CHAPTER 45: THE FOUNDER'S FIRST MISSION – ARCANE CAVE INCIDENT
Morning sunlight poured across the floating islands of Heavenly Paradise, bathing the newly established headquarters in a warm golden glow. The white stone buildings shimmered above the clouds, while gentle waterfalls flowed over the edges of the floating land into the endless sky below.
Unlike the previous days filled with construction and planning, today felt peaceful.
For once...
There was no training.
No monsters.
No emergency.
Only laughter.
Kenya leaned over the balcony of the main hall, stretching his arms toward the sky.
"This place is amazing!"
"I still can't believe we actually built this."
Ruke walked past carrying two wooden practice swords.
"You didn't build much."
"You mostly complained."
Kenya immediately protested.
"I motivated everyone."
Shen, sitting on the rooftop overlooking the floating valley, quietly smiled.
"You call sleeping until noon motivation?"
Kenya pointed dramatically.
"I was preserving energy."
Eliz laughed softly.
"I've never heard that excuse before."
The peaceful atmosphere continued as birds circled the floating island.
Several young recruits who had recently joined Heavenly Paradise watched their four founders with admiration.
To them...
Shen, Kenya, Eliz, and Ruke were already legends.
Not because of rank.
But because they had created a home where anyone—regardless of talent or background—could belong.
A young recruit approached nervously.
"Founder Shen..."
Shen looked toward him.
"Yes?"
"We finished planting the healing herbs."
Shen smiled.
"Good work."
"Keep watering them every morning."
The boy nodded happily before running away.
Kenya folded his arms proudly.
"See?"
"We're famous now."
Ruke sighed.
"Your ego grows faster than the herbs."
Before Kenya could answer—
A loud bell echoed across Heavenly Paradise.
**DONG...**
**DONG...**
**DONG...**
Every founder immediately became serious.
Shen stood.
"That's Headquarters."
A golden magic circle appeared in the center of the courtyard.
Moments later...
Commander Ryulga stepped out, accompanied by Captain Kael Arden.
The recruits instantly bowed.
"Commander!"
Ryulga observed the floating sanctuary quietly.
His normally stern expression softened slightly.
"So..."
"You truly built it."
Kenya grinned.
"Told you we would."
Kael looked around in amazement.
"I've visited countless Drifter bases..."
"...but never one floating above the clouds."
Eliz smiled politely.
"Welcome to Heavenly Paradise."
Ryulga walked slowly through the courtyard.
He examined the training grounds.
The gardens.
The healing facilities.
The watchtowers.
Every detail had been carefully designed.
Finally...
He stopped before Shen.
"You've done well."
Coming from Commander Ryulga...
Those four words meant more than any medal.
Shen bowed respectfully.
"Thank you."
Ryulga reached inside his cloak.
He removed a sealed silver scroll.
"I didn't come only to congratulate you."
His voice became serious.
"I have your first official mission."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Kenya's smile widened.
"Our first mission?"
Ruke crossed his arms.
"Finally."
Ryulga handed the scroll to Shen.
The seal broke automatically.
Golden letters floated into the air.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ARCANE DRIFTER HEADQUARTERS
Official Mission Assignment
Mission Name:
Arcane Cave Incident
Mission Rank:
C-Class
Assigned Crew:
Heavenly Paradise
Objective:
Investigate unexplained disappearances inside Arcane Cave.
Eliminate hostile Arcane Beasts.
Rescue survivors if possible.
Location:
Northern Mountain Region.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Kenya tilted his head.
"C-Class?"
"Sounds easy."
Commander Ryulga looked directly at him.
"No mission is easy."
"Especially one that's been reassigned four times."
Everyone became quiet.
Kael continued.
"Three investigation teams entered."
"None returned."
Eliz frowned.
"...No survivors?"
Kael slowly shook his head.
"None."
Shen carefully reread the report.
"Twelve missing Drifters..."
"Three civilian mining groups..."
"Complete communication failure."
He looked toward Ryulga.
"This doesn't sound like an ordinary C-Class mission."
Ryulga nodded.
"It probably isn't."
"That's why I'm assigning it to you."
Kenya blinked.
"...Wait."
"If it's more dangerous..."
"...shouldn't higher-ranked crews handle it?"
Ryulga answered calmly.
"They tried."
"They couldn't determine what was happening."
"The cave seems..."
"...different."
Ruke narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"The Arcane energy changes every time someone enters."
"Sometimes it's peaceful."
