The entire team walked through the immense cave. The formation was as follows: four warriors at the front, snipers in the second row, and supports in the third.
After walking for a while, we reached a crossroads with eight paths to choose from. At the crossroads, Nameless, who was floating, was waiting for me.
-Which path should we take?-
Shiva asked me.
-Hey Ian, do you know where to go?-
Jack also asked his gunner; often, gunners or archers acted as scouts because of their incredible senses during battle.
-I don't know-
"The fifth path is the correct one," whispered Nameless.
-The fifth path seems like the best option-
I stepped forward and stood before the fifth path.
"Listen, among all the paths I found, this one was the shortest option, but it also had slightly higher difficulty. However, there were fewer traps, and it would be safer to cross."
«Thanks, Nameless. I hope your recommendation isn't wrong.»
-We'll take the fifth path-
-You're just a warrior. Who do you think you are to tell us where to go?-
I sighed in annoyance. These kinds of people, who believed defamatory rumors, were the most troublesome in extermination teams.
-Miguel, can you shoot the other paths, please?-
-Alright...-
Miguel pulled out a gun with blue details that visibly emanated magical power.
He aimed and pulled the trigger without hesitation, targeting all paths except mine.
*Boom!
Suddenly, magical power began to erupt from the ground on the other paths, triggering explosions, avalanches, and clouds filled with poisonous dust.
These were the most common traps in large dungeons.
The rest of the team was surprised by the hidden traps in the seven paths, leaving only the fifth one intact.
-Now do you doubt his ability, Jack? He might not have archery or artillery talents, but his senses are commendable. He's helped us multiple times. It's better to follow him and not question him-
«Oh… wow, the arrogant lady is complimenting me... I think I'll stop hating you for today»
In any case, our team walked down the fifth path.
The path was completely silent; only the wind from the entrance blew against our backs.
After ten minutes of tense walking...
«Enemies ahead. Be careful»
-There's a monster ahead-
Floating and shimmering in the air was a monster known as Ignis. They were about the size of a ball, seemingly at C-rank, but these monsters were very fast and difficult to hit.
-Can you see it?-
Shiva asked.
-Yes. I think we must eliminate them all to move to the next phase-
Sometimes dungeons had phases. If the boss monster wasn't present, we would have to find the method to activate it to proceed.
-...Can you really see in this darkness? I don't believe you-
-It's up to you to believe me or not, just follow my lead, idiot-
-What did you say?!-
-You two shut up and get ready for battle-
Shiva said as she raised her whip.
-Does anyone know water magic?-
Jack asked, looking around. But there was no one with water magic. Jack didn't seem too disappointed as he lifted his sword.
-Let's finish this quickly-
I drew my sword; an Ignis should be at least C or D rank.
Eight people would be more than enough to kill them, but what worried me was how easy it seemed.
The team members moved forward, senses heightened.
-Oh, there they are-
Jack pointed to the Ignis floating in the air.
Shiva swung her whip, hitting one of the Ignis, but pure physical attacks didn't work.
-What?!-
-...Shiva, you forgot that Ignis can only be hit with mana-imbued attacks or magical weapons-
Shiva gave me a slightly angry look but then infused her attack with magical power, successfully killing the Ignis.
In the blink of an eye, the Ignis were annihilated.
-That was very easy. That was incredible, Miss Shiva-
Jack praised Shiva, and she smiled back, ignoring her earlier mistake. Well, that was his job as a bootlicker, who was I to judge now?
«Nameless, how does it feel to see a member of your family killed?»
"Shut up! That thing is nothing like me!"
After teasing my companion, Jack walked toward Shiva until a sound echoed all around us.
"That kid... activated one of the traps."
I reacted quickly, managing to cut something in midair.
-What is that?-
Miguel asked, holding an object in his hand. When I looked, I noticed it was half an arrow, specifically the tip.
«It's broken... it must be what I just cut»
After that, everyone stared at me, terrified, upon discovering the arrow.
Unknowingly, I let out a dry cough and boasted:
-Heh, it's nothing. We're companions, after all-
-Wow, bro, I knew your senses were sharp but not that sharp.-
Miguel said with curiosity.
I now felt nervous. I couldn't tell them I had a ghost by my side, or they would think I was either a Daemon or crazy.
-...I'm just very sensitive, that's all-
I was lucky to cut that; luck was my highest stat. All eight of us had perception levels surpassing ordinary humans. If the others hadn't noticed, I barely managed to.
