Lorien stood at the edge of the massive crater, staring down into the abyss below. Without hesitation, he took a few steps back, then sprinted forward and leaped. The darkness swallowed him as he plunged downward, his expression calm, almost indifferent. Midair, he drew his chained swords and swung them at the crater wall.

  BAM!

  The blades dug into the rock, slowing his descent. Using the momentum, Lorien kicked off the wall and landed gracefully on a narrow ledge jutting from the side.

  Up above, Kai and Seren clapped lightly, while Susie let out a soft “Wow,” clearly impressed.

  Lorien tilted his head up and shouted, “Easy right. No need to be afraid—I’ll catch any idiot who somehow manages to screw this up.”

  Finn scoffed. “Even a toddler could do that.”

  Emma, who had been standing nearby, cracked her tiny knuckles and shot Finn a glare. “So you’re saying I’m worse than a toddler?”

  A shiver ran through Finn’s body. He backpedaled immediately. “I—I was joking,” Before Emma could say anything else, he jumped into the crater.

  “Watch this!” Finn called out mid-air. He hurled his spear at the wall below. It embedded itself deep into the rock, and Finn landed atop it, using the force of his weight to bend the shaft. The spear flexed, launching him back up slightly before he twisted in the air and landed with exaggerated flair in front of Lorien.

  He struck a smug victory pose. “Success.”

  “...Show off” Lorien deadpanned.

  Finn smirked. “Tch, you just don’t get it. When you’re as good as me, even normal things like showing off.”

  Lorien ignored him and called up to the rest of the group.

  “Emma, here—climb on.” Kai knelt down, offering his shoulders.

  Emma climbed up, grumbling, “Why can’t my brother take care of me like this?”

  With a single powerful jump, Kai descended, using his longsword to control his landing with ease.

  Meanwhile, up top, Susie and Elise watched in hesitation as the others got down with ease.

  “Are you scared?”

  Seren’s voice suddenly cut through the moment, making both of them jump.

  Elise straightened her posture. “Of course not! I can do this easily.”

  Internally, she screamed, ‘

  Then an idea struck her.

  Her mind instantly conjured a scene—Seren holding her princess-style, his strong arms wrapped around her as she clung to him. Their eyes would meet, his voice soft as he whispered–

  She nearly drooled at the thought.

  “Ahem.” Elise cleared her throat, quickly schooling her expression into something neutral. She needed an excuse, something plausible.

  “Well,” she began, “I, uh, didn’t bring a weapon with me, so it’d be dangerous for me to jump. If you could carry me down there, that would be—”

  Before she could finish, Seren silently placed a sword in her hands.

  “Jump.”

  His voice was calm, his smile perfectly polite.

  Elise stared at the weapon in her hands, her brain short-circuiting.

  She glanced back at the crater. The sheer depth made her stomach churn—at least 500 meters down. If she messed up, she was dead. Her mind screamed in protest.

  She cursed internally.

  Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Susie, looking just as terrified. A mischievous smile crept onto Elise’s face as she thought of a great idea.

  Seren tilted his head in confusion at Elise’s behaviour.

  “Susie,” Elise said sweetly, draping an arm around her shoulders, “why don’t you go first?”

  “Huh? Huh?!” Susie’s eyes widened in panic as Elise casually guided her to the crater’s edge.

  “Wait! Wait! I’m not ready yet!” Susie protested, trying to backpedal, but Elise pushed her forward with a reassuring smile.

  “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Kai or Lorien will be down there to catch you if something happens” Elise said reassuringly, although she didn’t believe in her own words.

  ‘’ Elise thought triumphantly.

  Susie now stood at the edge, frozen. She turned her wide, pleading eyes to Seren, trying her best to look innocent and adorable in hopes of earning his sympathy.

  Seren’s expression remained unchanged, but the cold smile he gave her clearly said, ‘

  Susie’s shoulders slumped. Seeing no way out, she sucked in a shaky breath. Then, with forced determination, she jumped.

  The air rushed past her as she descended. Just like Lorien, she waited a few seconds before stabbing the sword into the wall. The blade sank into the rock, slowing her fall as she held on for dear life.