"Sometimes..."
"...entire mountains shake."
No one spoke.
Ryulga continued.
"Your teamwork is unlike any crew Headquarters currently has."
"You trust one another."
"And I believe that's exactly what's needed."
Shen closed the mission scroll.
"When do we leave?"
Ryulga answered without hesitation.
"Immediately."
Kenya smiled excitedly.
"Finally."
"A real mission."
Eliz looked toward the recruits.
"We'll be gone for a few days."
"Take care of Heavenly Paradise."
The young members saluted proudly.
"Yes, Founder!"
Minutes later...
The four founders changed into their official combat uniforms.
Shen wore his familiar black long coat with silver details.
His sword rested at his waist.
Kenya adjusted his dark blue jacket before igniting a small flame in his palm.
"Looks like everything still works."
Ruke tightened the straps around his twin swords.
Blue sparks danced around his fingertips.
Eliz brushed her long black hair behind her shoulder before fastening the silver clasp of her black-and-white combat cloak.
The four stood together before the main gate.
Commander Ryulga looked at them one last time.
"You are no longer students."
"You are founders."
"Your decisions will determine not only your lives..."
"...but everyone who follows Heavenly Paradise."
Shen nodded.
"We understand."
Ryulga activated a large teleportation gate.
A brilliant blue portal opened before them.
Beyond it...
Tokyo stretched across the horizon.
Towering buildings reflected the morning sunlight.
Flying Arcane transports crossed the sky.
Crowds of Drifters moved through the streets.
Kenya smiled.
"Back to Tokyo."
Ruke smirked.
"Try not to buy half the city again."
"No promises."
Eliz laughed.
Shen took the first step through the portal.
The others followed.
As the portal closed behind them...
None of them realized that this mission would become the turning point in Heavenly Paradise's history.
Far beneath the distant Northern Mountains...
Within the endless darkness of Arcane Cave...
A pair of enormous crimson eyes slowly opened.
The cave itself seemed to breathe.
A deep growl echoed through the tunnels.
Then...
Silence returned.
The Founder Crew's first official mission had begun.
The teleportation gate closed behind them with a flash of blue light.
The bustling streets of Tokyo immediately surrounded the four founders of Heavenly Paradise.
Unlike ordinary cities, Tokyo was the world's largest Arcane Drifter hub. Hundreds of Drifters wearing uniforms of different guilds walked through the streets. Floating holographic mission boards displayed hundreds of quests every second.
Flying Arcane vehicles crossed the sky while magical trains glided silently above crystal rails.
Kenya looked around with sparkling eyes.
"I don't care what anyone says..."
"I love this city."
Ruke smiled faintly.
"You love the food here."
"That too."
Eliz laughed softly.
"Nothing has changed."
As they walked through the crowded streets, many people noticed the Heavenly Paradise emblem stitched onto their cloaks.
Some whispered among themselves.
"That's the new founder crew."
"I heard Commander Ryulga personally approved them."
"Those are the former E-Class students."
"They're the ones who built the floating island."
Kenya leaned closer to Shen.
"We're becoming famous."
Shen simply smiled.
"Fame isn't our goal."
"Our goal is getting stronger."
Before reaching the transportation station, Kenya suddenly stopped.
"I forgot."
Everyone turned toward him.
"What?"
"We're going on a long mission."
"...We need snacks."
Ruke immediately sighed.
"I knew this was coming."
Five minutes later...
The four stood inside one of Tokyo's largest convenience stores.
Kenya pushed a shopping basket that was already overflowing.
Potato chips.
Chocolate.
Instant noodles.
Juice bottles.
Cookies.
Energy drinks.
Ice cream.
Eliz stared at the basket.
"Kenya..."
"This isn't a week's supply."
"This is enough for an army."
Kenya proudly nodded.
"Exactly."
Shen picked up a bottle of water.
"You do realize we're going to fight monsters."
Kenya answered seriously.
"And monsters are easier to fight when you're full."
Ruke couldn't even argue anymore.
After paying for everything, they continued toward Tokyo's northern transport terminal.
Huge airships waited there to carry Drifters toward dangerous regions outside the city.
Their assigned transport was already waiting.
A medium-sized Arcane aircraft floated silently above the platform.
Captain Kael stood beside it.
"There you are."
"I was beginning to think you got lost."
Kenya raised several shopping bags.
"We were preparing."
Kael looked inside one bag.
"...You bought seventeen chocolate bars."
"They were on sale."
