Chapter 15: Chapter 10: Cheaters!
She used her hands and feet to jump to the side, dodging the volley of five flaming arrows Vera shot through the wall of fire before using Pounce to leap into the air, propelling herself through the wall of flames.
On the other side, Oren, Vera, and Darius stood prepared; a large magic circle turned a full 360 as Oren activated the spell Greater Bodily Enhancement. Next to his feet, two extra scrolls lay. The first was a healing scroll Oren used on Darius, and the second was a scroll of flame enchantment Oren applied to Vera's bow after the fire wall was erected.
Oren quickly reached into his bag, pulling out another scroll and tearing it as Lila landed on the ground, instantly using Pounce again to appear in front of Darius; however unlike last time, they were ready.
At the same time, Oren tore the scroll while Darius blocked Lila's punch with the handle of his battle axe, pushing him back slightly. The spell from the torn scroll activated, firing a fireball. Instinctively, Lila crossed her arms, the explosion slightly burning her arms and flinging her backwards. Her body hit the ground, but she used the momentum to roll off the ground, performing a backflip.
As she was about to land on her feet, she could see a blazing arrow mere inches from her face. Her hand shot out, grabbing the arrow shaft with the intention of breaking it, but she was pulled back with a strong force. When her feet touched the ground, she used her momentum to rotate, flinging the arrow towards Darius. Darius used the cheek of his axe to block the arrow. During this time, Lila tilted her head to the side, casually dodging the second arrow shot by Vera.
"Sh*t!" Darius exclaimed.
"Sh*t!" Oren echoed.
"Sh*t!" Vera chimed in.
In the Core Space, Fable watched the battle unfold. "Well sh*t! Looks like I'll be getting my wish after all." He changed the angle of the 3D model to keep a close eye on the adventurers' group. "Now, show me the capabilities of a C-ranked adventurer team."
Lila's berserk state granted her immense strength and speed, allowing her to move around the battlefield like a wild beast. She dodged arrows with uncanny agility and dealt powerful blows to the adventurers. Darius, Oren, and Vera struggled to keep up with her, even under the effects of Haste and Greater Body Enhancement, which increased their strength and provided a slight speed boost.
Despite her heightened instincts, Lila's decreased rationality caused her to fall for nearly every trap the adventuring team set. She fought like a wild animal, relying on raw power and ferocity, but it could only take her so far.
"Oren, now!" Darius shouted as he landed a solid kick to Lila's abdomen, sending her flying back. Vera released nine arrows in rapid succession, then released a tenth after a short delay, leaving her with only ten arrows remaining in her quiver.
Oren pulled out a crystal orb, roughly the size of a baby's fist. The exterior surface was flawless, polished to a gleaming smoothness. Inside, dense gray clouds churned and roiled incessantly, charged with an almost palpable tension. Brilliant arcs of electricity snapped through the clouds, casting brief illuminations that gave the orb an eerie, otherworldly glow. Intricate elven runes were etched delicately into the crystal, pulsing with a soft light in rhythm with the swirling clouds within.
"This orb cost me a fortune," Oren cursed to himself.
Lila hit the ground but kept rolling as the arrows landed in her previous locations. Nine arrows pierced the earth, but as Lila jumped up by pushing her arm against the ground, the tenth arrow found its mark, piercing her leg. The force pulled her leg back, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Oren! Just smash the d*mn thing already! We can't keep this up!" Darius yelled, his voice strained with desperation.
Oren hesitated one last time before thrown the orb onto the ground, shattering it into countless shimmering fragments. He then took out a scroll from his pouch and tore it, activating its magic. The earth beneath lila softened drastically, making it difficult for her to find her footing. her bloodshot eyes slowly faded changing back to normal and she felt weak.
Darius ran over to Aurelia as the Haste spell wore off, picking her up in his strong arms. He followed behind Oren and Vera as they fled, intending to move away from the core of the storm that was now brewing where the orb had been destroyed.
As the orb shattered against the ground, a cataclysmic tempest erupted from its remains, engulfing Lila and the surrounding area in a maelstrom of fury.
The winds howled with a deafening roar, whipping through the rainforest with a force that threatened to uproot even the mightiest trees. Debris, leaves, and branches were caught in the vortex, swirling violently as the storm rapidly expanded.
