Chapter 25: The Ryuujin Cave

「... So this is it?」Amber finally broke the silence that befallen onto the group since the moment they discovered the dungeon. In front of their eyes, the dense miasma was creeping out from the deep dark entrance. Even the lowly foot soldiers that accompanied the Prime Minister could feel the presence of countless sinister monsters lurking inside the shadow. They were attracted here by Ryujin's miasma like moths attracted to lamps. Although the dungeon was not that far away from the city, it took the group twice their estimated walking time since they had to exterminate the gathering monsters along the way. Asides from the heroes' parties, the Prime Minister and homunculus doll that was Adela, all of the soldiers in the group were completely exhausted.

「Yes. Though it has certainly changed a lot since I was last here to check on the seal.」Answered Jayden.

「What do you mean?」asked Kyles.

「When I was last visiting this place half a year ago, there wasn't this much miasma. Neither were there monsters lurking inside since the entrance was protected by a strong barrier. I guess it was destroyed once the seal deteriorated to a certain point.」

「I see.」Nodded Kyles.

「So that means we have to fight past those monsters inside to get to the dungeon center?」said Thomas.

「Regrettably so. I was hoping the barrier was still intact but at this point, we can't get to where the seal is at without dealing with the monsters first.」Jayden shook his head.

「Well, then. What are we waiting for?」Thomas stepped forward, heading straight into the entrance without any hesitation. The other parties soon followed the most senior hero while the Prime Minister spent some time instructing his soldiers to guard the cave from the outside before joining the group.

Still, it only took Kibadios no more than a dozen steps into the dungeon before he could feel something was wrong.

「Huh? This doesn't feel right… Everyone, wait a minute!」The hybrid shouted out to warn the group, yet it was a bit too late. The space around them began to warp and distorted while the very ground under their feet crumbled away. Leaving no time for the hybrid of any of the heroes to react, the spaced wrapped around them as they fell down into the endless empty space beneath.

「This is because the seal is unstable!」screamed out Jayden. 「Wherever you end up, just continue on to the center of the dungeon!」The Prime Minister instructed the scattered heroes and their parties before he himself got gobbled up by the space around him.

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「It seems like wherever we go, there are monsters waiting for us.」Ryan sighed. The hero, along with Rowan and Maia, had been separated from their master after the fall. Of course, there was no sight of other heroes or the Prime Minister either. Once the space around them finally stopped distorting, the three found themself standing in a rocky cave, with water dripping down from the ceiling. Somehow, being in a cave again reminded the two villagers of the days when they first met their masters. Minus the monsters of course since back at the cave in the forest, their master had already eliminated all the goblins before both Maia and Rowan moved in.

「Well, this was expected. The miasma is getting thicker and it's attracting the monsters.」

「If the Miasma is getting thicker, it means we're heading the right direction, at least.」Maia noted. 「The Prime Minister told us to keep heading to the center.」

「I wondered what had just happened back then.」

「Didn't the Prime Minister say something about the seal being unstable?」Ryan recalled

「Do you know what that means, Ryan chan?」asked Rowan.

「No idea.」Ryan shook his head.

「I wonder if Kibadios sama is okay.」said Maia.

「Of course. If we are unharm, it's given that he'll be fine.」Rowan tried to dispel the alchemist's worry.

「I guess you're right, Rowan chan.」Maia nodded. 「I guess I'm just nervous since we have never been apart from our Master ever since he saved us.」

「... So I never got a chance to ask for the details.」Ryan chimed in his two fellow slaves' conversation while effortlessly cut down two serpent monsters jumping straight at him. 「Master saved your villages and brought you guys to a cave just like this?」

「More like 'kidnapped'」Maia smiled.「He told us that he wanted to "eat" us in exchange for helping out repelling the attack on our village. We misunderstood it as he would like to kill and actually eat us...」

「Turned out what he really meant was to have sex with us. After all, master is a half incubus. 」Ryan continued. 「Unlike you, we were resisting him at first. At least I was. But soon after, I realized my mistake and willingly pledge myself to him.」

「What? Really? You hated master at first?」Ryan was surprised.

「Well… yeah.」Rowan was ashamed of his past actions. 「Please dont talk about it, I feel really bad remembering how I acted.」

「Sorry, Rowan.」The hero patted the healer's shoulder. 「I wont talk about it anymore.」

「... What about you, Ryan chan?」Maia, walking behind the two guys, hesitantly asked.

