Sanctuary: Safe Haven

When Boran and Kael's group initially stepped into the dungeon, they had no inkling that a pair of dragon eyes were fixed upon them. Specifically, those eyes were drawn to a black orc adorned with a slave collar.

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Inside the dungeon, the great-calamity monster hesitated, its eyes narrowing as it stared at the bone spear and sword threatening it. It released a deafening shriek, twice as powerful as before, but it was all in vain. The battle with the black orc had drained its strength, leaving it weakened.

Mortem's spell struck true, creating a gaping hole in the great-calamity's face. At the same moment, Vorgrim's sword sliced through the creature's side, cleaving its body in half.

Canna crouched next to Kael, casting a diagnostic spell to confirm that he would recover soon. He was exhausted and had fainted. "I'm sorry," Canna said sincerely. "Tonitrum thought it would be funny to send a few low-calamities to your group."

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Canna had been in the midst of training when Tonitrum called him over, claiming he had something interesting to show. Tonitrum then cast a spell, projecting an image of a group of humans and demihumans, their wagons filled with treasure, making their way through the dungeon.

Canna watched, intrigued yet concerned, as the scene unfolded, unaware of the chaos it would bring to Boran's team.

Canna watched intently as the group entered the dungeon boss room and successfully slayed the Crimson Brute Goblin. Their teamwork was impressive, especially considering the tricky nature of the monster. It was insanely fast, can dual wield and absorb fire spells and use it to strengthen himself. Canna admired their coordination, each member playing their part to bring down the beast.

As he observed, Canna couldn't help but imagine what he would do in their position. He envisioned himself dodging the goblin's attacks, striking at opportune moments, and coordinating with his allies to cast spells and land critical hits. His mind raced with possibilities, picturing himself as a vital part of the team.

But then, a sudden shift in the scene snapped him back to reality. The humans, having defeated the Crimson Brute Goblin, expected the door to open, signalling their victory. Instead, it remained firmly shut. Confusion and worry were etched on their faces, and Canna sensed something was terribly wrong.

That's when he noticed it—a familiar portal, identical to the one Tonitrum used to summon monsters, had materialized in the room, two portals at that. A chilling thought crossed Canna's mind. Could Tonitrum be behind this? He glanced at Tonitrum incredulously.

Slowly, Canna observed that low-calamity monsters started emerging out of the portal. Springing to his feet, he directed his frustration at Tonitrum with a shout, "Hey! That's not fair! They've already defeated the dungeon boss. Why make them fight those monsters!?" His voice tinged with anger. Tonitrum merely glanced at Canna and used Dragon Fear to incapacitate him.

The tactic worked, though contrary to Tonitrum's intent, Canna was supposed to remain unconscious for half a day but woke up after merely twenty minutes. Grimacing with a throbbing head, Canna demanded, "ME! Put me in there!"

Without a word, Canna was swallowed by a red portal.

When things became clear again, Canna saw that Mortem had shielded him. He didn't know what had happened while he was unconscious, but he was determined to join the group and help them, no matter what they were facing.

As he was about to make a move, Mortem cautioned him. Mortem explained that there was a creature before them that had a great calamity rank and that he and Vorgrim would handle it while the monster was still weakened.

Canna nodded, allowing Mortem and Vorgrim to complete the sneak attack. Everything happened quickly; in just a few seconds, Mortem sent him a telepathic message that the threat had already been dealt with.

Canna didn't delay any longer, he quickly ordered Mortem to cast the diagnostic spell to check what's wrong with Kael's body, Vorgrim also approached Canna to inform him that there was only one more member of the group here and that the rest has already exited using an item or was killed.

Canna didn't delay any longer; he quickly cast the diagnostic spell to check what was wrong with Kael's body; Vorgrim also approached Canna to inform him that there was only one more member of the group here and that the rest had already exited using an item or was killed.

Canna was puzzled. If the others could escape, why hadn't they also taken this man? With little time to spare, he urged urgently, "Hurry! Bring the other one, and let's return! Tonitrum, open the damn portal again!"

Vorgrim swiftly retrieved the unconscious black orc, and as another portal materialized, Canna's group entered just in time to evade the approaching low-calamity monsters.

Even if Canna and his two subordinates were strong, it wouldn't be much of a fight with at least 50 low-calamity monsters aiming to kill them.

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Once they reached the lowest floor of the dungeon, Canna hurriedly dropped Kael at the corner of the cave where he would rest. He then summoned Mortem again and asked for a diagnostic spell to double-check Kael's condition. Once Mortem confirmed that Kael was only exhausted, Canna made his way to the black orc that Vorgrim had carried into the space as well.

Canna observed the black orc closely, noting the creature's impressive strength. He wasn't confident in taking on the orc alone unless he had one of his subordinates with him. Canna took a closer look at the orc. Its body was full of wounds of varying degrees, and one of its tusks was broken. The collar was still around its neck. As Canna touched the black orc's skin, he was a bit shocked to feel fur.

It had the texture of the fur from a small dog. He put his curiosity aside for the moment and called for Mortem again, asking him to heal the orc.

Vorgrim had already mentioned that orcs had great regenerative abilities, and this particular orc was tougher than the rest. However, Canna didn't relent. If anyone else saw the black orc in its current state, they wouldn't be surprised to think it was already dead. Canna used water spells to clean some of the wound marks as well.

Since Kael only needed time to recover, Canna focused his entire attention on the black orc. Just like that, a day passed.

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During that day, Canna remained vigilant; he somehow felt guilty about it, but he couldn't do anything; the least he could do was to ensure that the black orc and Kael would receive the care they needed. The orc's wounds began to heal at a remarkable rate, thanks to Mortem's healing spells and the orc's natural regenerative abilities.

As Canna watched over the orc, he couldn't help but think about the creature's origins and the battles it must have faced.

He also pondered the significance of the slave collar. It was a cruel device, one that suppressed the orc's true potential and forced it into servitude. The thought of removing it crossed his mind, but he knew it wasn't that simple. The collar might be enchanted or linked to some powerful magic that could harm the orc if tampered with.

Throughout the day, Canna alternated between tending to the orc and checking on Kael, who was slowly regaining his strength. Mortem and Vorgrim stood guard, wary of any more 'funny' ideas Tonitrum might have.

As night fell, Canna found himself deep in thought. The events of the dungeon, Tonitrum's unexpected intervention, and the ordeal faced by Boran's group weighed heavily on his mind. To Tonitrum, they were all just a form of entertainment. Canna vowed to become even stronger, knowing he couldn't do anything about it now. If Tonitrum really wanted to kill him, he could do it without any problem.

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