Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Dungeon Expedition [5]

Puhwak—!Chwiiiii—!

Arthur turned, leaving behind the heart-pierced orc, its massive body collapsing lifelessly.

His blade moved naturally, following the momentum of his turn.

With a single powerful swing, his sword whistled through the air—

—and an orc's head flew off, blood spraying in a crimson arc.

Arthur didn't slow down.

Ten orcs.

A full group.

He had to move fast.

Orcs were intelligent monsters—if given time, they would form a proper formation and overwhelm him.

So before that could happen…

He had to kill them all.

Akira stood behind, already chanting.

"Ice Arrow."

Her magic circle formed, pulsating with a cold, blue glow.

Then—

Pobobobok—!

Seven ice arrows tore through the battlefield.

Seven orcs fell, shrieking in agony.

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The moment the last spell struck, Arthur moved like a ghost, closing in on the final enemy.

With a single stroke, his sword slit its throat open.

Blood splattered across the dirt as the last orc collapsed.

Arthur didn't even spare them a glance.

He simply wiped the blood from his blade and walked forward.

Behind him, Akira watched in silence, then murmured to herself—

"This… feels good."

Akira had always aspired to be a battle mage, but at the end of the day…

A mage was still a mage.

The most effective strategy was always the same—

Leave the frontline to a strong warrior and strike from behind.

And in just a few battles, she realized—

She and Arthur fit together perfectly.

At first, she had resented him—forced into his party by intimidation.

But after fighting together three times…

She started to think she had made the right choice.

It wasn't just about fighting monsters.

Arthur also manipulated their movements, skillfully driving them into one spot—ensuring Akira's magic attacks struck with maximum effectiveness.

Magic thrived on wide-range devastation.

The more enemies clustered together, the greater the impact.

Akira, watching Arthur move, couldn't help but comment—

"That's amazing. You even know how to enhance your body with mana. Defeating those orcs must've been effortless with that speed."

Arthur, wiping his blade clean, responded casually—

"Who said I was using mana? I have sealed up my mana."

"What?" Akira blinked. "Why?"

"To push my physical limits, of course." Arthur sheathed his sword, his smirk growing. "This is a great training opportunity. I'd be wasting it if I relied on mana."

Akira furrowed her brows. "Wait—you're telling me you moved like that without using any mana?"

Arthur chuckled. "Not for you. But for me? It's child's play."

Her eye twitched. That smug bastard…

But then—

A wide grin spread across her lips as realization struck.

She placed her hands on her waist and smirked.

"To reveal your secret so carelessly… how foolish of you!"

Arthur tilted his head, unimpressed. "Don't worry about it. Even if you know, you still can't beat me with your current skills."

"Ho-ho-ho! Such bluffs don't work on me!"

"Bluff?" Arthur's voice was calm—unshaken. "I simply stated the truth."

Akira narrowed her eyes.

Arthur continued—his tone softer now.

"To be fair, you do have great skills."

"What?"

"You have an impressive amount of mana and a vast knowledge of spells."

"Hmph! Don't think I'll be flattered just because you're being honest."

Despite her sarcastic tone, the unexpected compliment made her feel... oddly good.

But then—

"And that's exactly where your problem lies."

Her smirk faltered. "What?"

"Your abilities are so strong that you've never truly grasped the essence of ice magic."

Akira scoffed, folding her arms. "The Frost Family's pride is ice magic. And you think you can lecture me about it? That's ridiculous."

Arthur's expression remained unreadable.

To Akira, his words were unacceptable. Explore more stories with empire

Her grip tightened on her staff.

Then I will prove it.

She closed her eyes and chanting.

The air around them chilled instantly—a testament to the power of Akira's magic.

But then—

Arthur's instincts screamed.

Without a second thought, he lunged at Akira, tackling her to the ground.

"Hey! What are y—?!"

Before she could even finish, sharp, needle-like spikes rained down, stabbing into the ground right where she had been standing.

Arthur pushed himself up quickly and turned his gaze toward the attacker.

Standing at knee-height, two four-legged creatures emerged from the shadows.

Their bodies were a bizarre fusion of a bat, a porcupine, and a wolf—

Slim and agile, their fur bristled with razor-sharp quills like a porcupine's.

But the most unsettling feature was their crimson eyes, glowing like molten orbs in the darkness.

Their long, bat-like ears twitched, adjusting to the faintest sound.

And when they opened their jaws—

Four pincers jutted out, each lined with jagged, serrated fangs.

Akira's face twisted in horror.

"What the fuck is that?!"

Arthur, ever the comedian, smirked.

"No idea. Maybe their species got bored and started interspecies breeding."

Akira shot him a glare. "Is this really the time for jokes?!"

Without waiting for a reply, she raised her staff—

"Ice Lance!"

A barrage of sharp ice lances fired toward the creatures—

But—

They dodged every single one with uncanny swiftness.

Arthur sighed, effortlessly sidestepping a new wave of quills fired from their bodies.

"See? Told you. You have no technique. All you do is rely on brute force."

"First get rid of them—then do your damn lecturing!" Akira snapped, conjuring an ice shield in front of her.

Arthur chuckled.

"Relax. It's child's play."

He darted forward, sword in hand—

But before he could reach the creatures,

A whirlwind of fire erupted from nowhere,

Engulfing both monsters in a roaring inferno.

The beasts screeched in agony—

And in seconds, their charred corpses crumbled into ash.

Akira's eyes widened.

"What just happened? Didn't you say you sealed your mana?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.

Arthur dusted himself off.

"It wasn't me."

"Then who—?"

"Her."

Right then, a small, fiery figure burst through the trees—

The fluffy phoenix landed on Arthur's head, perching comfortably.

"What is that?"

A voice interrupted.

Alicia approached, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"It's so cute."

Arthur smirked.

"She's my familiar. A flame bird."

He lied effortlessly.

"Her name is Ignis."

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Ignis chirped.

Arthur sighed. He understood her all too well.

"No, she's not your new mama," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Akira simply tilted her head—utterly lost.