"For me?" I asked as I'm handed a Renewal Crystal. Lady Vira neither nodded nor shook her head to my question. She is just pressing the invaluable artifact on to me. I can't tell what she's thinking with her deadpan face. "I can't possibly accept this, captain."

"Regis." She said my name. "He would still be alive if he had taken my offer. I'm not letting the same thing happening again. So, take it."

She presses on. I reluctantly accepted it eventually. I'm reluctant because these things cause more than my monthly pay and are hard to come by. A luxurious item that is only given to individuals of the highest ranking or importance.

This Renewal Crystal heals all wounds, replenish a huge amount of Mana, and detoxifies all poison and venom. It can even help sustain one's body. The best part being the effects are instantaneous. Although they don't regenerate lost limbs or body parts, they are able to save lives. In fact, this Renewal Crystal had save tons of lives. The only catch is, they are rare. They can be artificially made but even that takes time and a lot of resources. Hence, such pricing.

I even find myself still staring blankly at the Renewal Crystal I was just handed.

"You too." Lady Vira said as she hands another one to Maev.

Maev's right arm is mangled. Her ribs are fractured. She has also exhausted of all her Mana reserve. Among the three of us left, she is the one faring the worst. The fight with the Goliaths had not been easy. Except for Lady Vira, of course.

I never told her this but I call her, Captain Vira as Lady Vira in my heart. I feel that it's a shame to not call such a cool beauty a lady. This is of course, a secret. I'm sure many people shares this belief too. She's basically the exemplar of the Templar Knights. Though I'm not sure if the person-in-question herself is aware of this fact. For a such meticulous person, she can be very oblivious at times.

"Forgive me for disobeying you, captain." Maev gently pushes the offered Renewal Crystal away. "This crystal is simply too much for a low rank like me. You should save this for yourself, captain."

With her never-changing expression, she presses the Renewal crystal straight into Maev's hand.

"Captain?" Maev looks slightly dumbfounded.

"This is an order, use this."

Stuttering on her words, Maev asks "Are you sure about this?"

Lady Vira pats the small satchel on her waist. "I still have some to spare for myself." She said and looks at us. Her eyes are urging us to use it.

Even if she doesn't show it, Maev and I can tell the captain is holding herself responsible for the death of Leon. The Goliaths proved to be too much for us. Leon who was already injured was literally hammered by the Goliath in a one-sided fashion. I'll be omitting the gruesome details.

We being the liability we are, can only watch the spectacle of Lady Vira skillfully and gracefully cut down her enemies. Her skills are something akin to reaching for the moon to us. She is just that exceptionally skilled. For the Nines, everyone really do look up to her.

Both Maev and I exchange gazes. We aren't sure if we really should be using this artifact.

"Just hurry up and use it. The current state of you two are no better than being dead in this place. If you intent to be useful, use it. If not, you're welcome to stay here where your hindrance won't be affecting anyone."

Dear Nines, she might looked ruthless but underneath the iron skin, she is as gentle as a shrine maiden. Left without any further argument, we crush the Renewal Crystal with Mana and absorb the lights that leak from it.

Just like its reputation, our wounds are heal instantaneously.

"Good. Let's keep moving." were all Vira said before continuing on.

We follow her in silent. We were too ashamed of our own powerlessness to speak to her.

We encounter various monsters but they are all being swiftly dealt with by Lady Vira herself.

There were wolves call Shadow Wolves which were able to traverse using shadows. Lady Vira figure out the trick immediately and decapitated all six of it in a quick succession.

While crossing a stone bridge with a lake beneath, we are attacked by some monster fishes. They were twenty feet long shark-like magic beasts call Sharp Fins. Their attacks were silent. We only knew that its attacking when it broke the water surface. Only with seconds to act, Lady Vira bisected the all the attacking Sharp Fins into two.

We even encountered more pale monsters. Maev and I had a minor role in fending them off but Vira cut down all that came to her.

