Chapter 53: Rowene Dungeon(13)

A being consumed by fear acts instinctively. The Demon of Mist was no different.

He desperately extended his mist into this alien space.

This world was beyond his comprehension. He felt like he had been traveling for millennia before—

—he finally reached a planet. He prepared to counterattack—

—Aaaaagh…!

—and understood.

Assimilation was impossible. Everything here was interconnected, a unified whole. He couldn’t affect this mindscape unless he consumed it entirely, and that was beyond his power.

—Why?!

The demon shrieked in terror.

—Why does a mere girl possess such a world within her?!

His cries went unanswered. His struggles were pathetic, futile.

There had to be a way. He had dominated even dragonkin in ancient wars. No mortal, no being less than a god, could possess such a mindscape.

The girl’s true essence must exist somewhere. Clinging to that hope, he desperately scattered his mist.

And then, he gave up. Eons had passed. He still didn’t understand.

But it was too late. His mist, scattered and fragmented, had lost its cohesion. He could no longer function as a single entity, his consciousness dissolving into nothingness.

—Why…?

Why was this happening? The question, which had haunted him for millennia, remained unanswered.

And into the now demon-less world, stepped a silver-haired girl.

Her name was Avalli. The owner of this universe.

“What was he trying to do?”

She tilted her head, curious. Then, focusing her mind, she gathered the scattered remnants of the mist. She briefly worried about the demon reviving, but nothing happened. Its consciousness had been completely annihilated. Only its power remained.

“It would be a waste to let it dissipate.”

She muttered, shaping the mist, forming a new, swirling, nebulous planet within her inner world. The demon’s power, its ability to dominate and control, was transformed into a new Gift.

As the demon experienced unimaginable terror within Avalli—

“…It seems you have saved me.”

—Selenis, the blond knight, spoke on the 6th floor of the Rowena Dungeon, his voice filled with weary gratitude.

“I am in your debt.”
“Are you alright?”

Selenis nodded at Professor Pel’s question.

“I’m fine. But… how did you free me from that demon?”
“Let’s discuss that after we clear the dungeon.”

Professor Pel said, glancing at Avalli. Her expression was unchanged. If the demon was still within her, it wouldn’t have been able to withstand his magic.

‘…A genius, perhaps?’

A genius. Or something more.

Professor Pel had upgraded Avalli from “promising talent” to “top research priority.”

“If you’re well enough, we should proceed to the core now. There’s no telling what else might be lurking down here.”
“…Agreed. Your name?”
“Clear Pel. Mage of the Eastern Magic Tower.”
“Pel. I’ll thank you properly later. But there’s no need to worry. If that demon is truly gone, there’s nothing else here that can harm us.”

Selenis said, rising to his feet. While possessed, he had gained knowledge of the dungeon. It was a prison designed to contain the demon. And with the demon trapped within Avalli, there was nothing to stop them from reaching the core.

“These children…?” he asked, noticing Lucy and Hans.

“They’re with me.” , “…Isn’t this too dangerous for a training exercise?”
“They contributed significantly to the fight. I wouldn’t have been able to save you without them.”

Selenis found this hard to believe. These teenagers had defeated the demon and saved him?

It seemed impolite to question his saviors, so he set aside his doubts and drew his sword.

“This way.”

Selenis, recalling the demon’s memories, led them to the core. After some time, they reached the deepest level. The core was a pulsating mass of flesh, about a meter across.

—KIIIEEECHIIIIII!

It shrieked, sensing their approach, then died instantly, pierced by Selenis’s Aura-infused blade.

“Is it over?”, “Yes, Avalli. We’ve destroyed the core, so the monsters will stop spawning. The Adventurers’ Guild will send someone to monitor its collapse.”, “Oh… how interesting.”

They turned to leave. Everyone but Avalli was exhausted. Even she, unusually quiet, remained silent as they made their way back to the surface.

Back in the sunlight, Professor Pel, Lucy, and Selenis headed to the Adventurers’ Guild, while Avalli and Hans returned to their tent.

Thirty minutes later.

“Ah, finally some peace and quiet.”

Avalli said.

“What do you mean?” Hans asked.
“Something you wouldn’t understand.”
“…So secretive.”

Hans was dejected. He had performed well at first, but ultimately, he had been useless.

“Still thinking about that?”, “…No.”

Avalli chuckled and nudged Hans playfully. He didn’t react.

“It’s okay, Hans. You were pretty cool.”
“…How?”
“When you charged in to save me.”

Hans frowned.

“…I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s true. You probably made things more dangerous.”

She teased, and Hans pouted, but didn’t argue, as he usually would.

She was stronger, far stronger. He hadn’t been needed.

Hans was a novice, not even able to wield Aura properly. He was nothing compared to a knight like Selenis. And Selenis had been completely outmatched by the demon, who, in turn, had been effortlessly defeated by Avalli.

He had been completely useless. It was natural to feel discouraged.

“Thank you, though.”

Avalli said, her expression uncharacteristically serious. She appreciated his intention.

“You were like a knight from a storybook.”
“…Don’t tease me.”
“I’m not.”

Despite her sincerity, Hans just looked down. Avalli almost teased him further, then changed her mind.

‘He’ll bounce back. He always does.’

There was no need to push him. Avalli closed her eyes and focused on her inner world, gathering the remnants of the demon, shaping them into a new Gift. She wasn’t sure what it would be yet, but…

As she worked within her mindscape, a tired-looking Lucy returned. Hans was asleep, snoring softly.

“Is it over, Teacher?”

“Yes. …I’m too tired to explain now. Let’s get some sleep. We’ll leave for the village at dawn.”

Lucy said, collapsing onto her bedroll without even washing up. Avalli, watching her and Hans sleep, lay down between them. The faint moonlight filtering through the tent canvas cast a soft glow over the two girls and the sleeping boy.