“Sis, wait~!”
“What?”
Cutting off the neck of the four-armed golem she was facing, Lily looked back to see Lillian out of breath, struggling to even get up as she slumped down at the very edge of a gigantic tree branch.
“I’m tired~ Can’t we slow down for a bit? We’ve been facing these golems non-stop now,” Lillian said with haggard breaths.
It had been around three hours since they started climbing the mountainous pathways of the West Frost Mountain, but they hadn’t even scaled up half of it and were already running out of energy.
The low oxygen levels as they ascended, the frosty mist, and the freezing weather were already hindering their progress. But the added factors of random golem monsters spawning out of nowhere made their climb so much harder.
Along with a bunch of traps placed here and there, it seemed like this place really didn’t want outsiders to enter.
This was what they both expected from their master, but this level of challenge was a bit too much even for them.
Lily might have seemed fine, but she was just as badly tired as her sister right now. She leaned against a tree trunk, wiping the sweat from her forehead and catching her breath.
“Alright, we can take a short break,” Lily conceded, sitting down beside Lillian. She stretched her sore muscles, feeling the strain of the climb.
“Thank you, Sis,” Lillian said, her voice weak but grateful. She closed her eyes, letting the cool air soothe her burning lungs.
“We can’t rest for too long, though,” Lily warned. “We don’t know what else might come our way.”
“I know~” Lillian replied, opening her eyes and looking around warily. “But just a few minutes, please.”
Lily nodded, understanding her sister’s need for a moment of respite. She knew that pushing themselves too hard without rest would only lead to more mistakes and potential danger.
As they sat there, trying to regain their strength, Lily’s mind wandered to their master’s legacy.
They had come so far and faced so many challenges to reach this point.
The thought of the legacy waiting for them was both motivating and daunting.
“Do you think we’re close?” Lillian asked, breaking the silence.
“I hope so,” Lily replied. “We’ve made good progress, but there’s still a long way to go.”
“We’ll make it,” Lillian said with determination. “We’ve come this far, and we won’t give up
now.”
Lily smiled at her sister’s resolve. “Hehe I know we’ll make it sis- besides you can also feel it right? Master;s energy that is”
“Yes…”
At first, Lily was quite reluctant about the map Riley gave them, but as they got closer to the location, the feeling and sensation of their master’s aura permeating the air were hard to miss.
Though they still needed actual physical confirmation or even just a glimpse of it, they were now 90% sure that this was truly the place their master had hidden the masterpieces he had gathered.
They had been looking for their master’s legacy for three whole years, and to think they would get a reliable source of information from a random stranger hurt their pride a bit.
“Hey, Sis, doesn’t this whole situation feel like Master?” Lillian asked.
“Hm?”
“I mean, you know… the traps, random monsters, and even reaching a high vantage point for a base. Doesn’t this shenanigan scream like Master to you?” Lillian commented with a gentle smile.
“I guess so,” Lily said with a slight laugh, reminiscing.
Ever since their master had adopted and trained them at such a young age, the man-no, woman?
Whatever their actual gender was—had always loved pulling pranks on them and making them experience things beyond what they were expecting.
The traps, the relentless golems, and the arduous climb all felt like another one of their master’s elaborate tests.
“Remember the time Master hid our weapons and we had to navigate through the forest with nothing but sticks and stones?” Lillian said, her voice filled with nostalgia.
“How could I forget? We were so mad, but Master just laughed and said it was a lesson in resourcefulness,” Lily replied, smiling at the memory.
“And the time Master pretended to be a monster and scared us out of our wits? We were so scared, but it turned out to be another lesson,” Lillian added, laughing softly.
“Yeah, Master always had a unique way of teaching,” Lily said, shaking her head. “It was frustrating, but we learned a lot.”
“The fact that this place is located near the academy just proves his whimsical nature, huh?” Lily mused, gazing at the intricate carvings and the serene environment around them.
“Hehe~ you realized that as well?” Lillian replied with a soft chuckle.
At first, they always thought it was weird why their master insisted they attend such a grand academy before leaving them behind.
But after some thinking, they realized he probably had this dungeon-like place in mind before his inevitable passing.
Their master was old, so they expected him to leave the world soon. It didn’t really hurt the twins that much, but even still, they missed him dearly.
“Hey, Sis- once we get back, what shall we do about Riley?” Lillian asked, her voice tinged
with concern.
Riley was an enigma for the two of them.
They knew rational actions were a must when dealing with someone like him, especially nce he was very powerful.
To the extent that even if they successfully acquired their master’s legacy here, the chances of them defeating him were still slim.
Of course, if they went all out, they might be able to kill him, but that would likely be after their own demise as well.
That was why the best decision right now was to “Wait…. We’ll just have to wait and lie low for now, find out more information about him, before we make proper moves. Riley isn’t something we could deal with at the moment. Although his actions and information access are rather suspicious, there’s nothing we could do about it for now….”
Lillian nodded, understanding the gravity of their situation. “Yeah, you’re right. We need to gather more information and be strategic about our approach. Rushing in without a plan would be foolish.”
Lily sighed, leaning against one of the ancient pillars. “I just wish we knew what his true intentions are. He’s been helpful, but there’s always this air of mystery around him.” “Well, we’ll figure it out eventually, Sis- For now, let’s focus on what we came here for,” Lillian said, getting back up to her feet.
Rustle-
With the rustling noise of the leaves, the wind’s blows intensified for a moment before a blur-like figure emerged from the misty smoke.
“Let’s go si-“
BAAAM!!!
Unaware of the situation, Lillian tried to get herself and her sister back on track, but before she could finish her words, a massive blow struck her left shoulder.
The impact created a massive explosive sound as sonic booms echoed through the forest.