Kael simply covered his face.
"Just... get on the ship."
The aircraft lifted smoothly into the sky.
Tokyo slowly disappeared beneath the clouds.
From the window, the city looked peaceful.
Far beyond the horizon...
Mountains stretched endlessly.
Snow covered their peaks.
Dense forests surrounded them like oceans of green.
After nearly two hours of flight, Kael pointed toward the distance.
"There."
Everyone looked outside.
A massive mountain stood alone among countless smaller peaks.
Halfway up its side...
An enormous cave entrance could be seen.
Dark mist continuously flowed from inside.
Even from kilometers away, the Arcane energy surrounding it could be felt.
Kenya's cheerful expression disappeared.
"...So that's Arcane Cave."
Ruke folded his arms.
"The atmosphere feels wrong."
Eliz quietly closed her eyes.
"I can sense two different Arcane energies."
"One belongs to ordinary Arcane Beasts..."
"...the other..."
"...feels ancient."
Shen activated his Supreme Lord Eye.
His vision pierced through the dark mist.
For only a brief second...
He saw something enormous moving deep inside the mountain.
Then it vanished.
His expression became serious.
"I'm not sure what lives in there..."
"But it's watching us."
The aircraft landed near the mountain base.
Several temporary Headquarters camps surrounded the area.
Broken weapons lay scattered everywhere.
Destroyed tents remained untouched.
The place looked abandoned.
A wounded veteran Drifter approached Commander Kael.
"Sir..."
"You've brought another team?"
Kael nodded.
"They'll investigate."
The veteran looked toward Heavenly Paradise.
His eyes were filled with concern.
"If you hear whispers..."
"...don't answer."
Kenya frowned.
"Whispers?"
The veteran slowly nodded.
"They imitate voices."
"They'll call your name."
"They'll sound exactly like your friends."
"But..."
"They aren't."
A cold breeze swept across the mountain.
Everyone became silent.
The cave entrance stood nearly fifty meters high.
Dark mist flowed continuously from within.
No birds flew overhead.
No insects made sounds.
The entire mountain was unnaturally quiet.
Commander Kael handed Shen a communication crystal.
"If anything goes wrong..."
"Contact Headquarters immediately."
Shen accepted it.
"We will."
Ryulga, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Remember."
"Your objective is investigation first."
"If the situation exceeds your ability..."
"...retreat."
Kenya smiled confidently.
"We'll return."
"All four of us."
Shen stepped toward the cave entrance.
The others followed without hesitation.
As they crossed the invisible boundary...
The temperature dropped instantly.
The sunlight disappeared.
Only glowing Arcane crystals illuminated the endless darkness ahead.
The Founder Crew had officially entered Arcane Cave.
None of them noticed...
High above them...
Two enormous crimson eyes slowly opened within the darkness of the cavern ceiling.
They had been waiting.
The deeper Heavenly Paradise ventured into the Arcane Cave, the heavier the atmosphere became.
The glowing Arcane crystals embedded in the walls were the only source of light. Their blue and violet glow reflected across the damp stone floor, creating strange shadows that seemed to move on their own.
The silence was unsettling.
Not a single beast roared.
Not even the sound of insects could be heard.
Only...
**Drip...**
**Drip...**
Water echoed through the endless tunnels.
Kenya looked around.
"I don't like this."
"It's too quiet."
Ruke nodded.
"Something's watching us."
Shen activated his **Supreme Lord Eye**.
His vision expanded far beyond ordinary sight.
Arcane energy flowed through every tunnel like rivers of light.
Several passages branched deeper into the mountain.
One path contained faint traces of blood.
Another was filled with corrupted Arcane energy.
The third...
Contained dozens of life signatures.
"They're hiding."
Shen spoke quietly.
"About sixty meters ahead."
Eliz tightened her grip on her staff.
"Ambush?"
Shen nodded.
"They're waiting."
Kenya cracked his knuckles.
"Good."
"I was getting bored."
The group continued walking.
Suddenly—
A familiar voice echoed through the tunnel.
"Shen..."
Everyone immediately stopped.
Kenya looked around.
"Who was that?"
Again...
"Shen..."
This time...
It sounded exactly like Eliz.
Eliz frowned.
"I didn't say anything."
Ruke slowly drew one of his swords.
"The veteran was right."
"It imitates voices."
Another whisper echoed.
"Kenya..."
Then another.
"Ruke..."
"Eliz..."
The voices came from every direction.
Some sounded frightened.
