Caspian stood before the shimmering surface of the E-rank portal, its swirling energy casting an otherworldly bluish glow.
Eirlys stood beside him.
Despite her casual stance, her blue eyes held a quiet intensity.
She looked at the portal, then at her brother, and smirked.
"Let's go, Cas," Eirlys said, striding toward the portal without hesitation.
"Hooooooo"
Caspian took a deep breath, steeling himself.
She didn't deny my request.
The thought sent a surge of determination through him.
The transition was seamless yet disorienting.
Caspian stepped into the portal, and the world shifted around him.
As his vision adjusted, he took in his surroundings.
The portal had transported them into what resembled an underground dungeon.
'A dungeon, huh?,' Caspian thought.
"Well, it's an E-rank portal. What can you expect?" he muttered under his breath.
The space was eerily quiet.
Eirlys, standing a few steps ahead, turned to him, her smirk widening.
"Ready, Cas?" she asked.
Before he could respond, a faint rustling sound broke the silence.
Caspian's eyes darted toward the shadows ahead, and his heart rate quickened.
Emerging from the darkness were small, hunched figures.
Their greenish skin glistened under the faint light, and their sharp, jagged teeth glinted as they snarled.
'Mini goblins.'
The creatures were no taller than him.
And Each one held crude weapons—rusty daggers and splintered clubs.
Eirlys stepped aside, crossing her arms as she leaned casually against the wall.
"I'll just watch," she said, "Try your best, little brother."
Caspian nodded.
"Yes, sister," he said.
As the goblins advanced— Caspian whispered unde his breath, "Bloodmoon."
A crimson glow emanated from his palm as the ancient sword materialized in his hand, its gleaming blade pulsating faintly as if alive.
The air around him grew colder, the weapon's power radiating like an aura.
He stole a glance at Eirlys.
Her smirk faltered, replaced by a look of stunned confusion.
Her sharp eyes studied the sword, but she said nothing.
Returning his focus to the goblins, Caspian adjusted his stance, his resolve hardening.
The creatures charged forward, their screeches echoing through the dungeon.
It was time to prove himself.
CLACK.
The sound reverberated through the dungeon as the mini goblin's dagger collided with the Bloodmoon.
The dagger of mini goblin scattered.
Caspian seized the opportunity. With a swift, practiced motion, he stepped forward and swung his sword.
SLASH.
The goblin's head rolled to the ground, its body collapsing.
_______
E-RANK Monster Memory - 1 (Stored)
_______
The system's notification flashed briefly before vanishing, but Caspian barely had time to acknowledge it.
Another goblin lunged toward him.
He turned just in time, raising Bloodmoon to block the creature's strike.
The impact jarred his arm, and the goblin snarled, pressing its weight against him.
"Haa,"
Caspian gritted his teeth, pushing back with all his strength.
The fight was relentless.
The goblins attacked in pairs and trios, their small frames making them agile and unpredictable.
Caspian was forced to dodge, parry, and counterattack with precision.
His breaths grew ragged as sweat dripped down his brow.
One goblin managed to graze his arm with its dagger.
SLASH
Caspian retaliated with a swift thrust, piercing the creature's chest.
"HAH!" he roared, cutting down another goblin that dared to come too close.
But they kept coming.
Every time he thought he had a moment to catch his breath, another set of beady red eyes appeared from the shadows.
It felt as if the dungeon itself was testing him, pushing him to his very limits.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last goblin fell.
Its body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud, and the dungeon fell silent once more.
Caspian stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.
His limbs felt heavy, his muscles trembling with exhaustion.
_______
E-RANK Monster Memory - 21 (Stored)
_______
The system window appeared again.
Caspian closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to recover.
"Good work," Eirlys said, her voice cutting through the silence.
She stepped forward, her expression a mixture of approval and curiosity.
Caspian glanced at her, still catching his breath.
"So, is it enough?" she asked.
He straightened, gripping Bloodmoon tightly.
Despite the ache in his body, his answer came.
"No," he said.
Eirlys raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
{Wait, child. One thing came to my mind...}
"What is it now?" Caspian muttered.
{Go towards the goblin corpses.}
"Why,"
{Just go, trust me}
"Sister, can we wait here for a minute before moving forward?" he asked, glancing back at Eirlys, who was casually leaning against the dungeon wall.
Eirlys raised an eyebrow,"Fine. Take your time."
Caspian turned toward the nearest goblin body.
-----
(Eirlys' POV)
Eirlys watched her younger brother.
'He's come a long way,' she thought.
But what in the world is that sword?
The weapon intrigued her. It didn't feel like any ordinary blade—it pulsed as if alive, as if it were bonded to Caspian on some fundamental level.
She made a mental note to ask him about it later.
To her surprise, Caspian didn't sit down to rest. Instead, he began walking toward the scattered goblin corpses.
She narrowed her eyes as she saw Caspian kneel beside one of the goblin corpses.
'What is he doing now?' she wondered.
Her curiosity turned to shock as she saw it—a golden light radiating from Caspian's body.
The light formed into glowing threads, reaching out and wrapping around one of the goblin corpses.
"What the—" she muttered, her eyes widening.
The goblin's body began to dissolve, fading into shimmering motes of light that disappeared into the threads.
(A/N: Caspian can only sacrifice monster memories,)
Eirlys' heart skipped a beat as the threads moved to the next goblin, then the next, repeating the process.
The entire scene was surreal.
The corpses disintegrated one by one, vanishing into nothingness as the golden threads did their work.
Her breath caught as the light pulsed brighter for a moment, then dimmed.
The glow retreated back into Caspian, leaving the dungeon eerily silent.
But Caspian didn't move.
"Caspian!" Eirlys shouted, fear gripping her as she saw him collapse.
Without hesitation, she sprinted to his side.
She dropped to her knees, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Caspian!" she said again, shaking him gently.
"Ugh,"
He groaned, his eyelids fluttering as he slowly came to.
Eirlys felt a surge of relief but didn't let it show on her face.
"What the hell just happened?" she demanded, her voice carring.
"I… I don't know," he murmured weakly.
Eirlys frowned, her gaze shifting to the spot where the goblins had been.
Not even a trace of their bodies remained.
She looked back at Caspian, her mind racing.
"That light…" she muttered under her breath.
"It came from you. And those corpses—they just… disappeared."
Caspian didn't respond, his breathing still heavy.
Eirlys' eyes narrowed.
Whatever just happened wasn't normal.
And that sword—there was definitely something about it.
She glanced at him one more time, her sharp blue eyes studying his face.
Caspian had always been different, but this? This was something else entirely.
As she steadied him, her thoughts lingered on the golden light.
Whatever it was, she wasn't going to let it slide. Not this time.
_______
(A/N: Give your theories)