One hundred and fifty years ago, on top of a rugged peaks of the Stormrise Mountains, a mage of fearsome power sought dominion over the mysteries. His name has long been forgotten, but tales of his mastery over fire magic still linger like whispers in the wind. Capable of conjuring flames so hot they could melt steel, he lived in isolation, drawing the attention of curious scholars and ambitious disciples who sought to follow his brilliance.

  In time, the mage’s pursuit of knowledge drove him to build a fortress atop the mountain, an intricate castle with pathways that trailed deep within the earth. He took on many disciples, yet there was one obsession that consumed him above all else: immortality. The mage believed that to truly master magic, he needed an eternity to hone his craft.

  Desperate to achieve his dream, he conducted experiments that grew darker with each passing year. The fires that had once been his pride turned into a curse. During one of his rituals, a powerful blue flame engulfed him entirely, reducing his once proud figure to charred bones. But those bones did not rest. For a century and a half, the remnants of his twisted magic rooted into the mountain, and the fortress, slowly decayed and sank into the earth.

  The bones of the mage, corrupted by years of dark magic, began to shift and fuse into something monstrous—a being that would come to be known as “Frecisa” Now, the Sunken Fortress is one of the most notorious dungeons in the realm.

  Duke’s POV:

  We sprinted into the final chamber, only to be greeted by a monstrous figure looming over the trembling remnants of the fake team. The massive, its skeletal form stood amidst the ruins of his own fortress, its hollow eyes glowing with an eerie blue flame. The creature’s bony hand reached out, gathering energy as it prepared to unleash another wave of destruction.

  "Duck!" I shouted, but it was too late.

  With a thunderous crash, it swung the colossal arm. A blast of blue fire surged toward us, exploding into the wall above. Chunks of debris rained down, blocking the path forward. We scrambled to climb over the fallen stone, dust clouding the air.

  I paused, catching my breath as I glanced back at my friends. “Hold on,” I called out, my mind racing. An idea, perhaps a reckless one, started to form. “We will…wait here.”

  Sylas looked at me, her eyes narrowing. “What’s the plan, Duke? We can’t just sit here while they—”

  “I know,” I cut in, my tone firm. “But I want those arrogant idiots to suffer a bit before we step in. They need a lesson they won’t forget.”

  Kaldor’s heavy brows furrowed. “Are you sure that’s wise? What if they—”

  “They’ve been running their mouths about us this whole time,” I snapped back. “I want to see if they can back it up when things get real.”

  There was a moment of hesitation, but eventually, they nodded. Together, we crouched behind the rubble, watching the scene unfold.

  Lia and Finn were still locked in combat with the skeletal minions, their movements growing more frantic with each clash. The bony creatures refused to fall, their empty eye sockets glowing faintly in the dim cavern light. Every time Lia struck, the skeleton blocked with unnatural precision, its rusted sword clashing against hers with eerie strength.

  “Damn it, these things won’t go down!” Lia grunted as she barely sidestepped a swipe aimed at her ribs. “Finn, hit them with your magic!”

  Finn, pale and trembling, raised his hand. A weak spark of fire flickered at his fingertips before he launched a fireball. It hit one of the skeletons square in the chest, but the flames barely left a scorch mark.

  “I-I’m trying!” he stuttered, sweat dripping down his face. “This place is draining my mana!”

  The skeleton let out a horrible, dry rasping sound—almost like laughter—and lunged at him. Finn scrambled backward, raising his staff just in time to block a downward swing. The force knocked him onto his back, his arms shaking as he barely held the undead at bay.

  Meanwhile, Jasper was fighting on a different level. His sword carved through the air in vicious arcs, parrying and countering with an aggressive, almost reckless precision. A skeletal minion rushed him from behind, but he twisted his body at the last second, dodging its blade by inches. With a roar, he spun on his heel and brought his sword down, cleaving the skeleton’s skull in half.

  “Is that all you’ve got?!” Jasper taunted, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

  But the victory was short-lived.

  The boss—an abomination of bones, tattered flesh, and glowing blue energy—let out a guttural roar and slammed its massive clawed hand into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the cavern, making the walls tremble.

  Lia stumbled as a crack split the ground beneath her. “What the hell—?!”