-Let's go-
Shiva spoke, looking at me, though I noticed she was biting her lips.
When we arrived at a dead-end, all that was ahead was a massive rock wall.
Jack tried to break the rock wall but I quickly grabbed his wrist.
-Why are you stopping me?! Let me go!-
-You don't understand. If you destroy the wall, we'll only delay ourselves compared to the other groups. It's a key piece to move to the next phase-
After my harsh words, Jack yanked his hand free while keeping his head down.
I walked toward the wall, extended my hand, and started infusing mana into it, causing the wall itself to shine with a blue light.
*Flash
A blinding light covered the entire group.
The dungeon changed—now it looked like we were inside an Aztec temple, where moss and plants covered the structures.
There were many murals referencing ancient Aztec sacrifices, worshipping what appeared to be one of their many deities.
A gust of wind rushed through the enormous temple, but instead of being fresh, it was hot and a bit annoying.
Without hesitation, we ventured deeper into the Aztec temple until we encountered a staircase leading downward.
Each step we took toward the temple's lower floor, the structure's color began to turn reddish. Breathing became slightly difficult, and the temperature kept rising.
-It's so hot...-
I murmured while taking off my vest; everyone else did the same, except Shiva, who stayed fully clothed while sweating buckets, stubbornly preserving her dignity.
«This girl sure has a lot of pride.»
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew.
It was so powerful it could easily launch a person into the air. Everyone used their magical power to anchor themselves to the ground and avoid being blown away.
***
Meanwhile, the Department of Security had declared a state of emergency.
-What?! How did the artificial dungeon mutate?!-
-That's correct-
Not only had the academy's security arrived at the artificial island, but so had the professors.
Unlike previously created artificial dungeons, there was now a real dungeon that blocked any external access and radiated a strong mana wave.
-How is it possible that the artificial dungeon turned real, and why didn't we know about it earlier?! What the hell is the research department doing?!-
Professor Nishizono severely scolded one of the many researchers responsible for creating the artificial dungeon.
-Well... it seems someone provided enough magical power to force an evolution, turning the artificial dungeon into a real one. That's why we didn't detect any change in the mana frequency-
-What?!-
-It looks like someone hacked the academy's security systems and placed an object with immense magical power to trigger the dungeon's evolution. Due to the security system attack, we couldn't detect any anomalies inside the dungeon-
-Then what the hell are you doing?! Regain control now!-
-We tried, but now the dungeon is beyond our control. The magical beasts inside are beginning to mutate into true monsters. The only thing we can do is regulate the mana flow to prevent the monsters' evolution from spreading further-
Nishizono growled as he thought about the whole situation.
If what the researcher said was true, it meant someone had hacked Wellston's security, which was extremely unlikely since the security system had been created by David Martínez, the smartest man in the world.
-I see I arrived a little late...-
-Vice Director Owens...-
In response to the chilling voice, Nishizono turned his head.
At first glance, the man looked normal for someone in his forties, but his mere gaze was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
Pale skin resembling that of a corpse and an aura difficult to ignore.
Owens, an A-rank hunter said to be close to reaching S-rank.
A mage who belonged to the Italian Magic Tower and graduated with high honors, later joining the faculty and rapidly ascending to Vice Director.
Nishizono didn't trust that man much, as he always felt he was hiding a dark secret.
-How's the situation? Is it possible to enter the dungeon?-
Owens asked the researcher.
-No, it's impossible. The researchers lost control of the artificial dungeon-
-I see... Then we must wait patiently until the students fail and die-
As Owens spoke with disdain, the rest of the professors grew increasingly nervous, visibly terrified and lowering their heads.
It was said that he didn't consider weak and incompetent people as human beings, and now it seemed the rumors were true.
-Enough, Vice Director! If you know that no one can enter the dungeon, why torment the staff?!-
Owens stared at Nishizono, who remained unshaken, and gave him a sinister smile. The other professors didn't understand its meaning, but Nishizono knew it very well.
It was a clear expression of mockery directed at him.
-You talk too much for someone who can't even accomplish a trivial task, B-rank-
Those words were enough to enrage anyone, but Nishizono didn't fall for the provocation, knowing it was just part of Owens' twisted personality.
