Out of the Lair (4)
Puuuuh!
Centria's forehead pierced clean through by the Spear of Tempest.
Normally, my strike wouldn't have scratched her.
But she was on the brink of death.
That's why the magic I unleashed could punch through her brow.
Thud.
Centria's body slumped limply to the ground.
She had met her end.
And then.
A brilliant light erupted from my body.
A surging warmth flooded every inch of me.
This sensation—I'd felt it many times before.
Every time I consumed a spirit pill and leveled up.
Your level has risen.
Your level has risen.
Your level has risen.
Your level has risen.
Your level has risen.
Daily growth limit reached.
System messages scrolled before my eyes.
Whoa.
I let out an inward gasp of awe.
How many levels had I gained?
I immediately checked my status window.
Level 70!
A whopping ten levels up.
There's a daily growth cap?
A brand-new fact I'd just learned.
There was a hard limit to how much you could grow in a single day.
No one had ever mentioned this before.
I was probably the first to experience it.
"Ah! Master, you can grow like this too! From now on, I'll fetch the prey, and you can finish them off."
I nodded at Azkai's words.
If we kept leveling like this, my growth would accelerate even more.
"First, grab those."
I pointed at Centria's fallen form.
As her breath faded, ★ and ▲ gems floated above her body.
One ★ and three ▲s.
That made two ★s and eight ▲s in my possession.
Combining the ▲s would yield another ★, for a total of three.
Better use one now.
Centria's state suggested something ominous brewing in the northern canyon.
It'd be a shame to turn back after coming this far.
At least confirm the Dragon's Lair's existence.
"Azkai. Here."
"This is... Ah! Thank you."
I handed a ★ to Azkai, who absorbed it immediately.
Roooaaar!
An unprecedented aura boiled from Azkai's body.
A message appeared alongside it.
Azkai's lava has grown more intense due to the rise in potential.
*Strength restricted. Recover the Lava Emperor Stone to restore full level.
The aura pouring from Azkai felt even hotter now.
That brought his stars to seven.
Just two more for a full nine.
I considered filling them now but held off.
We'll decide later, back home.
"Thank you, Master. I'll work even harder for you and Lady Dania."
I smiled warmly at Azkai's bow.
"Let's move carefully for now. Something's off in that canyon."
We approached the Canyon of Light more cautiously than before.
"Uh..."
A mix of sighs and gasps escaped us.
Before us lay pitch-black corpses strewn everywhere.
Like a black river flowing through.
Those were centipede bodies.
All burned to death.
This was no good.
Thousands incinerated in one blow.
Could even Azkai manage that?
A bad feeling urged me to turn back.
But then.
Thump—
My heart began to pound.
Something in that canyon was calling me.
"Master, what now?"
Azkai asked cautiously as I hesitated.
His usual lazy expression was gone—replaced by seriousness.
The traces unnerved even him.
"Let's peek a bit further in."
We ventured deeper.
A radiant light barrier came into view ahead.
Thump—
My heartbeat grew louder.
Something's there.
This feeling was familiar.
Just like when I first met Dania.
My gut screamed: a Dragon's Lair—and maybe even a dragon egg.
"We need to handle that barrier somehow."
Keron. Commencing barrier pattern analysis.
Archeron stepped forward.
He could analyze it?
Oh, our Archeron—versatile as ever.
Ziiiiiing!
A cannon barrel emerged from Archeron's arm, firing probing light at the barrier.
Beep-beep-beep.
Strange geometric symbols floated in Archeron's eyes.
Like cracking a code.
Keron. Decoding barrier pattern—
We were focused on Archeron when.
"Grrrrr—"
Azkai growled tensely, staring into the canyon's depths.
And then.
Dooooooom.
A colossal presence emerged with immense power.
A sturdy yet elegant frame, body like crystalline armor.
It hovered regally in the sky, radiating mystical, overwhelming aura as it reflected light.
"Ah."
I gasped in shock at its status window.
Level 500.
Those who invade the Light Domain shall not return alive.
Calysion gazed down at us with icy eyes.
"It's not just one."
Azkai's voice grew more tense.
Whoosh—!
Solar-like heat and blinding white light engulfed us.
Two more appeared beside Calysion.
Fwoooosh!
A being like a blazing fire spirit.
A noble figure radiating holy light, like a sacred priest.
"Hah."
An incredulous laugh escaped me.
Three level 500+ beings.
Chilling.
But that wasn't the end.
"Grrrrrr..."
Azkai growled more menacingly.
And then.
Kwaaaaa!
A massive pillar of light erupted from the canyon's depths.
Soaring to the heavens, a faint silhouette shimmered within.
The King of Light and Crystals.
A being whose level was immeasurable.
We're screwed.
I knew it instantly.
No winning head-on.
Fighting now meant zero chance of survival.
Then.
I felt the gaze of the unknown—Luminarc—upon us.
Prove your worth.
Those words pierced my ears.
Thump—!
My heart thundered like it might burst.
And then.
Whiiiine—
My vision spun wildly.
Agony like losing consciousness—I clutched my head and collapsed.
"Urgh."
A groan escaped me.
"Master! Grrrrr—you bastards—!"
Keron! Activating Combat Stance Lv5.
Entering Transcendent Combat Mode.
I vaguely saw Azkai charge with a roar, Archeron powering up for battle.
That was the last thing.
My vision went black.
But then.
—Here...
A faint voice from somewhere.
As darkness fell, sudden brilliant light pierced through.
Grooooar.
Vast mana swirled like a storm.
The source.
"Centria's link is severed."
The King of Insects.
Vermith.
His eyes blazed with murderous fury.
He'd just lost his spider legion—now the centipede one too.
This enraged him further.
"North. Luminarc must have awakened."
Grind.
He gnashed his teeth.
Losing the centipedes was a huge blow.
What rotten luck.
Of all times, that bastard wakes when Centria moves.
"Hoo."
His eyes cooled to ice.
If Luminarc was awake, leaving here wouldn't help.
"Abandon the northern Dragon's Lair."
Then.
"Central. Deploy everything there."
From the intel so far.
A Dragon's Lair surely existed centrally.
Truth be told, he wanted to avoid the center.
Something even worse slumbered there.
But.
No choice now.
With Luminarc awake, the other king-level beings would stir soon.
Before that.
Secure at least one lair.
"Summon all commanders."
He decided.
Commanders gathered before him.
Mantis Karmarks, somewhat recovered.
Wasps, ants, moths, stag beetles, longhorn beetles, etc.
All remaining commanders assembled.
"Clear the path ahead. I'll follow soon."
Vermith eyed the hemispherical barrier restraining him coldly.
Fainter than before.
It would break soon.
A space filled with pure white light.
I floated weightlessly within.
Where am I?
Nothing but white light everywhere.
Here...
The voice echoed again.
I drifted toward it.
Like a fish swimming through water.
My body glided smoothly through the air to its source.
"Ah."
A gasp escaped me.
Why?
Before my eyes.
A dragon egg.
Just like Dania's at first sight.
Similar size to Dania's.
This one whiter, etched with geometric patterns—but unmistakably a dragon egg.
Hello...
Clearer pronunciation than Dania's first words.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you."
I approached the egg.
Reached out to touch it.
Splat!
My hand bounced off like hitting a curtain.
Not yet...
A regretful tone.
But... soon... we can meet...
The voice faded.
Come find me... please come back...
With that.
Fwaaaah!
My vision flooded with light again.