A Bug In Fate

The underground chamber descended into chaos.

The silence from moments ago had completely vanished, replaced by the sounds of clashing weapons, flapping wings, and exploding spells.

Mina continuously fired fireballs at the Mistfeathers, forcing them to scatter, while Liam’s binding spell had successfully restrained their target.

Even though the Mistfeather had awakened, it couldn’t dodge the wind restraints that wrapped tightly around its body.

The remaining Mistfeathers, however, were filled with rage after realizing that intruders had invaded their home.

"Bastard! What the hell did you do?"

Mina cursed as she dodged two Mistfeathers diving toward her.

Their sharp beaks were deadly weapons, capable of piercing through flesh with ease.

The drifting mist surrounding their bodies was even more troublesome.

The longer they fought at close range, the weaker their mana became.

Even their movements gradually turned sluggish as the battle continued.

"I’m sorry."

Alden said in an embarrassed voice.

*My aura has definitely gone into the negatives...*

He thought to himself before rushing into the chaotic battlefield. Now that they had captured their target, there was no point in guarding the exit anymore.

"Don’t worry. We just have to get out of here safely."

Liam said as he thrust his spear toward an incoming Rupture Realm Mistfeather.

The bird abruptly changed direction, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Liam’s spear missed its target and slammed into the stone floor instead. Mana erupted from the impact, cracking the ground and sending chunks of stone flying in every direction.

At the same time, the Mistfeather manipulated the mist surrounding its body and sent it surging toward Liam.

He didn’t stop moving. Sidestepping the incoming mist, Liam raised his free hand as a green magic circle formed before his palm.

"Wind Blade."

Several crescent-shaped blades shot forward, forcing the Mistfeather to retreat.

Meanwhile, Alden rushed toward the captured Mistfeather.

Several monsters dived at him, trying to block his path.

He had already had enough of them.

One Mistfeather lunged straight at him, its sharp beak aimed at his chest.

Alden calmly swung his sword.

The monster instinctively twisted its body, attempting to dodge the attack. It succeeded...

But only halfway.

Its wings were cleanly severed.

Before the creature could even scream, Alden used Flash Step and appeared above it.

His sword flashed downward.

The Mistfeather crashed into the stone floor with a heavy thud, a deep slash running across its body.

It never moved again.

Alden was about to reach the captured Mistfeather when two streams of mist rushed toward him from different directions.

At the same time, another Mistfeather dived at him with incredible speed, its sharp beak aimed straight at his chest.

Alden sidestepped and swung his sword.

The blade met the monster’s body, but instead of cutting through cleanly, he felt resistance.

His eyes narrowed.

The mana coating his sword had been disrupted by the mist, and a faint nick appeared along the blade.

*At this rate... I’ll lose the bet.*

The old blacksmith’s words flashed through his mind.

Without hesitating, Alden stabilized the mana flowing through his sword.

This time, instead of covering the blade with a large amount of mana, he compressed it into an extremely thin yet dense layer.

The aura surrounding the blade almost disappeared.

Unknowingly, his control over mana was improving at a terrifying pace, refined further with every exchange.

Before he could test it further, another Mistfeather charged from his right.

Alden used Flash Step.

Instead of retreating, he appeared directly in front of the charging bird.

The Mistfeather’s eyes widened in surprise.

Too late.

A thin line appeared across its body.

The next instant...

Its body split cleanly in two.

Alden appeared beside the captured Mistfeather.

The bird was struggling inside Liam’s wind spell, but he could tell the restraint wouldn’t last much longer.

*I wish I could use spells too...*

The thought crossed his mind.

Unfortunately, he had to reach the Rupture Realm before he could properly learn and cast them.

Shaking his head, Alden pushed the thought aside and focused on the struggling bird.

Liam and Mina were still busy dealing with the remaining Mistfeathers, so he couldn’t ask either of them for help.

He grabbed the monster by its neck.

A faint black mist continued to seep from its body, but compared to the others, this one was clearly the weakest.

Without thinking too much, Alden smacked the back of its head with the hilt of his sword.

The Mistfeather let out a miserable cry.

"...Sorry."

He said without much sincerity before hitting it again.

And again.

And again.

He continued until, after nearly twenty strikes, the Mistfeather finally closed its eyes and stopped struggling.

Whether it had actually been knocked unconscious...

Or had simply decided to pretend, just to end its suffering...

...was a question no one could answer.

He turned his attention toward the others.

Mina was currently fighting three Rupture Realm Mistfeathers. Apparently, the one that had attacked Alden earlier had changed its target after realizing he wasn’t an easy opponent.

"Hey, do you need help?"

Alden asked as he casually walked toward her.

"You bastard!"

Mina shouted while dodging a surge of black mist.

"You’re the reason all of this happened! At least deal with your own opponents first."

"Hehe."

"It’s not my fault they’re afraid of me."

Alden replied with a grin, clearly enjoying the scene before him.

"As if."

Mina snorted before slashing at a Mistfeather already covered in wounds.

While Alden had been busy ’dealing’ with the captured bird, she hadn’t been holding back.

Her blade cut across the monster’s abdomen.

Blood sprayed into the air as its wings fluttered violently before it crashed onto the ground.

Dead.

Just then, another Mistfeather tried to gain altitude.

Alden used Flash Step and appeared directly in its path.

His sword forced the monster to change direction, but before it could escape, Alden spun around and kicked it straight toward Mina.

The Mistfeather slammed into the ground right in front of her.

"Bastard!"

Mina glared at him.

At this point, she was convinced he was doing it on purpose.

Still, she finished off the monster with a single slash.

Liam, who had just dealt with his own opponent, couldn’t help but laugh.

"Haha... you two were probably enemies in your past life."

The moment he finished speaking, Mina shot him a dangerous glare.

Liam immediately coughed and looked away.

"...Forget I said anything."

Within a few more minutes, the remaining Mistfeathers were dealt with.

Only the captured one was left alive.

"Well..."

Alden stretched his shoulders.

"That was fun. Thanks for inviting me."

A genuine smile appeared on his face.

If not for the two of them, he wouldn’t have experienced something like this.

For a moment, Liam and Mina were both speechless.

Especially Mina.

She couldn’t understand how someone who had annoyed her throughout the entire journey could suddenly sound so sincere.

"...Are you bipolar?"

She asked, trying to make sense of him.

"No."

Alden answered without hesitation.

Liam burst into laughter.

"Haha... whatever you are, we enjoyed this mission too."

He smiled honestly.

"And your cooking made the trip much better."

"I’m glad to hear that."

Alden replied with a smile.

"Alright."

Liam secured the unconscious Mistfeather before glancing at the other two.

"Let’s go."

No one objected.

The three silently climbed the stone stairs and stepped out of the underground ruins. The afternoon sun greeted them once again, as if nothing had happened beneath the ancient city.

The dry wind swept across the abandoned streets, carrying dust through the broken buildings.

Alden instinctively turned back for one last look.

His gaze lingered on the ruins for a brief moment.

The sentence carved into the hidden wall flashed through his mind once again.

*History will repeat itself, only the names will change.*

He didn’t know who had carved those words.

Nor did he know why they were written in a language that should never have existed in this world.

But one thing was certain.

He would return here someday.

Not as an adventurer completing a guild mission...

But as someone searching for the truth.

Without another word, Alden turned around and followed Liam and Mina.

Behind them, the Noctis Ruins quietly stood beneath the setting sun, keeping their secrets buried for another day.

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