  Everything was going smoothly.

  Until it wasn’t.

  A sharp crack rang out.

  The section of the wall Susie had lodged her sword into crumbled unexpectedly.

  Her grip slipped.

  “Wahhhhhh!” she cried as she lost control, her body plunging into freefall.

  Up above, Kai’s eyes widened. He didn’t hesitate and with a powerful lunge, he leaned over the edge, stretching his arm out—

  Got her.

  Kai’s fingers managed to latch onto Susie’s wrist just before she could plummet deeper into the abyss. She dangled helplessly, swinging slightly from the momentum.

  A beat of silence passed.

  Then Kai easily hauled her back up, setting her gently onto the ledge.

  The moment Susie’s feet touched solid ground, her legs gave out beneath her.

  She collapsed, breathing hard, her hands gripping the earth like it might disappear beneath her. “That was so scary,” she whimpered, voice shaking. “I almost died.”

  Finn leaned toward Lorien, smirking. “Not gonna call her worse than a toddler?”

  Lorien side-eyed Finn, then said dryly, “Unlike you, she doesn’t have formal training.”

  Finn’s smirk twitched. “…Low blow, man.”

  Lorien shrugged. “Just stating facts.”

  Elise watched the scene unfold below, her eyes following Susie as she collapsed onto the ground in relief. A plan formed instantly. She spun toward Seren with a beaming smile, her eyes practically sparkling with innocence.

  “Seren,” she began sweetly, stepping in front of him with her arms wide open, making it painfully obvious what she wanted. “I—I don’t think I can do this after all.”

  She stood there expectantly, waiting to be carried.

  Seren simply stared at her.

  …

  “...Umm, Seren?” Elise’s smile twitched slightly. “Can I ask what you’re doing?”

  Seren held her by the collar.

  Dangling.

  Over the edge of the crater.

  Elise slowly turned her head to look at him, her face stiff with fear. “…You’re not planning on tossing me, right? This is just your way of carrying me down, right? ”

  Seren continued to smile silently.

  Then, with all the care of tossing out a piece of trash, he flung her into the crater.

  “SCREW YOU, SERENNNNN!” Elise shrieked, tears streaming from her eyes as she plummeted. Unlike Susie, she didn’t even think about using her sword—her mind had completely shut down.

  Kai sighed before catching her with ease.

  Elise lay flat on the ground, chest heaving. ‘ she seethed internally.

  Up above, Seren wasted no time with theatrics. He simply stepped off the ledge and fell, his face as impassive as ever.

  His speed increased rapidly as he plummeted toward the ground.

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  Finn, watching with a frown, tilted his head. “Uh… Is he not gonna slow himself down? He’s not even holding a weapon.”

  Seren kicked off the wall to change trajectory and land on the platform. Then just before impact, a soft glow pulsed around Seren as he activated his Guard Talisman. A transparent shield appeared beneath him. The moment it touched the ground, it absorbed the force of his fall, stopping him mid-air before shattering. Seren landed smoothly, barely disturbed by the impact.

  Emma’s eyes widened in admiration. She jumped up, clapping her hands. “That was so cool!”

  Finn scoffed. “Mine was still cooler.”

  “Shut it,” Emma glared at him.

  Seren dusted himself off as if nothing had happened. Then, out of nowhere, Susie walked up to him.

  Seren blinked. “…What?”

  She said nothing. Then, without warning—

  Whack!

  Susie kicked him in the shin.

  “Ow! What was that for?” Seren asked, rubbing his leg.

  Susie just pouted. “Idiot.”

  She turned and walked away, leaving him bewildered.

  Elise, watching from the side, clenched her fists in victory. ‘

  Just as Elise was silently celebrating Seren’s suffering, a sudden chill ran down her spine.

  With a flash, Seren turned his head toward her.

  Elise stiffened. “...Eh?”

  Without breaking eye contact, Seren started walking toward her.

  Elise let out a nervous laugh, taking a tiny step back. “Haha… uh… W-why are you looking at me like that?”

  Seren didn’t answer. He just reached out—

  And rubbed his knuckles roughly against her temples.