Just a little distance away from where we encountered the pale monsters, we found a Goliath being torn to shreds and eaten. Probably eaten by the pale monsters Vira had just cut down.

We then came to an area with flowers that are on fire. How strange, the fire burns but not hurting the flower as if the flame itself is a part of the flower. And a few meters away from the red field, were two dried up corpses of some half humanoid-half scorpion monster.

My appraisal told me they are called Kalas. Oddly enough, the lower-half scorpion body has no tail and its upper half have blades for hands instead of pincers. It only looked scorpion because of the body with eight legs.

Beyond these two corpses, there was a entrance leading into a small cave. In there was a headless and charred Kalas. Looks like this whole place was on fire a while ago judging from the scorch marks on the walls.

Lady Vira must have saw our tired breaths as she decided to have a small break inside the small cave. Alone, she dragged the corpse of the Kalas out of the cave.

Two days must have passed by now. Two days we have not eaten nor drank anything. We are only hanging in there thanks to the Renewal Crystal. We do not feel hungry nor thirsty thanks to it but the effects aren't permanent. Sooner or later, we will have to find something to eat and drink.

Lady Vira is an exception to the above problems as always. She learned how to sustain herself even without relying on the Renewal Crystal.

We rested for quite a long while before we began moving again.

In a large room filled with incinerated grasses, a lonely figure stood in the middle of the ashes, feeding on the remains. It's eating the charred flesh and bones of some lizard-like magic beasts.

It's tall and thin. Its legs are long and its four arms are also long and thin. Its two eyes are big. They look like the eyes of the strained. Like almost every other magic beasts down here, it has fangs for teeth.

It notices us. It screeches and ran at us. No, not ran. It hopped at us.

It likes hopping around but Lady Vira doesn't. The four arms isn't fast but it is annoying with its seemingly smiling expression and hopping around. Lady Vira unleashes an advanced-grade magic [White Light] at the four arms. It shoots out a single compressed white beam at a speed almost akin to light's. The four arms is severed into two diagonally by [White Light].

I guess Lady Vira's probably really annoyed.

Once again, we have only just sit back and watch Lady Vira cleaning up the magic beasts in this dungeon.

The only time that Lady Vira was in the same spot as us was when we encountered hundreds of large centipedes. All three of us combined our magic to eliminate the abominable bugs but we barely shaved off their large numbers.

For some reason, we saw some centipedes either have their exoskeleton partially burned or entirely charred. Did they engaged with some magic beasts that can utilize fire magic? Lets hope that is not the case.

Escaping from the horde, we run into a large open space which is occupied by a village. A village shrouded with red crystals and overgrown plants. There are a lot of vine-type plants especially.

I do not know if it was just me but this place has a overwhelming feel to it. I felt pressure by some sort of aura that lurks in here. No, it's not the miasma. It's something else.

Lady Vira then collapses the passage behind us with magic to cut off the centipedes from the chase. It seemed to work.

"A village?"

"Ancient era?" Lady Vira answers my questions with another question.

"Seems like it."

We walk on through the village, passing by huts and houses made of bricks or wood. Their designs are ancient as hays were used as reinforcement for roofs, resembling the reference pictures we often saw in books but that was it, that's the only resemblance.

Still, this is an amazing discovery. If Hyx was here, he would have been over the clouds and asking questions no one alive know the answers to.

Hyx Atlas. An odd fellow. Sanguine at almost all times. I remembered how he was able to crack a joke when he was literally just few centimeters away from death. If Lady Vira had been any slower, he would have been crushed. Right after that, he was trembling but he still did his best to put on a smile as if he doesn't want his misery to affect the ones around him. Truly an odd fellow. He brightens up the most bleak moments.

So, Hyx. Please be alive.

"Over there." Maev's voice brought me back to reality.

She points at a place near a large cherry blossom tree.

"Adventurers." I said as I saw the bodies of two individuals. I remember these two as they were the most accommodating among the other adventurers. Alexander and Cilia.

