Move on

(A/N: Hey there, it's been fuckin ages! I've been toying with the idea of starting a rewrite, but I must admit, my lazy side tends to get the best of me sometimes. Anyways, there won't be any romance in this story like the others think, just to set the record straight. Now, I'm curious, are you still interested in this fanfic?)

Sasuke strode across the desolate gray terrain, the dark sky devoid of any light. As he sheathed his sword, the sound resonated through the air, and he muttered to himself, "It's been three months, if I recall correctly." He continued his march, his path strewn with the lifeless bodies of the monsters he had vanquished.

"I must admit, this Sword and Cloak are quite impressive."

Sasuke remarked about the black leather cloak draping his form and the sword crafted from the fangs of the fearsome Kamish Dragon.

Three months had passed since he had ventured into the dimensional rift. He hadn't wasted any time once his new sword had been completed, nor had he bothered with farewells, as his connections weren't particularly close.

Nevertheless, he prayed for their normal life, far away from the chaos of endless battlefields.

"Sung-ssi, I can send you home whenever you're ready. Why stay?" (Speaking Korean)

Sasuke asked the long-haired, sturdy man at his side, his gaze fixed ahead.

"I can't leave until the Rulers issue their orders."

"I see."

Sasuke didn't pry further. He had little interest in delving into someone else's motivations.

What mattered most now was tracking down and eliminating all the Monarchs. The challenge lay in the vastness of this place and their adeptness at concealment.

Suddenly, specks of light materialized in the sky, descending like divine emissaries. Sasuke and Sung Il-Hwan halted in their tracks, observing as soldiers of the Rulers landed before them.

[I greet you, Master Sasuke.]

The most formidable figure, bowing respectfully, offered his salutations to Sasuke.

This wasn't the first time for Sasuke.

Ever since he had arrived in the dimensional rift, these figures had converged before him, almost as if they had been awaiting his presence.

He hadn't dwelled on why they hadn't greeted Sung Il-Hwan, but their visit indicated that they had something important to convey—something that the Fragment of Light vessel, Sung Il-Hwan, couldn't represent.

"What is it?"

[We have discovered the whereabouts of the Monarch of the White Flame,]

"Tell me more."

After a brief exchange, Sasuke obtained a rough outline of Demon King Baran's location. It appeared that even the Rulers struggled to gather information, despite their presumed power.

[Before you depart, this ring can store items and serve as a translator,]

The Fragment of Light-bearer explained, displaying a silver ring. He commanded it mentally, producing a healing potion, a mana filler potion, and a considerable mound of gold coins. Yet, Sasuke's focus remained fixed on the intriguing potion.

"What's this?"

[It's the Holy Water of Life. Drinking the entire bottle can cure any ailment,' he revealed.

Given the scarcity compared to the healing potions, Sasuke surmised its rarity. He nodded, gratefully accepting everything stored within the silver ring.

Armed with the obtained coordinates, Sasuke employed his Rinnegan to create a portal to the dimension he intended to traverse. With his enhanced strength, he no longer worried about depleting his chakra as he did in the past.

Before stepping into the portal, he turned to his three-month acquaintance. "Sung-ssi, I'm heading out," he announced.

"Alright," Sung Il-Hwan nodded, his expression stoic, devoid of any emotion.

Though relieved at the prospect of returning home upon encountering Sasuke, his thoughts gradually shifted as he discovered the true enemy behind it all.

Hence, he resolved to become a vessel for the Rulers, empowering himself to protect his family.

Sasuke offered a slight nod before disappearing through the portal.

---

How long had she been trapped in the labyrinth? Hunger gnawed at her, fear plagued her, and only her dwindling enthusiasm kept her going. She had reached her limit.

Every small sound jolted her awake, her senses on high alert.

She had dozed off at the end of the labyrinth, in a cramped position that felt like a coffin.

Surviving the constant attacks from monsters in the narrow, dark, and damp caves had become her daily struggle. To sustain herself, she resorted to eating meager rations of tasteless demon meat and relied on her water magic for hydration.

With tired eyes, she woke up and let out a soft sigh. Leaning against the cold stone wall, her gaze fixed on the faint glow emanating from a magic formation.

Stepping on that formation would teleport her to a random place, most likely right into the lair of a fearsome monster.

"Sigh... It's been a month," she muttered to herself.

It had all started when she carelessly triggered a teleportation trap during her search mission, ending up in the lair of a powerful demon beast.

No rhyme or reason.

