Part 2
Simmone walked with steady steps deep into the dungeon, only a few meters away from facing the final boss.
Beside her, Eliza strolled calmly—like she was out for a walk in the park.
"Why are you still following me? Don't you have anything better to do? Go bother someone else…" Simmone said, not even glancing at her.
"My, how rude the British can be…" Eliza replied in a mock-offended tone, theatrically placing a hand on her chest. "I told you—I want to be your friend."
Simmone paused and let out a sigh, crossing her arms.
"I'd never be friends with a vampire. You might've helped me in the last room, but that doesn't make us allies," she said, eyeing her warily.
"Oh, come on, don't be so stiff," Eliza said with a carefree smile, tilting her head. "I told you—I have nowhere else to go. I want to travel with you guys. Is that so much to ask?"
"That's not up to me," Simmone said coldly. "And I still don't trust you."
"You don't have to trust me… but how about at least letting me help?" Eliza offered, her tone sweet but persistent.
Simmone stayed quiet for a moment, weighing the situation. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she might need backup for the upcoming fight.
"…Fine. But only until we defeat the boss. I might need your help," she finally agreed, though her voice was still laced with caution.
Eliza clapped her hands softly, her face lighting up with a bright smile.
"Yay! I won't let you down, I promise," she said with enthusiasm, her eyes shining with a mix of excitement and mischief.
Simmone only rolled her eyes and kept walking, with Eliza trailing behind—clearly pleased with herself.
Meanwhile, at the Thalindra forge, a groggy Rina was slowly waking up.
Her golden eyes blinked several times as she tried to make sense of the unfamiliar surroundings.
Outside, the clanging of tools and metal filled the air—chaotic, yet oddly comforting.
Suddenly alarmed, she scrambled awkwardly behind a pile of barrels filled with discarded swords. Her breathing quickened, her movements sharp—pure survival instinct.
"Why can't I camouflage…?" she whispered, staring at her hands in frustration.
She clenched her fists and shut her eyes, forcing her magic but all that came out was a weird noise… followed by an unexpected puff of gas.
Rina froze for a second.
Then quickly fanned the air with her tail, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.
"Info! Don't worry, Rina. You're in Thalindra's forge," said Olivia, floating nearby as she too waved a tiny hand to help dispel the smell. "Haruto came to save you…"
Still hiding behind the barrels, Rina perked up at the mention of his name.
"Olivia? Where is everyone? Is Haruto okay? Is Seraphina okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern, golden eyes shining with urgency.
"Info! Seraphina is back with her pack—completely safe. As for Master, he's currently fighting Versalles," Olivia answered, calm as always in her mechanical tone.
Rina slowly crawled out of her hiding spot, her eyes now full of determination.
"Rina go help…" she muttered, quickly heading for the exit.
But Olivia floated in front of her, blocking her path.
"Commentary! We can't go back," she said, pointing at the portal behind her. "This portal only works one way—it won't return us to where Master is. Also…" she added, pointing at Rina's neck, "…with that on, you can't use magic."
Rina's hands flew to the Nulite collar fastened around her neck.
She tugged at it, frustration building.
"Ugly collar… take it off… Rina help… Haruto in danger…" she murmured, desperation tightening her voice.
Olivia observed her quietly for a moment before responding.
"Commentary: To remove that, you'll need help. Nulite collars can't be broken by force.
For now, stay calm," she said gently, trying to soothe her.
Rina slowly lowered her hands, her breathing still heavy but she nodded, just slightly.
"Rina do anything. Rina help Haruto…" she said, her tail twitching nervously behind her.
Elsewhere in the forest, Yuna sat on a fallen log, eyes scanning the surroundings with a thoughtful expression.
Beside her, Thalindra was carefully polishing her hammer, sunlight glinting off the metal as it filtered through the trees.
They'd spent days fighting in a zone overrun by monsters that had no business being there.
"These monsters should be inside a dungeon… Why are they out here?" Yuna said, her voice laced with concern as she crossed her arms.
"They're probably fleeing from something inside the dungeon," Thalindra replied, not looking up from her hammer.
"We usually don't see them wandering like this because the Adventurer's Guild keeps things in check."
Their conversation was cut short when Yuna's status panel suddenly opened on its own. The elf raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"Alert! Yuna, where are you right now?" Olivia's voice rang out from the panel—slightly distorted but clear.
Yuna frowned as she stared at the floating interface.
"Olivia? What are you doing in my panel?" she asked, unable to hide her confusion.
"Info! Long story—but thanks to the Kizuna link, I can temporarily access your panel," Olivia explained in her usual efficient, though slightly strained tone.
Yuna exchanged a quick glance with Thalindra before responding.
"What's going on? Where are you now?" she asked seriously.
"Info! I'm with Rina, inside Thalindra's forge," Olivia replied.
"Rina?" Yuna raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
Efficient as ever, Olivia displayed a holographic image of Rina on the panel.
"Commentary! Rina is a friend of Master Haruto. A man named Hans Versalles tried to capture her—though I'm still unsure of his motives," Olivia added.
The name sent a shiver down Yuna's spine. Her expression hardened instantly.
"Hans Versalles, you said?" she asked, her voice low and heavy—like someone who knew exactly how serious this was.
Thalindra stopped what she was doing and looked up.
"Who the hell is that guy? And more importantly, what are they doing in my forge?" she asked, a mix of confusion and annoyance in her tone.
Ignoring Thalindra's question, Olivia pressed on.
"Warning! There's no time for details. I'm sending Haruto's coordinates directly to Yuna's panel. My energy is near its limit, so… I leave it to you," she said with urgency.
With a faint static buzz, Yuna's panel closed—leaving both adventurers in silence.
The weight of the moment settled in the air.
"What now?" Thalindra asked, slinging her hammer over her shoulder.
Yuna stood up from the log, clear determination in her eyes.
"We're going to help Haruto. There's no way we're letting him face someone like Hans alone," she said, already moving toward the direction the panel had indicated.
Thalindra followed, adjusting her grip on the hammer and flashing a confident grin.
"That's what I like to hear. Let's teach him a lesson he won't forget," she said, ready for battle.