  "Ahhh! Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Elise shrieked, squirming as she tried to pry him off.

  “You were cursing at me in your head, weren’t you?” Seren said casually, grinding his knuckles harder.

  “I—AHH! I’M SORRY, I TAKE IT BACK!” Elise cried, desperately slapping his arm.

  Seren hummed. “Oh? So you were cursing at me?”

  “No! I mean yes! I mean—Ahhh! Just stop!” Elise flailed.

  “You know, cursing at someone who just graciously helped you build the courage to jump down seems a bit ungrateful, don’t you think?” Seren said, his tone as neutral as ever, but his hand relentless.

  Elise, on the verge of tears, wailed, “That was not helping! You threw me like a piece of trash!”

  Seren finally released her, and she immediately clutched her head, sniffling.

  “So.”

  Lorien suddenly appeared next to them, hands in his pockets, looking at Seren with narrowed eyes. “How exactly did you get your hands on a Guard Talisman relic?”

  Seren blinked. “Huh?”

  Lorien continued, “The soul stones you got from me definitely wouldn’t have been enough.”

  For a second, there was complete silence. Seren and Lorien just stared at each other.

  Then Seren let out a laugh as he said, “Oh, I got it at a discount. Upperclassman was nice enough to give it to me since it didn’t suit their rank.”

  From the side, Elise muttered under her breath, “Liar.”

  Seren’s knuckles twitched as he grabbed her head again.

  "AHHHH!" Elise shrieked again as Seren immediately rubbed his knuckles against her temples once more, this time with extra pressure.

  “I’M SORRYYYYY!” Elise flailed helplessly.

  Finn, watching from the side, leaned over to Kai. “Elise no longer seems to be acting quiet around Seren, does she actually like him?”

  Kai sighed. “Let’s just get moving before she actually dies.”

  Then suddenly, a sound echoed from deep within the cave that was in front of them.

  A low, wet

  The group immediately fell silent.

  The sound came again.

  A slow, deliberate movement was growing closer. The laughter and teasing from moments ago were gone, replaced by a sharpened focus. Hands moved to weapons.

  Seren’s eyes narrowed as he subtly adjusted his stance. Kai shifted his weight forward, his long sword held loosely but ready. Finn’s fingers tapped against the shaft of his spear, a smirk tugging at his lips as if he dared whatever was inside to come out faster.

  Elise swallowed. “That’s… not multiple, right?”

  Susie clenched her fists, her usual nervousness giving way to focus as she prepared herself to use the relic Kai had given her beforehand.

  The sounds neared the entrance.

  Then, out of the darkness—

  A shape emerged.

  A creature the size of a large dog crawled out, its body hunched and covered in thick, slate-gray plates of stone-like armor. Its legs were long and jointed at odd angles, like an insect’s, with blunt claws meant for burrowing rather than slashing. Its face had no eyes—just a round, uneven mouth that pulsed slightly as it tasted the air.

  Emma, who had initially shrunk behind Kai, peeked out from behind his leg. Her small hands gripped his coat, but instead of fear, her golden eyes gleamed with excitement.

  For a moment, no one moved.

  The group stood still, weapons ready, as the Gloom Crawler crouched at the cave entrance. Its eyeless face twitched slightly, sensing their presence.

  “Tch, this thing doesn’t look so tough,” Finn scoffed, rolling his shoulders. A confident smirk spread across his face as he rushed forward without hesitation.

  Lorien groaned, running a hand down his face. “Here we go…” he muttered before following behind Finn.

  Finn closed the distance in an instant, his spear flexed and poised to strike.

  The Gloom Crawler let out a low, guttural growl, the deep rumble vibrating through the air.

  “Heh, what’s with that weak-ass noise?” Finn taunted. “Did I scare you alrea—”

  Suddenly, something felt off.

  A faint vibration crawled up his legs from the ground beneath him.

  His instincts screamed at him.

  Without thinking, he jumped—high into the air.

  A massive stone spike erupted from the very spot where he had just been standing, sharp enough that it could’ve impaled him instantly.

  Finn twisted mid-air, looking down at the spike as he whistled. “Damn. So that’s the Earthspike ability the textbooks were talking about.”

