Chapter 4: Danger

As he approached closer, Damien realized that there was something more to this statue than meets the eye. The knight statue is not just a lifeless piece of stone but appears to be imbued with some sort of magic. Its eyes glow with a faint blue light, and its sword seems to pulse with power. The knight seems to be ever vigilant, watching for any intruders who might attempt to pass the gate. Damien couldn't shake the feeling that this was no ordinary statue, and he knew he had to proceed with caution.

[Attention, High-Level Danger Detected]

Sage's swift notification was followed by a sudden longsword sweep, but he deftly dodged it by sidestepping to the left. He swiftly drew his weapon - the Moonslayer - and launched a counter-attack. The clash of metal resounded loudly as they exchanged blows

As the exchange of blows continued, Damien found himself being steadily pushed back by the knight. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he quickly moved a short distance away from his opponent.

Glancing around, he spotted a chunk of rock that had been dislodged from the wall during their fight. Without hesitation, Damien absorbed the rock's material with 'Devour', causing a sword to materialize in his left hand made from the same substance.

"I must acknowledge your impressive skills; you are quite adept at this"

He dashed towards the knight, leaping with both swords aimed towards the head, but his hopes were quickly dashed as the knight deftly blocked his attack with its longsword, sending him tumbling backward to the ground.

In the next instant, the knight swung its sword in a wide arc, unleashing a powerful blast of magical energy in the form of a slashing wave toward Damien. Caught off guard, he had no time to dodge the attack.

"Oh shit"

BOOM

The blast hit the passage with a thunderous boom, sending dust billowing into the air and obscuring the scene. As the dust began to settle, Damien's figure slowly became visible through the haze. Standing steadfast in the same spot, he appeared unscathed, save for the torn front of his shirt which revealed his well-toned abs. The black scales of the Nightfang adorned his chest, serving as a testament to its impenetrable strength.

Despite his unharmed appearance, Damien was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, indicating that he had indeed taken a considerable amount of damage

"What kind of attack was that?" Damien asked, still trying to catch his breath.

[It was Wind Blade, a high-level wind magic attack that's commonly used by the knights]

"Well then, let's see how you fare against this."

Suddenly, both of Damien's swords were engulfed in purple flames as he charged toward the knight, swinging them with all his might. The knight tried to defend himself with his sword, but as soon as their blades met,

Damien's blades sliced through the knight's sword as if it were made of butter, striking the knight's upper torso with unrelenting force.

Damien couldn't contain his excitement and commented,

"That's what I'm talking about!"

The knight was pushed back for the first time in the fight, staggering backward and dropping the half-melted longsword to the ground. As it struggled to regain its footing, Damien seized the opportunity, launching himself into the air and piercing the knight's helmet with his blazing purple swords, coming out from the other side.

Damien attempted to withdraw his swords from the knight's helmet, but the intense heat had caused them to melt. Reluctantly, he left his swords behind and landed safely on the ground, while the knight fell to the ground, landing heavily on its torso.

Damien looked down at the immobile statue lying on the ground with a sadistic smile and commented, "I never thought fighting could be this fun."

"The feeling of my heart racing, the sensation of blood coursing through my veins rapidly, and the rush of adrenaline - I've never felt so alive!" Damien exclaimed, his smile growing wider with each passing moment.

"I love it!" he shouted, punctuating his words with a burst of hysterical laughter that echoed through the passage.

[I think we should investigate further]

"Ah, yes," he replies awkwardly, realizing that his previous outburst may have been inappropriate given the circumstances.

Eager to discover what lay beyond, Damien approached the massive gate and attempted to push it open, but it wouldn't budge. He strained against it with all his might, but the gate remained stubbornly in place. Frustrated, he stepped back and examined the gate more closely, searching for any obstacle that might be preventing it from opening.

