Phoenix Flight [Lite LitRPG - Dungeon Diving - FFM Romance]

"Look out!" Davi warned, but it was too late.

Olivia felt pain as the rock smashed into the center of her head, and she was knocked off her feet and crashed to the sand-covered ground. If not for her mana keeping her safe, the rock that hit her might have killed her.

Olivia winced and rubbed the side of her head, which was bleeding. "Ow." She whimpered. Her body was already mending and healing, but it was still slow, and she had nothing for pain negation.

More rocks came at her, but Davi jumped in front of her, already wearing his armor. He entered a guard stance and stood his ground as the rocks rammed into him. "Can you still walk?" He asked sternly.

"I can." Olivia nodded and forced herself to stand back up. "Let's keep pushing forward."

"Yeah."

The two of them yelled and charged forward, toward the storm of rocks.

Four days had passed since Davi awoke from his coma. During that time, Ragna had put them through hell. Both Davi and Olivia felt as if their bodies would break and shatter under his guidance, but any time they complained, he would just say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and then seemingly do his best to kill them.

Today's training was the worst so far.

Ragna set up a large obstacle course on the beach. They had to duck under various barbed wire fences, climb large walls, run through a field of tires, jump holes in the ground, and so much more. They were also doing this while avoiding a wave of rocks that Ragna was throwing at them!

The massive man stood at the other end of the course, one finger twirling his mustache while the other pulled rocks out of his underwear! These weren't small rocks either. Each one filled Ragna's massive hand, and he would coat them in mana. Also, as it turned out, Ragna used to really enjoy baseball or something, because he had one hell of a throw!

The curve rocks were the worst, as he'd throw them with a twirl in them. They had to keep their mana at full power just to stand a chance.

"Come on!" Ragna yelled out at them as he got another set of rocks to throw. "You two are so slow! You're almost done! Just a bit more! Hey, Davi, remember how you knocked my tooth out? Think fast!"

Davi kept his jaw sealed shut and was glad his helmet was on, because the rock that rammed into his head hit him hard enough to dent the metal and threw him onto his back. Davi groaned and shook his head. "G-Go on without me."

"No!" Olivia attempted to lift her friend, but he was impossible to move due to how little energy she had left. "Leave no man behind!"

Davi reached out, grabbed her by both her arms, and stood up, using her as a human shield now as he began to walk to the finish line. "Sorry, I don't have the same morality that you do," Olivia yelled as she was pelted with more rocks.

According to Ragna, the purpose of this test was to speed up their training, although Davi suspected the man just wanted an excuse to throw things at them.

Ragna claimed that by sprinting through his obstacle course, it would help train their Strength and Endurance stats, as well as their Stamina and Sprint skills. He also said that by throwing rocks imbued with mana at them, they'd be forced to coat themselves in mana so they weren't taken down, which would help train Mana and Efficiency since they naturally wouldn't want to get hit.

More than that, though, Ragna was trying to unlock new traits for them. As they got hit by the rocks and got accustomed to it, Ragna hoped that one of them or both of them would gain the Bludgeoning Resistance trait, which would cause their flesh and bodies to become sturdy and strong even without mana. The rocks also served the purpose of improving the traits they did have, namely Olivia's Quick Regeneration, since she kept healing through the damage, and Davi's Danger Sense, which kept alerting him to the best ways to defend and protect himself.

If all went well, it could even result in Olivia learning Danger Sense and Davi learning Quick Regeneration.

Intense training like this was required to get the two caught up, since the other seven guilds' members would be far stronger by now.

Ragna finally stopped throwing rocks when Davi crossed over the line and finished the course. Olivia's eyes were rolled into the back of her head, and she was covered in dozens of bruises as Davi lazily dropped her to the floor.

"Did we finish?" Davi asked.

Ragna placed his hands on his hips and let out a loud laugh. "Yes! I'd say that was a good performance! Tomorrow, I'll double the length of the course and use bigger rocks!"

"Please don't." Olivia gasped and forced herself up once she regained consciousness. She swatted Davi on the shoulder and then winced since he was still in his armor, and she just did more damage to herself than she did to him.

"Did you two get any new skills?" Ragna asked eagerly.

Davi and Olivia both held their hands out and brought their trait lists and stat screens up. It was the same as it had been three days ago. No increases, no new traits, and no traits improved either.

