The sharp sound of shattering echoed throughout the hall.
The giant crystal pillar that had once pierced the dome, now deprived of its core crystal's support, was rapidly being covered in a web of cracks. It wasn't just the pillar; the starlight particles throughout the entire cavern were becoming violent. The once-shimmering walls were peeling away in sheets, revealing a twisted, pitch-black void behind them.
Lynn's expression shifted slightly. The collapse was happening much faster than he had anticipated.
He turned around to find Ranni looking down at her own hands. Her body, which had been solid and glowing with a faint blue light, was now flickering violently like a phantom with a poor signal. The blue skin at her fingertips was becoming transparent, allowing the falling rubble behind her to show through.
"It seems my experience with a physical body ends here."
Ranni's voice regained its usual ethereal quality, yet it held a trace of subtle loneliness that was hard to detect. "Time is up, Lynn."
"Stop being so sentimental about life, Lady Witch!"
Lynn stepped forward, giving Ranni no time to react. He scooped her up in his right arm, once again holding her in a princess carry. Ranni's body stiffened, and her four hands instinctively gripped his shoulders. Her single eye widened. "You..."
"I told you, we haven't finished fighting side-by-side yet."
Lynn had no time for nonsense. His eyes were locked onto a shimmering blue rift that had suddenly torn open behind the altar. "That's the exit, right? Hold on tight!"
The collapse intensified in an instant. Countless massive crystal spikes plummeted from the ceiling. Lynn activated his "Souls-player" limit-break movement mode, dodging and weaving through the falling debris. Every roll was precisely timed to the gaps between the crashing stones.
"Left!" Ranni reminded him calmly.
Lynn jerked his body to the side. A crystal pillar thick enough to impale a man pierced the ground, grazing his clothes. He used the momentum to leap, shooting forward like an arrow from a bow. Just before the ground completely disintegrated, he dove into the blue portal with Ranni in his arms.
After a sudden sensation of weightlessness, the damp, cold air—tinged with a faint metallic scent—hit him.
Lynn stumbled a few steps to steady himself. The shimmering crystals were gone, replaced by the familiar gray stone walls of the Dungeon, etched with the marks of time. He looked down and felt the weight in his arms rapidly lightening.
Ranni's body had completely returned to a semi-transparent spirit state. She slipped out of Lynn's embrace and floated in mid-air. The sensation of a real, physical touch had vanished, replaced by a void-like feeling that suggested she was separated by different planes of existence.
She looked down at her illusory hands in silence for a moment before looking up at Lynn. "A physical form... truly only lasts for a moment. This body, in the end, was nothing more than a dream woven from Star-Tear Crystals."
"Don't be so gloomy. If a 'Star-Tear Instance' can appear once, it can appear again. Who knows? Maybe we'll find a way to maintain a physical body permanently in the future."
Seeing his carefree smile, a ripple of emotion flickered in Ranni's ghostly blue eye. She bowed slightly, her oversized witch's hat hiding her expression, as her figure began to dissolve into blue specks of light.
"...Be careful, Lynn." Before she vanished, her voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz, yet held an unprecedented seriousness. "I can feel it... someone in this world is watching you."
"Hey? Who's watching me? Hey!"
Lynn reached out to grab her, but his hand only passed through a lingering, fading scent of cold fragrance.
"Tch, she always leaves so fast without explaining the important stuff."
Lynn curled his lip and stashed the Star-Tear Crystal. His mind was currently filled with thoughts of the 500,000 Valis reward and the lecture Eina would likely give him.
When he emerged from the Dungeon, Orario was bathed in twilight.
The orange-red sunset painted the chalk-white streets in warm hues. Adventurers walked in small groups, carrying the fatigue and rewards of the day back to their respective Familias. Lynn walked alone through the narrow alleys, mentally reviewing the details of this commission.
This quest was too strange.
An anonymous post, a pre-deposited 500,000 Valis, and a target like the "Star-Tear Crystal" which even the gods of Orario had never seen. Most importantly, the entrance to that instance was hidden so deep that even giants like the Loki Familia—who were stationed in the Deep Floors year-round—hadn't found it. How did the requester know about it?
Unless... the requester was intimately familiar with the aura of the Lands Between.
Lynn's pace slowed. His palms began to sweat slightly.
Something was wrong!
He turned into a narrow alleyway that was a shortcut back to Eina's house. There were no magic stone lamps here; the tall buildings on either side completely blocked the light, leaving only a sliver of the setting sun to illuminate the dust motes dancing in the air.
