Ranye's point of view
Everything was a whirlwind.
One that began the moment that boy changed.
I, Ranye, could still feel the effects of his bite on my neck. It had been quick… almost gentle. But what it caused was immediate: as if the storm of pain, anger, and despair that had consumed me suddenly vanished.
My body had been on the verge of collapse, exhausted by Dix's damn staff, which was draining our strength. But when his lips touched my skin, something changed. A strange warmth spread through my veins, numbing the pain, calming the burning in my muscles.
And then I saw him.
That being—human? Monster? I no longer knew what to call him—stood before us.
Transformed.
There was no precise word to describe him.It was like looking at a creature from another dimension. A cross between something divine and something cursed. His tall figure, with black claws shining like living obsidian, his black wing stretched to one side, his curved horn as if it wanted to pierce the sky, everything about him radiated power. His face… was no longer fully human, but not monstrous either. He was… different.
Beautiful.
And terrifying.
My eyes couldn't look away from him. Neither could anyone else's.
Lyd was speechless. Let swallowed nervously, visibly trembling. Even Gross, always cold, seemed uncomfortable.
But the most unsettling thing was how Kael defended us.
He moved between us and Dix as if it were natural. Every attack Dix launched was met with instinctive precision. And although he said no words, every movement spoke louder than any scream.—"You will not touch them."
And he didn't.
Kael struck like a living shadow, forcing Dix to retreat. Then, in the middle of the fight, something unexpected happened.
Dix, trying to deflect one of Kael's attacks, moved his staff clumsily and… dropped it.
It hit the ground with a hollow sound.
And then, as if a rope inside us had snapped, the suffering ceased.
The connection of the staff to our minds broke. The air stopped squeezing our lungs. The tense muscles relaxed.
Some xenos collapsed immediately, fainting from exhaustion.
Only a few of us remained standing. Gross, Lyd, Let, Aude, Cliff, and me. And we were barely holding on.
Aude fell to his knees, coughing up blood. Let leaned against the wall, gasping. Cliff was panting as if he hadn't breathed for centuries. I felt my heart pounding in my throat, my head, my limbs. But I held steady.
The boy continued advancing.
And Dix… was losing control.
With a mix of fury and desperation, he lifted the glasses he always wore and revealed his eyes. Both were a deep red, but the left one shone brighter… much brighter.
A "D"-shaped symbol lit up there with blinding intensity.
And then, everything changed.
The area where they fought began to twist as if the dungeon itself was alive. Walls rose, the floor folded, passages appeared where there had been none.
And then, without warning, a door opened in the wall closest to Dix.
A dark, unstable door.
"Wait, damn it!" Lyd shouted furiously, staggering forward. "Where are you going, coward?!"
Dix didn't respond. He didn't have time. He just escaped.
His footsteps echoed, and at the last moment, when Kael was about to sink his claws into him, they just grazed him… by a few damn centimeters.
And he was gone.
The door closed behind him.
The boy stayed there, motionless, in front of the door now closed where Dix had disappeared. Gross and Lyd were already prepared to destroy it when an event that left us breathless.
He simply lifted one of his claws.
Not violently, but calmly.
And a dark stain appeared in the center of the door. A circular, pulsating vortex, large enough for him to pass through.
And so he did.
Without saying a word.Without looking back.Without hesitation.
He vanished into the shadow. A second later, the dark stain closed up, as if it had never been there.
We all stood silent.
Stunned.
We didn't know what to say. What to think. What to feel.
Lyd looked at Gross, clearly expecting an order. Gross, still staring at the empty wall, didn't speak immediately. But finally, he stood up slowly.
"We must get out of here," he said gravely. "Who knows what will happen if Dix returns. We have to take advantage of the time that boy is giving us."
I looked at him, and so did Cliff. We couldn't believe what we were hearing.
"What do you mean? We can't leave him! He saved us!" I exclaimed.
Gross looked at me seriously.
"Are you willing to risk everyone for one person? We only have one key. If you go after them, we could end up surrounded by Dix's subordinates… or worse. What if he has more tools like that?", He said, pointing to the cane that Let was about to break. A second after without hesitation, he broke it against the floor, destroying the red gem in a thousand pieces.
But I ignored that, too busy thinking about what Gross said. His words hit me like a bucket of cold water.
Not because he was wrong… but because he was right.
But that didn't make it easier to accept.
I bit my lip hard, lowering my head. I clenched my fists, frustrated, helpless.
Cliff approached and gently laid one of his wings over my head. He couldn't speak, but his gesture was clear.
"Thank you," I whispered, stroking his feather.
Lyd didn't seem willing to leave either. It showed in his expression. He wanted to do something. Go after that boy, help him, repay the debt we all owed him.
But in the end, he sighed.
"You've heard the leader, xenos… move out."
We started moving. there was no other choice.
Those of us conscious helped lift the fallen. We carried them on our backs, dragged the heaviest, did everything we could not to lose anyone.