All Nishizono could do was pray that there wouldn't be too many casualties. Some of those students had survived the Daemon incident in Washington D.C., including that boy Alan Harwey, who managed to deceive a Daemon and defeat it with Hanami and Hajime's help.
-Prepare body containers-
Owens coldly ordered the staff, while Nishizono closed his eyes and prayed.
«Please... let the kids come out alive and safe...»
***
We walked for about 20 minutes. It seemed the advance team had cleared most of the monsters, but the dungeon was designed so that each team entered through different routes. Therefore, we all headed south. After a few seconds, we could see monsters ahead.
-Oh?-
There were 9 Ignis and 1 Salamander visible in the small craters up ahead.
-There are 10 in total, it looks like it will be tough-
After hearing me, everyone raised their weapons.
Killing the Ignis could be a problem. Since this was an area overflowing with heat, their power must have increased. Besides, there was a huge Salamander. Cutting through its scales would be a problem unless it attacked me with its fire breath.
-Looks like this will be a bit easy this time-
-...If you're so good, then let's make a bet-
Jack said, pointing his sword at me. It seemed he still held a grudge from being corrected earlier.
I was strong enough to beat him, and just as I was about to accept—
*Whish!
A whip came flying instantly, striking the ground between Jack and me.
-...!-
-...!-
Jack and I turned toward Shiva, who said with a cold face:
-Focus, boys-
She spoke while tightening and snapping her whip firmly.
-Yes, ma'am-
-Yes, ma'am-
***
At the same time, Hanami's team was facing many difficulties, mainly because of Dilan—a warrior whose body had been paralyzed by a dust cloud and badly wounded in the leg by a trap.
-Where the hell did that arrow and that dust cloud come from?!-
Hanami grumbled as Dilan muttered in a low voice:
-Please... leave me behind...-
-Leave you behind? No way. Stay put for now-
-What should we do?-
Josh, their teammate, asked.
-Wait here for now. I think the dungeon boss is just ahead-
-Can you see it, Hanami?-
Hanami looked into the distance using her [Clairvoyance (B)] ability, which allowed her to see across long distances.
Through a haze of smoke, Hanami spotted a massive statue of a knight made of rock. The rocks on its body were starting to smoke from the high temperature, and its armor was turning red as red veins spread slowly across its surface.
-That big guy must be the boss-
The aura it emitted was undeniable.
It was a Sentinel, a monster ranked at C-level—tough enough that many hunters of the same rank would have a hard time taking it down. Hanami's team had managed to reach this far, but defeating it was impossible for now. Even if Dilan recovered, their firepower wouldn't be enough to overcome the giant monster.
-Defeating it will be impossible for now. We need extra support from the other teams-
Other students might have thought the choice of path was random, but Hanami knew something others didn't: a path would disappear once three teams entered it.
-Remember, we are evaluated based on our individual performance, not on who finishes first-
Even while staring at the massive Sentinel, Hanami's instincts were screaming at her not to fight.
«How strange... why do I feel like this Sentinel is different from the other monsters we've faced?»
Hanami thought.
Meanwhile, the Sentinel began to move, releasing a huge surge of magical power as the red veins spread more and more until they covered its entire body.
The artificial boss had evolved into a real one.
***
-Listen, there are a lot of Komodos near us-
The Komodos were small lizard-like creatures ranked at D-level. They were named Komodos because they resembled Komodo dragons. Their size was a little larger than a snake's, and they always had flames on their backs. They could also accumulate energy in their mouths to unleash fire breath.
-We'll have to kill the Komodos, then-
The Komodos always traveled in groups and were difficult to kill due to their speed. They were not easy opponents because of their [Desertic] ability, which drastically increased their resistance and magic attack power in hot areas like this dungeon. If you had no combat experience, you would have a hard time surviving.
-But who's going to distract the Ignis in the meantime?-
-I can do it-
Miguel raised his hand at Jack's question.
-I'm fast and resilient. Plus, I can use [Relay] to confuse them even more-
-Alright-
-Komodos are very agile in these hot territories. Be careful-
-Then I'll count on you to cover me-
At that moment, Shiva and Miguel cast several buffs, enhancing our resistance, strength, and speed.
*Clap
Miguel swapped his position with a rock and then shouted loudly. The Ignis and the Komodos started moving toward Miguel.
Jack and I took the opportunity and ran toward the enemy line.
With one mana-infused slash, I killed an Ignis in a single blow.
