Liliya immediately pulled out the emergency beacon Professor Merriweather had given her and activated it. With a hum, the silver cylindrical object began sending out continuous pulses of magic as a distress signal.

  She ignored Levi’s offered potions altogether as she kept her eyes fixed on the horde of Greater Wyverns in front of them. They were still several hundred meters away, roaring and snarling as they prowled forward menacingly, slowly fanning out into the gigantic cavern and surrounding them.

  “Twenty-five, thirty… There are thirty-two of them,” Liliya said quietly, her body tense. “Level 70? 80? No, judging by their size and the density of their scales… They’re at least level 120, maybe even higher.”

  Oh? Levi didn’t even know it was possible to discern a monster’s approximate level from their appearance. That was interesting. He withdrew the potions when it became clear Liliya wasn’t going to take them, placing them back into his pocket.

  Thankfully, the Greater Wyverns hadn’t charged yet. Their movements were slow and wary as they approached Levi and Liliya; clearly, their fallen brethrens’ corpses scattered all over the cavern had made them leery.

  Levi took the momentary reprieve to examine the runic scripts that lined the cavern walls. He hadn’t noticed them earlier because they were inactive – oh, that was ingenious, actually. Not only had the runes been inactive, but they had also been inscribed onto the luminites themselves; the mana radiating from the light-emitting stones had cloaked any residual mana traces from the runes.

  Now, the runes blazed with a dark malevolent light, casting a grim glow over the cavern.

  Ahead of them, the Greater Wyverns finally seemed to get ready to attack. They roared furiously, the sound thunderous and nearly deafening, though fortunately the magic coating Levi’s eardrums shielded him from any adverse effects.

  He stepped forward, his magic swirling to life within him as he swept his gaze across the cavern. “This should be an interesting fight,” he mused.

  There was no response. Frowning, Levi turned to look at Liliya and blinked when he saw her looking back at him with a pained expression on her face. She was shaking. He had noticed it in his peripheral vision earlier, but had assumed it was due to the sudden adrenaline coursing through her body.

  Now, he realized he might have been a little off the mark.

  Then, Liliya’s eyes hardened, her entire expression becoming cold and dispassionate.

  “Liliya…” Levi said slowly. He recognized that expression. It was the look of someone who had just steeled their mind on doing something particularly ruthless; a stare of merciless resolve.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Then, she turned and ran away.

  Levi watched her rush through the cavern with a faintly bemused expression on his face. Several of the wyverns reacted immediately, spitting giant fireballs at her, and one even took flight and tried to intercept her. However, she was too fast, evading them all with graceful acrobatic movements. Within a few seconds, she reached the tunnel they had entered from. She exited without looking back.

  Well. That was slightly unexpected.

  He couldn’t blame her, he supposed. In her eyes, it was a level 60 and a level 14 faced against a literal swarm of enemies double her level. There had been no hope of victory.

  And, it was common knowledge that one didn’t have to outrun the dragon, merely the person next to them.

  Levi sighed. It was what it was. It wasn’t like this came as a total surprise to him. Liliya had as good as told him back in the Copperton village that she fully embraced and embodied the modern adventurer’s mindset: of casting away the childish, obsolete ideals of altruistic heroism and fighting only for oneself. It made perfect sense that when faced with doomed odds, she would prioritize her own survival.

  Still, though. He thought he had seen something in her that night afterward, so for her to not even hesitate a little before leaving him behind to die…

  Well. He wouldn’t take it personally.

  At any rate, there were more important things to focus on here. The wyverns had been ramming themselves against the tunnel Liliya had escaped from, trying to pursue, but the opening was too small for them to fit and the limestone walls held firm. Furious that one of their prey had escaped, they then turned back to Levi.

  “I don’t suppose we can negotiate?” Levi tried hopefully.

  The Greater Wyverns charged.

  “Heh. I guess not.”

  Levi raised his hands and was about to unleash several Sever and Cleaves when a sudden thought occurred to him.

  Judging by Liliya’s reaction earlier, the runic scripts clearly weren’t a natural feature of dungeons. Was this external sabotage of some kind? Were there other forces at play here? Liliya’s plan to take the Ascension Trials solo had been public knowledge for a while.

