The creature collapsed with a final cry of agony, its body of light and shadow slowly dissipating into the air. The threat was over.
And yet... a heavy silence fell.
Not a cry of victory.
Not a word.
Even their breaths seemed to be suspended.
Tristan, freshly healed by Lys, stood up with difficulty. He looked at the members of his group, all frozen, their eyes still fixed on Kyle.
"We'll stop here for today..." he said, his voice low, almost solemn.
No one argued.
Everyone nodded gently and began setting up camp, slowly, mechanically. Familiar gestures, but devoid of energy.
The fire was lit. The tents were pitched. A simple meal was prepared.
But the silence persisted.
No one could find the words.
Everyone waited for the other to speak, for someone to ask the question on everyone's mind.
But courage seemed to be lacking.
They glanced furtively at Kyle. The one who had just, single-handedly, defeated a monster against which their powers had been useless. The one who, until now discreet, ironic, almost detached, had suddenly revealed himself.
A single word was on everyone's mind.
"Who is he really?"
This prolonged silence... this weight in the air...
Kyle had had enough.
He stood up slowly, scanned the group, then took a deep breath.
"Well... I might as well get this straight. Actually... I'm a mage."
Iris, who had mustered up some courage, shrugged with a weak smile.
"With what we just saw... it was pretty easy to guess."
Anne, still flustered, frowned.
"If you're a mage... why use a sword to fight?"
Kyle calmly grabbed his weapon, raising it to eye level with a small, nostalgic smile.
"Just for style. I've always admired those who fight with a blade."
(He was thinking of the heroes from his favorite manga and anime...)
But Elaria, more pragmatic, spoke firmly.
"We're getting off topic. Kyle... who are you really?"
A heavy silence fell again.
Lys, softer, lowered her eyes, remembering their previous conversation.
"You told me you hid a lot of things... but if you don't want to talk about it now, you don't have to..."
"No."
Tristan, this time, straightened up. His gaze was serious.
"We're a team. And in a team, trust is essential." If we keep fighting together, we should be able to count on each other."
Kyle sighed, looking almost resigned.
"You're right. Anyway... I don't really have a choice anymore."
He rolled his eyes, a wry smile.
"This is the scene of the big reveal, isn't it?"
A moment passed.
Then, he bowed his head slightly, as if in contemplation, before dropping the bombshell.
"I'm not from this world."
The shock was immediate.
No one answered right away.
"I'm one of those people... who suddenly appeared in Asterion's realm."
A murmur rippled through the group. No one expected such an answer.
Some looked at Kyle in astonishment, others with suspicion. And a few... with fear.
But one thing was certain:
Nothing would ever be the same again.
The silence that followed the revelation was heavy, almost sacred.
But despite the surprise, no reproach came.
The looks exchanged weren't those of anger or rejection, but of reflection, concern, and above all... understanding.
Because they understood.
Kyle—had carried an immense burden.
What he had just confessed... was the equivalent of a state secret, a truth that should not be spoken lightly.
They would have liked to know more, to ask a thousand questions...
But deep down, they knew that some of the answers might be beyond them. And that, for now, the wisest thing was not to insist.
It was then that Kyle spoke again, calmer, almost liberated:
"While we're at it... my real name is Kaito." »
Tristan, still a little shaken, looked up at him.
"Why did you change your name?"
Kyle gave a wistful smile.
"In my world, I always liked the name Kyle. It sounded... strong, heroic."
"Maybe because I grew up with so many stories about heroes. I thought that if I were ever to experience a heroic adventure... it would be under that name."
Anne gently asked the question everyone was wondering:
"And now? Do we call you Kaito... or Kyle?"
He paused, looked at each of them, then replied,
"Kyle, that suits me just fine. That's the name you've come to know, right?
And that's how I want you to continue to think of me." »
As the atmosphere seemed to lighten, Iris, a little disappointed, crossed her arms and sighed:
"Great. Now we have two mages in the group... except one is obviously much more powerful than the other."
A short, awkward silence followed.
Kyle, genuinely surprised, turned his head towards her.
"I... didn't do anything extraordinary, you know. I don't think I'm above you."
But Iris clenched her fists, her eyes shining with a mixture of anger and incomprehension.
"Stop being so modest," she fumed. "You know exactly what you're worth!"
Kyle, helpless, lowered his eyes.
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
The sincere tone of her voice eased the tension a little.
Anne, who was watching the scene, understood the discomfort.
"Iris just feels overshadowed," she said softly. "Kyle, you're a mage... and you wield a sword. That's no small thing."
