The air itself felt heavier now. The orb, once glowing faintly, had shattered moments ago, and the hum of the seal it held vanished into nothingness. I could feel it—almost as if a weight had lifted from the cavern, yet something darker had filled the space. Lucas froze beside me, eyes wide.
"Did… did it just—" he started, but I cut him off with a hand gesture.
I could sense it too: movement in the shadows, subtle at first, then deliberate. The creatures that had been trapped behind the orb's magic weren't gone—they were awake. No, not just awake. Hungry. Intelligent, calculating, and aware that we had disrupted their prison.
The shadows writhed across the cavern floor like living smoke, forming vaguely humanoid shapes at first glance. Then claws, teeth, and slitted eyes emerged, glinting in the torchlight. Every instinct in me screamed retreat, but running blindly would be fatal.
Lucas gripped his sword tighter. "Elric… we need a plan—"
I shook my head. "Observation first. Don't underestimate them. They've been contained for who knows how long. They'll act carefully, but if we make a single mistake…" I let the thought hang, letting him fill in the rest.
The creatures shifted closer, their forms elongating and twisting unnaturally as they moved. Some crawled along the cavern ceiling, others slid from cracks in the walls. Even without their full strength unleashed, the sheer number was intimidating. Dozens, if not hundreds, seemed to have gathered in the shadows.
I cast a faint wind barrier in front of us to create a buffer, feeling the heat of anticipation and malice press against it. Lucas mirrored me, holding his stance steady, eyes scanning for patterns.
One of the creatures lunged from the ceiling, long claws outstretched. I reacted instinctively, slashing my sword in an arc that deflected it. The creature shrieked, recoiling, but immediately recovered. Another swiped at Lucas, and he barely parried with a swift, precise strike.
"This is worse than I imagined," Lucas muttered, ducking under another attack.
I nodded, scanning the cavern, my mind racing. The broken seal hadn't just released them—it seemed to have strengthened them. They moved as if coordinated, anticipating our responses. My small magic attempts to stagger them had little effect; physical attacks barely scratched their dark forms.
A larger creature advanced, scales glinting unnaturally, eyes fixed on me. Its movement was swift, deceptively smooth for something so massive. I dodged, rolling across the uneven cavern floor, and slashed a wind-infused strike at its flank. It hissed and recoiled, but the pain seemed negligible.
Lucas called out, "Elric! There's too many—we can't fight them all!"
I swallowed hard, acknowledging the truth. Two first-years against this force? A dozen might have stood a chance, but not just the two of us. Survival had to be the priority.
"Follow me," I said, starting a careful retreat toward the narrow passage we had scouted earlier. "We lead them there—the tunnel limits their movement. One at a time."
We moved in silence, ears straining over the whispering of shadows and the occasional snap of claws against stone. The creatures followed, cautious but relentless. I used small bursts of wind magic to redirect some of the larger projectiles of rock and debris that the cavern itself seemed to throw against us.
Halfway to the tunnel, a creature lunged directly at Lucas. I intercepted it with a precise strike, sending it sprawling into a jagged rock formation. Lucas recovered instantly and countered with a slash that clipped its wing-like appendage. The creature screamed—a chilling, metallic sound—and scrambled back into the shadows.
I muttered under my breath, "We bought time… but not much."
The cavern's ceiling trembled as more creatures poured from previously sealed crevices. Their numbers were staggering, far beyond what I had imagined when I first saw the broken seal. Lucas glanced at me, pale-faced but focused. "We… we can't hold them off forever."
I agreed silently. Survival wasn't just about strength—it was about strategy. We moved through the narrow passage carefully, keeping as much distance as possible between ourselves and the bulk of the creatures. Every swing, every step, was calculated. I used magic sparingly, only enough to deflect or misdirect, conserving energy for when we truly needed it.
The shadowy creatures were no longer mere obstacles. They were intelligent predators, adapting to our movements. Every misstep would be fatal. And yet… we survived each encounter, learning their patterns, testing their reflexes, measuring our own limitations.
I realized then: this mission, rated as "moderate difficulty," had escalated far beyond expectation. Two students—Lucas and I—had reached the limits of what was feasible. We were alive, yes, but barely, and the creatures weren't showing signs of slowing. I could kill them all whenever I wanted with Nature Force, but I didn't want to.
As we paused behind a cluster of jagged rocks to catch our breath, I whispered to Lucas, "We report this. Nothing more. We survive. That's all."
He nodded, eyes wide but resolute. "Agreed. But… we've learned a lot. At least we know what we're up against."
I gave a grim smile, feeling the pulse of danger all around. "And it's only going to get worse."
Through the shadows, the creatures stirred again, sensing our fear and determination. And in that moment, I understood: this mission would test us in ways no classroom or academy could prepare us for.
We pressed onward, aware that the real trial was only beginning, and that the danger now was far more than what two first-year students could reasonably handle.
