Chapter 37: The Price of Escape

Passing through the newly opened door, Chris found himself in a narrow stone passage that sloped upward. The walls were rough and covered in the same strange symbols he had seen inside the chamber, though most of them had faded with time.

Soon, the passage widened enough for him to see an opening. Stepping outside, he found himself at the bottom of the mountain peak he had jumped from earlier.

For a moment, he examined his surroundings, trying to understand how the passage had been hidden so well. The exit was tucked between several large rocks, making it nearly impossible to notice unless someone knew where to look.

’Whoever built that place certainly knew how to hide it.’

He had no idea how old the sanctuary was or who had constructed it, but he could think about that later. The cloaked man was still somewhere nearby, and Chris needed to get away before he was discovered.

Moving carefully between the rocks, he peeked around the edge of the mountain.

The enormous corpse bird had landed beside the lake, its twisted wings folded against its body as it stood motionless near the shore. Its rider was nowhere to be seen, but Chris could still hear the occasional impact coming from below the water.

The masked figure was apparently still trying to break through the stone door.

A small smile appeared on Chris’s face.

’Keep trying. I hope you enjoy yourself down there.’

He didn’t know how long the barrier would hold, and he had no intention of finding out. Keeping low, he moved away from the lake, staying behind the trees and large rocks whenever possible.

The farther he got from the lake, the better. If he could find the rhino beasts again, he might be able to complete the dungeon and leave before the masked figure realized he was gone.

Chris continued through the forest, occasionally stopping to listen for the sound of wings or approaching footsteps. The area was quiet, aside from the distant roars of beasts and the rustling of leaves. After walking for a while, he finally spotted several large creatures moving between the trees.

Their thick bodies were covered in rough gray skin, and each possessed a large horn protruding from its forehead. They moved in a loose group, occasionally stopping to graze or push against one another.

Chris crouched behind a tree and observed them from a distance.

’There you are.’

He followed the group through the forest, maintaining enough distance to avoid being noticed. After several minutes, the trees began to thin, revealing a wide clearing surrounded by tall grass and scattered boulders.

The rhinos entered the clearing one after another, gathering around the center.

Chris stopped behind a tree and carefully examined the area. There were dozens of beasts scattered across the clearing, some lying in the grass while others wandered around. However, his attention was drawn to the enormous creature standing in the middle.

It was several times larger than the others, its thick legs resembling tree trunks and its body covered in layers of tough gray hide. The horn on its forehead was also much larger, curving slightly upward as if it had been sharpened over countless battles.

The other rhinos seemed to give it plenty of space, and none dared approach it without a reason.

’That must be the leader.’

Chris checked the surrounding beasts, confirming that their levels were far below his own. Even the enormous leader was weaker than he had expected.

A relaxed smile appeared on his face as he studied the clearing. This was going to be easy.

Opening the portal now would give him a way out as soon as he finished. More importantly, he could call Azreon to his location and escape before the masked figure realized what was happening.

The clearing was quite far from the lake, with the forest separating them. The noise from the battle shouldn’t carry all the way to the masked man. At least, that was what he hoped.

Chris glanced toward the direction of the lake one last time before rushing out from behind the three and running straight towards the leader of the beasts.

The nearest rhino barely had time to raise its head before Chris rushed forward and swung his sword across its neck. Blood sprayed onto the grass as the creature collapsed, and he immediately moved toward the next target.

The sudden attack sent the entire group into chaos.

Several rhinos roared and charged toward him, their heavy bodies shaking the ground as they accelerated. Chris simply moved aside, letting the first beast rush past before cutting deeply into its side. Turning toward another, he struck again, killing it before it could lower its horn.

The difference in their levels was simply too great. Their thick hides offered little resistance against his sword, and their attacks were far too slow to threaten him.

Within moments, several rhinos lay motionless on the ground.

The remaining beasts became increasingly agitated, charging at him from different directions in an attempt to overwhelm him. Chris continued moving through the clearing, dodging their attacks and cutting them down whenever he had an opening.

Soon, the enormous leader finally moved.

