"Huu, who was that guy?"
Crystal asked, slumping down on the ground with her back against a gigantic boulder. Her blue eyes, still moist, couldn't stop cringing as she panted with heavy breaths.
"I don't know, but we better get out of here"
Jasmine replied, her gaze shifting back as she tended to Liam's wounds. Her hands trembled as she poured healing potions into his mouth and directly onto his injuries.
Liam bit his mouth, groaning in pain. He hadn't witnessed the exact events that transpired in those brief monts. Before he knew it, the bastard no the monster in front of him swung its arms vertically, severing Liam's right arm. To make matters worse, Sistine, his first and most beloved lover, was beheaded right before his eyes.
A series of emotions churned inside Liam—anger, sadness, confusion, and shock deeply instilled in his heart. Though revenge burned within him, surveying the condition of his other girls, he realized the priority was ensuring their safety first.
"W-we, were safe here, right?" Katia asked, hugging her shoulders while trembling in fear.
"Don't worry, I don't sense that guy anymore," Liam reassured, attempting to comfort Katia.
"A-are you sure?"
"Yeah... But we better get moving soon. We don't want to stay here for too long" said Liam as he hoisted himself up. Jasmine extended her help, but Liam shrugged her arms away, finding it embarrassing to accept assistance from soone he had vowed to protect.
The identity of the mysterious attacker remained a puzzle to Liam. He wasn't even certain if it was human. The aura it emitted was a stark contrast to its purplish, beautiful color.
Instead of being captivated by its unique hue, observing it felt like gazing into a deep, dark sea of darkness—a polluted, ominous river full of unseen monsters waiting to strike. It instilled both a creepy and fearful sensation, leaving him crippled in fear.
Liam had encountered his fair share of individuals emanating powerful levels of mana and aura directly towards him. Among them were his father, a prominent sword master in the empire, and Lilliana, his older sister, expected to ascend to the title of archmage in the near future alongside Bella.
Yet, the aura emitted by the monster before him was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Though the encounter was brief, the overwhelming sensation of death, complete and utter, perated those few seconds when he locked eyes with the ominous claws of its aura. In that chilling mont, he knew the stakes were high, and the intent behind that ominous presence was clear—it sought his demise.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, an aura user's energy reflects the mindset of the wielder. Whoever or whatever that entity was, its intent was unmistakable—it harbored a desire to end Liam's life.
"Why aren't the professors helping us right now? Aren't they monitoring us?" Crystal questioned, her gaze fixed on one of the monitoring devices hanging from the ceiling. The pale blue glow indicated its activation, signifying that soone was watching. Given their predicant, the professors should have swiftly intervened.
Attempting to signal an ergency, Crystal waved her hands up and down, hoping to catch the attention of whoever was monitoring them. However, Liam quickly extinguished that glimr of hope.
"Stop, Crystal. It won't work," Liam advised. "The professors probably assessed that we just got into so unexpected trouble, which ended up with my wound here." Liam's assessnt drew from his understanding of how dungeon exams operated.
The observers likely perceived their situation as an unforeseen complication resulting in Liam's severed arm.
Crystal's attempts to signal ergency were futile, as injuries like his were often considered re scratches in the perilous dungeon, where far more grueso fates awaited those who ventured into its depths.
So unlucky students sotis beco so of the monsters breeding cow, man or won weren't an exception when it cos to these things, especially the more intelligent ones.
Considering that the incident occurred in a safety area devoid of monitoring devices, whoever was observing their progress likely missed the critical details of the attack.
The absence of contextual clues, coupled with the creature not pursuing them outside the safety zone, left the observers in the dark about the unfolding danger.
"How exactly did that thing attack us in there?" Jasmine vented her frustration, seeking answers.
Liam found himself at a loss for words, as he, too, grappled with the uncertainty surrounding the mysterious assault.
The safety areas within the dungeon were secured zones accessible to students in exchange for a portion of their accumulated magic stones and an upfront paynt of 1500 points.
These areas boasted high-class celestial magic, ensuring a violence-free environnt.
No monsters would spawn or intrude, and the magical barrier prevented any unwanted entry by fellow students unless expressly permitted by the party that claid the safety area.
This system was designed to provide students with a secure resting place, especially during the extended duration of the examination.
'Yet that monster entered without being detected let alone a sound'
"What a waste of points..." Liam couldn't help but lant as he recalled the substantial paynt they made for the safety area. This beca an additional hurdle in their already challenging situation. They now not only had to escape from a deadly threat but also figure out how to complete the exam with their dwindling points. The low point count exacerbated their troubles.
Despite his initial disappointnt, Liam understood that prioritizing their safety was paramount. While he had a desire to complete the exam, the safety and well-being of his party took precedence. Fortunately, Katia still carried a few magic stones, offering a glimr of hope.
As he contemplated their predicant, Liam acknowledged the need to withdraw from imdiate danger. Retaking the exam next year seed like a more viable option, considering the circumstances. His primary concern was ensuring Katia's safety, particularly since she was the daughter of Marque Houston. Liam couldn't afford to bring further trouble to his father, who was already disappointed with his standing in the school. The Tellus family, despite being of ducal rank, faced hostilities from certain Marque families, and Liam was mindful of the potential repercussions that could unfold if they were to draw the ire of other Marques, especially those who held resentnt towards the Tellus household.
Although they posed no real danger even if they all ganged up together, avoiding hostility and unnecessary conflict was for the best, for both himself and his family's future, as he with no doubt in his minds fully believes that his father wouldn't hesitate to abandon him when necessary.
And by then the Tellus na and authority that protects him would be gone forever.
"For now, let's move; we need to get so help first," Liam urgently advised, his voice laden with concern. The group wasted no ti and began to move quickly through the dungeon's ominous passages.
