Chương 71: Phoenix

Ch 71 - Phoenix The System screen floated casually before him, as though it hadn't just handed Evan one of the most confusing missions he'd ever seen. He had been wondering if the System was simply messing with him and had no intention of giving him another Quest beyond dragging him into this Secret Dungeon. Yet now, a new Quest had appeared. What puzzled him most was the wording. It wasn't Kill the Boss or Defeat the Phoenix. Instead, it read: Deliver judgment upon ■■■■■■.

He glanced at the bird still bound in chains.

The phoenix wasn't the lord of this prison. If anything, it was its most condemned prisoner, locked away on the lowest level. In that sense, it would make sense for it to one day face judgment for whatever crimes it had committed. But why was the System asking Evan to carry it out? Despite years of people discovering and exploring this Secret Dungeon, remarkably little was known about it.

It was hardly a secret anymore, especially with the government and guilds attempting to document and track everything that existed within the Tower, yet no one had managed to piece together its history. Every clue it offered was frustratingly vague, raising more questions than it answered.

"Hey, snap out of it." Reika waved a hand in front of him.

"What are you doing, zoning out like that? The boss is going to wake up any minute now." Evan blinked and realized everyone was staring at him.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"If you've got any more of those gut feelings, you'd better tell us now," Reika said.

"Nothing of the sort." Evan smiled.

"Let's just fight the boss and get out of here." Reika gave him a doubtful look, but she had no time to question Evan further as the phoenix began to stir. The chains binding it rattled as the boss struggled against the rods impaling its body before it crashed to the ground.

"Attack!" Reika shouted. The group rushed the monster while it was still struggling to regain its footing. Andrei launched his Petrification skill, but the creature cloaked itself in flames, incinerating the projectile on contact.

"Damn it!" He tried again, only for the same thing to happen. Each shot disappeared into the phoenix's flames before the skill could take effect. Evan pulled out two Water Crystals and sent streams of water surging toward the phoenix, extinguishing its fiery barrier. Through the cloud of steam, the phoenix soared into the air, the rods still lodged throughout its body, fresh blood dripping from each wound. It let out a long, piercing shriek.

For some reason, Evan couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded less like a roar and more like a scream of agony. Reika hurled a lightning bolt that arced upward before homing in on the phoenix. The creature narrowly twisted away, and the bolt expanded into a sphere of crackling lightning as it passed, grazing its left wing. Emma charged while the phoenix struggled to recover. Its injured wing made staying airborne difficult, yet it swept a raging torrent of flames toward her. She took the attack head-on.

Thanks to her Limited Invincibility, the fire did little more than ignite her clothes. She pushed through the flames and drove her battle axe into the phoenix's torso. Seeing the opening, Ji-ho darted forward and drove his spear toward the boss. The phoenix screeched as flames poured from its body, forcing both Emma and Ji-ho backward. With a powerful beat of its wings, the phoenix sent countless flaming feathers raining down. Everyone scrambled to dodge or raised their weapons to block them.

Ji-ho reacted a fraction too slowly. One struck his side and exploded on impact, sending him staggering backward with a curse. His clothes burned and tore around the wound as he clutched his side. The phoenix banked and dove toward Hiroto. Without missing a beat, Hiroto opened a portal in its path, and the charging beast vanished through it.

"Reika!" Hiroto shouted. A second portal appeared in front of Reika, and the phoenix came through it at full speed. She was already waiting. Lightning crackled along her naginata as she swung with all her strength, catching the phoenix head-on and sending it crashing back to the ground. Evan sent a barrage of ice shards after it, hoping to keep it down, but the phoenix incinerated them into steam before they could reach it and climbed higher.

Meanwhile, Andrei kept firing Petrification skills, each shot missing as the phoenix weaved through the air. It spread its wings wide, and flaming feathers swept outward, setting the chamber ablaze. Hiroto opened the entrance to his Pocket Refuge. Andrei, Ji-ho, and Emma hurried inside, followed by Hiroto himself, leaving Reika and Evan stranded on the other side. As the sea of flames came crashing down, Evan rushed to Reika and pulled her close, activating his Artifact.

A shimmering barrier formed around them, shielding them from the inferno. Reika glanced at the glowing bracelet on Evan's wrist.

"Since when did you have an Artifact like that?"

"Not long ago. Don't expect me to rely on it too much, though. I can only deploy this barrier three times a day," Evan replied. As the fiery rain continued to pour from above, Reika glared at the phoenix circling overhead, refusing to descend.

"We need to restrict its movement somehow. Andrei's Petrification doesn't seem to work on it."

"Yeah. My water and ice aren't doing much either," Evan said.

"At this rate, I'll have to fight it in midair."

"Don't be ridiculous. Your ability isn't flight. If it knocks you out of the sky and you're outside Hiroto's range, you'll plunge straight to your death."

"Then what's your suggestion?"

"We'll have Hiroto open another portal in its flight path like he did before." She frowned.

