Chapter 96: Chapter 95 - The Burning Dungeon, Part 1
"Van...!?" Ami shouted, her voice trembling with concern as she noticed his frantic gaze fixed on the invisible status window only he could see.
'Is something seriously wrong with him?' Sylva thought, narrowing her eyes at his sudden intensity.
"Worry yourself not, My Lady," Vaelthir interjected, his frown deepening as he observed Van's behavior. "The way he's drawn attention to himself before, this must be another one of those moments."
"'Sss-ta-tus Wee-n-doh?' What's that supposed to mean?" one of the warriors asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"VAN!" Unicus barked, silencing the murmurs. His voice carried an edge of authority. "What's going on!?"
"Grrg...!" Van growled through gritted teeth, his frustration boiling over. Without a word, he stomped toward the cavern exit, gripping Ami's arm and pulling her along.
"V-Van—ahh!" she gasped in pain, stumbling as his forceful tug nearly made her fall.
'No time to overthink it. We just need to get the hell out of here. A dungeon and a godly seal? Like Magus had? But this one works on me?! This isn't Magus—this is something else entirely! That fire... it was trying to warn me. I messed up!' Van's thoughts raced as he pushed forward, the sunlight from the cavern's mouth beckoning him. 'I won't be able to protect her if I'm weakened...!'
"HEY, YOU BASTARD! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO HER!?" one of the warriors shouted, anger flashing across their faces as they moved toward Van, clearly disturbed by his rough handling of Ami.
"Van, what's going on?!" Ami asked, her voice strained as she leaned into his grip, trying to match his pace.
"We need to run, Ami," Van said, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get out of here. Now."
"T-THEN STOP YANKING ME! IT HURTS!" Ami shouted, violently pulling herself free from his grip. Her voice trembled with both pain and anger. "What, you thought I wouldn't listen to you or something!?" she growled, confusion and frustration flaring as she glared at Van.
Van froze, her words hitting him just as they reached the exit. A 'yes' lingered unspoken in his throat, but he shook it off.
"Then come. Now. We'll... we'll fight about it later," he said, his tone clipped with urgency.
"... Fine!" she snapped, her frustration evident as she stormed toward him. Without wasting another second, he resumed his hurried march.
'We're out...!' Van thought as the sunlight ahead promised freedom.
And then, a silent—thud.
He collided with an invisible wall.
'What...!?'
[YOU ARE UNABLE TO LEAVE THE DUNGEON. THE DUNGEON'S OWNER FORBIDS YOU FROM LEAVING.]
'Shit... shit...! Then at least Ami—!'
Spinning around, Van shouted, "AMI! Try to leave this place now—"
But in his frantic state, he failed to notice Vaelthir step forward, placing a firm hand on Ami's shoulder to stop her from advancing.
"This stops here," Vaelthir said coolly, his towering frame and calm demeanor in stark contrast to Van's frenzy. He stood resolute, blocking Ami with an unyielding presence.
"All of us have been very lenient and patient with your erratic behavior," Vaelthir continued, his voice edged with authority. "But this... this ends now. Leave by yourself."
Van's eyes locked onto Vaelthir, whose gaze radiated contempt. From his height, the elf seemed to look down at him like he was trash—disposable, insignificant. The subtle grimace in Vaelthir's eyes made Van's blood boil.
'This fucking elf...!' Van clenched his fists, his rage simmering as he focused on Vaelthir's hand, still resting on Ami's shoulder. 'Touching her however he fucking wants...!'
"This is an emergency. I cannot leave. There's a seal on—"
"Shut it. No more excuses," the elf interrupted, his voice sharp and dismissive. "No more needless drama. Miss, you need not listen to this brute," he murmured softly, his gaze shifting to Ami with gentleness.
"..." Ami looked down, her hand instinctively rubbing the spot on her arm where Van had yanked her. The ache lingered, fueling her uncertainty.
'I don't get it. I don't understand,' Van thought, his rage bubbling as he scanned the group. 'She saw me running like a madman, screaming, desperate to leave. She knows how urgent this is. And instead of questioning why I can't leave, they all turn into fucking white knights? Is this some cruel side effect of Untrusted—to create unnecessary drama wherever I go!? Are you all serious!?'
He took in their grimacing faces, all directed at him, as his fury churned beneath the surface.
"..." Van drew a deep breath, forcing his tone to soften.
"Ami," he said suddenly, his voice quiet, almost pleading. "Please... please listen to me. Just try to leave."
Yet in his heart, a different plea echoed, raw and violent.
'This fucking passive... Alright. Give me an excuse. Give me an excuse to beat the shit out of that fucking elf. His smug act... Ami, you're focusing on your pain instead of me? Fine. Do it. Please, keep doing that. Just give me an excuse to break his teeth in.'
"Haven't you heard what I sai—" Vaelthir began, his condescension thick in the air.
"Let go of me," Ami cut him off, stepping away from his grasp.
"..." The elf fell silent, his brow twitching as she walked past him toward Van. Van, standing on the edge of eruption, remained silent as she neared the exit.
Van looked at her, holding his reaction deep within as his body tensed. A thought intruded, sharp and unwelcome.
The seal most likely only applied to him. Only he could see the message. Only he could feel the weight of the seal. Only he had seen the flames outside the cavern.
It had to be because he entered. Proof of that was Unicus—he had been here before and had managed to leave without issue.
