Realm Wars

Ryu and Rosa advanced to the next dungeon. 

Upon laying foot on the second dungeon, the door closed before it disappeared. And like the first one, the next dungeon laid out traps as well. But instead of just Ryu, Rosa, the human, and elf, they were joined by other experts who also succeeded from their first dungeon.

Ryu was sure that at least hundreds of them were swallowed by the hole. Could it be that they were being merged gradually? 

His heart hoped. There was a chance that he and Seraphina might see each other in the succeeding dungeons!

But before that, he must survive the dungeons first.

They were all faced with another trap as they encountered lock doors that must be broken down to pass, but an abyss was waiting for them on the other side. And they were only able to make out to the next dungeon by sacrificing two experts who broke down the wrong doors. 

Among these experts was Ryu and Rosa's elf companion in their first dungeon.

However, their third dungeon had mimics posing as multiple doors. Hundreds of doors to choose from and turning the wrong knob would cause their limbs or, if they weren't lucky, their whole body or soul to be swallowed by the door. 

And like before, their numbers were reinforced with other experts, but still, Seraphina wasn't one of them. They were twenty of them and hundreds of doors to choose from. And when half of their numbers dwindled, including their human companion in the first dungeon, Ryu was now sure that the only reason why Rosa let the elf and human live was because of this moment.

Why kill them if they could be cannon fodders for the succeeding dungeons?

A creeping chill shuddered Ryu's body, and he cut a look at Rosa's way.

"What?" Rosa asked with a raised brow.

Ryu shook his head. "Nothing." Despite his unfavorable feelings towards her, he couldn't help but admire her wits and calmness.

"Stop stealing glances at me Halfbreed. You're not my type."

Ryu bit back a snarl. You aren't my type either.

"What was that?"

"I said, I'll go check the doors."

Ryu didn't let Rosa reply, and he went to the hundreds of doors floating in the large hall. There were also others who were inspecting the doors, but none dared even to touch its knob.

It would just be another repeat in the first dungeon if this keeps up—a waiting game to see who'd trigger another trap door.

Ryu ignored the others and took a whiff of the doors. The mimic could copy anything, but he wondered if it could also copy its smell or was it just physical appearance?

He was the only halfbreed in the group, and he posed an advantage with his kin senses faced with these kinds of traps and trickery.

And he was right. Almost half of the doors smell the same. Or rather, they didn't smell at all, except for two. An old wooden door smelled like oak and moss and a metal door smelled of rust and iron.

Ryu was sure that it was the right door, but before he could turn the knob of the metallic door, Rosa's hand stopped his.

"It might be the door leading to the exit or. .. a door leading to the chest," Rosa whispered, "We have to make sure that it was the former so I can have the chest without anyone contesting it."

Ryu almost wanted to roll his eyes, but he did place his nose closer to the metallic door to check for clues. He didn't know what smell he was looking for exactly, but even just a tiny bit of rotten woody scent from the chest or smell of ancient things and mildew from old items would be a start.

He moved towards the old wooden door when he didn't smell any. Sniffing closer, he did smell another scent beside the usual oak and moss, but he wasn't sure if it was a chest.

Ryu pointed to the metallic door. "I think that's the exit."

"You think?"

"If you want, you could sniff it so you'll know."

Rosa's smile fell into a frown. "Don't get smart with me halfbreed." But she did take a whiff in secret, and as she expected, she couldn't smell anything.

"Open it then." 

Ryu did as he was told. He was confident with his kin sense of smell but faced with this kind of situation where he could be wrong, a sense of danger, as well as excitement, filled his chest.

Ryu opened the door, and every eye turned in his direction, anticipating what would happen next. But to their surprise, nothing happened, and everyone rushed in towards the newly opened door.

Ryu took a step back at the influx of beings rushing towards the exit. Not even a word of gratitude nor a glance. They were stuck in this room for how many hours or possibly days with traps and dangers all around them, and when the first sign of exit appeared, everyone wanted to leave, not minding the treasures anymore.

