Jaxen stepped out of the dungeon gate, his body aching, his clothes torn and soaked with blood. The sunlight hit his face, warm and almost blinding after the darkness of the dungeon.But nothing he had seen in that dungeon could prepare him for what he saw now.He was standing right on the edge of a massive crater. So wide, yet so deep. As if a meteor had struck the earth.The area was completely burned. The ground was blackened and cracked. Trees had been uprooted and scattered like twigs. Craters stretched out as far as he could see."What the hell happened here?" Jaxen muttered.The raiders who had escaped earlier stood nearby, staring at the destruction with wide eyes. Some were shaking. Others were on their knees, overwhelmed by what they were seeing."Were the earlier tremors I felt what caused this?" Jaxen thought aloud.He walked over to Garret. The man was unconscious, his arms still missing, his body pale from blood loss. A few raiders were attending to his wounds, applying

Jaxen woke up to the sound of someone banging on his door."Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Bill's voice boomed through the wood. "We're going to the beach!"Jaxen groaned and pulled the pillow over his head. "Go away.""The beach, Jaxen! Sun! Sand! Relaxation!""I don't want to relax.""Too bad! You have ten minutes!"Jaxen heard Bill's footsteps retreating down the hall, followed by the sound of him banging on other doors.He lay in bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling.A beach. A vacation. No monsters. No death.It sounded nice. Actually, it sounded incredible. He just didn't trust it.---The beach was stunning. White sand stretched as far as the eye could see, meeting the crystal-clear water of the ocean. Palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze. The sun was warm, the sky was blue, and the only sounds were the waves and the distant laughter of other beachgoers.Jaxen stood at the edge of the sand, his toes sinking into the warm grains, and allowed himself to smile."Not bad,"

Chapter 66: Vacation, Part Four – The Spar Before the StormThe morning sun streamed through the curtains of the inn, casting warm golden light across Jaxen's face. He stirred, blinking against the brightness, and stretched his aching muscles.One more day. Tomorrow, they would raid the A-rank dungeon. Today, they had one last day of freedom.He swung his legs out of bed and dressed quickly. The inn was already buzzing with activity when he reached the common room. Hunters were scattered around, eating breakfast, chatting, and preparing for the day ahead.Sofia was at a corner table with Peter, both of them deep in conversation. She looked up as Jaxen approached."Perfect timing," she said. "I need you two to do something for me.""What kind of something?" Jaxen asked warily.Sofia smiled sweetly. "Escort me to the mall. I need to buy some gear for the raid tomorrow."Peter raised his good hand. "I volunteer. But I should warn you, I'm terrible at shopping.""Everyone's terrible at sh

Jaxen woke before the sun had fully risen. The hotel room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the city outside his window. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting the weight of the day settle on his chest.Today was the raid. An A+ rank dungeon. The most dangerous challenge he had ever faced.He sat up slowly, his muscles aching from the restless night. Sleep hadn't come easily. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Dante's face. He felt the cold bite of the dark elf's blade. He remembered the twenty-one deaths.Twenty-one times he had died. Twenty-one times he had rewound time, desperate to find a way to survive.And in the end, he had only won because Dante had let his guard down. Because Miguel had intervened. Because Benson had sacrificed himself.I can't let that happen again.Jaxen swung his legs out of bed and walked to the window. The city of New City stretched out below him, quiet and peaceful in the early morning light. It was hard to be

"We're almost there!" The raiders were now a few meters away from the road platform. The skeleton bones were several meters behind them, still reforming, still chasing. "Hey, I think we lost them. They're too far to reach us no—" Bang! A giant skeleton hand rose high, slamming into the stone platform Jaxen and the others were running on. The platform broke into multiple pieces, separating the group into sections. The giant hand rising caused a splash of lava that now poured from above them like rain. "Shit! Incoming from above!" one of the raiders screamed. "Peter!" Anthony barked. Peter took his staff from his waist and rose it high. A green shield formed over every single group of raiders, successfully blocking the lava rain. "Whew." Peter sighed. "That was a close one." Anthony was impressed. Peter was indeed an A-rank mage, but he was supposed to be a rookie—fresh out of the academy. Yet he had conjured not one single large shield to protect as many as possib