Raised in Dungeon



Theda was so tired from organizing the vegetable sales that she didn't sleep. Feeling tired and stuffy, she opened her office window, intending to get some fresh air before falling asleep.

Then from a distance, she suddenly saw a light that grew bigger and bigger. Looking more clearly, she realized it was white fire, not light.

"That is... eternal holy fire!" Theda knew about that fire. The fire, which had been reported to appear frequently in attacks on cities over the past decade, also featured prominently in one of the holy book verses. It was the eternal holy fire, often used as a symbol for Satan in cold times. An embodiment of both hope and destruction, this flame was thought to consume everything in its path, branding every follower of Satan with its mark. Hope for Satan's followers and destruction for those who didn't follow him. But in the end, every one of his followers was devoured by his soul.

"Oh no! I must run!" said Theda.

She picked up her clothes and her dead son, Waldo's sword that was stuck on the wall.

"Waldo, please forgive Mother for abandoning the people, but please protect me," Theda said. Theda didn't understand the order of the soldiers and all things related to the war, so she had to hide at least until it was over.

'What Rodion predicted was right; there was an attack on the city! But I didn't expect the attack to be carried out by Daemon Servus' the enemy of the church as well as the enemy of the entire world, who worships Satan.

Theda opened her front door, about to summon her soldiers, but no one was there.

"What the hell! Did they leave me alone and go to sleep? You useless soldiers!"

She shouted that while feeling terrified. She had a bad feeling, and the atmosphere around her was strange.

Once she descended down the wooden staircase, Theda could hear murmurs of commotion coming from the front room.

"Lady! You're apparently still awake!" called Branwhait, along with 40 other soldiers who looked terrified.

"Branwhait! Can you organize the soldiers?!"

"Whether we can or not is irrelevant! We must protect the city as much as possible! Lord Barkaley has entrusted me to guard this place, and I will guard you if anything happens.

Lady Theda, run away from here! We're all buying time."

Theda immediately felt ashamed of herself. She thought she had to run away because it was in her nature as a noblewoman and wife.

If she ran away, then Barkaley still had hope; she would rebuild the city together with her husband.

But a city without people—what good is it? When she discovered that the Servus Daemons were attacking them, Theda became frightened and did not think about it.

"No! I will not retreat. I will also guard the territory that my husband has inherited."

'Even though we've found a dungeon in our territory and improved the city's economy a bit better than other territories, there's no way everything will just be destroyed!'

Lady Theda thought back to what Rodion had told her, and she realized that this Daemon Servus' attack was probably forced.

"If it was Servus who starved the city and forced us into a weakened state, meaning they didn't have enough troops to attack the city, we still have hope."

Theda hugged Waldo's sword tightly; then she murmured, "Waldo, please protect us."

She withdrew her sword and shouted to her soldiers, "We have nothing to fear, they are cruel, but the Servus are just ordinary people controlled by Satan. According to my information, they planned yesterday's famine because they wanted to weaken our army.

Our army is beyond their reach since we miraculously overcame the famine."

The soldiers looked at Theda with admiration; the woman who used to be weak and only used her noble status to look down on others now looked brave.

"Is the warrior captain here?"

"Yes, I am."

"Lead the troops; I don't understand things about war."

"Yes, My Lady."

-SREEET

Slowly, the front door creaked open with a haunting sound.

Three figures, draped in flowing red ropes. Their heads bowed as they chanted an unfamiliar language. The hair on her arms stood up as she watched them, and everyone inside that room is sure to feel the same.

The silence was broken by the voice of the person standing in the center of the trio, "You are Lady Theda Helme Barkaley, are you?" asked the suspicious person. As she looked at the robe, fear took hold of her. Theda knows who they are, shuddering at the realization.

'The symbol of the goat eaten by the snake! They are Daemon Servus!'

"Everyone! Attack them-"

-SLASH

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, shattering the silence. Theda spun around in horror to see that one of the figures she had known so much, Branwhait, had lowered their hood, revealing a face twisted in agony as his had split in two and fell to the ground with an eerie thud.

"ATTACK THEM!" Theda scream.

...

When Allen and Susan arrived at the Tavern, Allen knocked on the secret underground door four times. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit underground hideout.

"Master!"

"Hurry up and leave or they'll find out about this place!"

"Okay!"

Allen ushered Susan inside, ensuring she was safe before leaving for Peter's place.

As soon as he stepped outside, the chaotic scene hit him. Screams echoed through the streets as people ran towards the estate. Allen hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. When he looked right to the front gate, he saw a massive white flame burning in the distance. A surreal sight; it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

And then the flying blood clot appeared. It seemed to be sucking all the blood around it, creating a terrifying vortex of violence. Allen couldn't explain what was happening, but he knew that he had to get to Peter's place soon if he wanted to save them from this surreal thing.

"What the hell, what the hell is going on?!"