It lowered its head and charged, its massive horn aimed directly at his chest. The ground trembled beneath its weight as it rushed forward, tearing through the grass and scattering dirt behind it.

Chris waited until the last possible moment before stepping aside.

The rhino rushed past him, missing its target by a narrow margin. Before it could turn around, he moved toward its exposed side and swung his sword.

The blade passed through its neck with little resistance.

The enormous beast managed another step before its legs gave way, crashing onto the ground with a heavy thud that raised a cloud of dust.

Chris watched it fall before lowering his sword.

’That was easier than expected.’

The remaining rhinos were already fleeing toward the forest, their earlier aggression replaced by panic. He had no reason to chase them, so he turned toward the portal that just opened in front of him.

But in that moment, a notification suddenly appeared in front of him.

[Congratulations! Dungeon cleared.]

[Distributing Rewards.]

Chris froze.

"Fuck!"

He had completely forgotten about the notification.

After all the time he had spent hiding from the masked figure, exploring the sanctuary, and learning the strange technique, the notification about clearing the dungeon had slipped his mind.

The problem wasn’t the reward itself. It was the fact that the masked figure should have received the same notification. He would now know that Chris had cleared the dungeon and was about to leave.

’Shit!’

He immediately activated his ability to communicate with Azreon.

*Azreon, quickly exit the cave and fly straight to the right!*

There was no time to explain. He could only hope Azreon understood the urgency in his message.

A few moments passed, and Chris began to grow impatient. He kept glancing between the portal and the forest, expecting the masked figure to appear at any moment.

Then, a familiar roar echoed across the clearing.

*ROOOAR!*

Chris looked toward the sound and spotted a large black figure flying between the trees. Azreon was approaching at great speed, his enormous wings beating powerfully as he descended toward the clearing.

Relief washed over Chris when he saw that Azreon was unharmed.

’Thank goodness.’

But that feeling lasted only a moment. Behind Azreon, another figure emerged between the trees.

The gigantic corpse bird was flying at full speed, its rider standing motionlessly on its back. The masked man had somehow caught up to Azreon.

"Faster, Azreon!"

The dragon roared in response, accelerating as he approached the clearing.

Chris rushed toward him, sheathing his sword as he prepared to jump. The moment Azreon came within reach, he leaped from the ground and landed on the saddle, grabbing it tightly to keep himself from falling.

"Go!"

Azreon beat his wings and shot forward, carrying Chris toward the portal.

The masked figure was closing in behind them, and Chris could already see dark energy gathering in the man’s hand.

’Not again!’

There was no time to look back. He tightened his grip on the saddle as Azreon flew straight toward the swirling gateway.

A dark beam shot past them, narrowly missing Azreon’s wing.

The portal was only a few meters away.

Azreon folded his wings slightly and surged forward, passing through the gateway just as another beam tore through the air behind them.

For a brief moment, Chris felt the familiar sensation of spatial distortion surrounding his body. The world seemed to twist, and the pressure around him changed before everything returned to normal.

They emerged at the same location where they had entered the dungeon earlier.

The small lake was still there, surrounded by trees and rocks, and the portal floated behind them. Chris barely had time to recognize the familiar surroundings before urging Azreon to keep flying.

’At least it wasn’t a waste of time entering the dungeon.’

He had initially regretted his decision to jump into the dungeon, especially after discovering that the masked figure was still pursuing him. However, the ancient sanctuary had turned out to be more valuable than he could have imagined.

The technique he had learned might prove useful against demons. Unfortunately, his escape hadn’t gone as smoothly as he had hoped.

Chris glanced over his shoulder. The masked figure had passed through the portal as well, riding the enormous corpse bird only a short distance behind them.

Dark energy gathered in the man’s palm.

"You’re kidding me..."

A beam shot toward them, forcing Azreon to veer sharply to the side. The attack passed beneath his body and struck the forest below, tearing through several trees and leaving a blackened trail in the ground.

Azreon continued flying, weaving between the trees before gaining altitude. Chris held tightly to the saddle, watching the masked figure as another beam gathered in his hand.