Others sounded cheerful.
One even sounded exactly like Commander Ryulga.
"Retreat."
"Leave the cave."
Kenya laughed.
"Nice try."
"You're going to need better acting than that."
The whispers suddenly stopped.
Silence returned.
For only a second.
Then—
The ceiling exploded.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
Huge rocks rained downward.
"Move!"
Shen shouted.
The four scattered instantly.
Massive black creatures dropped from the ceiling.
They resembled giant wolves covered in crystal armor.
Each possessed glowing crimson eyes and razor-sharp claws.
More followed.
Spider-like Arcane Beasts.
Crystal serpents.
Shadow panthers.
Within seconds...
More than forty monsters surrounded Heavenly Paradise.
One beast lunged toward Eliz.
Before it could reach her—
A blazing fist smashed into its skull.
**BOOM!!**
Kenya stood between them.
His body ignited with crimson flames.
"You picked the wrong target."
Scarlet fire erupted around him.
His Fire Arcane surged violently.
"Demon Flame Style..."
"Blazing Fist!"
He punched forward.
A massive wave of fire swept across the tunnel.
Three wolves were thrown backward, crashing into the cave wall.
Another monster jumped from above.
Kenya smiled.
"Too slow."
He caught it by the throat.
Flames exploded around his arm.
"Burn."
**BOOOOOOM!!**
The creature vanished inside a pillar of fire.
Meanwhile—
Blue lightning illuminated another tunnel.
Ruke disappeared.
Only thunder remained.
**CRACK!!**
One slash.
A crystal spider split in half.
Another beast charged.
Ruke stepped sideways.
His blade flashed.
The creature collapsed before realizing it had been cut.
Lightning danced around his body.
His movements became impossible to predict.
"Thunder Style..."
"Flash Step."
Blue afterimages filled the battlefield.
Every few seconds...
Another Arcane Beast fell.
Eliz raised her staff.
White light gathered around her right hand.
Dark Arcane gathered around her left.
The two opposite elements rotated around each other beautifully.
"Light..."
"...bind them."
Golden chains erupted from the ground.
Several beasts were instantly restrained.
She immediately followed with another spell.
"Dark Spear."
Dozens of black lances pierced through the immobilized monsters.
The tunnel echoed with explosions.
Shen watched everything calmly.
He wasn't attacking.
He was observing.
His Supreme Lord Eye scanned every movement.
Something felt wrong.
The beasts weren't trying to win.
They were trying to...
Delay them.
His eyes widened.
"They're buying time."
The moment he spoke—
A deafening roar shook the mountain.
**ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!!**
The remaining Arcane Beasts immediately froze.
Then...
To everyone's surprise...
They began retreating.
One after another.
Without hesitation.
Kenya blinked.
"They're running?"
Ruke lowered his sword.
"Why would they retreat now?"
Shen stared into the endless darkness ahead.
"They're making way..."
"...for something stronger."
The ground suddenly trembled.
Small stones rolled across the floor.
The glowing Arcane crystals began flickering violently.
Then...
A gigantic claw emerged from the darkness.
It slammed onto the cave floor with enough force to crack the stone.
Another claw appeared.
Then an enormous head slowly emerged.
Black crystal armor covered its body.
Six curved horns extended backward from its skull.
Molten purple energy flowed between the cracks of its scales.
Its crimson eyes slowly opened.
They locked onto Shen.
The pressure alone made the surrounding Arcane Beasts kneel.
Even the air became heavier.
Kenya unconsciously clenched his fists.
"...Now that's a boss."
The creature slowly stepped forward.
Each footstep shook the cavern.
It wasn't rushing.
It wasn't angry.
It was confident.
The Supreme Lord Eye suddenly flashed.
---
**Supreme Lord Eye**
**Analyzing...**
**Unknown Arcane Beast**
**Recalculating...**
**Species Identified**
**Arcane Crystal Dragon Lord**
**Current Threat Level: B+**
**Warning**
**Potential Evolution Detected**
---
Before anyone could react...
The dragon smiled.
Not like a beast.
Like a warrior.
Its deep voice echoed through the cavern.
"So..."
"...another group of Drifters has come to challenge me."
The four founders froze.
An Arcane Beast...
Had just spoken.
The dragon's voice echoed throughout the Arcane Cave.
"So..."
"...another group of Drifters has finally arrived."
Its crimson eyes scanned each member of Heavenly Paradise before stopping on Shen.
"You..."
