Dragged into Another World's Apocalypse - A LitRPG Story

Cassis had a surprisingly comfortable chat with Faith during the flight before she wandered off to a two-seater row and immediately fell asleep. The woman always seemed eager to please, always smiling, always agreeable, but when she talked about levelling with Arianna, the shine in her eyes had sharpened into something focused, disciplined. No pretence, just drive.

The dungeons she described were interesting, too. A tropical beach resort dungeon? Cassis mentally bookmarked that. Maybe after the E-rank dungeon, they could steal a weekend and go.
He exhaled. Or not.

The mana in the atmosphere was getting noticeably thicker. Arianna probably hadn't felt it because she was used to being able to easily draw in mana, even in this low-density environment. But he had noticed.

He'd had problems before because the mana didn't respond well. There was just too little of it to quickly draw in, at least for him. But just now, when he was meditating during the flight, he'd been able to smoothly draw in mana.

Thought the effect was great. This situation wasn't good. The world's mana production was accelerating again. Of course it was. Dungeon breaks, E-rank beasts, awakeners growing stronger by the day, all of that raised the mana density.

Cassis feared they were inching toward the second wave. At this rate, the threshold would be crossed soon.

At least his father had finished the inner wall around their neighbourhood back home. Janice was helping him now with the outer one, which would encompass the whole town of Hallowford.

Thomas wanted to help too, but wind affinity wasn't great for construction. Thankfully, Mrs. Yukimura, Akemi as she had told him to call her, had chosen mage, and she had earth affinity as well. As they'd taken off, she was still trying to get the Earthen Mage class option.

Walls wouldn't solve everything, though. Second-wave monsters could appear anywhere. But every layer of defence mattered. The walls would block dungeon break creatures, and once the second wave hit, they could clear the area inside the walls and transform it into a safe zone. Only D-rank monsters could hop them and there wouldn't be many at first. They would manage.

His community was growing stronger every day. Luke and Nadine had already reached E-rank and formed a guild recognised for the Awakener Bureau. Soon, Cassis and Arianna would form theirs, too. They could then become allied guilds. That would certainly help with the second wave.

The plane finally began to descend. Arianna looked up from her book, eyes unfocused with concentration and exhaustion. She had been buried in anatomy diagrams the whole trip.

"Any new ideas?" Cassis asked.

She deflated. "Not really. It's good to understand the body better, but I still don't know how to use that to heal Samuel. When I tried again before boarding, the spell just said there was nothing to heal. Same with your father. But I know there is. So how do I make the spell see it? They weren't even disappointed, just thanking me for trying and not giving up."

She sounded frustrated. Tired, too.
Cassis wasn't a spell expert; his old life had been all about skills. But he still tried. "Did you ask in the patron chat? Or the forum? Maybe they can share some insights."

Her eyes widened, delighted. "That's a great idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

He smirked. "Because you're too used to handle your problems alone."

Before she could say anything to that, a soldier approached.
"Ms. Sloane, we're landing. Could you dissolve your barrier?"

Arianna nodded. "Of course."
It vanished instantly, clean and silent, like it had never been there.

The soldier stared, curious. "If I may ask… what rank is your water barrier?"

"Master rank," Arianna replied casually.

The man blinked. "…I'm sorry?"

"Master rank," she repeated, as if discussing the weather.

He stood frozen for a full two seconds.

Cassis bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Arianna, of course, looked puzzled at the reaction.

She truly didn't grasp how insane that was. An F-rank healer with a master-rank barrier spell? In the previous timeline, the earliest Cassis ever heard of that, was when a prodigy reached C-rank. Most only reached master at B or A-rank. If at all.

No wonder military clerics couldn't compare.

"Thank you… for sharing that," the soldier finally managed, backing away stiff-spined and clearly eager to tell every superior officer alive.

Cassis watched him go. That wasn't necessarily bad, They wouldn't be able to hold back in the dungeon anyway. Their abilities would be obvious, logged, reported.

Unless everyone else died.

Cassis sighed. It wouldn't be the worst idea.
Then he looked at Arianna.

…Maybe it was the worst idea. She'd never agree. He still couldn't get her on board with his plans for Bryce, and he wasn't making any progress…

Finally, they had arrived.

The drive from the landing zone to the gate had been miserable, bad roads, a rattling military jeep, and way too many potholes. But at last they stood before the final military checkpoint leading to the E-rank gate.

When Cassis stepped out, reporters immediately swarmed, cameras flashing. The moment Arianna exited beside him, the frenzy exploded. Microphones shoved forward, voices shouting for statements. Soldiers struggled to hold the crowd back.

Wanting to escape fast, Cassis grabbed Arianna's hand and led her toward the post. Arianna squeezed his fingers and followed, smiling and waving at the reporters as they went. Once the doors closed behind them, blissful silence returned.

Inside stood several high-ranking officers, Bryce among them.