“Lillian!!!” Lily screamed in horror, watching her sister get thrown off the branch and into the frosted mountains’ solid ground like a meteor hitting the earth. Lillian’s body flared up in fire before a massive explosion occurred, creating a small crater below. “You bastard!!!” Lily glared at the imposing monster right in front of her.
With a body similar to the golems, they’ve killed so far, this monster had a slightly bulkier
build with black scales surrounding its body. Its fists were engulfed in red flames, with dorsal plates made of dark red flames.
The monster had no face; instead, a single eye loomed upon its humanoid form, and a creepy smile stretched along its razor-sharp teeth.
The monster screeched repeatedly, “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!”
Lily’s anger surged, her fists clenching tightly.
“You’ll pay for that!” she shouted, charging at the monster with all the fury she could muster.
Her movements were swift, dodging the flames and strikes of the beast with an agility born
from years of rigorous training.
The monster swung its fiery fist towards Lily, but she deftly sidestepped the attack, countering with a powerful kick to its midsection.
The impact caused the beast to stagger back, but it quickly regained its footing, its single eye narrowing with a mix of rage and happiness. It was enjoying the bloody battle that was about
to unfold.
“FIGHTTTTT!!!!!!!! KAKAKAKAKAKAKA!!!!!!”
With every punch it delivered, explosions occurred, forcing Lily to think twice before entering
its range. Transforming into mist immediately, she tried to cut off its head, but the black scale-like armor surrounding it prevented such things from happening.
“KAKAKAKAKA!” The monster laughed with each and every blow, making Lily all the more
uneasy and annoyed.
Although she was in a life-and-death battle, her focus was still on her sister, who had yet to emerge from the crater.
‘Where did this monster suddenly come from?’ she thought, her mind racing.
Her thoughts were wired to the monster in front of her as she scanned the golem-like creature. The being was too different and too sentient from all the golems they had faced so
far.
Whatever the thing in front of her was, she was sure it was alive.
She dodged another fiery punch, the explosion shaking the branches beneath her feet. Her eyes darted to the crater below, heart pounding with worry. ‘Lillian, you need to get up!’ she muttered to herself, desperation seeping into her voice.
The monster’s attacks grew more frenzied, its laughter echoing through the frosty mist.
Lily’s movements became a blur as she avoided the deadly blows, her mind racing to formulate a plan.
The creature’s enjoyment of the fight only fueled her determination.
She couldn’t afford to lose here, not when her sister’s life was at stake.
‘This monster isn’t master’s doing….’
…..
Cough…! Cough…! With heavy breaths and never-ending coughs, Lillian looked at her surroundings, feeling
extremely tired and hurt.
The pain coursing through her body was unlike any she had experienced before. No, it was
similar to something, but that was when their master had tortured them to the point of near
death.
‘Am I dying?’ she wondered as she lay across the ground. She felt intense pain on her left side, her ribs shattered, and her lung struggling to move.
Her pulse was at an all-time low, and she struggled to maintain her blurring consciousness. The more she tried to breathe, the more she coughed, which eventually led to her coughing up
blood.
‘I must get up…. I’ve got to help Sis’ tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the two beings clashing above her, her sister fighting a monster unlike anything they had ever seen before. ‘Move…’ she willed her body, but it refused to respond.
The pain was too overwhelming, and her strength was nearly gone. She could see Lily dodging
and attacking the monstrous creature, its fiery blows creating explosions that shook the
ground. Each time Lily avoided an attack, the monster’s laughter echoed through the frosty mist, a chilling reminder of their perilous situation.
‘I can’t leave her to fight alone…’ she thought desperately. Summoning every ounce of willpower, she tried to move her arms, her legs, anything.
But her body felt like lead, pinned down by the weight of her injuries.
Through her hazy vision, she saw Lily transforming into mist, reappearing behind the
creature to strike at its joints.
The monster roared in anger, swiping at her with its fiery claws.
Lily was fast and agile, but Lillian could see the exhaustion in her movements, the strain in
her eyes.
‘Lily…’ the thought of her sister fighting alone fueled a spark of determination within her.
She couldn’t let Lily down.
They had always been there for each other, through every trial and every challenge. This was
no different.
With a groan of effort, Lillian managed to lift her hand, clutching at the ground.
She dragged herself forward, inch by inch, ignoring the searing pain that shot through her
body.
Blood dripped from her mouth, staining the frosty ground beneath her. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, each one a battle in itself.
Above her, the fight raged on. Lily’s movements became more frantic, the monster’s attacks
more relentless.
Lillian’s heart ached at the sight. She had to help, had to find a way to turn the tide. ‘I can’t let you fight alone, Sis…’ she thought, tears streaming down her face. Summoning a last surge of energy, she pushed herself to her knees, then to her feet, swaying
unsteadily.
Her vision swam, but she focused on the battle above, on the monstrous figure that threatened her sister.
Gathering up her remaining mana, Lillian tried to reinforce her damaged organs, sweat trickling down her spine as the fires around her seared through her flesh.
The pain was almost unbearable, but she pushed through, determined to help her sister.
“Oh my, how cute~”
Lick-
A sudden voice and a soft, cold sensation on her cheek sent Lillian’s senses into overdrive. Her
heart raced, and she felt a chill that cut through the searing heat.
She hadn’t noticed anyone approaching-her focus had been entirely on the battle above.
“As expected, tears really do bring out the flavor~”
Slowly turning her head, Lillian’s body froze as she saw a figure standing right beside her.
It wasn’t like the golems or the beast Lily was fighting.
This was something different, something far more sinister.
The being had an almost ethereal presence, its form shrouded in shadows, with piercing red
eyes that seemed to see straight into her soul.