"It''s been about five minutes now," Eleni told Alistair in an anxious voice. The uncertainty of the situation cast a shadow over her features. "What do you think is happening in there? He hasn''t made a peep, but surely he''s noticed the sigil''s effects?"


    Alistair, his gaze fixed on the sturdy door with an intensity that seemed to bore through it, responded with a dismissive gruffness. "I don''t know, nor do I care," he dered, his attention unwavering. "All I care about is that he stays in there."


    He turned to his fellow second-ranker guards. "Let''s get back up top. I would have preferred a little proof that he is trapped in there, but given his silence and our inability to peer into that room, we can only assume that he is. We should make use of this time to subdue the others in his group."


    A murmur of unease came from one of the guards, Fritz, his eyes darting to the door and back, reflecting a deep-seated apprehension. "I still think this was too easy," he admitted, the silence from within unsettling him. "He just walked in there, unsuspecting, and now this eerie quiet... It feels off."


    Alistair''s response was dismissive, though not without a hint of acknowledgment for Fritz''s concern. "It''s called overconfidence," he shrugged, a pragmatic edge to his voice, even as he internally conceded Fritz''s points. Yet, the logical part of him clung to the belief that the door was impregnable to a second-rank Runebound stripped of his runes.


    "Wait a second!" Eleni eximed nervously. "What about Alice?! I went along with this because there was no other way, but are we just supposed to leave him in there with that little girl? Who knows what he ns to do with her!"


    "I doubt he''s doing anything to her, Eleni. But even if he were, that''s the price we pay for security. Now,e with us," he finished while gesturing in the direction of the way they came in. "We need to evacuate the scientists just in case and then deal with those additional troublemakers up there."


    "Wait, I…" Eleni stammered but was quickly interrupted by Alistair. "Remember, Eleni. The council wants these people alive and has offered a substantial reward. Seeding here today could get you additional resources for your research."


    Alistair needed to keep her on his side so that she could rally the scientists and not do anything stupid like open that door to try and get Alice out while he was up there dealing with the rest of Erik''s group.


    A sh of desire and greed passed through Eleni''s eyes when she heard Alistair''s words. Yet, her gaze softened when she looked at the door again. Her mouth opened, but before she could utter her words of either assent or protest, everything changed.


    Boom


    An explosion echoed through the pristine white hallways of this underground researchb, and the door they had been staring at flew off its hinges, hurtling towards them with terrifying force.


    Alistair and one guard just barely managed to jump out of the way, while Eleni and the third guard were caught in the door''s trajectory and rapidly swept off their feet, flying further into the hallway with surprised and pained screams.


    Under a rain of sparks and electric fizzling, Erik stepped out of the airlock with a wide, predatory grin that showed off his sharp fangs. "I''m back, bitches," he growled.


    The door had fallen, unable to withstand Erik''s brute force,bined with the power of his Arcanist spell lightning st, which had not been suppressed by the sigil''s effects.


    The two guards who had evaded the flying door readied themselves with admirable discipline, their actions swift and decisive in the face of unexpected aggression.


    Alistair regained his footing and created some distance while small metal spheres appeared floating around him. At the same time, he stretched out his hand, a silver-gray colored magic circle appeared and aimed at his fellow guard, who seemed to gain a shimmering metallic sheen over his skin.


    Apparently, Alistair''s second skill was a rare support-type.


    The second guard, for her part, was a vampire who manifested light-blue runes and charged at him while, quickly and elegantly, riding currents of water that surrounded her feet. From her back, she pulled a sword, while arge water-shield extended from her left hand.


    On Erik''s back, Alice had her face stuck in an expression of awe from the moment Erik unleashed his full power and sted the door from its hinges. Now, she showed clear anticipation and excitement at the confrontation as she quickly realized Erik''s power.


    Erik himself stretched his hunched back slightly, extending up to his full height, and breathed deeply when he felt the power of his runese back to him. He grinned menacingly at the approaching vampire and Alistair behind her, who was readying himself tounch his metal spheres at him.


    Erik reacted quickly. He swiped both his ws in Alistair''s direction, sending a total of ten lightning gashes through the air towards the man who should have just left well enough alone.


    His ranged attack caught Alistairpletely off-guard. While ranged attacks were not the exclusive property of Arcanists, to see a Runebound with a ranged attack was still strange. Of course, he had no idea Erik was actually both.


    While Alistair was forced to use the metal spheres to defend himself against the lightning gashes, Erik focused on the vampire who was elegantly skating in his direction.


    Erik reminded himself that he should treat this fight as if he was not merged with Elora, since Elora''s physical essence was still recovering, and thus not providing him with much aid.


    Still, his physical prowess remained in the higher echelons of second-rankers.


    Thus, he pulled his hammer from his armor''s storage, awing Alice and shocking the vampire, before wrapping his body with the lightning enhancement skill, being careful to avoid Alice. He charged another concussive lightning st on his hammer before swiping in the direction of the vampire.


    Not daring to take that hammer on her shield, the vampire instead decided to dodge, something she barely managed to do using water jets around her feet, but didn''t take into ount the lightning st.


    It exploded right beside her body, mming the woman against the wall, temporarily dazing her as lightning crackled over her body.


    Meanwhile, the third guard was on his feet again after getting hit by the door but was somewhat wounded. This man was another vampire, as Alistair had made the intelligent decision to take close-quarters fighters with him in the enclosed space of this undergroundb.


    This man wrapped himself in a fiery cloak and sted himself in Erik''s direction, while two knives made of fire appeared in his hands.


    At the same time, Alistair had managed to defend himself, and now prepared to finallyunch his metal orbs at Erik, while yelling angrily, "You should have just stayed locked up, Erik!"


    Despite his bravado, he knew they were in trouble and prepared himself for a difficult fight.