「What do you mean?」He turned around, looking puzzlingly at her.

「Were you completely fine with the fact that Kibadios sama had done "things" to you while you were drugged?」

「... He was just trying to help me though, right?」Ryan scratched his head, not understanding what Maia meant.

「You were aware of him using a hypnotic skill on you and you're still fine with that?」

「... Are you two asking if I love him and follow him because it's my own free will or just because of his skill?」

「「... Yes.」」Rowan and Maia reluctantly answered. Both of them and their master have been wondering the same thing, but they never asked Ryan about it. After all, they did not want to remind the hero of the fact that he was under hypnotic skill when he pledged to be the hybrid's slave. Yet, now seemed like the best opportunity for the two of them to ask Ryan since the whole conversation about them becoming their master's slaves were brought up.

「Truth to be told, I don't know if me being under his hypnotic skill has anything to do with my decision or my feelings… But I know he was the one who saved me in that goblin hideout. He was there when I needed him most. He was the one who gave me reasons to move on.」Ryan clenched his chest. 「I truly love Master and I really don't think I can ever live without him. I want to be by his side and be useful to him. I bet you guys know this feeling too well, right?」Rowan and Maia smiled and nodded. 「Though I don't believe so, but if these feelings were brought by Master's hypnotic skill, then so be it.」

「If that's how you feel, then I'm good with it.」

「Yeah… We were just worried because we overheard the conversation you and Kibadios had on our way to Falas, about how you don't know if you will stick with Master if he does something unspeakable.」

「I see.」

「Let's be honest about it.」Rowan gave Ryan a hesitant look. 「We all know that Kibadios sama is planning something. There is so much mystery surrounding him, his past, and his plan for the future. However, both Maia and I have talked about it. We will always be on Master's side, no matter what he will do.」

「... Is that so? I'm glad. 」Now it was Ryan's turn to show his relief.「Then can I ask you a favor, Rowan chan? Maia chan?」

「「Yes?」」

「If I ever betray Kibadios sama and stand against him, please deal with me. Kill me if you must. No matter what, I don't want to cause our master any trouble.」

「What? We can never...」Maia was going to protest at Ryan's request, but Rowan soon stopped her.

「I understand, Ryan chan. Although I hope that day will never come, I will still make sure to stop you if your blade ever turns toward Kibadios sama. 」The healer quickly stopped Maia and accepted Ryan's request with a heavy heart.

「Thanks!」The hero pulled both Maia and Rowan in his arms and warmly embraced them. 「I'm really glad to have met you and our master. 」

「Us too!」Maia smiled.

「CHII!!!」The slime slid out from Maia's bag and jumped onto the three teenager's head as if it, too, was happy to be able to travel with the group.

「Ouch! Yeah, you too, Nu!」Rowan patted the slime.「Anyways, let's get going!」Rowan suggested as he tried to tickle the hero to dispel the heavy atmosphere. 「I want to get to the center of this dungeon, wherever it is, and reunite with Kibadios again. I think I'm having some sort of Kibadios sama withdrawal symptoms. It just feels weird not having him next to us!」

「I know right!!!」Ryan nodded. 「I have been killing monsters to keep me from thinking of Kibadios samas!」

「Let's hurry up and meet up with him!」Maia put herself in between Ryan and Rowan, grabbing their arms and pulling them forward deeper into the dungeon.

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The sound of monsters shrieking and screaming echoing the metallic chamber where Amber and her companion were at. Unfortunately for the two women, they have landed right into a nest of wolf-like monsters. Yet, despite the wolf pack's best effort, they were proven no match for the two who had just invaded their territory. Right now, Amber's companion finally sliced the last wolf monster in half with her iron fans as it attempted to run away after witnessing the female hero easily chop off the head of the pack's alpha.

「... Feel better, Floria?」Amber placed her hand onto the woman's shoulder, looking empathically.

