Back to Aerin and his team…
Just before Aerin and his team entered the dungeon…
"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind.
What do you want?
"Aww, chill out man. I was just going to ask if my party and I could join you and your party to clear this dungeon. My name is Jack by the way," Jack said.
Alright Jack, so here's the deal. You can come with us, but you let us do the hunting and we'll give you thirty percent of the reward.
Does that sound fair?
"Yep, deal," Jack replied.
Then both teams went into the dungeon…
This is an interesting one. This dungeon is bigger than the rest and all that is here are three major landmarks. There is a volcano, a snowy mountain, and a forest. However, it is still a world about the size of Earth. There just isn't much more than just a few landmarks, almost as if it was created just to become a portal.
Lio, you go to the snowy mountain and scout it out. Lyra and Aelira, y'all go to the forest. Absolutely do not engage with the monsters unless you are attacked. Only scout it out and report back to me.
I have an uneasy feeling about this dungeon.
Do you all understand what you need to do?
"Yes," Lio, Lyra, and Aelira replied as they all set off towards their respective places to scout.
You guys will stay with me. We are going to the volcano.
"Alright," Jack replied.
And then Aerin and Jack's squad set off towards the volcano…
Once Aerin and Jack's squad reached the volcano…
"It's rather hot up here, right?" Jack said to his squad.
"Yes, it's making all of us sweat," Ryan replied.
"Speak for yourself. I'm not sweating, I'm cooking," Gabby replied, irritated.
"Y'all clearly aren't from Texas," Brian replied.
If it's bothering you that much, I'll put up a barrier.
Then Aerin snapped his finger and a barrier appeared that repelled the heat, keeping the inside room temperature…
"That's much better, thanks Aerin," Jack said with gratitude.
It's whatever.
We're almost to the top, only a few more steps.
At the top…
I was expecting to see something up here because I can sense a presence in the volcano, but I can't see anything.
Give me a second to use one of my powers.
Then Aerin began to sense the Nature Aru and realized there was a presence, but it was in the lava of the volcano…
There is something up here, but it's in the lava of the volcano.
"What? Nothing can endure lava, surely you're mistaken," Jack replied.
Nope. And I'm going to make whatever is in the lava rather mad, so I need y'all to go.
"Alright," Jack replied as him and his team began to run back down the volcano.
I'll give them a few minutes.
30 minutes later, after Jack and his team had gotten a safe distance away…
Alright. Let's go, you damn beast.
Then Aerin began blasting the middle of the volcano with plasma bullets and eventually hit the creature inside…
AAAUUUGHHH…RRRNNNNNGH!
Then a serpentine monster came out of the lava. Its scales seemed to be made of basalt crust while its blood and organs were all flowing magma…
You're an ugly one, aren't you?
I can't stand ugly creatures, die.
Then Aerin began blasting the serpentine creature with plasma bullets, but it kept drawing magma from the volcano to heal itself…
You're rather annoying.
Then Aerin used his Disintegration ability, but the monster reformed from the magma once more…
Damn, you just don't give up.
I didn't want to have to use this again so soon, but I guess I have no choice.
Then Aerin began levitating in the air and used his Divine Eyes Judgment and erased the creature and the volcano from existence…
I think I get it now. That creature was the volcano, but that means—
Before Aerin finished talking, he rushed off towards the forest…
When he got to the forest, there was a terrible sight…
No, no, no, no! Why?
Aerin saw his wife Aelira dead on the ground and Lyra barely breathing…
Lyra hold on, I'll help you.
Aerin then used some of his Aru to heal Lyra and repair the massive hole in her chest…
"Aerin, what happened?" Jack asked.
No time to explain. Take Lyra and get out of the portal now!
"Alright, we will. We'll come back for you though," Jack said as he and his team ran off carrying Lyra.
Don't bother, this portal won't exist for much longer.
Then Aerin picked up Aelira and flew towards the snowy mountain…
Once he arrived…
Not him too.
Aerin then placed his wife by his best friend Lio and burned their corpses…
Why? I had just gotten married and we were going to have kids. Lio was going to propose to Lyra tomorrow. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
In that moment Aerin broke and became enraged just as Jack and his team left the portal…
This world shall exist no more.
Then Aerin used his Divine Eyes Judgment and erased the world and the portal to Earth collapsed as Aerin sat there in a void of nothingness…
I don't understand why it had to end like this, but hopefully Lyra can move on if she recovers.
But more importantly, I broke my promise to Léōn. I let my rage control me and it had devastating consequences.
Now I'm floating in a void without time or space. Quite frankly, I don't think anything exists here, so I don't know why I'm still here.
But then a voice sounded from beyond…
"Aerin, my boy. What have you done?" the voice said.
I don't know Léōn. I let my anger consume me, I broke my promise, I lost my wife, I lost my best friend, and I'm suffering because of it.
"Aerin, I have given you great power and I intend to give you much more. Do not let that power consume you and don't let anger control your actions. I will make things as they were, but I expect you to never do this again," Léōn said.
Then in an instant Aerin returned to Earth and was by Jack. Lyra was healed instantly. Lio appeared beside Lyra and Aelira appeared in Aerin's arms…
What? How? Léōn?
Then Aerin couldn't hold it in anymore and began to weep…
What is next for our hero and his friends? Will they continue their adventure or settle down a little? Find out next time…
To be continued…