"This is terrible." Maev remarks. Indeed, this is very unfortunate. I had secretly wish for them to be alive. I couldn't care less about the other adventurers but I care enough about these two. A pity they didn't make it.

"Shame."

Seems like Lady Vira agrees with me too.

"That's twelve confirmed dead."

"But what are these?"

I raise my eyebrows at Lady Vira's enquiry. I look to where she pointed.

By the Nines, what are those things?

Spriggans but smaller than the ones I know. Their whole body covered in red crystals. The color of the crystals seem faded. Their bodies are convulsing. Cracks appeared all over the crystals on them. Their status is Dire. They're not dead but close.

Their race is Spriggan (Exalted) (Overloaded). I told Maev and Lady Vira this.

Are they exalted of the miasma here and what are they overloaded with? Their own Mana? But come to think of it, we still haven't encounter any dense miasma places. So far, we had only sense it.

"Physical Mana vessels?" Lady Vira directs a question at me.

I'll do my best to answer your question, Lady Vira. Work hard, [Analysis] and [Appraisal] "They do seem to be souls in a physical form. They have the traits and their flow and structure does resemble a soul."

"Isn't it impossible?" Maev asked. "Even the top researchers branded it as just fantasy of researchers."

"Obviously it's not impossible for this place." responds Lady Vira. "Considering everything we have seen so far, this is something that should be expected." She then points at something. "Those crystals. Are they real?"

"It appears so, La..." I cough. "Captain Vira." Close. "They are Mana Crystals. Just like the ones we have been seeing."

There are two types of crystals. A normal crystal for decoration and flaunting and a Mana Crystal which contains Mana within. The functions and properties varied.

"Woah!" Maev suddenly exclaimed. "What happened here?"

Lady Vira and I look to align our line of sights with Maev's. There is a huge hole. Something broke the foundation of this floor and fell through.

Lady Vira reaches her hand to the air above the hole.

"There was a huge concentration of Mana here. Just moments ago." She then looks back at the convulsing red crystal Spriggans. "Must be the one who did all that to the Spriggans."

Who did what? "What do you mean, Captain Vira?"

"Someone unleashed a highly concentrated Mana explosion here. Resulting in overloading the Spriggans there who are sensitive to Mana and creating this hole. This hole is probably not included in the person's plan. This person is probably either inexperience with handling Mana of this level, shortsighted, or suicidal."

I look at the hole and then at the Spriggans. I still can't make sense of Lady Vira's last sentence.

She seems to have sense both me and Maev's confusion, she explains. "If this person is experienced, not an idiot, nor suicidal, he would understand that such level of ability could very well make this whole place collapse."

I see. Simple but excellent observation. As expected of Lady Vira.

"What of the Spriggans?" Maev asks.

"Off with them. They were the ones who killed these two after all. Their wounds match with the Spriggans' bladed arms."

""Understood.""

We then proceed to end their suffering but a problem arises. Our swords can't hurt it.

"They're tough."

"That is to be expected, Maev. Magic beasts they maybe, those are still genuine Mana Crystals after all." I told Maev.

Lady Vira just sheathes her sword and then draws out another sword from thin air. Must be her [Arms Inventory] that everyone is talking about and drooling for. An ability to store weapons in a sub-dimension.

The sword she drew out is a sabre. A guardless sword with a jet-black curved blade and a silver grip that curved oppositely to the blade, forming a wave pattern.

Fang

Type: Sabre (Divine)

Power Strength: A

Mana Conversion Rate: A

Mana Threshold: S

Status: None

Innate Abilities

Mana Absorption

Aura Blade

Magic Devouring Field

Wielder Healing

Call-to-Arms

Recall (Unique)

Magic Ripper (Unique)

I can't believe it. Despite being acquainted to her for more than ten years, this is the first time I witness the legendary Fang.

