Seriana got off from the 【Floating Orb】, and the preparations for launching 【Danrem’s Thread】 were complete.

Additionally, in case this passage were to collapse, preparations for Fiora’s magic, which activated 【Lung of the Dragon】 to shoot through the rubble from below, were also ready.

It had enough power to blast through dungeon walls, so we had to be careful.

“Here we go! One, two… now!”

After signaling everyone, I carefully took aim and fired the arrow.

Even though I braced myself with my tail and arms, the power threw me off a bit and the trajectory shifted slightly. The arrow gouged through the corridor wall and shot straight toward the room… and then…

“…Huh?”

I braced myself, expecting to hear a loud crash—something like a boom or bang—but…

There was the sound of crumbling and dust rising, but it all came from the destroyed corridor walls, not from inside the room.

What happened to the arrow?

“It didn’t land. What just happened?”

It wasn’t just me—Seriana, who also knew the power of that arrow, was puzzled by the result.

“I see… Wind.”

Fiora thrust the 【Moon Fan】 forward and released wind toward the room.

The wind slowly pushed the lingering dust from the passage into the room, but…

“Ah!?”

Just after it entered the room, the wind suddenly stopped and fell to the floor.

I was about to ask what had happened, but before I could, Fiora released another spell.

This time it was a fireball, but just like before, it weakened dramatically around the point where the wind had stopped—and eventually vanished.

That said, even though we couldn’t destroy the system, breaching the wall allowed us to see more of the room.

Near the center of the room stood a dark purple stone pillar, about one meter tall and 30 centimeters thick.

It glowed faintly, and you could sense mana concentrating around it.

That must be the system’s core.

And around it…

“It looks like the mana in our spells is being dispersed. That’s probably what happened to the arrow from 【Danrem’s Thread】 too.”

“…That thing’s doing it?”

“Seems that way. If we destroy it, that should solve it… but if magic doesn’t work, we’ll have to smash it directly.”

“Shall I try luring them out? If we fight outside the room, we can still use magic…”

“…Are you sure that’s even possible? There are six of them now. That’s more than when I looked just a moment ago.”

“Is that thing spawning them, or attracting them…? Either way, it’s a problem.”

The three of them—Seriana and the others—discussed what to do as they watched the room.

If magic doesn’t work, we’d have to charge in and smash it directly, but there’s one problem making that difficult.

The shifting shadows around the pillar.

Wraiths.

They looked like shadows or black cloth… their outlines were vague. If Seriana hadn’t counted them aloud, you might not even realize how many there were right in front of you.

Even though we were just outside the room and not that far away, they didn’t attack us—for reasons unknown. But once we entered, things would likely change.

To destroy the pillar, we’d need to deal with the Wraiths first…

“…Shall I go fetch the 【Red Sword】?”

That was Teresa’s suggestion.

Wraiths are apparently nearly immune to regular weapons, but magic or Blessed Items are a different story.

Right now, the only Blessed Item weapon we had on hand was my 【Shadow Sword】. I could offer it, but it’s not a typical sword and isn’t easy to use without practice. It’s not something you want to wield for the first time mid-battle.

That’s probably why Teresa suggested fetching the 【Red Sword】 she’d entrusted to Elena back at the mansion.

When I saw the narrow passage earlier, I thought bringing the 【Red Sword】 would just be a hindrance, so leaving it behind felt like the right call. But we didn’t expect something like this.

However, if we were going to retrieve it, we’d all have to leave this place temporarily.

We couldn’t leave anyone behind in such a dangerous location.

And if we did leave, another issue would arise.

Just as Seriana and the others mentioned earlier, that stone pillar was increasing the number of Wraiths.

Zombies still have physical bodies, so they’re easier to deal with. But as the number of Wraiths increases, things could get out of hand.

We were attacked outside the well earlier, too.

Even if we manage to destroy the pillar, if the Wraiths scatter, the town could suffer major damage.

I had no idea how long it would take to go retrieve the sword and come back, but we didn’t have the luxury of wasting time…

“Hey, do you think I could cut them with the 【Shadow Sword】?”

I was familiar with both the 【Floating Orb】 and the 【Shadow Sword】, and I had solid defense.

I hadn’t fought them before, but if it’s about handling this situation, maybe I was the right person?

“I think you probably could… but you’re the one doing it?”

“I’ve got not just the 【Floating Orb】, but also the 【Amber Shield】 and 【Wind’s Garment】. I’ll just charge in and test it out—if it seems impossible, I’ll retreat, and you three can finish them.”

Even if not as skilled as Fiora, the other two could still use magic.

If I managed to take them down, that’d be ideal. Even if I failed, once I retreated to their side, the three of them could likely handle the rest. It was worth a try.

The three exchanged silent glances, then nodded once. Seriana, as their representative, spoke up.

“You don’t need to force yourself. If it feels too dangerous, fall back immediately.”

“Got it. …Hup!”

I reactivated 【Prayer】, and the three of them spread out a bit to prepare for battle.

Looks like everything was ready.

“Alright then… here I go!”

Extending the 【Shadow Sword】, I shot down the passage in a burst of speed.

Once I burst into the room, I aimed straight at the Wraiths—wait!?

“Sera!?”

Just before I could reach the pillar, the 【Floating Orb】 suddenly lost control, and I tumbled onto the floor.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・Blessing・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】 Blessed Items・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】+1【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Lung of the Dragon】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】【Monkey’s Arm】・8 cards

Seriana・【Area Detection】・【】・0 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards