42nd Looper [Isekai / Time Loop / LitRPG]

Patrick grabbed Penelope's arm.

"Get me down there!" The balding man growled, his grip tightening around her arm.

For a moment, Penelope considered <Blinking> away from him, but she could see the desperation and fear on his face. This wasn't a man who was trying to take charge and establish himself as the point of contact for the surface dwellers. This was a man who saw a threat to his people and wanted to be the first line of defense to give the others time to organize a counterattack.

"They came from the surface." Penelope looked over at Frederica. "Shouldn't we see if we can talk to them?'

"We don't know if they can even speak our language." Frederica took out her blades. "We need to be ready to fight." She nodded at the other woman. "Circe and I can go down there with Pen. The three of us can slow those things down a lot better than your lame butt will."

"Don't you dare leave me up here!" Patrick tried to stand up, but his legs buckled, sending him tumbling onto the floor.

"See?" Frederica knelt down next to him. "Stay here. If things go sideways, everyone is going to need one of us around to hold things together." She looked up at Penelope and held out her hand. "Take us down there."

Penelope took a deep breath. Jeru? Should I leave them here and go it alone?

"You go down there by yourself and broker peace and people are going to think something is up." Jeru shook his head. "Especially after people learn that everyone on the surface has already been arrested."

So what do I do? Penelope hesitated as she took the outstretched hand.

"DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!" Patrick fumed.

Circe grabbed Penelope's free hand. "Let's go!"

"Go, just don't attack them. You need to talk to Cirdor Pengal. If you can get him alone, I can convince him to trust you." Jeru sighed. "It's getting him alone so that you can talk to him in private that's going to be the hard part."

Great. Penelope threw a volley of <Light Balls> out the window, then chained another set at the maximum range. Once she'd moved them as far away as she could, she <Blinked> the whole group down to the ground. Two more <Blinks> took the trio within range of the non-humans.

"MAGE!" One of the armored Centaurs screamed. The horsemen pulled back their bows as they aimed at the women.

And how am I supposed to not attack them? Penelope huffed as she pulled the <Light Balls> back towards the trio and flattened them out into a barrier to deflect the arrows.

Vines trailed after the arrows. Instead of pointed arrowheads, the tips of the projectiles had what looked like curved fingers. Each arrow bounced off the barriers that Penelope had erected.

The Centaurs dropped the vines they were holding and pulled swords off their hips.

"They want to see arrows…" Circe pulled back her bow.

"WAIT!" Penelope screamed. She turned her attention to the orange Elf in the lead. "We don't need to fight!"

An orange pulse erupted out of the Elf's gloved hand. The magic died before it had a chance to reach them as Penelope countered it.

If he's from the same place as you, why is he wearing a gray robe instead of a purple one like you've got on? Penelope moved in front of Circe to keep her friend from shooting at the other side.

"Because this robe designates me as one of the Elders." Jeru puffed out his chest. "Not even the masters were allowed to wear purple robes." He gestured at the other Elf. "Cirdor is just an instructor."

The orange Elf held up his hand as his yellow eyes narrowed. "You're Human."

"We are." Penelope kept her hands stretched out. One towards the Elf and the other at Circe. "We just want to talk."

Cirdor looked around. "Where is the Elder?" His yellow eyes studied each of the women. "Who do you serve?"

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"We don't—"

"Jeru Bannem." Penelope cut Frederica off. She looked at the older woman. "That's what he said his name was before he vanished." She turned back to the Elf. "He said his name was Jeru Bannem."

Cirdor's eyes narrowed. "Master Jeru doesn't have the power to do something like this." He gestured at the Dungeon floor. "It would take a full Elder to create something—"

"He didn't make this." Penelope cut the Elf off. "He sealed it with a system and it killed him." She took a deep breath. "This is a demonic incursion."

The Elf eyed her. She tried to hold his gaze, but that only lasted for a moment before she had to look away. She focused on his cheek, but the flinch in his lip told her that he'd noticed the shift in her gaze.