Olivia sighed and shook her head. "Same old, same old. I know we just started, but I was hoping to see at least a small increase because of this."

"You have to give it time." Ragna nodded. "Both your Cores aren't that strong. Cores don't naturally go up in grade, though, unless you use improvement pills, which is why normal mages can never reach the level of Knights. Of course, there is another method I know to raise Cores, but that requires being in a dungeon." Ragna hummed and pulled on his mustache. "I wanted at least a week's worth of training, but perhaps we can go to a dungeon sooner rather than later."

"Is there really a method to help train the Core in a dungeon?" Olivia asked, a little surprised. Maya had also said something similar, though she hadn't asked a lot about it at the time. She also hadn't been back to see Maya since the incident in the bathroom.

Just thinking about it caused her to shiver. That grip on her heart and the way Maya spoke to her despite the fact that she wasn't in the World of Paths. It freaked her out, and anytime she thought about going into Maya again, that pain would start back up in her chest.

She tried showing off the Determined trait to others, and just like with Ragna, it would reveal something else. She didn't try to explain what the trait actually did, though. Just like with visiting Maya, she was too scared even to attempt it.

"Yes, you can train your Core if you're in a dungeon, and it involves monsters." Ragna reached into his Speedo and pulled out a phone that was comically tiny in his large hands. He also pulled out a pair of glasses from his underwear and slipped them on, then brought the phone closer to his face as he began to type away on it. "The method to train your Core is better done in practice rather than explained, though. The two of you will learn soon enough once we enter a dungeon."

"Are we actually about to do a mission?" Davi questioned. "It seems kind of sudden."

"Why not? I heard you entered dungeons even before you became a Knight." Ragna clicked something on his phone, then gave a large grin as he slipped the phone back into his underwear. "Alright! It's time we head out!"

"Just like that?"

"Just like that!"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

Davi and Olivia glanced at each other and then struggled to keep up with Ragna, whose massive legs put him ahead of them both. As they walked, Ragna led them out of the beach and into Oleander City.

Davi clenched his hand into a fist as he recalled his time in the city and his battle with Farkiss. The city was just as bad as it had been last time. Even though it was the middle of the day, the streets were nearly empty, and it was dark. The towers all stabbed toward the sky, and cars drove down the road.

The presence of three members of Phoenix Flight nearby was enough to cause things to start going wrong. Loose bricks would fall out of nearby buildings, and each time, Davi would swat them away before they could hit him or Olivia. Ragna wouldn't do anything, and the bricks would shatter on his skull, not slowing him down at all.

Despite being in Phoenix Flight for a short amount of time, Davi had learned one fact. It was something he suspected, but Pock had confirmed it yesterday when he brought it up.

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The Cursed Life trait only activated when Phoenix Flight members were close to people who weren't in the guild. It was one of the reasons why bad luck rarely seemed to strike when all the members were together in the junkyard, but the moment they entered a city or a place with a lot of people, the bad luck would significantly increase.

This was one of the reasons people never wanted the guild in their cities. Of course, Phoenix Flight also never wanted to be near people, but at times, they would be forced to. That, or they'd be like Ragna and not care about the destruction they were causing.

As Ragna walked, pipes would explode and spray him with cold water, and at one point, a car swerved off and nearly rammed into him, but he kicked it away. Luckily, the driver was okay, but the guy cursed them out for ruining his car. Davi and Ragna flipped him off.

Eventually, after causing a mini rampage through the city, Ragna stopped when the three of them arrived at a church.

Some cities had massive cathedrals and monuments built to Haru, the other great heroes, and the Almighty. Oleander had a simple church.

It wasn't that big, and compared to the skyscrapers and other modern buildings, it was downright tiny. The building was small and white, surrounded by a black fence and a cobbled path that led up to it. It had only two floors in total, and the windows were painted various colors. Despite Olenader having Phoenix Flight as its personal defender, the church displayed a flag with the Shining Sentinels guild on it, along with the flag of the kingdom.

Ragna strolled past the fence and walked up to the large doors, which were adorned with a large lion embroidered across them. Ragna pushed the door open, and both Davi and Olivia followed him inside.

Olivia looked around, taking in the sight of the church. Fri and Lotus both lacked churches, and while she had seen some, she had never been to them. Typically, this was because the kingdom had two sides. One part of Esteria believed that Haru was a great warrior who died due to the wounds she received from the Ebony Knight. She was the one who saved humanity, but in the end, she was still just human.

