“Roar——!!!"
A furious roar echoed from behind.
It’s already recovered...
Hulim Heyerar’s heart sank. She could only keep her head down and run faster—turning back to fight or delay was impossible, for the power gap was far too vast.
Little Semiris Pan Gien’s sneak attack earlier had only succeeded because the dragon had let its guard down. Such a trick could never work twice.
“Roar——!!!"
“Hulim, get down!”
Little Semiris’s urgent shout came from behind.
Almost simultaneously, Hulim felt a chill sweep over her back.
Without hesitation, she threw herself forward.
Boom—!
The split second she hit the ground, a massive white beam of light whizzed past her head.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
The white beam lasted for several seconds, piercing through countless layers of rock walls.
When it finally faded, a straight passage stretched out in front of Hulim, its edges glowing with molten magma.
“This is... an Earth Dragon’s breath.”
So powerful!
A direct hit would incinerate her instantly!
“Hurry, get up and run, Hulim! That stupid dragon’s catching up again!”
Little Semiris flew onto Hulim’s shoulder, grabbed her collar, and tried to lift her into the air—though her tiny frame was far too weak to carry her.
“Wing of Winds!”
In the next moment, Hulim lifted off on her own.
“Little Semiris, let’s go!”
With that, Hulim accelerated along the straight passage carved by the Earth Dragon’s breath.
“Huh? Wait for Little Semiris!”
Little Semiris hurried to catch up.
“Thanks to this guy carving such a convenient path, we can run even faster now!”
“Roar——!!!"
Watching the distance between them grow, the Earth Dragon behind grew even angrier. It opened its mouth again, white light gathering in its throat.
“Hulim, watch out! The breath’s coming again!”
Little Semiris warned hastily.
“Got it!”
Hulim dove, skimming close to the ground.
Boom!
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
In the next instant, another white beam identical to the last shot overhead, widening the passage even further...
Boom! Boom! Boom...
Beam after beam of breath chased them. As Hulim and Little Semiris dodged repeatedly, they finally reached the hall where they’d first entered.
“Great! We’re almost out~!”
Little Semiris cheered happily—only for another white beam to streak past her side, barely missing her.
“Wah! Why won’t that stupid dragon stop chasing us!”
Little Semiris was terrified.
“Little Semiris, we’re not out of danger yet!”
Hulim never slowed down, continuing to fly toward the main gate. Soon, they reached the passage they’d entered through and rushed inside.
Crash!
Almost the moment Hulim and Little Semiris stepped into the passage, the Earth Dragon smashed through the wall and burst into the hall—only to see the final glimpse of Hulim and the tiny fairy’s backs.
“Roar——!!!"
......
“Great! We finally escaped~!”
After emerging from the passage, Little Semiris cheered again, even as the Earth Dragon’s roars echoed from inside.
“Little Semiris, let’s leave quickly. I still feel like danger isn’t over.”
“Don’t worry! Dungeon Lords never leave their lairs!”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course Little Semiris is sure——”
Boom—!
Before she could finish, the temple’s main gate was smashed to pieces. The Earth Dragon’s pitch-black, ferocious head poked out.
“Huh......???"
Little Semiris stared at the dragon in stunned silence. Then she tapped her forehead, as if remembering something.
“Oops! I forgot! When the core a Dungeon Lord guards disappears, the mission and restraints on it vanish too~!”
“......”
“......Roar——!!!"
“Why didn’t you remember that earlier?!”
......
“Ha! Ha! Ha......”
In the shortcut they’d taken to enter the dungeon, Hulim collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Little Semiris lay limply on top of her head.
“We finally got away......”
That black Earth Dragon had acted as if it had locked onto her and Little Semiris—determined to kill them no matter what!
The only silver lining was that unlike monster dungeons, the powerful creatures living here didn’t recognize any “Dungeon Lord.” They only saw her as an intruder in their territory.
Although these brave, powerful creatures were quickly defeated by the Earth Dragon in just a few blows......
But!
Thanks to their courage, the Earth Dragon’s pursuit was constantly hindered—allowing her and Little Semiris to escape.
“I’ll remember your sacrifice......”
Hulim silently mourned the creatures for a second......
After some time, feeling rested enough, Hulim sat up, finally having time to examine the wand in her hand—the Seven Luminaries.
Its entire silver-white shaft had faint patterns shimmering beneath the surface. The seven rhombus-shaped fragments around the circular tip were crystal-clear, glowing with a soft rainbow hue.
In her hand, it felt neither heavy nor light—perfectly balanced. She wondered if it could adjust its own weight or if it was just a natural fit.
Then there was its effect.
She’d been too busy running to test it earlier, but she’d already felt the difference: back then, her mana had obeyed her like an extension of her will, and the casting speed and power of her magic were far beyond what she’d been capable of before!
“Let’s try again......”
Hulim stood up, gripping the Seven Luminaries.
“Hm? Hulim, are we leaving?”
Little Semiris asked, still lying on her head.
“No, I just want to test the Seven Luminaries.”
“Fireball......”
Whoosh!
A fireball materialized in front of Hulim, hovering quietly in the air. Its size was no different from the Fireballs Hulim usually cast—but this wasn’t because the Seven Luminaries wasn’t working. It was exactly how Hulim had envisioned it.
“I see. Unlike most wands that provide fixed boosts, the Seven Luminaries’ amplification is completely controlled......”
Hulim waved the Seven Luminaries.
Whoosh~!
In an instant, the fireball swelled visibly. In less than two seconds, it grew to the size of a Tier 3 Great Fireball.
Hulim waved the wand again.
Whoosh~!
The massive fireball transformed into a ring of fire, swirling in the air.
Ding!
Hulim tapped the ground lightly with the Seven Luminaries.
The ring of fire instantly split into ten smaller fireballs, circling slowly.
Hulim raised the wand once more.
The ten fireballs merged into ten fire serpents, converging at the tip of the Seven Luminaries.
Then, Hulim swung the wand forward violently.
Boom—!
A blazing fire pillar erupted, melting a huge hole in the wall......
After some time, Hulim stopped her test.
“......Right now, I can only cast Tier 3 magic, but with this, the power reaches Tier 4 levels—without any increase in mana consumption......”
“Incredible. This ability is no less than a magic sword. It truly deserves to be an S-rank wand!”
Moreover, she couldn’t help but feel her aura intensified when the silver Seven Luminaries and the black Helkem were slung across her back......
“Ah, without the Philosopher’s Stone, its effect is really weakened a lot!”
At that moment, Little Semiris spoke up from atop her head.
“?”
“Philosopher’s...... Stone???"