  Was she the target here? Was he? Or was he thinking too deeply into it?

  He leaped backward, a pensive frown on his face as he effortlessly evaded the three wyverns that charged at him. Fireballs blasted at him from multiple angles, but he barely even noticed them, his reinforcement magic enhancing his speed tenfold.

  His mind was racing, trying to connect the dots. This dungeon had popped up just a week ago. Had the runic scripts already been in the cave before then? Or had it been set up afterward?

  Or maybe it wasn’t even a trap at all. Levi suddenly remembered his earlier musings. Maybe this really was the location of some nefarious evildoer’s secret hideout, and the wyverns were just the base’s defenses.

  It would be pretty funny if that were the case, actually.

  Idly, Levi noticed that he had ended up near the passage exit Liliya had escaped from. The tunnel entrance was only ten meters away from him, and for a moment, Levi looked at it longingly.

  If he wanted to, he could probably just run away right now as well. Professor Merriweather was probably already on his way due to the emergency beacon. Levi didn’t want to have to deal with magical overburn again, especially with a potential unknown saboteur out there.

  However, there was a chance the wyverns would escape the cave and start attacking the town of Farband. Levi couldn’t allow that to happen.

  With a sigh, he turned back around to face the wyverns. They were rushing at him with astonishing speed, not wanting to have another prey escape. The one spearheading the charge was slightly smaller than the rest, its lighter weight making it faster, and its yellow slitted eyes were full of malignant fury as it snarled at Levi.

  Levi just stood there, calculating angles and gathering his magic. His vision became superimposed with shades of grey as he entered the highest realm of True Sight, the sound and world around him fading away as his concentration became fully hyperfocused on the enemies in front of him. A faint wind began blowing through the cavern from seemingly nowhere as he prepared to unleash his magic.

  With a triumphant roar, the first wyvern finally reached him, its claws swiping down in a powerful strike–

  CLANG!

  And it was blocked by a familiar steel blade.

  Levi’s eyes widened in genuine shock, his concentration snapping like a thread as a familiar head of light violet hair suddenly filled his vision, interrupting the spell he had been about to cast.

  “Liliya?”

  Liliya Volkov was in front of him, the muscles in her arms straining as she let out a guttural yell, deflecting the Greater Wyvern’s powerful blow. Magic rolled off her in waves and her sword gleamed brighter than he had ever seen before.

  She turned back to him, a fierce, determined expression on her face. “GO!” she shouted. “I’ll cover your escape!”

  Levi stared at her. “You’ll die if you do that, you know.”

  “I know, damn it all, I know!”

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  Then she was gone in a blur of speed, streaking forward and engaging the wyverns in combat. They seemed almost surprised that she was the one charging at them and not the other way around, and the confusion made them hesitate, which she capitalized fully on. She attacked them with a lightning-fast barrage of strikes, not giving them any time to recover.

  Levi watched her dance through the wyverns, his eyebrows arched in surprise.

  Then, he smiled.

  He knew it. He had been correct that night, after all.

  Liliya attacked.

  Mana threads and silver-violet light gleamed as she became a whirlwind of magic and steel, moving faster and faster. She had chugged down every enhancement potion she had on her earlier; mana potion, strength potion, stamina potion, agility potion. A small fortune’s worth, all gone in a single instant. Her clothes were still slightly stained from where she had spilled some in her hurry.

  The wyverns screeched as she cut and sliced with reckless abandon. Her swordsmanship was no longer the balanced form it had been before, instead sacrificing all defenses for sheer offensive capability.

  Cuts and tears appeared on her skin as she fought. A wave of fireballs exploded at her from the wyverns flying above. She didn’t even give them a second look, instead slicing her sword in a complicated motion before solidifying the mana threads and sending them forward with a powerful swing. The lattice cut apart the fireballs, but the heat still scorched her, and she gave a gasp of pain before her expression set and she continued surging forward.