Tristan, arms crossed, added with a wry smile:
"Honestly, I was just thinking your swordplay was a little strange for a warrior. But if you're a mage... it's downright impressive."
Kyle blushed slightly. His discomfort was evident. He wasn't used to compliments—and even less so to this collective attention.
Then, suddenly, Lys seemed to realize something. Her expression changed, and she briskly approached him.
"Wait... During the fight... I saw you get hit by the monster's attacks several times!"
Elaria nodded:
"I noticed it too." I thought it was strange, but with everything that happened, I forgot to talk about it."
Kyle raised a hand, as if to calm their concerns.
"It's nothing."
"But," Lys began.
He interrupted her, his tone calm but firm:
"I wasn't afraid of its attacks because... I'm a Dark elemental mage."
And this monster... used attacks of the same nature. So I'm naturally immune.
A stunned silence fell.
"That's why I was able to defeat it without too much difficulty," he continued.
Lys frowned.
"But... wait. An elemental mage can only use spells of their own element, right?
And yet... you used a Light spell to finish it off!" »
Iris, who had been silent for a moment, raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
"And while you were fighting with a sword... you used lightning spells.
So what, now you've mastered three elements?"
All eyes turned to Kyle, this time with silent but heavy expectation.
They wanted answers.
Kyle took a shallow breath, as if finally agreeing to reveal a simple but significant truth to them:
"I am an elemental mage... with a triple magical affinity: light, lightning... and darkness."
Another shocked silence fell over the group.
But this time, it was different. The element of surprise was there, but... they almost seemed to be getting used to this kind of revelation coming from him.
Tristan, rubbing the back of his neck, breathed out a bitter chuckle.
"Honestly, at this level... nothing surprises me anymore coming from you, Kyle."
Elaria, more serious, narrowed her eyes.
"You don't realize what that implies," she said softly.
Iris continued, her tone almost professorial despite her emotion:
"Normally, an elemental mage controls only one element. Those who master two are extremely rare... almost legendary."
She paused, then added in a more serious tone:
"And those who possess three... that's beyond rare. There are only stories, tales, where this kind of prodigy is spoken of."
Lys, who seemed troubled, continued softly:
"And when these kinds of beings exist... they are often called heroes."
At this, Kyle jumped slightly.
Then he raised his hands, looking nervous, almost panicked.
"No, thank you!" he declared immediately. "I don't want that title."
He looked away and added in a lower voice, "This world already has a hero, right?"
Anne and Tristan exchanged a look, then nodded.
"From what we've heard," Anne said, "among the travelers from another world... there's one with exceptional class. Someone like you."
"Yes," Tristan confirmed. "A guy named Ryo, right?"
Hearing that name, Kyle's face darkened.
"That's him," he said, his tone suddenly more serious.
"Then... there's no point discussing it further. The debate is closed." »
The silence fell for a moment, broken by Anne's voice:
"So... what do we do now?"
Lys, who still seemed shaken, replied without hesitation:
"I'd rather we go home. We've already seen enough."
Tristan nodded.
"I agree. Without Kyle, we would have definitely ended up in a bad way. We got lucky today."
But Iris frowned, visibly annoyed.
"Wait, you want to go home now?! We have an exceptional mage on our side, and you want to ruin this opportunity? I want to see what he's truly capable of!"
Elaria, in her usual role of mediator, turned to Kyle:
"And you, Kyle? Do you want to continue or not?"
The man in question remained thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged with a determined smile:
"Now that I can let loose a little... yeah. I want to keep going."
Elaria crossed her arms.
"That's what we're going to do. We're going back. We've already gathered a lot of information. And next time, we'll come back better prepared."
The group seemed convinced. Everyone nodded... except Kyle, who remained silent.
"Next time, huh...?" he whispered. "Too bad... I won't be here anymore."
Silence fell again. It was as if they had all just remembered that Kyle was only there temporarily.
Lys approached, her gaze worried.
"Why don't you stay longer?"
Anne, hesitant, added:
"You want to leave to... find a way home, is that it?" »
Kyle shook his head.
"No. I never thought I'd go back."
For a brief moment, he thought back to all the isekai works he'd read.
"The original world... you always end up forgetting it, don't you? Well, it'll be the same for me."
Lys, puzzled, persisted softly,
"Then... why do you want to leave us?"
Kyle looked down. He took a deep breath.
"Home... I've always dreamed of having an adventure. And now that I'm living that dream, I want to see it through. Live it to the fullest."
Iris, arms crossed, said,
"You can do that with us, right? We can share this adventure."
But Kyle shook his head, a sad smile playing on his lips.
