After the battlefield settled, the red swirling portal began to shrink before gradually vanishing with the death of Ulaapi Jahek.
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Contribution Ranking
- Lucas Kun (59.6%)
- Samantha Moon (19.7%)
- Chloe Helens (19.5%)
- Rayan Ayesha (0.8%)
- Samir Ayesha (0.4%)
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Lucas stretched his arms. “Alright, let’s clean up,” he said, motioning for the mechanical soldiers to begin scanning and salvaging anything useful. The remains of Ulaapi Jahek, as well as the charred carcasses of the Randocs and Gagaleons that had somehow survived the inferno, were swiftly analyzed and butchered for valuable components.
Meanwhile, he turned his attention to the system message and the ancient ruins where the dungeon had formed. He mumbled to himself, “Mesopotamian Wildland…?”
Now that the dungeon gate had disappeared, the ruins’ true interior was finally revealed. Snapping his fingers, he gestured for Manuel to come over and instructed, “Bring some soldiers and explore the ruins.”
Manuel patted his metallic chest and exclaimed, “Roger, Boss! I’ll bring some buddies and head in right away!”
When the surviving Malekiths heard Manuel’s loud shouting, they hesitated before stepping forward. Rayan Ayesha, his face still filled with shame from the battle, swallowed his pride and spoke, “…We have a request.”
He took a deep breath before continuing, “As you know, our elders foresaw something hidden within this place. We wish to claim exploration rights and to uncover whatever lies within.”
As Chloe and Samantha walked over, they overheard the Malekith’s words. Chloe frowned while Samantha scoffed, “Are you serious? You guys should be reflecting on your own weakness instead of scrambling to pick up crumbs of the cake.”
Her words stabbed like a dagger.
The Malekiths clenched their fists, frustration etched on their faces. Because she was right.
They had contributed nothing.
Throughout the entire battle, they had been little more than spectators, cowering behind the strange metallic warriors while Lucas’s forces did all the work. If not for those glowing blue shields, they would have been reduced to ashes in an instant by Ulaapi Jahek.
One of the younger Malekiths clenched his fists, shame burning in his expression. Another bit his lip, unable to refute her.
Seeing this, Samantha shook her head and continued, “You do realize that without those guys, you’d be nothing but burnt charcoal, right?”
Rayan, however, took another deep breath and met Samantha’s gaze. “That may be true… but it does not change our mission. We still have a duty to fulfill.”
Silently, Lucas watched as Rayan spoke, showing no intention of interrupting. However, Samantha crossed her arms and frowned. “So? Why should we care about your duty? Is it just claiming things others fought for? Because from where I’m standing, that’s all you’re doing.”
Biting his lip, Rayan defended, “Our elders foresaw something buried here, something vital! We don’t know what it is yet, but we cannot ignore their visions.”
“Visions? That’s what you’re banking on? Because your ‘visions’ sure didn’t tell you how to avoid getting wiped out,” Samantha snorted, letting out a curt laugh.
The other Malekiths flinched at her words, their shame deepening. As Rayan opened his mouth to say something, Lucas cut in and asked, “Hey, what’s your level?”
“H-huh?” Rayan was stunned by the sudden question.
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“You don’t have a System?” Lucas arched a brow.
Frowning at the odd question, Rayan still answered truthfully, “We were blessed by the Nexus. Currently, I’m Level 38, while my comrades are around Level 35.”
This time, Lucas was genuinely baffled but it also made perfect sense. Even Chloe and Samantha had the same expressions.
The Malekiths were truly weak. No wonder they struggled against the Dungeon Break. Their highest level was only thirty-eight, which meant they still hadn’t reached their Second Advancement.
Chloe couldn’t resist voicing her disbelief. “Why is your level so low?”
One of the Malekiths immediately retorted, brimming with indignation, “Sir Rayan is reaching the Elders’ level! How is his level low?! What’s your level, earless?!”
The insult hung in the air for only a moment before Chloe’s expression darkened. Her glare shot toward that Malekith, and she sneered, “Shut up, greasy rat.”