There was no use lamenting her carelessness, for the moment she had blinked, a horde of bloodthirsty demons charged at her.

As both a magician and an adventurer, she managed to hold her ground. She took pride in her abilities as a magician, even though she couldn't perform magic without incantations like her prodigious student who had been casting spells effortlessly since the age of three. She was a Magician of the Water-King class, after all.

She faced the demons without succumbing to panic, fighting them off as best she could. But they kept coming, wave after wave, seemingly endless.

She knew she was trapped in a trap set for the demon beast, and she had come to terms with her impending demise.

Yet, she continued to struggle, even as her magic reserves dwindled. Sooner or later, her magic would run dry.

Did her comrades forget about her? How much longer could she hold on, her limited magic depleting with every battle?

No, she couldn't believe that her comrades had abandoned her. They must have temporarily retreated, devising a plan to rescue her.

However, fear and anxiety overwhelmed her, threatening to drown her. Tears welled up, uncontrollably, in her eyes.

The following day, she made a decision. She would step onto the Metastasis Magic Formation before her, a formation known for transporting individuals to random destinations.

With a dim glow, she vanished in an instant.

There was no one around.

Taking a leap of faith, she set out to map this vast, uncharted labyrinth.

Along the way, she stumbled upon more Metastasis Magic Formations—three, to be precise.

She marked each one cautiously.

Repeatedly, she tried to map her location, relying solely on intuition and the limited information she had. But it seemed futile, as she found herself going in circles, always returning to the spot where the demons had first attacked her. When hunger struck, she would hunt the demons for sustenance. The monotonous cycle repeated endlessly.

She wondered, how many times had she gone through this? But she had lost count.

With wounds and blood loss, her consciousness blurred into a haze.

The demons were clever.

They had waited for her to weaken, constantly draining her magic reserves.

Her body had reached its breaking point. She could no longer stomach the tough and putrid demon meat. Even when she tried to use detoxification magic, her condition only worsened.

She had a sinking feeling that the demons were waiting for her.

If she were to step onto the Magic Formation in the cramped space where she currently hid, they would be there, eagerly waiting to devour her.

Death loomed before her, and for the first time in a month, she truly believed it was the end.

Her title as a Water-King class Magician felt meaningless now, uncertain if it could save her from this dire situation. But she refused to accept her fate.

"I don't want to die," she whispered, her voice trembling. Gripping her staff tightly, she cast a desperate gaze at the ground.

"Why? I have dreams too," she muttered, her eyes welling up with tears.

If she survived this ordeal, perhaps she would return to the magic academy and become a teacher. She cherished that place, where knowledge and passion intertwined. Maybe she would find love, build a family, and experience a life filled with happiness and companionship.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. But how could she ever attain that?

"There's no other choice," she thought, determination flickering in her eyes.

---

A group of monsters, standing atop the corpses of their fallen brethren, guarded the Magic Formation that would lead her to safety. An Iron Crawler stood at the forefront, ready to pounce, while a Death Road Tarantula lurked in the shadows, preparing to unleash its deadly web. And in the backline stood the towering figure of the Mad Skull, a giant clay-like creature poised to hurl rocks at her.

"O majestic land, encase me in your armor and become my shield. Earth Fortress!" she chanted, her words echoing through the air. The ground beneath her began to shift and form a protective fortress, shielding her from the Iron Crawlers.

But she knew that alone wouldn't hold them back. She took a deep breath and summoned the power of water.

"Oh falling rain, scatter and engulf the world! Water Splash!" Water droplets materialized around her, transforming into projectiles that shot toward the surrounding area.

Though weakened, the demons still stood, their determination unyielding. She couldn't afford to falter.

"If water won't suffice, then the next spell..." she whispered, her voice resolute.

"Blue Goddess, descend from the heavens and wield your scepter, freezing the world! Icicle Field!"

The water clinging to the demons froze instantaneously, encasing the area in a shimmering sheet of ice.

But she wasn't finished yet. She summoned the power of frost, calling upon the chilling winds of winter.

"King of Frost, ruler of the snowfields, clad in white! O' frigid monarch who extinguishes all passion! Cold-hearted king, master of frozen demise! Blizzard Storm!"

Ice spears erupted from the cave floor, impaling the monsters. Yet, their numbers seemed endless.

With every demon she defeated, more emerged from the depths, pouring out of the nest hole through the metastasis magic formation. A relentless tide of creatures, closed in on her with alarming speed.

Fwosh! The Mad Skull launched a barrage of rock bullets, shattering a portion of her earth fortress.