"You are their leader."
Shen calmly stepped forward.
"Shen Karguro."
The dragon lowered its enormous head.
"I am..."
"...the Arcane Crystal Dragon Lord."
"For centuries..."
"I have guarded this mountain."
Kenya narrowed his eyes.
"If you're the guardian..."
"Why attack the miners and Drifters?"
The dragon remained silent for several moments.
Then...
It laughed.
A heavy, sorrowful laugh.
"They..."
"...attacked first."
The four looked at each other.
The dragon continued.
"They dug deeper than they should have."
"They awakened something."
"They stole forbidden Arcane Crystals."
"I protected this mountain."
"But..."
Its body suddenly trembled.
Dark purple veins spread across its crystal armor.
The dragon roared in pain.
**ROOOOOOOOOOOAAARRR!!**
The entire cave shook violently.
Eliz immediately sensed something.
"...This isn't natural."
Shen activated his Supreme Lord Eye.
His vision pierced through the dragon's body.
Deep inside its chest...
A black crystal pulsed violently.
Every heartbeat released corrupted Arcane energy.
The Eye immediately displayed another notification.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
SUPREME LORD EYE
Unknown Object Detected
Corrupted Arcane Core
Status:
Artificial
Warning:
External corruption controlling host.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Shen slowly lowered his sword.
"You're being controlled."
The dragon's pupils widened.
"You..."
"...can see it?"
Before Shen could answer—
The black crystal pulsed again.
Dark energy erupted across the dragon's body.
It screamed in agony.
Its own claws dug into the stone floor.
"No..."
"...Stop..."
"...I won't..."
The corruption answered with another pulse.
The dragon's expression changed completely.
Its eyes turned pitch black.
The gentle intelligence disappeared.
Only endless rage remained.
Kenya sighed.
"So much for talking."
The Dragon Lord spread its wings.
An explosion of corrupted Arcane energy swept through the battlefield.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
Crystal pillars shattered.
The cave ceiling cracked.
The pressure alone forced the four founders backward.
Shen dug his sword into the ground to stop himself.
"Everyone!"
"Battle formation!"
Without hesitation—
The four immediately moved.
Shen at the front.
Kenya on the left.
Ruke on the right.
Eliz behind them.
Perfect synchronization.
The dragon roared.
Then vanished.
"...Fast!"
Ruke shouted.
A gigantic claw appeared above Shen.
**CRAAAAASH!!**
The attack shattered the ground.
Shen barely blocked it with his sword.
The impact pushed him several meters backward.
Kenya exploded forward.
Scarlet flames erupted around his body.
His Arcane Aura burned brighter than ever before.
Crimson markings spread across his arms and neck.
His eyes glowed like molten fire.
**Fire Demon Form.**
The temperature inside the cave instantly increased.
Every surrounding crystal reflected crimson light.
Kenya smiled confidently.
"You wanted a fight?"
"You've got one!"
He vanished.
The cave floor exploded beneath his feet.
Within a heartbeat—
He appeared beneath the dragon's jaw.
"Fire Demon Style..."
"Crimson Meteor!"
His flaming uppercut struck the dragon directly.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
The Dragon Lord's enormous body lifted from the ground.
Before it could recover—
Kenya followed.
Punch after punch rained down like burning meteors.
Each strike exploded with terrifying force.
Firestorms erupted throughout the cavern.
The dragon roared.
Its tail swung violently.
**WHOOOOOSH!!**
Kenya crossed his arms.
The impact launched him across the cave.
He crashed through four crystal pillars.
Dust filled the air.
Several seconds later...
Kenya stood up.
A small cut rested on his forehead.
He smiled.
"Now..."
"...that's more like it."
Blue lightning suddenly illuminated the battlefield.
Ruke's Arcane energy erupted.
Electricity danced around his entire body.
His breathing slowed.
His movements became almost invisible.
"Thunder Style..."
"Heaven's Flash."
**CRACK!!**
The sound of thunder echoed.
Ruke disappeared.
Only blue streaks remained.
One slash.
Two slashes.
Ten slashes.
Twenty.
Within seconds...
Dozens of lightning-infused attacks struck the dragon from every direction.
The crystal armor finally began cracking.
Purple blood splashed onto the cave floor.
The Dragon Lord roared in frustration.
It fired a beam of corrupted Arcane energy toward Ruke.
Ruke disappeared just before the beam struck.
The attack carved a massive canyon through the cave wall.
Ruke reappeared high above the dragon.