"No. You have your own dreams too, your own paths. It would be selfish of me to impose mine on you."
And then..."
He looked away, thoughtful.
"...I want to be free. To enjoy myself without having to look back. Without wondering if I'm slowing them down... or if it's the other way around."
Everyone understood then that Kyle had no bad intentions. He just wanted to experience his adventure his way.
Tristan, with a smile, patted him on the shoulder.
"So, in the meantime... let's continue."
Lys immediately added energetically:
"If that's what the leader decides, then I'll give it my all! I refuse to disappoint you."
Anne, curious, asked:
"How many levels do we have left before we finish this dungeon?"
Elaria replied calmly:
"According to what Guild Master Edward said, this dungeon has between 20 and 50 levels."
Iris raised an eyebrow.
"So either... there's just one floor left, or thirty-one? Great."
Anne sighed.
"With any luck, the next one will be the last..."
Kyle, for his part, gave a small, wry smile.
"Knowing the author, I wouldn't be surprised if we complete all 50 levels..."
Iris, intrigued, asked:
"And... what do you get for completing a dungeon?"
Tristan shrugged.
"No idea, I've never completed one."
Elaria added:
"I hear there's some big loot. But more importantly... those who complete a dungeon first get unique rewards. Much more than those who follow." »
Kyle raised his hands, mock-dramatic:
"Honestly, with the dungeon's insect theme, I can't even imagine what we'll get..."
The group burst into knowing laughter.
Despite the fatigue, the pressure... and the upcoming goodbyes, the adventure continued.
After their discussion, everyone went to rest to prepare for the upcoming battle.
The next morning, everyone was ready. Armor adjusted, weapons sharpened, gazes resolute. Tristan took one last look at his companions, then declared,
"Let's go."
He stepped forward and stood on the magic circle. A flash of light, and in an instant, they all found themselves on level 20.
This level was unlike any other. They were in a vast circular room, the walls and ceiling of which were covered with ancient inscriptions and esoteric motifs. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere reigned, as if the air itself were frozen.
It was then that Anne and Elaria began to smile. They understood.
"This is the last level..." Anne whispered.
"We're finally there," Elaria added.
They turned to Tristan. The latter smiled back, then rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed.
"If we had decided to go back yesterday... we would have given up so close to the end."
He turned to the rest of the group.
"Stay alert. This fight will probably be the hardest in the dungeon."
At this, Kyle felt his heart beat faster. Another twist worthy of a sadistic author, he thought. Of course this is level 20. A final boss after so many trials is almost too perfect to be a coincidence.
They fell into formation. What had previously been a two-line formation became three distinct lines:
Tristan and Kyle in the front line.
Anne and Elaria in support in the center.
Iris and Lys at the rear, ready to intervene or heal.
Silence reigned. Nothing was happening. Not a sound.
Then... the room began to shake.
A shudder ran through the floor, the walls, and even to the hearts of the adventurers. Elaria and Kyle felt a presence... a presence so overwhelming, so immense... that it seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"It's... strange..." Kyle murmured. "There's only one presence... but it's everywhere."
Suddenly, Anne looked up at the ceiling.
"Up there...! Look!"
Everyone looked up. And they saw it.
A gigantic creature was slowly crawling along the ceiling, its eyes glowing red. An endless body composed of armored segments and moving spines. Each movement produced an ominous clicking sound that echoed throughout the room.
Level 20 – Boss: Insectoid Dragon
Millephtalion, the Underground Thorn
A giant draconic centipede, as long as a train, with articulated segments glowing a menacing red. Its breath expels a wave of burning, paralyzing spores. Each beat of its body vibrates the stone itself. It is at once dragon, monster, and living calamity.
"A... titan..." Iris gasped, petrified.
"No... it's worse..." Lys murmured. "It's a living nightmare."
Kyle clenched his fists, excitement pulsing through his veins despite the fear. This was exactly what I wanted to experience... a real adventure.
And that was when the final fight of the dungeon began.
A metallic crash filled the room. The Insectoid Titan was charging straight towards them, its countless legs kicking up plumes of dust with each contact with the ground. A lightning charge.
"Watch out!" Tristan shouted.
Kyle reacted immediately, erecting a force field in front of the group. The magical barrier wobbled under the impact, cracking dangerously.
"Too powerful…!" he growled through gritted teeth.
Before it could break, Lys positioned herself at his side, palm outstretched.
"Holy barrier!"
A wall of light formed, merging with Kyle's field. With perfect timing, they managed to slow and deflect the monster's charge, just in time.
"Well done," Tristan murmured. "Then he raised his sword."