  Lorien, still on the ground but standing at a safe distance, smirked. “That’s why fighting Gloom Crawlers up close is a stupid idea. Unless you’ve got a defensive relic, you’re just begging to get skewered.”

  Finn, still airborne, let out a short laugh. “Oh? So all I gotta do is fight from a distance then?”

  Without wasting another second, Finn thrust his arm forward, activating his Resonstaff relic. His arm shook violently, the force building rapidly.

  A compressed shockwave blasted toward the beast, tearing through the air with a deafening roar.

  The Gloom Crawler immediately sensed the danger. It flinched, then jumped backward at incredible speed.

  The shockwave slammed into the ground where the beast had just been, leaving behind a small crater.

  Just as the dust kicked up from the impact—

  Kai appeared.

  Blurring forward, he rushed at the beast from the side, his longsword flashing in his hands.

  “Finn!” Kai called sharply. “Avoid hitting the ground too much! If you destabilize the terrain, the ground might collapse and we might end up falling even deeper inside!”

  Finn, still mid-air, shrugged. “Pfft, relax! I meant to miss. You think I’d actually screw up my shot that badly?”

  Kai didn’t even spare him a glance. “Knowing you? Yes.”

  Finn clicked his tongue. “Man, you guys have no faith in me.”

  Kai rushed at the beast without hesitation.

  Sensing his approach, the gloom crawler sent another spike hurtling his way.

  Kai didn’t dodge. Instead, he activated his Guard Talisman relic.

  The spike erupted from the ground—only to shatter on impact as it crashed into the transparent shield surrounding Kai. Without breaking stride, he closed the distance.

  Flicker Blade relic!

  The air around Kai’s sword shimmered violently, flickering in and out of focus.

  He slashed.

  The blade phased straight through the creature’s outer armor, bypassing its thick stone plating and cutting deep into its flesh. A gush of blood burst from the wound as the sword came out cleanly on the other side.

  The gloom crawler screamed in agony.

  Snarling, it whipped its thick, shell-covered tail at Kai.

  Kai barely had time to brace. The impact shook his arms as he blocked with his sword, but the sheer force still sent him skidding back several meters.

  “Elise, now!” Kai shouted.

  Elise was already on the move.

  She sprinted toward the beast, gripping the sword Seren had given her. “Susie! Assist me!”

  “On it!” Susie called back.

  The gloom crawler, now wounded and wary, shifted its stance. Elise felt a tremor beneath her feet.

  It was attacking again.

  The ground shook violently.

  A spike shot up right where she had been standing—but Elise had already sidestepped, dodging effortlessly.

  Then another.

  And another.

  Spike after spike erupted toward her, but Elise moved like she had all the time in the world. Her mind was calm, cold, analyzing the attacks with machine-like precision.

  Her body followed instinctively, weaving through the onslaught of spikes without hesitation.

  Then, she saw her opening.

  She dashed forward, closing the distance.

  The beast sensed the threat and tried to jump back—it knew Elise had no long-range attacks.

  But suddenly, tens of green vines exploded from the ground, wrapping tight around its legs and neck, yanking it down mid-motion.

  “Vinebind relic!”

  Susie gritted her teeth, veins bulging as she poured all her strength into restraining the beast using the relic she had received from Kai.

  The gloom crawler thrashed violently, realizing it had been trapped.

  Desperate, it sent another barrage of earth spikes toward Elise.

  But it was too late.

  She dodged effortlessly, her body shifting just out of reach of every attack.

  Then, at the last moment—

  The beast swung its thick claws at her, aiming where she had dodged.

  A direct hit.

  But something was wrong.

  The claws passed right through Elise’s body, phasing through her like a ghost before crashing into the ground.

  Swift Cloak relic!

  Elise’s cold gaze locked onto the creature.

  “I might be afraid of heights,” she muttered, raising her sword. “But a small beast like you is nothing.”

  She drove the blade deep into a gap in its neck armor, right where the stone plating was weakest.

  The gloom crawler let out a horrific screech.

  Graaaa!

  Then—it went berserk.

