Chapter 40: How Unlucky

"So, all in favor?" the Sage asked.

"Yes." They all nodded.

Chris looked around in confusion. He had no idea what they were talking about, but he was pretty sure they were discussing sending him into a dangerous dungeon.

’Here we go again...’

He wanted to complain, but would anyone listen to him? He was already quite lucky that the others hadn’t decided to kill him right away. Besides, dangerous dungeons were nothing new to him these days.

"Then the meeting ends here."

The Sage stood up, followed by everyone else around the table.

He turned toward Chris.

"Follow me."

Chris nodded and followed the Sage outside, with Aelonen following behind them. He remained silent along the way as they headed toward the place where Azreon was being held.

Once they arrived, the Sage waved his hand, and a small gap opened between the wooden bars, allowing Chris to pass through. Chris went inside without question before the Sage closed the gap again.

The Sage turned toward Aelonen and the guards.

"Leave us. I need to speak to him."

They all nodded and exited the room.

Once they were alone, the Sage looked at Chris.

"I guess I owe you an explanation."

He extended his hand, and the wooden floor twisted and deformed until it formed a wooden chair. The old man then sat down.

"As you already saw, the others aren’t too keen on letting you go, but luckily, there is a way out. You will enter a secret dungeon to rescue our princess, Aelia."

Chris remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"I assume it’s not as easy as it sounds?"

The Sage nodded.

"You are right. This dungeon is unlike anything you have seen before. Inside, the beasts aren’t the biggest issue, and unlike other dungeons, you don’t need to complete an objective before you are allowed to leave. The exit is always there, yet few ever return from this dungeon."

Chris became intrigued. He had never heard of a dungeon like that before.

The Sage continued.

"Besides beasts, you will find ruins containing the inheritances of ancient warriors. You must complete the challenges to obtain the inheritances, and these challenges are exactly what makes the dungeon so dangerous. Once you begin a challenge, you cannot leave until you complete it."

Chris nodded. It sounded simple enough.

"These challenges differ from one ruin to another, but one thing remains the same. Anyone who enters must have complete faith in themselves and a strong determination to become stronger, bordering on obsession. Otherwise, you will never complete the challenges inside."

Chris raised an eyebrow before asking.

"And your princess entered a challenge and never returned?"

The Sage nodded.

"Yes. Our princess is a bit different from the rest of our tribe. She has always been strong-willed and obsessed with getting stronger. So much so that she disregarded everything else besides hunting and training. She previously managed to complete challenges in multiple ruins and was regarded as the future of our tribe."

Chris tilted his head.

"She had completed challenges before? What happened, then?"

The Sage shook his head.

"I don’t know the details, but there is a specific ruin inside that is considered taboo. Nobody has ever managed to come out of that ruin alive. Despite all our efforts, she refused to listen and entered it anyway. It has already been two years."

Chris looked at the Sage with a strange expression.

"How are you so sure she’s still alive?"

"We elves are special. When one of us is born, a flower blooms on the Sacred Tree. Once we die, that flower dies as well. Her flower is still there."

A flower connected to someone’s life? Chris felt like that was the craziest thing he had ever heard.

"I assume you have already sent people to rescue her?"

The Sage nodded.

"Yes. There were volunteers who entered before, but they all died. You see, beings with enough determination to complete the challenges are quite rare. Don’t let the information about the princess completing challenges before confuse you. She is a one-in-a-million genius. The majority of others would never be able to complete even a single challenge, let alone the most dangerous one, about which we have no information."

Chris couldn’t understand the concept at all.

"How does that work? Don’t you just need to be strong enough to complete the challenges?"

The Sage shook his head.

"No. Strength means nothing inside. Those who enter the ruins must go through a series of dreams that test their willpower and resolve. Once you complete the challenge, you will be allowed to leave safely. Hopefully, you will find Aelia inside and bring her back."

Chris finally understood. So there wouldn’t be any fighting against beasts inside the ruins. The real challenge was a dream.

"Okay, I think I understand the gist of it. I guess I have no choice."

The old man laughed and reached into his robes, pulling out what looked like a map.

"Here, this is a map of the dungeon. The ruins she entered are marked on it. Tonight, we will take you to the entrance of the dungeon. Your dragon can go with you."

Chris nodded.

"Understood."

The Sage stood up and left the room, leaving Chris alone with Azreon.

Sitting down, Chris began examining the map he had been given. It contained all kinds of details, including the locations of numerous ruins, along with descriptions of their inheritances and challenges. Chris speculated that the information had been provided by those who had successfully completed the challenges in the past.

However, the location circled on the map, indicating where he needed to go, contained no information except a warning advising people not to enter. There was no explanation of what the inheritance or challenges might be.

It didn’t take long for Chris to study the map and memorize it. Once he finished, he put it aside and lay down on the ground to rest. He had a feeling he would need it.

...

"Wake up!"

