Reincarnated as Twins: And Then, I Was the Only One Abandoned - ☆16 Into the Depths of Darkness ⑤

☆16 Into the Depths of Darkness ⑤ 

Lilith’s story was seriously fascinating. 

I realized that this world was much larger than I had ever imagined. 

There were incredibly skilled warriors, monstrous beings beyond comprehension, and legendary relics from the age of myths scattered across the world. 

It wasn’t just folklore—these things *actually* existed. That fact alone was mind-blowing. 

My eyes were probably sparkling like a child’s, full of wonder. 

Someday, I want to visit all sorts of places. 

I glanced at Elysia, wondering if she knew about any of this. But she was just sitting there with a sulky expression. She was silent and moody. 

Was she pouting because she couldn’t join in on the conversation? 

She’s got a surprisingly childish side, huh? 

◆◆◆

“Alright, time to head out.” 

Lilith stood up and adjusted her gear. 

We packed up our belongings. And lastly, I carefully placed Kagutsuchi into my bag. 

Kagutsuchi let out a small, dissatisfied cry. But it soon quieted down. 

Once we confirmed we were ready, we exchanged nods and resumed our exploration in the same formation as before. 

Lilith took the lead, and we followed closely behind. 

The air was thick with tension as we proceeded cautiously. 

After a while, Elysia seemed to notice something. 

“What is that? That spot over there… it’s completely dark, with no light at all.” 

She muttered. 

Huh? Now that she mentioned it… what is that? 

That area alone was pitch black. It was as if it had been swallowed by a shadow. 

We moved closer toward the darkness. And suddenly, the sound of powerful wings cutting through the air echoed from above. 

Looking up, I saw a monstrous, dragon-like creature with massive wings. 

The dim light reflecting off the cave’s ceiling cast its enormous shadow across the walls. 

Its eyes glowed red, and its razor-sharp claws gleamed ominously in the light. 

Then, after a brief pause— 

It lunged at us with terrifying speed. 

I instinctively pulled Elysia close and rolled across the ground. We narrowly dodged its deadly claws. 

“A Wyvern!” 

Lilith’s voice carried a sharp edge of caution. 

The tension in the cave deepened. 

The creature was about four meters long—larger than the Hellhound we encountered earlier. 

And there were two of them. 

“You swore you wouldn’t let a single scratch touch the lady, right?” 

Even in this dire situation, Lilith smirked teasingly at me. 

That confident grin of hers showed she was still completely in control. 

Just then, one of the Wyverns spewed fire straight at Lilith. 

A deafening roar filled the cavern as searing flames surged through the air. 

Damn it—! 

Just as I braced myself, the fire was suddenly sucked into Lilith’s sword with a loud *whoosh*. 

Her blade glowed red-hot. It was pulsating as if it were alive. 

“I’m fine here. Can I leave the other one to you?” 

I had no idea what just happened. But I nodded in agreement. 

I handed my belongings to Elysia and told her to step back. 

Though she looked worried, she gave a quiet nod and did as I asked. 

Now, it was just me and the second Wyvern. 

Its enormous frame exuded an overwhelming pressure. 

The beast opened its mouth and unleashed a scorching stream of fire at me. 

The heat singed my skin—but then, just like with Agni— 

The flames reacted to my mana and turned into ice. 

I quickly shaped my mana into a spear and hurled it at the Wyvern. 

The icy projectile gleamed as it cut through the air with a sharp whistle. 

But the Wyvern was far more agile than its size suggested—it dodged with ease. 

Then, with a powerful flap of its wings, it shot toward me at breakneck speed. Its talons were aiming for my right shoulder. 

—!!!!!!! 

—HOT!!! 

—SO DAMN HOT!!! 

A burning pain seared through me. 

Looking down, I saw my clothes torn and bl00d staining my shoulder red. 

If I hadn’t reinforced my body with mana, my entire arm might’ve been ripped off. 

But I had no time to dwell on the pain—the Wyvern was already swooping down for another attack. 

Acting purely on instinct, I amplified my ice mana and transformed it into a barrier of countless ice spikes. It was like the quills of a hedgehog. 

The Wyvern plunged straight into the deadly field of ice. 

For a moment, it froze in place— 

Then, bl00d burst from its impaled body. And it collapsed to the ground. 

“Damn… that was close.” 

As I sat there, drenched in Wyvern bl00d, my strength drained from my body. 

Elysia’s face was pale with concern. She ran over and checked my shoulder. 

She quickly pulled out a small pouch from her waist, took out a healing salve, and applied it to my wound. 

It stung like hell. 

But since my shoulder was burning with pain, the cool liquid actually felt somewhat soothing. 

“Are you okay…?” 

Elysia’s face was still pale. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” 

As I took a deep breath, Lilith approached with her usual calm. It was as if nothing had happened. 

“Hmm. You instantly turned fire into ice. But you’re not just an ordinary ice magic user, are you? If I had to guess, your mana ability is ‘Reversal’, right? That’s quite rare.” 

She saw through me in an instant. As expected of an S-rank. 

Lilith continued. 

“As for me, mine is ‘Absorption’. Of course, it has its limits.” 

She revealed her ability so easily. 

And that sword of hers was called Circulation Blade. It still pulsed with a red glow, as if the energy from the battle lingered. 

So that was what happened earlier—it absorbed the mana from the Wyvern’s fire. 

I had no clue. 

I glanced toward the direction Lilith had come from and saw a pitch-black mass. It was likely the remains of a Wyvern, with smoke rising from it. 

……….…I don’t even want to imagine what kind of attack she used. 

After confirming that I was unharmed, Lilith shifted her gaze toward the darkness ahead. 

“Alright, from here on is the real deal. What do you think?” 

It was immediately clear that the sinister mana seeping from that darkness filled this entire vast cave. 

Even without meaning to, my body—down to the cellular level—was trembling in fear. 

“Yeah… there’s no way we can go any further.” 

Elysia stood frozen in place. Her face was completely drained of color. She looked like she might collapse at any moment. 

“Agreed. Whatever this ominous mana is, it’s right ahead… The adventurers who came before us must have been unable to resist their curiosity. They must have tried to take just one look—and were consumed.” 

“Considering the Wyverns, maybe there’s an even bigger dragon? A dragon god from mythology, perhaps?” 

Lilith fell into thought for a moment before finally making a decision. 

“Yeah, unfortunately, this is as far as we go. Well, our original goal was to map out this chasm, and we’ve accomplished that much. We’re nowhere near prepared to go further. Honestly, we don’t even know what we’d need to prepare. But hey, let’s leave that as something to look forward to next time.” 

There was a slight hint of regret in her tone. But then, as if to switch gears, Lilith spoke in a bright, cheerful voice. 

“Alright then, let’s head back.”