Scarlett wrinkled her nose in disgust as a disturbingly large mosquito burst into flames a mere few centimeters from her face, the acrid scent of burning reaching her moments later. At the same time, her left foot plunged into the waterlogged soil, forcing her to brace herself against a nearby tree as she extricated her soaked leg.

This had been far less revolting in the game.

Whatever dislike she might have had for trekking through damp and wet forests, it paled in comparison to her disdain for walking through a literal swamp, all while surrounded by an army of insects.

Using her hydrokinesis to expel some of the water that had infiltrated her shoe, Scarlett shook off the dirt and muck with a scowl. She then continued forging ahead with the other members of her party, alongside the procession of Duke Valentino’s men, their path forward intermittently illuminated by the covered lamp carried by some of the knights.

Another insect, the size of Scarlett’s pinky, ventured too close, only to be reduced to ashes by her pyrokinesis.

She didn’t care if they were supposedly ‘harmless’ or if it was a waste of her mana. She wasn’t letting any of those creatures touch her.

A twinge of envy sprang up as she watched Fynn effortlessly weave through the swamp’s underbrush a few meters ahead. He seemed entirely unnoticed by the insects that swarmed around amidst the trees, almost blending in with his surroundings.

If she ever returned here, she wouldn’t take a step into this damn swamp before she got her hands on an artifact or item that repelled bugs or something like that. Preferably something that helped keep her clean and dry as well. At least she didn’t seem to be alone in her aversion to the current environment; Allyssa and several of the duke’s men who weren’t wearing heavy plate armor—she presumed they were mages and the like—wore grimaces as they moved forward through the swamp, swatting their hands left and right.

The only silver lining was the temperature. Despite being in the middle of the night during December, it wasn’t too cold. The Liverline Marsh might only be at the edge of the Faywild Basin, but it still retained some of the more supernatural features that the Basin did, including a conspicuous lack of winter weather.

As they continued their journey through the swamp, Scarlett narrowed her eyes when she began to make something out ahead. Her enchanted glasses allowed her gaze to peer through the darkness and see a dark body of water peeking through the trees.

After a few more minutes of insect-incineration and swamp-trudging, Scarlett halted as the procession reached the bank of a small lake.

“What the—”

“By Ittar…”

Muffled exclamations rippled through the group as they all gazed out over the water.

Encircled by mostly swamp, the lake resembled a blot on the land. Its water sported a gloomy, purplish hue, thick as honey, with black vegetation encroaching from it, gradually creeping onto the shores and into the trees. A putrid odor hung in the air, assaulting Scarlett’s senses. On the opposite bank, a tall cliffside overlooked the lake, featuring a lone cave entrance in its face.

“Baroness, do you know what’s happened here?” a deep voice resonated as Sir Home approached her, wearing a severe expression while scrutinizing the strange lake. Scarlett wasn’t sure how far he could see without an enchanted item like hers. The knights carrying lamps were directing the light primarily towards the bank, highlighting the black seaweeds and other flora emerging from the water, being careful not to let the light spill too far.

“I presume this is not normal?” she said, turning to the man.

He shook his head. “It has been some time since I last entered the Basin, but I have never seen anything like this.”

“Then it appears we are dealing with something beyond our initial expectations. I know of no dragon that leaves this sort of mark on its surroundings, after all.”

Scarlett was fully aware of the reason behind the lake’s unnatural appearance, but it wasn’t something she was going to share at this moment. Besides, the man would piece things together quickly enough once they encountered their target.

She pointed towards the other end of the lake. “I do not know if you can see it, but there is a cave on the opposite bank. It is likely that our quarry resides there.”

Sir Home’s forehead creased together as he seemed to consider her statement before turning towards a nearby knight. He ordered them to take some samples of the water for examination, then looked back at Scarlett. “We’ll continue our approach once we’ve confirmed this doesn’t pose an immediate threat. Meanwhile, I recommend that you stay back, Baroness.”

For now, she followed his advice, retreating to stand among the trees—and the accursed insects—with her party. She observed the captain and his people, who were maintaining a quiet air now. They supposedly used spells to mask their presence, so that the dragon wouldn’t notice them unless they ventured too close, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. Scarlett wasn’t sure how effective those spells were. The Hallowed Cabal’s Adepts used something similar in their missions, but their method wasn’t flawless.

Eventually, Sir Home seemed satisfied and signaled to Scarlett that they were continuing. She and the rest of her party readied themselves as the duke’s men cautiously circled the edge of the lake—each member prepared for a fight—and approached the cave situated on the other side.