A divine weapon. Weapons that said to be blessed by the gods themselves. It is given to her when she repelled a goblin invasion on a small village, single-handed. If I remember correctly, she nearly died at that time. When she didn't, a divine A-rank sabre is given to her by the Cardinal himself.

She later named it Fang. Everyone was very skeptical about her naming sense but none dared to ask. Not even me.

She then silently stabs each Spriggans once in the chest, letting Fang absorbs the Mana.

"A debt is paid." I hear Lady Vira mutters it silently. It isn't a saying or a prayer of the Nines. It sounds more like something personal.

My honest impression of her, I don't believe she is truly devout. I do not know of the other's impression but this is my own impression after closely observing her for a long time. Normally I would have reported such things to the High Priests but she has done so much more than those who claimed to be a devout follower of the Nines. So I have no qualms about it.

After "killing" all the red crystal Spriggans, Lady Vira put Fang back in her [Arms Inventory] and we left the area.

When I said the area, I meant the part with the Spriggans. We are technically still in the same room. This segment of the dungeon is the biggest we have came across.

This place truly doesn't have the feel of being underground. If the ceiling was any darker, I would have sworn that it was the night sky.

A few hundred meters after the village, there is a forest full of trees that I have never seen before. That is to be expected.

The forest stretches as far as the eyes could see. We decided to head into the forest.

"Do you think the lights on these cyan veins will go out?" Maev asks. I'm not sure who she is asking though. Probably whoever can answer.

"As far as I can tell, the plants in this dungeon have different necessities. They are probably absorbing the Mana through the roots." I did saw a lot of Mana veins in this dungeon but it's only natural. Dungeons are a sort of an arcane phenomenon after all.

"Keep communications to a minimum." And we are reprimanded by Lady Vira. "I don't want us attracting any unneeded attention."

And so, we all walk on in silent. Although the silent is necessary, I can't help but feel awkward.

Things are quite peaceful for the time being. We merely see insects of some kind crawling from here to there. We also hear birds chirping but we saw no bird.

The atmosphere of the worthwhile peace comes to an end when we got to a certain spot.

We arrive at an area that has a lot more space between trees.

"Not good." Lady Vira gives her impression about the area. I concur.

"Yeah. No covers in case of long range ambush." Maev also agrees.

By the Nines.....

What is that?

"What is that thing?" Maev asked the question I have in my mind.

"Something that we need to be cautious of." Lady Vira answers.

The magic beast we found ourselves looking at is a small walking tree with a very beautiful and erotic-looking green skin woman embedded on the trunk. Leaves are covering her private parts but every other parts are bared. Her hair is long and silky and in dark green like the leaves on its branches.

I appraise her and the info I'm given is --

-- Maneater. Rank C. Abilities are [Charm], [Seduce], [Devour], [Shadow Spears], [Shadow Prison], [Shadow Walk], and [Disordering Mist].

I relay all those information to Lady Vira. Reminder, these are just the Maneater's magic abilities, her Arcane Arts. Her natural physical abilities are not included.

All of our swords are drawn.

"A seductress." Lady Vira gives her first impression.

"Of man." Maev added and emphasized.

Why did you do that, Maev?

The Maneater is saying something but it is most likely in monster language.

Yes, monsters or magic beasts has their own language but even so, only few are capable of such methods of communication.

"She likes you." says Lady Vira. Apparently Lady Vira knows monster's language but as expected of Lady Vira as always.

"Excuse me?" I blurted out my reaction.

"In the sense that she would enjoy having you as dinner." clarifies Lady Vira.

Oh. I see.

You are indeed quite attractive even with your unsightly parts and conducts but no thanks. My heart already belongs to someone.

"The code." Maev whispers out loud to me.

"I know." I assure her. Do you honestly think I wouldn't with the thief of my heart just beside me?

"From the ground!" Lady Vira yells, suddenly.

The two of us immediately understood what Lady Vira meant.

We all leap to the side and the ground where we were before, spikes made of wood shot out. Since this is not listed in her magic list, this must be a physical ability.

