Season 1; There Is No Time To Think, To Do. We Must Run, Run, & Run.

"Shall we go clear some swarm of Troll Villages?" asked Eugene, who voluntarily raised his arm amidst their camping.

Lawrence only stared at Chas, awaiting what he wants to be done.

"Well... might as well do a favour for the residents, right?" Chas shrugged.

Eugene rose from the trunk he sat. "Elijah and I will handle it." he joyously pulled Lawrence.

They were already at the edge of Ropruece and at the end of Xuspos. The plan was to stay in Xuspos lands for only a month, but their training lasted three in total. The handymen and knights were on the verge of collapsing, but they didn't have the guts to complain.

How could they complain? When someone younger, less experienced, hardly had any injuries or in the least groan from hunger, don't? Lawrence is calm headed, always calculative, and he analyzes the situation before he attacks or counters. As for starvation, he's suffered worse than hunger.

Each night there would be a patrol, someone who oversees the dangers of the twilight to midnight. But that was mostly the job of Lawrence. By the end of the day, everyone would be exhausted except the monstrous endurance of Lawrence and Eugene.

The past three months had greatly improved Lawrence's physique, not to mention increased his height. Lawrence now is 5' 4" tall despite only being three years of age. And now, his birthday was nearing.

Eugene was the only person among the group who knows Lawrence's age but didn't utter a word. Although, he did find it very strange to see such growth in only a short period of type.

He thought it was "phenomenal." Something that isn't likely to happen but seldom occurs. Too rare for some to confirm. But that didn't make it strange for Eugene.

Eugene has a sister and a brother with a growth speed, much like Lawrence. But unlike Lawrence, which has an unbelievable growth pace, his siblings were slower and lacking. Their knowledge and wisdom weren't as vast as the Prince, and their height wasn't monstrous.

And Eugene? He could only imagine by adolescence, Lawrence would already be two meters, towering over everyone in the Kingdom.

It was already Phoenix 25, 0299. They started their journey in the mid of Trawl, before the Yule, the yearly celebration of Families. But missing it didn't matter to Lawrence, not that he knew it. That was one of the reasons why Estella was upset about letting go of Lawrence but failed to interpret it.

Since they arrived at Xuspos, no letters from anyone had been received by the group. So by the time they reach Ropruece, letters will be swarming over them in one of the cities of Ropruece. Many are probably from Estella to Lawrence.

Despite their long journey, Chas continues to pursue the Ropruece hell training. Of course, this was difficult and torturing training which will only apply to Lawrence. But to do this, they have to pass through one city, two villages, and a few hamlets and fields.

That is if they finally go beyond the borders of Xuspos.

After an hour has passed. Eugene and Lawrence mission to subjugate the nearby villages was a success. Naturally, the enemy villages had cages set up in the sideways of their pavements, and in it are animals and several arrogant hunters.

The frustrated chivalry knight of their team had given the arrogant hunters, who went too deep in the forest, a handful of nagging and lectures. The animals in cages had it easy. Upon their release, they would scatter and run off into the woods.

When twilight approached, the group set up their camped and readying all piles for tomorrow's departure.

Finally, they could relax and rejoice to see a city after a long time. But what they hadn't had in mind was the perils they were about to encounter. The road to Preles, the City of Gold, is thornier than any path they've taken. It was even riskier to bring a group.

But that didn't alarm Chas enough to warn the handymen and two knights since it will only trouble their mentality. Nonetheless, he found no trouble since he was protecting them with Lawrence and Eugene.

"Although training out here is good and all, we don't seem to have any accomplishments.

Sure, Elijah has grown stronger and perhaps, taller. But that's it.

We haven't gotten any treasures or even found a dungeon to claim our rewards. I mean subjugating and all is great, but it only gives us Kingdom Merits, which for me, is utterly useless. And we aren't even registered in the Guild Add and won't be rewarded no matter how many kevits or deasts we stop or kill." Eugene spoke to Lawrence and Chas in their space of privacy.

"What a greedy fellow." Chas chuckled.

"Relatives." the chivalry knight leader laughed.

"By dungeon, you mean like an underground prison, right?" Lawrence asked in curiosity.

Eugene shook his head, "Dungeons, unlike what we typically know- an underground prison, isn't as simple as the dungeon adventurers encounter.