That Malekith instantly went silent, shrinking back from her cold glare. Then, before Rayan or anyone else could react, a low growl escaped from Lucas, “Hey, man. You should mind your subordinates’ mouths.”
The moment his words fell, an overwhelming pressure crashed down upon Rayan and the Malekiths. It was like an invisible weight had suddenly pressed into their bodies, crushing the air from their lungs. Their knees buckled, slamming against the dirt.
Rayan gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead as he fought against the suffocating force. His comrades gasped and trembled, their bodies refusing to move under the sheer weight of Lucas’s pressure.
Observing them for a second, Lucas smiled, “I was considering letting you guys in for a little trip, but your buddy there just couldn’t keep his mouth shut, huh?”
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze locking onto Rayan, “This is the second time now, isn’t it, Mr. Rayan? I’m wondering, are you blind or just dumb? Clearly, you bunch are way weaker, yet you have the guts to claim something from us. Not just that, you even insult us.”
“Tell me, are you greasy rats blind or dumb?” Lucas stared into Rayan’s trembling pupils.
Rayan clenched his jaw, mustering his strength, “I… apologize for Samir’s words.”
“Oh? Apologizing now? Is it because you mean it or because you know you have no other choice?” Lucas snickered. He took a step forward and asked, “Tell me, Mr. Rayan. Why should I let you explore the ruins after this little charade of yours?”
“So far, all I’ve seen is you acting like some cliché entitled troupe. There’s no reason for us to share anything with you,” he muttered.
Rayan and the Malekiths gulped at Lucas’s words, unable to even look him in the eyes due to the suffocating invisible pressure pressing down on them.
Because of their silence, Lucas gave them an ultimatum. “Since letting you in on this little trip is crossed off, you have two choices. Turn around and leave, or we turn you around and kick you out. What will you choose?”
Rayan tried to say something, to rebuke, to argue, but the moment his gaze met Lucas’s eyes, his throat tightened. There was nothing but a silent warning, a clear message that any further defiance would be met with consequences.
Biting his lips so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, Rayan finally murmured, “We will leave.”
Seeing that the Malekiths had made their choice, Lucas gave a curt nod, then added, “Make sure to leave those weapons in your arms. I lent them to you guys, after all.”
The Malekiths’ pupils trembled in shock. Some instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons, as if they would rather fight than give them up. But one glance at Lucas, at Chloe’s icy gaze, at Samantha stroking her spear, and their resolve crumbled.
One by one, they unsheathed their daggers, bows, and quivers, placing them on the ground. Lucas watched as they reluctantly parted with their weapons. He aimed his hand at a dagger, and it hovered into his grasp. Playing with it for a moment, he smirked, “Smart choice.”
Clenching his fists, Rayan’s nails dug into his palm. His pride and honor had already been battered beyond recognition, and now, he was walking away empty-handed. But at this moment, he understood that there was nothing he could do.
“Remember to carry your injured friends too. Oh, and don’t forget that guy who got stabbed in the butt,” Lucas said, gesturing at the mechanical soldiers, who lugged two injured Malekiths over before tossing them onto the ground.
Without another word, the Malekiths carried their wounded comrades and turned away. One of them, the same one who had insulted Chloe earlier, was trembling with frustration, but a single glare from Rayan kept him silent.
As they disappeared into the woods, Chloe sighed, “Finally, they’re gone. That was kind of satisfying.”
Samantha shrugged and chuckled, “I mean, they were asking for it. It’s already good enough that they weren’t all stabbed in the butt.”
Lucas, however, groaned. He waved at the girls and said, “Come on, let’s have some lunch first. Then we’ll take a look at the ruins.”
As they approached the temporary camp set up by the mechanical soldiers near the ruins’ entrance, a sudden, deafening boom erupted behind them. The ground shook beneath their feet, sending a faint shockwave through the air.
Snapping their heads back, they were met with a massive mushroom cloud of smoke and dust billowing violently in the sky.
“What’s going on there?! Another dungeon break?” Chloe exclaimed, eyes widening in alarm.
But Lucas smiled and quipped, “My money’s on a super smelly giant fart.”
Samantha groaned, shooting him a glare, “Seriously? Come on, let’s go and have a look!”