"Since this is the last fight... I might as well give it my all."
The creature charged again, but this time Tristan drew his sword and swung his blade.
"Wall of flames!"
A fiery curtain rose between them and the monster. The heat was so intense that a high-pitched roar echoed through the room. Millephtalion hesitated... and turned sharply, skirting around the obstacle.
"He got scared..." Kyle murmured, surprised.
Instinctively, he reached for his sword, then stopped.
"No... no need. This time, I fight as a mage."
But the respite was short-lived. The creature slowly surrounded the group, its long form coiling around them. Then, it released a cloud of toxic spores.
"Back off!" Anne shouted.
Iris raised her hand and chanted:
"Blast!" »
A fireball erupted in the center of the cloud. At the same time, Elaria fired a volley of wind arrows, which dispersed the debris in a swirling blast.
The danger was averted.
"Good play," said Anne, moving forward. "My turn!"
She jumped and launched powerful waves of piercing energy from her spear. The luminous bolts struck the boss's shell... but bounced off without effect.
"Its defenses are too strong! We need to get closer!"
Tristan nodded. He and Anne dashed forward, charging straight at the monster. Behind them, Kyle cast a series of lightning spells, his bolts streaking across the room, searching for a weakness.
Once they made contact, Anne plunged her spear into a gap in the shell.
"Fracture!"
An ominous crack sounded.
Tristan, for his part, concentrated his mana, his sword vibrating with a red light.
"Draconic Shock!"
He struck.
The combined impact shook the entire room. The creature roared, recoiled... and violently threw Anne and Tristan against the wall.
"Tristan! Anne!" Lys yelled, running to heal them.
Tristan struggled to his feet, a trickle of blood on his lip.
"We hit him... There's a crack in his shell... on his left side."
He looked up at the others.
"Focus your attacks on this! It's our only chance!"
Kyle reached forward.
"Very well. Then take this... Black Lightning!"
A blazing beam of dark lightning split the air. Following it, Iris cast a fire spell, and Elaria fired arrow after arrow: wind, ice, then fire, without pause.
Their attacks struck the rift opened by Anne and Tristan. Little by little, it widened. Shards of carapace flew. The titan screamed.
"We're getting there!" Iris cried, panting but smiling.
But suddenly... everything changed.
The monster's body contracted, then a red light pulsed around it. A shudder ran through the walls. The temperature dropped. The air grew heavy.
Kyle took a step back.
An inhuman roar rang out, followed by a sinister growl.
The creature reared up, its body vibrating with malevolent energy. Then, with a snap of its mandibles, it opened its gaping maw. A breath of green acid began to form, releasing an unbearably corrosive odor.
"This… this isn't good," Iris murmured, her eyes wide.
"If we get hit by this, it's over for us," Tristan said, pale.
The toxic wave surged forward, speeding toward the group.
Kyle made an immediate decision. He broke away from the others, positioned himself in front of the blast, and projected the widest possible force field.
"Force field!"
A barrier of energy stretched like a dome in front of his comrades. But it was already cracking under the pressure of the blast.
"Hold on...! Just a little...!"
But it wasn't enough.
Lys, still crouching, was trying to heal Tristan and Anne, her face contorted.
"I can't move! Hold on...!"
Between despair, Iris screamed, "I'll take care of this!"
She raised her arms, summoning all her remaining mana, her eyes glowing scarlet.
"Infernal blast!"
A huge fireball, bigger than ever before, shot straight at the acid blast. The impact created a blazing shockwave, pushing the acid back and dissipating it in a burst of burning steam.
Silence followed.
"She did it..." Elaria breathed.
Taking advantage of the opening, Elaria also leaped forward. She closed her eyes, concentrated her mana.
"Dance of a Thousand Arrows."
Her bow glowed white. Then, in an instant, hundreds, thousands of arrows materialized around her, floating in the air. With a single shot, they descended upon the monster like a celestial rain.
Each arrow struck the crack in the carapace, widening it visibly.
Hundreds of chitin flew. The creature let out a shrill scream. Its body trembled, shrank...
Then it collapsed heavily.
A moment of silence. The group held its breath.
"We... got it?" Anne asked, panting.
But then a sticky noise rose. The ground vibrated.
Before their horrified eyes, the monster's shell cracked from the inside. The creature... molted.
His skin was now black and shiny, his legs longer, his fangs sharp as sabers. A blood-red glow pulsed in his eyes.
"He... he's even more powerful..." Lys murmured.
Kyle took a step back. Then a nervous laugh escaped him.
"No, but seriously..."
He looked up at the cavern ceiling.