「Not really. I still can't believe he's dead.」answered the Floria, her hands gripped tightly onto her weapons.「I mean I'm glad that he's dead, but I was supposed to be the one who kills that bastard!」

「With his line of work and his arrogant attitude, it was only a matter of time until someone killed him. Please, Floria, now that he's dead, maybe you can finally move on.」Amber tenderly held onto her female companion. Floria, in turn, reciprocated as she slowly wrapped her arms around the female hero. 「He has paid with his life for his sins… for what he did to you and your friends back then.」

「Maybe you're right. Maybe now I can sleep well at night… 」

「That's the spirit!」Amber squeezed Floria before finally letting her go. 「Now, let's head to the source of the miasma. I'm sure we will find others there.」

And so, setting aside both her hatred of Corey and her disappointment at the news of his demise, Floria, along with Amber, set out to explore the corridor in front of them, where the miasma source was located. As she walked alongside her partner, the blue haired woman thought back to the ordeals that she went through after the fateful meeting with the abhorrent hero more than a decade ago, how she had lost all of her friends and her party at the hand of Corey. Would she ever be able to sleep soundly at night again, she highly doubted it. But of course, she lied for Amber's sake, since she could never let the hero become even more worried about her. Had she been the one who slay Corey, she might have found peace, but now, it was forever lost to Floria. When she faced him during the meeting back at Lorian, it took all her will power to restrain herself from attacking him right there and then. He had not recognized her, of course, for asides from using a fake name, she had already changed so much after a decade being whored around, being subjected to countless abused and degraded treatments on a daily basis. Now, sometimes, when Floria looked into the mirror, even she was surprised at the stranger that stared back at her.

「... Amber chan… Thank you.」Floria said softly to the woman who saved her from Corey's brothel.

「What was that?」Amber asked, unable to hear Floria the first time.

「No, nothing.」She shook her head. 「It was nothing.」

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「「「Kibadios sama!」」」 All three called out as they spotted their masters from afar.

「Ryan, Rowan, Maia. You are alright? Yeah yeah, you too, Nu! Glad to see you're doing fine!」

「Ah, you guys finally make it!」Jayden greeted the four groups, who almost all arrived at the dungeon's center simultaneously. To their surprise, Jayden was sitting on a large rock in one of the corners of the chamber, his clothes were soaking with monster blood. Scattering around the room were more than a dozen corpses of wyverns, their heads all detached from their necks.

That settles it, except for that bitch and myself, the Prime Minister is the strongest individual among everyone here. Kibadios wisely concluded after a quick glance around.

「What just happened? One time, we're entering the dungeon then next thing we know, we're falling into some metallic chamber?」Asked Amber.

「You got it easy. My group was dropped into some place with hot lava, Amber sama.」Thomas laughed.

「You see, the whole dungeon was made unstable since the seal itself is breaking down. Because of that, we were dropped into different parts of the dungeon as the space warped.」explained Jayden. 「At least that's what I believe happened. This place was created by the Six Heroes of the past, only they know for sure the mechanism behind it.」

「... So that's the seal?」Kyles was a bit distracted from the Prime Minister's explanation since a white floating cube in the middle of the chamber had caught his attention ever since he entered.

「Yes.」Adela answered before Jayden could. Walking toward the cube, she continued.「You can see cracks are forming on all six sides. It's lucky that we're here because soon enough, the seal's outermost layer will crumble.」

「Then how can we fix it?」Kyles asked.

「By utilizing the you all possess, of course.」Answered the Astral.

「You see the five circular platforms? That's where we should stand to channel the power of our to repair the seal.」pointed Jayden.

「Then what are we waiting for?」Thomas urged the group.

「... Ryan...」the hybrid held onto the hero's arm as he made his way to one of the platforms. 「... Be careful.」

「Thank you, Kibadios sama!」he nodded.

And so, the hybrid, along with others who accompanied their respective heroes, stood on one side of the room and observed the ritual that would fix the seal. Kibadios himself wanted to break the seal, since the Ryujin they mentioned might very well be the dragon pet that he raised during his first reincarnation. At least, that was a hunch that he had. But of course, there was no way he could stop them from fixing the seal right now. Now that he knew the location of the seal, he could always come back afterward and find a way to break the seal himself after every other group had left. Once the five individuals stepped on the platforms and activated the power of their seeds, five columns of bright light enveloped them. Soon, a large beam of light shot up from the middle of the chamber and covered the seal cube. Somehow, to the hybrid, this did not seem right… at least, it did not seem like they were repairing the seal. On the contrary, judging from the flow of magic, he reckoned the seal was actually being depleted. At a few distance from the hybrid, Adela leaned back onto the wall with her arms crossed and a devious smile crept up from her face.