"Uncle Dan!" Faith chirped brightly behind them. Then she blinked, caught herself, and added more stiffly, "Father."

Cassis' gaze locked on the man she called Father. Mid-forties, same age as Bryce. Fit, but with the unmistakable posture of someone who'd been behind a desk for at least a decade.

Faith turned back, more reserved than he'd ever seen her. "Arianna, Cassis, this is my father, General Keith Morgan."

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Of course, he was a general. He'd gotten his daughter onto this team. He had to be high-ranking. What Cassis didn't understand was why a father would send his daughter into such danger.

Keith offered his hand. Cassis shook it. The man smiled like a politician, polished, practised, fake. Cassis disliked him instantly.

Then Keith shook Arianna's hand, and Cassis nearly killed him on the spot. The way the man looked at her—

No. He would not let that bastard near her.

Before he could speak, Arianna stammered, "Nice to meet you." Her voice wobbled slightly, and she squeezed Cassis's hand again.

"Faith!" a young girl's voice called.

Cassis didn't look away from Keith. Because he didn't, he saw the man's mask slip. For a single moment, pure disgust twisted Keith's features before he smoothed it away.

A girl around twelve raced up to hug Faith.

"Shari," Faith breathed, hugging her back.

Keith stepped away, politician-smile restored. "Shari, I told you to stay quiet. Now you'll have to leave."

"But Father—"

"No buts."

Cassis expected her to argue more, but Faith stepped in gently. "Come, Shari. We can talk more when I return."

The girl nodded and was escorted out by a soldier.

"My apologies for the interruption," Keith said, eyes drifting back to Arianna. Cassis' jaw clenched. The bastard wanted her, though Cassis couldn't tell if it was as a woman or a soldier. Maybe both.

"Now," Keith continued smoothly, "let me introduce the team. Everyone else is already here. This way."

They walked deeper into the post toward the gate. Cassis could feel it now, the mana pressure, the hum in the air.

Ahead stood their team.

"Cassis, Arianna, Faith," Keith announced, "these will be your teammates: Dan Bryce, warrior, Gerald Keens, warrior, Tracy Mortimer, mage, Zara Engels, ranger, Ubau Gtori, mage, Ines Preston, warrior, Walter Lopez, warrior. Team, these are the civilians joining you: Cassis Walker, warrior, Arianna Sloane, cleric, Faith Morgan, ranger. You have one hour to get familiar with each other before entering."

He left them.

These soldiers were strong. The best their military had, all at E-rank. Cassis could feel their strength, the mana the were emitting. And yet… they still didn't feel threatening.

He was stronger. Even at F-rank. He could kill them, if he needed to.

Dan Bryce cleared his throat. "As the highest-ranking officer, I'll lead this mission. Any objections?"

Cassis gave a curt nod. He had expected that.

One of the men, Cassis forgot his name already, grinned. "Saw your fights. If you fight like that, and you heal like that, maybe we'll come out alive."

The woman next to him elbowed him hard.

"Ow! What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Just because."

Bryce cut them off. "We'll start by going over combat roles. Things may change once inside, but we need a plan."

Cassis nodded and Bryce continued. "Classic formation. Three warriors front, two flanking. Rangers rear. Mages and cleric in the centre."

Arianna raised her hand. "I can fight too. If the frontline struggles, can I join them?"

Bryce frowned. "That's highly unusual for a healer." He exchanged glances with the others. "For now, please focus on healing. You're our only cleric. We brought only you ass a healer because you're exceptional. Instead of a second one we'll take one more mage with us."

Arianna sighed. "Understood."

Bryce smiled. Cassis narrowed his eyes. Bryce saw, and smiled wider.

Then the man straightened. "The goal is simple: kill the boss, don't die. Now, for that…"

Vertigo hit Cassis like a train.

His knees buckled, and he braced himself with both hands, fighting the urge to throw up. Was this because he wasn't used to entering a dungeon while being under levelled anymore? The mana in the air felt thick.

This feeling dragged him right back to the other timeline, to all the dungeons he'd entered way too early. F-rank dungeons had become a luxury lately, too easy. Now, real combat again.

Beside him, Arianna swayed, caught her balance, then inhaled deeply.

"Wow."

He had no idea what she meant by wow, but clearly, the mana density didn't bother her. She almost looked like she enjoyed it. Meanwhile, he was trying not to fall on his face. At least the vertigo faded quickly.

When he finally lifted his head, he saw most of the warriors and rangers had reacted like he did, staggering, pale, recovering, while the mages and Arianna looked around in wonder. His awareness told him no enemies were close. Good.

They stood in a meadow. Blue grass rippled around them, flowers in red, yellow, green, purple, and white scattered like jewels. Far mountains encircled them, steep, jagged peaks forming a valley. Above, an azure sky and pink clouds, like spun candy.

