The bicycle chain hissed skreeek, dry friction between metal and metal occasionally spitting out sparks that flickered in the night.
The whoosh tore through the dungeon's silence, catching the attention of a lone Goblin. It just managed to turn its head when a cold steel spearhead plunged straight into its neck. The monster's entire body was lifted into the air, dragged along by the thing that had just rushed past.
It groaned, garbled sounds choking in the hot blood gushing from its throat. The last thing the monster saw before closing its eyes was a tall figure with a smooth round head, and behind it, a petite body with violet eyes staring at it coldly.
Lia tapped lightly on Long's helmet, speaking softly: "Hey, you can dump its body now. Isn't it heavy holding it like that?"
Long didn't answer; he gripped the wooden spear shaft tight and swung his arm decisively. The Goblin corpse was flung aside, rolling a few times on the ground before lying motionless in the darkness.
The path this bicycle traveled was paved with monster corpses. Exploiting the momentum from speed, the spear in his hand had claimed countless lives. With Lia standing firm on the rear pegs behind him, the combination of magic and nail gun ensured no target escaped their sights.
The bike was speeding along when Long squeezed the brakes hard. Rubber tires ground against the dry stone floor, screeching piercingly, leaving a long black skid mark stretching to the foot of the massive stone door closed tight ahead.
"Don't get any closer, Long."
Lia's voice rang out, deep and cold. She narrowed her eyes at the towering gate:
"That is the lair of one of the seven commanders under the Demon King."
Long felt goosebumps rise along his spine. Cold sweat seeped out, soaking the inner lining of his helmet. He turned to look at Lia, his lips moving soundlessly for a moment before he could utter:
"Wait... Didn't your party defeat the Demon King? Why is one of his commanders still alive here?"
Lia didn't look at him, her eyebrows furrowed, eyes full of contempt:
"It's all because of that Grand Sage. He came up with the insane idea to reconstruct this entire dungeon after the war, turning this place into a controlled monster reservation."
She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, her small body trembling with rage:
"That madman imprisoned the spirit bodies of the commanders in these rooms. He turned them into sources of immortal materials, killed and then revived, never able to escape."
Lia stomped hard on the rear bike rack, her voice hissing through her teeth:
"He said it was for the future of humanity. That high-level monster materials were too rare, couldn't let them go extinct... And the result is that pile of crap you just killed on the way here. His system has collapsed."
Lia jumped to the ground, her thumbnail biting hard between her teeth as her eyes glued to the towering stone block. She paced back and forth, breathing heavily with frustration:
"Damn it, if we don't take this guy down, the way to the lower floor is considered a dead end. Even with forced power reduction, a commander's spirit body is still out of our league."
Frustration made Lia lose control; she swung her leg and kicked a pebble hard. The stone flew, hitting the gate's surface with a resounding clack.
The ground began to vibrate with dull rhythmic throbs. The sound of stone grinding against stone shrieked as the massive door slowly parted, revealing a pitch-black gap. Lia startled, instinctively diving behind Long's back, clutching the hem of his shirt. She cautiously poked her head out to look, then let out a sigh:
"Thank goodness, looks like the rule is still in effect. Spirit bodies can't step out of— Mmph!"
Before she could finish, Long's hand clamped over both her mouth and nose. She looked up in panic, seeing Long using his other hand to reach inside his helmet, squeezing the lining tight as if trying to block air from entering.
A pungent, overwhelming smell like rotten eggs began to sneak through the door gap, flooding the corridor. The surrounding space suddenly became murky, thickened by a grey mist crawling along the ground.
Gas!
The thought flashed through Long's brain like lightning. He could taste the metallic tang clinging to the tip of his tongue and feel his lungs starting to burn after just a short breath.
Just as he was about to pull Lia to retreat, a bright red streak suddenly flashed in the black pit behind the door, grabbing all of Long's attention. His emerald eyes lit up with shock.
Without a second of hesitation, Long ripped off his helmet, jammed it onto Lia's head, and locked the clasp. His voice was urgent, hoarse from starting to inhale the poison gas:
"You get out of this stinking place first, I'll follow right behind. Hurry!"
Ignoring Lia's muffled screams behind the plastic visor, Long charged straight inside the gate. Just as he saw, amidst the thick grey smoke were bodies lying scattered. A man with hair red as fire was the beacon helping him navigate in the darkness.
They were still breathing.
Long gritted his teeth, slinging the redhead over his shoulder. His arms shot out, grabbing the coat belts of two girls nearby and hoisting them up. Still not enough, he crouched low, using his teeth to clamp tight onto the shirt fabric of another teenager, lifting him up like a wild beast carrying its young.
The weight of four bodies pressed heavy on his muscles, making Long's joints crack with every step. He turned intending to escape, but another massive figure lying deep in a hidden corner made his steps falter.
He was just about to take another step when a Whoosh—tearing through space like the crack of a giant whip rang out.
Long's spine went cold. He whipped his head around. The massive corpse from earlier had vanished without a trace, as if the darkness had just swallowed it whole. Long looked up high.
In the misty fog, a pair of enormous, glowing eyeballs were suspended, looking down at him with extreme hunger. Without a second of hesitation, Long put all his strength into his legs, stomping hard on the stone floor, shooting out like an arrow tearing the wind.
Long's lungs began to sear as if someone had just poured live coals inside. Oxygen levels in his body depleted rapidly as he had to shoulder a massive weight under the effect of toxic gas. Long's consciousness blurred, the scenery before his eyes smearing, leaving only the dim halo of the gate ahead.
His legs were heavy as lead; every step was a struggle against gravity. Reaching the edge of the gate, Long's muscles gave out; he kneeled, his entire body collapsing forward.
In that very moment, a small but sturdy hand caught his shoulder just in time. Lia's petite figure flashed past like lightning; she circled behind Long, pressing her palm tight against his sweaty back.
"Get out now!"
A massive impulse erupted, blasting both Long and the pile of people on his shoulders flying out of the danger zone.
As soon as Long landed outside, Lia spun around, her hands swinging up to control a force field shooting straight at the two stone doors. Boom! The massive stone blocks slammed shut, locking the poison gas and those terrifying eyes inside. Lia also managed to dive out just before the last gap vanished, landing on top of Long, her chest heaving as she gasped for air.
Long coughed violently, gulps of fresh air flooding his burning chest, bringing his consciousness gradually back to alertness. But as soon as he managed to orient himself, a soft and warm sensation suddenly hit, enveloping him along with a pure herbal scent.
Long was slightly dazed by the sudden weight pressing on his chest. He looked down to see Lia lying prone on top of him. Her violet eyes were brimming with tears, her small face twisted with anger and fear. She sobbed, her shout cracking with indignation:
"WHAT DID YOU PROMISE? You promised not to do reckless things anymore... YOU DAMN BRAT!"
Lia climbed fully onto Long, her two small fists continuously pounding on his chest and shoulders. The punches filled with rage made Long wince in pain, feeling like every muscle fiber that had just relaxed was being beaten black and blue again.
However, he just lay still, gritting his teeth to endure. Long dared not resist, nor dared utter a word, because he could feel her hot tears soaking through his shirt, burning even more than the gas earlier.