Liam hesitated, his fingers hovering over the dungeon pass. The golden sheen of the card reflected the dim light of the academy’s cafeteria, and the weight of Victor’s gaze pressed against him.
This was a trap.
It had to be.
Victor was too cunning, too unpredictable, and far too invested in him for this to be a simple act of goodwill.
But a B-Class dungeon...
That was an opportunity he couldn’t ignore.
He could feel Asger shifting slightly, the half-dragon’s claws gripping onto Liam’s shoulder in agitation.
"Don’t do it! He’s a snake. He’s setting you up for sothing."
Asger muttered, his voice dripping with distrust.
Liam’s gut twisted in agreent, but at the sa ti, his instincts told him sothing different.
Victor wasn’t lying.
At least, not completely.
There was no imdiate catch. No condition attached to the pass. Whatever ga Victor was playing, it didn’t start here.
Liam’s hand moved before he could second-guess himself. He took the pass and slid it into his pocket.
Victor smirked, as if he’d been expecting that.
"Smart choice,"
Victor said, rising from his seat and dusting off his coat. "I knew you weren’t the type to let an opportunity go to waste."
Liam kept his expression unreadable.
"I’ll repay this favor."
He said flatly. He hated being in anyone’s debt—especially Victor’s.
Victor only chuckled.
"Oh, I’m sure you will."
With that, he walked away, disappearing into the sea of students.
Liam exhaled slowly, only realizing now how tense his shoulders had been.
Asger, still perched on him, made a sound of disgust.
"Idiot."
He muttered.
Liam ignored him. He had preparations to make.
______
Liam sat in his room, flipping the dungeon pass between his fingers. The small card radiated a faint magical aura, confirming its authenticity.
A B-Class dungeon. That was far beyond what most first-years attempted. Even upperclassn usually ran them in groups.
He would be going alone.
That ant he needed to be fully prepared.
Liam opened his system nu, scanning through his stats and skills. He had leveled up a decent amount since joining the academy, but nothing that would let him breeze through a B-Class dungeon unscathed.
He needed supplies. He needed potions. And most importantly, he needed information.
Pulling out his notebook, Liam began writing a strategy.
The academy had an archive specifically for dungeon records. It was a massive library filled with reports from past explorers, detailing everything from common monster encounters to hidden traps.
Liam spent the morning combing through records of B-Class dungeons, searching for the one listed on his pass.
It didn’t take long to find it.
[Dungeon: Abyssal Ruins
Classification: B-Class
Primary Threats: Abyssal Wraiths, Shadow Hounds, Corrupt Knights
Final Boss: The Abyssal Guardian]
Liam frowned. A dungeon filled with shadow-based monsters... That ant they were resistant to most standard attacks and would be highly dangerous in dark environnts.
Not ideal.
Still, it wasn’t impossible. He just needed to bring the right equipnt...and magic. He was sure he would be fine once he had these things in his bag.
______
Liam stood before the entrance to the Abyssal Ruins, gripping both his student I.D. and the dungeon pass in his hands.
The imposing stone gateway lood before him, glowing faintly with runic inscriptions that pulsed with dark energy.
The academy’s dungeon staff, a group of three older magicians dressed in official uniforms, regarded him with barely concealed unease.
One of them, a middle-aged man with a scar running down his cheek, took the docunts from Liam and examined them carefully.
His eyes flickered between the B-Class dungeon pass and Liam’s face before narrowing in suspicion.
"You’re sure about this, kid? You’re a first-year, aren’t you? B-Class dungeons aren’t sothing you just walk into."
The man asked. His voice was gruff, and his tone held a mix of doubt and concern.
Liam t his gaze without hesitation.
"I know what I’m doing."
The man sighed, exchanging glances with his colleagues. One of the other staff mbers, a woman with deep lines of experience on her face, studied Liam for a mont before shaking her head.
"Well, your invitation is authentic, and you have the necessary clearance. We can’t legally stop you"
She admitted reluctantly.
The scarred man clicked his tongue and handed Liam his docunts back.
"Fine. But let’s be clear: if you die in there, it’s on you. If you get injured, it’s on you. No one’s coming to save you. You accept full responsibility for whatever happens inside."
He said, crossing his arms.
Liam nodded, unbothered.
"Understood."
The woman sighed again before waving a hand over the gate’s control panel. Magic surged into the runes, causing the dungeon entrance to hum with power as the gateway activated.
"May the gods have rcy on you."
She muttered under her breath.
With that, Liam stepped forward.
The mont his foot crossed the threshold, darkness swallowed him whole.
Liam blinked as his vision adjusted to the dungeon’s interior. Unlike the outside world, which had been bathed in daylight, the Abyssal Ruins were cloaked in deep twilight.
The walls were made of obsidian stone, faintly reflecting the dim glow of flickering torches along the corridor. An unnatural cold settled into the air, making the hairs on Liam’s arms stand on end.
This place was alive.
Not with life—but with sothing else.
Sothing watching.
Liam’s grip tightened on his dagger as he activated a glowstone, illuminating the imdiate area around him. The magic-infused crystal cast a warm golden light, pushing back the creeping shadows.
"Alright, Let’s get started."
He muttered to himself, taking a slow, asured breath.
Liam stepped forward cautiously, scanning his surroundings for movent.
His first priority was to assess the enemies.
According to his research, the dungeon contained Abyssal Wraiths, Shadow Hounds, and Corrupt Knights. That ant he had to stay out of the dark, keep his magic ready, and ensure he conserved energy for the boss fight.
A low growl echoed from the depths of the corridor ahead.
Liam stilled.
Sothing was coming.
With quiet precision, he slipped into the shadows, preparing for his first encounter in the Abyssal Ruins.
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