a hint

Rex slowly opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. "Strange, Cerberus can't detect any signs of life," he muttered.

My eyes widened in alarm as I surveyed our surroundings. The run-down area we had entered seemed eerily deserted. I had noticed something was off since we first stepped into this slum area. While there were a few people milling about when we first arrived, as we ventured deeper, the number of inhabitants dwindled until there was not a single soul in sight.

"Could they also have been kidnapped?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern.

Rex considered my question for a moment before responding. "No, it seems more like they left intentionally," he replied. "Perhaps due to a powerful area spell, the effect of an item, or even the influence of a saga."

As a veteran, Rex seemed to have a better grasp of the situation than I did. But still, the sense of unease that had been gnawing at me since we arrived refused to dissipate.

"Leo, it's up to you to rescue the princess," Rex declared, fixing me with a determined stare.

I couldn't help but let out a disbelieving laugh. "Do you forget that I'm still at level 0?" I protested.

"If I were to rescue the princess, I wouldn't be able to react quickly if the situation spirals out of control. Moreover, it would complicate things further," Rex explained, his words laced with mystery.

So it wasn't that he couldn't or wouldn't do it, but that he wasn't allowed to.

"What are you going to do, then?" I asked, my tone dripping with disdain. "Don't tell me you're just going to sit around after coming this far."

"I'm going to take out the main source of our enemy's power," Rex replied. He then proceeded to take out a bunch of items from his bag and handed them over to me. There were ten bottles of potions in total, including 4 Heal Potions Lv4, 2 Swiftness Potions Lv3, 2 Invincibility Potions Lv5, and 2 Tonics of Resilience Lv4.

"The Tonic of Resilience will replace you receiving fatal damage, but the effect of the potion has a 10% chance of disappearing after taking damage." Rex explained, his voice serious. "The number of times this can be used is determined by dividing the amount of damage received by your HP. The Potion of Invincibility will reduce the damage you take by 90%, and its effect lasts for five minutes after consumption."

While the potions seemed to have short durations, they would undoubtedly come in handy in a pinch.

"There are level and status limitations when it comes to using equipment in this game. That's why you have to strengthen yourself with the potions I've given you because they have no level restrictions," Rex continued.

I understand that they are powerful potions, but I'm not sure if I can save the princess just by relying on them.

As if reading my thoughts, Rex pulled out another item from his bag. But this time, it wasn't a potion. Instead, what Rex took out was a large bear wearing golden armor.

As Rex placed the bear on the ground, it slowly rose to its feet and shook its massive body. The golden armor it wore glimmered in the dim light, its intricate design reflecting a master craftsman's skill. The bear's fur was a deep brown, and its sharp claws protruded menacingly from its massive paws.

"What's that?" I asked wearily.

And then a simple description appeared before me.

Spectrum Predatory, Thunderous Ursine

Special Equipment: Mount

One of the Spectrum Predatory created by Ganigan—a craftsman from an ancient civilization

He who bring Thunderous and Trembling.

Details unknown.

Created? I raised my eyebrows at the mismatched word. So the bear was some kind of robot, not a living creature.

"All you need to do is bring Ursine to where the princess is being held. When you find the princess, Ursine will secure her," explained the tiger. "And this is a telepathy pod and Riding pass. The telepathy pod is a item that allows us to communicate within a certain distance, and the Riding pass is a item that allows you to have Riding skill +1. You can use them both because they are accessories."

Rex handed me what seemed to be an earphone and a badge.

"Then let's start the quest," said Rex.

Then, with a rough movement, the large creature bent his massive body, gathered strength in its powerful legs, and focused all its power within himself elf. As if standing on the brink of destruction, he leapt with full force and soared into the air, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a stunning shockwave. I staggered from the shockwave that he was able to produce.

"Truly insane power," I murmured in awe as I watched Rex leave.

I turned my gaze to the remaining large creature, the large bear wearing golden armor. With a sharp look, the large creature responded to my approach. It bowed its strong back as if asking me to climb on it.

