The Prisoner’s Fury and an Unexpected Rescue

Within the dark, desolate dungeon, where not even a sliver of sunlight dared to penetrate…

Here, a young girl was held captive, her clothes reduced to mere rags.

Around the girl, the dungeon floor was littered with innumerable skeletons and decaying remains.

‘Was she despairing at the world itself?’

‘Or had she simply lost all hope of survival?’

The girl relentlessly pounded against the unyielding stone walls.

Her fists, already slick with blood, showed no sign of faltering.

She was like a dying lion, enacting her final, desperate struggle.

Her face, caked with grime, clearly indicated a long period without washing.

The dungeon reeked of excrement and decay; merely taking a breath would likely spoil one’s appetite for half a day.

Yet, the girl’s face remained utterly devoid of emotion.

Her ashen complexion and vacant eyes made her seem no different from a corpse.

Had she not been muttering to herself, head bowed, one might truly have mistaken her for a thoughtless automaton.

“Crazy woman, it’s time to eat. Stop your racket. I truly don’t know what Lord Altorias is thinking, not executing you even after three years! Sigh!”

While the girl remained with her head lowered, the skylight hatch above the dungeon creaked open.

A single ray of light instantly pierced the opening, casting a narrow beam into the gloomy depths and bringing a fleeting moment of illumination.

A man who looked like a jailer grumbled to himself in an utterly impatient tone, complaining about his current task.

He seemed to believe the girl trapped in the dungeon was guilty of some heinous crime.

The fact that Altorias hadn’t killed the girl clearly vexed him.

Nonetheless, despite his displeasure, he dutifully took a heavy-looking bag and tossed it through the hatch, which was about one and a half meters in diameter.

He then closed and locked it.

It was as if he feared the woman inside might break her chains and escape.

As for the contents of that bag?

Perhaps only the girl and the jailer knew.

With a soft thud, the bag landed on the ground.

Something alive seemed trapped within, struggling incessantly, desperate to break free.

Moments later, with a sharp ‘hiss,’ the bag finally gave way, torn apart by the creature inside.

Its dark, shadowy form was revealed, particularly stark in the dim dungeon.

One could barely discern its wolf-like head, emanating wisps of dark energy.

Though it possessed a human-like body, it was covered in a layer of gray fur.

A potent, ominous black aura continuously surged from this werewolf.

“ROAR!!!!!!!!”

The werewolf, having torn free from the bag, fixed its gaze upon the girl, whose eyes were devoid of spirit.

It was as if it had spotted prey; a flicker of savage excitement ignited in its crimson pupils, and instinctively, it extended its concealed claws, charging toward the girl!

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

Sensing the approaching killing intent, the girl’s mud-stained, pale purple hair swayed ever so slightly as she lifted her violet eyes.

Reflected within those pupils, beyond the boundless despair, was a fiercely burning fire of hatred!

Confronted by the attacking werewolf, the girl showed no trace of panic, as if accustomed to such encounters.

She watched calmly as the werewolf drew nearer with each step.

Seconds later, as the werewolf raised its claws to strike, a cold smile flickered across the girl’s face. She deftly sidestepped its attack, then pressed one hand firmly onto the werewolf’s head.

The girl’s strength seemed to far surpass that of the werewolf. With a forceful push, she slammed the creature into the ground.

The werewolf toppled over, its limbs unable to offer any resistance.

The girl’s right hand, still pressed firmly against the werewolf’s head, began to transform.

The flesh on her right hand churned like molten lava, rapidly transforming into a formidable dragon’s claw, covered in deep crimson scales, much like those of a mythical dragon.

The instant the crimson claw fully formed, the girl exerted only a slight bit of pressure.

With a wet ‘crunch,’ the werewolf’s head burst open like a water-filled sack, crushed by her grip.

As the werewolf died, a dense black mist erupted from its corpse, swiftly converging upon the girl’s right hand.

Her right hand seemed capable of devouring these dark vapors.

The black mist was slowly absorbed by the crimson claw, continuing until no more dark energy emanated from the werewolf’s body.

Only then did the girl slowly withdraw her hand from the corpse.

Once the girl’s claw moved away, the werewolf’s body, previously covered in fur, now appeared to have lost its pelt.

It revealed a mundane, bronze-colored human torso, bearing no resemblance to the werewolf it had been moments before.

“ALTORIAS!!!”

Upon seeing the corpse before her, the girl instantly threw back her head and let out a furious roar directed at the dungeon ceiling!

The high-pitched sound, like the bellow of a mighty dragon, nearly shook the entire gloomy dungeon, causing it to tremble slightly.

“Lord have mercy, is that a monster?”

Perhaps feeling the subtle tremor in his surroundings and hearing the terrifying howl from the dungeon’s depths, the jailer standing above felt a shiver of fear.

He hugged himself, trembling.

