A/N: hey everyone. Just a quick clarification. I skipped most of the dungeon raid because we all had read it in the comic, the novel and various FF. So that you wouldn’t have to read to many copy and paste chapters I dicided to keep the raid short. Next chapter will be the end of the adventurer arc after that will follow a chapter containing everything inbetween the adventurer arc and the school arc. Now enjoy this chapter and we see us next week.
Lucas POV
"Why? Why is everything so different. Nothing is like it should be. I think we should leave." Brald suggested, fear hearable in his voice.
"Don’t be such a coward. Do you not realiz what all those changes mean? The treasure we will find in this boss camber will be incredibly. We all will be rich." Oliver said. His eyes full of greed.
"Even if the treasure is tremendously, don’t you think the beast that guards it is really strong. Maybe to strong for us to handle. You already nearly died, you should be the last thats wants to continue." Reginald chimed in.
"I'm just not a wimp like you all. We are adventurer. It is our job to risk our lives to get our hands on treasures." Oliver retorted.
The kept going with there conversation in which everyone else tries to reason with Oliver and he mainly insults them in return. Annoyed by there on going bickering I let some of my bloodlust out. Everyone immediately tensed up and shifted their gazes to me.
"Listen, how about we all take a rest for now. If we go in the boss camber or leave this dungeon, noone of us is in the condition to do either. Eat something, replenish your mana reserves and rest for now. Lets decided what to do in about one houre." I said in a annoyed and angered tone as I retracted my bloodlust.
They all gave me a nod and went on to rest except for Oliver who flinched at my tone of voice. He quickly walked away from me mumbling something to himself.
I myself walked over to a wall and set down. Not having to replenish my mana I pulled out some of my rations from my storage-ring and begann to eat. Jasmin and Art set down next to my and started to replenish there mana.
After roughly 30 minutes Brald came walking over to us with Samantha. They set down in front of us.
"I believe it would be best if one of you would take over the lead in this dungeon raid." He said in a defeated tone. "I'm sorry. I have faild as a leader. I do not fit this role." He added with a weak smile that radiated his sadness and disappointment in himself.
"Don’t be so harsh on yourself, Brald. Regarding the circumstances I belive you did a good job so far. But we will honor your wish and take over from here." I replied reassuring him of his grad leadership. He and Samantha converst some more with us before they went back to the rest of our group.
"Lucas, you should take over the lead." Jasmin said out of the blue.
"What? Why me? I think you would be the better choice. You have much more experience than me therefore you should take the lead." I retorted.
"She is right Lucas. You understood the changes of this dungeons perfectly and acted accordingly to keep everyone save. You would be our best option." Arthur said, supporting jasmin. This little shit head. He also knows what waits for us behind this door and he aswell could handle it perfectly. He just probably dosen't want the responsibility.
"Do I even have a choice?" I asked at which they bith only shoked there heads. I sighed in defeat and accepted the role that was forced upon me.
After another 30 minutes we all regrouped infront the entrance of the boss camber.
"Alright everyone. After a quick talk with Brald we decided that I will take over the lead from now on, any objections?" I asked them all.
"None!" Everyone said except for Oliver jet again. I swear I shouldn't have saved him. He is so fucking annoying.
"You want us to follow the orders of a child. I knew you were useless Brald but that? Unbelievable. I should lead us." He retorted.
"This 'child' you're talkkng about already saved you ass once. He also analyzed the situation faster then any of us and prevented any major injuries that we would have suffered. What did you do in the meantime, you walked into your death and who saved you then?" Jasmin said annoyed.
Oliver looked around to maybe find anyone how supports him but unfortunately for him noone wanted him as the leader. Realizing that he finally shut up.
"Alright, now that this is sorted out lets go back to the matter at hand. We will enter the boss camber to see what beast is inside. If I deem it posibble for us to kill it we will do exactly that. If I deem otherwise we will retreat and inform the Guild of what we found in there." I explained.
"A-are you sure that we should g-go inside?" Samantha asked shaking in fear.
"Everything will be fine Samantha. I will make sure that noone will die. Just do exactly what I tell you to do and you will leave this dungeon without any problems." I told her with a smile.
"O-okay." She said with a small nod.
