"I saw a dream... a dream that was someone else's reality. A horrifying dream. Ruthless, terrifying, yet beautiful. Fascinating. Unimaginable. A dream I would trade my life for if only it were mine."
"I saw glimpses. Of people. Of places. A man screaming at me."
"A woman in my arms."
"A party surrounding me."
"A figure on a throne tall, white figure."
"True..."
"An army charging. A red eyed evil with them"
"I saw pillars... five of them."
"Each one... pure."
"I saw everything and yet, nothing. Glimpses without faces. Memories without feelings. Touch without heart."
"i alone...."
Five hunters sprinted through the final corridor of the dungeon.
"Get that dragon, guys!" Sebastian shouted, leading the charge. "Sapphire, healing! Klaus, prepare the damage potions! Elijah, cast a shield! Sirius tank!"
"Aye, captain!" Sirius boomed, slamming his shield into the ground as he braced for the dragon's assault.
Sebastian surged forward.
(B-rank Skill: Agility Multiplier 85% output) Activate.
He vanished into a blur, blades flashing as he closed in.
(B-rank Skill: Slash 90% output) Activate.
With one precise strike, his blade sliced clean through the dragon's neck. The beast roared one last time before collapsing.
The chamber trembled as its lifeless body hit the cold floor
Sebastian exhaled. "Nice job guys. Let's finish this up. Boss room, next."
They moved down the corridor, expecting the final chamber.
Instead, they found something which had never happened ever ...
A wall.
"A wall?" Sebastian frowned. "That can't be right."
"Let me check," Elijah muttered.
(B-rank Skill: Detection Magic 80% output) Activate.
"There is a boss room," Elijah confirmed, eyebrows furrowing. "But it's behind this wall."
Sebastian raised his daggers. "Then we break through the wall."
Sirius stepped forward. "I'll do the honors, its my job afterall."
With one thunderous strike of his shield, the wall crumbled.
Beyond it lay a chamber open to the sky. Sunlight poured through a broken ceiling. A shallow pond shimmered.
And in its center, motionless a boy.
Unconscious. Alone.
"What the..." Sebastian whispered.
"how is this....?"
"possible...?"
"I-I don't know," Sapphire said quietly.
"There shouldn't be anyone here," Sebastian muttered. "Not in the boss room of an S rank dungeon."
"Where's the boss, then?" Elijah frowned.
(Detection Magic Activate 80% output)
"This is... impossible. There's no boss." he muttered in disbelief
"Every dungeon has one!" Sirius growled. "Especially a S-rank."
"Do we take him?" Sapphire asked.
"i don't know.....?" Sebastain mumured
"Let's vote," he decided.
sapphire took the first vote
"We take him. We can't leave him its just a innocent kid" Sapphire said firmly.
"Same here. We help the innocent," Sebastian agreed.
"You're all crazy we don't know if he is innocent or a monster. I vote no," Elijah said.
"I'm with Elijah we don't know anything about the kid. This is a bad idea," Sirius added.
Klaus tilted his head his nerdy logic awakened "This is history. A boy inside a boss chamber? He could have answers to the biggest mysteries in the world. I vote yes."
Sebastian nodded. "Three to two. We take him."
"Let's be smart about it," Klaus said. "we have to Weaken him first."
Sebastian nodded in agreement . "Elijah, barrier. Klaus, potions. Sirius, chains. Sapphire, stay ready."
Barrier Magic Activate.
Weaken Potion Deploy.
Enchanted Chains Lock.
"Alright. Klaus, get the cruiser. We're heading to the capital. The king needs to hear about what we found"
Outside, Klaus's custom built, magic fueled flying cruiser waited.
Everyone boarded. Klaus took the wheel.
Sebastian glanced at the unconscious man. his mind raced with thoughts eating him "Did I make the right call?"
suddenly he felt a pinch on his arm
Sapphire sat beside him. "You're thinking if you made the right decision aren't you?" she raised an eyebrow
"Remember when you recruited me? You said, 'We help the innocent.' Like some brave hero." She chuckled.
"i wouldn't worry about it, this is what we do after all" a gentle smile appeared across her lips
Sebastian smiled. "Yeah, that was embarrassing." he chuckled
"Thanks."
Elijah looked back. "Still. No boss? Human survivor? It's not normal."
"We deal with it," Sirius grunted.
The boy moved.
Sebastian unsheathed his daggers. "He's waking up!"
The man opened his mouth, tried to speak and collapsed again.
The party glanced at each other exchanging looks on what just happened
"Maybe we overdid it?" Klaus said with a crooked smile.
"A normal guy wouldn't survive that he probably can absorb mana" Sebastian muttered. "Let's remove the barrier and potions for now"
A few minutes later, the stranger opened his eyes.
Sapphire knelt beside him. "Hey... how do you feel?"
He blinked. "Who... are you?" he said clueless
"We're are called hunters. Do you remember who you are?"
He shook his head. "No... i don't Who am I?" he grumbled
Sebastian stepped closer. "Everyone has a name, its who you are, what people remember you as"
"...I don't have one."
Sapphire smiled warmly. "Then maybe we give you one."
He looked at her, unsure.
Sapphire turned to Sebastian. They exchanged a glance. A silent agreement
"How about... Sukiro?" she offered.
The man blinked. "Yeah. I-I think I like it."
"Then it's decided!" she said jumping with joy
"You are Sukiro!!!!"
As the cruiser descended toward the capital, far below, a storm stirred across the lands of Yogurd.
The time to meet the king was here