"Didn't you just say that wasn't a good idea? You said his Pocket Refuge could be damaged if the boss causes too much destruction inside it."

"Yeah, but it's not like we have many options. If this turns into a battle of attrition, we'll be the ones getting roasted alive. You landed a solid hit before. Do it again, only harder this time. Just buy me enough time to skewer that oversized bird."

"Got it." Once the flames from above died down, Hiroto opened the entrance to his Pocket Refuge, and the others emerged. Evan and Reika stepped out from behind the barrier as well. Reika immediately returned to the attack while Evan hurried over to Hiroto and explained the new plan. The boy nodded and took his position. High above them, the phoenix circled them and unleashed fireballs. Hiroto tracked its movements, then sprinted beneath its flight path and opened a portal ahead of it.

The phoenix flew through, emerging from the exit right in front of Reika. She hurled a lightning bolt at it with all her strength. The bolt struck true, but the phoenix wrapped itself in flames, forming a shield. Fire and lightning collided, the impact driving Reika backward. She threw up her arms to protect her face, leaving fresh scorch marks across her wristguards and gloves. Although the flames had softened the blow, the lightning still staggered the phoenix, keeping it from regaining altitude.

Evan backed it up with a volley of ice shards that pierced the flames and slammed into the phoenix's chest, pinning it in place for a brief moment. Ji-ho activated his Pain Conversion skill, channeling all the pain he had accumulated throughout the battle into a single devastating thrust. He drove his spear straight through the phoenix's head. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Yeah!" Ji-ho shouted as he landed, then retreated. Kaboom! The phoenix erupted into a towering cyclone of flames that spiraled high into the sky. Evan shielded his eyes from the blinding light, squinting through the inferno. We're finally making progress. Phase one is over. As the flames subsided, the phoenix emerged once more. It was nearly twice its previous size, its flames burning hotter and brighter than before. One by one, the metal rods embedded throughout its body melted free and clattered onto the ground.

Ji-ho's spear remained lodged in its skull, but the intense heat had already reduced it to a half-melted length of metal. It soon fell away. With another cry, the phoenix plunged toward the center of the arena. Flames spread outward from the impact, engulfing nearly the entire area. Already prepared, Evan threw several Water and Ice Crystals together, and freezing torrents swept across the floor, dousing sections of the blaze and carving out patches of safe ground.

He was about to expand them when the phoenix sprang back into the air and immediately dove again. Kraaaak! The impact split the floor, fractures ripping outward from where the phoenix landed.

"What the hell is it doing?" Emma muttered.

"This doesn't make sense," Ji-ho said.

"Shouldn't it just be trying to burn the arena?"

"No." Evan's eyes widened in realization.

"That damned bird is trying to destroy it!" The phoenix plunged into the center again, and the platform buckled beneath them. Large sections of stone broke apart as the entire structure collapsed into the darkness below.

"You shitty bird, stop that!" Andrei shouted, firing one Petrification projectile after another. The phoenix's flames swallowed every shot in midair. Evan scanned the chamber, then pointed toward the massive chains suspended throughout it.

"Jump! We need to stand on those!" Channeling mana into their legs, they leaped through the air and caught the thick chains, hauling themselves onto them just as the ground gave way. With a rumble, the remaining platform crumbled into the darkness below. The chains were wide enough to stand on, yet their situation had gone from bad to worse. Their only footing now swayed high above an endless abyss, while the phoenix remained completely at home in the air. The phoenix gave them no time to regroup.

It swooped toward them, hurling a relentless barrage of fireballs at blinding speed. Everyone scrambled to block or deflect the attacks with their weapons, while Ji-ho, now unarmed, could only dodge each projectile. Seeing this, Reika gritted her teeth as lightning surged beneath her feet, propelling her into the air toward the phoenix.

"That idiot!" Evan shouted, pulling out a mana stone to replenish his exhausted mana.

"Reika!" Hiroto called, but he couldn't follow her. He remained on the defensive, opening portals whenever he could to redirect the fireballs threatening the others. Reika met the phoenix head-on. Fire and lightning clashed high above the abyss as she darted between the walls, using them as footholds to change direction and close the distance. She hurled lightning from every angle, but the phoenix slipped through the attacks with ease, its movements far more agile than hers.

A sweep of its wings sent flames spiraling through the chamber. Reika narrowly dodged past the flames, but the unstable footing left her vulnerable. The phoenix opened its beak and engulfed her in fire, sending her hurtling across the chamber.

"No!" Hiroto shouted and jumped after her.

"Moron! You can't reach her! She's too far away!" Evan yelled, reaching out instinctively, but it was already too late. The phoenix continued its assault on the remaining Awakeners. Evan ducked beneath one fireball and knocked another aside with his sword, but his attention kept returning to the two figures falling farther and farther into the abyss.

"Hiroto!"

