As Elian continued to plummet, he spread his limbs to slow down his descent.
Didn't think I'd use the flying skills from survival class this way.
With much difficulty, he asked the voice who had come to help.
"So what now, lady? I don't have a lot of time, so you might want to hurry…"
"I am uncertain if I should be alarmed or impressed. How are you so calm?"
"Haha! Do I sound calm? I'm terrified. But maybe it's because I find your voice so pleasant."
"Spare me from your nonsense, boy. Look toward the left wall. Along it, you'll find a crater unlike those created by the ants. Do you see it?"
Finally given something he could act on, Elian ignored the pain in his leg and focused his eyes. Following the voice's directions, he scanned the area.
"I'm sorry, I can't see anything."
"Use mana to enhance your eyes, you stupid brat. Quickly. Your window is closing!"
"I don't have any mana! I'm a Defect! I have no Talent!"
"What? Why are you even here then?"
"Long story. Look, lady—even if I could see your crater, from where I am it would be as big as a fingernail! How would I even aim to hit that spot?" Elian cried in panic.
"Tsk. I guess it can't be helped. I hope I don't regret this. Tuck your body in."
At the voice's complaints, Elian obeyed. He placed his arms by his side and straightened his legs, only to feel something gently nudge his body. Against all logic, he began to gradually glide toward the left wall of the dungeon.
"Inside the crater is a long tunnel that will lead you to safety. Its exit is the only place the ants cannot find you."
As Elian got closer, he noticed a large crater covered in a layer of ice. A frigid chill entered his body as the distance between him and his destination shrank. However, true to what the voice had said, while red ants flooded everywhere else, there were none here.
Are they all wary of what's inside? Just who is this lady?
"Grit your teeth. This will hurt."
"Don't worry! I can take it!"
Although his speed had decreased, Elian's body still had considerable momentum. Following the voice's instruction, he covered his head with his arms and closed his eyes.
HANG ON! NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS—I CANNOT DIE! he vowed in his heart.
Like a basketball going through the ring, Elian charged into the crater. With no way to steer himself, he crashed and bumped along the walls like water flowing through a chaotic river. Again and again, he skidded and slammed along the jagged surface of the tunnel he'd entered.
"Ugh!"
The edges of the crater scraped and cut his skin. The violent impacts rattled his bones and left him bruised and in pain. Thankfully, though beaten, he was still breathing.
"Tsk. This is all I can do. You must go the rest of the way yourself."
At that moment, Elian felt the force holding him up vanish. Like a dropped stone, his body slammed into the rough surface inside the tunnel. The impact drove the knife deeper into his thigh until even the handle buried itself in his flesh.
His body convulsed. Eyes wide. A scream crawled up his throat before he could stop it.
"ARGGGHHHH!!!"
Pain ripped through his entire body. He could feel the handle bang against his bones as a fresh wound bled on the other side. Unable to even curl his body, Elian could do nothing but scream. And after what felt like an eternity, he could no longer feel his entire left leg.
Elian could barely open his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the pain overwhelmed him. He wanted to give up. Just die. But the pain meant he was still alive.
Thankfully, the suffering wasn't without reward. The ground slowed him. Finally, he stopped. He gritted his teeth. Forced his eyes open. Assessed his surroundings.
Only—there was nothing.
Unlike the ant hive, there were no glowing mushrooms in this passage. All that remained was darkness and a chill that made Elian tremble. The absence of light was disorienting. If not for the pain, Elian wouldn't even know if he were still alive.
"I'm scared. I don't want to die. Someone—anyone—help me."
When he tried to move, his limbs barely responded. It was like being trapped in a footlocker.
Or a coffin.
First Elian called. Then he cried. Until his screams filled the air. But still, there was no answer. The solitude and cramped space gnawed at his sanity. He couldn't even reach the coin in his pocket—his last scrap of comfort, trapped just out of reach.
"Please…" the boy whimpered.
The silence was worse than the pain. If he truly was alone now… it might already be better to just die.
"I am here. I overexerted myself. You are in the right direction. You don't have much left to go. Crawl through the passage. That is the only way for you to live."
"Okay," Elian said in relief.
Hearing her soothing voice, Elian calmed down. He found strength and comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone. Blood soaking his elbows, he crawled forward. Even as the boy grew weary, he moved through the darkness.
Each inch was agony. But Elian dragged his leg anyway. The voice said the end was close. That reassurance alone gave him strength. It meant that so long as he didn't give up, Elian would see the light.
So he pushed.
Despite getting stuck on the tunnel's twisting walls. As sharp rocks sliced open his arms and legs. Even as he suffocated in the coffin-like space.
He moved.
"You are doing well. Keep going."
The voice was kind. Each time he heard the melodious voice, it comforted him, reassuring Elian as he made his way, never losing patience.
It almost felt like, during this moment, it existed only for Elian.
Somehow, despite all his injuries and the cold, the boy's heart felt warm.
After what felt like a lifetime, Elian's eyes finally saw a bright light. The moment he did, adrenaline surged through his body as he forced himself onward.
When Elian finally exited the tunnel, what he saw left him speechless. It was as if someone had tried to recreate a flower garden using nothing but ice—a frozen sanctuary carved into the darkness of hell.
But it wasn't the mesmerizing scenery that stole his breath.
It was the woman standing before him.
Beautiful.
That was the only word that came to mind.
More gorgeous than any actress or idol he'd ever seen, she gazed at him with an aloof expression. She had a diamond-shaped face, clear blue eyes, luscious lips, and silver hair tied in a ponytail.
Her form defied common sense—voluptuous, regal, and unnaturally perfect.
She wore white armor that flowed like a gown, its surface etched with divine patterns. It shimmered with both strength and style. Embedded across her chestplate and accessories were large, crystalline blue gems, casting reflections that danced across the cavern.
Elegant. Imposing. Untouchable.
He stared. Dazed, exhausted, and broken. But in her presence, Elian forgot everything else.
"As flattered as I am by your admiration, if you don't move, you will die soon."
Her voice brought him back to reality.
"Hello, thanks for saving me. I'm Elian Reed."
Seeing him prioritize introductions over medical attention, the woman raised her eyebrow as she replied, "As discussed, you now belong to me," she said. "I am Bianca Valestra—your master from this day forward."