The shadows of the Maneater rises into the air. They spread and morph into twenty spears.

[Shadow Spears], no doubt.

"On me." Lady Vira ordered and we comply.

A barrier of light forms around us. The twenty spear of shadows melted and dissipated upon contact. Intermediate level light-type magic, [Light Barrier]. The Novice level would be [Barrier] if I'm remembering correctly.

Shadows rise again but instead of spreading out thinly like last time, it concentrates into two parts. The two parts morph into a shape of a spear.

[Shadow Spear] but with focus on the quality instead of quantity.

These strengthened spears flew at us.

Nines be damned, they are not just stronger but faster.

Tsk.

I swear I heard someone clicked their tongue. I refuse to believe it was Lady Vira beside me who is the closest and the most probable culprit. I absolutely won't.

Lights that compose the barrier breaks down and become something akin to midst.

The [Shadow Spears] which enter the dazzling midst immediately explode into nothing.

Don't tell me.... Is that [Purifying Field]? The advance level light-type magic? It is able to purify as its name stated and can also functions as a sort of barrier against dark magics. This is a magic ability that only high ranking priests have.

As always -- as expected of Lady Vira.

The Maneater groans in frustration and then yells at us. Anybody can tell it was cursing us or something similar.

This time, the Maneater sends more than fifty [Shadow Spears] at us.

No, not at us. At the ground just in front of us. The spears raise a cloud of dust when they hit. A smokescreen.

Lady Vira strikes out her palm and the cloud of dust is cleared in an instance.

The Maneater is no where in sight.

"Behind." Lady Vira shouts. She didn't even look back first.

Maev and I turn but we are too late. We find sharp vines darting at us before our eyes.

The vines didn't reach, however.

Lady Vira has appeared in between us and the Maneater. She has cut down all the attacking vines.

Such speed. Are you perhaps a godsend apostle, Lady Vira?

Lady Vira swings wide but her blade cuts only the air. The Maneater has used [Shadow Walk] again. This was the ability it used to appear behind us.

This time, the Maneater appears behind the three of us, using the same pattern of attack. And of course, Lady Vira being Lady Vira cuts down all the vines before they even got close.

Dear Nines, I am really useless indeed.

Before Lady Vira's next move, the Maneater creates a good distance between it and us. It then uses its trump card, [Disordering Mist]. It inhales in air through its lavishing lips and then blows it all out in a lustful manner.

Nines be damned, I will not be tempted!

The green smoke comes at us like a tidal wave. It is fast and covers a wide range.

Lady Vira could have just dashed through the smoke and ended the Maneater but she is not that kind of person to just coldly abandon her allies. Instead, she stands her ground and once again casts [Purifying Field].

The mist disappears when it enters the field of light.

I'm sorry, Lady Vira. I truly am. I'm sorry that I'm just a liability to you.

As those thoughts are crossing my mind, I hear Maev shouted at me. "Regis!"

Before I can understand the purpose of her shout, I am lifted into the air.

What?

And then I am thrown outside of [Purifying Field]. The same went to Maev. Lady Vira almost suffers the same fate but she reacted quickly like she always did and cut off the vines that have crawled from underneath the ground.

Oh no. This can't be good.

I am engulfed by the green smoke.

I can feel the smoke entering my lungs.

I can hear Lady Vira shouting my name and Maev's. Louder than any time I knew. The loudest.

So she shouts like that too, I see.

Following her shout, I see the silhouette of Lady Vira, she is drinking something. A potion, perhaps? After that, she draws something from thin air. A sword.

[Arms Inventory]! What sword did you take out? Fang, perhaps? No, not Fang. Fang doesn't have a cross guard but Shadow's Bane does.

She stabs the sword into the ground. A radiant light burst out from her and spreads to the surrounding. My vision is instantly engulfed by the light.

I didn't know at that time. Maybe I would never know. The light actually engulfed the whole floor of that dungeon.

