Raised in Dungeon



After Allen dropped Susan off, he went back to the tavern and fell asleep.

Rodion had kept a secret from Allen, but the truth was that it was all too common for Rodion to hear Allen's screams in the night. It all began when Allen stayed at Peter's house. Rodion woke up to the sound of Allen's voice and realized that Allen had woken up too. Since that moment, Allen has been screaming in his sleep frequently.

One night, Rodion decided to check on Allen's condition by entering his room. He found Allen sleeping miserably, drenched in sweat, and with his scarf wrapped tightly around him. However, when Allen woke up, he had no recollection of his terrifying dreams.

Then, the night after, Allen dropped Susan off.

Rodion and Allen woke up.

Allen didn't wake up because of his nightmare, nor did Rodion wake up because of Allen's screams,

Rather, it was the screams of the people outside.

Not just one scream but a lot of screaming sounds from outside. And as soon as Rodion went out and peeked at what was happening behind his window, he could see a huge white fire burning at the entrance gate.

"Master! What's going on?" shouted Allen, who immediately came out of his room.

"Allen, they, the imaginary enemies we discussed, decided to attack. What I feared really happened."

"What?! What should we do then?"

"For now, we will hide."

"H-hide?! We have to help Theda!"

"No! Didn't I tell you that adults should solve adult problems!" shouted Rodion.

"If I'm not mistaken, Master said that the attackers were probably a big organization. They kept attacking even after their plan to starve people was futile. Doesn't that mean that the remaining Barkaley soldiers were enough for them?! Are you sure adults can solve this problem as you said?"

Rodion strongly agreed with Allen's opinion, and it was likely that Theda would be defeated here. Barkaley's soldiers were commoners with copper and silver combat powers. If there was a great one, it was probably their captain. But the enemy must have attacked because they already knew information about the soldiers.

"Allen, for now, bring Susan here."

"What about you, Master?"

Rodion went downstairs with Allen; he showed there was a basement under the kitchen fireplace.

"I will hide here until the problem is solved. This place has a little water that can last up to three days alone. Bring Susan and Peter's family here."

"Alright!"

For now, Rodion has delayed Allen from doing anything dangerous. If he brought someone back, surely Allen would focus more on bringing them back than fighting.

...

That night, Susan drifted into a dreamland where she was reunited with her beloved brother. He gazed at her with warm, tender eyes while gently caressing her hair. It was a blissful moment that filled Sussan's heart with joy and contentment. But alas, the dream was nothing but a cruel illusion, a mirage conjured up by the malevolent forces at work.

In an instant, Susan was jolted awake from her reverie, only to find herself staring into the face of a figure draped in a red robe and hoodie. The sight of this shadowy intruder sent shivers down her spine as she realized that she was not alone in her room. Her heart racing, Sussan struggled to process the sheer horror of the situation.

'Who was this person, and what were their intentions?'

But then, something even more unsettling occurred to her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Susan realized that not just one intruder was not just watching her but several. Five pairs of eyes were trained on her, their gazes as cold as ice. The weight of this realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and she felt paralyzed with fear. What kind of twisted people would invade her house? Susan could only imagine the worst as her mind raced with horrific scenarios.

With every passing second, the suffocating silence of the room became more unbearable. Susan could hear her heart beating in her chest, a rapid thumping that threatened to burst out of her ribcage. She struggled to find her voice and speak out against the invaders. But her tongue felt heavy and numb, as if it was glued to the roof of her mouth.

'W-WHO ARE THEY?!' Susan screamed in her heart. Her voice wouldn't come out, and her body couldn't move.

They were chanting something in a language that Susan didn't understand.

'No! I'm scared!'

In that dreadful moment, Sussan was trapped in a real nightmare. There was no escape from the terror surrounding her and no haven to retreat to. She could only wait and pray that the intruders would leave her alone. But as the minutes ticked by, it became painfully clear that the worst was yet to come, as they took out a knife with a strange handle. It was blood red with a snake wrapped around it.

One of them raised the knife and pointed it at Susan's body.

'NO! I WILL DIE!'

As the man in red began to thrust it into Susan's stomach,

'BROTHEER!!!'

-SWING

A small knife flew from outside the door into the man's back, making the man immediately shift to the side and pick up the knife stuck in his back.

Susan turned to the door, and with a feeling of great joy and relief, she shouted, "ALLEN!"

Allen quickly jumped inside, then covered Susan with his arms.

"Don't touch her!" shouted Allen while covering Susan with his right hand.

"Can you stand up?" Allen asked Susan. Susan replied, "Y-yes, thank you! Thank you for coming!" her voice shook slightly as she held back her tears.

'Who are these people? Is this the enemy of the church that Miss Lavinia was talking about?' Allen thought.

As he analyzed everyone, Allen also thought, "These five people I can easily defeat... but..." he looked at the knife he threw at the man earlier. The knife was covered in blood and looked like it stabbed into the person's vital parts.

'No! I can't think about that right now! I have to focus on saving Susan!'

The people in red started to move; Allen immediately lifted Susan's body and prepared to run away.

But...

Instead of attacking Allen,

Those people sat prostrate in front of Allen. It was as if they were listening to Allen's orders not to touch Susan.

"Wh-what? What are they doing?!"

Thinking it was his chance, Allen escaped Susan's house and quickly went to Rodion's place.

'These people... who exactly they are?!'