The passage narrowed even further, forcing us to move single file. I could feel the creatures pressing behind us, shadows crawling along the walls, some clinging to the ceiling, others skimming the floor. Every instinct screamed caution. The broken seal hadn't just released them—it had awakened them. Now they were hunting, calculating, learning from our movements.
Lucas kept his sword raised, eyes scanning constantly. "Elric… we can't keep this up much longer," he muttered, voice tight with tension. "There's too many of them."
I didn't answer immediately. I was measuring, calculating, predicting. Even with my small magic, even with our combined speed and skill, survival was the only goal. Each creature that lunged at us was faster than it appeared. One misstep and we would be impaled or crushed.
A larger, more grotesque shadow emerged from a side fissure, its claws scraping the walls. Its eyes—faintly glowing—locked onto me. I knew instinctively: it had learned to prioritize the stronger threat. Lucas followed my lead, moving in tight formation.
I slashed forward, magic-infused, and the creature recoiled slightly. It hissed, a chilling metallic sound, then lunged again, this time aiming for Lucas. I intervened, pushing him aside and sending the creature tumbling with a precise strike. "Keep moving!" I barked.
The cavern twisted ahead, and I realized the narrow tunnel wasn't enough. There were more branches—more opportunities for ambush. Every shadow seemed to twitch, waiting, calculating. The creatures weren't mindless—they were predators, hunting the pair of us with eerie intelligence.
Lucas glanced at me, breathing heavily. "We… we might not make it out. Alone."
I shook my head. "We adapt. We don't fight them all. We survive and retreat when necessary. That's the plan."
The shadows surged again. Several creatures lunged simultaneously from different angles. I barely parried one with a magical wind slash, another I dodged with a rapid roll, my sword slicing the flank of one that got too close. Lucas struck precisely, deflecting attacks aimed at both of us. Every movement was coordinated, every strike calculated.
Yet the sheer number and relentless pressure wore on us. I could feel the danger increasing exponentially with each step. This was no longer about completing a mission—it was about surviving a nightmare beyond first-year capability.
We reached a small chamber, barely larger than the passage itself, with a higher ceiling and scattered rock formations. The creatures followed, but now their movement was slowed by the cramped space. I glanced at Lucas. "Here," I whispered, "we can fight smarter. Let's funnel them one by one."
We positioned ourselves strategically, using the rocks as partial cover. One creature lunged at me, and I sidestepped, striking its joint with a wind-infused slash. It screeched, stumbling into a wall. Lucas moved immediately, aiming for another's flank. The creatures were adapting, yes—but we had the advantage of using the terrain.
A particularly large shadowy figure blocked the only exit. Its form was massive, scales reflecting faint torchlight. I could feel the immense power radiating from it. My stomach twisted. This wasn't something two first-years were meant to confront. Not even the most talented students could hope to overpower this.
Lucas noticed it too. "We… we need to think. We can't beat that thing directly."
I nodded, eyes scanning the chamber. "We create space, use the corridor ahead to our advantage, and fall back. We survive. That's all."
As we retreated carefully, the shadows pressed, claws scraping rock, teeth snapping. Some of the smaller creatures tried to flank us from side passages, forcing us to constantly adjust, dodge, strike, retreat. Every step was precise; every moment required focus. A single miscalculation would be fatal.
Lucas's breathing was ragged. Our strength was enough to survive—just barely—but not to fight these creatures head-on. This mission, rated "moderate difficulty" for first-years, had escalated far beyond expectation. Two students, even well-trained swordsmen, were barely keeping ahead of creatures that had been sealed away for unknown eons.
A particularly agile shadow leapt from above, and I caught it with a wind slash midair, sending it skidding against the wall. Lucas followed immediately, striking at another's joint. "We're… surviving," he gasped, his voice a mixture of awe and fear.
I allowed myself a grim smile, knowing it was true—but only barely. "Surviving," I repeated. "Not winning. Surviving is the mission now."
The cavern ahead widened slightly. The creatures hesitated, seemingly assessing our movement. It gave us a brief reprieve—a chance to catch our breath, regroup, and plan the next step. But I knew that once we advanced, the full force of what had been unleashed would pursue us relentlessly.
We crouched behind rocks, catching our breath. I whispered, "This mission… it's impossible for just the two of us. A dozen could have managed it. Two… we are merely surviving."
Lucas nodded silently, understanding. Our progress so far had been almost miraculous, but the shadows were patient predators. They would not stop, and they would not tire.
And as I glanced into the darkness, I realized the full gravity of the situation: this mission had escalated far beyond first-year capability, and survival was now our only option. Every sense screamed it. Every instinct confirmed it. The danger wasn't just ahead—it was all around us.
We waited, preparing ourselves mentally for the next wave. The real test, I knew, was only beginning.
Soon we started moving back a little—but the problem arrived. The way we needed to go now opened into a huge chamber. We couldn't face large numbers head-on, and we couldn't stay here forever. What could we do?
Then we saw another thing…