“Captain!!”
Rhine and Weiss, following closely behind, never expected the stone step beneath them to suddenly transform into a monster. Their faces paled in horror as they stared ahead.
In their state of mental disarray, their tightly coordinated defense faltered. The Little Wyverns swarmed in, seizing the opportunity.
The Stone Step Monster’s bloody maw snapped shut.
Seeing that Manfred was about to be bitten in half, Rhine raised her staff. At that moment, her mana surpassed its limits, its flow becoming so clear it felt as if it were etched into her very flesh. She cast a spell instantaneously.
A gale swept Manfred up, pulling him away from the Stone Step Monster’s jaws.
Manfred took the chance to slash out with Sword Qi and adjust his posture.
Having cast the spell, Rhine breathed a sigh of relief. The mental and physical exhaustion following such a limit-breaking burst hit her all at once.
At this critical juncture, a Little Wyvern lunged out from the thick smoke.
This one was a size larger than the others, with a pair of horns growing from its hideous head.
Its body was covered in red scales that shimmered with a metallic luster.
[Elite · Little Wyvern Leader] lv12
The Little Wyvern bared its savage fangs and instantly bit through Rhine’s fire-resistant suit.
Their perfect coordination had already been shattered by the crisis.
The Little Wyvern Leader, which had been lying in wait within the smoke without attacking until now, seized its moment!
Manfred and Weiss ignored everything else, both attacking the Little Wyvern Leader at the same time.
The sharp Sword Qi was a step too late.
Weiss, being the closest, executed a Shield Bash, but he still couldn't stop the monster.
The Little Wyvern Leader tore Rhine’s arm clean off.
The agonizing pain caused Rhine’s spirit to rally in a final surge of focus. She spun around and raised her remaining arm.
“Flowing Wind Finger-Wrap!”
The wind rose from thin air and transformed into ropes, binding the Little Wyvern Leader in mid-air.
Weiss’s heavy shield slammed into it, leaving the monster reeling.
A sharp arc of Sword Qi seized the opening, decapitating the Little Wyvern in an instant.
The Little Wyvern Leader’s corpse and the severed arm fell toward the Lava Lake together.
The individual strength of the Little Wyverns and their leader wasn't particularly high.
However, the Little Wyvern Leader possessed exceptional stealth and a sudden burst of power and speed.
Furthermore, neither the Little Wyverns nor their leader were monsters created directly by Dalun Li.
They were subordinate monsters spawned by the Sub-dragon Wyvern.
Watching the Little Wyvern Leader plummet toward the Lava Lake, Weiss dropped his shield and reached out, ignoring the attacks from the other monsters.
He wasn't reaching for the leader—he was reaching for Rhine’s arm!
If he could recover the arm, there was still a chance to reattach it.
Although their team didn't have a high-rank priest, and a severed limb couldn't remain viable for long—especially in this scorching volcanic environment—he couldn't give up if there was even a shred of hope.
Yet reality was cruel. The dangerous dungeon never granted second chances to those who made mistakes.
In the dungeon, treasure was accompanied only by death and endless peril.
Weiss desperately grabbed the Little Wyvern Leader’s corpse, but the severed arm continued its fall toward the Lava Lake.
The Little Wyverns hidden in the smoke swarmed toward the falling limb like a school of fish toward bait.
The thick smoke obscured their vision, sparing Weiss and Manfred from witnessing that gruesome sight.
The crisis wasn't over. They didn't even have the chance to feel grief or anger.
Death and danger followed one after another.
Sensing the scent of blood, the Little Wyverns swarmed toward the heavily injured Rhine.
Weiss retreated rapidly, hoisting his shield from the ground and roaring as if to vent his frustration.
“Immovable Fortress!!”
The barrier expanded instantly, blocking the chaotic barrage of attacks.
Manfred leaped toward Rhine. Within the narrow confines of the stairs and the small barrier, he hurriedly began to treat her wound.
Looking at the gruesome, mangled wound and the jagged bone protruding from the flesh, with blood still gushing out, Manfred’s hands trembled.
“Captain...”
Rhine’s weak voice caused Manfred to steady his shaking hands.
He was the captain.
“Endure it.”
Manfred extended his finger, and a sharp blade of Sword Qi extended from the tip.
Gripping her, Manfred swept his finger down. The Sword Qi meant to protect his companions now sliced away the ragged flesh and sawed through the protruding bone.
“Aaaaah!!”
The intense agony forced a shrill scream from Rhine.
As if he had lost his hearing, Manfred pinned down Rhine’s struggling body, his movements becoming even faster.
Holding the shield, Weiss listened to the screams behind him, his grip tightening until his fingers felt like they might snap.
After quickly cleaning the wound, Manfred pulled an alchemical potion from his belt.
He poured half onto the wound and opened Rhine's visor, pouring the rest into her mouth.
Beneath the visor, Rhine’s delicate face was as pale as paper, her lips bitten raw.
The bleeding stopped, and flesh began to regenerate rapidly over the wound.
However, an alchemical potion of this level didn't have the power to regrow a limb.
Manfred hoisted Rhine onto his shoulder. With his sword in one hand, he charged toward the stairs ahead.
Weiss followed closely behind with his shield, charging into the swarm of Little Wyverns ahead.
After the ambush by the Stone Step Monster and the loss of Rhine’s arm, Manfred became even more cautious.
With every step up the stairs, he expended energy to slash out with Sword Qi.
As they climbed higher, the smoke began to thin. It seemed the Little Wyverns had reached their maximum altitude.
Or perhaps, without the cover of the smoke, the creatures didn't dare venture any further up.
Creatures of the haze, the Little Wyverns could only survive within that environment.
The Little Wyverns gradually vanished, giving up the pursuit.
The thinning smoke also cleared their vision. Looking up, they could finally see the top of the stone pillar.
Manfred quickened his pace, carrying Rhine as he squeezed out every last drop of his stamina.
Weiss, despite his heavier equipment, did not fall behind, pushing his physical endurance beyond its limits.
Dalun Li had long since studied the nature of humans.
Compared to other species, humans were more capable of unleashing power beyond their limits—and even breaking through those limits—when faced with extreme emotions or life-and-death crises.
Such a state was difficult to achieve.
The emotional threshold varied for everyone.
Some people only thought of fleeing or were paralyzed by fear when faced with death.
Others wouldn't feel much grief even at the death of a companion.
In such cases, this human trait was difficult to manifest.
Those who could utilize this talent for surpassing their limits were humans with steadfast convictions and deep emotions.
Finally, the three of them reached the top of the stone pillar.
Compared to the base of the pillar near the Lava Lake, the temperature here was much lower, giving them the cooling illusion of a breeze.
Manfred quickly set Rhine down and helped her out of the fire-resistant suit.
Rhine also quickly stripped off the suit and unfastened the lesser magic grade magic item underneath—the Copper-Vine Armor.
When activated, the Copper-Vine Armor granted the wearer exceptional self-healing capabilities, with a one-day cooldown.
They quickly equipped the Copper-Vine Armor onto Rhine and activated its ability.
The wound, which had already stopped bleeding and begun to close, healed at a rapid pace under the effect of the magic item, soon sealing completely.
However, the Copper-Vine Armor did not have the power to regenerate a severed limb.
Atop the towering stone pillar, Manfred and Weiss sat on either side of Rhine.
How long could they keep struggling?
Rate on N.U.