Jack threw his sword with a strong breath, managing to clash with a Komodo. A flash was produced by the collision of mana and the Komodo's scales. Jack's attack distracted the Komodo long enough for Miguel to shoot it through the head.
Jack's team began to do the same—distracting the Komodos while Miguel swapped positions and shot them in the head. Jack cut the monsters' hind legs to slow them down.
I kept cutting down the Ignis, preventing them from gathering more mana—otherwise, they might explode like bombs.
I used [Fencer] and [Boost] to kill three Komodos, slicing off their heads.
Shiva began whipping the Komodos, generating strong electric shocks that paralyzed them momentarily, allowing Jack to finish them off.
Killing Komodos wasn't easy—they were very agile and hard to cut unless you landed a clean hit. Still, after killing two more Komodos, the battle finally ended. Then, we jointly attacked the remaining six Komodos Miguel was distracting.
-It's over. I managed to kill six thanks to Miss Shiva-
-That's good to hear. Now let's count them-
We approached the monster corpses and began counting.
One… two… three… twenty.
We had killed them all.
But there was something strange about their bodies—each seemed to emit magical power and were disappearing slowly when they normally should have vanished instantly.
"!!Back!!"
Nameless shouted, and I saw a light coming from the distance.
My mind went blank. A Komodo, covered in red veins, was accumulating heat in its mouth—something mana beasts weren't supposed to do.
A pillar-sized fire beam erupted from its mouth.
Everyone froze. It felt like time had stopped. Miguel wouldn't react fast enough, and the maximum number of people he could swap was four—meaning some of us would die.
I gritted my teeth and wrapped the [Twilight Sword] in darkness element. There were two ways to counter an attack like that: either have a high-level talent capable of cutting magic or counter it with another attack of equal caliber.
I traced a vertical slash of darkness, cutting the pillar of flames in two. In the process, I sliced the monster in half.
The attack nearly exhausted me, but I was only left breathing heavily. I collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion.
-T-That wasn't a mana beast...-
Jack said, terror clear on his face. It looked like he was about to have a panic attack.
-If that attack had hit us, we'd be dead...-
"Just in time."
«Thanks, buddy. If that had hit us, we would've been seriously injured.»
After that, the team started commenting.
-Hey bro, the Komodo is dead, but... is it normal for a beast to bleed?-
Miguel asked, pointing slowly at the monster's corpse, which was now slowly oozing blood.
I looked at the other Komodo corpses and noticed some also had red veins appearing in parts of their bodies—the Komodos we killed were in the middle of evolving into real Komodos.
-T-Then it wasn't a mana beast, but a real monster?! That should be impossible! There were no irregularities in the dungeon!-
Jack said, shocked and frightened.
To be honest, I was surprised too. Mana beasts weren't supposed to have the power of real monsters; they could injure but not kill a human. Generally, when a mana beast was defeated, it would immediately disappear and be converted into data sent to the Wellston scientists' computers, simulating the real monster's behavior.
-Jack, get a grip!-
-How do you expect me to calm down after all this...?! Sorry, you're right-
Jack was about to explode in rage but calmed down when facing Shiva.
-No one told us this would happen-
-It can happen. It's possible a normal lizard naturally evolved into a Komodo because of the dungeon's environment. After all, even though this is an artificial dungeon, it still contains mana-
-...-
Faced with Shiva's calm explanation, Jack stayed silent, caught his breath, and calmed down. Shiva was always like that—but Jack calming down so quickly was surprising; a normal person wouldn't react like that.
However...
The scientists monitored the artificial dungeon every second, and it was unlikely they would miss the evolution of mana beasts because the dungeon had mana level radars inside.
-Are you okay?-
Shiva asked me, probably because I was directly in the path of the fire breath.
-Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired-
-What the hell was that just now, brother?-
Miguel asked when I wanted to answer, but Jack approached me angrily, causing a scene.
-What?... Hey, what's wrong with you?-
-If you had a darkness element, why didn't you say so from the beginning?!-
-I couldn't, because I can't fully control it yet. Besides, you only asked for people with water elements!-
Also, using it leaves me exhausted because I can't control it properly yet. When I reach C-rank, maybe that side effect will lessen.
-You son of a bitch...-
-Silence. Let's get out of here. What just happened should get us extra points since we killed a real monster and risked our lives-
Shiva said while looking at the Komodo's corpse.