Upon closer inspection, Damien realized that the gate was locked by some sort of magical force, and was covered in a powerful magical barrier that was preventing it from opening. Determined to find a way through, he covered his right hand with the purple flames and approached the gate.

As soon as his hand made contact with the barrier, it was instantly dispelled, and the gate caught fire from the intense heat of the flames. Knowing that using the Moonslayer would only cause it to melt again, Damien refrained from using it.

Startled by the sudden turn of events, Damien quickly retreated from the gate in a mix of confusion and urgency.

"What happened?"

[Answer, Purple Flames feed on magic particles and are highly combustible in its presence]

"I see"

As the gate disintegrated into a viscous substance, it unveiled a massive, impenetrable chamber. With caution, he ventured inside, taking measured steps.

The moment he set foot in the chamber, it illuminated, casting a bright light that exposed several intricate etchings on the walls. The ruins radiated a vivid green glow, yet the space remained completely barren, devoid of any living beings or artifacts.

"It is empty", he remarked with disappointment evident in his tone

[Answer, the chamber has an active concealment spell]

"Concealment spell, huh"

"Let's see if this will work"

The entire room erupted into a fiery inferno, the purple flames engulfing everything in sight. However, as quickly as it had begun, the flames began to dissipate, leaving behind a mysterious black cube at the center of the chamber. The cube was entirely black, with strange, otherworldly symbols etched onto its surface, which seemed to glow with eerie energy.

As he inched closer to the mysterious cubical structure, he couldn't help but wonder about the cryptic inscriptions etched onto its surface. "What does it say?" he questioned, his curiosity piqued.

[Language Analysis is completed]

[Translation, "The evil inside must never released"]

Intrigued by the warning, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Interesting."

Driven by his curiosity, he reached out to touch the surface of the enigmatic black cube. With a sudden burst of purple flames, he set the object alight, and it started to melt before his eyes, dissolving into nothingness within seconds.

As he peered closer at the melted remains of the front of the black cube, he was taken aback to see a woman standing inside it.

She was strikingly tall, standing at an impressive height of 190cm. Her hair was an unusual shade of white, with mesmerizing blue tones that caught the light, giving her a unique and ethereal appearance. He couldn't help but feel captivated by her striking beauty and wondered how she had ended up inside the cube.

She was wearing a stunning blue dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. The dress revealed her right leg, adding a touch of sensuality to her already striking appearance. However, despite her alluring outfit, it was clear that she was trapped and unable to move freely.

As he noticed that she was restrained by chains that wrapped tightly around her body, keeping her locked in place within the cubical structure. Despite her alluring outfit, it was clear that she was trapped and unable to move freely.

He observed that she looked half-dead, with pale skin and dark circles under her eyes. Her blindfolded eyes added an element of mystery to her appearance, leaving him wondering who she was and what her story was. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sympathy for her, imagining the horrors she must have endured while trapped inside the cube for who knows how long

He reached out with a gentle touch, carefully removing the blindfold from the woman's eyes. As her oceanic blue eyes were revealed, he was struck by the emptiness and lifelessness that he saw within them. Her once bright and vibrant eyes had been dulled by whatever horrors she had experienced while trapped inside the cube.

There was no spark of vitality or hope in her gaze, only a deep sense of resignation and defeat. It was as if she had seen too much suffering and could no longer bring herself to believe in anything anymore. Her haunting gaze sent shivers down his spine, and he knew that he needed to act fast to help her. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving her in this state any longer.

He couldn't help but be captivated by the woman's striking blue eyes, despite the sadness that seemed to permeate her expression. The contrast between her vibrant eye color and the lifelessness in her gaze was truly striking as if they were a window into a different world that she could no longer access.

As he stood there in front of her, the woman suddenly spoke, her tone cold and distant. "Who are you?" she questioned, her voice filled with suspicion and apprehension.

"I am here to help you," he replied gently, hoping to convey his sincerity and compassion. "I don't know who you are or how you ended up here, but I want to help you get out of this place."

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