The other half of Esteria believed that Haru didn't die. Instead, they think she was a blessing sent from the stars themselves. A warrior of light and justice for the people. When her job was done and the Ebony Knight was defeated, Haru was said to have left this world and returned to her spot among the stars.

Both sides were generally accepted, although the religious side was more popular.

The inside of the church was just as small as she expected. It was dark, with the only lighting being from the windows and a few candles that floated through the air. There was no electricity. A red carpet stretched out across the floor, going to a large stone altar. On either side of the rug, there were various chairs where people could sit.

The place looked well-maintained but also empty. There weren't any people present, and there weren't any priests or sisters either, save for one near the front. A young man in black robes was seated in a chair near the front and appeared to be reading a hefty tome.

As the three of them approached and Olivia got a closer look, she realized she knew who this was. "Pock?"

Pock, a member of the Phoenix Flight guild, now wore the black uniform of a priest? He looked up at them and unzipped his mouth to give a wide grin. "Olivia, Davi! Oh, did you two finally agree to come visit Oleander with me?" Pock had gone to the city every day since their training with Ragna began, and each day he would ask if either of them wanted to come with him, but they always said no.

"We're here on guild business." Ragna shook his head. "Davi, Olivia, go pray or something and see if you have Angel blood."

"What an odd thing to say," Davi nodded. "I guess this is our life now."

He and Olivia shuffled past the disappointed Pock as Ragna began to talk to the mutant. The two of them made their way over to the stone altar. It was in the very center of the room and was ten feet long. It looked like a cross but was forged out of solid black stone and had various writing across it in a language he didn't speak, as well as a pointed star on either tip.

Above the cross, a large painting was mounted on the wall, proudly displaying the world's strongest hero, Haru. The painting showed her standing atop a hill. In front was a large stone rock that had a sword of pure light embedded in it. Haru rested before the sword, and both her hands were upon the handle as if she were about to draw it.

Davi was a little surprised to see the armor she was wearing. It wasn't what he had expected. He had seen statues of the woman, and they usually depicted her in knightly-looking suits, but this painting took a different approach, instead basing itself on the gear she actually wore into battle.

The suit was extremely form-fitting and reminded him a bit of Tori's platemail. Tori's outfit looked like she was in advanced power armor from the future. Haru's was a lot more slim and narrow but still looked far more robotic than an actual suit of armor. It formed over her body, not unlike an insect's shell, and looked like some sort of chitin armor. Plates danced along the limbs of it, creating rows, and a few sharp sections jutted out along her body. The suit was so attached to her, in fact, the painting made it seem as if that was actually her flesh.

It was a pale white, even brighter than her skin, and from small indented sections in the suit's design, golden light seeped out. Gears, like those in an old clock, could faintly be made out past the light. In the painting, they of course remained perfectly still, but Davi could picture them whirling and letting out soft clicks each time Haru moved.

Haru's golden eyes were dull and almost looked lifeless as she gazed down at the sword. Most of her golden hair was hidden behind a fur hood that covered her body. A black cloak was draped over her, almost hugging her and hiding other parts of the suit.

"Is that actually what she looked like?" Davi questioned.

Olivia stared up at the painting and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Sometimes she's depicted as a pretty woman; other times she's in big, bulky Knight gear, but actual accounts of Haru claim she was dressed in white metal that looked like it could be her body. Some even think she was like a robot or something and only had a human head, and the rest of her was mechanical."

"Strange. And the sword of light?"

"It's what she used in combat. She was said to be blessed with a powerful form of Light magic, the strongest form, in fact, as she could recreate any spell, even those of other types. This allowed her Light magic to effectively be any type at all. Some mages can mimic this also, like Tori, who is known for using Light-Fire magic at times, but Haru could do this with every type of magic."

Davi kept staring up at the woman before eventually shrugging and closing his eyes. He brought his hands up in a prayer-like motion. Olivia did the same. They silently stood there, saying random prayers to the Almighty and Haru. When they were done, they both opened their eyes and opened their traits window.

"Anything?" Olivia asked.

"Nope." Davi shook his head. "Looks like I don't have any Angel blood in me. No Holy School or Heavenly Body. You?"

"Nope." Olivia snorted and closed her window. "I think I hit the jackpot by being born with even a tiny bit of dragon blood. It and Angel blood would be way too good to be true."

