Chapter 47

Amara's eyes bore into Larkin, Zee, and then finally Xain, her frustration evident. She knew her mission was to capture Larkin, but her gaze shifted to Xain's shadow, which stared back at her with a mixture of annoyance rather than anger. Her own emotions were boiling over. Why did she feel this way? It was a sense of inferiority to both Xain and his shadow. Witnessing what had transpired had left her questioning her abilities.

After recovering from the pain of the groin kick, the black knight took hold of Amara's shoulder. "I don't know why you're after them, but I strongly advise against fighting them after seeing what he's capable of," he cautioned.

Ercale concurred with a stern look, "I second that."

The black knight appeared puzzled. "I'm here for the guy over there, and we're not exactly in the same line of work," he protested.

But Amara's annoyance prevailed. She spoke firmly, "I said, come with me, Now!"

The black knight shrugged and ambled toward the exit, addressing the group before departing. "It was...well, not exactly a pleasant encounter, but it was something, I suppose. Oh, and don't worry, I'll be back to hunt you down, Lennix Star," he said, offering a parting comment. With that, he left, accompanied by Amara, who cast one last glance back at the group before leaving with the black knight.

Larkin breathed a sigh of relief as Amara departed, but he couldn't help asking Ercale, "Couldn't you have dealt her?"

Ercale simply rolled his eyes and walked up to Xain, who was still being held by Zee. He placed his hand on Xain's head, and Xain felt the sense of emptiness dissipate as his shadow returned. Ercale then communicated with Xain inside his head, Ercale admitted, *I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually prefer being in here rather than outside.*

Larkin, clearly irritated by the lack of response, muttered, "Well, he didn't even answer my question."

In the meantime, Clarissa approached Xain and inquired, "Dear guest, is there anything I can do to aid your injuries?" Xain, shaking his head, assured her, "I doubt it." Clarissa tilted her head and asked, "Are you doubting my medical abilities, dear guest?" Xain, shaking his head once more, responded, "It's not that. It's just that despite this excruciating pain, I don't feel injured at all. That leads me to my next point, Zee, please let go of me. I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?" Zee asked, releasing her grip on Xain, who nodded with a warm smile. "I'm sure, Zee. Your cuteness worked wonders as soon as I opened my eyes." He gently disentangled himself from the now-flushed Zee and rose to his feet, his curiosity piqued. "So, what happened after I was knocked out?"

Tap, Tap, Tap

Confusion painted the faces of everyone in the room. Ercale's voice echoed the unspoken question, *What are you talking about, ape?*

Larkin mirrored the bewilderment. "What are ya goin' on about, Xain?" Lennix chimed in, "Don't you remember what happened?" Xain shook his head before explaining. "All I remember is Zee telling me to stop and that we could defeat Eirisse together. After that, everything's a blank."

"So, Xain, you don't remember the fight with my sister?" Lennix asked, seeking clarification.

Xain scratched his head, puzzled. "Well, I do remember the fight, but I didn't manage to land a single hit on her. And I'm pretty sure I fought you before your sister, especially considering..." He casually held up the Chronoscope in his hand.

Larkin chimed in, asking, "Do you recall being splattered by the artifact?" Xain's brow furrowed in confusion. "If I were splattered by the eye, I don't think I'd be standing here right now."

The group exchanged perplexed looks, but Larkin shifted the focus. "Let's put this aside for now. Our priority is that Eirisse managed to escape."

"Huh?" Xain's expression shifted to one of concern. He glanced around the room and found no sign of Eirisse. "Wait, what? Where did she go?" He asked, genuinely puzzled.

Tap, Tap, Tap

Lennix, who seemed to have a thought, explained, "She used the artifact to escape, and just teleported out of here." Then he added, with an accusatory tone, "Speaking of which, you and your brother called it as a device when, it was in fact, an artifact!"

Xain quickly recalled the lies he and Ercale had fabricated and offered an explanation. "You see, Cain and I were born and raised in Ironhelm, and while Cain can use magic, we don't really know much about artifacts and the like."

Clarissa chimed in, offering support. "That is a valid point, Master Lennix. Unlike yours, their ignorance can be excused."

Lennix, with a somewhat pleading look, questioned her, "Why are you always so mean to me, Clarissa?"

With her usual emotionless expression, Clarissa replied, "I'm not mean, Master Lennix. I simply state the facts."

Zee, concerned about Eirisse's whereabouts, asked, "Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

With a hint of theatricality, Lennix mimicked wiping away imaginary tears and responded, "Most likely, she's headed to the ritual site."

"And where is this ritual site  exactly?" asked Larkin.

Lennix clarified, "It's located beneath the Moonveil fountain."

Larkin looked absolutely flabbergasted and shook his head in disbelief. "Could you repeat that one more time?" he requested.

Lennix let out a sigh and reiterated, "Yes, there's a way through the sewers that leads under the fountain. And before you ask, no, I have no idea why she chose that place as the ritual site."

Xain thought, *Of course, it had to be the sewers,* as Ercale remarked, *First that isekaied Japanese guy, and now the tick. I'm starting to notice a pattern here,* sighing within Xain's mind. Lennix expressed his concern, "Oh, and her thralls will undoubtedly be there. It's going to be even tougher than before to fight her."

Larkin sighed heavily, expressing his frustration, "Just great."

Zee added with a longing tone, "If only we had more help."

Lennix noted, "The black knight who just left with whoever the hell that blonde woman was is a monster hunter. He could have been a valuable ally, but he would've come after me as well."

Clarissa, hearing this added, "And nothing of value would be lost."

Lennix, seemingly unimpressed by her response, retorted, "Okay, that wasn't even clever, that was just harsh."

Tap, Tap, Tap

Xain had been tormented by a persistent tapping noise for a while, and it was finally driving him to the brink of madness. "Is anyone else hearing that tapping sound?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

Lennix looked puzzled. "What tapping sound?"

Tap, Tap, Tap

"That one!" Xain exclaimed, as the tapping sound echoed once again. All of them stood still, listening intently, and the tapping was no longer a figment of Xain's imagination. It seemed to be coming from below them, growing louder and more insistent.

Tap, Tap, Tap

They all approached the hole Lennix had crashed through earlier, drawn to the increasingly persistent tapping sound from below. The noise was undeniable, emanating from the depths of the hole. It wasn't a significant drop, and they could easily descend, so without exchanging words, they jumped down, landing in what appeared to be a basement. While Lennix was familiar with this place, the tapping sound had not been present before.

Tap, Tap, Tap

Xain quickly pinpointed the source. "The tapping is coming from that wall," he pointed out, and they cautiously moved closer to it.

Tap, Tap, Tap

The tapping sound intensified as they approached, but none of them could discern a way to access what lay behind the wall. Lennix, in an attempt to resolve the situation, took a step back and cracked his knuckles. Oddly, the tapping ceased as he did so. Nevertheless, he pulled back his right hand and struck the wall, to his surprise finding it surprisingly easy to break through. The wall shattered into pieces, revealing what was hidden beyond.