His twin swords crossed.
"Thunder Fang..."
"Sky Divider!"
Twin dragons made of lightning burst from his blades.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
The lightning dragons collided with the Dragon Lord.
The resulting explosion illuminated the entire cave.
The dragon crashed back onto the ground.
Its breathing became heavier.
Its crystal armor now contained several visible cracks.
Watching everything from behind...
Eliz quietly closed her eyes.
White Arcane energy gathered around one hand.
Dark Arcane surrounded the other.
Light...
Darkness...
Two opposite powers.
Perfectly balanced.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"It's my turn."
Ancient magic circles expanded beneath her feet.
The entire battlefield began glowing.
Even Shen could feel the immense concentration of Arcane energy.
Golden feathers appeared around her.
Black stars floated beside them.
Both powers merged into a single spell.
The Dragon Lord instinctively stepped backward.
For the first time...
It sensed true danger.
Eliz raised her staff toward the sky.
"Heaven..."
"...and Abyss..."
"...hear my call."
Above the battlefield...
A gigantic sphere began forming.
Half of it radiated brilliant holy light.
The other half resembled endless darkness.
The spell continued growing larger.
Larger.
Larger.
Until it filled almost the entire cavern.
Kenya looked upward.
"...Whoa."
Even Ruke stopped moving.
Shen smiled slightly.
"She's serious."
The Dragon Lord roared and charged directly toward Eliz.
Shen immediately stepped in front of her.
His sword met one of the dragon's claws.
**CLAAAAANG!!**
Shockwaves spread throughout the cave.
Neither moved.
For a brief moment...
Human and dragon stared directly into each other's eyes.
Shen calmly spoke.
"You won't touch her."
Behind him...
Eliz finished chanting.
She slowly lowered her staff.
"Heavenly Eclipse."
The gigantic sphere descended.
The gigantic sphere descended.
The entire Arcane Cave was illuminated by two opposite forces.
One half radiated pure celestial light.
The other overflowed with endless darkness.
The Dragon Lord instinctively roared and spread its crystal wings.
Corrupted Arcane energy erupted from its body like a volcanic eruption.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAARRRR!!"
A massive beam of corrupted energy shot upward.
It collided with Eliz's spell.
**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
The explosion shook the entire mountain.
Crystal pillars shattered into thousands of pieces.
The ground split apart beneath everyone's feet.
A blinding light swallowed the battlefield.
Several seconds later...
The smoke slowly cleared.
The Dragon Lord stood in the center of an enormous crater.
Its breathing had become rough.
Several sections of its crystal armor had completely shattered.
Purple blood dripped from dozens of wounds.
Kenya whistled.
"That actually hurt it."
Eliz lowered her staff, breathing slightly heavier.
"It survived..."
Ruke narrowed his eyes.
"It won't survive another one."
Suddenly—
The Dragon Lord began laughing.
A deep...
Painful...
Broken laugh.
"Hahaha..."
"...Excellent..."
"...Wonderful..."
Its voice echoed throughout the cave.
"You four..."
"...are the strongest humans..."
"...I have faced..."
Then—
The black crystal embedded within its chest suddenly pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Dark veins rapidly spread across its entire body.
The Dragon Lord screamed.
**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!**
Its own claws tore into its chest as though trying to remove something from inside.
Shen immediately activated his Supreme Lord Eye.
His vision pierced directly through the corruption.
The black crystal...
Was growing.
It wasn't simply controlling the dragon anymore.
It was consuming it.
A new notification appeared before Shen.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
SUPREME LORD EYE
Corruption Level:
92%
Host Survival Probability:
Less than 5%
Recommendation:
Destroy Corrupted Arcane Core Immediately.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Shen's expression became serious.
"We don't have much time."
Kenya looked toward him.
"What do we do?"
"The crystal."
"It's the source."
"If we destroy it..."
"...the battle ends."
The Dragon Lord suddenly raised its head.
Its eyes had become completely black.
The last trace of its original consciousness disappeared.
A terrifying Arcane Aura erupted.
**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
The pressure alone sent cracks racing through the cave walls.
Outside...
The entire mountain shook violently.
The Headquarters soldiers waiting outside stared in horror.
One veteran whispered,
"What in the world is happening down there...?"
Inside the cave—
The Dragon Lord's body continued changing.
Additional crystal spikes erupted across its back.
Its horns doubled in size.
Its claws became even larger.
Its roar echoed endlessly.