  The creature flailed wildly, its body thrashing in a blind frenzy, desperate to free itself from the vines.

  “Ugh—I can’t hold on any longer!” Susie yelled, gritting her teeth as the veins in her forehead bulged.

  Elise smirked, ignoring the warning as she shifted her stance. “Come on, just die already!” she taunted, raising her sword for another strike.

  But just as she was about to land a finishing blow—

  The gloom crawler suddenly raised its claws and slammed them into the ground.

  Elise barely had time to react before Finn grabbed her from behind and yanked her backward. With a strong pull, he jumped away, dragging her with him.

  “Ha?! What are you—”

  Elise’s words were drowned out as the entire area around the beast exploded.

  Tens of stone spikes erupted violently, shredding everything within range, cutting through Susie’s vines as if they were paper.

  Elise, now catching her breath a safe distance away, scowled at Finn. “A little warning next time?”

  Finn, still watching the gloom crawler carefully, had a rare serious look on his face. “You were about to get skewered,” he muttered. “That thing’s not done fighting yet.”

  Elise clicked her tongue, but she knew he was right.

  The beast was panting heavily, its body trembling.

  Blood poured from the wounds Kai and Elise had inflicted, and it was clear that last desperate attack had drained the last of its strength.

  “Over here, you ugly dog!” Lorien shouted.

  He spun his chained sword above his head, the blades cutting through the air with a sharp whir. Then, he rushed forward.

  The gloom crawler, in its unstable and weakened state, still snarled in defiance as it charged at Lorien with its fangs bared.

  It snapped its razor-sharp teeth at him, but Lorien leapt into the air, dodging the attack effortlessly.

  The beast wasn’t done.

  A massive spike shot up from the ground, aiming to impale Lorien mid-air.

  Lorien exhaled sharply and muttered under his breath.

  “Flame Link relic.”

  His chained sword suddenly ignited, flames bursting to life, the metal burning so brightly it almost looked alive.

  With all his strength, Lorien swung one of the chained swords at the spike beneath him.

  The spike shattered instantly on impact with the sword, reduced to rubble before it could reach him.

  The gloom crawler was caught off guard as its attack was stopped easily and Lorien’s flaming blade whipped downward and struck it directly in the head.

  The moment the blade connected—the flames surged violently, exploding outward.

  The stone armor on the beast’s skull cracked apart like brittle glass.

  The beast let out one last horrific shriek.

  The gloom crawler’s body collapsed lifelessly, its head split clean in half.

  For a moment, no one spoke.

  Then—

  Seren and Emma, standing on the sidelines, applauded casually.

  “Wow!” Emma beamed. “So my brother wasn’t a useless bag of meat!”

  Finn, grinning mischievously, threw an arm around Lorien’s neck. “Damn, man! That relic’s insane. Where’d you get something that powerful?”

  Lorien grumbled, shoving Finn off. “Get off me, idiot.”

  Kai, arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen a relic with an ability like that in the academy’s catalog. Where did you get it?”

  Lorien adjusted his clothes, then shrugged. “It’s from my family. They have a monopoly on this type of relic, so you won’t find it anywhere else.”

  Finn sighed dramatically. “Ugh. Rich guy perks.”

  Emma, still standing beside Seren, suddenly tilted her head. “Um, Brother Seren… why didn’t you fight?” she asked in an innocent tone.

  Lorien, overhearing, smirked. “Yeah, I was wondering the same thing,” he said with a mocking tone. “What’s the matter? Figured your weak relics wouldn’t even scratch the thing, so you sat back and watched?”

  Seren chuckled, completely unbothered. “I was just observing your teamwork and skills,” he said smoothly. “If I got involved, the fight would’ve been over before you even had a chance to swing.”

  Lorien scoffed. “Yeah? And I’m the emperor of the empire. Keep dreaming.”

  Elise and Susie exchanged awkward glances.

  They both knew.

  Though a weakened version, Seren had almost one-shotted a Superior rank 2 BristleBack Law beast when he fought Evan, so there was no way an Intermediate rank 1 Gloom crawler would pose any trouble for him.

  They laughed nervously and decided not to tell Lorien.