"If that is true, then we need to verify its validity, which I can't do with armed combatants watching me." The orange Elf looked at each of the three of them. "Surrender your weapons so we can do a thorough investigation—"

"You don't have time to 'investigate'!" Circe pointed at the timer over the door. "We've got less than seventy-five days to go down to the next floor and clear it or else the Demons are going to get out and come up here!"

"I'm aware of what a timed-release barrier is." Cirdor snapped. "And I assure you, we have the means to defend against the Demons without going down—"

"Duel me." Penelope swallowed as the words jumped out of her mouth.

"Seriously? You think everything through fifteen times, but that's what you let blurt out of your mouth?"

"What?" Cirdor snorted, then shook his head. "No. Dueling you would be like fighting a child. Such a thing is irresponsible."

"Then it should be an easy win." Penelope cleared her throat. "But I cancelled your spell earlier, so you know I'm not going to be as easy to beat as a child."

"My lady." The orange Elf sighed. "Humans haven't been able to use magic in two millennia. For you to assume that a simple trick would be able to work a second time—"

"Then it'll be over fast." Penelope motioned at her friends. "I'm the strongest person we have. If you can't beat me, then it proves that you are not, in fact, ready for what's on the other side of that portal."

"And when I win?" Cirdor's eyes narrowed.

"We'll surrender." Penelope ignored Circe's gasp from behind her. She smirked as she motioned at the Centaur and lizardman. "Or are you afraid of losing in front of your friends?"

"One does not fear that which cannot happen." He shook his head. "I hoped to spare you the humiliation, but it appears that I must teach you the folly of youth directly." He gestured for his friends to back up. "This will be over quickly."

"Pen…" Frederica muttered under her breath. "What are you doing?"

"I've got this." Penelope forced a smile. Right, Jeru?

"Oh, now you want my help?" The blue Elf huffed. "Cirdor can animate magical constructs, so all you have to do is make sure he doesn't get a pair of cuffs on you, then you can just keep countering whatever he tries to cast." He pointed at the remaining barriers around her. "You don't want to kill him, so don't just blast him with <Knives Out>, but if you power down <Light Bolt>, you should be able to shatter his defenses, just…" Jeru looked over at the other Elf. "He's got a higher mana pool than you. A lot of the locals have trained all of their lives, so while the system assigned them levels based on their capabilities, they almost all have higher averages than any Human of an equivalent level."

So I need to win fast, but not so fast that I hurt him too bad? Penelope groaned. I guess if I kill him, I just reset?

"That was your takeaway?" Jeru shook his head. "All of the times I've tried to get you to reset and now you're planning on abusing it?"

I've reset multiple times before. Penelope dispelled her barriers. "I'm ready when you are."

"Last chance to surrender peacefully." Cirdor pointed the sword in his hand at her.

Is he going to say 'go', or just attack? Penelope touched the wand on her belt.

"Grandal will say 'begin'." Jeru sighed. "The Centaur."

Thanks. Penelope nodded. "I'm ready."

"Then it can't be helped." Cirdor tilted his head. "Grandal?"

The armored Centaur snorted as his front hooves stomped on the ground. "You may begin."

Penelope used <Counterspell> on the spell Cirdor began building mana for. She chained <Light Torrent> three times, spreading the <Light Balls> in a circle around the Elf as she continued to cancel each buildup of mana.

Panic etched his face as he realized that he wasn't going to get a spell off before she blasted him.

Twelve Tier Zero <Light Bolts> fired from the ring at once.

A barrier, just an inch from the orange Elf's body, cracked at each place where the spell struck. Spiderwebs of cracks splintered in every direction, but the barrier held. Relief washed over his face until the second round lashed out.

The barrier shattered like glass.

"AH!" Cirdor screamed in pain as he doubled over. His sword fell to the ground as he dropped to his hands and knees.

"Ask him if he acknowledges your power."

"Do you acknowledge my power?" Penelope readied a third round in case she needed it.

"That's not… possible." Cirdor wheezed. "No Human should have that much power."

"It's the system." Penelope cleared her throat and pointed at the portal. "The Demons on the other side of that portal are stronger than me, so if you think that you'll be able to handle them without us—"

"I get it!" Cirdor coughed as he waved at the Centaur. "I can acknowledge her power." He looked up at her. "I think we need to talk."