Chapter 14 Birth Of An Alliance
Vaelith’s POV
Crimson mana spiraled around my body violently like living smoke.
The dead surrounding the battlefield continued glowing faintly as residual mana flowed into me endlessly.
Too much power.
And yet… it still wasn’t enough.
“You hide yourself well,” he admitted calmly.
I clenched my fists tightly.
“Leave.”
The Inquisitor tilted his head slightly.
“You believe this changes anything?”
“No.”
Crimson energy cracked across the ground beneath my feet violently.
“But I think it changes enough.”
The surviving Holy Dominion hunters looked visibly uneasy now. The Inquisitor slowly raised one hand. Golden mana erupted around him instantly.
“Unfortunately…”
The pressure across the battlefield intensified sharply.
“…you cannot be allowed to exist.”
Then he attacked.
BOOOOOOM!
The ground exploded beneath his feet as he shot toward me like golden lightning. I barely blocked the incoming strike in time.
CRAAAAAASH!
The impact shattered the frozen earth beneath us while shockwaves blasted outward violently.
Several nearby trees exploded apart instantly.
The Inquisitor’s amber eyes narrowed.
“…Impressive.”
I shoved him backward violently before immediately counterattacking.
BOOM!
My fist tore through the air toward his face, He vanished. Too fast.
Pain exploded across my ribs instantly.
I crashed through burning debris violently before rolling across the frozen ground.
Damn it.
Even with the absorbed mana…
this monster was still stronger. The Inquisitor walked toward me calmly through the flames.
“Your power is unstable.”
No kidding. The mana inside me felt chaotic. Wild. Like my body could tear apart at any moment.
Still… I forced myself upright.
Because behind me, Nysera and the surviving assassins were still alive.
Barely. And for some reason… that mattered.
The Inquisitor suddenly appeared directly before me again. Then drove his fist toward my chest.I caught it.
The pressure shattered the ground around us instantly. The Inquisitor’s eyes widened slightly. Then I grabbed his arm and slammed my forehead directly into his face.
Blood splashed across the battlefield.
The assassins gasped collectively.
Apparently nobody had ever punched an Inquisitor before.
First time for everything.
The Inquisitor staggered backward briefly before touching the blood on his nose.
Then, he smiled.
“You really are dangerous.”
“…You keep telling me that.”
Golden mana erupted around him violently afterward. The atmosphere became crushing instantly. Even the surviving assassins collapsed under the pressure.
My instincts screamed. Danger. Extreme danger.
The Inquisitor slowly raised both hands.
And massive golden chains erupted from the ground around me instantly.
BOOOOM!
The chains wrapped around my arms and legs before slamming me violently into the earth. Pain exploded through my body.
“…GHHH!”
The chains burned.
Like they were trying to erase me.
The Inquisitor approached calmly.
“This is why your kind vanished.”
My vision blurred slightly.
Damn it. I couldn’t move.
The holy chains tightened further.
The Inquisitor stood over me silently before raising one glowing hand toward my head.
“Rest peacefully, corrupted one.”
Nysera suddenly screamed from behind.
“VAELITH!”
Something inside me reacted instantly.
The crimson mana surrounding my body exploded violently.
BOOOOOOOM!
The holy chains shattered apart instantly.
The Inquisitor’s expression changed sharply. I moved before he could react.
CRAAAAASH!
My fist slammed directly into his stomach, blasting him across the battlefield violently.
The Inquisitor crashed through multiple burning tents before skidding across the frozen ground.
The surviving Holy Dominion hunters froze in horror.
One whispered shakily,
“He overpowered the Inquisitor…”
The Inquisitor slowly stood again.
But this time… his breathing had changed.
Slightly heavier. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth again.
I stared at him coldly while crimson shadows twisted around me violently.
The system suddenly appeared before my eyes.
[Warning]
[Energy Overflow Approaching Critical State]
[Current Body Stability: 39%]
My body was literally falling apart.
The Inquisitor noticed my unstable mana immediately.
Then smiled faintly.
“You cannot maintain this power.”
“…Probably not.”
“But you intend to fight anyway.”
I slowly cracked my neck.
“Yes.”
For the first time… the Inquisitor’s expression became genuinely serious.
Then he raised one hand sharply. The surviving Dominion hunters immediately retreated backward.
He was abandoning the fight?
The Inquisitor looked toward me silently for several seconds. Then finally spoke.
“You are incomplete.”
Cold wind swept through the ruined battlefield softly.
“But eventually…”
His amber eyes narrowed dangerously.
“…Seraphel Vaun will come personally.”
The atmosphere turned colder instantly.
Even hearing that name again made my chest tighten. The Inquisitor slowly stepped backward afterward.
“This world has no place for Dungeon Monarchs.”
Then golden light erupted around him violently. The remaining Dominion hunters vanished alongside him instantly.
And just like that, the battlefield became silent.
The Holy Dominion had retreated. I remained standing for several seconds.
Then the mana inside my body collapsed violently.
Pain exploded everywhere instantly.
“GHH!”
I dropped to one knee while blood spilled from my mouth. The crimson mana around me flickered wildly. Too much absorption.
Too much strain.
My vision blurred dangerously.
Then suddenly, someone caught me before I collapsed completely.
Nysera.
Her breathing was uneven while blood covered parts of her face and clothes.
But she was alive.
“…Idiot,” she muttered weakly.
I laughed painfully.
“You’re welcome.”
Around us… the battlefield looked horrifying. Black Thorn had been destroyed. Burned tents. Broken weapons.
Bodies everywhere.
The surviving assassins slowly emerged from the ruins silently. There weren’t many left. Maybe fifteen Out of dozens.
The realization hit Nysera immediately.
I watched her scan the battlefield.
Then slowly, the truth settled in.
Her home was gone. Several assassins lowered their heads quietly toward her.
One of them stepped forward shakily.
“Lady Nysera…”
His voice broke slightly.
“…Black Thorn has fallen.”
Silence followed. Nysera closed her eyes briefly. Pain crossed her expression for only a second before disappearing again.
But I could still see it. The grief.
The surviving assassins looked toward her uncertainly afterward.
Nysera slowly opened her eyes again.
Then unexpectedly,she looked toward me.
Vark suddenly came stumbling from the ruins covered in ash.
“MASTER ALIVE!”
“…Barely.”
The goblin immediately hugged my leg dramatically.
“Thought shiny humans killed Master!”
“Not today.”
One surviving assassin frowned while staring at Vark.
“Why is the goblin crying?”
“I emotional support goblin.”
“…What?”
Nysera sighed tiredly.
“Don’t ask.”
The surviving assassins gathered closer afterward. Their enemy from yesterday had just saved their lives. Complicated situation.
Nysera slowly stepped forward despite her injuries. Then looked directly at me.
“You still want allies?”
I blinked once. The surviving assassins looked shocked.
Even Vark gasped dramatically.
“MASTER GOT GOTH ARMY!”
“…Please stop calling them that.”
Nysera ignored us both. Her blue eyes remained locked onto mine.
“Black Thorn no longer exists.”
The wind carried ash through the ruined camp quietly. Then she extended one hand toward me.
“But we still do.”
The surviving assassi
ns slowly stepped behind her afterward.
One by one. Choosing. Accepting.
And for the very first time since becoming the Dungeon Core… I realized something important. I wasn’t alone anymore.
Then suddenly, the system appeared before my eyes.
[First Alliance Established]
[Hidden Kingdom Path Activated]