Hiroto knew the attempt was reckless. There was no way he could reach Reika. The distance between them was simply too great, and Pocket Refuge was useless here. Once inside, he couldn't relocate the exit portal. Even so, he couldn't just stand there and watch her fall. Gritting his teeth, Hiroto stretched his hand toward her, straining against the rushing wind as though sheer willpower could somehow bridge the impossible distance. If he could just get close enough, maybe... just maybe... she'd fall within range.

Then he could pull her into his Pocket Refuge and reopen the portal a split second before she hit the ground. Far below, Reika's eyes remained shut. Flames had burned her face and the front of her body, while patches of fire still clung to her clothes. Her hair whipped around her as she continued plummeting through the air.

"Come on!" Hiroto shouted, frantically kicking his legs as though he could somehow propel himself through the empty sky. Closer... Just a little closer! All he wanted was to protect his sister, even if it was only this once. He was tired of disappointing her and standing by helplessly as she got hurt. Please... just let me reach her. Just let me grab her hand!

"Reika!" Hiroto cried. [You've unlocked a new skill!] Think, Evan. Think! You can't let them die like this! His mind raced, but nothing came to him. None of his skills could save them, and even if he were willing to activate That's Not How This Works, he hadn't gathered enough Demonic Energy Essence to use it. Damn it! If only I'd completed that Quest and convinced Yeon-ah to become an Awakener... maybe I'd have one more trick up my sleeve. But it was too late for regrets.

Evan could only stare in horror as Reika and Hiroto plummeted toward what seemed like certain death. Would their bodies smash against the ground, or would they disappear into the endless darkness below? No one knew what lay beneath the chasm. For all they knew, there wasn't even a bottom. Should Evan just consider them dead and focus on surviving? No. That wouldn't work either. With their two strongest fighters gone, the rest of them would soon follow.

They were nothing more than meat waiting to be roasted alive by the phoenix. System! Do something! Or are you really going to let me die like this? You want me to complete that mission, don't you? To deliver judgment to this oversized fire chicken! The System offered no reply. Just as despair threatened to consume him, something caught his eye. The two tiny figures below had stopped drifting apart. No... they were right beside each other, and they were getting bigger.

"What...?" Evan's jaw dropped as realization struck him. Hiroto was holding Reika in his arms, blinking from one point in space to another as they rapidly ascended. He unlocked a new ability! It had to be Spatial Step! Evan wanted to cheer, but another fireball came hurtling toward him, forcing him to raise his sword and block the blast. Reika uncorked a healing potion, drained it in one gulp, and tossed the empty vial aside.

"Okay, you can let go now. I can fight again." Without waiting for his response, she pushed off from Hiroto's grasp. Lightning coiled around her feet as she rocketed back toward the phoenix, while Hiroto kept pace behind her, flashing through space with his newly awakened Spatial Step.

"Reika! Hiroto!" The three cannon fodder cheered as they watched their two strongest fighters return to the battle. The pair resumed their offensive, working together to keep the phoenix off balance. Reika fired bolts of lightning at the creature, while Hiroto used Spatial Step to intercept it whenever it tried to evade, striking from unexpected angles with his sword. Evan supported them from a distance, bombarding the phoenix with ice projectiles to limit its movement.

Andrei continued launching Petrification projectiles as well. Although the phoenix's blazing aura consumed every shot before the skill could take effect, he still contributed more than Ji-ho and Emma, who had no way to attack from a distance. Hiroto appeared above the phoenix and brought his sword crashing down onto its head. The monster staggered, creating the opening Reika had been waiting for. She fired her lightning-charged naginata, driving it straight through the phoenix's chest.

Evan hammered it with another volley of ice projectiles, punching through both of its wings. The combined barrage left the phoenix riddled with wounds. Its wings gave out, and the creature finally began to fall.

"Did we... do it?" Ji-ho asked. Hiroto teleported onto a nearby chain while Reika landed against the side of the wall, gripping the stone to steady herself. Together, they held their breath, waiting for the phoenix to disappear into the darkness and reveal the exit portal. Instead, just as its body began breaking apart into glowing embers, the light suddenly intensified. The phoenix burst into even brighter flames. A wave of fire surged toward them.

"Oh, this damned fire chicken just won't stay down!" Evan cursed as he activated his shield. The others were too far away for him to reach them in time and protect them with his barrier, leaving him only to hope they could survive the coming blast. A blinding light consumed everything, and then... Blinking in confusion, Evan lowered his arm.

No longer standing on one of the chains suspended above the endless void, he found himself in a strange, dreamlike world that looked as though it had been painted onto a canvas. A flowing river glimmered with soft brushstrokes, while distant mountains blurred into the horizon like wet ink. Evan turned, finding no sign of the others. Then he spotted a lone figure seated at the river's edge.

The man had long black hair streaked with shades of gold and fiery orange, while his white-and-ivory robes fluttered in the breeze. As he turned toward Evan, a pair of dark yellow eyes met his gaze.

"So... you've come," the man said.