  However, the wyverns soon recovered from their initial hesitation at her blitzkrieg. They roared and began attacking with a renewed fury, the ground and walls shaking from their powerful movements. Liliya tried to evade them all, but she was forced to raise her sword and block a sudden swipe from a barbed tail double her size.

  The strike sent her flying back, and she skidded to a stop next to Levi, stumbling slightly to regain her balance. Her forehead was matted with sweat, and blood ran freely from the wounds that littered her body.

  She breathed heavily – then she blinked when Levi’s presence finally registered. She whipped her head to him, staring at him with wide eyes.

  “Why did you come back?” Levi asked, as if they had all the time in the world.

  “I don’t know!” Liliya screamed back. “More importantly, WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!”

  She didn’t wait for him to answer, instead gritting her teeth and rushing forward again. She pushed herself harder than she had ever pushed before. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and her muscles had a terrible ache, but she ignored it as she continued fighting.

  Liliya didn’t know why she had returned. She had felt bad leaving him behind earlier, of course, but she doubted anyone would blame her for her course of action. There had been no chance of survival. He was too slow, too weak; there was no way she could’ve defended him while keeping herself alive.

  Her father had drilled into her since she was young to always prioritize herself. A Volkov didn’t care for friends, didn’t care for companions.

  Leaving Levi behind and running away might have been cold and ruthless, but it was ultimately the correct decision. The logical decision. She doubted any court or ethical committee would find her guilty; in all likelihood, they would only praise her for making the difficult but right choice. She knew her father definitely would have approved.

  So then why? Why did she come back to try and save him? Why was she making such a stupid, foolish decision?

  Maybe it was because despite her best judgement, she had grown fond of him. Maybe it was because despite her training, she was still too weak-willed at heart.

  …

  Or maybe it was because she wanted to be a hero.

  Because once upon a time, when she was just a little girl, she too had looked up to the legendary Heroes of old.

  As she grew up, she had discarded those childish, obsolete ideals. She had viewed the adventurers who still believed in following in the Heroes’ footsteps as naive, idealistic fools.

  Her lips curved.

  She had never expected herself to become one of them.

  And now she was going to die for it.

  She had given it a good fight, her very best, but it wasn’t enough. She was outnumbered and outleveled. It had only been raw desperation, a small fortune of enhancement potions, and a lifetime’s worth of tireless training that had kept her alive so far.

  Liliya grunted as she was knocked back by another ferocious clawed swipe, barely managing to block it with her sword. She began to evade backward, but then blinked.

  Ah. She hadn’t noticed, but she had been backed up against the cavern wall. The wyverns surrounded her on all sides; her front, left, and right flanks were completely cut off. Above, more wyverns flew, covering that escape route as well. That was smart of them; their level was evidently high enough to provide them some intelligence.

  Liliya slumped against the wall, finally feeling the weariness seeping into her bones.

  Well. She’d lived… not exactly a good life, but it was her life.

  She cast one final glance around the cavern, but couldn’t see Levi anywhere. She smiled.

  At least her sacrifice had saved one person.

  That was good enough.

  The Greater Wyverns approached her leisurely, their slitted eyes filled with a malevolent satisfaction as they snarled triumphantly. They seemed to have sensed she’d finally given up and were just taking their time to enjoy the process now.

  Her MP was nearly out. She had no strength left. Her entire body hurt.

  She closed her eyes, lowering her blade.

  Then, her eyes snapped back open, and she glared at them unflinchingly.

  “Well?” she shouted. “What are you waiting for?” She raised her blade at them in defiance. “Come!”

  They snarled and responded, practically stampeding forward in their haste, spittle flying from their gaping maws as they got ready to tear her apart.

  Liliya stood there, her sword raised as she prepared for her last stand–

  “Nice job,” Levi said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Liliya whirled to him in shock.

  “What-?!” Where did he appear from? Didn’t he already escape?

  Then Liliya saw his expression, and she blinked.

  Levi had a wide smile on his face, filled with equal part respect, admiration, and satisfaction. She had never seen him smile so purely before; he always seemed to have a guarded, almost detached air to him, but now he was gazing at her with nothing but pure unadulterated pride.

