CHAPTER 70: BLACK FIELDS RAID [VI]

Lucius walked through the jagged hole in the wall that Grimm had made with his latest ungraceful crash.

Dust still lingered in the air, but what lay beyond made even him pause.

’Woah,’ he thought, eyes widening.

From afar the place had only seemed like it was glowing faintly with scattered lights, the walls shimmered with veins of radiant minerals that pulsed with mana.

Entire clusters of crystalline rock jutted out like the bones of the earth had been plated with gemstones.

Even the drone hovering above tilted its lens downward, catching the glittering cavern on stream.

Luna slipped in beside him, her protective suit catching the glow, giving her an almost ethereal shine.

"Oh my..." she whispered.

Behind them, the rest of the squad finally caught up, each one staring slack-jawed at the radiant bounty before them.

And then Erika Drachenfels stepped forward, clearing her throat with the kind of energy only someone with misplaced confidence could muster.

"I’m an expert at mineral extraction, Mr. Lucius," she said with a grin, her voice sharp and sure.

Lucius arched a brow at her, unimpressed.

From the way she nearly cried when her sword clattered uselessly earlier, trusting her with mining equipment sounded like begging for another accident.

Still, she radiated such certainty that he merely shrugged.

"Yeah, fine, but I didn’t bring any equipmen—"

"You don’t need to worry about that, Mister."

She slammed a gauntleted hand against the side of her armored thigh. A jolt of shock ran through her body as the armor plates along her back whirred and parted.

Then, with a hiss, compartments opened up to reveal a collection of mining tools folded neatly inside.

She sighed in visible relief. "I pack one every day just to make sure."

Lucius blinked. He wanted to scrunch his face, maybe even ask if she was serious — but restrained himself.

What kind of woman carried a personal arsenal of pickaxes inside her armor? It was so absurd it had to be true.

The stream chat immediately lit up.

[@Voidwalker: no way she just pulled a Minecraft starter kit from her ass armor 💀]

[@ShinyHunter42: this ain’t no swordswoman, this a pocket blacksmith 😂]

[@CritHitOnly: nahhhh Erika OP confirmed, secret miner class???]

[@FanOfLuna: she’s... kinda smart tho??]

[@WormSlayer88: bro... she been clanking around w/ pickaxes this WHOLE TIME]

[@LaughingStock: pls tell me one of those things doesn’t poke her in the ass while running]

Lucius massaged his temple. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."

Then, to his surprise, Erika actually wielded the equipment with skill.

Unlike her swordsmanship which was, frankly, nonexistent, her grip on the heavy drill-pick was steady.

She slammed it into the wall with practiced force, cracking a cluster of glowing minerals free.

The sound echoed, crisp and satisfying.

"See? I told you." She smirked proudly.

Soon, a few of the others joined in.

Even Luna picked up a smaller tool despite Lucius’s quiet objections.

"Careful," he warned, watching her tiny frame heft it awkwardly.

But Luna was determined. She swung the pick down with all her strength. A shard of mineral cracked off, and the vibration jolted up her arms until her hands shook.

She winced, dropping the tool with a quiet groan.

The stream went wild.

[@SoftieLover: LUNA STRONG 🥺💪]

[@SaltMine: lil sis boutta mine diamonds like a pro]

[@TombstoneJester: she gon break her spine before she breaks the rock 💀]

[@FanOfLuna: SHE’S SO CUTE AHHHHHH]

[@Anon231: protect her at all costs 😭😭😭]

Dejected, Luna pouted and sidled up next to Lucius.

He reached out and patted her head gently.

"You did great," he said warmly. "Just don’t overdo it."

Her cheeks pinked, but she nodded.

Before long, the squad had a decent pile of minerals gathered. Lucius stepped forward, raised his hand, and extended his will.

Light surged from his palm, engulfing the shimmering pile, and in an instant — vanished.

The drone swiveled, catching the process, and the stream comments exploded.

[@ManaJunkie: YO he got spatial inventory??]

[@GodTierLoot: he just Thanos snapped the loot 😭]

[@Archivist78: DO U GUYS REALIZE HOW BROKEN THAT IS]

[@LaughingStock: Erika mining, Luna pouting, Lucius looting = peak content]

[@CritHitOnly: he really flexed on us while acting casual 😮‍💨]

Erika’s eyes went wide. "Ah! Mister Lucius, you can do something like that!?"

The others looked equally astonished, but Lucius brushed it off as if it were nothing. He reached down, gently laced his fingers with Luna’s, and started forward.

"It’s only normal," he said coolly. "Let’s go to the final floor."

...

The group ascended the next staircase, slime clinging slickly to each step.

Lucius hovered effortlessly with Luna in his arms, leaving the others to slip, grunt, and fumble their way up. Eventually, everyone gathered at the top, breathless but ready.

Before them loomed a massive set of double doors carved with the same strange runes they’d seen earlier in the graveyard chamber.

Only these were larger, etched with symbols glowing dark green this time.

Lucius didn’t waste time. He simply extended his hand, space folding like paper as the doors creaked open without him even touching them.

Darkness yawned beyond.

One by one, they stepped inside. The heavy doors slammed shut behind them with a final, echoing thud.

Almost immediately, lines of torchlight flickered to life along the walls, flames burning with eerie, cold-blue fire.

The light stretched forward, bouncing off embedded crystals, guiding their eyes toward the far end of the cavern.

There it stood: a massive, towering grave.

The thing was carved from obsidian-like stone, adorned with runes that glowed faintly under the torchlight.

The air felt heavy here, like it pressed down on the lungs. Even the bravest in the squad stood still, tension coiling through their spines.

Luna’s grip on Lucius’s sleeve tightened.

And then —

ROOOOAAAAAR.

The sound tore through the chamber, shaking the very foundations of the dungeon. Dust fell from the ceiling, the torches guttered violently, and the floor itself rumbled under their boots.

Lucius narrowed his eyes, lips curving into the faintest smile.

"The boss," Erika whispered under her breath.

Her hands clenched around her sword hilt, eyes wide as the grave trembled.

"The boss has awakened."