Chapter 240: Moving Toward Monica

Elias took a Dark Thorne from his Inventory and held the four-legged, panther-like beast above a Riftstone. Its black, leather-like hide was streaked with pale markings, while crimson-tipped spikes crowned its head. Though the monster had been dead for some time, its body remained perfectly preserved within the Inventory.

He drew Valor Sword and made a wide cut across the creature’s body.

The blade opened a deep wound, and blood spilled out, splashing across the Riftstone beneath it. The stone absorbed every drop, its surface remaining dry even as the blood seeped into the invisible cracks running through its interior. One after another, those cracks turned red, glowing like ruby veins beneath the dull exterior.

Elias watched until the transformation was complete.

The Riftstone had become a key capable of allowing someone to leave the hidden dungeon.

He stored the Dark Thorne and the newly imprinted Riftstone in his Inventory, then repeated the process with the remaining stones. Once he had prepared enough for everyone gathered at the settlement, he walked up to the knights and guards.

The knights approached as soon as they saw him.

"Distribute these to the citizens," Elias instructed, handing the imprinted Riftstones to them. "Make sure everyone understands how important it is."

"Yes, Lord Elias."

The knights accepted the stones and began passing them along to the guards, who then distributed them among the citizens. Relief spread through the settlement as people realized they finally had a way out of the ruined city.

However, not everyone was willing to leave.

Some citizens refused to accept their Riftstones, insisting that they needed to find their families or friends before escaping. Others stood nearby, hesitating as they looked toward the ruined streets, unable to abandon the people who might still be alive somewhere inside the dungeon.

Elias understood their feelings, but he could not allow the entire group to remain trapped because of their uncertainty.

His attention was briefly drawn to a man and woman standing together near the edge of the gathering. They held each other tightly while speaking in low voices, their expressions filled with a strange mixture of fear and affection.

"Do you think we will ever get married?" the woman asked.

The man tightened his arms around her. "Of course. Once we get out of here, I willl make sure we do."

Elias stared at them for a moment.

’They are discussing marriage right now?’

The conversation felt so out of place amid the ruined city and the monsters lurking beyond the settlement that he could not help laughing quietly.

He shook his head and continued toward Natasha and Young Stella.

Natasha was still asleep, her head resting comfortably against Young Stella’s shoulder. The Young Stella sat beside her, watching the people move around them with curious eyes.

Elias crouched and handed her one of the imprinted Riftstones.

"Here, Stella."

She accepted it and turned the stone over in her hands. "What is this?"

"It is a Riftstone that has been imprinted with monster blood. It can allow you to lea—"

"Ah, I remember now!" Young Stella interrupted, her eyes brightening. "It is the key to leave this dungeon."

"Yeah," Elias said with a nod.

He glanced at Natasha, whose breathing remained calm and steady. For a moment, he considered waking her so she could understand what was happening, but he soon dismissed the thought.

’It would be better not to wake her.’

Natasha had finally found some peace after everything she had endured. There was no reason to disturb her when she could simply be carried out with the others.

Elias rose and walked toward Benjamin, Sermus, and Lena. He handed each of them an imprinted Riftstone and explained how to use it, making sure they understood that the stones were their means of escape.

Benjamin accepted his with a solemn nod, while Sermus examined the red cracks with interest. Lena held hers tightly, her eyes still swollen from crying over Sara.

Before long, the knights managed to convince the remaining citizens to leave the settlement. Although some continued to worry about their missing relatives, the promise that they could return later helped them accept the decision.

After everyone had received a Riftstone, the group finally departed.

They moved through the ruined streets toward the dungeon’s barrier, keeping close together as they passed collapsed buildings and abandoned homes.

Elias walked at the front with Natasha in his arms, while Young Stella stayed beside him. The three Exalted swordsmen secured the other sides of the formation, and the knights and guards maintained a protective line around the citizens gathered in the center.

Every swordsman remained vigilant.

The ruined city was still filled with monsters, and they could not afford to let their guard down simply because they were nearing the exit. Whenever a creature emerged from the rubble or rushed toward the group, Elias or one of the Exalted knights dealt with it before it could reach the citizens.

Elias usually ended the encounters with a wave of solid crimson Aura. Warrior-ranked monsters burst apart beneath its pressure, leaving the path clear for the group to continue.

The journey was tense, but the formation held.

Soon, the shimmering barrier came into view between the ruined buildings. Its surface rippled like water suspended in the air, separating the hidden dungeon from the outside world.

Elias slowed and looked toward Young Stella.

"Stay close to Natasha," he told her.

Young Stella blinked at him. "Why?"

"You will understand soon."

She tilted her head but did not argue.

One by one, the citizens stepped through the barrier. Each person held their imprinted Riftstone and passed through without difficulty, disappearing from the ruined streets and returning to the outside world.