  Suddenly, skeletal hands erupted from the floor, clawing at her legs. One latched onto her ankle, its grip ice-cold. “Finn, do something!” she yelled, hacking at the undead limb.

  Finn’s breathing was ragged, his panic overtaking him. He raised his staff again, trying to channel his remaining mana. A burst of wind shot out, barely strong enough to push the skeletons back. “It’s not working… It’s not working!”

  Jasper, however, was still moving. His eyes locked onto the boss as it raised one massive claw, preparing to crush him. With a snarl, he leapt forward, his sword flashing in a deadly arc. He aimed for the monster’s wrist—

  His blade severed the skeletal hand, sending it tumbling to the ground. But before he could celebrate, the boss let out an enraged roar and swung its remaining arm like a battering ram.

  Jasper’s eyes widened.

  The skeletal hand smashed into him with the force of a wrecking ball. His body was sent flying, slamming into the hard stone floor. He hit the ground with a pained gasp, the impact rattling through his bones.

  And that’s when it happened.

  A small crystal tumbled from his pocket. It hit the cavern floor with a delicate tink! before shattering into countless tiny shards.

  Jasper’s breath hitched. “Damn it!” he gasped, scrambling forward on his hands and knees, his fingers desperately clawing at the broken pieces.

  Lia, having just freed herself from the skeletal hands, rushed to his side. “Jasper, are you hurt? What was that?!”

  Jasper’s hands trembled as he picked up the fragments. “The crystal… it was supposed to weaken monsters within a five-meter radius…” His voice was barely above a whisper. “It’s gone… it’s all gone.”

  Finn’s face went deathly pale. “W-what? You had something like that this whole time and didn’t tell us?!”

  Jasper’s glare shot up, his expression twisted with frustration. “It’s none of your business! I didn’t need to use it until now!”

  “You selfish bastard!” Lia shouted, her voice cracking with anger. “We could’ve avoided so much trouble if you’d just—”

  “I was saving it for when it mattered!” Jasper snapped, his eyes wild with desperation. “I wasn’t going to waste it on some weaklings!”

  Finn sank to his knees, clutching his head as tears welled up in his eyes. “This is all a nightmare… I just want to go home…” He let out a broken sob, his voice barely above a whisper. “Mom… Dad… please, someone help us…”

  That was our cue.

  Kaldor roared, leaping from our hiding spot with his shield raised. The skeletal fist slammed down toward the fake team, but Kaldor met it head-on, bracing himself with all his might. The ground beneath him cracked, but he held firm.

  “Duke! Now!” Sylas yelled as she darted forward, her wand glowing with magical energy.

  “On it!” I yelled back, drawing my blades out. Mira and Kael flanked me, their eyes focused and determined.

  We charged together, our movements synchronized after so many battles fought side by side. Sylas unleashed a barrage of magical bolts, aiming for the glowing eyes, while keal’s sword danced in elegant arcs to cut through the skeletal minions that swarmed us.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Focus on its legs!” I shouted to Kael. “If we can bring it down, we can finish it off!”

  Kael gave a silent nod and dashed forward, his dagger gleaming as he aimed for the monster’s joints. I could hear Kaldor’s grunts of effort as he continued to hold back its relentless strikes, his shield barely holding together.

  “Let’s show them how the real Rising Dawn fights!” I roared, swinging my sword in a wide arc. The blade let out many sparks as it cleaved into the bony leg, sending fractures cracks through the cursed bone.

  The fake team could only watch in stunned silence as we unleashed a coordinated assault. For once, they were speechless.

  I grinned, adrenaline pumping through my veins. “You wanted to meet the real Rising Dawn, huh? Well, here we are.”

  In a small, dimly lit tavern bustled with drunken laughter and the clatter of mugs slamming against wooden tables. Four men, their faces flushed red from too much acolhol, were deep in conversation, each trying to outdo the other with their tales of adventure.

  “I tell ya, lads,” one of them—a grizzled man with a thick beard—boasted loudly, “I once took down a dire wolf the size of a carriage with nothin’ but my bare hands!”

  The others erupted into laughter, slapping the table in appreciation.

  “Bah! That’s nothing,” retorted a lean man with a scar running down his cheek. “You think that’s impressive? I faced off against a wyvern! Tore through its wings with a single swing of my axe!” He made a wild chopping motion, nearly spilling his drink.