Despite knowing how unlikely it was at this point, Scarlett couldn’t stop herself from scanning the swamp around them, wondering if she might spot Rosa somewhere nearby. If things unfolded as they had in the game, the bard would come to this place with Malachi sometime soon. Malachi was a master of concealment, though, so even Fynn would have difficulty detecting them at a distance, much less Scarlett.

She was hoping they hadn’t arrived yet, at least, if they were indeed coming here. Malachi was relatively powerful, but even with Rosa’s assistance, it remained uncertain whether they could confront a foe this strong by themselves. Scarlett also wasn’t quite sure how she would even interact with them in a believable manner right now.

As the procession approached the cave entrance, Sir Home and his people stopped outside it, with Scarlett and her group trailing slightly behind. The captain’s attention was fixed on a set of stones positioned next to the entrance, their surfaces carved almost like altars, bearing traces of blood and deep claw marks.

Feeling that it was safe enough for now, Scarlett walked up to the man, along with her party. He turned to her, his gaze grave. “These were made by people.”

Scarlett glanced over at the stone altars. “It would appear so.”

“Someone or something has been collaborating with the dragon in some capacity. This suggests that the attack against His Grace might have been premeditated.”

Scarlett nodded. “While I have not heard of many dragons that cooperate with humans, it seems what we are facing is a situation that is far outside the norm.”

The man frowned as he shifted his attention back to the cave. The passage seemed to extend deeply into the cliffside in a gradual curve, obscuring Scarlett’s view of what lay beyond. “Is the dragon inside?” he asked.

“That I do not know the answer to,” Scarlett replied. She glanced over at Fynn, whose brows were furrowed in a scowl. “What do you sense, Fynn?”

The white-haired young man shook his head. “I can’t tell. There are too many scents, and the lake is overpowering everything else.”

“I see.” Scarlett turned her attention back to Sir Home. “Then it would seem you will have to determine the answer for yourself.”

The knight captain gave Fynn a brief but attentive look, then headed over to his men, issuing sharp orders as they changed their formation to prepare for entering the cave.

Scarlett’s focus returned to Fynn as he stepped closer to her, speaking in a quieter voice. “I can sense a presence here, similar to Rosa and that Mistress lady. The lake and this cave are filled with it.”

“While I commend you for remembering to inform me of this first, this time, that is not a problem. It is to be expected, considering what we are dealing with.”

Fynn looked at her. “…If you say so,” he eventually said, his scowl easing as he went back to keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

Scarlett considered him for a few seconds. “You cannot sense any trace of Rosa, can you?”

He paused, turning back to meet her gaze, eyebrows lifting slightly. “No. Why would she be here by herself?”

“Because she can be a thoughtless and self-sacrificing fool.”

Shin and the others got a bit too close to continue that conversation for much longer, so Scarlett simply asked Fynn to keep an eye out for Rosa just in case, then they retreated a bit as Sir Home and his dragon-slaying contingent started entering the cave in front of them. Scarlett opted to stay about thirty meters behind, a distance that allowed her to observe events without being too close if something happened.

It could be problematic if the ‘dragon’ was away and returned now specifically, but she had enough trust in Fynn that he would at least be able to tell if a new presence like that suddenly appeared behind them.

The thought crossed her mind that such assumptions were akin to tempting fate, but she didn’t place much weight in those kinds of superstitions.

That said, she couldn’t resist the occasional glance over her shoulder, just in case the universe had it out for her today.

Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case, as when they ventured deeper into the cave, a guttural growl eventually reverberated throughout the place, its echoes resonating against the damp walls.

Shin tightened his grip on his sword and shield, Allyssa reached for the vials in her bandolier, and Fynn adopted a combat stance. Scarlett paid close attention to Sir Home and his men as they looked around, cautiously advancing with weapons raised.

Now there was no doubt left whether their quarry was home or not.

Scarlett kept her eye locked on the group ahead as they disappeared around a corner, and a roar that seemed to shake the entire cave sounded out, penetrating into her very bones. Sir Home’s authoritative voice cut through the noise as spells erupted and knights ran into battle.

Scarlett and her party remained where they were, listening to the sounds of the ensuing combat, gauging the situation. Their foe certainly sounded formidable, with occasional cries of pain piercing the air, but the duke’s men had healers with them. For now, it didn’t seem like they were being absolutely slaughtered, at least.

An agonized scream reached them, accompanied by a tremor that shook through the cavern, as if something massive had crushed the stone. Several pieces of loose rock fell down to the ground near Scarlett.

Alright, scratch that.

“Shouldn’t we…help them?” Allyssa asked, a conflicted expression on her face.

Scarlett studied the girl. Earlier, Allyssa had seemed concerned about facing a dragon, but now she appeared more worried about not doing so.

