Chapter 114: Return (3)

Chapter 110

They didn’t need to shout or demonstrate their strength to command attention. Their very presence was enough to draw everyone’s gaze.

It was as though two kings had suddenly appeared in the middle of the bunker. No... even that comparison seemed inadequate.

The people couldn’t help feeling that the two white-haired figures possessed a majesty that surpassed that of ordinary kings. There was something unusual about their presence, an indescribable quality that made it difficult to look away even when they wanted to.

Strangely enough, neither figure appeared to care about the attention they were receiving. They simply stood there, completely composed, as though the chaos caused by the dungeon break had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

With the crisis apparently resolved, most of the people had begun to relax. Some were quietly talking among themselves, while others continued watching the two heroes with a mixture of awe, curiosity, and lingering disbelief.

For the first time in hours, they could breathe without feeling as though death might descend upon them at any moment.

However, not everyone shared their relief.

There was one person who seemed entirely incapable of relaxing, regardless of the situation around her.

Lady Katherine.

The Sky Dancer stood among the people with her sword in hand, her expression tense and unmistakably worried. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavily upon her body, she had already begun making her way toward the exit.

Her injuries had left her considerably weakened. She was nowhere near the condition required to fight at full strength, and even walking was proving more difficult than she wanted to admit.

Yet she didn’t seem to care.

At that moment, the only thing on her mind was Orion.

She had left him alone to fight that terrifying monster, and now she had no idea what had happened to him.

Katherine tightened her grip around her sword and continued toward the exit, her hurried steps carrying an urgency that seemed entirely at odds with her battered condition.

"Where are you going?"

One of the two Orions asked.

Katherine stopped. For a brief moment, she remained silent with her back turned toward the white-haired figure before finally turning around, her expression darkening as she faced him.

"What else do you think I’m going to do?"

Her tone was sharp, and the anger in her voice was impossible to miss.

"Your original might already be dead because you left him alone to fight that thing!"

The words came out more forcefully than she intended, but she didn’t bother holding back. She was too worried to care about how her words might sound.

"I need to go and help him. And if he’s already dead, then I’ll bring back his corpse."

Her grip on the sword tightened further as she finished speaking.

"That’s the least I can do."

With that, Katherine turned and took another step toward the exit.

Her body was still severely weakened. She had already pushed herself far beyond her limits during the battle against the Webfiend Lord, and the injuries she had sustained had yet to recover.

Under normal circumstances, she would have understood that charging back into the danger zone in her current condition was a terrible idea. However, she wasn’t thinking clearly enough to care about that.

She couldn’t simply stand inside the bunker while the person who had helped her fight the monster remained unaccounted for.

Even if she couldn’t defeat the creature, she could at least try to find Orion. And if the worst had happened, she wasn’t going to abandon his body to the monsters.

That was the least she could do after everything.

Before she could take another step, however, one of the Orions appeared directly in front of her.

His movement was so sudden that Katherine barely had time to react before he was standing in her path, calmly preventing her from proceeding any farther.

She stopped abruptly, her brows knitting together as she opened her mouth, clearly preparing to argue with him.

But before she could say anything, the white-haired Orion spoke.

His calm voice carried throughout the bunker, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

"The dungeon break has been taken care of."

The words were simple, yet they were enough to make several people turn toward him in surprise.

"All the monsters in the city have been eliminated, and the dungeon boss is dead."

He paused briefly, allowing his words to settle before delivering the final confirmation.

"Daylight City is safe."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The statement was so straightforward that it almost seemed difficult to believe. After everything they had witnessed, after the countless monsters and the battle that had threatened to destroy the city, the crisis was finally over.

The dungeon boss was dead, the monsters had been eliminated, and they were safe.

As the realization spread throughout the bunker, the remaining tension in the air began to ease. Some people exchanged stunned looks, while others seemed unable to process the news immediately.

They had survived.

Daylight City had survived.

The City Lord, who had been listening to the exchange, turned toward Orion. Appreciation was evident in his eyes as he gave a small nod.

Words alone could hardly express the gratitude he felt. The two mysterious heroes had played a decisive role in saving the city, and without their intervention, the outcome might have been far more tragic.

Orion returned the nod before shifting his gaze toward Katherine.

"Don’t bother about repaying me."

His tone remained as calm as ever.

"We’re even now."

After saying that, he vanished.

Katherine’s eyes widened slightly. She had been so focused on the news that she hadn’t expected him to disappear without another word. Before she could react, the spot where the white-haired figure had been standing was already empty.

The second Orion had also vanished some time earlier, although the people were only now beginning to realize it.

The two mysterious heroes had appeared, helped eliminate the threat, and then disappeared without leaving any explanation. It was almost as though they had never been there.

However, something else caught the attention of those who had been watching the scene.

Two other people had disappeared alongside the second Orion.

They were none other than Iris and Eleanor.

Of course, nobody inside the bunker knew that. To the people who had witnessed the scene, the disappearance of the two women was simply another unexplained development in an already extraordinary day.

For now, though, there were more pressing matters to consider.

Daylight City was safe, and the dungeon break had finally come to an end.

---

Ten minutes later, Orion stood in a secluded location with his two mirror clones.

After completing the tasks he had assigned them, he looked at the pair and prepared to deactivate the Golden Mirror.

With a simple pull of his intent, the treasure responded, and the two clones began to change.

Their bodies broke apart into countless golden mirror fragments, which shimmered in the air before drawing together. The fragments moved as though guided by an invisible hand, fitting neatly into place until the two figures had completely disappeared.

A moment later, the Golden Mirror was restored.

Orion reached out and stored it away, causing the treasure to vanish into his storage space and leaving him alone once more.

With that matter settled, he finally turned his attention to the Origin State.

He had remained in that state for far longer than he initially intended, and although its power was extraordinary, he had already decided that it was time to return to normal.

Orion deactivated the Origin State.

The transformation happened almost immediately.

His snowy white hair gradually returned to its original black colour, the strands settling naturally around his head. The extraordinary rainbow radiance in his eyes faded away, leaving behind his familiar, calm grey eyes.

The transformation continued throughout the rest of his body. His white clothing returned to its usual appearance, and the overwhelming presence that had surrounded him began to disappear. The strange majesty and domineering aura that had made him seem almost untouchable faded along with the Origin State, leaving behind the familiar appearance he had possessed before activating it.

Within moments, Orion had returned to normal.

Or at least, that was what he expected.

The instant the Origin State was completely deactivated, an enormous burden came crashing down upon him.

It happened so suddenly that he barely had time to understand what was going on. His body felt as though an unbearable weight had been dropped onto it, crushing him beneath a pressure he could no longer withstand.

The strength that had sustained him throughout the battle seemed to vanish all at once, leaving him unable to keep himself standing.

Orion’s expression changed as he struggled to remain conscious, but the overwhelming sensation was simply too much for him to endure.

His body gave out, and he lost consciousness almost immediately.

THUD!

A loud sound echoed through the area as Orion collapsed to the ground.