Chapter 496: Dungeon

By what seemed to be an eternity, Julius took long breaths and gathered his thoughts. The fair-skin paled into oblivion, there were times his aura didn't seem normal, times where the presence felt more than just a prince. Igna paused and waited in anticipation. Éclair would have usually triggered a sort of notification on what was to be discussed. At this moment in time, the spirit remained silent, as is a normal ethereal being.

"Ok," the brows lowered, "-Lady Mother is ill. Not physically… more mentally," he'd pause and stutter. The vocabulary seemed to fail him, "-I can't find the proper word," he turned hopelessly for answers.

"Take your time," said Igna, "-how about a summary instead?"

"Sure," the pressure alleviated. "I'll say it how I remember, is that fair?"

"Alright with me."

"The Queen of Arda has been fighting hard for the past few years. After my father's disappearance, the noble faction as well as the public sector have gone and tried to lay waste to the monarchy. The newer generation of houses aren't pleased by the merit system. They argue that our culture is vanishing per the visit from Oxshield. I know, it's stupid, we children of the throne, have fought to keep the peace. To a certain extent, the rebelling factions were dealt with by Phantom or the Blood-King's Faction. The nightwalkers single-handedly brought all to the norm. Still, nothing is as easy as it seems. The noble party tried to assassinate young Lizzie at some point. Needless to say, I personally handled the affairs. The internal matters are more convoluted, point is, the queen is tired from all the fighting. I'm proud to have her as my mother," the grandeur of his intonation, the way the emphasis was on how great of a person she was had Igna anxious. "Now, cousin," he moved closer, "-this is between us."

"What's the matter?" he reached ear first to Julius.

"Ever since father vanished, a certain man came to our mother's side. He's been there for the longest time; a man of god-level beauty, a man of charisma, and a man of power. In a way, I guess mother sees the father in him. I don't know their relationship as of yet, it's been behind closed doors and I think, it might be for the better. Father shows no sign of coming back…"

"This man," voiced Igna, "-how strong is he?"

"Very," he smiled, "-I vaguely sensed his mana, and from what I've seen, it's amazing. The tier is far beyond platinum."

"Cousin, do you see this man as an equal to your father?"

"No, of course not," he slapped his knees, "-no way close. The similarities are there… I wasn't charmed. Princess Eira shares a close bond, as for Lizzie, she doesn't care much. Her focus is on music, it's the remaining memory of father."

"The Queen seems to be alright then."

"For now," whispered Julius, "-for now. It's getting late. Have dinner and be ready for tomorrow. The expedition is soon approaching."

"Thanks, cousin," a private elevator headed to the lower hall. 

'There are not that many people around,' he rambled about, following the map displayed by Éclair, '-a hotel of this magnitude…'

"For visiting guests," said Éclair, "-anyone who deals with Phantom is free to stay for however long they want. Comes as a show of goodwill."

'More like showing off their gains.' A buffet of deliciousness aroused the hunger-beasts. Like a magnet to metal, the nose locked onto the juiciest, mouth-watering, dish. As if the mountain of goodness didn't suffice, a fountain of flowing champagne was on the side. 

"Over here," wave Cole sat on a brown-color bench. 

"Quite a peculiar spot," said Igna holding his food, "-the view of the garden sure is nice…"

"Are you being sarcastic?" interjected Ila.

"No, I'm being serious…"

"Nice," she veered away, "-there's no point talking to you, is there."

"Don't look away so quickly," said he holding half a smile, "-I noticed how the eyes glimmered when talking to Cousin Julius. Are you perhaps a fan of his idol days?" 

"Not just any fan…"

"What you say?"

"I SAID," she turned, "-NOT JUST ANY FAN," a necklace burst out her top.

"Talk about creepy," said Cole in jest.

"I mean," said Leonard, "-lovers do keep pictures of one another as a reminder."

"Do you have a picture of Jen?" asked Igna.

"Yes, matter of fact, I have a lot," he proudly showed the phone.

"Cool," shrugged Ila. "Igna, I know we don't get along. Still, I need a favor."

"An autograph?"

"How did you know?" 

"Already have one," he handed a handkerchief, "-Julius gave it to me earlier."

"GIVE ME," she snatched it, "-his scent," the eyes mellowed as if a cat, "-it's on here."

'You learn things everyday…'

Away from Rotherham, preparation for the expedition went underway. A hangar opened to house a cargo helicopter equipped with the AFR. Supplies for a prolonged battle were stored, elite members of Xenon made the trip to the base. Those trapped in the dungeon reached the last sliver of the fight. Food ran out, a decision had to be made, survive, or perish in this vile place.

The next day, on the 21st, one of the many airfields became active. Engines groaned subtly; the ever-stretching landscape came as a shock. The landing strip went for a mile's on end, bear in mind, it was only one of the countless more. Troupes in black jogged rhythmically. 

"How powerful is Phantom?" wondered Cole standing shoulder to shoulder with Igna.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "-the company is massive, that's for sure." Gunshots muffled from the firing-range, small explosions simulating a tough battle.

"Hello everyone," said Prince Julius climbing atop a crate. Those hurdled inside the hangar approached. One holding a massive rifle and another with swords at his back. Following them were two more, two ladies, one wearing a magical robe and the other holding pistol and daggers, "-please gather around."

The hand behind their back, the rising sun mischievously blinded him. "Today's operation comes per the request of my cousin, Igna Haggard. I've called on the top four fighters in our guild. Please," he gestured to the students, "-introduce yourselves."