“Would you prefer if that scream had come from you?” Scarlett asked, meeting Allyssa’s eyes with a raised brow. “They were well aware of the peril associated with this mission, and that it is their duty to face this adversary. Our role was completed the moment we led them to this place.”

The young Shielder fell silent, and silence descended on their party as they stayed where they were, the sounds of fierce combat reaching them from around the corner. More screams, some a tad too similar to death throes, reached their ears as the minutes ticked by. Yet, judging by the accompanying roars of pain, it seemed that the duke’s men weren’t the only ones suffering.

Eventually, as the screams waned and both sides appeared to be tiring, Scarlett deemed it time to assess the situation herself. She carefully moved forward, the others following her with slight surprise, and turned the corner that led into their quarry’s den.

Before her sprawled a vast cavern, its jagged walls glistening with moisture. Twisted, luminescent fungi adorned the walls, casting an eerie, ever-shifting glow and painting the chamber in unsettling shades of sickly blue and ominous purple.

Engaged in a brutal battle, Sir Home and several other armored figures stood defiantly with swords and shields in hand before a monstrous creature, towering nearly to the cavern’s ceiling.

It easily dwarfed the dragon that Empress had left in Scarlett’s courtyard, standing at almost double the size. Its imposing serpentine form was covered in purplish scales and uneven spines that cast menacing shadows as it moved, with one massive wing that was half-folded, veined with strange patterns that seemed to pulse with a sinister energy. On the ground lay another such wing, severed and battered from relentless attacks. Its elongated skull boasted wicked, forward-curving horns framing a pair of piercing crimson eyes that seemed to bore into the depths of one’s soul, and its maw was filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

At first and second glance, most would probably mistake this presence for that of a unique breed of dragon. That illusion was shattered, however, by its open mouth. It revealed a void of nothing, as if peering into an abyss of living darkness. Scarlett’s skin prickled as a billowing, viscous dark light coalesced into a deadly breath before that void, which the creature prepared to unleash upon its foes.

This was an Abyssal Vilewyrm. A demon birthed from the depths of Malevolence, the Blaze of consuming shadows.

Sir Home barked a terse command as three of the mages at the back of the cavern cast a spectrum of spells, erecting an intricate web of barriers to shield their comrades. The man himself summoned forth golden light from his sword that formed a protective bubble around him for a brief moment.

Scarlett instinctively stepped back behind the stone wall as the Vilewyrm released its attack, an undulating sea of shadows that crashed through the cavern.

After a tense pause, she peeked around the corner once more.

Over half of the duke’s men were strewn across the floor in various states, some motionless, others writhing in pain or simply unable to move. Scarlett estimated that maybe a third of them were likely beyond saving, while the fate of the others hinged on the outcome of this battle.

The Vilewyrm, in comparison, had obviously lost one of its wings, and its massive form bore grievous wounds that oozed a dark, ichorous substance, spreading around the cavern in black spots.

A couple of explosions erupted as more spells struck its scales, accompanied by javelins of stone launched by the mages’ spells. Simultaneously, the knights surged forward, focusing their aura into their swords and aiming their strikes at the creature’s lower body. The Vilewyrm responded by slamming one knight into the cavern wall with a powerful foreleg while also lunging towards Sir Home with its gaping maw.

The seasoned captain deflected the assault with his large shield — an impressive feat of strength, given his adversary’s size. Nonetheless, the sheer force from the behemoth’s size still sent him tumbling several meters back.

The confrontation continued, each side slowly whittling away at the other. Scarlett and her party remained a safe distance away, watching the spectacle unfold. She could tell that Allyssa wanted to help out, but Scarlett was unwilling to jeopardize her team’s safety against something like this, especially when Rosa wasn’t present.

Cold-hearted, perhaps, but Scarlett never claimed to be a saint. She had her priorities.

That said, it wasn’t as if she intended to abandon all of the duke’s men to their fate. That would be foolish, considering the Vilewyrm could turn its attention to her group next. She kept a close watch over the battle, studying the demon’s condition and capabilities.

As more of the knights succumbed to its relentless onslaught, they managed to sever the Vilewyrm’s remaining wing, heavily damage one of its eyes, and grievously wound its left foreleg. However, the duke’s mages appeared to be running out of mana, their spells becoming sporadic as some of them drank mana potions. At this point, Sir Home was bearing the brunt of the demon’s attacks to protect his men.

Both sides were nearing their limits.

Finally, as Sir Home took cover behind his shield and the Vilewyrm flung the man into the cavern wall with one of its blows—preparing to finish him off once and for all—Scarlett saw her opportunity to act.

“Fynn,” she uttered the word.

The young man sprang to action.