"The author... he really wants me to die, doesn't he?"
Tristan, his body still trembling, slowly straightened. He leaned on his sword planted on the ground, his eyes fixed on the now mutated creature, imposing and menacing.
"No time to get discouraged..." he growled. "It's not over until we're down."
Kyle nodded. A slight smile played on his lips.
"You have a point... Come on, Tristan." It's time to give it your all."
Tristan turned to him, intrigued.
"How do you know I still have something left to show?"
Kyle shrugged.
"Because it's always like that. Guys like you... it's in critical moments like these that you unlock a power-up you had all along, but you forget about it until the author remembers it."
Tristan stood there frozen for a second, before bursting out laughing.
"Your deductive powers never cease to amaze me, Kyle."
Their exchange was brief, but enough to refocus them.
Kyle inhaled deeply. White arcs of electricity shot out around him.
"White lightning."
His body was rippling with pure energy. His battle-blackened hair suddenly turned white, and his eyes took on an opalescent hue. His aura exploded.
Then he whispered,
"Nether Veil."
An intangible aura enveloped Kyle. His perception abruptly accelerated. The world seemed to be in slow motion, every detail magnified.
"Try not to slow me down, Tristan."
Tristan closed his eyes. His sword vibrated, then glowed with a purple-tinged fire.
"Draconic sword... awakened."
A draconic aura erupted from his sword, briefly forming wings of energy on his back. Purple scales appeared on his arms, and his eyes took on a cleft, reptilian shape.
"Fine. Let's finish this."
The two men, unrecognizable, leaped forward.
The creature tried to intercept them, but Kyle activated the Nether Veil, distorting space around them. The monster screamed, blinded, unable to follow their movements.
"Now!"
Elaria, who had stayed back, unleashed a volley of magical arrows, keeping the beast distracted. Iris, still weakened, drained a mana potion, regaining her strength, her blazing gaze beginning to shine again.
Lys, kneeling with clasped hands, murmured a prayer. But her mana was steady, focused. Something was happening.
"She's up to something," Kyle thought. "A miracle, perhaps..."
Tristan sliced through the air and landed on the creature's back, his blazing sword in hand, while Kyle appeared at its side, black lightning in hand, ready to strike at its heart.
The final battle had only just begun.
Kyle and Tristan's attacks struck their target head-on, slicing through the monstrous flesh. The momentum didn't stop there. The two warriors launched a series of fierce, lightning-fast attacks. The monster, overwhelmed and disoriented by Elaria's continuous arrows, was unable to keep up with their pace.
As Iris, regenerated by her mana potion, got to her feet, Anne joined the front. The knight with the lance leaped into the heart of the fight, delivering blow after blow with impressive power. Iris, meanwhile, rained down a series of offensive spells on the creature, mixing fire and lightning, forming a devastating elemental ballet.
But...
Nothing worked.
The creature, cornered, writhed in a strange convulsion. Then, with a brutal movement, it pushed Tristan and Kyle back like straws. Growling with rage, it prepared a furious charge... straight towards Anne, who no longer had time to dodge.
"No!"
A flash of light tore through the sky.
Golden chains, emerging from nothingness, wrapped themselves around the monster with divine force. Immobilized, it screamed, its body twisted by the sudden constraint.
In the distance, Lys stood up, her face bathed in sweat, her hands clasped in a gigantic magic circle.
"I won't be able to hold it back for long... I'm counting on you, friends!"
The message was clear. This was their final assault.
Anne gritted her teeth, gathered all her energy, and unleashed a formidable combination: "Puncture - Fracture." Her spear, surrounded by a sharp aura, struck with seismic violence.
Tristan, for his part, plunged his sword into the ground.
"Draconic Flame: Incandescent Wave!"
A sea of purple fire rose, engulfing the monster.
Kyle, silent, took a step back. He watched his hand tremble with energy.
"It's neither white... nor black..."
He combined White Lightning and Black Lightning, forming an unstable, electrified, crackling sphere, a pure concentration of opposite polarity. A terrifying attack he'd only used once before...
"It's the same one he used against Edward..." Lys breathed, her eyes wide.
"Yeah. He's really going to do it..." Tristan added.
Kyle lunged, his arm jerking back, the sphere pulsing like a heart about to burst.
"Void Eclipse...!"
He launched the attack.
The sphere slammed into the already bound and injured creature. A silent explosion crashed down on it, as if the world had been drained of its breath.
The beast howled one last time.
Then... everything stopped.
The ground shook. Silence returned, heavy, deep.
The creature... collapsed, its body dislocated, consumed by the attack.
They had won.