With the hundreds of doors, they didn't know which one led to the treasure and which one did not. They didn't have a kin sense of smell like Ryu, so they were going to be searching blind. With only ten of them and hundreds of doors, their chances to stumble upon the chest was low to none. It was better to keep their lives and try their luck in the next dungeon.

"Well, that takes care of it." Rosa beamed, and she went to the wooden door when she made sure that the others had left.

"Open this one next."

Ryu could only comply. He just hoped that Rosa would heal his injured limbs if he were wrong.

Opening the door, it creaked and what stumbled in front of them was a room with nothing but overgrown vines and trees and a chest nestled in the center of the grass.

Rosa's smile reached her eyes. "Not bad halfbreed. You're not useless after all."

"Does that mean you'd let me see Ferris?"

"Open that chest next." Rosa pretended he didn't hear him.

Ryu sighed under his breath. At least he tried.

He entered the room and opened the chest. And when nothing happened, he gestured from Rosa to enter the area as well.

Rosa wasn't happy with the items in the chest. Like in the first dungeon, it contained nothing but rare items. Not a single God-tier.

Rosa clicked her tongue. "I guess those items can only be found in the upper-level dungeons."

She stored the chest inside her traveler's ring and went out of the room. "Let's go halfbreed."

"I have a name."

"Right. Pets have names too."

Ryu released a heavy sigh before they went to their fourth dungeon.

"Now listen closely halfbreed," Rosa started as they went down the flight of stairs. "The dungeon before the fifth, tenth, and soon are the trickiest to solve. Why? Because the fifth dungeon doesn't have traps. It's a resting place where you have an option to go back into the surface or continue onwards."

Ryu nodded. Taking what Rosa said into his head.

"So you better not screw up until I find a god-tier item, or you can kiss Ferris goodbye."

.. . At least he could kiss her. Ryu thought. He learned not to take Rosa's harsh words seriously, or he would end up slitting her throat if he did.

When they reached their fourth dungeon, the door closed behind them and disappeared. Their numbers increased once more, and Ryu swept the area with a hopeful gaze.

However, there was still no sign of Seraphina. But at least there were thirty of them now, and he bet Rosa was ecstatic that she had many canon fodders with her.

"Hmm. .. instead of doors, now its knobs." 

Ryu took the direction to where Rosa was eyeing, and he saw the only door at the end of the room with not one nor two, but hundred door knobs in different shapes, sizes, colors, and designs, scattered across its giant panel.

Now what?

Ryu looked at Rosa. Her fingers were pinching her chin, and it could only mean that she was thinking of something.

But all Ryu thought was that it would be another waiting game where the others waited out for some impatient individuals who would turn the first trap.

Or. .. the same fate would repeat to him again. 

Though there were halfbreeds and women with them this time, Ryu didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing that they wouldn't be the target of bullying, if ever.

But Ryu wouldn't wait for that to happen, and he searched for clues like what the others were doing.

There were some who formed groups and discussed what they knew and what they found and some who liked to do it solo.

Ryu hovered his eyes on the ceiling and floors and smelled the air, but there was not a single clue.

Maybe the clue was on the door?

Ryu approached the giant door and studied it without blinking. His eyes turned to slit and straining. He was expecting that he could make a random figure or symbol on the loitering knobs, but nothing was forming in his mind.

"Do you mind?" 

Ryu took a look behind him and found a human girl looking over at him with an arrogant face and haughty pout.

Ryu was surprised. How did he miss her from the crowds? "The girl with golden pigtails." 

The one with the purebred servant and who was with them at Mother Skull's ship!

----

A/N

Join discord server to discuss about the story, characters, possible side stories, hardcover prints, stretched goals, Covers, Character arts and more!

https://discord.com/invite/uvyHgS5bsZ