Free Web NovelA wall of ice tens of meters tall surged from the ground, like Achilles’ shield from a Homeric epic, cutting off the enemy’s line of sight.
The effect was perfect. Pus exhaled in relief. Forming ice from thin air drained a lot of mana, but the post-rain air made it easier this time.
“Move! Fall back!”
Luna waved her arm, shouting for her teammates to retreat together.
The miners froze in confusion. Then, from among them, a fat overseer stepped forward, face twisted in anger. Cracking his whip, he bellowed,
“You filthy swine! Go around and cut them off! Leave those outsiders who dared trespass in the holy land right here!”
The blank-eyed miners, like spinning tops struck by the whip, raised their picks and tools and began to move as ordered—without the slightest hint of rebellion.
Some of the soldiers in tattered uniforms, however, didn’t move at all. The overseer merely snorted coldly and ignored them, cracking his whip again as he rushed in the direction Luna’s team had fled.
They were all dead men—souls trapped in this endless cycle.
......
The town’s broken, long-neglected roads were difficult to traverse, but that couldn’t stop these seasoned adventurers.
“Liufir, you’re the last one! Come on, climb up the rope!” Yuancherin tossed down a thick hemp line, shouting toward the shadowy bank below.
“O-okay...”
Liufir quickly began to climb. Her arms and legs were slim, but she wasn’t much slower than a professional climber.
Thud! freёweɓnovel.com
At the final stretch, Yuancherin reached out a hand, pulling up the team’s youngest and least experienced member.
The embankment stood much higher than the rest of the town. Luna stopped at the edge, scanning the distance.
Her brow furrowed. “After we blocked the main road, the miners started searching for new routes. Looks like... they’re not planning to let us go. Yuancherin, how long have we been here?”
“Hmm... by my count, not even three days yet. The diary said the cycle resets every seven days, [N O V E L I G H T] but I have no reference point. I don’t know how much time had already passed when we entered Mount Aisa.”
“That makes things complicated...”
None of them wanted to face another unknown upheaval in this cursed place.
Who knew—when the reset came, would it take their bodies, their location, even their memories with it?
“No matter what happens, be ready for the worst.”
Luna’s tone grew solemn. “This is the place where the Hero and the Demon King fought three years ago—and where they fell. Whatever battle they waged here, the danger left behind is far beyond any commission we’ve ever taken.”
Her voice was firm, commanding. “So from now on, I expect every one of you to fight with the resolve to protect everyone’s life. This isn’t a game, or a pastime—it’s for our families, and our future!”
The adventurers said nothing, but their eyes burned with steady fire—unyielding, fearless.
Clap, clap, clap.
Suddenly, applause echoed in the dark.
“Haha! As expected of a party about to be promoted to Emerald rank—such unity, truly admirable!”
“Who’s there!”
Luna’s entire body tensed. The members of Fairy’s Wings quickly formed a circle, weapons ready against the unseen threat.
“Kare!”
“Got it, Captain!”
Kare took a deep breath. His body flared red and bright as the temperature around him surged. A massive fireball blasted toward the direction of the voice.
Boom!
A wave of heat roared outward. The explosion lit the darkness like dawn—and at the same time drew the attention of the miners and soldiers searching nearby.
“A bunch of brutes!”
The shadowy figure cursed, then turned and ran. Clearly, he had no intention of fighting an Emerald-rank adventuring party right now.
“Captain!” Arc clenched his fists.
Luna glanced at the oncoming miners and soldiers, then at the retreating shadow—and made her decision.
“After that stranger! He’s not one of this town’s residents—he came from outside, just like us!”
At her command, the group immediately gave chase.
The slowest, Liufir, suddenly felt her feet lift off the ground. Looking up, she saw Captain Luna holding her by the collar like a kitten.
“Liufir, you really need more training.”
“S-sorry...”
“It’s fine. Everyone starts somewhere.”
Luna ran swiftly, movements fluid and sharp. Even carrying both her massive sword and a small girl, she didn’t slow in the least.
It was hard to imagine—this nearly two-meter-tall greatsword warrior, famed for her raw strength, could move that fast while burdened.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” The mysterious man was furious. He had clearly overestimated these adventurers’ sense of honor.
No warning, no words—just straight to fighting! Might as well call them bandits instead of adventurers.
Worse still, numbers Four and Seven had both gone missing. Probably dead in some corner already—useless fools!
He cursed his teammates inwardly while frantically debating whether to look for others to help.
Their organization was... peculiar. Superiors held absolute authority over subordinates, but members of the same rank acted independently, competing viciously for promotion.
Suddenly—
Luna’s eyes narrowed. She noticed the mysterious man had slowed, standing ahead of them motionless, his back turned.
“Ice!” Pus barked. Frost bloomed, freezing the man’s legs solid, locking him in place.
“Everyone, stay alert!” freeweɓnovel.cѳm
With his movement sealed, the mysterious man was quickly surrounded.
“I mean you no harm!” He raised both hands in surrender. “My teammates went missing here too! I just wanted to ask for help!”
“Yeah, tell that to someone stupid enough to buy it.”
Arc strode forward, grabbed the man by the collar, tore off his mask, and smashed it underfoot. Then—slap, slap—two heavy blows landed across the man’s face, swelling both cheeks instantly.
“Talk. Who are you people? Why are you here?”
Before the man could answer—another pair of slaps.
“Stop! Stop! We’re just a small, harmless organization!” the man cried, tears streaming. “We heard there was a commission here, thought maybe we could tag along... sniff... pick up some scraps from you big guys... didn’t mean any harm...”
His voice broke pitifully. “Please, spare me! I’ve got a gambling father, a sick mother, and a little brother in school—”
Arc frowned, staring down at the man like an old man reading a tiny screen. That line... sounded familiar.
Where had he heard it before...? Wait—could the guy actually be telling the truth?
“Hey, baldy, don’t fall for that crap!” Yuancherin burst out laughing. “He’s lying to you!”
“I-I’m not lying!” the man protested.
Then Arc remembered—he remembered everything!
That exact line—his ex-girlfriend had told him the same thing!
The worst part? She’d said it right before running off with every cent of the money he’d saved from ten years of work!
Bang!
Arc’s fury exploded. He slammed his fist into the man’s face. The stranger’s head rang like a gong—and then his eyes rolled back as he collapsed unconscious.