Chris felt something nudging his leg as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked up and saw Aelonen, who had apparently come to wake him.

Slowly standing up, Chris looked at him.

"Is it time?"

Aelonen nodded and retrieved a token from his pocket. When he raised it, the token began to glow with a faint light, and the bars of the cage retracted into the floor until they disappeared completely.

"Follow me. And don’t try anything funny. This entire place is locked down and protected. You won’t escape even if you fly."

Chris nodded. He had expected as much.

They exited the room but didn’t head toward the tree branches. Instead, they turned left and began descending along a pathway that circled the tree trunk, heading toward the ground below while Azreon flew a short distance away from them.

After quite some time, they finally descended from the enormous tree and stepped onto the ground before continuing in another direction.

Aelonen suddenly looked at Chris with a strange expression.

"You know, I don’t like you at all."

Chris chuckled.

"Who would have thought?"

Aelonen stopped walking and looked at Chris with a serious expression.

"Still, I must ask you to please save my sister. I’ve wanted to go myself for a long time, but the elders forbade me from entering."

Saying that, he bowed slightly. Chris could tell how much this meant to him, so he patted his shoulder.

"There is no need for that. I’m doing this to survive myself. It’s in both our interests for me to succeed."

Chris looked more closely at the platinum-haired young man.

"Still, you’re her brother? So you’re the prince here, huh? Is she your younger sister?"

Aelonen straightened up and shook his head.

"She is my older sister and my idol. I know the chances are very low, but I still can’t help feeling the need to ask you to be careful. I couldn’t care less about you, but my sister is very important to me."

Chris nodded. There was no use in saying anything more.

Soon after, they arrived at a cave deep in the forest. Many guards had already gathered around the entrance. The Sage and several elders were also present, including Nodhen and Andrena.

Chris and Aelonen approached them, and Azreon flew down and landed beside Chris.

The dragon attracted quite a few glances from the people nearby. Most of them seemed surprised to see such a beast.

"Elders, I have brought him." Aelonen bowed.

The Sage nodded and looked at Chris.

"Are you ready, young man?"

"As ready as I can be. I wish to survive as much as anyone else."

"You will need more than that, but it’s a good start."

The Sage pointed toward the cave entrance, where a faint blue light could be seen inside. It was the portal.

"The portal is there. Remember, while the beasts inside aren’t the main issue, they are still very strong. Don’t underestimate them. Also, don’t let your beast enter the ruins, as beasts cannot participate in the challenges."

Chris nodded and, without saying a word, jumped onto Azreon’s back. The dragon roared and flew directly into the cave, heading straight for the portal.

As they passed through it, Chris felt the same disorienting sensation he had experienced in other dungeons, but it quickly faded.

Looking around, Chris had expected to see the same crimson sky and dark forest he had encountered in other dungeons. Contrary to his expectations, however, this dungeon looked quite similar to the normal world.

The surrounding forest looked natural, filled with greenery and vibrant energy, while the sky was crystal blue.

They flew high into the air while Chris pulled out the map to check his location. He soon managed to determine where they were and directed Azreon toward the ruin he needed to enter.

It didn’t take long for Chris to spot the ruins in the distance.

However, he suddenly noticed something else approaching from the direction of the ruin. It looked like a dark cloud, but it was strangely hovering in the air and moving toward them at an alarming speed.

He activated his Dragon Vision and examined the strange sight. A moment later, he drew in a sharp breath.

That wasn’t a cloud at all. They were flying beasts, and there were thousands of them. They looked like bats, but they were several times larger than ordinary ones.

Chris couldn’t even see the end of the swarm. There were simply too many of them, and if they were even moderately high-level beasts, flying straight toward them would be suicide.

"Azreon, try to take a detour around them."

Azreon roared and changed direction, flying farther away to avoid the bats while still trying to reach the ruins. However, as soon as they changed direction, the swarm did the same and began chasing them.

"Fuck... This is not good."

After flying in another direction for a while, Chris spotted an opening that could lead them to the ruins.

Azreon flew toward it with the bats still pursuing them. Fortunately, the swarm was now behind them. They quickly approached the ruins, but Chris realized they couldn’t escape the pursuing beasts. Azreon couldn’t enter the ruins with him, so they had to separate.

As they approached the ruins, Chris shouted.

"Azreon, leave me here and fly away from them. Try to create some distance and hide somewhere until I get out and call you."

Azreon roared in response and flew down, allowing Chris to jump off his back before continuing into the distance.

Chris quickly ducked behind a tree and waited. Soon, the flying beasts passed overhead and continued pursuing Azreon.

’Hang in there, buddy.’

Chris was worried, but there was nothing he could do. This was their only option at the moment.

He looked toward the ruin, which was now only a short walk away. It looked more like a tomb, with an altar at the top and a staircase leading underground.

Before Chris could take another step, he heard a sound from right behind him.

*ROAR!*

’Fuck! How unlucky can I be?’