Lynn stopped in his tracks.
He heard no footsteps, nor did he detect any killing intent. However, a bone-deep chill instantly climbed up his spine. It was an instinct honed through countless "YOU DIED" screens—the feeling that something extremely dangerous, something capable of rewriting his life in an instant, was nearby.
It was a searing sensation, like being licked by an unquenchable flame from across a distance.
He slowly turned around and looked into the shadows deep within the alley.
A figure draped in a dark cloak stood there quietly, as if she had been part of the shadow from the very beginning. The cloak was old, its edges frayed, and the hood was pulled low, obscuring most of her face.
Lynn's hand moved to the hilt of his Bloodhound's Fang, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
"Are you the one who posted the commission?" Lynn asked in a low voice.
The figure didn't answer. She simply raised her hand and threw back the heavy hood.
In that instant, Lynn felt his heart skip a beat.
Her ash-white hair was slightly disheveled, and her cold, exquisite face—carrying an aura of detached indifference—was fully exposed to the fading light. Her right eye was shut tight, marked by a dark red claw-like scar. Her open left eye was a cloudy, deep gold.
"Melina... why are you here?"
Lynn's voice was raspy, carrying a tremor he didn't even notice.
"I have finally found you, Tarnished... no, Lord of Frenzied Flame."
Melina's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together, carrying the scent of something withered. She slowly reached out from under her cloak and flicked her wrist. A shortsword as black as ink appeared out of thin air.
It wasn't an ordinary weapon. Eerie black-and-red flames pulsed along the blade. The fire didn't radiate heat; instead, it caused the surrounding air to plummet to freezing temperatures.
Lynn was all too familiar with that aura—Destined Death.
"You turned your back on the continuation of life and chose eternal incineration." Melina held the blade horizontally, the gold light in her left eye piercingly bright in the darkness. "I am here to fulfill our promise."
"No matter which world it is, no matter what you have become."
The ground beneath her feet shattered instantly as she transformed into a streak of black light, lunging straight for Lynn's throat.
"I shall deliver to you... Destined Death."
Lynn's pupils shrank. Bloodhound's Fang cleared its scabbard in an instant, trailing a cold gleam like a crescent moon.
Clang—!
Black fire collided with the blade, sending sparks flying. Lynn was knocked back several steps by the massive force, his back slamming hard against the wall. His spine throbbed with pain, but he couldn't afford to care.
Melina's figure vanished like a shadow, and the black-red light of the dagger flashed before his eyes. Relying purely on instinct, he kicked off the ground and rolled violently to the side, moving as fast as a bolt from a crossbow.
Squelch—
The black-red blade grazed his shoulder guard. It didn't make physical contact, but the armor seemed to be corroded by an invisible force, leaving a scorched mark behind. It wasn't a burn mark, but rather a seal left by death itself—cold and carrying an unspeakable aura of decay.
Lynn didn't have time to catch his breath. He knew Melina's assault wouldn't stop with a single blow.
Sure enough, a second later, that dark streak appeared before him again. The dagger thrust toward his chest, moving so fast the air let out a sharp whistle.
"Damn it, she really is trying to kill me!"
He cursed under his breath, but his hands moved faster than his brain. The Moonveil katana appeared in his left hand. The blade emitted a cold, ghostly blue light the moment it was drawn, clashing violently with the dagger pulsing with black-red flames.
Clang!
Another ear-piercing metallic ring echoed.
Lynn felt a weird force surge through the blade. His arm went numb, and his palm felt as though it had been electrocuted; he nearly lost his grip on Moonveil. This power wasn't just a physical impact; it carried a chill that eroded the soul.
Melina's attacks had no set form—or rather, her form was the purest, most extreme killing intent. Every strike targeted Lynn's vitals, completely ignoring her own defense, as if she were a flawless blade that existed only to bring an end.
Her eyes were as calm as a deep well—no hatred, no anger, only a chilling serenity that made Lynn's heart feel heavy.
He didn't want to fight her. This woman had been the witness to his journey, a comrade who had fought by his side, and a partner he had once promised to protect. She was the very reason he had chosen the Frenzied Flame.
But now, she stood on the opposite side, using the eyes that had once looked at him with warmth to mercilessly swing a blade representing death.
Lynn retreated several steps, his Bloodhound's Fang and Moonveil crossed in a block. He could feel that every one of Melina's strikes contained the power of Destined Death. If he were hit directly even once, the consequences would be unthinkable.
