PURPLE FLAMED LION

"Why are we waiting for her team again?" Eagan muttered under his breath. "If we're sneaking in, why not just slip through while no one's looking?"

Lyra shot him a glare, her eyes sharp as ever. "Because, genius, the guards will be too busy with the hunters coming in. We'll use the distraction to get through. Besides, no one's going to buy us being certified if we try to walk in alone."

Eagan didn't reply, but the impatience in his chest grew. He was used to taking risks, but Lyra's plan was delicate, relying on timing and luck. Two things that had a way of disappearing in dungeons.

"How long until your sister's team arrives?" Eagan asked, shifting his weight slightly to ease the tension in his legs.

Lyra's eyes were fixed on the gate, scanning for any movement in the distance. "They'll be here soon. Just keep your cool. If we mess this up, we're on our own. The guards are only half the problem—the real danger's inside."

"Yeah, I know," Eagan replied, his voice low. "Unclosed mines are no joke. I've heard stories. People go in and disappear without a trace."

Lyra's lips curled into a thin smile, a faint glimmer of excitement flashing in her eyes. "That's why I like it. There's always something worth the risk."

"I'm sure there is a treasure on there that's calling for me," she beamed.

Eagan didn't share her enthusiasm. He'd been in his fair share of dangerous situations, but stepping into a dungeon without official clearance, surrounded by professional hunters who might spot them at any second, was different. Still, he wasn't backing out now.

He had to go through with this, not just for himself or for his brother but for the whole of humanity.

"Usually, unclosed dungeons like this are used for training new hunters," Lyra began. "But since this one is too dangerous, the association only allows high-level hunter teams to enter it."

"They can give up the abundant mana stones inside that dungeon, which is mostly why it is unclosed." She explained, and Eagan hummed without paying much attention to her words.

Those were the details he already knew about his past life, and even now that can be considered general knowledge for those who wish to know.

He reached down and adjusted the daggers at his waist, making sure the blades were secure. He could fight—he was a fighter—but in dungeons, even the most skilled could fall to the unexpected.

He glanced at Lyra, who was adjusting the stealth module at her belt. She looked confident as ever, but he knew better than to underestimate how quickly things could go south.

"Stop looking at me like that," Lyra breathed out as she playfully glared at Eagan.

"Like what?"

"Like you are rethinking your decision of going with me." She replied. "I might look like this, but I have many years of experience raiding dungeons without being caught."

"Why not just get a license?" Eagan mused. "Won't it be easier for you that way?"

"Nope, too much comes pressure with the hunter ID." Lyra replied with a shrug. "I get to take risks alone like this, and I also get to keep my profit alone. And to top it off, I don't answer to anyone. Isn't this exciting?"

An hour passed while they both continued bickering, and Eagan's sense of time began to blur. He kept his senses sharp, eyes darting from one shadow to the next, his mind constantly scanning for any sign of danger. Lyra's posture had relaxed slightly, though she still watched the gate like a hawk.

A soft whisper of movement reached Eagan's ears, and he tensed. Lyra's head snapped up, her gaze locked on something beyond the gate. Eagan followed her line of sight and spotted a group of figures in the distance.

"They're here," Lyra murmured, her tone urgent but controlled. "Get ready."

The team approaching was unmistakably a hunter group. Their blue uniforms and the distinctive wolf and crossed sword insignias on their shoulders marked them as Lisa's team. Their movements were precise and coordinated, the kind of discipline only years of experience could create.

As they drew closer, Eagan could feel the tension in the air, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. They were close. Too close.

Lyra moved quickly, pressing herself against the wall, pulling Eagan with her. The cloak of invisibility activated with a faint hum, and the world around them seemed to fade away. They were hidden, just another shadow in the dark. But that wouldn't last long.

Eagan could hear the footsteps of the team nearing, their voices carrying in the stillness of the night.

"Make it quick," Lyra whispered. "We've got one shot at this."

As the hunter team reached the entrance, they didn't seem to notice Eagan and Lyra standing only feet away, their cloaked forms almost invisible. Lisa, a tall, stern-looking woman with short-cropped hair, gave the guards a brief nod.

The guards, unfazed, opened the gate without question. They knew who the hunters were even without checking their identification cards.

"Now," Lyra muttered, and they slipped past the gate in the group of the hunter team.

Upon entering the dungeon, the atmosphere grew cold and ominous. It felt like they were being watched by thousands of unseen eyes. Eagan shared the same uneasy feeling, a familiar sensation of being in a place that seemed disconnected from reality.

Lyra led the way, her movements smooth and deliberate as she pulled him away from the group. They stayed low and to the side, keeping to the edges of the forest like dungeons as the sound of the hunter team's footsteps faded behind them.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Lyra finally spoke. "Keep close. The deeper we go, the less we can rely on the stealth module. Once we're inside the forest, it's every man for himself."

Eagan nodded, his pulse quickening with each step. The Unclosed Mine wasn't just dangerous because of the creatures within—it was a place of lost history, with traps and monsters that could kill without warning.

"Think we'll find anything valuable?" Eagan asked, trying to break the silence.

Lyra glanced over her shoulder, a smirk tugging at her lips. "If we don't, we'll be stuck here longer than I want. And trust me, Eagan, this place doesn't give second chances."

They reached a junction in the forest, and Lyra paused, her eyes flicking over the dark passageways that branched off in multiple directions. She brought out the crumpled map and spread it out between them.

"We're about to enter the main cavern," Lyra whispered, her voice low. "Stick close and watch your step. I've heard rumours about what's down there."

"This part of the dungeon is guarded by the purple flamed lion. Once the flame touches you, not even your bones will remain intact."