The Supreme Lord Eye flashed again.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Threat Level Updated
A-Class
Status:
Fully Corrupted
Extreme Danger
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Ruke tightened his grip on his twin blades.
"So this is its final form..."
Kenya smiled confidently.
"Perfect."
"I was hoping for a real challenge."
Shen looked toward his companions.
"Listen carefully."
"We attack together."
"No one fights alone."
"The moment the crystal is exposed..."
"I'll finish it."
The three nodded immediately.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Only trust.
Kenya ignited even more flames.
His Fire Demon Form reached its peak.
The cave temperature increased dramatically.
The rocks beneath his feet began melting.
Scarlet fire surrounded his entire body like a blazing storm.
"This one's for Heavenly Paradise!"
He shot forward like a meteor.
At the same time—
Ruke vanished inside a storm of blue lightning.
Thunder echoed through every tunnel.
Eliz raised both hands once again.
Countless golden and black magic circles appeared throughout the battlefield.
The Dragon Lord roared.
It unleashed hundreds of corrupted crystal spears toward them.
"Move!"
Shen shouted.
Kenya punched straight through the first wave.
Every flaming strike shattered dozens of crystal spears.
Ruke dashed between them with incredible speed.
Blue lightning sliced every projectile apart before it could reach Eliz.
Behind them—
Eliz completed another spell.
"Celestial Chains."
Golden chains erupted from every direction.
At the same moment—
Black shadow chains burst from beneath the Dragon Lord.
The enormous beast struggled violently.
Its muscles bulged.
The chains trembled.
Cracks spread across them.
But they held.
Kenya saw his chance.
"Fire Demon Style..."
"Inferno Barrage!"
He unleashed a relentless storm of flaming punches against the dragon's chest.
Each impact exploded like a cannon.
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
The crystal armor finally began breaking apart.
Purple blood sprayed across the battlefield.
Ruke appeared above the dragon.
His lightning reached its brightest state.
His entire body seemed wrapped in thunder itself.
"Thunder God Style..."
"Divine Judgment!"
He crossed both swords.
A gigantic blade of compressed lightning descended from the sky.
**CRAAAAAAAAAAACK!!**
The attack struck directly where Kenya had shattered the armor.
The crystal chest exploded apart.
Hidden beneath the broken armor...
A pulsating black crystal finally became visible.
Shen's eyes narrowed.
"There it is."
The true battle...
Had finally begun.
Shen's eyes locked onto the pulsating black crystal.
"There it is."
The corrupted crystal pulsed violently inside the Dragon Lord's chest.
Dark Arcane energy spread through its body like poisonous veins.
The beast roared with unbearable pain.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAARRRRR!!"
The chains binding it shattered one after another.
The Dragon Lord swung its massive claws wildly, forcing Kenya and Ruke to jump back.
A powerful shockwave swept across the battlefield.
The cave ceiling cracked even further.
Huge boulders crashed around them.
Kenya wiped the dust from his face.
"So..."
"One last round."
Shen nodded.
"End it."
The four moved simultaneously.
Kenya exploded forward in a storm of crimson flames.
"Fire Demon Style!"
"Inferno Burst!"
His blazing fist struck the Dragon Lord's shoulder.
**BOOM!!**
The beast staggered.
Before it could recover—
Ruke flashed across the battlefield.
Blue lightning danced around his twin blades.
"Thunder God Style..."
"Lightning Cross!"
Two lightning arcs sliced across the dragon's chest.
**CRACK!!**
More crystal armor shattered.
The black crystal became completely exposed.
Eliz raised her staff one final time.
Her black hair flowed gently as white and black Arcane energy gathered around her.
"Light..."
"...guide us."
"Darkness..."
"...consume corruption."
She pointed her staff toward the crystal.
"Heavenly Eclipse Spear."
A single beam combining holy light and dark Arcane shot forward.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
The attack struck directly beneath the corrupted crystal.
The Dragon Lord screamed.
Its movements stopped.
"Now, Shen!"
Kenya shouted.
Shen slowly walked forward.
Dark Arcane energy surrounded his body.
Black flames danced around his sword.
His Supreme Lord Eye glowed brilliantly.
Everything around him became silent.
Even time itself seemed to slow.
The Dragon Lord looked directly at him.
For just one brief moment...
Its crimson eyes returned.
The corruption weakened.
Its true consciousness surfaced.
"...Please..."
"...free me..."
Shen smiled gently.
"You protected this mountain until the very end."
"You deserve peace."