“What’s happening?”

Just as the jailer shivered, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly broke the silence.

Hearing it, the jailer slowly raised his head.

“Nothing, just that crazy woman acting up again.”

What greeted the jailer’s eyes was a man wearing a butterfly mask.

A long, burn-like scar extended from beneath the mask.

It seemed the man wore the butterfly mask to conceal his disfigured face, perhaps hiding the full extent of his scars.

The jailer recognized this masked man.

He knew the man before him was considered Altorias’s right-hand man, known as the ‘Flame of Retribution.’

“Is that so?”

The masked man, having heard the jailer’s report, stroked his chin, feigning contemplation.

“Yes, it is! But Lord Reikihard, why are you here today?”

Seeing the masked man, Reikihard, seemingly lost in thought, the jailer quickly nodded in affirmation, then inquired about Reikihard’s purpose.

“I’m here to inspect this cell. Lord Altorias entrusted me to check for any anomalies in the barrier.”

Facing the jailer’s question, Reikihard revealed his intentions without any hesitation. He had been sent by Altorias.

“Oh, I see. I understand. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Knowing Reikihard’s purpose, the jailer quickly lowered his guard and asked with a smile.

“Help me? This will do.”

With that, Reikihard swiftly drew a dagger!

A cold glint flashed as the dagger precisely sliced across the jailer’s throat!

“Re… Re… Reikihard, my… my Lord… What…”

“Just keep quiet. That is the best way you can cooperate with me. I hope you don’t hold this against me.”

Wiping the blood from the dagger with a cloth, Reikihard stood before the jailer’s fallen corpse and made a sign of the cross over its chest.

“Re…”

Ignoring the jailer he had just killed, Reikihard stepped over the body and walked leisurely to the dungeon’s skylight hatch.

“I’m sorry, Camille… I truly am…”

He murmured an apology into the skylight.

Reikihard quickly opened the skylight and lowered a coiled rope ladder.

“Unleash your power, Narthemia!”

After lowering the ladder, Reikihard did not immediately descend.

Instead, he drew a broad greatsword from his back, held it upright before his chest, and whispered a name.

As his words faded, Reikihard leaped through the skylight, plunging downward.

He pointed the sword downwards, and as he reached a certain height, he slightly retracted the blade before thrusting it forward with immense force!

The thrusting blade seemed to strike something, and a powerful flash of light instantly erupted!

With a ‘crack’ like shattering glass, a massive magic array appeared in the dungeon’s mid-air, precisely as the sound resonated.

And the moment this magic array manifested, cracks immediately spread across its surface!

Moments later, the colossal magic array shattered into pieces with a resounding crash.

When she had seen the skylight open once more, the girl felt nothing out of the ordinary.

She had assumed it was merely part of the jailers’ routine observation.

She hadn’t expected them to lower a ladder, nor had she anticipated someone leaping through the opening.

With so many questions swirling within her, she instinctively prepared to voice them the moment she saw the figure descend.

“I’m here to save you, Camille.”

“AAARGH!!!!”

The girl, who had initially been lost in confusion, now clearly recognized who had descended, and the bewildered expression on her face slowly vanished.

All that remained was an intense hatred for Reikihard before her.

She would never forget!

She would never, ever forget everything Altorias had done, and this man, lauded as Altorias’s right-hand man!

Thus, without hesitation, she clenched her fist and swung it with venomous hatred toward the newcomer!

“I didn’t come here to fight you. I came to save you, so I hope you can set aside your hostility toward me.”

Reikihard gently parried the girl’s punch, then sighed and spoke slowly.

Because of the butterfly mask, the girl could not discern Reikihard’s expression, making it difficult to judge the sincerity of his words.

However, the fact that he had broken the imprisonment spell had indeed sowed a seed of doubt in her heart.

Her eyes flickered, scrutinizing Reikihard before her.

“…”

“When I destroyed the confinement spell, I believe I triggered an alarm. I imagine the Calamity Bearers will arrive soon. If we don’t move quickly, neither you nor I will be able to escape. So, if we’re going to run, it has to be now!”

“Why should I trust you?”

“We can discuss that once we’ve escaped. I don’t have time to explain everything right now!”

“…”

“Once we’re out, I will give you a proper explanation.”

“Hmph, then I’ll listen to you for now.”

The girl, who had been intently watching Reikihard’s face, seemed to be observing whether he was trying to deceive her.

After confirming that he genuinely seemed intent on taking her out, the girl pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

Although she was deeply suspicious of Reikihard’s motives, he had undeniably freed her in this moment.

Furthermore, such a significant disturbance was bound to attract the attention of the facility’s management.

Reikihard’s point about limited time was indeed valid.

Understanding the stakes, the girl swallowed all the questions she wanted to ask, agreeing to Reikihard’s proposal for the time being.