Julian sat on the bench, elbows on his knees, his expression distant.
Luna: "What happened? Nervous?"
Julian: "No… I just keep thinking about my SKE duration. It's so low. I feel like I'm holding you all back."
Luna crouched in front of him, lifting his chin.
Luna: "You are not holding us back. You're strong on your own. And if anything happens—"
She smiled softly. "I will protect you. Now get up."
Julian exhaled, strengthened.
Julian: "Yeah… thanks. I needed that."
Nami waved from the distance.
Nami: "HEY! Lovebirds! Time to go!"
Luna and Julian embarassed
---
Battlefield — Mission Briefing
The group gathered in front of Eto.
Eto: "Listen carefully. First, you'll levitate from Earth. At 100 km altitude, activate your SKE. All of your Levitating Magic is at elite level, so reaching the Dungeon Observation Station won't be difficult."
Julian: "What's that?"
Zan: "A device used to observe unknown dungeons."
Eto: "Correct. Now—take this, Luna."
He handed her a small device.
"It'll notify you when you reach 100 km. I'm appointing you as team captain."
Everyone: "YES!"
They launched upward in a burst of levitation magic, rising through the atmosphere.
Eto watched them disappear into the sky.
Eto (quietly): "I hope they succeed…"
---
100 km Altitude — Activating SKE
Luna: "We're almost there. Everyone get ready."
Everyone: "Yes!"
Luna: "Now!"
Their SKE flared around them.
Nami blinked, amazed. "Whoa— I can talk! And breathe! THIS IS SO COOL—"
Julian smacked him lightly on the head.
Julian: "Shut up. Focus."
Nami: "Y-Yes sir…"
Emily: "Hey! The station is right there!"
---
Dungeon Observation Station
Zan: "Wow… this place is huge."
Emily: "And look—tons of NC around that meteor!"
Luna: "That's not a meteor. That is the dungeon."
Emily paled. "It's massive…"
Luna: "Recover your KI first. There should be food packets here."
Julian: "Found some."
Emily walked up to him nervously.
Emily: "Julian… I'm scared…"
Julian: "Yeah? So?"
Emily: "Feed me. I'm shaking. Aaaa—" opens mouth dramatically
Luna: "You DO NOT need feeding. It's packet food—you just sip it!"
Emily: "Then at least let me drink from Julian's packet."
She lunged, but Luna grabbed her by the collar.
Luna: "NO."
Nami: "These guys are unbelievable…"
Zan walked in.
Zan: "My KI is fully restored. What about you?"
Everyone straightened.
Luna: "Right. Let's go."
But just as they were leaving…
Julian clutched his head and collapsed.
Emily: "JULIAN!"
Luna rushed to him instantly.
They sat him on a chair and gave him water.
Zan: "Can you stand?"
Julian tried… and collapsed again.
Luna held him.
Luna: "You're staying here. We'll enter without you."
Julian: "No… I'll go—"
Luna: "No. That's an order. Rest. I'll come back."
Her voice softened. "I promise."
Julian lowered his head.
Julian: "Okay… come back safely."
---
Approaching the Dungeon
At the exit, Luna looked troubled.
Luna (thinking): "This is the first time I shouted at Julian…"
Nami: "Luna! You okay?"
Luna: "Yeah. Let's go."
Zan opened the outer door.
They activated their SKE and burst toward the dungeon.
NCs flooded toward them.
Luna: "Avoid unnecessary fights! Get inside within ten minutes!"
They cut down NCs quickly, carving a path, and entered the dungeon chamber—
Only for all surrounding NCs outside to suddenly retreat in perfect formation.
Emily: "See? They're scared of us!"
Luna: "No. They were ordered to retreat."
Zan: "Yeah—the last row went first. That's military behavior."
Nami: "So… something big is waiting."
Luna: "Stay alert. Let's go."
---
Room of the Elite NC
They stepped into the dungeon's entrance chamber—an empty stone hall echoing with distant vibrations. A lone NC stood in the center, its presence heavy enough to thicken the air.
Luna: "Zan and I go front. You two attack from the back. NOW!"
Luna: "Scorching Flame Blade!"
Zan: "Ice Magic — Frostborne Edge!"(Increases the sword sharpness).
The NC blocked both with a colorless sword and sent them flying.
Nami: "Boomheart Core!"
Vines burst forward—
Luna gasped.
"That attack… it's the same brutal one he used in the tournament! We might destroy its core!"
But the NC simply extended a hand.
NC: "Null Sphere Ward."
A barrier formed, nullifying the attack.
Emily darted forward.
Emily: "Hydro Movement! Rip Curl Shot!"
The pressurized water shattered the barrier.
Emily: "Aqua Edge!"
She slashed, but the NC countered.
Luna: "Pyro Nova Step! Solar Edge Ignition Slash!"
