My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"Your Highness, Lady Elina, run!" Milda shouted at the top of her lungs.

Morgrim and Elina snapped out of their shock and bolted down the mountain.

*Boom!*

Another explosion roared from above. Gray-black smoke erupted from the peak of Mount Durnhak, swallowing the sky in pitch darkness.

The terrifying sight left the dwarves descending the slope wide-eyed in horror.

"Stop staring and move!" a soldier from the front barked, snapping them out of their trance.

Without hesitation, they picked up the pace. But then—another deafening blast echoed across the mountain, and the smoke rising into the heavens grew even thicker.

Behind the swirling clouds of ash, flashes of black, red, and blue lightning lit up the sky.

The thunderous noise was so fearsome, it felt like the end of the world had arrived.

Elina, Milda, and Morgrim kept running, their faces pale. Being near the rear of the group, they were far behind the other dwarves who had already made it farther down the slope.

To make matters worse, Mount Durnhak was steep and treacherous—each step demanded caution.

Just then, a violent windstorm surged from above, crashing down on the three of them without mercy.

The three of them were swept away by the wind and tumbled down the slope, finally coming to a stop after slamming into a large tree.

"Ouch!" Elina groaned, rubbing her reddened back.

But there was no time to complain—her only focus now was getting down the mountain as quickly as possible.

She spotted Morgrim and Milda nearby, both grimacing in pain, and hurried over to them.

Pulling them to their feet, Elina urged, "Don't just stand there! We have to move!"

Her words jolted them back to their senses. With a quick nod, they pushed through the pain and took off running again.

*Boom!*

Another eruption shook the air, this time sending massive boulders crashing down from the crater above.

With their immense size and weight, the boulders plummeted down the slope like unstoppable juggernauts.

"This is bad! Your Highness Morgrim, look out!" Milda cried out in panic.

"What?" Morgrim froze at her shout.

As he turned, his eyes widened in horror.

"Damn it!" he cursed, diving to the side just in time.

*Whoosh!*

The boulder missed him by mere inches, and he let out a sharp breath of relief.

"Stay alert, Your Highness! More are coming!" Milda shouted, her voice tight with urgency.

Shaken back to focus, Morgrim clenched his jaw and sprinted toward Elina at full speed.

The two of them ran side by side, dodging the boulders that hurtled wildly down the slope.

But bad luck could strike at any moment. One of the boulders suddenly ricocheted and slid straight toward them.

It was too massive—no matter how fast they moved, they wouldn't be able to dodge in time.

"Damn it!" Morgrim gritted his teeth and was about to activate his secret weapon—when Elina suddenly stopped and turned to face the incoming boulder.

She raised both hands and began chanting in the Elven language.

*Whoosh!*

Moments later, towering roots erupted from the ground, twisting together to form a massive barrier.

*Bang!*

The boulder crashed into the wall of roots and was pushed inward, its momentum finally halted.

Thankfully, the roots held strong—and they were safe.

Morgrim let out a long breath of relief, then turned to Elina with wide eyes.

"Lady Elina, that was incredible!" he exclaimed.

Elina remained composed as she answered, "There's no need for praise, Prince Morgrim."

Had Leon witnessed that uncharacteristically humble response, he would've rubbed his eyes and said, "Are you really the Elina I know? What happened to all that arrogance?"

But Leon wasn't there—and he didn't know the truth. Elina wasn't some naive or innocent girl.

She only acted spoiled and cheerful around those she truly trusted.

To strangers—or anyone she hadn't fully accepted—Elina showed only her cold and guarded side.

Seeing that distant expression on her face, Morgrim found himself even more captivated. But there was no time to dwell on it.

He quickly turned and said, "Come on, we need to keep moving."

"There's no need," Elina replied, gently shaking her head before snapping her fingers.

In an instant, all three—Elina, Morgrim, and Milda—rose into the air, their bodies weightless, as if gravity no longer applied.

"Whoaaa!" Morgrim yelped in panic, completely caught off guard.

But before he could make sense of what was happening, they shot downward at high speed, soaring toward the mountain's base.

Fifteen minutes later, they touched down safely.

At the foot of Mount Durnhak, tens of thousands of dwarves had gathered—faces clouded with grief, fear, and confusion.

It was no surprise. Mount Durnhak was their home and birthplace. The sudden eruption had struck like a cruel nightmare, leaving behind emotional ruin.

Even more terrifying, such an eruption hadn't occurred for thousands of years—and now, it had come without the slightest warning.

*Boom!*

A thunderous explosion tore through the air, drawing every gaze upward.

All eyes turned to Mount Durnhak as it began to spew molten magma from deep within the earth.

The sight was both terrifying and overwhelming.

Fortunately, they were far enough from the eruption site to avoid being caught in the flow of molten lava.

"Everyone, don't just stand there! We're moving to the west side—now, hurry!"

Milda stepped forward, giving a firm command to the gathered dwarves.

At her words, they nodded solemnly. With heavy hearts full of sorrow, they began the massive retreat from their ancestral homeland.

"Your Highness," Milda said gently as she approached Morgrim, who stood frozen, eyes fixed on the raging volcano. "We have to go."

Morgrim took a deep breath, then turned with a firm, unreadable expression.

"Let's move."

They began walking, following behind the others, with Elina silently trailing beside them.

But Elina looked uneasy—frightened, even.

She kept glancing back at Mount Durnhak, which still rumbled ominously in the distance. Her lips trembled as she murmured under her breath, "Young Master... where are you? Please… come back to me. I need you..."

***

*Boom! Boom!*

High in the sky, Leon streaked through the air at incredible speed. His figure flickered in and out of sight as he darted from one side to another.

Each time he vanished, a violent explosion erupted in the spot he'd just left behind.

"Damn it! I'm really running out of ways to fight this thing!" he muttered to himself, weaving through the Hydra's relentless and deadly attacks.

He had been battling the creature for over thirty minutes, unleashing every technique he had at his disposal.

But neither his swordsmanship nor the hero techniques he had mastered could make any significant impact on the Hydra.

His once vast reservoir of holy power—like an endless ocean—was beginning to dry up.

And still, he hadn't found a single way to suppress the damned beast.

"Miranda, have you found its weakness yet?" Leon asked urgently.

"I'm sorry, Master... not yet," Miranda replied, her voice tinged with frustration.

Leon let out a soft sigh and gave a slight nod. "Keep searching. I'll hold it off and strike when the chance comes."

"Understood, Master."

He kept dodging—but he knew this couldn't go on forever.

Suddenly, Leon halted in midair. Without hesitation, he returned the Holy Sword of Zenith to his consciousness.

"I know it's reckless... but it's the only way," he whispered, eyes closing.

Then, with a firm voice, he shouted, "Dragon Transformation!"