Chapter 117: NOT A MOMENT OF PEACE

Chapter 117: 117: NOT A MOMENT OF PEACE

The team finally had a brief moment of peace after that. June and Ryan landed on the ground from the eagle to meet up with Kael and Nyx.

The rocks had fallen to the ground, and the heavy wind had finally cleared off.

June immediately approached Nyx, running a hand over his face as he checked him over. "Are you okay? Where are you hurt...? How bad does it hurt...?"

Nyx smiled and lowered his head. "I’m fine... You don’t have to worry too much..."

Kael folded his arms. "Yes, you don’t. I was the one who got hurt the most," he insisted.

"You’re a C-rank. You should work harder," June replied without an ounce of pity, leaving Kael speechless.

Ryan smiled and shook his head.

After checking on Nyx, June looked around. "I wonder where Simon and Finn are... Are they okay?"

The others looked around as well.

"We should find them soon," Ryan said, carefully observing their surroundings. "The atmosphere doesn’t seem very friendly... Something else might break out at any moment, and there’s still no sign of the portal..."

"And the Elite 5 aren’t out yet..." Nyx added. "I guess this stage is harder than they claimed..."

Ryan tilted his head. "They’re used to the Cosmic Dungeon, so they should have found their way out already. Unless the level was intentionally spiked."

Kael sighed, folding his arms and shaking his head.

"Spiked...? If S-class Elites like them are finding this hard, then we’re dead meat." He sighed again. "Why did I even come with you guys...?"

Ryan cast him a cold glare. "No one begged you, though. You can always quit."

Quitting was embarrassing, so Kael simply rolled his eyes.

"We should start looking for Simon and Finn. We need to stick together to—"

A loud crack suddenly echoed through the atmosphere.

It sounded like the walls of the sky were breaking apart.

Everyone immediately went quiet and looked upward.

The air cracked open.

Purple liquid spilled from the atmosphere as several three-headed purple dragons began falling out of the cracks.

June blinked.

"Now we’re going for abnormal monsters...?"

Ryan folded his arms. "At this point, expect anything. They really did spike up the level without considering the ranks involved..."

June held Nyx firmly as he turned toward Kael and Ryan.

"You two go and hold them off for a while..."

They stared back at June.

Ryan didn’t ask any questions.

"Sure. Hurry up."

He understood exactly what June wanted to do with Nyx.

Kael, however, immediately frowned. "Why? We’re in this together. Are you two backing out to hide or something?"

"Even if we are, we’re F-ranks. It’s justifiable," June replied without hesitation. "It’s time to put those powerful C-rank skills you’ve been boasting about to use."

"....."

Ryan grabbed Kael by the hand.

"Let’s go."

The two made their way toward the eagle.

"Is this safe...?" Kael asked cautiously. "Isn’t that a monster...?"

June folded his arms.

"It’s safe. It’s my monster."

The two climbed onto the eagle, which immediately took off into the air toward the approaching monsters.

There were now five of them.

Their enormous wings flapped violently, their mouths opened in deafening roars, and purple flames gushed from their jaws as they charged directly toward the eagle carrying Ryan and Kael.

Kael held his staff firmly, preparing to strike.

"That’s useless without your powers," Ryan said. "You’ll get squashed if you try holding them off with just that."

Kael, who was sitting behind Ryan on the eagle, stared at him.

"Huh?"

"Your power. Red Venom. Link your staff to it," Ryan instructed firmly.

Kael frowned. "You... How are you so sure?"

"The same way I was sure about your fluctuating rank and your sleeping-around scandal. So, do you want to die or do you want to listen?"

"....."

Kael drew blood and applied it to his staff. A red glow immediately appeared around the weapon.

"This consumes a lot of energy, though..."

"You needed some guiding. I offered, and you rejected it. What now? Want it?"

"No need," Kael immediately turned him down.

Ryan smiled.

"Don’t come begging me later. Now listen carefully... This Purple Dragon feeds on fear, so make sure you don’t appear scared when you’re close to it."

"At least pretend you’re not."

Kael stared at him. "How did you know that?"

"I just do. And while aiming, direct your staff toward the dark spots around their bodies," Ryan continued.

"What dark spots? They’re purple."

"Your lens... your Venom Lens. You should be able to see dark spots. They’re tiny, but you should be able to find them..." Ryan insisted.

Kael was skeptical, but he closed his eyes and activated his Venom Lens—a skill that allowed him to see the spots most vulnerable to being poisoned.

Then his eyes widened.

He could actually see them.

Tiny dark spots scattered around the dragons’ bodies.

"There actually are..." Kael was speechless.

Ryan smiled. "Good. Now go. And listen to me..."

"How...?" Kael asked.

"Just do it."

Kael frowned, but he got to his feet on the eagle and suddenly dove off into the air toward the monsters.

Following Ryan’s instructions, he charged toward the dragons and skillfully swung his staff toward the vulnerable spots.

But it wasn’t easy.

The dragons were aggressive and highly defensive, attacking him from every direction.

He was slapped by their enormous wings from time to time while barely managing to dodge others. Purple flames endlessly came toward him, and he avoided them with great difficulty.

"How the hell...?"

Kael struggled to keep his energy stable while fighting off the monsters.

He was successfully hitting the vulnerable spots with his staff, clearly affecting the dragons and forcing them to back away.

But they always came back almost immediately.

"How am I supposed to take all of these down?!" he yelled as he continued battling the monsters in the air.

"Stupid. I told you they feed on fear."

Kael froze slightly when Ryan’s voice suddenly echoed inside his head.

"Huh? How’s that...? But I’m not scared..."

"Liar. You are," Ryan’s voice replied calmly inside his mind.

"How the fuck are you doing that...?"

"Does it matter?" Ryan asked. "I offered to guide you. Your C-rank skills can’t handle whatever you’re doing right now. Wasn’t that obvious?"

His voice continued calmly.

"And if you continue being this stubborn, you’ll completely fall to D-rank... or worse, F-rank. Then we might as well be a pair made in heaven."

"Never!" Kael snapped as he continued fighting.

"So... is that a yes or...?"

Kael couldn’t hold on anymore.

The monsters were coming at him too quickly, and he could feel himself slowly losing control.

"Whatever! Just fucking do something!"

Ryan smiled from where he sat on the eagle.

"I thought you wouldn’t ask."