Luna flashed behind it—her sword struck true.
The NC split—
Emily grinned. "Hah! Say thank—"
Luna: "EMILY, BEHIND YOU!"
The NC, fully intact, slammed Emily into the wall.
Luna: "But… I destroyed its core!"
NC: "We can move our cores, foolish humans."
Then the NC aimed for the unconscious Emily—
Zan leaped in front of her.
Zan: "I'll never forgive you for hurting my sister—
GLACIAL RIFT BLADE!"
His sword shone intensely as he clashed with the NC.
His blade shattered—
but instantly reformed.
He pushed forward—
NC: "Guardian Halo."
A holy shield protected it.
Then it grabbed Zan by the throat and slammed him into a boulder.
Luna: Try to trap him Nami.
Luna dashed in—
But was thrown away due to his shield.
Nami tried trapping the NC—
NC: "Aegis Veil!"
Transparent hands tore the vines apart.
Then it attacked Nami.
Nami tried to protect himself.
Nami's sword shattered.
A deep cut tore across his chest.
Luna: "NAMI!!"
The NC appeared behind her and struck—
Luna crashed into stone, coughing blood.
NC: "4 versus 1… and yet you lose."
---
Meanwhile… Julian
Julian watched the timer.
Julian: "Five minutes since they left…"
Eto appeared on the screen.
Eto: "Julian! Are you okay?"
Julian: "What happened?"
Eto: "We detected a powerful energy entering the dungeon. They're in danger. Backup is coming—"
The connection cut.
Julian's fists clenched.
Julian: "If I were there… I could help."
He stood.
Julian: "I'm going."
He rushed out.
NCs tried blocking him—
Julian: "Cosmic Slash!"
They fell in halves.
Julian: "One minute left… I'll finish them all at once."
He gathered all his KI—
Julian: "COSMIC SLASH!!"
A massive wave cleared the path.
He sprinted—
A chill struck him.
He turned—
A sniper shot pierced his arm.
He saw the shooter:
A tall NC with a massive rifle.
NC: "Target should be dead."
It walked into the dungeon.
Julian fell to one knee, vision blurring.
---
Back Inside — Last Stand
The elite NC laughed.
Zan rose shaky, his sword glowing like ice-fire.
Zan: "Absolute Zero Drive!"
He slashed the NC across the abdomen—
NC: "My core isn't there."
The NC froze suddenly—
Zan collapsed.
Luna: "Thanks for the chance, Zan—
INFER MOON BURST!"
Her sword glowed moon-white.
She dashed—
Prism Fortress!
A barrier refracted her attack.
But Luna adjusted—
her blade passed cleanly through the NC.
At first nothing—
then its body shattered into dozens of pieces.
Luna coughed blood violently.
She swallowed the healing pill Eto gave her, regaining a bit of strength—
Then her body froze.
A stronger NC, sniper in hand, stepped forward.
Sniper NC: "Ronen… you died so shamefully. I'll avenge you."
It aimed at Luna's head.
Luna (thinking): "Julian… sorry. I couldn't keep my promise."
She closed her eyes—
A metallic clang echoed.
A black-and-red scythe knocked the rifle away.
Julian: "Don't break your promises like that."
Luna's eyes widened.
Luna: "Julian…!"
The sniper NC stepped back.
NC: "You survived?"
Julian spun his scythe.
Julian: "Huh? You thought I was that weak?
Reaper Arc Slash!"
A dark crescent shot forward, grazing the NC's face.
Its wound didn't heal.
NC (thinking): "A magic that prevents regeneration…"
Julian appeared in front of him.
Julian: "Don't daydream mid-fight."
Their weapons clashed—
NC: "Quantum Ricochet!"
The bullet bounced off walls unpredictably—
and struck Julian's arm.
NC: "Too slow."
Julian gritted his teeth.
Julian: "Gotta end this…"
The NC activated—
NC: "Flash Mode!"
Before it could move—
Its legs froze in vines.
Nami coughed, smiling weakly.
"Julian… just like Luna said."
Flashback — Julian's whisper:
"Tell Nami to place a vine trap where I left my jacket."
Back to present.
Julian raised his scythe.
Julian: "Long-range, you're strong. But you ignored your surroundings…
and that's why you lost."
NC: "Who said I lost?"
Julian:
"Abyss Sever!!"(A void-condensed strike that slices through KI barriers and cores.)
His scythe tore through the first core—
NC: "Fool! I have two—"
A whisper behind him—
Luna: " Sorry,We know."
Her blade slide through the second core.
The NC collapsed instantly.
Luna fell—
Julian caught her.
Julian: "Nami! Heal everyone!"
While Nami tended to the wounded, Luna looked at Julian's scythe.
Luna: "Where did you get that…?"
Julian smirked.
Julian: "Wanna know?"
---