CHAPTER 37(Escort Quest Complete)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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CHAPTER START---

Riveria: "It's magic, a lot of ma-- GET BEHIND ME!"

As everyone heard the urgency in Riveria's voice they all dove behind the barrier she quickly erected as blinding white light shone from Yang in an instant it rushes outward reaching the shore where his companions were spectating from.

Inside the barrier made by their elf companion, the Loki familia team couldn't see anything. A sleek sheet of ice has formed on the barrier and completely blocked their view. Within the barrier even now their breath is visible as it leaves their mouths and the floor below them is completely frosted. Dropping the barrier almost as immediately as the magic attack outside faded.

As the barrier dropped the Loki familia couldn't help but look surprised once more during this fight. The small section of the lake that the fight had been held in was now a frozen surface, Yang stood in the middle of the attack with everything for 30meters in any direction of him completely iced over, all but Amphisbaena.

The two-headed dragon was given a thin sheet of frost but majorly unaffected by the now almost nearly artic temperature of the environment. After a moment to recover its head reared back once more as it took a deep breath preparing to spew another torrent of flames at Yang.

Everyone looked on waiting for Yang to move as he had done for the entire fight, but he was unmoving. As the attack was about to be launched Finn decided that enough was enough and quickly spoke up.

Finn: "SHIELD HIM!"

At his word, Riveria quickly casts Via Shilheim to create a barrier around Yang. As the flames surrounded the barrier and the ice in the surrounding area begins to melt from the sheer heat Tione and Tiona quickly move across the ice to prepare to recover Yang. With the benefit of having ice to stand on now, they could quickly be in and out with him.

The moment the flames stopped Tione leaped over to the chunk of ice where his standing figure was and threw him over her shoulder, surprisingly to her she got no complaint from Yang. As she moved to take him back to the shore she passed by Bete, Finn, and Gareth who were making their way directly to Amphisbaena as Ais and Riveria flanked it from the far-right mirroring Tiona flaking it from the far left.

Arriving at the shore Tione place Yang at the feet of Riveria and Lefiya who made up their backline before turning on her heel and joining the fight. Amphisbaena, currently slowed from being almost frozen gave no resistance to the experienced adventurers. As soon as the area was clear of Yang Ais and Finn quickly began cutting into the creature with Gareth using his strength to slam into the scaled hide of the monster completely shattering small parts of it. As the back of the monster's neck Bete, Tiona, and the now returning Tione were delivering flurries of strikes with unrelenting vigor.

After barely a minute of dancing around with the brittle creature, it finally became weakened enough for the resident mage to finish it off.

"Get clear!" Riveria shouted as she stood in front of Lefiya who was currently kneeling beside Yang healing his unconscious body. Upon hearing those 2 words everyone began to back out towards the shore as Riveria began gathering large amounts of magic into her staff as she begins chanting.

"The flame will soon be released. Creeping war, unavoidable destruction. The horn of battle sounds aloud, the cruelty of conflict will envelop all. Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno. You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war. Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf. Rea Laevateinn!"

As she completes her chant multiple streams of flames cross the ice and surround the completely disoriented monster before a sudden surge of magic flows from Riveria into the flames causing 4 massive flame tornados to explode forth and converge on the dragon. Its beaten and battered form is consumed by the flames and as it wreaths in pain, within the howls and cries small wisps of red mist can be seen leaking out of its damaged mouth even now and dissipating small parts of Riviera's annihilation magic.

"That's awesome" someone meekly and tiredly said from behind the group of seasoned adventurers.

Lefiya: "Yang, you're awake!"

Riveria: "How do you feel?"

Yang: "Cold, tired, embarrassed."

Lefiya: "What did you do?!"

Finn: "Let's finish up here first, we'll head back to camp and talk there. Tione, Tiona, care to recover what materials we can from the boss?"

Tiona: "On it captain!" She says before diving right into the cold waters of the lake

Tione: "Hey wait up."

A few minutes and multiple trips in and out of the water later the materials and monster crystal were gathered on the shore. Yang now sat up with small flames moving about his body. Tione, Tiona, and Lefiya can be seen nearby trying to get some warmth from the flames on his person.

Finn: "Alright, store your materials, we're taking the crystal of course but the rest is yours, let's head back to camp and we'll talk there."

Yang eagerly stores the scales and fangs of the monster before he slowly limps behind his companions back to the underground campsite.

As the group returned to the campsite everyone gathered around seated to discuss the events of the day while having lunch.

Lefiya: "What happened back there, why did you faint?"

Yang: "Ugh, it's kind of embarrassing but, well..."

Riveria: "He overused his "Cryo" and knocked himself out."

Yang: "Basically yeah" the young adventurer bashfully looks at his feet, unsure how to respond to this embarrassing situation.