"Flaming sword of my charge, rend my enemies to pieces! Flame Slice!" she cried out, directing fiery blades towards the Iron Crawler attempting to breach the weakened barrier. The ground trembled beneath her, but she refused to give up.

Fire was the Iron Crawler's weakness, but using fire magic in the confined space of the cave was unwise. The burning monster's body would contaminate the air, leaving her gasping for breath.

"O majestic land, encase me in your armor and become my shield. Earth Fortress!" she incanted once more, erecting another earthen wall. But with each incantation, her magic grew thinner.

What was her next move? She racked her brain, desperately searching for a plan, but every idea seemed futile. She was trapped, checkmated.

The demons, revived after each defeat, were becoming impossible to handle with her dwindling magic.

"Ah... ah..." Her composure wavered, and her thoughts scattered like melting ice.

"No! I refuse to die!" she cried out, swinging her staff clumsily at the approaching Iron Crawler, the protective wall reduced to rubble.

But it didn't end there. Sticky spider webs enveloped her, drawing closer with every passing second.

"Help! I-I don't want to die...!" she pleaded, crawling backward, her back pressed against the end of the room. She was cornered.

Tears blurred her vision as she fought desperately to cling to life.

In the dimly lit room, she struggled to distinguish the black dirt wall from the ominous black portal before her. Without thinking, faced with imminent death, she closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the end.

---

(First-person POV)

"Do I die instantly?" I wonder, feeling no pain. How am I still able to think? My eyes remain shut, too scared to open and comprehend what just happened.

There are no thunderous footsteps from the monstrous creature. The silence is eerie. But that loud sound... What was it? It resembled a thunderstorm colliding with the cacophony of birds chirping at lightning speed.

Summoning my courage, I slowly open my eyes, cautiously leaning against the corner of the room.

The horde of monsters that numbered in the tens, if not hundreds, now lies lifeless, unrecognizable.

"Where am I?" (Speaking Japanese)

My gaze falls upon a figure, a young man standing with his back to me, speaking in a foreign language. He towers above me, his stature commanding. In his hand, he wields a meticulously crafted sword that emanates unfamiliar lightning-like magic.

"...Eh? What just happened?" I utter involuntarily, barely above a whisper. The figure instinctively turns towards me.

As he draws closer and our eyes meet, I find myself gazing into the eyes of the man who fearlessly walked atop the slain monsters. My heart races, as if encountering the hero of my dreams.

His face, so handsome, framed by long, rare jet-black hair, contrasts against his pale skin and abyssal eyes.

Awkwardly, I reach out my hand, using my staff for support.

"Kyahh!"

Startled by the sudden relief, my legs give way, but before I can hit the ground, I find myself caught in his warm and dependable grasp.

He even smells good.

Wait a minute! I've been trapped here for months—I must reek!

"T-Th-Thank you!"

I hastily create some distance between us, worried about the possibility of him detecting my less-than-fresh scent.

"Where am I now?"

His expression remains cold, showing little interest in the chaotic surroundings. But why would he risk his life entering this Teleportation Labyrinth?

"T-This... is a Teleportation Labyrinth. Thank you for saving me, I'm Roxy Migurdia... May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

His eyes widen as if struggling to comprehend my words. But hadn't he just spoken in a foreign language? How is this possible?

After a few moments, his gaze returns to me. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

"Ah... Is-"

-Rumble!

The wall behind me quakes, and instinctively, I seek cover behind him.

Monsters again?

"Shishou!"

Shishou? Did he just call me that?

I steal a glance and see a young man—a handsome one, by my standards—who seems strangely familiar.

"Shishou! Are you okay?"

I tilt my head, studying Uchiha Sasuke, only to be met with the same perplexed expression.

"Eh!? Are you asking me?"

What's going on? Logically speaking, the "master" he's referring to must be the strong, black-haired man standing before me, right?

"Of course, I came to save Roxy-sensei. Don't you recognize me? It's Rudi, Rudeus Greyrat."

Surprise turns to disappointment on his face as his attention shifts from me to the man in front of me. "And who are you?" he inquires with a different expression.

Rudi? Ah! That's my brilliant disciple! Now that I take a closer look, he does resemble Paul-san.

But why does his atmosphere suddenly turn competitive?

Rudi, that little boy has grown up and become a handsome man over these past few years. It didn't dawn on me until he mentioned his name. Not long after, Paul-san and his party arrive, their expressions showing concern and caution after the sudden appearance of an unknown man who saved me earlier.