I smiled, swinging Bloodraven in a clean sideways arc.

Trrkk!

Sparks burst as its crimson edge scraped against Rack's green-glowing arrow. The auras collided, crimson fighting green, before both fizzled into nothing.

Rack clicked his tongue in frustration. His arrows weren't working, and it showed.

Sorry, buddy. An arrow or two won't fool instincts honed through hundreds of wars.

Drane shifted uneasily, gripping his club but not daring to move. He'd already seen what Bloodraven could do. One wrong step and he'd be nothing but dust and noise.

Kuro, on the other hand, was still crying near the wall, his leg bleeding, face pale. I couldn't tell if he was frozen in fear or just too scared to run. Whatever it was, he stayed put.

I still didn't know why Nexar wanted such a cry baby dead. But for now, that didn't matter.

I turned to Lydia near my feet. Extending a hand, I helped her up. She took it, her fingers trembling slightly. The moment she stood, her knees buckled, and I caught her.

Her body pressed against mine, warm and soft. Her breasts pushed against my chest.

"Good morning, Miss Slee—"

Before I could finish, her fist came crashing down on my head.

"Ow! what the hell was that for!?" I groaned, rubbing the sore spot.

"You knew I'd get caught in that blast too, and you still triggered it?" she snapped, her anger forced.

I grinned. "Hey, it's not like you were gonna die. Your HP was sitting at sixty-three before the blast. You just tore a few tendons and muscles resulting in stamina and agility getting hit, that's all.."

She glared at me. "HP?"

We were bickering like idiots while two Orcs watched us in silence. Rack looked confused, Drane looked terrified. I could almost hear their thoughts.

What the hell are these two doing?

Rack, as usual, was the first to lose his nerve. He nocked another arrow, its green aura flaring to life.

Lydia turned sharply toward him. Her hand flicked, and a glowing water shuriken sliced through the air, colliding with the arrow midflight. The impact burst in a small explosion, knocking the arrow aside.

"Just wait your turn," she said coldly, her voice sharp enough to cut steel.

Rack froze, his instincts that feared his commander kicked in . "Y-yes.. ma'am…"

She turned back to me, her expression softening. Then she leaned closer... so close that I could feel her breath against my ear.

"Thank you," she whispered.

A sharp pain stabbed the side of my neck. My body went stiff.

"Ow.. what the hell—" I touched my neck and felt warmth. She'd bitten me.

Lydia leaned back, her lips stained with crimson. "For the meal," she murmured, licking her lips.

I pressed a hand against the bite. "You could've asked before doing that!"

Her pale skin was already regaining its glow, the color returning to her face.

"Oh, seems like you killed my copy." she asked, scanning the room.

"Yeah. Only these three left," I said, nodding at Drane, Rack, and Kuro.

I bent down, grabbing a torn piece of cloth from the shattered table nearby. Lydia stepped past me, eyes locked on Drane.

"I guess it's time for payback," she said, her voice low and dangerous.

I tossed the cloth over her shoulders, letting it drape over her exposed breasts.

She blinked. "Wha—"

"You know... Just... covering the distractions," I said, glancing away, though my eyes flicked back once...

[......]

Alright, twice.

She looked down, realized what I meant, then turned red. Her hands flew up to clutch the cloth tighter.

"You pervert!" she shouted, shoving me hard in the chest. "You are half-naked yourself!"

I stumbled back, laughing. "Hey, I was being helpful!"

Her glare could've melted iron, but the corners of her lips twitched, just barely.

*********

I hate him.

My lips formed a pout on their own.

It's only been two days since I met him... but every time I'm around him, I feel… different.

I stepped forward, drawing my daggers. The cold metal spun in my hands, my fingers moving out of pure instinct, muscle memory taking over before thought could.

My eyes, for some reason, darted toward Rune. I didn't mean to look at him... but I did anyway.

He wasn't wearing a shirt.

His body, though small for an eighteen-year-old, stood straight, proud even. His shoulders weren't broad, his muscles weren't bulky. He looked… fragile, like he'd break if struck too hard.

Yet, there was something about the way he stood. Something steady. Unyielding.

Then he looked at me and smiled.

And just like that, my heart skipped a beat.

Heat spread through me. My body grew warm, my chest tight. My throat dry. The thirst I felt, the craving for his blood, grew stronger alongside the warmth.

What is this feeling…?

Before I could even make sense of it, a blur appeared before me. Drane.

His massive club swung down toward my head with a sharp gust of air.

Whoosh!

I raised my arm, aura flaring. Purple sparks crackled across my daggers as they met his brown aura head-on.

Clang!

The shockwave pushed the dust aside. Drane stumbled back, his feet skidding across the ground.

"Ughh." he groaned, teeth clenched in pain.

My brows furrowed. His aura… was it always this weak?

Where's his usual strength..?

He shouldn't be this sluggish. His movements were heavy, his swing lacked weight.

Was he mocking me?

Rune's calm voice cut through the air.

"Oh, by the way.." he said, holding up a small metallic cube in his hand. "He was using this artifact."

The cube glowed faintly blue.

