm sure he didn't intend on simply plunging to his death with me. I try to concentrate on the ground, which is getting closer and closer, but the pain in my arm makes it almost impossible.

Wait, is it just me, or are we slowing down? I look to the side at Krystoff's free arm, from which he is pumping massive amounts of mana. Is he trying to levitate us with wind magic? There's nothing wrong with the idea, but we have too much momentum. But cushioning the fall is the impulse I needed. Immediately, I form a bubble of water around us that gets bigger and bigger before we finally hit the bottom.

My whole body hurts, I'm soaking wet, and I've swallowed endless amounts of water, but I'm alive. As I try to get back on my feet, I support myself with my left arm and realize that I've landed on Krystoff. I look down at him; outwardly, he seems intact, but he doesn't move. When I notice that he is breathing, I take a look around me. Countless orcs and goblins have stopped their work and are staring in my direction.

The remaining magical metal from which I had formed my sword still lies in the hand of my broken arm. I form it into a sort of gauntlet around my arm, causing it to spring back into its natural position. My vision goes black for a moment, but it's better to fight with a splinted arm than with a limp one.

On closer inspection, I notice that neither the goblins nor the orcs are armed unless you refer to hammers and pickaxes as weapons. I gather mana in my left hand and shoot a large fireball into the enemy masses. At best, they get scared and run away, but if they all decide to attack me at the same time, it's probably over for me. Screams of monsters echo through this huge area. It starts to smell of burnt flesh, and luckily, the nearby creatures run to their safety.

From here, the gate they are building looks even more gigantic. Since I have a moment to spare, I try to find the hole in the wall from which I was tossed. Despite all the torches lighting up the floor, it's pretty dark further up, so my search proves fruitless.

Ah, man, the pain is a real bitch. For the first time, I miss Kayla not because of who she is as a person but because of her stupidly powerful healing magic. If I could teach that idiot to fight, I probably wouldn't spend another waking second without her.

A loud crash a few meters away from me brings me back to reality. Something is not right with me since I am daydreaming about Kayla at a time like this.

My eyes wander to the point of impact. The only thing I can hope for is that it's not Wace or Luna. But when I see someone trying to stand up, I immediately realize that it can only be this monster. Any human would have died falling from that height at that speed. Because unlike Krystoff and me, she hasn't slowed herself down with anything. But apart from the question of how she survived, I wonder who managed to send her to the ground with such force.

I let my gaze wander again briefly and see how brightly glowing mana takes on the shape of a circle relatively far above, Luna has apparently started preparing her spell again. From down here, I also realize how we were discovered so quickly - that bright light really does stick out, especially when you can see mana.

Back to this horned woman. The fall has definitely left its mark because the way she moves is how I feel right now. Before she can get up properly, Wace appears in front of her, I didn't notice from where or how he got there so quickly.

Completely merciless, he punches her in the face, and she falls to the ground. While she is lying on her back, Wace steps on her right leg. Her screams drown out the sound of her other leg being crushed as he stomps on it just as ruthlessly. She cries and wails in agony, and whether she's an enemy or a friend, something like that is gruesome.

Wace turns to me, and I flinch at the sight of his face. Besides several bruises and scratches, it is his eyes, which look very much like those of our enemy, that startle me.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"And Krystoff?"

"He's unconscious, probably mana exhaustion." I don't want to assume that it could be because I landed on him.

"All right. We're getting out of here. She should be ready soon."

I look up, and the magic circle, which was previously as big as a drain cover, is now three times as big as Luna herself. It illuminates the upper area of this huge cave with its blazing mana.

"What are we going to do with her?" I look in the direction of the woman I heard, who is now just moaning. I don't want to imagine the pain she's in. She has broken my arm, but I still feel sorry for her.

"You can kill her if you want."

I shake my head immediately. "I don't want to."

"Neither do I. That's why we're leaving her to her fate. If she's lucky, Luna's spell will hit her, and her suffering will end."

I don't know if it would actually be an honorable thing to release her from her pain here and now. But I can't. I don't know why, but for me, she has nothing in common with monsters like goblins and orcs. She simply reminds me too much of us humans. A terrible excuse to just sit back and watch her lie there.

"Weren't there five of you on the road before?" a shaky voice suddenly asks before she starts to laugh.

"What are you talking about?" Wace throws her a cold glance as I approach her, too.

"I hope your partner is even stronger than you. Otherwise, you can say we're even. An eye for an eye, so to speak."

She may be bluffing. Nevertheless, a heat rises in me, and I start to get angry, but this feeling leaves me immediately when I reach her and take a look at her face. She is grinning, the corners of her mouth pulled up all the way, but her eyes look so incredibly sad.

"I don't want to die," she whispers loud enough for me to hear. I turn away abruptly. I absolutely can't let her see my face right now.

"How do we get out of here?" Wace asks as if it were the most natural thing for her to tell us.

"Just follow this useless bunch. They're heading for the forest," she replies.

He then turns away, goes to Krystoff, and throws him over his shoulder. "You can walk yourself, can't you?"