"Reginald would you be so kind to open the door for us." I said as my gaze moved to the boss camber.
Giving me an understanding nod Reginald walked over to the door. Using his earth magic to strengthen himself he pushed the door open wide enough so that we could enter.
Inside was a wide meadow but a dense fog hindered us to see far, well everyone but me. Aether allows me to see through every magic so the fog was basicly invisible to me.
"I can’t see shit." Oliver complained.
"Stay together everyone, we don’t know where the enemy is so keep your guard up." I instructed.
"Clara? Is that you? H- How are you alive?" Kriol asked as he let's his shield drop to the ground.
"I knew you couldn't be dead, Clara! Stay there! I'm coming to get you!" He said as he strated to run towards the illusion the Elderwood Guardian casted.
Knowing that this would happen I positioned myself next to him befor we enterde the camber. Pulling him back I slapped him across the face inoder to awaken him from the illusion.
"Thats an illusion. What you have seen just now isn’t real. Now get your shield and go back to your position." I told him. He at first looked confused and a bit angry but he soon realized the meaning of my words. He stood back up, got his shield and went back to his position.
"You all heared what I just said. Stay foucus and don’t trust anything you see in the fog." I yelled to my group.
We moved futher into the camber and the fog got denser and denser as deeper we went.
"Jasmin do you think you could clear up the air for us?" I asked her already knowing the answer.
"Shouldn't be a problem." She said as she condensed mana into a strong wind spell. As she released the spell a strong gust of wind blew a big portion of the fog away. Being significantly stronger than in the original the effect of that spell was far higer.
Now most of the meadow was cleared and we weren't only able to see some vines but the one responsible for this fog.
"N-No way…" Samantha's face drained of color as she slumped in resignation.
Standing more than twenty meters tall, high above our heads was a colossal mana beast. With a humanoid structure that oddly resembled a centaur, it towered over us like a massive building.
While it seemed to be made up completely of densely packed and intertwined vines, the top half of its body was that of an armored man holding a drill-like lance that came to a menacing point just over our heads. Its lower body was that of a horse, but rather than legs, its limbs consisted of the countless vines we had been battling against. Two green eyes peered down at us, filled with unbridled enmity.
"I-I've read about a monster that looked something like this," Samantha stuttered in horror, sinking to her knees in complete resignation. "I think th-that's an S class mana beast called the e-elderwood guardian!"
"It can't be, right? What the hell would an S class mana beast be doing here?" Reginald almost dropped his giant hammer as he peered up at the elderwood guardian in dread, and with good reason too. An S class mana beast meant that it was on par with an SS class adventurer or at least ten S class adventurers.
"W-We're doomed…" Brald had a crazed expression on his face as he began laughing madly at the giant mana beast. Observing the rest of the group I could see similar reactions to the Elderwood Guardian. The only once that weren't affected by it were Art, Jasmin and I. Giving them both a nod, signalizing them that we will be on our own in this fight. They nodded back and refoucused on the beast.
"Elijah, Samantha cast your strongest barrier around you all. We will face it in battle. You only have to stay in the barriers, alright." I commanded.
"You can't be serious. I know that you three are strong but you stand no chance against this thing. It would be best if we retreat as long as it is still possible." Brald tried to reason with me but I stood strong.
"Brald, I'm the leader in this raid now and as such I will bring us all out of her alive. Do as ordered if you wish to see the sun again." I retorted letting some of my bloodlust loose to make clear how serious I am right now.
Taking a few steps back Brald fell to the ground landing on his ass.
"Samantha, I promised you that you would survive, didn't I. For that you have to trust me so do as I ordered." I said as I gave her a smile.
She looked hesitant at first but quickly casted a water barrier around the six of them. Soon after a metal barrier enveloped the water barrier.
"What's your plan Lucas?" Art asked keeping his eyes on the Elderwood Guardian.
"How about you both show me what you have learned in the last year." I suggested.
"That dosen't sound to bad." Arthur replied in excitement.
"Yeah, we might not be strong enough to defeat it but we could improve our skills." Jasmin added.
"Than it is dicided. I will make sure that you don’t die so just go all out." I told them.
They both gave me a nod befor they dashed towards the beast.
'That will be intresting'
-1793 words