You see, upon the arrival of deasts and kevits, a magical phenomenon affecting everything in our world, including non-living objects, has the capability of transforming an area to a comfortable base for kevits and deasts.

It's not only the atmosphere that the phenomenon affects but also what's inside it. Objects, where the magical transformation occurs, tend to become a magic item or valuable asset to the magic world.

But on rare occasions, dungeons are placed, not transformed. Imagine a mansion suddenly appearing beside your house with an ominous atmosphere. In it are mysterious loots and treasures, some may not have yet been discovered, and some may have already been. That includes enchanted books of ancient records that are long lost. Of course, guarded by kevits and sometimes deasts.

Of course, it is natural for most civilians here in Weassorthurd Side District to not know the existence of dungeons since adventurers don't tend to venture around these lands. But that's because I heard there aren't any dungeons around here.

Many civilians of Weassorthurd Side District who heard its origins share them with other people as folklore and tales. But its existence is beyond the truth. It's a revelation." Eugene explained.

It piqued Lawrence's interest and waited for the continuation. Chas ate his fruit while listening to the basic information Eugene was sharing.

"I've been into one before. It serves as a hive for kevits. Sometimes used as a laboratory of devils to create new-race kevits like the Bugbear we saw three months ago. But it is more mysterious than that.

If Villages are used by humans, Dungeons are used by kevits.

Dungeons can be in any form. Catacombs, Temples, Ruins, Labyrinths, Sewers, Vaults, Gaols, Lost Cities, Deep Caverns, Tower Dungeons, Sky Islands, and many more. The only thing is, all these places are abandoned and have been taken over by devils or kevits. And these places have treasures hidden and protected by monsters and beasts."

Lawrence stooped to think, but all the thoughts only wanted him to find out for himself. It piqued certainly his interest as his eyes glimmered.

"Does that mean dungeons are more difficult to subjugate...?"

Chas chuckled, "That's so like you, Elijah. You must've been bored slaughtering weak kevits despite their number."

"What's not to be bored? Even if there are millions of them, their patterns would still not differ! The tropbloid kevitians, Ogres, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs, Kobold, and Trolls are even more challenging than most of the kevits in Xuspos." Eugene scoffed at Chas.

"Yes, Elijah. Dungeons, I may fear, are more challenging and riskier than any battles we've encountered." Chas ignored Eugene's remark and explained it to Lawrence.

"That's why Adventurers are well acknowledged." the chivalry knight leader added.

"Had you encountered one before?" Lawrence asked.

"My brother, sir Elijah. He is one. Or used to be. He passed long ago when he challenged a mighty dungeon fortress." the chivalry knight leader, Eckart, said.

"I give my condolence, sir Eckart." Chas and Eugene and the rest stated.

"Thank you," Eckart replied. "May he rest in peace."

"That marks our talk. We must sleep for our early departure." Chas stood announcing to everyone.

As they switch shifts with guarding their tents, the sun on the east started rising. And the singing of the birds alarmed everyone.

But as the sun rises, the dark and eerie clouds shrouded the sky. Rain poured down, wetting every single leaf and branch of the endless forest. A dark, reddish phenomenon felt far behind the group. An intense presence, rough and dark.

The birds they thought were singing were actually screaming. The clouds advanced nearer in their area, darker than before, lightning striking the earth, thunder roaring across the lands and forests.

"Emperor Daemon." As fast as lightning, quicker than instinct, Lawrence rose from his bed. He screamed in agony as the memories of his past life struck his spirit.

The eerie sensation in the distance felt awfully familiar... for Lawrence. No. Not Lawrence, but Julius Bedwyr FitzChivalry.

Hurry, escape, run. Leave before "it" reaches you. A calamity, a monster, a devil. Leave, abandon, rush. Before "it" approaches. A disaster, an abnormity, an abomination.

"AAAAHH!" Lawrence groaned. He crushed his chest with his palm and forced himself out of the horror of his memories. Moving desperately out of his tent and seeing the hell outside of it.

The men stood and stared at the sky, some shocked and some trembling.

"STOP STANDING THERE! RUN! WE MUST RUN!" he screamed, taking his sheathed sword and backpack, the history, and a few books. He ran.

The horses were on rampage, neighing and rising, trying to free themselves of their leads, desperate to escape. They were on a condition hopeless to ride and use. But Lawrence didn't hesitate running with or without using the horse. All he could think of was run. Run. And Run.