Tuck!
Tuck!
Tuck!
Abruptly, footsteps echoed behind them, prompting Liam to turn back imdiately, sensing imminent danger.
A masked monster stood behind them, its cloak draped in darkness, and a mysterious, dark wind flowed from its body.
The eerie presence sent shivers down their spines, leaving Liam and the others montarily speechless.
"FOUND YOU," the creature declared, its voice sending chills through the air.
"Everyone run!" Liam scread in response to the looming threat. In an instant, bolts and streams of purple energy rapidly fired towards them.
Though the beams were small, each carried a piercing power unlike anything they had encountered before. Rocks, earth, and even the enormous crystal were effortlessly pierced by the relentless onslaught.
Reacting swiftly, Liam seized Katia with his remaining hand and harnessed his aura to increase their speed.
Liam endured several hits to his torso and shoulder, but the pain beca secondary to the urgency of escaping the relentless foe behind them.
As they ran, the echoes of the monster's laughter echoed through the passages, intensifying the group's desperation to distance themselves from the ever-present threat.
Survival beca their sole focus in the face of this unknown and formidable adversary.
…..
Tristan rubbed his eyes, still feeling a bit groggy as he woke up. The realization hit him that he must have dozed off, a sign that he was more fatigued than he initially thought.
"It seems I fell asleep... I guess I was more tired than what I thought I was," he mused to himself. Checking his right hand, he noted that the mild stinging sensation from before was gone, and his hand had nearly fully healed.
Closing his eyes, Tristan focused on his surroundings. The dungeon was still filled with students, so engaged in battles while others took the opportunity to rest. The absence of clocks and watches in the dungeon made it challenging for students to gauge the ti. The only reference they had was the quest announcents that typically occurred three days from the start of the exam.
With professors usually issuing quests in the morning, students relied on these announcents to approximate the ti outside the dungeon.
Tristan contemplated the unknown duration of his nap and wondered about the progress of others in the exam.
'Maybe around 4 hours at most?'
Getting up, Tristan stretched his muscles, feeling the satisfying crack of joints. He reached for his large backpack, a reliable companion containing various supplies for his dungeon exploration.
As he stood there, he pondered his next move. The lower floors beckoned him, a place where his master warned of an ominous presence. Tristan felt a sense of responsibility to confront this potential threat, but this ti, he was determined not to face it impulsively. Plans and strategies needed to be in place.
"I need to find Senior Evadne and et up with Alex and the others," he thought, considering the importance of having a united front against whatever danger lay ahead.
Despite his desire not to involve others in this personal and selfish quest of his, he couldn't shake the feeling that the impending challenge was too perilous to face alone.
'Whatever's lurking down there is probably more dangerous than that serpent I defeated'
With a decisive resolve, Tristan left the boss area, ready to seek out his companions.
...
'Hahaha' this is really fun!' I inwardly thought.
Watching Liam's figure retreat with a mixture of fear and desperation, I couldn't help but find amusent in the situation. The thrill of the chase and the panic on his face added to the enjoynt of the spectacle.
Beside , the two remaining girls trembled in fear, their pleas for rcy resonating in my ears. The contrast between the black-haired girl's apology and the orange-haired one's tearful prayers to a church pendant around her neck was almost comical.
"P-please don't kill us," begged the black-haired girl with desperation in her eyes. Her companion, overwheld by fear, continued to cry and plead for salvation...
"I-I'm sorry…. I'm sorry! I'll be a better person I'm sorry, please save goddess" anwhile the girl with orange hair was practically crying and praying to the church of light necklace on her neck.
I chuckled inwardly.
'Hahaha, save you? There's no way that bitch of a goddess will save you in any way shape or form'
The irony of praying to that bitch was a bit amusing.
It seed that the camaraderie I had assud existed among them was more one-sided than I thought, as Liam abandoned them without a second glance.
'Did he even notice he left them behind?'
Observing the two trembling girls, I couldn't help but find their reaction both amusing and pitiful. The re release of my aunt's aura seed to be too much for their mortal minds to handle, freezing them in their tracks as Liam dashed away without sparing them a second glance.
The comical aspect of the situation struck , especially considering the fear evident in the liquid streaming down their legs. Their involuntary reaction, marked by their crotches visibly wetting themselves, was a blend of both pity and amusent. It was as if the re sight of had turned them into quivering, frightened beings.
"Do you two want to live?"
I inquired, observing their widened eyes as they processed the fact that I was now speaking in a proper, human voice.
The abrupt shift from the deep, rusty monster-like tone I had used earlier caught them off guard, and my newfound humanity seed to be more of a shock than the offer of survival.
"…."
"A-a person?" stamred the orange-haired girl, her surprise evident.
"W-what do we need to do?" quickly retorted the black-haired girl, displaying a notable level of intelligence by seeking clarity on the terms and conditions of their potential survival.
In response, I knelt down, reaching out to gently caress one of the black-haired girl's cheeks. She trembled at my touch, reluctantly closing her eyes in a mix of fear and dissatisfaction.
"What's your na?" I inquired.
"C-Crystal Riverwalk…." she answered hesitantly.
"Crystal, huh? You have a beautiful na" I remarked, attempting to ease the tension. However, my complint seed to have the opposite effect, as Crystal, now even more afraid, shrank back, avoiding the gaze of my eyes beyond the mask.
Realizing that prolonged interaction might lead to them passing out from fear, I got straight to the point.
I didn't even bother asking the other girl as she was in a worse state of fear than crystal.
"The man who just left you two behind... bring one of his limbs, and I shall let you both live."
The two girls just stared at in shock, the weight of my demand sinking in.
Reviews
All reviews (0)