  “I’ve seen enough,” he said. “You’ve done well. Allow me to take it from here.”

  Then Levi turned back to the Greater Wyverns. Languidly, he raised his right hand and slashed it across the air.

  Liliya’s eyes grew impossibly wide as magic exploded from him, so unbelievably dense and potent that for a moment she thought she was in the presence of a Mythmaker-tier mage. No. Potentially even higher.

  The walls of the cavern trembled and cracked from the sheer force and aura of his magic, and the Greater Wyverns all suddenly froze in place, the malevolent hate in their eyes replaced by something that could only be an utter primal fear.

  Then, Levi spoke.

  “My skill is Sever and Cleave,” he said, his voice sounding deafening in the sudden silence of the cavern. “To put it simply, it’s an overpowered cutting spell with an immense penetrating force.”

  Liliya stared at him blankly. Why was he suddenly monologuing in the middle of a fight-?

  Oh.

  Oh.

  The words she had said to him the other day suddenly returned to her in a flash.

  A person’s skills are considered to be extremely personal information. It’s not something you tell others unless you trust them implicitly. People tend to only share them with an intimate party of friends or comrades.

  Despite herself, Liliya felt her throat choking up with some odd, unknown emotion.

  “On its own, it’s extremely effective against single target enemies,” Levi continued. “However, against multiple attackers… I like to change it up a little.”

  As he spoke, he drew his hand across the air in an intricate pattern, as if he was a composer for a symphony. Gusts of wind began blowing through the cavern, swirling around him, causing his messy black hair and clothes to billow.

  “By sacrificing precision for power, I lose the ability to use one of my other skills in return for increased widespread overwhelming power. I call this one, Sever and Cleave: Maximum Whirlwind Technique.” He paused, briefly looking a little sheepish. “Name subject to change.”

  In front of him, the Greater Wyverns began slowly backing away as the air practically hummed with magic.

  “I don’t get to pull this one out very often,” Levi said. He raised his arm at the wyverns and snapped his fingers forward in a point. He smiled. “Be honored.”

  And then a maelstrom of death exploded into existence in front of him; tens, hundreds, thousands of crescent grey slashes that blasted forward so fast Liliya’s eyes nearly couldn’t follow them. They rapidly expanded in a split second, filling the space from floor to ceiling until it was like a literal wall of magic had materialized into the cavern.

  Even though she wasn’t the target, Liliya’s instincts screamed at her anyway, the hairs on the back of her neck rising as she broke out in a cold sweat. Something primal within her blared with alarm, and she had to resist the urge to shrink into herself as she watched the terrifying, awe-inspiring display of magic in front of her.

  The barrage of cutting spells slammed into the wyverns with terrible force. Scales shattered, hides were sundered, bones were crushed, and flesh tore apart with gruesome sounds. Several of the wyverns tried to ward off the attack with massive blistering fireballs, but the Sever and Cleaves ripped them apart like they were nothing, the flames extinguishing like candles.

  Agonizing screeches of pain and terror filled the air, so loud Liliya had to drop her sword and clamp her hands over her ears.

  After several long seconds, it was finally over. The cacophony died down as the magic ran its course.

  Liliya slowly lowered her hands as she stared at the ensuing carnage with wide, disbelieving eyes. The wyverns hadn’t stood a chance; Levi’s attack had carved them apart like they were wet tissue paper.

  Blood and gore littered and soaked the ground, and Liliya had no doubt there was nothing left salvageable by even a Mythmaker-tier’s [Loot] skill. Behind, deep gouges had been torn into the walls like an angry lattice patchwork of scars.

  There wasn’t a single wyvern left alive.

  This shouldn’t be possible. Briefly, she thought that Levi had gotten access to some ultra-high-tier magical item or artifact, but she dismissed that theory a moment later. This feat couldn’t be accomplished by a magical item.

  Who…

  No.

  What was Levi Ironwood?

  After taking a second to examine the aftermath, Levi then turned back to her. “So,” he said. “I hate to be that guy. But I did tell you that I’d make sure we passed the Ascension Trials in one piece.”

  Liliya stared at him for a long moment.

  Then, she laughed.