Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

It didn't take Raegar long to get to the dungeon, and when he realized what it was, he sighed. ''It had to be an Undead one called the Sleepy Hollow,'' he muttered.

When Drusilla heard this, she giggled. ''Well, we can get a lot of cores, which means more gold coins, and it will allow you to test out your Light Aether.''

Following that, he approached the entrance and was greeted by the Dawnfirian guards keeping watch and patrolling the small fortress that guarded the outside world from Dungeon Breaks.

He noticed a large human man step forward and saluted respectfully before speaking as the others went about their business. ''Young master Blackwood. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, I'm Joseph, one of the guard commanders of the dungeons.''

''I used to train with your Father. A brave man and brilliant commander during the Northern Wars,'' the man concluded happily.

Raegar was taken aback but smiled at the revelation and how small his world was. He shook his head, answering. ''Yes, just like my big brother Jasper, I heard he's one of the empire's up-and-coming generals.''

''That's right, General Vaelthorne has earned the empress's favor. Thanks to the horrible incident on Windy Isles, he was ordered to clear it in the summer, which will prove to the empire that he is something special,'' Joseph revealed.

This caught his attention, prompting him to question. ''What happened out there? Pirates again? Or did another sea monster attack?''

''When the Red Gate opened by the school, several other normal ones popped up all across the empire, and Windy Isles got a Rank A one that destroyed several towns and cities during an outbreak,'' the older man informed the duo.

Raeger nodded, frowning as a bad feeling welled up inside, but he ignored it while speaking. ''Alright, thanks for that information, but I'm going to explore this dungeon before heading toward the village baker's.''

The guard's brown eyes lit up as he responded. ''I heard the Jameson family opened a store there a few years back. It's a hit with the kids in Drakenwood, and they're raking in a fortune.''

After that, he cheerfully led them to the entrance to the F-Rank Dungeon. ''Welcome to Sleepy Hollow, among the mightiest of its rank.''

He crossed through the shimmering portal, activated by a nearby mage who channeled Aether into a glowing orb, granting him passage. Once inside, Drusilla flew out of his pocket excitedly.

''This place is saturated with Death Aether," she declared excitedly. ''Dominique would revel in the dark energy that pulses through this dungeon.''

Raegar stood in front of a desolate, eerie town that seemed frozen in time, its dilapidated structures cloaked in an unsettling silence. A primal scream echoed in his mind, a faint warning rippling through the air.

Yet, bolstered by his strength, he felt no fear, only a steely resolve as he gazed into the heart of Sleepy Hollow, its ominous aura no match for him, just as several screeches echoed out as Tier One Ghouls rushed out from the old buildings.

As the chaos erupted, Raegar unleashed a barrage of Stormfire Bullets. The air crackled with Aether as blazing projectiles, wreathed in tempestuous flames, tore through the oncoming horde.

Each fiery bolt burrowed deep into the twisted forms of his foes, searing through flesh and bone. One by one, the creatures fell, their lifeless bodies collapsing into the dust before dissolving into the dungeon.

''That was epic!'' Drusilla said while flying around his head. ''Those spells destroyed the creatures within seconds.''

He let out a chuckle, his red eyes glinting as he gestured toward the remaining Ghouls, their forms lurking in the shadows of Sleepy Hollow. ''Be my guest, Miss Dark Fairy, and show these wretches the true meaning of fear.''

The blonde responded with a mischievous giggle as she raised a delicate hand, her lips moving in a chant, weaving words from an ancient tongue that seemed to hum with the very essence of the abyss.

Above her palm, a swirling black bolt materialized, pulsing with malevolent energy, its dark radiance casting eerie flickers across the desolate town. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed the bolt, and it sliced through the air, its path a deadly arc.

The projectile struck the nearest Ghoul, piercing its decayed flesh with a sickening hiss, dropping the creature instantly as its body crumbled into ash. Her eyes gleamed with focus as she guided the dark bolt with gestures.

One by one, the remaining dungeon monsters fell dead thanks to the wave of spells, their guttural shrieks silenced as the bolt carved through them, never straying more than a few meters from him and the Dark Fairy.