Lightning flashed in rapid succession, illuminating the darkened sky with blinding intensity. The flashes came so quickly that the rainforest seemed to be caught in a strobing nightmare, the brief moments of light only serving to highlight the chaos and destruction being wrought by the tempest. Thunder followed each flash, the sound crashing through the forest like the drums of an angry god.
Rain pelted the ground with a vengeance, the droplets feeling more like small stones than water. The torrent was so thick that it obscured vision, turning the once-vibrant rainforest into a blurry, gray hellscape. The ground quickly turned to mud, the soil unable to absorb the sheer volume of water being dumped upon it.
The once tranquil symphony of the jungle morphed into a dissonant pandemonium of dread as the tempest unleashed its fury. The gentle sounds of birdsong and rustling leaves were drowned out by the screaming winds and the cracking of tree limbs. The melody of life was replaced by a symphony of destruction, the tempo increasing with each passing second until it reached a frenzied crescendo.
Those who witnessed the storm felt a primal fear grip their hearts, their pulses quickening to match the frantic rhythm of the tempest. It was as if the storm was a living thing, a malevolent entity bent on consuming everything in its path. The hopelessness of the situation was palpable, a suffocating despair that threatened to overwhelm even the bravest of souls.
Back in the Core Space, Fable slammed his hand against the 3D model, focusing on the location where Oren had shattered the orb. Though he didn't fully understand the orb's purpose, he strongly felt that it wasn't meant to be used in battle. A bitter taste filled his mouth as he contemplated whether his feelings stemmed from Lila's defeat or the adventurers' underhanded tactics. In his heart, he believed their actions were akin to a nation detonating all their nuclear power plants to drive back an invading army.
"Cheaters!" Fable roared, his voice echoing through the Core Space.
He zoomed out to survey the scene, his eyes widening at the destruction. Towering trees had collapsed, while smaller ones were ripped from the ground, their roots exposed like grasping fingers. In the distance, he spotted Marcus's group, blown further into the rainforest by the gale-force winds, now a mere 20 minutes away from the once-serene Flower Field.
Fable's body began to emit a pale red glow as his anger grew, the mana of the dungeon responding to his emotions and turning violent. A soft red tint spread rapidly throughout the dungeon, affecting the magical beasts, Ocelot-kin, and Kobolds. They all went berserk, crashing into trees and attacking anything in sight, though the trees remained largely unscathed. The Goblins, already psychopathic by nature, reveled in the chaos.
The violent mana fed into the tempest, causing the clouds within the dungeon core to turn an ominous black, mirroring the storm raging outside. The lightning intensified, the flashes becoming more frequent and blinding with each passing moment.
The System calmly interjected, [Host, a dangerous alteration in the weather has been detected on the first floor of the dungeon. Would the host like to expend 100 Soul Points to disperse the storm?]
Fable was about to agree when his gaze fell upon the adventurers, standing just outside the eye of the storm where the lightning flashed at an increasingly frantic pace. His eyes narrowed, a sharp glint of determination within them. If they sought to destroy the sanctity of his dungeon, he would ensure their plans were ruined. However, before he could voice his agreement, a thought struck him.
"System, is it possible to move the eye of the storm directly over their location?" Fable asked, his voice tight with barely contained rage.
[Affirmative, Host. While destructive, the storm remains part of the dungeon's environment. Moving the storm will cost the host 150 Soul Points]
[Please note, the host does not currently possess the required number of Soul Points and will need to expend 30 souls from your Soul Collection to perform this task.]
Fable clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. "Just do it!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the Core Space with the same intensity as the thunder outside.
[Affirmative, Host.]
[You have expended 30 of your 40 souls and acquired 150 soul points]
[Please note, Host, you have expended 150 soul points to manipulate the weather in your dungeon.]
Lila's roar echoed through the devastated landscape, a primal cry of anguish and rage that pierced the heart of the raging storm. As she lay on the ground, her body battered and bruised, she reached back and yanked the arrow from her leg with a grunt of pain. The anger that coursed through her veins felt foreign, as if it belonged to someone or something else entirely.
