Chapter 200: Stop struggling, and let me kill you

The other two people were about to rush forward, their powers unleashed to confront Julian, but they froze in their tracks—something was impeding their movements.

They both looked down to see their legs frozen to the ground, then they followed the trail of ice to see a mist of icy flakes drifting from Ethan’s fingers.

Julian didn’t waste the chance Ethan gave him and quickly dealt with the two—teleporting behind them and slitting their throats.

*Now*

In the blink of an eye, the leader was the sole survivor of the group.

Moments ago, they were all fighting monsters and sharing their loot; now they were all dead.

The leader’s expression turned grim as he stared at the two children. Who would have thought these seemingly frail children could kill four adults without a single injury?

"You hid well. No wonder the guards at the entrance let you in," the leader muttered to himself in realization before drawing the axe strapped to his back.

"But unfortunately, you’ve met me today. I will kill you to avenge my teammates." He swung the axe through the air, his voice laced with murderous intent.

Julian’s grip on his bloodstained dagger tightened. Even Ethan could tell the man’s strength surpassed that of the four they had killed.

He stepped to Julian’s side, ready to help him defeat the man before them. He couldn’t let Julian come to harm because of him.

"I’ll hold him back while you deal with him," Ethan murmured in a low voice that only Julian could hear.

Julian was relieved that Ethan had chosen to fight alongside him instead of remaining lost in a daze, which would only have become a burden.

"Alright," Julian responded, then dashed forward, leaving his back to Ethan.

Ethan suppressed his sorrow, and his gaze sharpened as he watched his opponent.

Seeing the man about to swing his axe, he instantly created icy chains around the man’s legs and pulled him forward.

This action disrupted the man’s aim, causing him to stumble left and giving Julian the chance to strike.

Julian swung his dagger toward the man’s neck, but the man reacted at the last moment and dodged, causing Julian’s dagger to pierce the man’s shoulder instead.

The man let out a groan, then unleashed his powers. A wall of fire erupted, trying to burn Julian, but he quickly drew his dagger and backed away from the flames.

Ethan frowned, feeling his ice melt from the intensity of the flames.

He quickly formed an icy bow and aimed at the man’s legs, hoping to hinder his movement.

But the man’s guard was already up. He melted the icy arrows before they could reach him.

"That trick isn’t going to work twice. Now, be good boys, stop struggling, and let me kill you," the man said menacingly as he hurled fireballs at them.

Julian teleported away, dodging every attack, before reappearing beside Ethan, who had already raised an ice wall to block the barrage.

He leaned close and whispered something to Ethan. Ethan frowned but nodded in agreement.

"Be careful," he warned before taking down the wall. As soon as it was down, a sharp silver light flashed, aimed at their heads.

Julian broke out in a cold sweat, but his body reacted instinctively, and he grabbed Ethan’s shoulder and teleported to the edge of the room.

A flicker of regret and anger crossed the man’s eyes as he watched his axe sink into the wall instead of taking their heads.

"Made me waste my good weapon. At least I have treasures to buy more weapons." He muttered to himself, his gaze falling on Ethan’s possessions scattered carelessly on the ground.

Inwardly, he couldn’t help but feel Julian had done him a favor by killing the others; now he wouldn’t have to share and could take everything for himself.

He decided to leave the children a complete corpse as thanks.

Julian took out a potion from his bag and gulped it down in one breath.

His lost energy was partially replenished, enough for him to use his powers to the fullest and deal with that man.

"Kill him as soon as his movement slows," Julian instructed. Ethan nodded, then dashed forward.

The man noticed Julian’s action out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes narrowed.

He felt these boys were up to no good, and he grew cautious—the death of his teammates had taught him a lesson.

As Julian drew closer, he intensified his flames; fireballs hovered around him, ready to attack and burn Julian to a crisp.

The countless crackling flames didn’t deter Julian; black mist seeped from his fingers.