It tugged at his memory. Familiar. But he couldn't place it. In his later years, dungeons blurred together. Maybe he'd been here. Maybe not. He'd only really remembered the Rikler Mountains because he'd hit them at D-rank, before he'd gone insane. After Arianna vanished, he'd stopped seeing dungeons, only monsters and killing had mattered.

A system notification flashed.

[Welcome to The Nest.
Objectives:

Kill the Hoarder.

Find the treasure hidden in the mountain.

Gather three Butterfly Flowers.]

The Hoarder. That name definitely rang a bell. But the memories were slippery.

Bryce gathered everyone. "No idea what the Hoarder is, but if the treasure's in the mountains, odds are it is too."

No one disagreed. They moved out.

Five minutes in, Cassis felt something approaching. Everyone tensed. Good instincts. Before they could raise shields fully, one warrior took a hit and dropped. Arianna healed him instantly, and he got up again like nothing had happened.

Cassis barely deflected the projectile, a rock.

Damn monkeys. Rock-throwing little—
Right. Monkeys. Useful memory.

Bryce ordered over the party chat. "Warriors dodge or parry. Mages and rangers attack."

The warriors danced awkwardly, deflecting stones, while spells and arrows flew. Arianna healed instantly whenever someone took a hit. Cassis could feel her itching to fight, shield, do anything, but eventually a grey monkey fell from a tree, and the system confirmed the kill.

"That wasn't too bad," one warrior commented, relieved.

They continued. More monkeys attacked, half Cassis' size, strong, and annoyingly accurate. Their grey bodies blended into the blue leaves easily. Each encounter went smoother as the team adjusted.

Then two monkeys attacked at once. The soldiers, now confident, dodged casually—

And every instinct in Cassis' body screamed.

"Jump!" he shouted in party chat.

They obeyed instantly.

A heartbeat later, pink lightning obliterated the spots they'd just stood on.

"What?! Pink? Is it the clouds? How do we fight a cloud?!" a ranger yelped, while continuing to dodge the rocks.

Not a cloud. Cassis remembered now.

Thunderbird.

More rocks followed and Cassis felt the lightning strike again. Bryce must have, too. "Arianna! Water barrier!"

Her barrier surged up instantly. Pink lightning crashed into it, sliding down the dome into the earth. Arianna shuddered.

"That felt… strange."

"You okay?" Bryce asked.

"Yes. The barrier will hold for a while."

"Good. Mages, rangers, fire at that cloud. Also, we need to take down the monkeys." Bryce said, noticing that the rocks were also hitting Arianna's barrier.

Muttering. Doubt. One mage frowned. "We can't shoot through her barrier. She has to drop it."

"No," Bryce said. "Her barrier lets attacks out, not in. Right?"

Arianna nodded. "Correct."

Suspicious looks. Disbelief. But they fired, and their attacks passed cleanly through and into the cloud and trees.

The monkeys soon died and fell from their trees.

Then, after more than a few attacks at reached into the cloud, creeching erupted. A harsh, warbling caw-caw followed by thundering booms.
Thunderbird confirmed.

The volcano dungeon, Cassis realised. It should have been grey ash, magma rivers, and smoke, not blue grass and cotton-candy clouds. Had he mixed it up? Or had it changed between waves? In his past life, he'd come here at A-rank, somewhere between wave six and seven. Dungeons did evolve.

A roar of excitement snapped him back.

"Damn, Arianna! That trick is insane!" a ranger laughed, punching her shoulder happily.

The cawing and thunder intensified. Then the cloud tore open as a massive pink Thunderbird dove, lightning crackling across its feathers.

"My barrier won't stop it if it rams us!" Arianna warned. "Be ready to dodge."

"You heard her," Bryce ordered. "Hit it with everything, then scatter!"

They attacked, then got ready to dodge. When the bird hit the barrier, it flickered and vanished as the weight of the giant Thunderbird slammed down. After the barrier broke, the thunderbird sat in the grass, stunned from its descent.

Cassis didn't hesitate. Fire blade igniting, he leapt, landing on the bird's back. Electricity tore through him, sharp and burning, but bearable. Bryce managed to jump in, too; the others recoiled from the shock, and fell down.

The two of them drove their blades, his clad in fire, Bryce's clad in wind, into the bird again and again. Spells and arrows peppered the bird. It's electricity flared again, and Bryce groaned in pain. Healing cursed through him and Bryce. Arianna.

Bryce pulled his weapon out and swung it wildly. A wind cutter made its way from Bryce's sword towards the bird's neck. Cassis wouldn't be outdone by Bryce and stabbed his fire blade into the bird again. Then he activated flame burst.

Soon, the bird broke down, its thunder quietening to a slow rumble before abruptly stopping. It was dead.

Cassis sighed. He remembered some things about this dungeon, but not yet about the boss. But he had a really bad feeling.