229 THE SHADOWS OF THE DUNGEON
[Court La Mood]
Cruenna arrived with a handpicked team of her most skilled assassins. This mission was too critical to delegate—the stakes were monumental, and failure was not an option.
Beyond the objective, she was driven by a personal curiosity: she wanted to witness the inner workings of Court La Mood firsthand. She would see it with her own eyes.
Disguised as maids, the assassins carried large chests filled with magical ingredients. They approached the river at the rear of the property. Beyond the flowing water lay their target—the place where the pharmacist, Megane, was being held.
"Stop right there! What's your business here?" a guard barked, stepping forward to block their path.
Cruenna met his gaze with a calm but firm expression. "We're here to deliver ingredients to the pharmacist," she replied, her tone clipped and authoritative.
The guard frowned, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon. "I wasn't informed about any deliveries—"
Before he could finish, another figure emerged from the shadows. It was Grammers, his presence commanding immediate attention of the guards.
"Let them pass," he instructed the guard. "Megane may be under observation, but she's still our pharmacist. She needs these supplies for her work."
The guard hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping aside. The women moved forward without a word, their chests swaying slightly as they crossed the river and approached the imposing building at the end of the moat.
According to Sujira's intelligence, this was where Lilleo Gullee had imprisoned Megane.
As they stepped inside, the assassins were met with an unexpected sight: a shimmering magical portal, its surface rippling like liquid light.
"What do we do now, Mother?" one of the younger assassins whispered, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and apprehension.
Cruenna studied the portal, her sharp mind already calculating the possibilities. "This changes things," she murmured. "If Megane is being held, it's likely inside this portal. We proceed as planned—but stay alert. Whatever lies beyond, we'll face it together."
With a determined nod, Cruenna led the way, stepping through the portal with her team close behind. The world around them shifted, and they braced themselves for whatever awaited on the other side.
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[In the Dungeon of Lust]
The assassins materialized inside a vast, otherworldly dungeon, surrounded by towering stones arranged in a massive Stonehenge-like circle around them.
"What are these stones?" one of the assassins whispered, her voice tinged with unease.
"Don't touch them," Cruenna snapped, her sharp eyes scanning the area. "They could be rigged with traps."
No sooner had she spoken than a dark, swirling cloud formed above them. Lightning crackled within its depths, and before anyone could react, bolts of electricity shot down, striking at the group.
"Shields up!" Cruenna barked.
The women raised their hands, casting shimmering magical barriers to deflect the onslaught. But the lightning was relentless, its power overwhelming.
"We can't hold this for long!" someone cried, her voice strained under the pressure.
"We move—now!" Cruenna ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Head for the exit!"
The group sprinted toward the far end of the stone formation, where a faint light promised an escape. But as they neared the exit, the storm intensified, the lightning striking with even greater ferocity.
One by one, the weaker assassins faltered, their shields failing as they collapsed to the ground.
"We have to help them!" one of the women pleaded.
"No," Cruenna said coldly, her gaze fixed ahead. "We press on. Leave them."
Leaving the fallen behind, the remaining assassins pushed forward, their shields flickering as they finally broke free of the Stonehenge. The lightning ceased, but their relief was short-lived.
Before them stretched an eerie labyrinth, its walls formed not of stone but of thick, gnarled willows. The trees twisted and intertwined, creating a maze that seemed almost alive.
Cruenna wasted no time, pulling out a mini-map and studying its intricate layout.
"This way," she directed, leading the group deeper into the labyrinth.
They soon reached the first checkpoint: a vast chamber blanketed in sticky, glistening webs. The air was heavy with the scent of decay.
"This is a spider's den," one of the assassins muttered, her voice trembling.
"Stay clear of the webs," Cruenna warned, but her words came too late. Several of the women became entangled, their struggles only tightening the sticky strands around them.
Large Spiders appeared on the webs in the ceiling waiting to capture them in their deadly cocoons. Ever since she was transported here, the Spider Queen has sired many younger spiders who were as vicious and strong as her. They crawled along the ceilings of the labyrinth looking for victims.
"I told you to be careful!" Cruenna hissed, her frustration boiling over. The others tried to free their comrades, but the webs were indestructible, and the spiders above were menacing.
The spiders rushed down to attack, firing more sticky webs to capture them. Many of them were captured.
"What do we do now?" someone asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"We move on," Cruenna said without hesitation. "Leave them."
The group pressed forward, their numbers dwindling as they reached the second checkpoint.
Here, the labyrinth opened into another chamber, devoid of webs but filled with shadowy figures. Slender and cloaked entirely in black, their faces obscured, the figures exuded a malevolent energy.
Before the assassins could react, the figures transformed into shadows, lunging at them with terrifying speed.
"Strikes of Shadows?" Cruenna gasped, her voice laced with disbelief. "How do they know our techniques?"
The assassins clashed with the Black Guards, their magic mirroring each other blow for blow. It was a stalemate, neither side gaining the upper hand.
"Our Temple's secrets are never shared with outsiders," Cruenna muttered as she parried a strike. "How do they know our skills?"
The battle raged on, but Cruenna's focus shifted to the exit at the far end of the chamber. Without a second thought, she broke away from the fight, leaving her assassins to fend for themselves.
She emerged into the third checkpoint, now completely alone. The chamber was eerily quiet, devoid of Black Guards. But standing in the center was a figure she recognized all too well.
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