The guards and knights followed after them, making sure no one was left behind. The three Exalted swordsmen were the last of the group to cross, leaving Elias and his companions standing before the shimmering boundary.

Elias glanced at Other Stella, who floated beside him.

She met his gaze and nodded.

He carefully shifted Natasha into Young Stella’s arms, making sure the sleeping woman was supported securely. Young Stella accepted her sister and wrapped both arms around her.

Elias then placed a hand against Young Stella’s shoulder.

"This is the only way."

Before she could ask what he meant, he pushed her gently but firmly toward the barrier.

Young Stella stumbled forward, carrying Natasha with her, and passed through the shimmering surface. Both of them disappeared from the dungeon.

Elias watched until they were safely beyond it.

The others passed as well and Benjamin immediately approached him.

"My Lord," he asked, "was it the right decision?"

Elias looked at him and shook his head.

"It was not," he admitted. "But I do not have the time to explain the danger of this place to someone as stubborn as Natasha. If she knew I intended to stay here, she would have done anything to come along."

Benjamin lowered his gaze, understanding why Elias had chosen to do this.

"I hope Lady Natasha is understanding of the situation," he said.

Elias smiled faintly. "Look after them."

Benjamin stared into his eyes for a moment, then bowed deeply.

"I will, My Lord."

Elias’s smile widened slightly before he turned around.

His right hand rested on the hilt of Valor Sword, while his left held the dark lantern he had obtained from Mekah.

With everyone else safely outside the dungeon, he no longer had a reason to hold back.

Elias stepped away from the barrier and began rushing toward the location where he could sense Monica’s connection.

His solid crimson Aura spread around him, crushing the Warrior-ranked monsters that tried to obstruct his path. Some burst into fragments before they could even reach him, while others were thrown aside by the pressure of his Aura.

He moved through the ruined streets at full speed, following the faint pull of the connection and the direction indicated by the lantern.

Then, without warning, the ground shifted beneath his feet.

A deep pit opened in the street, swallowing the rubble and broken stones around it. Elias’s momentum carried him forward, but he immediately adjusted his stance and landed on one of the pillars rising from the darkness below.

The pit was filled with stone pillars of varying heights, each broad enough to support a person’s foot. They formed a scattered path across the gap, though the distance between them made it difficult to move without careful footing.

"What the hell?"

Elias steadied himself and looked across the pit.

A strange creature stood on the opposite side.

It resembled a centaur, its body covered in black fur. Its eye sockets were empty, while two twisted wooden horns protruded from its ears. Its mouth was sealed so tightly that it seemed not to possess one at all, and it held a crude dark spear in its hand.

The creature suddenly leaped onto the nearest pillar.

Its hooves struck the stone with a heavy impact, and it immediately rushed toward Elias. Dark blue Aura, resembling water, flowed along the spearhead as it lowered the weapon and prepared to thrust.

Elias furrowed his brows.

’It is only an Exalted.’

The creature’s rank was far below his own. Even so, it charged without hesitation, as though it believed it could defeat him.

"That is all?" Elias muttered.

He invoked his solid crimson Aura, intending to crush the monster before it reached him.

However, the pillar beneath his feet cracked.

The stone split with a sharp noise, and Elias felt himself dropping as the structure began to collapse under the pressure of his Aura. He immediately pushed off the broken pillar and jumped toward another one, landing with a heavy step that sent small fragments tumbling into the darkness below.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at the creature.

’So that is why it is confident.’

The centaur had not been relying on its strength alone. It was using the altered terrain to restrict Elias’s movements, forcing him to fight while balancing on the fragile pillars.

’Is it the one that changed this area?’

Only Lord-ranked monsters and those above them were supposed to possess the ability to alter the dungeon in such a way. Yet this place had already proven to be far different from the rifts Elias knew.

The centaur shifted direction, leaping from one pillar to another as it closed the distance. Its spear swept toward Elias, the dark blue Aura gathering along its point as it aimed for his chest.

Elias moved at the last moment.

He covered Valor Sword with crimson Aura and angled his body away from the thrust. The spearhead passed close enough to brush against his clothing, but before the creature could withdraw its weapon, Elias leaned forward and swung.

A red streak flashed across the pit.

The sword cut through the centaur’s upper body, severing its human-like half from the horse-like portion beneath it. The creature’s torso slid sideways, and its lower body lost balance as both halves fell into the darkness.

Elias watched the remains disappear below.

"..." He stared down for a moment, then shook his head.

He stepped onto the next pillar, preparing to continue across the pit.

Suddenly, an orange System screen appeared before him.

[The host has obtained Space-time Shard x3.]

[Space-time Shard: 4/100]

Elias halted.

"Huh..." he mumbled.