But deep in my mind… he was still there.
That boy.
That boy who protected us without knowing us. Who when fell jump to protect me. Who bit my neck, not to harm me, but to relieve me.
I remembered the exact moment. The slight touch. The prick.
And then, absolute relief.
I felt his breath, I felt his intention. It was not domination, nor control. It was protection. As if he wanted to share his strength with me.
And now… he was alone.
I didn't know if he was winning. I didn't know if he was still alive.I could only pray.
With every step I took down the corridors, I felt his absence like an echo.And at the end, as we ran toward the exit, I allowed myself one wish.
A silent, desperate prayer:
"Please… don't die."
back to Rivira
The artificial sun of the 18th floor began to set behind the mountains, tinting the sky with orange and purple hues. Rivira was on high alert. The villagers murmured among themselves, their voices filled with concern and curiosity.
—"Have you heard? The elite of the Loki Familia has come to protect us."
—"They say they're among the strongest in Orario."
—"Nonsense, the strongest are the adventurers of the Freya Familia."
—"Shh! Here they come!"
A group of figures appeared at the entrance of the makeshift camp. First, a small-framed man with an imposing presence. Finn Deimne, the captain of the Loki Familia. His calculating gaze and firm posture demonstrated his leadership.
Then, a tall and muscular man with a beard and a large axe on his back. Gareth Landrock, the dwarf warrior. His presence exuded security and strength.
Behind him, a young man with silver hair and golden eyes, wearing a jacket billowing in the wind. Bete Loga, the werewolf. His arrogant attitude and challenging gaze did not go unnoticed.
Next to him, two women with an amazonian appearance, both twins but with notable differences. Tione Hiryute, the elder, with a serious look and a proud posture. And Tiona Hiryute, the younger, with a wide smile and an energy that could be contagious.
Finally, closing the group, a young woman with golden hair and golden eyes. Ais Wallenstein, the "Sword Princess." Her presence was imposing, and her ethereal beauty left everyone breathless.
The murmurs among the villagers increased.
—"It's her! The Sword Princess!"
—"She's so beautiful! Did you know she rejected a thousand marriage proposals?"
—"Bete is so cool! I wish he'd make me his child."
—"Finn is so handsome! Do you think he'll notice me?"
The group ignored the whispers, already accustomed to such things, as they made their way to the tent where Riveria and Lefiya were waiting.
As the Loki Familia approached the tent, the amazonian twins, Tione and Tiona Hiryute, walked slightly behind. Tione, with her serious gaze and upright posture, observed the surroundings attentively. Tiona, on the other hand, walked with a wide smile, her contagious energy lighting up the atmosphere.
Tione broke the silence with a deep but soft voice.
—"What do you think happened for Riveria to send that report making us rush down here?"
Tiona, still smiling, replied.
—"Who knows! She's incredibly strong! Although... it's always good to have a bit of extra help, I suppose..."
Tione nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
—"Don't relax. If she called us, it's because this is serious; we must be prepared for the worst."
Tiona frowned, understanding the gravity of the situation.
—"You're right. But with all of us together, we can face it."
Ais Wallenstein, walking silently a few steps behind, listened to every word of the conversation. Her expression was impassive, but her eyes reflected total concentration. Although she didn't participate in the talk, she was completely attentive to every detail.
Upon reaching the tent, the group was greeted by Riveria and Lefiya. Finn Deimne, the captain of the Loki Familia, quickly took command:
—"Riveria, we've received your report. How is the situation in Rivira? We need to know everything that has happened."
Riveria nodded and began recounting the events.
—"Rivira was under attack. We've managed to control most of the situation, but something doesn't add up. The culprit seems to be Dix; the attack methods are very similar to those he's used against us before: monster waves, bombs in key locations, attacks aimed at novices and innocents—his name is all over this. I sent Lefiya to investigate an area with erratic mana in the northern part of the floor before the attack began, but it turned out to be a trap. If a hooded man hadn't intervened, Lefiya could have been seriously injured... or worse."
As they listened to everything that had happened, the strongest members of the Loki Familia couldn't help but feel their blood boil upon hearing how their young companion had been in great danger, though some hid it better than others.
Riveria continued.
—"Then the hooded man fell into a trap, which was likely set by one of Dix's subordinates. This subordinate was trying to lead some novice adventurers into a trap to end their lives. The hooded man intervened and ended up falling in their place. The trap is door-shaped and located on the floor of a cave near a waterfall to the east of the floor."
After the hooded man fell into the trap, an unknown figure appeared, of which we only know had red eyes and was very strong, managing to decapitate Dix's subordinate with a single blow. The novice adventurers were knocked out before they could see more of the figure that saved them. When everything calmed down, we headed to the location where it all happened, and although we found the door, we couldn't open it by any method."
The atmosphere in the tent was tense, but the arrival of the elite of the Loki Familia brought with it a sense of hope. Together, they knew they could face any challenge that came their way.