Chapter 86 - War Game 01!!
Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
Third Person POV
23 Floor, Dungeon.
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Lucius woke up slowly, his first sight being the rocky ceiling of the floors before the capital of the waters. As his eyes opened, he was greeted by a blurred vision that gradually adjusted to the near darkness surrounding him, with only a few rocks illuminating the place, revealing the familiar interior of the Xenos base on the 23rd floor. He was lying in a bed made of straw, something quite primitive, but he could not complain, he realized that his body was wrapped in cloths and bandages indicating that he had received care since his fall.
The tranquility of the environment was broken by a cheerful and relieved shout. "Lucius! You woke up!" It was Marie, appearing in his ceiling vision with enthusiastic and relieved eyes of the young Xeno who had become fond of Lucius during their days together. She went to his side, her eyes shining with a mix of happiness and tears. Marie had spent countless hours by his bedside, eagerly waiting for the moment he would regain consciousness.
"Marie..." Lucius murmured, his voice weak and hoarse. He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness made him lie back down. Concern was evident on Marie's face, who promptly helped him settle.
He first used his magic to heal some still open wounds, quickly improving his condition from then on.
"You don't know how much we were worried! Everyone feared the worst after you fell exhausted from that powerful magic they said you used," Marie said, holding Lucius's hand between hers. "But now that you're awake, everything will be fine." She said relieved.
Around them, the Xenos base was calm, there was no bloody fight with any of them dying from a failure of Lucius, nor a sign of a monster like Juggernaut trying to kill them. Lucius could feel the peace that permeated the place, a welcome contrast to the intensity of the battle he had fought until his last moment before losing consciousness.
"Am I okay, did everyone survive?" Lucius asked, since he couldn't tell how the others were as soon as his magic exploded.
As Lucius recovered, he did not know how deeply he was connected to the Xenos and how his actions had impacted everyone at the base. Marie, with her caring presence and words spoke. "Everyone survived, thanks to you, they all talked about how you saved their lives!"
"Where are they, let's talk to them." Lucius said getting up.
"Are you okay to get up?" Marie asked a bit worried.
"Yes, I used healing magic on myself, I'm improving quickly." He said as he stood up with some difficulty.
He and a Marie floating in the air beside him followed the corridor out of that room and walked slowly through the Xenos base on the 23rd floor, supported by Marie who offered a friendly shoulder.
"The human woke up!" He heard a xenos shout in the corridor and run out to warn the others as Lucius approached. Lucius reached a larger area with all the xenos waiting for him to arrive. The sight of everyone looking at him instead of being cautious, looking with gratitude was quite a contrast to the first time he met the group with Lyd and Marie, he could have helped Marie and have Lyd's trust, but he was still a stranger, which didn't seem to be the case at that moment.
Along the way, he met several members who had fought bravely by his side against the Juggernaut. They were also bandaged, recovering from the fight and despite their own injuries and exhaustion, there was a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect that filled the air.
Lucius saw the relief and gratitude in the eyes of Marie and the other Xenos filled the atmosphere. He had fought not only for himself but for those he now considered friends and allies.
Lyd, with a visible bandage on his arm, was one of the first to approach Lucius. "You really surprised us, Lucius," he said with a crooked smile, admiration evident in his voice. "Your magic and courage... You saved many of us. It was amazing!"
Lucius nodded humbly. "I did what needed to be done," he replied, "but it wouldn't have been possible without all of you fighting by my side."
Other Xenos gathered around, each expressing their gratitude and admiration in their own way, even those who did not witness the battle, rubbed their heads against parts of Lucius's body as a form of thanks. Gross, the robust Xenos who had been saved by one of Lucius's magic spheres, pounded his chest in a gesture of respect. "Lucius, I may not have liked you and always treated you as a threat, but I can't deny that you saved my life along with the others. Your fight will not be forgotten."
"Even in danger, you helped us!" Ray spoke, flapping his wings as a gesture of gratitude.
"In the end, we managed to win the fight, that's all that matters, and we didn't suffer any fatal loss despite the danger." Erebus commented nearby; he had regeneration, so he was the least injured-looking among those who fought.
"Where is Asterius?" Lucius asked, not seeing the iconic Minotaur with his large sword.
"He went to train, said that this fight showed how weak he was." Lyd spoke, and Lucius nodded.
"It was incredible, I thought I was going to die!" Let appeared with the other 2 weaker companions who fought in the battle.
"Yes, I can't believe we won!" The spider woman spoke beside him.
Lucius listened attentively to the stories of those Xenos, how they experienced the battle, the moments of fear and triumph. He shared his own insights, explaining the reasoning behind his actions and the risks he took. In each conversation, there was an exchange of respect and understanding.
As Lucius and the Xenos shared their experiences and words of encouragement, an additional presence made itself known at the end of the cave. The air around seemed to vibrate slightly with ancient and wise energy. Fels, the mysterious and powerful skeleton mage, appeared in that corridor, his imposing figure bringing with it an aura of immense power and knowledge.
"Fels..." Lucius murmured, seeing Ouranos's most loyal agent.
The Xenos, recognizing the figure, made way, respect and curiosity evident in their looks. Fels was known to all the Xenos, as he was the bridge between the guild and the Xenos, doing the will of Ouranos.
