Finding fault in his earlier attempts, Rainer soared into the sky but with a far different goal. All his focus was on just finding the right target.

It wasn’t hard. Among the group of 15, only one shone with the presence of Mana to his eyes. He only briefly noticed the third eye centered on her forehead before assaulting her position with the full force of the Arcane and a personal [Void Hold].

It was in the moment the 8 beams converged with armed [Arcane Lance]s that Rainer got a chance to see the enemy team as a whole. For better or worse, it was the team they assumed. For all the beacon of power that Golden Aura user was to his sight, the other 13 were no slouches. It was only with good luck that they lacked that unique Aura. Though some seemed out of the ordinary.

His concentrated assault was blocked, not by the Mage but by a few Aura users. Apart from blowing a good portion of their Aura to defend against it, they were slower in joining the fighting.

Rainer tsked as he flew as high as possible, not that he could go that high in the first place. It seemed he ran into the same issue as the duel, he thought, as he narrowly avoided the Golden Aura user stepping on self-made platforms. Without enough space to Void-walk far away, he was easily caught after each one. He may lack the strings of the Wolf King, but he wasn’t any worse off mid-air.

Rainer couldn’t do anything as his side settled into a disadvantage. While they seemed to lack the healing ability and defense of their supposed leader, the rest of the Aura users were still powerful. Beating 13 Aura users at the strength of a Dragon Isle King, and supported by a spatial mage, wasn’t something they would be capable of facing without his and Talvara’s aid.

Doing nothing more than getting off a few random Arcane spells, Rainer backpedaled over and over again as he narrowly avoided the Golden Aura user’s attacks. He waited patiently for the moment the man would draw on his as yet unused will.

A small glance with [Arcane Revelation] and Rainer witnessed Talvara stretching a [Void Call] into floating lines, cutting apart a distracted Aura user, and evening up their side’s losses after his Aunt’s quick death. It seemed they’d follow the pattern of losing one or two of theirs before Talvara managed a kill. He only hoped her Void Will lasted long enough.

He immediately looked away, going back to teleporting. The arena itself seemed to prefer melee users and Rainer knew just how lucky he was to have Talvara’s aid given the previous battles and their own set up. Without the ability to Void-walk far away, his teleports weren’t that much faster than the speed of even weaker Aura users, let alone the one he currently faced.

Rainer’s feet hit the ground as he spun around to get off an attack, but the quickly descending Aura user had a different thought in mind. He felt reality bend around him as he was distinctly aware another Void-walk would be impossible. As if on command, several Aura users broke off from their fights, taking damage in return but burning their Aura in defensive measures to survive it. And burning it even further to reach their target as fast as they could.

Rainer’s eyes focused on the Golden Aura user even as a variety of weapons and attacks closed in on him. The moment before his foe hit the ground he trapped him in a [Void Hold] of his own. The action didn’t dissuade him from continuing to prevent Rainer from teleporting.

Bringing his hand forward, runes covered his outstretched arm as he pointed it towards the Golden Aura user. If there was no escape, he’d be taking his enemy with him.

Arcane surged almost instantaneously. Rainer unsheathed his Soul and poured his strength into [Arcane Energy Manipulation] and [Soul Presence]. For a brief moment, it was as if he himself had become the skill, a part of the runes covering his arm. Minor shifts occurred as [Arcane Awakening: Final Arcanum] became more perfect, more efficient, and more focused. A small part of him wondered if the skill just went up in tiers, given the lack of levels with his changes.

The panic on the Golden Aura user’s face was all Rainer saw as a powerful blast of violet overtook his vision. He briefly noted the sensation of pain before he used his Void Will to escape, no longer blocked by Will.

Rainer instantly appeared by his mother, currently free to heal Laneth. She took one glance at him before shifting her focus, the Fae Prince himself rejoining the battle. The failed ambush had given them an advantage, one that Talvara used fully, and with the help of a few party members managed to consecutively kill off Aura users before her Void Will ran out and the possessing Void-being left.

He briefly glanced at the field of battle; seeing the torsoless Golden Aura user fallen, he relaxed and fell to the ground. He needed a dozen seconds before his pools returned to him, Void Will being an exception. And that meant a complete lack of healing.

But a powerful wave of Aura ended his relaxation. Giant golden armor appeared around the torsoless Aura user as his body healed. It was a macabre spectacle watching the spine and skull form before being covered in flesh. With neither himself nor Talvara to serve as the distraction, the Golden Aura user charged forward.