"I knew I likely didn't have it as well." Davi undid his hands and turned away. "My dad was fully human, and my mom was already half of another species, so I also wouldn't have any big blood ties to any other race besides the one through my mom, which wasn't an Angel."

They wandered back over to Ragna, who finished his talk with Pock. "So, since we're heading out, I need you to get me a vehicle," Ragna stated. "Also, inform the captain that I'm taking the new recruits out on a mission!'

Pock gave a sheepish laugh and walked toward the exit, the three of them following him. "I'll let her know. I was about to head back anyway, so it'll be fine. Make sure you stay safe, though, Ragna." As Pock stepped outside, he unbuttoned his robes and pulled them open, revealing his stomach, which had a long zipper going down the middle of it. "Anyway, one vehicle coming right up!"

The zipper began to open, and Pock's entire body suddenly expanded in size. He gritted his teeth, clenching them hard, and he balled his hand into a tight fist as the sound of a car starting roared out of the hole in his stomach.

Lights flickered out of him, and Pock thrust his gut forward, spewing out an old white pickup truck! It banged against the floor and came to a screeching halt before the mutant, who was now on his knees, panting heavily and dripping wet with sweat.

"I—I need to sit down." The man gasped.

"Holy shit!" Olivia said, totally stunned.

"Thank you, Pock!" Ragna patted Pock on the back, knocking the mutant over due to the force. He then walked to the truck and looked back at Davi and Olivia. "Alright, you two, come on!"

"We're leaving in that?" Olivia eyed up the truck. It was covered in rust, and all the paint had been peeled away. It looked ancient, and the windshields were cracked. It was also small, barely able to fit both her and Davi, much less Ragna, who was almost as wide as the truck itself.

Ragna patted the tailgate and motioned for them to climb into the back of the truck. "Get in and we'll be off."

"I feel like this is happening a little fast…"

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Now get in!"

Davi shrugged, and he casually climbed into the back of the truck. Olivia hesitated for a moment and then followed suit. She always liked riding in the back of a truck while it was driving around because she'd be able to feel the wind in her hair. Ragna wasn't a gentle man, though, and she doubted his ride would be smooth or safe.

Then again, the truck was so worn down and beaten up, she wondered if it could even run properly.

"Can you at least explain what we're doing?" Olivia shot a look at Ragna, who still stood next to the back of the truck.

Ragna gave her a nod. "Of course. See, sometimes the guild can be busy and won't be able to send Knights out to areas. Especially in small, low-income areas. A village called Violet has reported that they found a dungeon, and they requested some Knights come and deal with it, but no one has accepted the quest yet, so I decided we'll be the first; that way we can get the reward!"

"Nice." Davi gave a lazy thumbs-up.

"Did you say Violet?" Olivia asked quietly.

"I did? You know the place?" Ragna looked back at her.

"Yeah." Olivia sighed. "That's near my home." It was also where she met Evelyn. "What are the chances that the first quest we do takes me near there?"

"Perhaps it's fate." Ragna's eyes sparkled. "Now we have to go! You simply must speak to your family!"

"I should." Olivia bit her lip. She still hadn't spoken to Rosco since she ran away and became a Knight. "What would he say? What do I say?"

"Only one way to find out!" Ragna declared. "Let's go!"

To Davi and Olivia's shock and mild horror, Ragna didn't get into the truck. Instead, he flexed, and his body got even bigger as his muscles expanded and pulsed. Mana rapidly flickered around him, looking like dozens of flower petals, and with his massive arms, he reached under the truck and picked it up!

Olivia screamed while Davi held onto the truck and her. "What are you doing?" Olivia yelled.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" Ragna cheered out, and he pulled back with his arms and took a step forward. His body jutted forward, and he threw the truck as hard as he could! It blasted through the air, exploding forward as the wind ripped around it, and it shot toward the clouds, flying at an angle. Ragna then ran forward and jumped up as hard as he could. Somehow, he caught up to the flying truck, using his feet to kick off the air, and he rammed down into the roof, badly denting it. He pointed forward and laughed louder. "Next stop, Violet Village! Buckle up, because this is going to be a crash landing!"

Back in Oleander, Pock watched the truck turn into a tiny dot as it vanished beyond the horizon, and he laughed. "They seem to be getting along with Ragna great! I'm glad!"

And that was the start of Davi and Olivia's first quest.