As the group were busy doing other stuff, I stood busy sharpening my blades clearly pretending to do sothing.
He wasn’t thinking about the fight earlier, or the path they still had to travel.
Instead, his mind wandered to sothing else—sothing that hadn’t even happened yet.
It was a mory from the novel he had once read.
(Before the midterm trials were over, an assassin had appeared).
(i don’t rember about the group three and clearly the novel was mostly focussed on the group one and two)
(since there are 4 assassins in the group two to appear, i should at least diverge one of them)
(so the rest of them could handle three of the assassin)
(i dont have the strength to take head on, therefore i should at least use other strategy!)
Kael clenched his jaw, finishing one final stroke on his blade.
(If I’m right... the assassin will appear in less ti. And this ti....)
Kael rembered it vividly from the novel he had read.
"Let’s move", said edwin.
Cecelia looked for kael.
Kael walked silently at the rear of the group, his hand brushing the wall as they passed deeper into the mountain.
As they went deeper and deeper, the dungeon walls had shifted—more ancient, layered with tiworn carvings half-buried under moss and mana erosion. But Kael recognized them.
(These patterns... this is it.)
He had read about this place in the novel. A chamber buried near a forgotten route—never explored by the protagonists, only ntioned in passing.
Kael quietly stepped forward, tilting his head toward the wall as if checking for stability.
But he wasn’t checking.
He was reading.
Ancient symbols were carved into a slanted wall—so were damaged and worn away, but one was still clear. Kael leaned in and narrowed his eyes. As he got closer, a symbol began to glow faintly.
Suddenly, his vision blurred for a second.
Then, without hearing any sound, words appeared in his mind:
"The Coin isn’t where trees rot, but where ashes bleed. Under the broken altar, in the Wastes where demons cried."
Kael’s heartbeat sped up.
(That’s it. One of the Ancient Coins... it’s not in this dungeon. It’s hidden in the ruins under an old altar, far away—in the Demon Wastes.)
(But where the hell in the world is that now?)
Kael was down for that.
He quickly drew a rough map showing where he thought the coin might be. Then he folded the paper and hid it inside his pocket again.
No one noticed.
But Cecelia,
"Kael," Cecilia called. "You alright?"
"Yeah," he said casually. "Just making sure we’re not walking into a collapse zone."
"Did sothing happen to you? You don’t seem to be alright! Are you?", she asked calmly.
He replied, "nothing happened, i just had a headache over the dust from this tunnel" he lied.
Then she handed an elixir of Mind ease tonic.
"Drink this and you will be alright"
"Thank you "
She nodded and turned.
Monts later, as they moved through the tight corridor lit only by torchlight, Cecilia froze.
Then she gasped sharply, her eyes wide.
"Why are you leaving ?" she whispered.
Kael stopped, blinking. "What?"
"You... you’re all leaving !" she shouted, eyes panicked, as if seeing sothing none of them could.
The others turned, startled.
"Cecilia!" Edwin called, stepping forward.
But she raised her hands defensively, flas igniting around her fingertips.
"Don’t co closer!"
She was caught in an illusion.
Edwin moved slowly. "Cecilia. Look at . Breathe."
She trembled.
"No one’s leaving you," he said softly. "It’s a trick. You’re seeing fear, not a fact."
Her eyes were flickering of confusion battling fear. The flas wavered.
"Everyone be cautious, this is the illusion trap" said Edwin.
"You’re not alone." said Edwin.
Her lips parted slightly—and then, like mist clearing, the fear faded from her face. The fire vanished from her hands. She blinked rapidly.
"What happened? Weren’t we at the war", she murmured.
"We have entered the illusion trap, be careful Cecelia", he said.
"Okay".
Around her, the others were beginning to feel it too.
One student suddenly scread, "Get away from !"
Another dropped their staff and backed into the wall, eyes wide in panic. "They’re all dead!
No—no, please—don’t leave here!"
The tunnel had beco a trap of the mind.
Edwin’s eyes flickered around. "Illusion magic," he muttered. Then more loudly, "Everyone! Stay calm! This is an illusion trap. What you’re seeing isn’t real!"
"It’s a trick. You’re seeing fear, not a fact."
"Don’t listen to the illusion," Edwin said again.
But it was useless.
But screams echoed again from behind them.
One boy clutched his head and shouted, "Make it stop!"
Another student fell to his knees, trembling, shouting sothing about monsters.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
(We don’t have ti to calm each person one by one...)
Then he used ideas about sothing.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small Elixir Fragnt—a crystalized powder left from a magical tonic ant to calm down.
"Edwin!" Kael called. "Take this!"
Edwin turned. Kael tossed the fragnt to him.
"Use your strength—break it midair and release the essence. It might snap everyone out of it at once!"
Edwin didn’t hesitate. He raised his sword, gripped the fragnt in his other hand, and focused.
Then—with a sharp swing—he struck it.
CRACK!
The Elixir Fragnt burst into a glowing blue mist. It spread quickly through the air, filling the tunnel with a cool, calming light.
One by one, the students gasped as the illusions faded. Eyes cleared. Screams stopped.
Breathing was slowed.
Everyone looked around—confused, but safe.
Edwin looked at Kael. "Thanks... That was smart thinking."
Kael simply nodded. "This was nothing, Cecelia gave that and though it would work"
Kael simply nodded. "This was nothing. Cecilia gave that earlier—thought it might co in handy."
The group gathered again, shaken but more cautious. So exchanged quiet glances, grateful.
Professor Yulia, observing from the back, marked her paper silently—two neat ticks beside Edwin and Kael’s nas.
She gave a small nod of approval before following the group deeper into the tunnel.
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