Chapter 199: First Blood in the Mission
On the other side, Torren held his ground against the first wolf, its claws scraping against his shield as it tried to push through.
Althea’s voice came calm and steady.
"Hold."
A faint glow wrapped around Torren.
His stance tightened.
Stronger.
More stable.
"Got it," he replied.
Then Selene moved.
Fast. Light on her feet.
The result of her training showing at their first combat.
She didn’t rush the shot.
She watched while moving.
Then..
Her bowstring snapped forward.
The first arrow hit the wolf’s joint causing it to jerk lightly as a second followed immediately.
Another weak point.
The wolf growled, shifting its focus.
But it was too late.
Althea’s voice came again.
"Now."
The third arrow..
Stronger and sharper as it pierced through the wolf’s neck.
Blood burst out in a sudden rush.
Torren flinched slightly.
"..Tch!"
"Sorry," Selene said, already lowering her bow.
The wolf dropped.
Still.
Ryn’s side wasn’t as clean.
But it wasn’t messy either.
Arthur glanced over just in time to see the end of it.
Ryn stood in front of the wolf, his blade already moving.
There were cuts across the creature’s body.
And they weren’t random.
But well placed and measured.
The wolf lunged one last time..
Ryn stepped forward instead of back.
His blade flashed.
Then...
Silence.
As the wolf collapsed at his feet.
Ryn exhaled slowly.
"...Done."
For a moment, no one spoke.
They just looked at each other.
Then..
Their eyes shifted.
Between Arthur and Ryn.
Torren lowered his shield slightly.
"...What."
Selene blinked.
Althea just stared.
Nox looked between the two bodies, then at them.
"...That was fast."
Arthur wiped his dagger on a cloth, calm as ever.
"What?"
Ryn sheathed his weapon like it was nothing.
The group stayed quiet for a second longer.
Then Torren shook his head.
"...Freaks."
Selene nodded.
"Yeah."
Althea didn’t argue.
Nox just let out a small breath.
Arthur smirked slightly.
"...I’ll take that as a compliment."
But even as he said it..
His eyes shifted.
Back to the deeper part of the dungeon.
Because he could still feel it.
That wrongness.
It hadn’t gone away.
"...We’re not done," he said quietly.
Ryn nodded.
"We’ve just started."
He let them pick on the loots from the three wolf corpses before he finally spoke.
"Let’s move."
The moment he said it, they moved like the fight behind them didn’t matter.
Arthur gave one last glance at what was left of the fallen wolves, then turned without a word.
Behind him, the others were still catching up mentally.
Torren let out a breath as he adjusted his shield.
"...Still feels weird."
Selene nodded slightly.
"Training is different."
Althea didn’t say anything, but her eyes lingered for a second longer on Arthur and Ryn before she turned away.
They had seen it before.
But not like this.
In training, there was always a line in the back of your mind. A limit. Something holding things back.
Out here..
There was none of that.
And it showed.
Arthur stretched his neck lightly as they walked.
"...You guys did fine."
Torren snorted.
"Yeah, compared to you? Sure."
Arthur smirked.
"I didn’t say that."
That earned a few quiet reactions.
The tension eased just a bit again.
But only for a moment.
Because Nox was already moving ahead.
Back to work.
Arthur watched her go, then followed without complaint.
She’s locked in now.
Good.
They needed that.
They didn’t go far before she returned.
Quick.
Light steps.
"The path ahead is clear," she said.
Ryn nodded once.
"Distance?"
"Enough to move fast," she replied. "No immediate groups."
Arthur let out a breath.
"Finally."
That meant one they still had time.
Although not much... but enough.
Ryn didn’t hesitate.
"We pick up the pace."
And just like that...
They moved faster.
Their steps became sharper, more direct.
No unnecessary stops or wasted journeys.
Arthur adjusted easily, his body falling into rhythm.
His senses stayed open.
Watching.
Listening.
Feeling.
The deeper they went, the more the dungeon showed its state.
The trees grew denser.
The light dimmed.
And that faint wrongness in the air.
It didn’t go away.
If anything, it got worse.
Arthur clicked his tongue softly.
"...Yeah, we’re running out of time."
No one argued.
As they kept moving.
Nox led them through turns that didn’t seem obvious.
At some points, Arthur could feel it..
Groups nearby.
Watching.
Waiting.
But they didn’t run into them.
She guided them around.
Ryn trusted her completely.
So did the rest.
Arthur grinned a little as they moved.
"...Not bad."
She didn’t respond.
Focused.
Locked in.
They covered a lot of ground that way.
Faster than expected.
But it didn’t last.
Nox stopped again.
This time, sharper.
Her head turned slightly.
Then she spoke.
"...Seven."
Arthur’s grin faded.
"Where?"
"Front," she replied. "Spread out. Not fully grouped yet."
That got everyone’s attention.
Seven wasn’t something they could just ignore.
Torren tightened his grip on his shield.
Selene adjusted her bow slightly.
Althea’s expression grew serious.
"...Alright."
Ryn stepped forward.
"Positions."
Then he looked at Torren.
"How many can you hold?"
Torren didn’t even think about it.
"With her buffs?"
A quick glance at Althea.
"Three."
Althea nodded.
"I can keep you stable."
Ryn gave a small nod.
"Good."
That settled that.
Three held.
Four left.
His gaze shifted.
Arthur met it.
No words.
Just understanding.
Arthur gave a slight nod.
"Yeah."
Ryn turned back.
"We take the rest."
No room for doubt.
Arthur felt it settle in his chest.
Good.
This was his kind of fight.
Soon, they moved into position.
Slowly and carefully.
The air tightened again.
That same feeling from before..
Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.
There.
He could almost sense them now.
Then..
Ryn raised his hand.
And dropped it.
That was the signal.
Torren moved first.
A sharp step forward.
Then..
"Hey!"
A shout.
Loud and clear.
His shield slammed forward with a heavy THUD!
The sound echoed.
And it worked.
Three wolves broke from cover immediately, drawn to him.
They circled fast, low growls rumbling from their throats.
Torren planted his feet.
"Come on then."