Chapter 161 [Event] [Enigma Red Dungeon] [22] 'Her Death'



New Discord Link in Synopsis as well: https://discord.gg/WsDS9Tse

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[46TH FLOOR]

"We're nearing the end of the floor, I'm certain," Elona muttered, her voice filled with fatigue.

Milleia nodded in agreement. "Yes, we've defeated seventeen Disaster-Beasts. I feel relieved." She had initially underestimated the strength of their group, especially Jayden and Elona. However, the biggest surprise came from John Tarmias. Milleia couldn't believe that someone among the First Years possessed such formidable power. She had previously regarded Jayden as the strongest individual she knew, but witnessing John's skills firsthand shattered that perception.

"It's good progress, but... I'm getting tired of those two," Elona remarked, casting a weary glance at John and Jayden.

Since the beginning of their journey, John had been relentlessly searching for his sister, tirelessly scouring each floor for any clues regarding her whereabouts. He always trailed behind the group.

In contrast, Jayden was constantly forging ahead, his pace unyielding.

"Jayden, we should take a rest. They're exhausted," Milleia suggested, noticing their other teammates struggling to catch their breath due to their weaker physical constitutions.

"Y-Yes, please... Just five minutes," one of the teammates pleaded, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Ah... yes," Jayden responded, observing his companions catching up with him.

"Why are you so eager to reach the final floor, Jayden? The objective of this exam is simply to defeat thirty Disaster-Beasts," Milleia inquired.

"Well... I know. It's just that a few days ago, I met Carla's father," Jayden revealed.

"Eh?" Milleia's astonishment was evident.

Jayden nodded, continuing his explanation. "He told me that if I rank first in the upcoming exam, he will consider my engagement with Carla."

"Um... Does Carla know about this?" Milleia asked, her curiosity piqued.

Jayden shook his head. "I really want to descend the floors again to see her, but... I absolutely want to finish first. There are other powerful groups... I didn't want to slow down... I'm sorry."

Milleia wore an exasperated expression, but she couldn't help but smile. "So, you truly love Lady Carla, huh?"

"Yes..." Jayden affirmed, his gaze fixed upon Milleia's captivating light pink eyes, which seemed even more radiant since her awakening.

"Hm? What's the matter?" Milleia questioned, puzzled by Jayden's intense stare.

"Milleia... I have something to tell you, but not now," Jayden declared with a determined expression.

"O-Okay?" Milleia nodded, taken aback by Jayden's serious tone.

"Hmmm... Looks like he's a greedy man," Elona interjected, nodding repeatedly as she grasped the situation.

"Greedy?" Milleia was confused.

"Yes! But my brother is no different, so I don't mind," Elona sighed.

"Which brother?" Milleia tilted her head, seeking clarification.

"Edward, obviously," Elona replied matter-of-factly.

"Edward is greedy? I don't think so..." Milleia voiced her disbelief.

"He is," Elona smiled mischievously and leaned closer to whisper in Milleia's ear. "He's fond of Aurora."

"What...!"

"Shhht!" Elona pressed her index finger against her lips, signaling for Milleia to remain silent.

"B-But how? A-And Jayden also loves Her Highness..." Milleia felt lost, unsure of what to do. Initially, she had wanted to support Jayden's pursuit of the princess, even though it seemed like an impossible endeavor. However, now she discovered that Edward also had feelings for Aurora. She didn't know whom to support and didn't want to choose between them. Both Jayden and Edward were equally close friends to her.

"I'm working on it for my brother. You should support Jayden, Milleia," Elona stated, understanding the turmoil in Milleia's mind as she dropped a bombshell of news.

****

[45TH FLOOR]

"What are you doing?" Louisa asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"What am I doing?" Ronald, who was kneeling on the ground, looked up at his sister. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to gather some 'proof' from these beasts," he replied with a mischievous grin.

"Ronald..." Aurora didn't know how to respond to Ronald's shameless behavior, especially considering that Louisa had already defeated the 6-Star trolls.

Louisa stared at Ronald, her expression firm. "Only one. The one you defeated together. As the overseer of our group, I cannot allow such actions."

"Come on, you're my big sister," Ronald persisted, trying to use their relationship to sway her decision.

Louisa's eyes momentarily flickered at the mention of being called 'big sister,' but she quickly regained her composure. "No."

"Tch." Ronald clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he only severed the hand of one troll and stored it in his space ring.

Aurora chuckled at the sibling interaction. "I thought you were going to give in, Senior Louisa," she remarked playfully.

Louisa pretended not to hear Aurora's comment and touched her earpiece. "I have taken care of the 6-Star mana beasts."

...

"Professor?" Louisa called out again, but there was no response.

'They must be occupied. But wait... there are no signals at all. This is strange,' Louisa thought to herself, growing increasingly puzzled by the lack of communication.

"Is something wrong, Louisa?" Aurora approached and asked, concern evident in her voice.

Louisa hesitated for a moment before replying, "No... nothing."

Aurora sensed that something was amiss but didn't press further. "Then what should we do? Should we wait here for the others to return?" she inquired.

"I don't want us to be separated. We should join them," Aurora suggested, her eyes filled with determination.

Louisa nodded in agreement. "I will accompany you. I need to ensure their safety as their overseer," she stated, taking her responsibility seriously.

Aurora smiled appreciatively and turned around, ready to head towards their companions.

But before they could take a step, a deafening explosion shook the area, catching them off guard.

"Ah!" Aurora cried out as the force of the explosion hit her, but before she could be seriously injured, Louisa reacted swiftly. She summoned a wall of earth, shielding Aurora and preventing any significant harm.

"W-What just happened..." Aurora mumbled, disoriented from the blast and blood dripping from her forehead.

Louisa's voice cut through the chaos with a chilling tone. "Who are you?" she demanded, her gaze fixed on the figures emerging from the smoke.

In front of Louisa stood two individuals, and Aurora's face turned pale upon recognizing the man with a scar over his right eye. His single red eye bore a murderous intent directed at her.

"T-They are the ones who tried to abduct Elona and Simon!" Aurora let out. 

"Iris Project," Louisa muttered, identifying the group to which the man belonged.

Aurora's voice trembled as she confirmed Louisa's suspicion. "Yes! He's the one who attacked me and tried to kidnap Elona before!"

Ronald, who had been momentarily stunned, finally found his voice and bombarded them with questions. "What the hell are they doing here?! How did they even enter the dungeon?! Where are the teachers?!"

"Ah, you're noisy. Shut up!" Another man with black and red hair arrived beside Pyres, his black eyes filled with a desire for battle.

Louisa remained composed, unfazed by the threatening presence before her. "What is your purpose?" she asked, her voice steady.

Pyres smiled and pointed at Aurora. "Her death."

Aurora gasped in shock at the declaration.

Louisa closed her eyes briefly, her resolve firm. "Unfortunately, that will not happen. You should turn back and leave. If you are here, the teachers must be aware that enemies have infiltrated the dungeons. There is a high probability that a Monarch will arrive soon," she warned, unwavering in her stance.

"Yes, a Monarch has probably already been dispatched, and that's why we don't want to waste time. Hand over Aurora Avia Celesta, and we will leave," Pyres declared with a stern tone.

Aurora's confusion grew as she asked, "Why do you want to kill me?" She couldn't understand why Pyres, who had the opportunity to kill her before, would suddenly have such a desire. Something must have changed between their last encounter and now.

Pyres remained silent, his lips tightly sealed, refusing to provide an answer.

Impatient and annoyed, the other man, Morino, chimed in, "Don't waste our time and die quietly, Princess." In a swift motion, he vanished from his position and reappeared in front of Aurora, swinging his hand in an attempt to strike her.

"Kah!" Before Morino could reach Aurora's shadow, a powerful force launched him away with incredible speed. He soared past Pyres, crashing forcefully into the wall.

"I warned you, but you didn't listen," Louisa spoke coldly, her voice devoid of any warmth or mercy.

Pyres narrowed his remaining eye as he observed the overwhelming amount of mana emanating from Louisa's body. It was clear to him that she was not an ordinary girl. "You are any normal girl…"

Morino emerged from the wall, wiping the blood from his lips, and looked at Louisa with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "Wow! I didn't expect to find someone strong in Celesta."

"Don't underestimate her, Morino," Pyres cautioned his comrade, his body emanating flickering sunfire. "Kill her, I'll take care of this one." Pyres focused his attention on Louisa, preparing to engage her in battle.

Louisa quickly urged Aurora and Ronald to step back, but before she could finish her warning, Ronald took the initiative and unleashed an attack with his Earth Lance.

Morino smirked, muttering something under his breath, and in a split second, he appeared beside Ronald, swinging his hand with lightning speed. The attack caught Ronald off guard, leaving him no time to react. Louisa desperately tried to intervene, but Pyres was already upon her, diverting her attention.

With a resounding impact, Ronald coughed up blood and his eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness. Morino ruthlessly tore into Ronald's flesh with his bare hands, leaving a deep wound on his stomach. "This is only the beginning," Morino declared, his voice laced with malice.