Angelica(4)

"Here, Olivia, you can take it," Leon said, pointing at the loot that had dropped from the monsters in the secret part of the dungeon.

"Huh? Are you sure I can take it?" she asked, staring at the scattered crystals and precious gems on the ground. Even the cheapest piece of loot was worth a whole gold coin, and in total, there were nearly a hundred gold coins' worth of treasures. For a commoner, this was an astronomical sum. Her hands trembled at the thought of taking such wealth.

"Yeah, it's fine. I don't need them," Leon replied calmly, not even sparing the treasure a glance.

"And I'm not particularly interested either," added Angelica, standing beside them. She was far more attracted to the treasure chests containing unique relics than to raw monetary value. What mattered to her was the uniqueness of the finds, their history, and their rarity. After all, she was one of the founders of the kingdom, and the spirit of adventure still burned brightly within her. The kingdom's deep-rooted culture of exploration and discovery resonated with her on a personal level.

"B-but I can't take so much…," Olivia whispered, her eyes trembling as they reflected the shimmering gemstones.

"Livia, don't worry," Leon said with a warm smile. He quickly gathered all the jewels into a small pouch and handed it to her. "It's all yours. There's no reason to refuse a gift."

Olivia hesitated for a moment, wavering between reluctance and desire, but in the end, she gave in.

"Uhh… okay," she finally muttered, carefully accepting the pouch.

"Alright, let's move on," Leon announced, turning to head deeper into the dungeon. The girls followed him.

As they continued forward, they encountered a few more monsters, but they took them down without much effort, hardly slowing their pace. Leon, Angelica, and Olivia chatted casually, discussing various topics while also observing their surroundings with keen interest. Ancient relics, mysterious symbols, and even old traps lined their path, though fortunately, most of the mechanisms had long since fallen into disrepair.

Angelica looked unusually excited. Since they had entered the secret part of the dungeon, a bright smile had been plastered on her face. Leon found it amusing—he rarely saw her in such a great mood.

After about an hour of wandering, they finally reached the end of the underground corridor.

A massive pedestal loomed before them, and atop it rested a large golden chest adorned with a cascade of sparkling gemstones. A faint glow emanated from the chest, as if it knew it was the most valuable treasure in this place.

Leon and Angelica both gasped in amazement.

"Just this chest alone could be sold for at least a hundred gold coins!"

Hearing this, Olivia's eyes widened in shock. Her breath hitched, and her lips parted slightly as she imagined the unimaginable wealth hidden inside.

Leon and Angelica approached cautiously and lifted the heavy lid of the chest.

Inside, an astonishing assortment of artifacts awaited them—armor adorned with magical symbols, daggers engraved with runic inscriptions, gloves that emitted a faint glow, and many other items that clearly possessed unique properties.

"Do you recognize anything here?" Leon asked, shifting his gaze between Angelica and Olivia.

Angelica furrowed her brows, scanning the artifacts carefully, then shook her head.

"No, unfortunately, this is all new to me."

However, Olivia's reaction was different. Unlike Angelica, she seemed utterly speechless. Her hands trembled slightly, and her gaze darted between the items in the chest. It was clear she had recognized something important… but before she could say anything, a loud, ominous noise shattered the silence.

Somewhere ahead, something massive crashed to the ground, followed by a deep, rumbling sound—like a heavy stone rolling across the floor.

"What was that…?" Angelica tensed, raising her head.

Leon turned toward the source of the noise, and his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"

From the darkness of the tunnel, a colossal boulder, the size of a small house, came rolling toward them, shaking the dungeon walls and sending chunks of stone flying in all directions.

"Did I just wander into an Indiana Jones movie?!" Leon thought to himself.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the girls by their wrists and bolted.

"RUN!" he shouted, sprinting at full speed.

Angelica reacted instantly. Having been trained physically since childhood, she kept pace with him effortlessly, her movements swift and precise.

Olivia, on the other hand, struggled. Lacking the same endurance, she lagged behind, her breath growing ragged, her legs barely keeping up. Panic slowed her down even further.

Leon noticed her struggling out of the corner of his eye and gritted his teeth.

"Sorry, Livia, but I have no choice!"

Before she could react, he scooped her up into his arms in a princess carry and picked up speed.

"A-ah?!" Olivia squeaked, her face turning crimson in an instant.

Leon dashed forward, feeling his heart pounding wildly in his chest. The boulder was dangerously close—if they had hesitated for even a second, they would have been crushed like insects.

At last, a turn in the corridor appeared ahead! Leon didn't think twice—he swerved sharply and dived into a small alcove in the wall, dragging the girls with him.

The massive boulder thundered past them, sending a storm of dust in its wake and shaking the dungeon violently. The ground trembled for a few more seconds… then silence fell once again.

"Phew… that was close," Leon exhaled, still holding Olivia.

She was still blushing furiously, her eyes darting away awkwardly as she lightly poked his shoulder with a trembling finger.

"Uh… Leon…?"

"Hm?" He looked at her and suddenly realized—he was still holding her in his arms.

Quickly setting her down, he scratched the back of his head and stammered:

"Oh… uh, sorry, Olivia!"

"N-no, it's fine… actually, I should be thanking you…" she murmured, glancing away shyly.

At that moment, Angelica burst into laughter.

"Oh my god, that was AWESOME! I haven't felt such an adrenaline rush in ages!" she said with pure excitement, looking at Leon. "Thanks for inviting me to your party!"

Leon felt a bit flustered by her enthusiasm but smiled nonetheless.

"No problem, Lady Angelica."

She frowned playfully.

"Just call me Angie! No need for formalities, alright? I had an amazing time with you guys."

Olivia, standing nearby, suddenly smiled and asked:

"So… does that mean we're friends now?"

Angelica paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah… I guess we are."

Olivia beamed.

"Then call me Livia! That's what my friends call me."

And so, their journey through the secret part of the dungeon came to an end. It wasn't just about finding treasure—it was a moment that brought them closer together, turning them into true friends.