The creatures collapsed in heaps, their forms dissolving into the dungeon's ethereal mists, leaving only the echo of their demise. He watched, his admiration unspoken but evident in the slight nod he gave her.

Her power was as captivating as it was deadly, a perfect storm of grace and annihilation, and together they stood unyielding against the horrors of the dungeon's heart. After fighting, she looked at him, beaming.

''How many floors does this place have?'' she questioned curiously.

He thought for a few seconds before responding. ''Two, this one and the boss floor, but it's complicated as we have to kill a certain undead that is lurking around in the shadows.''

Drusilla looked at him wide-eyed and shook her head. ''How do you know all this?''

''Studied the weaker dungeons during my journey here,'' he revealed while casting Lightningfire Blast into a sneaky group.

The fire turned them to ashes and left behind the glowing Brown Cores that he started collecting. While doing that, Drusilla guarded him as she questioned. ''Why are you grabbing those? Aren't they worth a few copper coins?''

''Yes, but the more I gather, the more coin I get,'' he replied just as more screeching echoed out. ''We need to find the Lich; he's in control of the undead here and will keep sending more monsters.''

As the Dark Fairy hovered above him, she gestured urgently toward the shadows, revealing a horde of enemies lurking in the mist. With a thought, he unleashed a surge of Aether, its energy slicing through the air.

The Ghouls, caught in the blinding wave, disintegrated instantly, their guttural shrieks fading into silence. But the triumph was short-lived as a new, more formidable foe emerged from the darkness.

A colossal Undead Bat, its leathery wings spanning wider than a man, swooped down, its jagged claws aimed at Drusilla. His instincts kicked in, and he cast a Stormfire Bullet that tore through the air.

The bat dodged with a mocking screech. Undeterred, he tapped deeper into his reserves, drawing from the pool of Light Aether. His hands glowed as he wove the shimmering essence into a blazing missile of pure light.

It beat back the dungeon's oppressive gloom like a beacon, its brilliance locked onto the giant Undead Bat. He hurled it, and the projectile sliced through the air, homing in on its target with relentless speed.

He watched as its grotesque form, twisting mid-flight, couldn't evade the strike. The missile tore through one of its leathery wings, leaving a smoldering gash as the creature let out a bone-chilling screech.

Drusilla cheered as the bat spiraled downward, crashing into a structure with a thunderous impact, debris scattering across the dungeon. Seizing the moment, he surged forward, his boots pounding against the stone as he summoned his daggers.

The blade materialized in his grip, lighting up with Light Aether. With the bat thrashing, he closed the distance, his eyes narrowed, ready to deliver the final blow to end its wretched existence.

Raegar's daggers thrummed with Light Aether as he closed in on the writhing Undead Bat pinned beneath a slab of stone. The creature's dark eyes locked onto him, its jagged maw snapping wildly despite its weakened state.

The dungeon's air grew thick with the stench of decay, the bat's wound still sizzling from the impact. Above, the Dark Fairy hovered, her voice sharp as she called out, ''Finish it, Rae! More are coming!''

He didn't hesitate and leaped over the scattered debris. Raegar drove his dagger downward, aiming for the bat's pulsating core. The blade sank deep, releasing a burst of dark blood that hissed as it met the enchanted steel.

The Tier Four Undead Bat let out a final, guttural wail before its body convulsed and stilled, its eyes dimming to lifeless embers. But the rest was fleeting. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and a low, ominous rumble echoed through the dungeon.

From the shadows, a chorus of guttural snarls grew louder, accompanied by the skittering of claws on stone. The Dark Fairy's wings flared as she darted higher, her keen blue eyes scanning the darkness.

''Ghouls!'' she hissed. ''A whole pack, closing in from the eastern street!''

Raegar yanked his dagger free, wiping the ichor on his cloak as he steadied his breath. He could feel the Aether in his veins humming, still potent but draining with each spell. ''How many?'' he asked, his voice calm but edged with urgency.