  The third, a rotund man with a jolly face, guffawed. “Wyvern? Ha! You’re all just telling bedtime stories. I single-handedly defended the town of Rivermill from a band of marauding bandits. The town’s maidens still sing songs of me!”

  The fourth man, a quieter fellow with thinning hair, simply shook his head, smirking. “You all think you're heroes, but we know the real challenge ain't in fighting beasts... It's surviving another night with your wife after coming home late!” The men roared with laughter, clinking their mugs together.

  But the jovial atmosphere was soon interrupted when the rotund man, feeling the effects of all the ale he'd consumed, suddenly stood up. “Nature calls, lads!” he slurred, stumbling out of the tavern.

  As he made his way to the outhouse, the cold mountain air sobered him up slightly. Relieving himself, he leaned against a wooden post, gazing absentmindedly at the silhouette of the distant mountain.

  That’s when he noticed it—a faint, ominous glow atop the peak. Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, followed by the muffled sound of explosions, like the distant rumble of thunder. His eyes widened in shock.

  “What in the blazes...?” he muttered, hastily zipping his trousers. Without a second thought, he bolted back toward the village, shouting at the top of his lungs. “Fire! Something’s happenin’ on the mountain! Everyone, wake up!”

  The sleepy village erupted into chaos as doors flew open and lanterns flickered to life. Villagers spilled into the streets, the men hastily grabbing weapons, while the women and children peeked out nervously. Mothers held their children close, their faces pale with worry.

  “We need to form two groups!” the village chief barked, rallying the men. “One to head up the mountain, the other to stay and protect the village!”

  The men exchanged quick farewells with their families. “Take care, love,” one of them said, ruffling his son's hair. “I’ll be back soon.”

  The mothers watched anxiously, waving goodbye as the groups set off into the night, their torches flickering like fireflies against the darkened landscape.

  Duke’s POV:

  The clash of steel and the crackle of blue flames filled the air. The monstrous figure before us, swung its remaining arm wildly, releasing bursts of fire that scorched the stone walls. My heart pounded as I dodged another swipe, the heat singing my hair.

  “Duke, we need to regroup!” Sylas shouted, her voice strained. She stayed at the back, guiding the injured trio of fakes toward the exit.

  The three impostors, Jasper, Lia, and Finn, were silent, too shaken to speak. Though Mira tried to offer them support, their eyes were distant, filled with fear and shame. With a final shove, she pushed them toward the tunnel. “Stay put,” she ordered. “I’ll be back to help Duke and the others.”

  She sprinted back into the fray, casting healing magic on Kaldor, who was holding the front line. The monster’s flames battered against his shield, but he stood his ground, sweat pouring down his face.

  “Only one arm left, but it's still a menace,” Kael muttered, eyeing the monster. “I’ll take on its minion. You guys focus on the big one!”

  “Got it!” I replied, locking eyes with Sylas. “We need to end this fast.”

  Sylas nodded, raising her wand. Water surged around her, creating a barrier that reduced the intensity of Zyrtas’s flames. Meanwhile, Kaldor kept the monster’s attention, deflecting its fiery strikes. I aimed for its head, while Sylas drenched the area with water magic to weaken its fire attacks.

  The monster roared in fury, the blue flames around it dimming. It began to swell, energy accumulating in its skeletal throat. “It’s charging something!” I yelled. “Sylas!”

  “Everyone, get close to me!” Sylas shouted, channeling every ounce of her magic.

  "Waters of the deep, rise and protect me from harm! Aqua Shield!"

  A shimmering water barrier enveloped us just as the monster unleashed a wave of scorching blue fire. “Woah, Sylas. When did you learn that C-rank magic spell, never seen you used one.”

  “ Impressive isn’t it, with some practice back in the central continent…”

  The barrier had been held, but Sylas collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.

  “We’ve got to finish this,” I said, gritting my teeth. I saw my opening. With the monster exhausted, I hurled my saber with all my strength. The blade embedded itself in one of its glowing eye sockets. I dashed forward, leaping into the air, and spun into a downward arc, slicing through its skull with a final, decisive strike.