"My name's Ko," said a broad figure, "-I'm a gunner. Long-range or short, it doesn't matter. My rank is Tier-2 Gold, from the Ardanian Guild," bald cut, tribal tattoos on the face till the neck. An armored chest-piece, black gloves, and an evil smirk. 

"Mine is Tonza," added the other with the dual swords, "-an executioner and renowned bounty-hunter," same height with a lesser muscular body, emphasis of the outfit was mobility. He seemed more agile than the others. 

"I'm Miya," said the lady in white-magical robe, "-supporting mage, healer, exorcist, and trained doctor. I've brought back people from the brink of death," her blue-hair complemented the ocean-blue pearls on the robe. Neither was it short not long, a perfect size for mobility. 

"Guess it's my turn. The name's Scarlet. Previous hitman of the assassination sect. Anyone who gets in my way will die. I've killed more human than I've done monsters," a mask covered her visage, bangs rested shy of her brows. The sharp incline of her nose gave some sort of hint on how the face was."

"Don't get it twisted," said Julius sensing doubt on Ila, "-these four here members of the strongest people in the continent. If we were at war, you'd call them tactical nukes. Unleashing their skills onto the world would be the start of anarchy. The mission has been briefed. Cousin, Éclair should have shown the plan for today. Explain it to the students. Drop your bags over, the couriers will handle the unloading." 

Stood at the side of the curved hangar, Cole exchanged glances with Ila. She remained focused on trying to spy on Julius over yonder. Leonard's hand trebled.

"About the briefing," voiced Igna, "-we'll start by cleaning the dungeon's upper floor. Securing an exit is a priority. I've hired them to clean out the dungeon, not the rescue of our friends."

"What you say?" they turned; "-you did what?"

"I hired them to clear out the dungeon."

"What about Jen," gritted Leonard, "-I thought we were going to save her."

"We are," he replied, "-we'll do it by our own means. Hiring such a fearsome guild to rescue a few people isn't worth the money. I had to get the most of what I paid. I do hope you realize how expensive they were," glancing Leonard, "-if the dungeon is cleared, others who are trapped will be saved. Imagine how many people had to suffer through what you did because of an unfortunate turn of events. What if someone sent help, thinking broadly is the best way."

"I understand," nodded Cole, "-I admire how much faith you have in others."

"For once," said Ila, "-I agree."

"Out of curiosity," sighed Leonard, "-how much did you pay?"

"About 40,000 Exa."

"…" 

"THAT MUCH?" they screamed.

"It's only the initial cost," he facepalmed, "-after the dungeon is cleared, they're free to add additional charges."

"How are you going to pay that much?" 

"I have savings I can reach for."

"That's still a lot of money," cried Cole, "-I feel guilty now."

"Don't worry about it," people gestured for them to board to a helicopter, "-I promised to help."

Soon, the ground became ant-like, the forward momentum glue many to their seats. The party of elites wasn't talkative. Neither seemed to befriend – the tenseness of the atmosphere made the propellors silent. Casting a look of concern at Julius, he returned with a gentle smile as if to say, '-don't worry, we're good.' 

Open-green fields turned to checkered patterns of different colors. Farming lands are arranged neatly. Roads stopped to become dirt-paths, the flatness grew into forests, and soon, the hills of Coria were insight. 

'There's no place to land,' figured Cole at first glance. The pilot said otherwise – a few seconds above the hill, he fixed onto the center, a crater of sorts with cracked grounds.

The landing lifted dirt and other unwanted particles. "-We're here," said Julius, "-Cousin, come with me. Ko, get on securing the perimeter, the chopper will become our base."

"You need something, cousin?" they walked into the forest.

"Yeah, come with me," said he, "-the opening to the dungeon is beyond here." A logged cabin faced the east. The wood underwent decay, the door was broken, nature reclaimed its property. 

"Why alone?" he wondered.

"I did some digging yesterday," said Julius, "-the dungeon is not a place for newbies anymore," the vile aura off the compound had Igna stopped. "You feel it now, don't you," said he, "-whoever is inside that place is dangerous, very fucking dangerous. I don't know if it's a demon or something else, we have to be vigilant."

"Are you scared?"

"No," he chuckled, "-I'm a fighter too. Well, more of a spellcaster."

"What sort of ability do you have then?"

"I'm a Creator, my ability is Creation. I can make just about anything – as long as I understand vaguely how it works, gold, diamonds, nukes, you name it, and I'll create it."

"Damn, does it not make life easier?"

"Not really," he shrugged, "-we already have money as is, making more might break the economy. Weapons are already advanced. I use it scarcely. The question is you, Igna, what abilities do you have?"

"I can cook."

"Seriously," he facepalmed, "-didn't aunt Courtney teach you how to fight?"

"I know how to use a sword and pistol. Don't expect anything beyond that."

"What about the vampiric powers, aren't you a noble-born…"

"Only activates when I need to run or fight. It's fairly limited, I'm immortal and have slow-regeneration. The strength and speed boost aren't much. In all respect, I'm a novice fighter."

"Don't worry about it," he smiled, "-I'm not a creator for nothing," *snap,* three angel-like bodies materialized. "Meet my guardians, Past, present, and future. They're puppets of unrivaled abilities."

"A scouting party, good idea."

"Setting up the camp will take time."

'The time has finally come, my first expedition,' an unsteady inviting charm whiffed past his body. '-Did someone grab my hand?' the gust of wind felt lively, '-is there someone waiting for me?'