He raised his sword.
"Void Style..."
"Void Pulse."
A sphere of compressed Dark Arcane formed at the tip of his blade.
The surrounding air distorted.
The darkness itself bent toward the attack.
Shen stepped forward.
One clean strike.
**SHHHHHHHK...**
The blade pierced through the corrupted crystal.
For a single second...
Nothing happened.
Then—
**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
The black crystal shattered into countless fragments.
A massive wave of corrupted energy erupted before being completely swallowed by Shen's Void Arcane.
Silence.
The Dragon Lord stood motionless.
The darkness covering its body slowly disappeared.
The crystal spikes crumbled into glowing particles.
Its enormous body began dissolving into countless motes of blue light.
The dragon lowered its head toward Heavenly Paradise.
Its voice had become peaceful once more.
"...Thank you..."
"...Guard this world..."
"...better than we could..."
A gentle smile appeared across its face.
Moments later...
Its body disappeared completely.
Only a single beautiful Arcane Crystal remained where it had fallen.
The cave suddenly began shaking violently.
Without the corrupted core...
The entire mountain became unstable.
**RUMBLE...**
**CRACK!!**
Large cracks spread across every wall.
Shen quickly picked up the remaining Arcane Crystal.
"Everyone!"
"We're leaving!"
Kenya laughed.
"I was waiting for that!"
The four sprinted toward the entrance.
Behind them...
The Arcane Cave collapsed section by section.
Crystal pillars shattered.
Stone tunnels caved in.
Darkness swallowed everything behind them.
At the very last second—
They leaped out of the cave.
**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!**
The entire mountain shook as the Arcane Cave completely collapsed.
Dust rose thousands of feet into the sky.
The Headquarters soldiers stared in disbelief.
"...They actually survived..."
Commander Ryulga slowly walked toward them.
His sharp eyes examined each member.
No major injuries.
Mission completed.
He looked toward the destroyed mountain.
"So..."
"You defeated it."
Shen silently handed him two items.
The pure Arcane Crystal...
And a tiny fragment of the shattered corrupted crystal.
Ryulga's expression immediately changed.
"...Impossible."
Captain Kael looked over his shoulder.
"What is it?"
Ryulga closed his hand around the black fragment.
"This corruption..."
"I've seen it once before."
"...Twenty years ago."
Shen frowned.
"So someone created it?"
Ryulga nodded.
"This wasn't an accident."
"It was an experiment."
Silence fell over everyone.
Kenya folded his arms.
"So there's someone out there creating corrupted Arcane Beasts."
"I'm afraid so."
Ryulga looked toward Heavenly Paradise.
"You didn't just complete your first mission."
"You uncovered the beginning of something far greater."
Golden light suddenly appeared before the four founders.
A system notification floated in the air.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ARCANE DRIFTER SYSTEM
Mission Complete
Mission:
Arcane Cave Incident
Difficulty Cleared:
A-Class
Evaluation:
Shen Karguro — S+
Kenya Naro — S
Eliz Betham — S+
Ruke Vellian — S
Team Coordination — S+
Mission Success Rate — Perfect
Rewards:
• Arcane Points ×15,000
• Reputation Increased
• Heavenly Paradise Fame Increased
• New Founder Achievement Unlocked
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Kenya grinned.
"Our first mission..."
"And we already got a Perfect rating."
Ruke smiled.
"We've set the standard."
Eliz looked toward Shen.
"This is only the beginning."
Shen looked at the floating island of Heavenly Paradise visible far beyond the clouds.
"No..."
"This is our first step."
The four stood together beneath the evening sky.
Their white founder cloaks fluttered gently in the wind.
Far away...
Deep beneath an abandoned underground fortress...
A hooded figure sat upon a black throne.
Another figure knelt before him.
"My Lord..."
"The Arcane Crystal Dragon Lord has fallen."
The hooded figure slowly opened glowing crimson eyes.
"...Who defeated it?"
"Heavenly Paradise."
A quiet laugh echoed through the chamber.
"So..."
"They've finally entered the game."
The crimson eyes glowed brighter.
"Watch them."
"Do not interfere..."
"...yet."
The chamber fell silent.
Only one sentence echoed through the darkness.
> "The strongest light always attracts the deepest darkness."
Far above...
Unaware of the shadow now watching them...
The four founders of Heavenly Paradise began their journey home.
Their first official mission had ended.
But the true Arcane War...
Had only just begun.
**End of Chapter 45**