The blond-haired boy stepped forward with confidence, his calm eyes scanning Judas from head to toe. He was at least five or six centimeters taller than Peter, but it wasn't just the height—his presence had weight.
"I want to have a duel with… you," he said, pointing straight at Judas.
Judas blinked, taken aback. He looked at Peter for confirmation. Peter, who was busy carving the edge of a freshly reforged steel sword, gave a slow nod.
"Go on, Judas," he said calmly. "This'll be good for your experience."
Peter turned to the blond boy. "Please consider this a friendly duel."
The stranger chuckled. "Of course. No hard feelings." He stepped back and gave a small bow. "Name's Alex. I use wind and earth elemental magic. I've mastered some advanced techniques too, but since you're still learning, I'll stick to the basics." He smirked. "Wouldn't want to crush your spirit."
He pulled out two twin daggers from the scabbard strapped to his back and spun them with ease. The air around him shifted as he dropped into a fighting stance. On the other side, Judas gripped his sword tightly and took his position. Peter raised his hand and brought it down.
"Begin!"
In an instant, both released their auras. Judas's bright crimson energy shimmered like heated steel, burning with raw will. But Alex's aura was colder—dark blue and tightly condensed. It swirled like a vortex, controlled and focused, the kind of aura only someone trained for years could maintain.
Judas felt the weight of it immediately. The ground beneath him seemed to pulse, his muscles tensing under the pressure.
Alex noticed and smirked. "What's wrong, kid? Scared already?"
Judas responded with a sudden burst of speed, launching a flurry of sword slashes toward Alex. The older boy danced through them, sliding and dodging with smooth, effortless movements. Then, without warning, Alex charged.
But as his daggers sliced through the air, Judas vanished.
"Huh?" Alex looked around—but too late.
A boot slammed into the side of his head, and he was driven face-first into the ground. Dust rose.
"Gotcha!" Judas shouted.
But instead of groaning in pain, Alex's head bounced off the earth like it was made of jelly. He grinned as he flipped back onto his feet. "Nice try."
He had used earth magic to soften the ground beneath him.
Tossing both daggers aside, he clenched his fists. "Let's go hand-to-hand, kiddo."
Judas hesitated, just for a second. Alex took that moment to use a wind spell—pulling Judas forward like a magnetic force. As Judas was dragged across the field, he quickly gathered his aura and swung his blade in an arc, releasing crimson slashes in mid-air.
Blood streaked across Alex's cheek, but he didn't stop.
He grabbed Judas by the throat mid-attack, his grip like iron. "You lost," he whispered—and threw a punch straight at Judas's gut.
But his hand hit nothing but air.
The body shimmered and vanished.
"What?!"
The real Judas reappeared behind him and kicked him across the field. Alex flew backward, crashing hard, but again softened his landing using earth magic to cushion the fall.
From the crater, Alex laughed. "You're trickier than you look."
He clapped his hands together, forming two swirling mud cannons. With a whistle, he fired rapid mud balls, spinning and accelerating with bursts of wind magic.
Judas teleported from spot to spot, dodging them with difficulty—until one splattered against his face. His vision went black.
Alex seized the moment. "Whirlpool Wind!"
A massive current of air swirled beneath Judas's feet, lifting him violently into the air before slamming him down.
The ground shook. Dirt and leaves scattered.
"Enough!" Peter shouted, stepping forward with his hand raised. "That's it. Duel's over!"
Alex exhaled and canceled his spell, his aura fading. Judas lay motionless on the ground, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Diana ran to his side, eyes wide with worry.
"Judas! Are you okay?"
She helped him sit up, then slung his arm around her shoulder. His body was scratched and bruised, but the real damage came from magical exhaustion. She carried him into the cottage and began casting healing magic with quiet urgency.
Peter turned to Alex, who stood calmly, wiping blood off his cheek with the back of his hand.
"So," Peter began, "where are you from? And why are you here?"
Alex's confident expression faded, replaced by something quieter. His eyes lowered.
"I'm a peasant," he said slowly. "Or… I was. I'm from the Yukazar Kingdom. We were known for our magical performances and talent, but…" He paused, jaw tightening. "Hatimus invaded. Took over. Burned everything. The soldiers rounded up survivors, sold us in slave auctions like livestock. My parents… they didn't make it."
Peter's brows furrowed. His fists clenched.
"I was lucky to escape," Alex continued. "I ran during a transport raid. Kept moving. Hiding. Training. I heard this area had open land and low patrol presence. I didn't come here to fight—just to survive."
Peter nodded, a somber look in his eyes. "You've been through hell."
Alex shrugged, trying to play it off. "Not the worst. But I need to get stronger. That's why I want to join you guys. I've been alone too long."
Peter thought for a moment, then extended his hand. "Alright. You can join us, Alex."
Alex stared at it, stunned. "Wait… really?"
Peter smiled. "Until you prove to be useless."
Alex snorted and shook his hand. "Fair enough."
From that day on, Alex became part of the group. The four of them—Peter, Judas, Diana, and Alex—trained together, hunted, cooked meals, and laughed under the same sun. The forest felt a little less empty.
---
A few days later…
The sun had just risen, painting the sky in pale orange streaks. Birds chirped lazily in the trees. Alex stood by the outdoor fire pit, whistling softly as he stirred a bubbling pot of stew. The smell of spiced rabbit meat filled the air.
Nearby, Diana and Judas were practicing. She guided him through aura manipulation drills while scolding him for sloppy focus. Judas, though still recovering, gave it his all.
Just then, Peter returned, carrying a rolled parchment, his face lit up with excitement.
"Guys!!!"
The group gathered instantly, weapons half-drawn in surprise.
"What is it, brother?" Diana asked.
Peter held up the parchment like a trophy. "We got the Dungeon Entry Permit!"
Judas blinked. "Wait, really?!"
Peter nodded. "Now that we're officially a team of four, we qualify. That means we can enter dungeons and start earning real money."
Diana and Judas jumped in joy, nearly tackling Peter with excitement. Alex smiled, arms crossed as usual, but there was a subtle sparkle in his eyes.
"What kind of money are we talking?" Judas asked eagerly.
Peter grinned. "Lucious. Real paper currency, accepted across all regions."
Alex leaned in. "Actually… I was thinking," he said, eyes darting to Peter. "Why don't we head to Ravenshire? That city's crawling with hunters and job posts. Dungeon expeditions, escort missions, bounty contracts—you name it."
Peter scratched his chin, considering. "That's not a bad idea. We'd get more exposure there… and probably better pay."
Diana nodded. "And maybe better gear."
Judas pumped his fist. "I'm in!"
Alex smirked. "Then it's settled."
{DUNGEON PERMIT}
An official letter of approval granted to a group of warriors (minimum 4 members) to enter interdimensional dungeons and slay monsters. These dungeons serve as portals to other worlds and are ranked based on danger level and aura output: D, C, B, A, S, and DIVINE class. Teams are assigned dungeons based on experience, performance, and magical capabilities. Neglected dungeons can become unstable, leading to monster outbreaks on Earth.
---
The next day, the four of them packed up what little they had and left the forest behind. As they stepped onto the dirt path leading toward the distant skyline of Ravenshire, a new chapter of their journey began.
Their goal was simple—survive, grow stronger, and earn Lucious and even bigger was goal of judas, to grow stronger and defeat Lucas.
---{end of chapter 8}