CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29 : ALEXIA TO THE RESCUE

As Deon struggled under the assaults of the skeletons, assessing his situation, he suddenly heard a crackling sound in the air. Then, all of a sudden—

BOOOOOOM!

An explosion thundered in the distance, devastating a large portion of the labyrinth.

The blast wave swept over Deon, who raised his arm to shield himself from the blinding light.

When the dust finally settled, dozens of skeletons lay shattered across the floor.

His heart skipped a beat.

"An explosion?! Alexia?!" he wondered, glancing back and spotting a feminine silhouette approaching through the shadows.

He could feel that familiar energy.

Powerful. Radiant. There was no doubt—it was Alexia.

The dust slowly cleared, revealing a torn-up corridor littered with smoking bones.

Deon narrowed his eyes, searching for the source of the explosion.

His heart was pounding.

That aura... he would recognize it anywhere.

A smile spread across his face.

"So you’re here, Alexia..." he murmured.

The battlefield had just changed.

A warm breeze brushed against his face, carrying with it golden sparks that floated in the air like fireflies.

Then, in a surge of energy, a silhouette emerged through the smoke.

Alexia.

Her crimson hair fluttered in the mana-saturated air, and her deep red eyes glowed with focused intensity.

Behind her, fine particles of light formed a complex magical sigil, still pulsing with heat.

"At last... I found you," she said in a calm, almost cold tone.

Deon managed a faint smile despite the tension.

"You showed up just in time."

She took in the scene: the ruined corridor, the shattered skeletons, and Deon covered in sweat, sword in hand.

"So that was the noise I heard... Looks like you haven’t gone rusty."

"Let’s just say I was... busy surviving."

A sharp crack echoed behind them.

The fragments of bones began to tremble—then slowly started piecing themselves back together.

The skeletons... were reforming.

"Tch. Don’t these things ever know when to quit?" Deon growled, raising his weapon again.

Alexia stepped forward, her expression unreadable.

Her gaze locked on the crimson-glowing sockets of the resurrecting skeletons.

"Let me handle this."

Her tone was firm—no doubt, no hesitation.

Deon opened his mouth to object, but stopped when he saw the surge of energy forming around her.

Mana gathered rapidly, vibrating through the entire corridor.

The ground cracked beneath her feet.

Even the air itself seemed to tremble.

Then, her voice rang out—clear and sharp:

"Ifrit: Flame of Judgment."

A wave of fire burst forth from the magic circle, sweeping down the corridor in a deafening roar.

The skeletons were consumed instantly, their dry screams blending into the roar of the flames.

The heat was suffocating.

Deon shielded his eyes, breathless before the sheer force of the spell.

When the light faded, nothing remained.

Not even dust.

Silence returned—heavy and oppressive.

Alexia sighed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"There... that should keep them quiet."

Deon stood frozen for a moment, still in shock.

What he had just witnessed exceeded anything he’d imagined.

"That was... a rank C spell, right?" he asked, still incredulous.

She nodded without looking at him.

"Roughly. But I had to pour in more mana than expected."

She paused, then turned toward him with a faint smile.

"You look exhausted."

Deon let out a tired laugh.

"Let’s just say I’ve had calmer days."

Their eyes met briefly—silent, yet full of meaning.

An invisible bond, forged through battle, pulsed between them.

But before they could exchange another word—

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble.

Grrrrrr...

A deep growl echoed from the depths of the labyrinth, making the walls quiver.

A dark wave of mana spread outward—cold and suffocating.

Deon tightened his grip on his sword.

"That... that’s not an ordinary skeleton."

Alexia narrowed her eyes.

"No. It’s something else. Something much worse."

A fissure opened in the ground, releasing a black mist.

Then, deep within the darkness of the corridor, two blood-red eyes slowly opened.

The mana in the air collapsed under the pressure.

A chill ran through Deon’s entire body.

"That thing... is it the Mausoleum Guardian?"

Alexia didn’t answer.

She raised her hand, summoning her runic grimoire, and soon, fiery symbols began forming around her.

The glow of her runes illuminated Deon’s pale face.

"Get ready, Deon..." she said calmly, never looking away from the darkness ahead.

"This won’t be just a simple fight."

The roar came again—this time, much closer. Then suddenly, new skeletons burst from the ground. Their numbers had multiplied several times compared to just minutes ago.

And in the pitch-black darkness of the labyrinth, the true ordeal was about to begin.

Though Deon wanted to rely on Alexia, he couldn’t afford the luxury. Time was running out, and now that he had found the mind behind this horde of skeletons—the Mausoleum Guardian—he had only one thought left: end it quickly.

Without hesitation, Alexia unleashed another barrage of explosions, scattering the skeletons.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Deon—who had been concealing his presence from the start—slipped quietly toward the rear line.

There, he saw it.

A massive black skeleton, so dark it blended into the shadows.

Only two crimson eyes burned in the void.

Even without anyone telling him, Deon knew—it was him. The source of it all.

"It’s just... just a skeleton?" he muttered, trying to reassure himself as he stared at the Mausoleum Guardian.

However, after a quick assessment of its power, Deon realized he couldn’t handle both the Guardian and its army at once. As he hesitated between attacking or retreating, a wall of earth suddenly rose, cutting him and the Guardian off from the horde.

"Thanks, Alexia. Looks like you can read my mind," Deon said, a faint smile lighting his face.

Now, the corridor had been split in two:

on one side, Deon and the Mausoleum Guardian;

on the other, Alexia, who had to deal with the army.

---

Since the beginning of the battle, Deon had found their movements strangely coordinated. Normal monsters weren’t capable of such organized tactics.

And from experience, he knew what that meant—the presence of a leader.

It had been the same in the demonic wolf’s dungeon.

But because of their sheer numbers, he hadn’t been able to locate the Guardian earlier.

Fortunately, Alexia’s explosion had changed everything.

Amid the chaotic surge of mana, he had detected an abnormal fluctuation—concentrated at the very back of the horde.

The Guardian.

Everything made sense.

---

"Hmph! Let’s finish this quickly," he muttered, glancing briefly at the wall separating him from Alexia.

"Pro... te... ct..."

"Huh? You can talk?"

He had never seen a monster capable of uttering a single word. This oddity sparked both his curiosity and his caution.

But before he could react, the Guardian’s crimson eyes flared—

and a bone blade pierced through his abdomen.

"Ugh..."

Blood gushed out.

And for Deon, the battle against the Mausoleum Guardian had just begun.