Despite the overwhelming fear that gripped her as she gazed up at the swirling, malevolent clouds above, Lila forced herself to stand. Her hair stood on end, charged with the electricity that crackled through the air. She limped slowly towards the group of adventurers, each step a battle against the instinct to flee, to hide from the cruel creatures who had caused such destruction.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but Lila refused to show weakness in front of these demons. They had taken so many lives, wreaked such havoc, all in their quest to defeat her. The weight of guilt pressed down upon her, the knowledge that if she hadn't attacked them, perhaps this once-beautiful environment wouldn't have been reduced to such a ruinous state.
As Lila turned her gaze skyward, the lightning flashed with increasing frequency, each bolt following the last with barely a breath between. The light grew blinding, illuminating the ravaged landscape with a harsh, unforgiving glare. She closed her eyes, listening to the howling winds and the discordant melody of the rain, a song filled with terror and heartache that resonated with her own pain.
When she opened her eyes again, the lightning continuously flashed, the individual flashes indistinguishable from one another. Just as the light reached its peak intensity, Lila realized that she was no longer standing beneath the blinding pillar. Fierce winds knocked her off her feet, sending her tumbling across the ground until she managed to find a relatively solid patch of earth to cling to.
Lifting her head, Lila saw the adventurers running towards a large hole in the wall, seeking shelter from the storm's fury. But she knew, with a sinking certainty, that it was too late for them.
The lightning struck down with a vengeance, a relentless barrage of electricity that targeted the area around the adventurers and their very bodies. The light was blinding, searing itself into Lila's retinas, while the thunder roared like a massive, enraged beast, its voice echoing throughout the dungeon.
Lila's eyes widened in shock as a powerful shockwave radiated outward from the point of impact, the force of the blast sending her flying backward until her back slammed against a tree. She questioned her own senses, unsure if what she had witnessed was real or some cruel trick of the storm.
As the pillar of lightning dissipated and the winds gradually calmed, the music of the rain shifted to a melancholic, depressing tone. Lila looked up at the sky, a grim realization settling over her; these creatures truly were demons, bringers of destruction and sorrow.
She stood, her body protesting with every movement, and made her way towards the hole in the wall. If her memory served, she had seen the hard-skinned creature throw something inside just before the lightning struck.
Fable's agitation slowly receded. He narrowed his gaze, pondering the peculiar notion that the storm had somehow swayed his emotions. It was an odd sensation, one he couldn't quite explain.
His attention shifted to Lila as she approached the dungeon's entrance. She hesitated briefly, standing at the threshold, before steeling herself and venturing inside.
There, she found Aurelia, pulling herself up one step at a time. Both of her legs were missing, the wounds cauterized by the searing heat of the lightning. For a brief moment, pity, exhaustion, and sorrow played across Lila's face as she watched Aurelia's struggle.
But as she limped up the stairs behind the injured woman, Lila's pity faded, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. She was tired, hurt, and exhausted beyond measure. Aurelia, sensing someone behind her, turned her head to look back at Lila.
In that instant, Lila's hand shot out, grasping Aurelia by the neck. With a burst of strength fueled by her pain and anger, she threw the helpless aurelia down the stairs. Aurelia's scream of agony echoed through the dungeon, but Lila was too numb to care. She knew she could rest soon, but first, there was something she had to do.
Limping down the stairs, Lila met Aurelia's gaze, her eyes filled with a cold, unflinching accusation. "Demon," she spat, the word dripping with contempt. Aurelia opened her mouth, perhaps to plead for mercy or attempt to communicate, but Lila had no interest in her words.
Grabbing Aurelia by the hair, Lila dragged her back into the dungeon, past the charred corpses of her companions, through the patches of burned flowers that had once been a vibrant field, and finally into the ruins of the once-majestic forest.
[Congratulations to the Host, 4 souls have been added to your soul collection.]
However, Fable paid no mind to the system's message. His attention was fixed on Lila and Aurelia as they vanished into the depths of the forest. With a thought, he teleported to the flower field, or rather, what was left of it. The once-vibrant blooms lay scorched and lifeless, a testament to the destruction wrought by the adventurers.
"System, is it possible to repair this devastation?" Fable asked, casting a slight glare in the direction of the charred corpses.
[Affirmative, Host. Repairing the dungeon floor would cost 230 soul points]
[Host, you do not have enough soul points or souls in your soul collection to complete the repairs. Please try again once you have acquired the necessary amount.]