“You may assist those who require it,” she instructed Allyssa, gesturing for Shin to do the same. “Simply be mindful of how many potions you use.”

While she wasn’t short on money, for some reason the thought of presenting the duke an invoice when she got back made her smile inside.

Perhaps this world was starting to twist her even more than she thought.

Leaving that thought aside, she stepped forward and raised her hand. The [Tiara of Benediction] appeared on her forehead along with the [Fireguard Knife] and the rest of her equipment.

Just as Sir Home managed to force himself off the ground and weakly raised his sword and shield to confront the approaching Vilewyrm, a blazing sea of flames erupted between them like a barrier.

The Vilewyrm roared in agony as its already wounded head was engulfed by the sudden inferno, forcing its large body to a halt as it pulled back. Its maw opened and a short burst of shadowy flames clashed with Scarlett’s red blaze, creating an otherworldly spectacle as the two devoured each other until nothing remained.

That was when Fynn reached the beast. Like a person-sized cannonball, propelled by invisible winds, he launched into the Vilewyrm’s flank with his ethereal claws out. Despite his comparatively small size, the demon staggered momentarily from the blow, and Fynn tore open an existing wound on its scales.

This assault was immediately followed by an onslaught of Scarlett’s making. Aqua Mines, fire arrows, spheres of fire, and a barrage of attacks converged on the Vilewyrm all at once. Scarlett didn’t hold anything back, running through her mana supplies as her magic illuminated the entire cavern.

This wasn’t about conserving mana. It was about dealing maximum damage as quickly as possible.

For a brief period, Scarlett alone assailed the demon with a flurry of attacks that outnumbered even the combined efforts of the mages. It was clear the Vilewyrm was caught off guard by it all. While not as intelligent as many other demons, it clearly recognized the danger, even though Scarlett’s individual attacks didn’t have much power behind them. It knew that its already precarious situation had worsened.

It responded with a series of guttural roars and growls, shifting its massive frame to address these new threats. Tendrils of ichor emerged from the cavern’s stony surface where its equivalent of blood had dripped, reaching for the bodies of those who had fallen. Scarlett recognized this as a late-stage mechanic from the game and countered the tendrils with her pyrokinesis, burning them to a crisp as Shin and Allyssa aided in rescuing the fallen.

The Vilewyrm fixed its remaining eye on Fynn, lunging at him with its gaping maw. In its weakened state, however, it proved too sluggish to catch him immediately. The white-haired young man evaded as it also swiped a colossal foreleg towards him, tearing off several chest-sized scales in the process.

Sir Home reentered the fray, joined by a pair of mages who had recovered some of their mana. They unleashed a fresh wave of spells, adding to Scarlett’s barrage against the demon.

With its health gradually dwindling down and its capacity to retaliate diminishing, the Vilewyrm seemed to realize how this would end.

It opened its maw once more, gathering a colossal wave of dark energy within the abyss inside its throat. The energy this time was so potent that it seemed to drain the life from the surroundings, including the Vilewyrm itself, forming a concentrated mass of darkness that continued to build up.

An idea ignited within Scarlett.

She ceased all of her attacks, casting the cavern into relative darkness. Then she conjured a small, fiery sun within the Vilewyrm’s open maw. She pushed it through the encroaching shadows and into the abyss that resided within the creature. It was a surprise when the abyss seemed to push back. Along with the gathering dark mass that ate away at her fire, the abyss almost threatened to swallow her attack then and there.

But the Vilewyrm was exhausted from a grueling battle.

She wasn’t.

Pouring every ounce of concentration and strength into the miniature star she had conjured, she intensified its brilliance. The flame’s hue transformed into a searing crimson, challenging the Vilewyrm’s power with the intensity of a raging forest fire condensed into a single point.

Then something budged.

Her fiery inroad pierced the Vilewyrm’s defenses, tearing into the abyss within. And the demon screamed. It was a heart-rending noise, as if its very core had been ripped apart. The shrieks resounded throughout the chamber, forcing Scarlett to cover her ears even as she maintained her magical assault.

The Vilewyrm shut its maw, its entire form trembling, a brilliant light radiating from beneath its battered scales. In one final, cataclysmic convulsion, it collapsed onto the stone floor, smoldering from within.

Silence descended upon the cavern. Those of the duke’s men who were still standing turned their gazes towards Scarlett, Sir Home included.

She kept her eyes on the fallen Vilewyrm for a moment longer before shifting her attention to the knight captain.

“Well,” she spoke in a voice that carried across most of the cavern. “It appears as if we have successfully carried out our goal. Congratulations might not be in order, considering the injuries your men have sustained, but I believe the duke will be quite satisfied. No?”