Before he could react, the attack shot toward them.

This time, Azreon wasn’t fast enough to evade it completely.

The beam struck his wing, and a pained roar escaped his throat as dark energy spread across the injured area. His scales prevented the attack from penetrating deeply, but the impact still left him struggling to keep his balance.

"Azreon!"

The dragon’s wing trembled as he tried to maintain their flight. His regeneration had already begun healing the injury, but the damage was too severe to recover from immediately, and their speed dropped considerably.

Chris gritted his teeth as he looked behind them. Another beam was already approaching.

Azreon tried to turn, but his injured wing made it impossible for him to move quickly enough. The attack was coming straight toward them, and Chris knew that if it hit, they might not be able to continue escaping even if they survived.

He had no time to think.

Instinctively, he raised his hand and focused on the strange energy he had learned to control inside the sanctuary.

A stream of energy flowed from his heart toward his palm, and a faint white glow appeared in front of him. The energy spread rapidly, forming a barrier between them and the incoming attack.

The dark beam struck the shield.

For an instant, the two energies seemed to clash, the white barrier holding back the dark attack as it pressed against its surface. Chris felt a tremendous force travel through the shield, and his eyes widened when he realized that it was actually stopping the beam.

’It worked!’

However, the relief lasted only a moment.

The impact released a powerful shockwave that struck both Chris and Azreon, throwing them backward with tremendous force. The white shield shattered into scattered sparks, and Azreon let out another roar as his body was sent tumbling through the air.

Unable to regain control with his injured wing, he began falling toward the forest below.

Chris tightened his grip on the saddle, but the force of the impact made it difficult to hold on. Trees rushed toward them as Azreon tried desperately to spread his wings and slow their descent.

They struck the treetops first, snapping thick branches as they crashed through them. Moments later, they slammed into the ground, tearing through the earth and breaking several trees as their bodies slid across the forest floor.

Chris barely had time to react. Just before the impact, he activated Dragon Scales, covering his body with the defensive ability.

Even so, the collision sent pain coursing through him, and he struggled to remain conscious as they continued sliding through the dirt.

By the time they finally stopped, a deep trail had been carved into the ground behind them, surrounded by broken trees and scattered branches.

For several seconds, Chris couldn’t move.

His entire body ached, and his head was spinning from the impact. Although Dragon Scales had protected him from the worst of the collision, the force had still shaken him badly.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to push himself up with his hands, only to discover that he barely had any strength left.

"Cough!" A mouthful of blood escaped his lips as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Fuck..."

He turned toward Azreon, who was lying nearby with his wings spread across the ground. The dragon was still conscious, but his injured wing trembled as he attempted to move, and even his usual regenerative abilities couldn’t immediately repair the damage.

Chris tried to get closer, but his arms refused to cooperate.

They couldn’t keep running like this. Azreon was injured, and Chris could barely move, leaving them with no way to escape if the masked figure decided to attack again.

Slowly raising his head, he looked toward the sky.

The corpse bird was hovering in the distance, its rider watching them from above. The masked figure hadn’t approached, despite having a perfect opportunity to finish them off.

Chris frowned, struggling to understand what was happening.

"What the..."

Why had the man stopped?

He had relentlessly pursued them for hours, attacking whenever he had the chance. Even after they entered the dungeon, he had continued hunting them, and now that they were finally helpless, he was doing nothing.

Chris couldn’t make sense of it. He tried to gather enough strength to stand, but a sudden, sharp pain struck the side of his neck.

His body stiffened.

It felt like a needle had pierced his skin, followed by a strange sensation spreading through his muscles. He instinctively reached toward his neck, but his arm barely moved, and his vision began to blur.

’What... was that?’

There had been no beam, no sound of approaching footsteps, and no sign of anyone nearby. Yet his strength was disappearing rapidly.

Chris tried to turn his head toward Azreon, wanting to make sure he was still conscious, but the forest around him had already begun to darken.

The last thing he managed to see was the masked figure turning around and flying into the distance, without making a move.

Then his consciousness slipped away, and everything went black.