Bete: "That explains why you're up already, honestly thought it was mind zero."

Yang: "No I've got mana remaining, not that it could do much in that fight."

Gareth: "You did well Yang, honestly the fact that you manage to crack its hide is almost unbelievable if we hadn't seen it ourselves."

Yang: "Yeah but that's all I could do, 1 crack in the armor basically. Nothing much."

Gareth: "Well you're the only level 3 that could manage that solo. None of us could."

Yang: "Oh, I, I don't have much experience working with people so I really haven't seen other people fight, until today at least, you guys were amazing. And what was that spell Riveria used, I've gotta try to copy it."

Riveria: "Hmm, do you think you can?"

Yang: "Well, fire and wind are the easiest but I don't think I can do it as well as you, maybe 1 part of the attack."

Finn: "Let's stay on topic, what exactly did you do to knock yourself out."

Yang: "Oh, um. I tried to use 'Freeze' on an area as wide as possible so I could crack its hide more. Didn't expect my body to break down like that. Thanks for healing me by the way, I fractured my wrist and foot in the fight."

Bete: "Punching a wall, not the smartest move."

Lefiya: "Oh, that makes sense now."

Yang: "What?"

Lefiya: "Oh nothing, I'm glad you're ok."

Yang: "Thanks. So you guys heading down to the lower floors now Finn?"

Finn: "Yeah that's the plan, this marks the completion of our agreement. As soon as Riveria's mana is refilled we will move out. It's only about noon so we've got time. You shouldn't feel bad about today Yang, as a level 3 the fact that you didn't die is enough, but cracking its armor is a very good sign. Take the materials back to your goddess and get your armor."

Yang: "Hm, thanks, Finn. I can finally get some new gear that will last, honestly, this set is still pretty much perfect but if one or 2 of those breath attacks had hit me it would have been gone."

Ais: "If you join us we can clear the dungeon faster."

Tione: "Oh definitely."

Tiona: "And you're not bad to be around."

Finn: "He already has responsibilities to his familia I'm sure."

Yang: "Yeah I've got my own thing going on, sorry Ais," 'And I don't know what I'll find out down there'.

Ais: "Alright."

Riveria: "I'll be back to peak condition in a few minutes then we can move, how about you Yang."

Yang: "Oh my flames heated me up a while ago honestly, I'm just keeping them on in case I missed something."

Finn: "Well then let's pack up and prepare to head out, we have to catch up to the Freya familia so we can't afford to waste time."

After packing up and saying their goodbyes the Loki familia proceeded down to the 28th floor leaving Yang to his own devices at the shore of the lake.

---Loki Familia, tunnel to the 28th floor....

Walking down the large tunnel the experienced adventurers began to quietly review the events that transpired during their now completed escort quest.

Finn: "Well what do we think."

Bete: "Kids a freak, if we hadn't seen it ourselves I would call bullshit on him being level 3."

Tiona: "Yeah it's honestly kind of a waste for him not to be in our familia."

Finn: "Agreed, Riveria?"

Riveria: "He said he wanted to copy my magic, and he didn't seem to doubt that he could or even hesitate. We still don't know much about how his magic works but that gives us one more reason to keep him close."

Lefiya: "All he gets to do is control and mix the elements, wind and fire are his best elements so your spell shouldn't be impossible for him."

Tione: "Awe did he tell you that when he was kissing you goodbye back there?"

Lefiya: "Uh..." She blushes wildly.

Finn: "Stop teasing her."

Tione: "SORRY CAPTAIN!"

Ais: "He cracked Amphisbaena hide."

Gareth: "Yeah that's a bit concerning."

Bete: "Concerning?"

Gareth: "Maybe Hephaestus actually did expect him to win."

Finn: "No, that's not it."

Tiona: "Then what is it?"

Finn: "Well, Hephaestus knows he likes to fight alone and he's new and a prodigy. What do you think happens to people like that."

Ais: "They die."

Finn: "Exactly, this was just an excuse to have him see that he can't do everything alone before it cost him his life. That's what I think at least."

Bete: "So she wanted us to really act as babysitters and counted on him getting beat. HAHAHAHAHAH."

Riveria: "It's a good idea, teaching him the consequences of fighting alone and overestimating himself before it gets him killed."

Finn: "I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing in her position. For now, let's focus on the lower floors, we'll deal with that when we get back up here. We've got a long expedition ahead of us."

As the Loki familia walk forward to continue where they couldn't previously some of them simply couldn't drop the thought of the temporary companion they were leaving to his own devices on the 27th floor. The simplest of these thought belonging to the resident 'Sword Princess' of the Loki familia Ais, had one simple thought towards Yang, 'He's a strong level 3'

END CHAPTER---

Did you guys actually think he was gonna win 1v1?