So, what would most likely happen now was clear: she would be able to leave without any trouble.
And with that, all trust in her eyes would leave as well.
'...If it's just me who can't leave, and she thinks I'm crazy, then fine,' Van thought, his resolve hardening, pushing the concern aside. 'Even sealed like this, I'll knock her out and throw her outside if I have to. Even with everyone watching and trying to intervene.'
He braced himself, already preparing for the pitying look she would give him when she walked out of the cavern, leaving him behind.
But then—thud.
Ami collided with an invisible wall.
"Wah—!?" Ami gasped as she stumbled backward, closing her eyes in panic.
For a brief moment, instead of anxiety...
Van felt relief.
Relief at her confused expression, her disoriented gaze as she stared at the invisible wall.
Relief as he turned to see the arrogant elf's composure crack, confusion and unease now evident in his eyes.
Relief as the rest of the group hurried toward the wall, their hands frantically feeling along its surface. With every touch, Van saw the same glowing message appear before him:
[YOU ARE UNABLE TO LEAVE.]
The message, invisible to everyone else, pulsed with each attempt to interact with the barrier.
Relief grew as the group erupted into chaos, shouting at one another and casting magic and attacks at the wall. Spells flared and swords struck, the air thick with desperation.
Ami walked silently toward Van, who stood watching the chaos. The faint glow of spells reflected on their faces as the group continued their futile assault in the background.
"..."
"..."
"... Are you still hurt?" Van asked after a long pause, his voice quieter now.
"... A little," she replied, rubbing her arm.
And just like that, the small relief he'd felt was replaced with guilt, her words hitting him harder than any attack could.
"I'm... sorry," Van muttered, turning back to the entrance. The others, still panting and huffing from their failed attempts, gave him a sideways glance, their words failing them; recalling his warning to leave, and the way he moved into the cavern.
"Can you all move back a little?" he asked suddenly, his voice raspy.
They stood frozen, speechless. Finally, Unicus straightened, looking at Van squarely and stepped back, followed reluctantly by Arnolt, Sylva, Savathon, Vaelthir, and the two warriors.
Van exhaled deeply, the faint echo of his breath reverberating through the cavern's oppressive silence. The air hung heavy and damp, clinging to his black-metal armor as he slowly drew his enormous greatsword from his back and sheathed it with deliberate precision.
'...Dwarven Steel...!' Arnolt's thoughts raced as the blade caught the faint shimmer of light. The unmistakable luster of the rare metal was a sight that stirred his deep, ancestral pride—and alarm.
'But that... that weighs 100 kilograms per troy unit! That means...' His eyes widened in shock as he did the calculations, 'He's carrying at least 700 kilograms at all times...!'
And then another realization hit him, sending a chill through his veins.
'But there's only one smith I know who works with such precious steel... And he made his final masterpiece over 18 years ago! There's no way... Could this be the person he entrusted it to...?'
The group fell silent, their breaths held as Van gripped the hilt.
"[Hard Swing]!" he roared, and the sword moved with a speed and force that defied logic. The blade came crashing down on the invisible wall... and did nothing.
Nothing—except for the whirlwind of air it generated. The pressure alone sent small rubble scattering across the ground, an almost imperceptible quake rippling through the cavern.
The group stared in stunned silence.
That wasn't an A-ranked attack.
That swing was undoubtedly S-rank—no, it had to be Legendary.
Van steadied himself, gritting his teeth as he swung again. And again. Each strike was stronger, fiercer—the kind of strength none of them had witnessed since the Demonic War.
And yet, the wall remained unyielding.
It was then they realized.
It wasn't the armor.
Van wasn't who he claimed to be.
His strength was his own.
The group stood frozen in awe and disbelief as Van continued his futile assault, the strongest attack they had ever seen proving powerless against the barrier.
Van looked up at the ceiling, his mind racing. 'I could try carving through it...' he thought, adjusting his grip as he prepared a horizontal swing toward the towering, 30-meter-high cavern ceiling.
"Don't," Vaelthir's voice cut through, calm yet firm, as he stepped behind him.
"..?" Van paused, turning to look at him silently.
"I know what you're thinking," Vaelthir said, his tone edged with quiet authority. "Seals don't work like that. If someone managed to seal this dungeon, they'd have accounted for the ceiling—and the floor beneath us—as well. Haven't you noticed that you haven't even dented the ground, despite swinging vertically?"
Van's gaze shifted downward, examining the unmarked stone beneath his feet.
'Good point,' he thought, his grip loosening slightly.
"And not only that," Vaelthir continued, his deep blue eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the cavern's expanse. "You'd risk a cave-in. That ceiling could very well be a bait—designed to tempt intruders into causing their own destruction."
Van exhaled deeply, standing upright as he slowly sheathed his enormous greatsword with a deliberate motion.
"Then our only choice..." Van began, his voice steady.
"...is to defeat whoever placed that seal—the one neither of us can break," Vaelthir finished, their gazes locking grimly.
"This confirms it," Unicus said, drawing the attention of everyone present. His fists clenched tightly, a grimace darkening his expression. "There's a person behind this. A runemaster... or a mage. Not a creature."
"He will face JUSTICE,"
Unicus growled with unshakable certainty, his eyes gleaming with intensity. The group stood in tense silence, their shadows stretching long and distorted from the sunlight at their backs, swallowed by the cold, unyielding darkness of the dungeon ahead.
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