"You're not suddenly going to eat me, are you?" I thought to myself. But, seeing the situation, I decided to climb onto it.

This is my first time riding a bear, and I'm surprised at how comfortable it is. At first, I thought it would be very uncomfortable because the bear is wearing a golden armor that looks hard, but it turns out there is a saddle on its back made of leather that makes it comfortable to sit on.

In an instant, the bear began to run at full speed without waiting for my instructions, as if it knew exactly where to go. I held tightly onto the golden reins on its back, feeling the strong wind hitting my face as the scenery around me moved at a high speed.

****

It didn't take long for us to arrive at a dark and damp underground corridor. The smell was very pungent and made me want to get out of there immediately.

We stared at a wall in front of us. The wall looked familiar, almost the same as the walls throughout this underground.

The bear lowered its body again, and I quickly jumped down from its back. I took out the potions from earlier and quickly drank them. I drank one potion of swiftness, invincibility, and tonic of resilience each.

The effects were immediate, my body felt as light as a feather, and I felt a strength that I did not possess flowing within me.

While I was still surprised by the effects of the potions, the bear was now standing in front of the wall, his right hand pulled back like a boxer getting ready to punch.

With a DUARRR sound, the wall shattered into pieces, revealing a new passage separated from this underground. But-

"Damn it, you stupid bear, what's the use of sneaking around if you make such a commotion like this!" I exclaimed in anger.

Startled by my sudden outburst, the bear seemed to make itself smaller as it was scolded by me.

"Well, I hope the kidnappers didn't notice the commotion just now," I thought to myself as I cautiously entered the new passage.

During our journey, Rex contacted me and informed me that the kidnapper of the Princess was a superior named Barbarossa. She had a job related to dolls, so his stats shouldn't be too high. And with Rex facing the source of Barbarossa's power, her saga as well as her puppet, we still had a chance to confront him. Maybe...

Unlike the sewer passage we had encountered earlier, this passage only had one path, perhaps built for the purpose of escape. As we walked through the dimly lit corridor, my heart raced. I was afraid that something was lurking in the darkness, but I kept moving, holding my breath.

We continued walking for several minutes until a door appeared in front of me. The door was made of steel, but it didn't seem to be a problem for Ursine the bear to break it down if it was locked. Still, I tried to open it first.

*Clack

"Not locked?" I muttered in surprise.

It seemed like the enemy had already discovered our presence. We were in a very unfavorable situation. I know now that retreating is not the right choice.

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself to face any situation.

Finally, I cautiously opened the door. However, the sight that greeted me was truly breathtaking.

Above an altar, there was a teenage girl, naked and crucified, with nails holding her hands and feet while a shackle restrained her neck. A black knife plunged into her heart, blood flowing to cover her lower body, the altar, and even the floor beneath her.

Seeing the scene, something inside me seemed to shatter.

clap clap clap

The sound of applause echoed throughout the room, breaking the silence. I slowly turned my head to the source of the sound and found a punk-dressed woman walking and clapping enthusiastically. Her sharp eyes and bright red lipstick were striking. She continued until she stood in front of the altar, blocking our view of the gruesome sight.

"It seems that the hero has finally arrived to save the princess," she said with a wide smile.

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't do this because I enjoy it," she said, shrugging.

"..."

"Are you deaf or something? A deaf hero trying to save a blind princess, isn't this situation funny?" she said mockingly.

"..."

"But unfortunately, you can't save the princess, unless you want her to die," she said, her smile growing wider. "If you try to take the princess and run, the knife will kill her instantly. And if you try to remove the knife, the curse will kill her instantly!"

Then, as if trying to whisper a secret, the woman changed her tone of voice.

"But, because you're my type~ I'll give you a hint to save the princess. That is by-"

"-die," I interrupted coldly.

When I said that, Ursine immediately ran towards the woman. In an instant, the Bear was in front of her and attempted to punch her when suddenly a hand stopped his fist.

"That's right! By killing me, you, the hero, can save the princess!"