A wry smile tugged at Fable's lips as he shook his head. He sat down on the ground, his mind wandering to the tumultuous emotions he had experienced since arriving in this world. When he first found himself here, grief had consumed him. The acquisition of the System had brought annoyance, but creating the first floor of his dungeon had allowed a trickle of happiness to wash over him.
Fable buried his head in his arms, the weight of his experiences pressing down upon him. Despite the mere two days that had passed since his arrival, he had dared to hope that he could forget his past, that he could let go and find happiness someday. However, the world had seen fit to splash cold water on those hopes, as if to teach him that the world was cruel, and that happiness was never given freely, it was earned or to put it straightforwardly it was taken.
As Fable lifted his head, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and the temperature of the dungeon decreased by a few degrees, the change barely noticeable.
As Fable watched from the treeline, Marcus, Thorne, Lyra, and Elias rushed into the flower field, their voices rising in desperate calls for their allies. The once vibrant blooms, now scorched and lifeless, crunched beneath their feet as they searched the area. It didn't take long for them to spot the charred remains of their companions.
Thorne's face contorted with rage as he knelt beside the burnt corpses. "What the hell happened here?" he demanded, his voice a mix of anger and disbelief. "Oren was supposed to study the Tempest Orb, not shatter the d*mn thing! How could he have been so reckless?!"
Marcus, his eyes wide with panic, scanned the bodies frantically. "None of these look like my sister," he said, his voice trembling. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, before turning to Thorne. "Thorne, I know this is a difficult time, but I need your help finding Aurelia. If she remains missing for an extended period, it could cause problems back in Duramara."
Thorne met Marcus's gaze, his jaw clenched. "I understand," he said, his tone clipped. "But I also want to find the creature responsible for this and make sure it doesn't escape alive." He cast a grim look at the surrounding forest, as if expecting the culprit to emerge at any moment.
Marcus nodded, gratitude evident in his eyes. "Thank you, Thorne. I appreciate your help, even under these circumstances." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of parchment. With a swift motion, he pricked his finger, using the blood as ink to scrawl a hasty message.
Turning to Lyra, Marcus held out the parchment. "Lyra, I need you to run back to Duramara as quickly as possible. Find my father and inform him of the situation. He needs to know what's happened here."
Lyra took the message, her face set with determination. "I'll make sure he gets the news, Lord Marcus. You can count on me."
Marcus managed a weak smile. "I know I can, Lyra. Thank you." He turned to address the group as a whole. "I want to offer extra payment for your fallen companions and for involving you all in this situation. It's the least I can do, given the circumstances."
Elias, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "We appreciate the offer, Lord Marcus, but right now, our priority should be finding Lady Aurelia and figuring out what happened to our friends."
Marcus nodded, his expression grim. "You're right, Elias. Let's focus on the task at hand. We'll split up and search the area. If you find any clues or signs of Aurelia, signal the others immediately."
***
In an unknown reality, on an unidentified planet, a boy sat inside a boba shop, sipping his bubble tea while flipping through a book that seemed to radiate an otherworldly aura. The pages emitted a soft, holy white light, and a faint blue magic circle pulsed on each page. The boy chuckled to himself, his voice carrying a hint of amusement as he spoke, "Looks like he finally understood."
He took another big gulp of his drink just as a girl sat opposite him, digging into her salad. She glanced at the boy, curiosity in her eyes. "You reading Fable's story today, or...?"
The boy cut her off, snatching a crouton from her salad. "Fable's," he confirmed, popping the morsel into his mouth.
The girl shot him a glare, her fork poised over her dish. "If you wanted them, you should've gotten a salad."
The boy smiled, his expression a mix of mischief and nonchalance. "Don't spoil the story when I open the book," he warned, his tone light. "It keeps a record, you know." He paused, quickly snatching another crouton before adding, "Also, you know I hate salads." He bit down on the crouton with a satisfying crunch, savoring the texture and flavor.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Perishable_Heaven
Perishable_Heaven Here's the release schedule:
Monday @ 10pm E.S.T
Wednesday @ 10pm E.S.T
Friday @ 5pm E.S.T
Bonus Chapters will be released in random intervals and on holidays to help keep the chapter count up
***
Thanks a ton for reading! If you enjoyed what you read, consider dropping a powerstone or leaving a review. Your support means the world to me!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone