Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 95 - The Burning Dungeon, Part 1

"Van...!?" Ami shouted, her voice trembling with concern as she noticed his frantic gaze fixed on the invisible status window only he could see.

'Is something seriously wrong with him?' Sylva thought, narrowing her eyes at his sudden intensity.

"Worry yourself not, My Lady," Vaelthir interjected, his frown deepening as he observed Van's behavior. "The way he's drawn attention to himself before, this must be another one of those moments."

"'Sss-ta-tus Wee-n-doh?' What's that supposed to mean?" one of the warriors asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"VAN!" Unicus barked, silencing the murmurs. His voice carried an edge of authority. "What's going on!?"

"Grrg...!" Van growled through gritted teeth, his frustration boiling over. Without a word, he stomped toward the cavern exit, gripping Ami's arm and pulling her along.

"V-Van—ahh!" she gasped in pain, stumbling as his forceful tug nearly made her fall.

'No time to overthink it. We just need to get the hell out of here. A dungeon and a godly seal? Like Magus had? But this one works on me?! This isn't Magus—this is something else entirely! That fire... it was trying to warn me. I messed up!' Van's thoughts raced as he pushed forward, the sunlight from the cavern's mouth beckoning him. 'I won't be able to protect her if I'm weakened...!'

"HEY, YOU BASTARD! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO HER!?" one of the warriors shouted, anger flashing across their faces as they moved toward Van, clearly disturbed by his rough handling of Ami.

"Van, what's going on?!" Ami asked, her voice strained as she leaned into his grip, trying to match his pace.

"We need to run, Ami," Van said, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get out of here. Now."

"T-THEN STOP YANKING ME! IT HURTS!" Ami shouted, violently pulling herself free from his grip. Her voice trembled with both pain and anger. "What, you thought I wouldn't listen to you or something!?" she growled, confusion and frustration flaring as she glared at Van.

Van froze, her words hitting him just as they reached the exit. A 'yes' lingered unspoken in his throat, but he shook it off.

"Then come. Now. We'll... we'll fight about it later," he said, his tone clipped with urgency.

"... Fine!" she snapped, her frustration evident as she stormed toward him. Without wasting another second, he resumed his hurried march.

'We're out...!' Van thought as the sunlight ahead promised freedom.

And then, a silent—thud.

He collided with an invisible wall.

'What...!?'

[YOU ARE UNABLE TO LEAVE THE DUNGEON. THE DUNGEON'S OWNER FORBIDS YOU FROM LEAVING.]

'Shit... shit...! Then at least Ami—!'

Spinning around, Van shouted, "AMI! Try to leave this place now—"

But in his frantic state, he failed to notice Vaelthir step forward, placing a firm hand on Ami's shoulder to stop her from advancing.

"This stops here," Vaelthir said coolly, his towering frame and calm demeanor in stark contrast to Van's frenzy. He stood resolute, blocking Ami with an unyielding presence.

"All of us have been very lenient and patient with your erratic behavior," Vaelthir continued, his voice edged with authority. "But this... this ends now. Leave by yourself."

Van's eyes locked onto Vaelthir, whose gaze radiated contempt. From his height, the elf seemed to look down at him like he was trash—disposable, insignificant. The subtle grimace in Vaelthir's eyes made Van's blood boil.