"This is a B-rank artifact," Rune continued, "It equalizes aura output between two targets, brings the target's aura down to the user's level. Doesn't work on Masters and above, but… that's why your fights were always close."

I blinked, then sighed.

Drane... You idiot.

He looked up, breathing heavily. His eyes met mine, full of spite and something else.

"Drane," I said quietly, "just tell me… why are you sabotaging your own tribe? What could be more valuable than your home and your people?"

It wasn't just anger that pushed me to ask that. It was curiosity.

I wanted to understand what made traitors like him turn on their own. What twisted logic made them betray those they laughed with, ate with, lived with.

Drane's grin widened, teeth stained red.

"You'll never understand the value of power and money," he said. "We are just a pawns, disposable soldiers risking their life for some fake praise and a meager reward from the Beast King."

His tone shifted, darker now.

"But if you three Commanders didn't exist, I'd take command of the orcs here. I'd cut off communication with the Beast Kingdom, collude with the humans, and live like a king in this valley."

I laughed, short and bitter.

"What makes you think humans would ever consider you one of them?"

"Heh," he smirked, a spark of madness in his eyes. "You know nothing. All I have to do is make this valley their hub. With no oversight, this place is perfect for storage."

"Storage?" I asked, my voice low.

"For goods," he said, lips curling. "Slaves. Illegal merchandise. Banned potions, drugs, and tonics. I've already made the deals."

My grip tightened around my daggers.

His eyes flickered toward something behind me, then back to me, then behind me again. Over and over.

He kept talking, but now I could feel he has other motives, as nervousness bled through the cracks in his arrogance.

"I get commissions from the traders," he said, "protection from the Duchy's scrutiny. All I have to do is supply goods to the black-market dealers within the Duchy. No missions. No orders. Just money."

Hks eyes darted again. But I didn't care.

Without the artifact he was already dead anyway...

I sighed softly, stepping closer.

"You're not allowed to live," I said. "You're no longer one of us."

Scum like him… if left alive, would only bring pain to more.

Drane's grin, however, only widened.

"You talk like you're one of us, you mixed-breed!" he spat.

He roared, driving his club upward from below in a savage vertical slash.

I jumped back, my boots scraping against the ground as the attack whooshed past me.

His body flashed with brown light, and he shot forward like a cannonball.

Lunging Step (A–)!

Drane's skill. It gives him a single blast of speed, allowing him to perform his explosive forward dash.

Combined with his towering frame, it could be problematic to deal with, without proper technique.

I tightened my stance, ready to block, but the moment I moved to intercept, I realized the dash wasn't aimed at me.

He used the burst to escape.

He sidestepped, boosting his already explosive dash with aura, moving toward the far end of the chamber. Toward the black-haired human.

Is he trying to escape with that human?

No… he's not that dumb. He knows he can't outrun me.

Then I saw Rack moving too, heading in the same direction. My stomach tightened.Something was wrong.

The black-haired human, the one who'd been crying all this time, grinned. Not the grin of a man confident in victory. No. This one was darker. Certain.

He pulled out a rectangular metallic device with several buttons on it.

"The preparations are done," he murmured.

"Yeah… the last-ditch effort." Rune muttered something as if replying to something in the air.

"What's happening?" I asked, frowning.

Before he could answer, the ground began to rumble.

The walls shifted, grinding against the stone floor, dragging massive slabs as they rearranged themselves. Dust filled the air. Cracks splintered beneath our feet.

The floor buckled. Some walls sank; others rose. The entire underground base was… moving. Turning into something else.

"A maze," I realized.

I sprinted toward Rune, instincts screaming at me to protect him. I couldn't let anyone under my command get hurt, not in my presence.

"Rune!" I shouted.

"Ahh…" he said, blinking rapidly, like he was trying to find the right words.

"What is it?!" I demanded.

What is he trying to say?

"Umm…" he began awkwardly. "Commander Lydia, have you ever seen an aura blade?"

"What?" I blinked, confused. "Aura blade?"

"Yeah, you know… that thing where aura gets projected out of the medium to hit a target at range?" he said, scratching the back of his head.

I stared. He really sucks at explaining things.

I exhaled sharply. I think he meant Aura Slash.

"I've seen Commander Tugnier use it once, against a SBV high command."

Rune tilted his head, thoughtful.

"That must've been Aura Slash," he said. "No way Tugnier could perform a true Aura Blade with just the Master-level understanding of aura."

That was rude. But I could tell he didn't mean it that way.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked, pointing at the enemies behind us.

Behind the shifting maze walls, Drane, Rack, and the black-haired human stood behind a transparent blue barrier. Safe. Smug.

The black-haired one laughed. Loud and manic.

"HAHAHAHA! The maze structure has been altered! The self-destruction mode is active! Soon this entire place will blow apart. Good luck finding the non-existent exits!"

Drane laughed too, his voice echoing.

"This bitch really thought I was talking because she asked! Thanks to that, we bought enough time!"

Rack grinned, his confidence back, licking his lower lip. "Damn… I still regret not feeling her enough," he said with a chuckle.

"...Tsk."

My tongue clicked against my teeth, disgust and anger bubbling up together.

Rune looked at me with an awkward smirk.

"Umm.. so.. here is the deal."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.