Chapter 96
Cindy looked far thinner than the last time Eluana had seen her.
Her pale lips were cracked, and bruises darkened her eyelids.
Just one look was enough to tell—she hadn’t been treated well here.
Kazar tilted his head.
“Do you know her?”
“She used to be my maid. I heard she was kicked out and now works at the Marquis of Pegimule’s estate.”
“Was she originally from the Pegimule family?”
“I’m not sure.”
Cindy wiped the sweat from her forehead.
A mage who had been checking on the condition of the prisoners turned around and shouted at her.
“She’s about to die! Don’t you know if dead blood mixes in, the mana-infused blood is ruined?”
“I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful.”
Cindy quickly bowed her head. The boldness she once had was completely gone.
Watching the two, Eluana bit the inside of her cheek.
“…What’s ‘mana blood’?”
“Some artifacts require human blood to be made. The higher the mana concentration in the blood, the higher the artifact’s grade.”
“They’re doing this—to increase artifact grades?”
Kazar didn’t answer. Instead, he took Eluana’s arm and led her outside.
Once they stepped out, the stench of blood that clung to the air vanished as if it had been a lie.
Kazar touched the bracelet-type artifact on his wrist.
[Line, you there?]
[These bastards aren’t even human. We have to save the people first, then wipe them all out. But it’s too big. Too many tunnels, and there might be more exits. We should call for backup… No, if we wait, people will die. But if we charge in, more might die anyway.]
[Line.]
Kazar called his name again, a warning to calm down.
At that moment, black dust rained down from above.
Eluana looked up at the ceiling and grabbed Kazar’s sleeve.
Her heartbeat grew uneven—something was wrong.
The little bead creature from her brooch rolled down her arm and onto her hand.
As she cupped it in her palm, it spun once and trembled lightly.
A faint vibration—but enough to serve as a warning.
“Kazar, something’s wrong with this mine.”
Eluana’s voice trembled.
Then, Line’s voice came through Kazar’s artifact.
[Your Highness, we have a problem.]
[Come to the iron cage where Ring is trapped.]
Kazar glanced up. Pebbles kept falling from the ceiling, and faint tremors rippled through the entire mine.
Eluana tugged on Kazar’s sleeve again.
“This place is going to collapse.”
Even before she finished speaking, a violent tremor hit them.
The ground lurched beneath her feet, but Kazar’s strong arm caught her.
As soon as she steadied herself, she saw it—a massive boulder breaking loose from the ceiling.
Kazar shoved her aside just in time.
His sword flashed, aura flaring blue as it sliced through the falling rock.
The surge of light illuminated the mine before fading again.
Eluana looked down at her hand—she’d lost Kazar’s grip.
“Your Highness!”
“She’s gone!”
At the urgent cry, Eluana turned to see Line and Sing appear.
Realizing stealth was useless now, Eluana released her concealment spell.
As the four of them revealed themselves, Ring, trapped behind an iron cage, stared in shock.
“…Miss?”
“Sister?!”
In the next cell, Hans jumped to his feet, recognizing her.
But there was no time for a reunion.
The mine rumbled again—this time followed by a distant explosion.
Dust filled the air, and cracks spread along the ceiling and walls.
Through the fractures, veins of red-and-black iron ore began to show.
“Why is this happening all of a sudden?” Line muttered, but no one could answer.
Sing drew her whip and moved to Eluana’s side.
Eluana’s lips trembled as her eyes darted around, confusion written on her face.
“…It’s going to collapse.”
Everyone looked at her.
“It’s in pain.”
A strange sensation surged through her—foreign yet overwhelming.
Her skin tingled with the sound of metal groaning.
Amid the chaos, soft, eerie voices filled her mind.
“Let’s play.”
“It’s going to collapse soon. You’ll be buried with us.”
“I can’t breathe.”
“Kyahaha, look how scared you are.”
“Stay with us forever.”
Amid the tangled whispers, one phrase stood out most clearly:
“It’s going to collapse soon.”
“We have to get out—now. It’s going to fall apart.”
“You felt something?” Kazar asked.
Eluana nodded heavily.
“I can hear it—like the iron is whispering.”
At her words, Line’s eyes flickered.
No one he’d ever met had shown such affinity with metal. This was the first time.
Sing surveyed the mine.
The tremors had stopped, and though cracks ran along the walls, it didn’t yet seem ready to collapse.
But if Eluana said it would, then it would.