  The monster let out a distorted scream, its body crumbling into ash as it slammed backward, shaking the entire chamber. “It’s... it’s over,” I panted, wiping sweat from my brow.

  “Wait... Kael’s still—!” Mira’s voice cut through the fading dust.

  We turned to see Kael cornered by the last skeletal minion. He was panting heavily, his back against the wall. “Looks like... this is it for me,” he muttered dramatically. “At least... I’ll die a hero.”

  But as he closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate, the minion disintegrated into dust. Kael opened one eye cautiously. “Huh?”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Guess you’ll live to see another day, ‘hero.’”

  The others burst into laughter, Mira patting him on the back. “Nice speech there, Kael,” she teased. “A little over the top, don’t you think?”

  Kael rubbed the back of his neck, blushing furiously. “Yeah, yeah... laugh it up.”

  We regrouped, checking each other for injuries. Most were minor—bruises, cuts, a few burns—but nothing we couldn’t handle. The battle had taken its toll, but we were all still standing. As the adrenaline faded, an uneasy silence settled over the cavern, interrupted only by the occasional drip of water from the stalactites above.

  I turned my gaze toward Jasper. He was trembling in the corner, his sword still gripped tightly in his hand, his knuckles white. His usual cocky attitude was gone, replaced by the hollow-eyed stare of someone who had just come face-to-face with death.

  I walked over, stopping a few feet away. My shadow loomed over him in the dim light, but I kept my voice calm and firm. “Why did you do all this?” I asked, looking between him, Lia, and Finn.

  Jasper’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief. He looked at me as if I had just spoken in an entirely different language. “Wh-what?” His voice wavered, his usual confidence nowhere to be found.

  Lia, who had been sitting on a broken chunk of stone catching her breath, straightened. “What do you mean, ‘why’?” she asked, frowning. “Isn’t it obvious? We wanted to be strong.”

  Finn adjusted his grip on his staff, letting out a slow sigh. “We wanted recognition,” he admitted. “To prove ourselves. But no one ever gave us a chance.”

  Jasper clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists. “No guild wanted us. We were just nobodies, too weak to be taken seriously. But when we started pretending to be ‘Rising Dawn’… people actually noticed us.” He scoffed, shaking his head. “We thought we could fake it till we made it. That if we kept pushing forward, we’d become the heroes people thought we were.”

  Lia lowered her gaze. “But when that thing showed up… we realized how much of a joke we really were.”

  Finn nodded grimly. “We were going to die.”

  Sylas crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she studied them. “But you didn’t run,” she pointed out. “You still fought.”

  Jasper let out a dry laugh. “We were too stupid to run.”

  I shook my head. “No. You were desperate to prove yourselves.”

  He looked up at me, confused.

  I met his gaze. “You wanted to be strong, and you fought like hell to survive. You just went about it the wrong way.”

  Jasper’s mouth opened slightly, but he said nothing.

  Kaldor let out a grunt. “It’s not a crime to be weak. It’s a crime to stay weak.”

  Mira, who had been silent, nodded. “You’ve learned the hard way what happens when you pretend to be something you’re not. So what now?”

  Jasper clenched his fists. “I don’t know,” he admitted, voice low. “Where the hell are we supposed to go from here?”

  That was the moment I knew.

  I exhaled and crossed my arms. “Then… how about joining us?”

  Jasper blinked, stunned. “...What?”

  Lia sat up straighter. “Wait, are you serious?”

  Finn narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “You want us to join you?”

  I nodded. “I’m offering you a real chance. Not as impostors. Not as frauds. If you’re serious about getting stronger and proving yourselves, then come with us.”

  Jasper stared at me, searching for any sign of mockery.

  Sylas smirked. “Of course, we’re not babysitters. If you slack off, you’re out.”

  Kaldor crossed his arms. “Strength is one thing. Commitment is another.”

  Mira added, “If you want to prove yourselves, do it the right way.”

  The three of them were silent, their expressions conflicted. Then finally—

  Jasper exhaled, a small smirk creeping back onto his face. “Heh… You really are something else.”

  Lia chuckled softly. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but… I’m in.”

  Finn sighed, shaking his head. “Guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

  I extended a hand. “Welcome to Dragon’s Company.”

  And just like that, the three of them took a real step forward.