Chapter70
CREEEEAK—
The second massive door groaned open.
Cold darkness waited beyond it.
A long tunnel stretched forward, swallowing the faint light behind them.
Marco leaned in slightly.
Marco: "…Of course it's a creepy tunnel."
Silence.
Marco: "…It couldn't just be stairs."
Esabell stared into the darkness.
Esabell: "…You first."
Marco immediately pointed at her.
Marco: "…Absolutely not."
Esabell: "…You opened it."
Marco: "…That's not how responsibility works!"
A beat of silence.
Then Marco sighed and turned back toward the armory room.
CLANK.
CLANK.
He grabbed two swords from the weapon racks.
Then hesitated.
Picked up a third one.
Esabell watched him.
Esabell: "…Why do you need three?"
Marco casually tossed one sword to her.
She barely caught it.
Esabell: "…I don't know how to use this."
Marco: "…Exactly. That's why you hold it. Looks convincing."
Then he picked up a small hammer and dropped it into her hand.
Esabell blinked.
Esabell: "…Why do I also have a hammer?"
Marco nodded seriously.
Marco: "…For emotional support."
Esabell: "…That's not a thing."
Marco: "…It is now."
He started walking.
Marco: "…Let's go before I change my mind and leave you here."
Step.
Step.
Step.
The tunnel swallowed their footsteps.
Cold air drifted through the stone passage.
Water dripped somewhere deeper ahead.
Marco twirled one sword casually while walking.
Esabell held both sword and hammer awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable.
Esabell: "…This feels like a bad idea."
Marco: "…Everything we do is a bad idea. This one is just underground."
A few more steps.
Then—
THUD.
Marco stopped.
Esabell bumped into him.
Esabell: "…Why did you stop?"
Marco stared forward.
A solid stone wall blocked the tunnel.
Esabell frowned.
Esabell: "…Dead end?"
Marco shook his head.
Marco: "…No."
He stepped closer.
Slowly scanned the wall.
Then crouched near the base.
His fingers brushed along the stone.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Silence.
Then—
CLINK.
Marco paused.
His hand pulled at something hidden.
A rusted chain.
Marco's eyes sharpened slightly.
Marco: "…Found it."
Esabell stepped closer.
Esabell: "…Found what?"
Marco pulled the chain.
KRRRRRRRR—
The stone wall slowly slid sideways.
Light spilled through the opening.
And immediately—
CLANG!
SCREEEECH!
Metal screamed against metal.
Heat hit them instantly.
Esabell flinched.
Esabell: "…What is that?!"
Marco stepped forward—
And froze.
They had opened directly into a battlefield.
Captain Bochy stood in the middle of a narrow underground corridor, fists bloodied, blocking a flaming blade with a soldier beside him.
Soldiers fought in tight formation against hooded guards.
Every strike echoed sharply off the stone walls.
BOCHY: "…MARCO?!"
Marco blinked.
Marco: "…CAPTAIN BOCHY?!"
A hooded guard rushed straight toward the opening.
Marco reacted instantly.
CLANG—
He blocked the strike with his sword.
Sparks burst between them.
Marco: "…Yeah, bad timing!"
Bochy didn't slow down.
He smashed a guard backward with a brutal punch.
THUD.
Captain Bochy: "…Why you are here?!"
Marco: "…long story!"
Another guard swung a flaming sword toward Marco.
FWOOOOSH—
Marco barely stepped back in time.
Heat brushed his face.
Esabell stood frozen behind him.
Esabell: "…This is… a lot."
A hooded guard suddenly broke through the fight and rushed toward her.
Esabell panicked instantly.
Esabell: "…Why is it always ME?!"
The guard raised his blade—
Marco shouted.
Marco: "HIT HIM!"
Esabell froze.
Esabell: "…WITH WHAT?!"
Marco didn't look away from his fight.
Marco: "…THE HAMMER!"
Esabell looked at the tiny hammer in her hand.
Esabell: "…This is embarrassing."
The guard swung down—
CLANG!
She swung.
The hammer hit the guard's helmet.
There was a long pause.
The guard blinked.
Then slowly staggered.
Esabell's eyes widened.
Esabell: "…It worked…?"
The guard slowly turned toward her again.
Angrier now.
Esabell's expression slowly dropped.
Esabell: "…Oh no."
The guard raised his weapon again—
Marco, still fighting, shouted:
Marco: "…HIT HIM HARDER THIS TIME!"
Esabell: "…WHY DO YOU SOUND SO CALM?!"
She raised the hammer again—
hands shaking—
Esabell: "…Okay… okay… I can do this…"
The guard lunged—
Esabell screamed—
THUD.
The hammer hit again.
Harder.
The guard dropped instantly.
Silence for half a second.
Esabell stared at him.
Esabell: "…I think I broke him."
Marco: "…Good job!"
Esabell: "…THAT'S NOT A COMPLIMENT!"
Bochy smashed another guard into the wall.
THUD.
Captain Bochy: "…SAVE THE ARGUMENTS FOR LATER!"
More hooded guards rushed through the corridor.
Flaming swords ignited again.
FWOOOSH—
The entire tunnel lit up with orange firelight.
Marco tightened his grip.
Marco: "…Okay, we're officially involved now."
Esabell swallowed hard.
Esabell: "…I didn't agree to this."
Marco: "…Nobody did."
A hooded guard charged Marco again—
flaming blade aimed directly at his chest.
Marco blocked.
CLANG!
He slid back slightly.
The pressure forced his arms down.
Slowly—
the blade started pushing toward his shoulder.
Marco's teeth clenched.
Marco: "…Bochy!"
Bochy didn't even look.
Captain Bochy: "…I'm busy!"
Marco: "…VERY USEFUL!"
The sword pushed closer.
Marco's grip trembled.
His eyes flicked sideways—
toward Esabell.
She froze.
Hammer raised halfway.
Terrified.
Marco's eyes narrowed.
Then—
he tilted his head slightly.
A silent signal.
Esabell swallowed.
Esabell: "…Don't make me regret this…"
She ran forward—
and swung.
THUD!
The hammer hit the guard's arm.
The flaming sword dropped slightly.
Marco immediately twisted his blade—
CLANG!
He pushed the guard back.
Marco: "…THAT'S IT! KEEP DOING THAT!"
Esabell: "…I hate this teamwork!"
The battle roared louder.
Steel clashed.
Flames burst.
The narrow corridor became chaos.
...CHAPTER 70 ENDS...