Chapter 39: Trapped?!

Words : 1216 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Trapped?!Lian and Seline exchanged a perplexed glance as the fear of what those words meant rose like a tide, a chilling wave threatening to drown their hopes. "No return portal? How will we get out then?!" Seline shouted, her anxiety growing stronger. "I have no idea... maybe we just have to wait," Lian murmured, his gaze lost. He had long thought about his return, about life at the academy. But now... Freddy, who until that moment had not spoken, suddenly approached the two. "This can only mean two things," the man said, walking slowly, his body covered in wounds and fresh blood still dripping. "Either that was not the boss—" his words paused, creating a moment of palpable tension, the air thick with unspoken dread. "—or we cannot get out of this place at all; we are trapped in an unstable Gate..." "... for now," he added quietly. Even he did not believe those words and did not want to create false hopes for the kids. Silence. Seline stared at the man with terror on her face, while Lian tried to think of other possibilities, but nothing came to mind. "Trapped in this place? For how long? How will we survive?" Seline fired one question after another, but Freddy merely shook his head and shrugged. Even he had no idea how long it would take. And survive? That would be a very tough challenge, considering there was no food or water in this place, a barren wasteland where even the hardiest would struggle to endure. Questions upon questions kept piling up in everyone’s minds. But then, a sudden tremor made all three survivors lose their balance. "What is happening? Is there another enemy?!" Seline’s usual bold and brawl-ready demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an unprecedented fear of the unknown, her confidence shattered by the relentless uncertainty. Even Lian was shaken. His dreams of glory and power were fading like smoke, dissolving into the harsh reality of their situation. Freddy, on the other hand, merely laughed like a madman. "Kids, don’t tell me you’ve already given up?" Despite being covered in wounds, which were somehow healing, Freddy had never lost his smile or confidence in himself, an unshakable resolve that seemed to defy the odds. "This tremor is a good sign; it simply means there are more monsters to take down. The last word hasn’t been said yet!" The man’s words instantly lifted the spirits of the two kids, who found themselves staring at Freddy with hopeful eyes. But looking closely at the man, Seline remembered the pain she had suffered and what she was going through now because of him. "Idiot, it’s your fault I’m in this condition. You should apologize!" Seline was angry, recalling the punch she had taken from the man, the memory of that blow still burning in her mind. Beside her, Lian looked at her, stunned, thinking, How can she think of saying these things to the man who saved us from certain death? Freddy merely smiled, nodding his head. "Good job, that’s the spirit I want to see. You must never lose your fire, not even in the face of death! It’s only arrogance you need to let go of; that will only get you killed." Seline cursed, feeling mocked. Lian, on the other hand, thought about the man’s words. Even he says not to be arrogant, huh? he mused, the lesson sinking in as a reminder of his own recklessness. The tremor beneath the sand grew more intense as the three conversed. "Get ready—" Freddy unsheathed his blade again, ready to fight once more. He couldn’t show weakness; he had to help the kids by playing the villain. Only then would they learn something, a harsh but necessary teacher in this brutal world. Moments later, when the tremor became immensely stronger, causing Lian and Seline to fall to the ground, it suddenly calmed. "Huh?" the two murmured at the same time. Cold sweat ran down Freddy’s back as he exhaled a breath of cold air. Thankfully, it’s gone. We’re not ready for that thing yet. Turning to the two on the ground, Freddy merely laughed brazenly. "Kids, I’ve got good news and bad news," he said, observing their expressions. "First, the good news: the boss isn’t dead yet, so we still have a chance to escape once we kill it," he continued with a smile. But neither Lian nor Seline smiled. After all, there was still the bad news. "The bad news..." Freddy’s face grew more serious, much more serious, as he continued in a grim tone. "... is that the monster is far stronger than the one we just killed, but that’s not all..." "... it’s not a simple physical monster; it’s magical. That means we’re in trouble." Silence. A deathly silence. Fortunately, Lian stood up. His eyes clearly showed it: resolve. He couldn’t let himself be defeated, not now when there was still an enemy to face and a chance to escape this place. "We just have to get stronger, right? Then let’s get to work." His words ignited Seline’s spirit as she stood up. "Well said, kid, wise words," the man said with a nod of his head. "Now, let me introduce myself again and apologize for earlier. My name is Freddy, and I come from a small town in the Dawnspire Kingdom, north of the empire." The swordsman extended his hand. His voice wasn’t as gentle as Mage Patrick’s, yet there was a certain softness in his words, a hint of sincerity beneath his rough exterior. Lian stepped forward, extending his hand toward the man’s. "My name is Lian, and I come from the Ironridge Kingdom. I was also born in a small town." Lian’s blue eyes met Freddy’s gray ones as their hands clasped. "Nice to meet you!" they both said at the same time, smiling. Seline watched the scene with a frown on her face. How could Lian act so friendly with the man who had punched him in the face? But she couldn’t be petty. "My name is Seline, and I come from the Silverlake Kingdom," she said, giving a slight bow of her head toward Freddy, who returned it with a smile. "We got off on the wrong foot, and let me say, part of it was my fault. But let’s leave the past behind and prepare to face what’s coming!" "Oh, Lian, Seline, satisfy my curiosity," Freddy suddenly asked with a curious expression. "What happened to the worm earlier? Why did it freeze for a moment after eating your spell?" The two explained everything they knew about the worms, their discoveries, and how they had exploited the mechanism to collect Mana Cores. "Oh, now I understand. Well done; it was exactly because of that strike that we managed to finish it off, after all." The three continued to talk for a while as they walked away from that place, getting to know each other better. After all, they still had a challenge to face, a bond forming amidst the chaos of their shared struggle. Some time later... "Alright, I should be ready. I just need to draw a few more lines, and I think that’s it..." --- Author’s note! Stay tuned, Bronze 2 is coming!!

Chapter 39: Trapped?!

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