And the mist is gone. The air is once again clear but still dark. The cyan vines provide only ample illumination.

Ah.... My head feels light.

I see the figure of Lady Vira. So dignified. So graceful. She dispatches the Maneater so easily. She's so precise. So swift. So stylish. So elegant --

-- So beautiful--

-- Can you be mine?

She runs towards Maev. She runs towards her, first. Why? Why didn't you come to me first? Did you favor her?

After Maev, then only she runs to me.

Lady Vira, you look flustered.

"Are you alright?" she asks me.

I nod.

"Sorry for being useless in battles. To make up to you, I can be useful to you in other ways." I offer her a very gentleman smile.

"Regis?" She looks at me. Her mildly flustered expression changed. She now has the look of uncertainty just like whenever she is up against an unknown enemy. The expression change is subtle. No one but me could notice the change. No one.

But why are you making such faces?

"Regis? Are you truly alright?"

Why wouldn't I be? You're here, after all.

You're so beautiful.

"Regis! Where are your arms going?"

Around you, of course. How else can I embrace you?

You look scare for a moment. How cute. Show more of that to me.

"Did the purifying not work?"

What are you saying? Ah.... Never mind what you are saying. That's not important. The important thing here is....

"Get your hands off her!"

Ah? Ah? Ah....? Ah. Aaah. Aaaaah!

Maev, you bitch! What have you done to my hands? My hands! My hands! Where are they?

On the ground?

This bitch!

"Maev."

See, Maev. You made her look sad. You made her terrified. You made her worried. These distorted faces of her's are my privilege. Mine alone. This is unacceptable!

Ah? I'm in the air?

Ah. I fall back to the ground

Oh. You pushed me away, Vira.

Why did you stop me from attacking Maev?

She hurt me, you know? She scared you too.

So, why are you defending her?

"Both of you! Stand down right now. That is an order."

Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Unacceptable.

"Maev. Stand down. You hear me? Stand down!"

She won't. She won't do it because she doesn't respects you and loves you like I do. That's why she won't.

See. She's still coming to attack me.

Ah?

Where did you come from?

"Maev!"

Why did you scream for her?

She got what's coming for her. She tried to kill me. She even cut off my hands. Getting mauled to death by some reptile monster is a suitable punishment.

Don't mind her. Just come to me--

-- Thanks. You protected me from one of the reptile monsters.

Were they invisible just now?

Never mind. That does not matters. The only thing that matters here is you, with me.

"Regis, snap out of it! You're not thinking clearly."

You're wrong. I am thinking clearly. Clearer than ever before. Don't mind the monsters that are slowly coming to us.

Hmm.... Why are all the monsters coming out from the woods and coming here, towards us?

Never mind . Never mind. It's all good. You're here with me. That's all that matters.

Why are you tapping on my forehead? A new play?

"Damn it. Not even a divine-type. Is it not magic?"

Stop talking nonsense, Vira. Let's just embrace. Don't look panic at those monsters. They don't matter. They are not relevant. Look only at me.

You're so beautiful, my dear sweet Vira.

Hm?

What's with this sudden darkness?

Oh. A Goliath.

An Alpha.

Tsk.

Read the mood, stupid monkey.

....

....

Woah! You swing that sword, so naturally. Slicing the surrounding monsters into half, even the invisible reptiles are caught in your attack.

As expected of you.

Still, you failed to realize the Alpha Goliath that is behind you. You didn't notice the obvious shadow that overlapped ours. You were always so attentive to things and details but you didn't even realize the Alpha Goliath that had raised its fist.

Why?

Why didn't you?

Why can't you?

Why didn't you notice?

Why didn't you notice my feelings for you?

Why can't you notice my feelings?

I sigh.

I guess I just have to rescue you. I just have to be the prince that you never wished and asked for.

Softly, "Behind you." I said to you as I pushed you out of the way.

Unfortunately, my last memory is not of you but a fist of a giant monkey that can't read the mood.