Even if the entire place came down, Sing was determined to get her out alive.
Kazar made the first move.
“How much time do we have? Can we still call in the knights?”
“Too late. They’ll all die.”
“That one should live. She’s cute.”
“She’ll still be cute when she’s dead.”
“We’re going deeper.”
Eluana shook her head, trying to silence the whispers.
“There’s not much time. If we don’t move now, we won’t save anyone.”
Kazar immediately channeled aura into his blade.
“Stand back.”
The prisoners flinched and retreated.
With one swing, he sliced through the iron bars.
Line and Sing followed suit, cutting open more cells.
“Get out!” Sing shouted.
The captives hesitated only for a moment before fleeing the cages.
The three moved quickly, freeing more people, but the mine shook again, scattering more debris.
Eluana looked around.
Despite their efforts, countless cages still remained.
They were running out of time.
She placed her hand on the nearest bars.
‘I can do this.’
As she focused, the chaotic voices in her head vanished.
This time, the metal responded instantly—bending open at her touch, smooth and obedient.
It was as if the iron itself wanted to help her.
While Eluana stared at her palm in awe, Ring grabbed Sally and darted out.
“Everyone, come on! Run!”
Snapping back to her senses, Eluana moved to the next cell.
Again, with just her touch, the bars bent apart like soft clay.
“Hans! Get them all out!”
Still shocked, Hans hurried to lead the prisoners out.
When he turned back, Eluana was already opening more cages.
The noblewoman he once knew in Aden seemed like a completely different person now—commanding, calm, and powerful.
By the time Kazar, Sing, and Line finished, everyone had been freed.
“Everyone out, now!” Eluana shouted.
As if on cue, the mine shook again.
The area where the cages once stood collapsed inward—if they’d been a few seconds slower, people would’ve died under the debris.
The rescued captives gathered at the center, not knowing where to go.
Fear and confusion clouded their faces.
Ring hugged the trembling Sally and whispered,
“The lady said she’d come save us. See, Sally? We’re safe now.”
Hope flickered faintly in the eyes of the survivors.
But before relief could set in, Kazar, Sing, and Line all tensed simultaneously.
“Miss!”
Sing lunged forward, pulling Eluana to his side.
“What is it?” Eluana asked, confused—she hadn’t sensed anything.
Then two beast-type monsters burst out from the collapsed section of the mine.
The earlier explosion must have destroyed a wall, freeing them.
A few of the rescued screamed and fell back in terror.
Kazar moved first—leaping ahead to draw the creatures away.
His sword slashed through the neck of the one on the left, though even with aura, it didn’t cut cleanly.
Rolling aside from the beast’s claws, he struck again—this time severing its head completely.
Green blood sprayed across the floor.
But the monster didn’t slow—it ignored pain entirely, driven only by the instinct to kill.
Meanwhile, Line threw his dagger at the second beast and drew his twin blades—The Radiant Mortal Night and The Silent Black Sun.
The weapons glowed with fierce aura as he cut into the monster’s hide.
With Kazar and Line each taking one, Sing was free to guard the others.
“Don’t worry, Miss. They’ll finish this fast. Oh—look at that! His Highness moves well. That kind of balance isn’t easy. Light on his feet, but his swings are heavy. These things are tough—you usually need a whole team of knights to hunt them. Ah, close one! A little deeper and that would’ve taken its head clean off. Whoa, that sword’s sharp—must be a top-grade blade. He’s not just skilled, that’s sword quality! Still, impressive!”
Eluana couldn’t follow the chaos before her, but Sing’s commentary helped her grasp what was happening.
Even so, unease filled her chest.
Her heart pounded faster, faster, faster—
The voices came again.
“It’s coming.”
“How fun.”
“Is it time to die?”
Eluana’s hair stood on end.
“Miss, don’t move!” Sing shouted as she dashed forward.
From the shadows where the wall had collapsed, two more beasts emerged—massive, reptilian, crocodile-like creatures.
Kazar and Line’s expressions hardened.
They knew—Sing couldn’t handle two of those alone.
The crocodile-type monsters were slower but terrifyingly strong, their hides thick enough to resist aura-coated blades.
Eluana pulled out all her steel orbs and floated them into the air.
A clumsy attack might only get in the way—she needed to be ready for the worst.
It was her first real battle.
Tension gripped her when suddenly—
A huge golden beast lunged from the right.
Its eyes met hers, pupils narrowing into thin slits.
“A Golden Wolf…”
