Zaraf crashed down from the broken ceiling.
Dust exploded through the underground chamber as fragments of stone rained around him.
For a brief moment, everything froze.
His eyes quickly scanned the battlefield below.
The injured members… the healer… the monster… the rubble trapping the tanker…
Everything.
Zaraf narrowed his eyes.
So I was right…
They fell underground and got trapped. That’s why they disappeared.
His gaze shifted to the massive creature standing in the chamber.
The monster roared.
And that monster…
We need to move quickly.
The main attacker stared at the figure who had just descended from above.
His eyes widened.
"Ben!—"
Then he stopped.
"...No…"
But strangely… the feeling was the same.
He gave a tired smile.
"There is no difference… is there?"
Zaraf landed in front of him.
Wind slowly circled around his body.
He looked calm.
Composed.
"You've done well holding on and protecting everyone."
Zaraf stepped forward slightly, facing the monster.
"Now leave this monster to me."
Tarent gave a weak laugh.
"Hmm… as always…"
His sword lowered.
"I’ll leave it to you."
At that moment—
Makima, Nalia, and Kaish arrived through the broken ceiling as well.
The missing party’s healer froze when she saw Makima.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"You…"
"You are the one they call the Great Wizard of the Empire!"
Makima looked at her silently.
Recognition flashed in her eyes.
But before she could say anything—
Zaraf gave orders immediately.
"Makima."
His voice was sharp.
"Heal the missing party."
Then he looked at the others.
"Archer. Tanker."
"We distract the monster."
Makima nodded.
"On it."
She rushed toward the injured Tarent.
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But Tarent shook his head weakly.
"You… I’m fine."
He pointed toward the rubble.
"Gurent… the tanker… needs you more."
Makima paused.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Thank you for holding on until now."
She turned.
"I'll go to him."
Meanwhile—
Nalia had already begun firing arrows.
Thwip!
Thwip!
Her arrows struck the monster repeatedly.
But—
They bounced off.
Not even scratches appeared on its thick hide.
The monster roared and swung its massive tail.
BOOM!
Kaish stepped forward.
His shield slammed into the tail.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he barely held the attack back.
At that exact moment—
Zaraf moved.
Like a shadow carried by wind.
He appeared behind the monster and drew his sword.
Wind gathered along the blade.
A sharp slash.
But—
The blade stopped.
The monster’s skin was too tough.
No cut.
The monster turned instantly.
Its giant claw swung toward Zaraf.
Zaraf leaned sideways.
The claw passed inches from his face.
He counterattacked.
The two began clashing in close combat.
Claw.
Sword.
Wind.
The monster had terrifying strength.
But Zaraf stood his ground.
Meanwhile—
Makima reached Gurent, who was trapped beneath enormous rubble.
She raised her staff.
Her voice echoed through the cavern.
"Gravity Reverse."
A glowing barrier surrounded the rubble and Gurent.
Then—
The impossible happened.
The rubble began floating upward.
Gravity had reversed.
Nalia immediately fired another arrow.
The arrow shattered the floating debris, freeing Gurent.
But Makima didn’t stop the spell.
Instead—
She pointed her staff.
The floating rubble shot forward like cannonballs.
CRASH!
The rocks slammed into the monster’s back.
The monster staggered.
Its focus broke.
And Zaraf seized the opening.
Wind expanded violently around his sword.
"Wind’s Way."
His blade flashed.
A powerful strike cut across the monster’s chest.
Everyone held their breath.
Did it work?
Zaraf didn’t wait.
He prepared another attack.
The dust slowly cleared.
And then—
A massive scar appeared across the monster’s chest.
Blood spilled.
The attack had worked.
But instead of falling—
The monster went berserk.
It roared wildly.
Its massive body began destroying the surrounding stone walls.
Chunks of the underground chamber began collapsing.
Nalia shouted,
"If we don't stop it now, the entire underground will collapse!"
Makima spoke urgently.
"His injuries are serious!"
"He has lost too much blood!"
"We need to get him out!"
Zaraf ran straight toward the monster.
The creature whipped its tail toward him.
BOOM!
Kaish blocked it again.
As Zaraf passed him, he said calmly—
"Good job."
The monster attacked again.
But long-range spells suddenly struck it.
Fire and energy bursts exploded against its body.
Nalia and the missing party's magic user—Jinka—were attacking together.
They had created another opening.
Zaraf stepped forward.
Directly in front of the monster.
Wind began gathering around him.
More.
And more.
It looked like he was pouring endless wind into an invisible cup.
Slowly—
He placed his sword back into its sheath.
He closed his eyes.
And took a deep breath.
Then another.
The wind compressed.
Condensing.
Focusing.
Everything gathered at the tip of the sword.
Then—
Zaraf moved.
The sword flashed out of the sheath.
A violent storm exploded forward.
Compressed wind shot through the monster like countless invisible blades.
The attack cut deeper.
Again.
And again.
And again.
When the wind finally stopped—
The monster collapsed.
Zaraf stood there breathing heavily.
Exhausted.
He slowly turned toward Makima.
But Makima's face suddenly turned pale.
Her voice broke into a scream.
"LOOK BEHIND YOU!"
Zaraf felt it.
A killing intent.
The monster’s tail—
Still alive—
Swinging at him with full force.
He turned to block.
But—
BOOM!
The impact sent him flying.
His body slammed into the rocks.
Blood splashed across the stone.
Makima froze.
Seeing the blood…
A memory surfaced.
The day of the accident.
Her hands began shaking.
She stopped healing Gurent.
Tarent shouted desperately.
"FOCUS!"
"He’s alright!"
"You need to heal him!"
The words snapped her back.
Makima clenched her staff tightly.
She looked at the other healer.
"New healer!"
The girl looked confused.
Makima spoke quickly.
"Heal him for a second."
"We need to stop the monster!"
The healer nodded nervously.
"I… I’ll stop the bleeding."
Makima raised her staff again.
Her voice turned cold.
"Frozen Time."
A freezing aura spread through the underground chamber.
Ice crawled across the ground.
The monster’s tail froze solid.
It stopped moving.
Makima shouted—
"It's your chance!"
Zaraf slowly stood up.
Blood ran down his arm.
But he remained steady.
He had blocked part of the attack.
He looked at the monster calmly.
"Master's punch…"
"...has more strength than you."
Wind formed beneath his feet.
He stepped on the air itself and rushed forward.
The monster was barely alive now.
One arm missing.
One eye destroyed.
But it still tried to fight.
Zaraf’s sword rose.
Wind wrapped around the blade.
One clean strike.
The blade passed through its neck.
The monster’s head fell.
Its body collapsed.
Zaraf looked at the corpse coldly.
"If you wake up again…"
"You’ll know how it feels to be cut into pieces."
Suddenly—
CRACK!
The underground ceiling began collapsing.
Massive stones fell toward the group.
Zaraf and Makima prepared spells to destroy the debris—
But then—
A brilliant blaze of fire flashed across the cavern.
Everything stopped.
The falling rocks melted before reaching the ground.
The chamber glowed with firelight.
A familiar figure stepped forward with a proud smile.
Ben.
He crossed his arms confidently.
"Help has arrived."
Far away in the shadows—
Another man who had been watching the entire battle quietly stepped back.
A portal opened behind him.
He walked through it.
And disappeared.