Rainer could only helplessly watch as the tide of battle turned, most of his Void Will having been used to pin the Golden Aura user in place fully. It had cost him a majority of his Aura to heal, but his Soul still shined strongly. Rainer attacked with [Devil’s Soul Language], but without him focusing his Soul to pin someone down, it didn’t have the same effect. All he could do was run with his remaining Void Will whenever he was focused upon.

Lacking him or Talvara to hold them down, and trapped in this small arena, the powerful Aura users had the absolute advantage in terrain, their mage expertly controlling gravity to their aid. They seemed to attack with reckless abandon, happily trading lives with their targets now that they had the number’s advantage again. Given that many of Rainer’s party weren’t at their max levels nor did many even have two Tier 2 classes, the disadvantage become even clearer.

Rainer’s energy pools recovered just as the last of his party died nearly at the same time. He was left alone, apart from Luna who had managed to flee to him after Kara fell, facing down 5 Aura users and their three-eyed Mage.

“Wait,” the Golden Aura user said, holding back his party members. Rainer didn’t offer anything to the contrary, curious and more than happy to take all the time in the world. And here he thought he’d have to struggle to stay alive.

“You are truly a Human Arcanist?” he asked.

Rainer nodded, seeing no reason to lie. In the meantime, he memorized their souls with [Arcane Revelation]. Even if he couldn’t get a Soul Mark, he wondered if he might borrow the Farseer’s skill to visit their planet in any case. The variety of Aura skills and the spells of that Mage had interested him beyond anything else.

“How is that possible?”

“Ask my mom,” he said with a shrug after generously taking his time to think it over, grimly remembering the scene of her death. Fake or not, it had angered him. Not to mention the others he managed to see. Only the knowledge of what was to come kept that simmering rage down inside him, giving no look on his face otherwise.

That should have been enough time, he thought, before starting to speak. To his disappointment, the other side seemed to be unwilling to answer his own questions in return. A blockage of Space and three charging Aura users came at him before he even got the chance to say a word.

With a satisfied grin, he knew it had been long enough. He activated [Arcane Rage] and focused inwards. The dormant poison inside of him, inside all of them, came alive at the assault, no longer focused on spreading and digging deeper. Partially connected, the rest of the poison became active.

All of his opponents buckled to their knees, desperately sending their own energies to fight against it.

From the start, Art had focused on spreading his poison. Whether it was control, subtlety, power, or other factors, he often needed to make a choice. In this case, he focused on only its subtlety and spread it, letting it silently and invisibly enter their bodies. Only a skill similar to [Arcane Revelation] would have revealed it. And only the small arena kept it close enough.

They had thought of this plan, and put it into motion more than once. But the battles never needed it. They were well aware the weakness of their party in terms of levels, and even missing 2nd Tier classes.

But even with all that time bought, they were already fighting it. Perhaps a bit longer and they’d win over it.

Without a moment to spare, Rainer switched back to [Arcane Awakening], and brought out his [Arcane Blade]. He stalked forward, removing their heads one by one. Without Aura easily available to block it, the Golden Aura user’s tough body wasn’t enough to resist the improved blade alone. The rest, even less so.

With a further use of Arcane to make sure he stayed dead this time, Rainer vanished.

Messages flashed across Rainer’s vision as he was teleported to the rest of his previously fallen party.

[The Arena has been completed. All Classes level to 25. Title already held: Dungeon Pioneer. 50% bonus experience gained added to title. 10% General Improvement to all Attributes while inside a Dungeon added to title.]

Rainer’s eyes widened as he glanced over to Kara, witnessing the changes that happened to her very anatomy as the bloodline intertwined 2nd Tier class leveled to its maximum.

[Main Quest Received: Archon and Harbinger 3rd Class Advancement.]

He had no doubt many of the others here were receiving the same message. He also had no doubt his sister was grinding her teeth in sorrow given her lack of a second 2nd Tier class. Even if she wouldn’t be attempting the 3rd Tier Trial any time soon, or any time this century if it was Rainer’s choice, it still was an easy thing to regret.

[All previous Stage Bonuses added.]

[Calculating Bonus Rewards.]

Rather than being removed from the Dungeon, they seemed to have been sent to another rest area. But the messages they received made it clear there was nothing more to the Dungeon. They had beaten it. And it was time to reap the rewards.