"Lucius Drakenar," began Fels, his voice as strange as Lucius remembered from that episode in the guild. "I was surprised, and I must admit, impressed, when I learned that you fought alongside the Xenos to defeat a great danger to everyone in the dungeon. I never imagined you would have contact with the Xenos in this way since no one besides me has done it before, even the people who know of the existence and follow the established orders of Ouranos like the Ganesha family, haven't had the contact you have here."
Lucius, somewhat surprised by Fels's appearance and words. "Fels, this is the second time we've met... I believe these are better conditions than the last time..." Lucius spoke with a hint of jest, as the last time he was almost wanting to kill the elf leader of the guild and needed Fels appearing to prevent Lucius from doing something like that.
"Indeed..." Fels nodded within his cloak, his empty but somehow expressive eyes sweeping the group. "You, Xenos, and you, Lucius, have demonstrated a rare unity and determination, something I didn't imagine seeing at least in this era. Together, you faced a threat that could have brought great danger not only to the dungeon but also a danger to the outside world, as according to you, that Juggernaut was not ordinary and was strengthening itself by eating other creatures from the dungeon. Therefore, you have the gratitude and respect of Ouranos-Sama."
The Xenos remained silent, absorbing the words of the skeleton mage, a mix of pride and surprise on their faces, Lucius silently nodded.
"It was necessary, and I'm sure I found good friends thanks to it." Lucius spoke, looking at the Xenos with a smile, as after what happened, Lucius could consider them allies from that moment on.
"Thank you, Lucius, you can't imagine how pleased Ouranos-Sama will be with this." Fels commented and continued, "But unfortunately, we couldn't help you as much as we wanted, Ouranos tried to delay the war game, but the guild has to remain neutral." Fels suddenly spoke, making Lucius look at him stunned.
Lucius, feeling a wave of panic upon realizing the time that had passed, asked urgently: "How long have I been unconscious?" The answer came from Marie, who murmured with a worried expression: "Three days, Lucius. You've been sleeping for three whole days."
Immediately, Lucius's mind raced with the memory of the War Game, a critical event that was happening on the surface. "The War Game!" he exclaimed, rising up with a sudden movement, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to knock him down again. "It's happening now! I have to get to the surface immediately!"
"Wait Lucius, are you in a condition to participate in the game?" Fels asked.
"Damn my condition, it can be fixed with some potions or my magic." Lucius growled urgently, he could not afford to be late for the war game.
Without wasting another second, Lucius began to cast healing spells on himself while his clothes regenerated with simple magic. The Xenos and Fels watched, stunned by the sudden change in behavior and the unrestrained haste of Lucius.
"Lucius, are you sure? You're still recovering!" exclaimed Marie, clear concern in her voice.
Lucius, however, barely listened. "I can't waste time. I have to be there to help my comrades and my family!!" With that, he finished getting ready and positioned himself, he turned for the last time to exchange a few words with all the Xenos looking at him at that moment.
"Goodbye guys, we'll talk later, now I have to go. Goodbye!" And then, with a thought command, Lucius activated the Magical Teleport, his most expensive skill that allowed traveling great distances instantly. With a flash, Lucius disappeared, appearing 50 meters away through the corridor's exit and activated it again, running through the floor with teleportation making him disappear and reappear every 50 meters.
The Xenos and Fels remained silent for a moment, impacted by Lucius's abrupt departure.
"Will he be okay...?" Lyd asked, stunned.
"I think so, he has a war game right now, I hope his family wins, as I'm sure they will be a powerful ally for you." Fels spoke while still looking in the direction where Lucius disappeared.
As Lucius traveled through the dungeon, leaping from floor to floor with vertiginous speed, his heart pounded with the urgency of reaching the surface in time. His family and comrades needed him, and he would not fail to be by their side when it mattered most.
As he executed his teleport, he opened the system and saw a giant notification for him.
[Hide Monster 1 Mission: Defeat Juggernaut on any floor! | {Progress: Completed - (100%)} | {Reward: 10,000,000 Points./ 3x Chant Cancelling Card}]
'I didn't win the hidden mission, but this is very good!' Lucius celebrated and started to open the store and inventory, knowing he could further reinforce his magic!
As Lucius teleported through the dungeon, on the surface of Orario was in a state of agitation and anticipation. Several giant screens had been set up throughout the city, each displaying the imminent opening of the War Game. Citizens, adventurers, and gods crowded the streets and squares, all with their eyes fixed on the screens, eager for the spectacle about to begin.
In the heart of the city, the Goddess Hestia was among her fellow gods, most gathered to witness the event together. The tension was palpable among them; the War Games were not just a competition but a demonstration of power and strategy among the families. For Hestia, however, the concern was much more personal.
She watched the screen with a tense look, searching for any sign of Lucius. Bell and the other new members of the family were ready to start the game, their expressions determined, but Lucius's absence was a shadow that loomed over them. Hestia knew how crucial Lucius was to the team, not just for his strength but also for the spirit and leadership he brought.
As the announcer declared the imminent start of the War Game, Hestia's heart beat faster. Bell and the others were prepared to fight with everything they had, but the uncertainty about Lucius cast doubts on their chances of success against two families at that moment.
For everyone, Lucius's absence was part of some strategy of the Hestia family; however, for the goddess herself, it was a shadow of concern. Hestia murmured a question that echoed in her mind. 'Where is Lucius? He should be here with us!'
As the final seconds before the start of the War Game passed, Orario remained in suspense, everyone waiting to see how the events would unfold, the city of Orario prepares to witness the War Game.
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