Once he was within arm’s reach of the man, a massive, hazy clock materialized behind him. Its ticking hands came to an abrupt halt, then slowly began to turn in reverse.

The man’s eyes widened in fear as he realized he was no longer in control of his body. Every movement became agonizingly slow.

He struggled, veins popping on his forehead, his face reddening, revealing the strain he was under.

Julian wasn’t having it any easier; his face was deadly pale, and he was using every ounce of his power to hold back the man.

His power level was too weak to hold the man back, and the slowed time would only last for a minute.

Ethan created an icy bow, knotted the arrows, aimed, his gaze locking on the man’s chest, then released them.

The arrows cut through the air, leaving an icy chill in their wake. The man felt an aura of death around him, sending a bolt of dread through him, and he struggled with all his might to dodge.

Unfortunately, he was unable to make it; the arrows pierced his throat, chest, and forehead—none of the arrows were wasted.

Warm blood splattered onto Julian’s face. The clock faded, and he slumped to the ground, fully spent.

"Haa... we did it." He murmured in a hushed voice, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

Ethan paled, his fingers trembling as he watched the man fall to the ground motionless.

This was the first time he had killed someone; he had only ever killed monsters, so he was deeply shaken.

"Come help me up; I can’t move," Julian called out, snapping him out of his daze.

Ethan hummed in acknowledgment and rushed forward to help. But as he closed the distance, a dark shadow suddenly appeared behind him.

Julian’s expression changed, and he shouted, "Dodge!"

Ethan instinctively leaped to the side just as a horn grazed past him. The force of its passing tore at his clothes and scraped his skin.

Ethan’s mind went blank. He could only sprint forward without looking back, ignoring the furious roar erupting behind him.

Julian noticed it was an A-ranked monster and that they would surely die if they didn’t leave immediately.

He forced his limbs to move, then quickly chugged another energy potion. As soon as Ethan reached him, he teleported them out of here.

The boar-like monster slammed its horns into the ground, leaving a deep gash. A resounding boom echoed through the area as the monster raged over the loss of its meal.

Julian appeared in a familiar place; relief washed over him when he saw the familiar walls of the dungeon’s outer floor.

Blood began streaming from his eyes, ears, and nose due to overuse of his powers. His vision blurred, and he fell back, but Ethan caught him just before his head hit the ground.

Julian was suffering the effects of overusing his powers and excessive potion drinking.

He stared at the hazy ceiling, a wave of dissonance washing over him.

Deep within his heart, he knew he shouldn’t be here. The conviction consumed him, and the brown, rocky ceiling slowly dissolved into a canopy of lush green.

"Eva..." This familiar name flickered in his mind, and his surroundings cracked like shattered glass.

Ethan heard him mutter a name over and over, and he froze, a splitting headache gripping him. He shook his head to wave that feeling away.

He refocused his attention on the unconscious Julian.

"Hey, are you all right?" He nudged him gently, but Julian remained still.

His brows furrowed with worry. He turned in one direction, hesitation etched on his face. But when his gaze fell on Julian’s bloodied figure, his resolve hardened. His eyes welled with tears as sorrow threatened to overwhelm him.

"Mum, I promise I’ll come back for you," he whispered before hoisting Julian onto his back and making his way toward the dungeon exit.

Tears streamed down his face as he pressed forward.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the warp gate. Those leaving through it glanced curiously at the two battered, blood-soaked boys, but no one spoke or offered to help. Everyone simply minded their own business.

Ethan was about to step through the gate when he spotted someone, and tears of relief instantly spilled down his cheeks.

"Dad, Mom is back there. Please go save her!" He rushed forward and yelled in a nasal tone.

The man didn’t spare his son a single word of concern. He merely brushed past him in a hurry, his mind consumed solely by his wife.

Ethan stood frozen for a moment, stunned and at a loss. But remembering that his father was going to save his mother, he forced himself to regain his composure.

Carrying Julian on his back, he stepped through the warp gate, unaware that it would be the last time he would ever see his father smile—or share a normal life with the people he loved.