When Soruu and Lei came out of the ruin, a delicious aroma of freshly cooked food wafts into their nose. The other crew of the expedition is almost finished with their cooking.

  Two ladies are cooking in the open kitchen in the clearing between the trees tonight. One of them is frying chicken wing, the other is making soup. the lively sound they make make Soruu and Lei even hungrier. Lei immediately rush to the open kitchen, she cannot hold her hunger any longer.

  Lei: Your soup smells good as ever, Mai.

  Mai is one of the ladies in charge with food while they are exploring this ruin. Together with Wei, they make sure the team have enough to eat.

  Soruu: I prefer these chicken wings myself, they look delicious.

  Wei: I’m glad you like it, they’re ready now so grab your plate.

  The wolfman does so, and the same with Lei. The two of them take a seat with Mai and Wei, and they’re eating dinner together. Soruu put away his whip because it’s rude to hold a weapon while eating. The locket on his chest reflects the light from the torch as he eats.

  Soruu: Aren’t we forgetting someone? I thought there’s another guy here before I entered the ruin.

  Wei: You mean Yun? He went for a walk a few minutes ago, thinking there’s another part of the ruin that’s covered by trees there.

  Soruu: Really? Shouldn’t we wait for him? I feel bad leaving him unguarded while I’m on duty.

  Wei: Don’t worry, you already cleared this area from monsters, right? He’ll come back when he’s done.

  The four of them continue eating, but a few minutes later, they heard a shout from the forest behind them.

  AAAAAAAH

  That is a man’s voice, someone they know so well.

  Mai: Wasn’t that Yun’s voice? What happened?

  Soruu: I’ll take a look.

  The wolfman quickly grabs his whip and ready to investigate, but before he could do so, Yun is already running back to the camp, blood is running down his left arm.

  Soruu: What’s happening? There shouldn’t be any monsters around!

  Yun: It’s a woman! A blonde woman attacked me.

  Soruu: What did you say?

  Mai immediately bring the first aid kit and treats Yun’s arm, while he’s receiving treatment, Yun continues explaining.

  Yun: A blonde mage suddenly came and forced me to tell her where the dragon ruin is. I refused to tell her, and she’s angry because of it, and then she attacked me.

  Soruu: A blonde mage? Don’t tell me that’s a mage from the neighboring Queendom?

  ???: So this is where the dragon ruin huh? I knew making you go back to your friends will lead me to it.

  An unfamiliar voice breaks the silence. Soruu and the others instinctively look at that direction. There is a woman with a long blonde ponytail hair standing at the forest opening, she wears a green-brown mage dress with a short skirt and a long cape. She also wears a small brooch at the middle of her chest, her right hand holds an earthen colored magical staff.

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  Soruu: You’re a mage from Brirene? Who are you and what are you doing here?

  Pustinia: My name is Pustinia, and I’m here to take the dragon’s skull.

  Lei: The dragon’s skull is part of our legend, what do you want with it?

  Pustinia: I don’t need to answer you. Do you have the skull now or do I have to excavate it from the ruin?

  Soruu: If you’re curious, my whip will answer you!

  Pustinia: Foolish beast-man, you think you can win against me?

  Pustinia creates a rock boulder and shoot it at Soruu, the beast-man ducks to avoid it.

  Soruu cracks his whip at Pustinia, the mage just creates a barrier to block that attack.

  Pustinia looks like she’s casting a spell, but nothing seems to be happening.

  Soruu rushes in, tries to close the distance before throwing a heavier attack. But, all of a sudden a sharp spike grows from the ground he steps on and it almost stab him in the stomach, luckily he avoided at the last second so it only graced him.

  Soruu: You can create a trap huh?

  Pustinia: Why are you so surprised? First time fighting a trapper like me?

  Soruu doesn’t answer that question, instead he jumps high and then attacks with a strong whip attack.

  Pustinia casts a spell that makes her sink into the ground as if she dive into water, the hole she created is immediately closed by the magic, and then she reappears a few meters opposite of Soruu.

  Annoyed, Soruu quickly close the distance and throws his whip like a rope and it successfully tied to Pustinia’s body. Using his magic, Soruu channels fire magic energy through his whip and hurting Pustinia.

  After releasing herself from his whip, Pustinia shoots a rock boulder to Soruu, which the wolf-man dodges easily.

  Soruu makes a high jump, thinking the air is safe because Pustinia could only make a trap on the ground. But, to his surprise, Pustinia creates a floating boulder with a magic seal on it. Once Soruu gets near the boulder it explodes in a 4-directional stalactite, wounding him and he fall to the ground.

  When Soruu gets back on his feet he is about to crack his whip again but Pustinia beats him to the punch with a boulder shot, the attack hits Soruu directly and he’s pushed back.

  Feeling cornered, Soruu creates a big ball of fire that floats in the air, this ball slowly flies toward Pustinia.

  Knowing the danger of this spell, Pustinia tries to block it by creating a floating boulder in its path, but the fireball doesn’t seem to be hurt as the boulder explodes in an aerial stalactite.

  Soruu crouches and cracks his whip low to the ground, it hits Pustinia’s leg and she knows he’s trying to attack her from above and below at the same time.

  Soruu is about to attack one more time, but this time Pustinia slams the bottom of her staff to the ground as she casts a more powerful spell. She creates a wave of stalagmite from her staff to Soruu, unable to dodge this, Soruu is blown back as several stalagmites hit him and he rolls on the ground until he stops at the base of a tree, unconscious.

  Pustinia: You’re a tough opponent, Beast-man. However, you’re still no match for me.

  Pustinia then walks slowly to the ruin’s entrance. Mai, Wei, and Yun are frozen in fear, terrified of what Pustinia has done to their guard. They can only watch as the earth mage pass by them, but one girl is different. Lei jumps in front of Pustinia and the ruin, blocking her path.

  Lei: I will not let you steal our dragon’s skull! You’ll have to go through me.

  Pustinia: I hope you have some skill to back your words, or else I’m gonna throw you to the ground.

  Lei jumps forward and throws a strong right punch, Pustinia blocks it before the attack before it lands on her.

  Pustinia strikes back with a fast left kick followed by a strong right kick, both lands on Lei and push her back.

  Seeing that she has the opportunity, Pustinia casts a spell that places a trap on the ground.

  Lei dashes forward really fast, faster than the earth trap’s activation, so the stalagmite attacks empty air as she rushes past it. Lei attacks Pustinia with an open palm punch that lands on her chest.

  Pustinia retaliates with a beautiful three kicks combo, and she shoots a boulder at Lei for the last attack.

  When Pustinia closes up for a follow-up attack, Lei jumps and kicks so strongly at Pustinia’s jaw.

  Pustinia takes a few steps back and then readies a trap boulder in the air.

  Once again Lei dashes as fast as wind, but she disappears in front of Pustinia, only to reappear behind her and strike her from behind.

  Pustinia does a strong somersault kick that lands cleanly on Lei, launching her up in the sky before she landed on the ground.

  Lei is too late in waking up so Pustinia takes this chance to close the distance to attack again, but as soon as she wakes up Lei unleashes a barrage of fast kicks, three kicks from the right leg and continue with four kicks with her left leg. Pustinia is pushed back and rolling on the ground.

  When she wakes up with her last bit of stamina, she sees Lei rushing forward toward her. And once again Pustinia slams the bottom of her staff to the ground, casting a stalagmite wave that Lei cannot evade. She got launched by the strong magic attack and land on the ground, unconscious.

  Pustinia: Crap, how can a researcher be that strong? I have to be more serious from the start next time.

  Pustinia breathes heavily, and she has bruises all over her body.

  Pustinia: No matter, now that they don’t stand in my way anymore, I can just grab the skull now.

  A few hours later, Lei and Soruu wakes up at the camp in the middle of the night, bandages cover the wounds in their body. Mai seems surprised when she notices them awake.

  Mai: I’m glad you’re awake, Lei. Don’t move too much, we’re still treating your wound.

  Lei: Was that woman… really from Brirene?

  Soruu: The brooch on her chest, an eye above a crescent moon, is the insignia of The Crescent Veil. They’re Brirene’s special reconnaissance squad. Why do they want the dragon skull?

  Lei: I don’t know, but if she’s after one of them she might also be looking for the other skulls. I’m not going to let her steal them all.

  Soruu: Do you know the other ruins location?

  Lei: Not yet, but we have leads, and I can go after her by following it.

  Soruu: I’m coming along then, you hired me to be your guard and it feels like letting her go will make me unprofessional.

  Mai: That’s for tomorrow, for now you two need to get some rest.