With a low growl, he leaned back, barely dodging the dagger aimed at his face. The wind from the blade brushed past his nose, bringing with it a sensation of cold silence.
His right shoulder was grazed—not cut by the edge, but touched by the aura of the black-red flames. The wound wasn't deep, but the surrounding skin turned black and withered instantly, as if the life force had been drained away. An unbearable tingling pain spread from the wound straight to his marrow.
"Destined Death..." Lynn gritted his teeth. This stuff was more disgusting than Scarlet Rot. At least rot had a progress bar; this stuff directly lowered your maximum health and dealt damage over time. If he took a few more hits, he might actually die right here, and he wasn't even sure if he could revive at a Site of Grace.
He tried to find an opening to talk, or at least stall for time. He knew Melina too well; she wasn't the type to give up easily.
"Melina, what is going on? How... how did you appear here?" Lynn asked hurriedly while parrying, a hint of anxiety in his voice that even he didn't notice.
He didn't want to be killed, but he especially didn't want to hurt her.
Melina's movements didn't pause for a second. The dagger, carrying the pressure of death, swept toward him again. Her voice remained raspy and devoid of emotion.
"You turned your back on the continuation of life and chose eternal incineration. This is the price you must bear."
"I chose the Frenzied Flame to protect, to protect—" Lynn couldn't finish his sentence before Melina cut him off with a sudden lunge. She was like a ghost, instantly closing the distance and thrusting the dagger toward his heart.
"What exactly have you protected!"
This time, Lynn couldn't dodge completely. He could only twist his body as much as possible. The dagger grazed his ribs, piercing his light armor. A thin gash appeared, and black blood surged out. That sensation of withered decay spread instantly.
"Hiss..." Lynn gasped. This hurt like hell.
He knew he couldn't remain passive. He had to find a breakthrough, a way to make her stop. His mind raced. Although Melina's attack pattern was violent, it revealed a sense of exhaustion.
Just as Melina was about to pursue, her body suddenly stiffened. The dagger pulsing with black-red flames faltered in mid-air.
Lynn keenly caught this anomaly.
Melina looked down at her hands, which were starting to become transparent. Her once-solid form was now flickering violently like an unstable phantom. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly—it was the first time Lynn had seen an expression other than coldness on her face.
"...Not enough time."
Her raspy voice sounded, carrying a trace of faint regret. It was like a cold notification from a program executing a precise mission when it detected insufficient resources.
She stowed her dagger and stepped back, her figure merging into the shadows of the alley. The searing sensation of the black-red flames faded, replaced by the cold air. Lynn knew she was leaving.
Before she vanished, she looked up at Lynn. In those cloudy golden eyes, there was no hatred or anger, only a chilling calm and a hint of... Lynn even suspected he had misread it... pity.
"Next time, I will stay longer."
With those words, she vanished completely as if she had never existed. Lynn was left alone in the alley, the wound on his shoulder still seeping beads of black blood that carried a foul scent of decay.
Lynn leaned against the wall, panting heavily. The battle, though brief, had been more stressful than facing many of the Demigods in the Lands Between. It wasn't a matter of being overwhelmed by strength, but rather the immense psychological pressure—he didn't want to hurt her, yet she was single-mindedly seeking his death. Or rather, seeking to kill him.
He tore off his light armor and applied a medicinal salve to the wound. The cool ointment hissed as it touched the charred skin. The black blood gradually turned red, and the spread of the decay was temporarily suppressed.
He looked down at the mark on the back of his hand where Destined Death had grazed him—the skin was charred as if burned by fire, but it had stopped spreading. However, that cold aura seemed to linger deep within the skin like a maggot in the bone.
Luckily, it was only a graze.
"This commission... it really was a trap."
Lynn muttered to himself, his eyes darkening. He remembered Ranni's warning before she vanished: "Someone is watching you." It turned out it wasn't just "someone," but her.
"She used the commission item to pinpoint my location, then initiated an invasion..."
He stood up straight and returned Moonveil to his inventory. The wound still throbbed with pain, but it no longer hindered his movement. He needed to get back quickly, give the Star-Tear Crystal to Ranni, and study this thing properly.
Perhaps these crystals could help him find a different solution to the promise between him and Melina.
"If she comes again..." He didn't finish the sentence, simply shaking his head and walking out of the alley.
He probably wasn't getting that 500,000 Valis.
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