> đź’¬ Author's Note
Featured in Webnovel's Fresh Stories today (June 3rd)!
If you're new here — welcome to Stigma: The Sharpshooter of Diamond. You're joining at a huge turning point in the story.
If you enjoy the world, the mystery, and Paul's journey, drop a comment, vote with a Power Stone, or just say hi below! Your support means everything right now.
Let's keep rising together.
— Author
**Chapter 8: Dungeon Raid**
According to the World Knowledge, Mira might be the next target. I didn't have solid proof yet, so I decided to wait and watch.
---
**Hallway, Diamond Academy**
"What are you doing, Gunman?" a cadet sneered as I passed by.
"You're a cadet of Diamond, yet you carry a gun? That's not very heroic."
I didn't respond. He tried to grab my shoulder, but I stepped aside with a swift movement. He stumbled and nearly fell.
The hallway burst into laughter.
"Serves him right," someone chuckled.
"How dare you—!"
Before the situation escalated, Saul stepped in. "Enough. That's enough."
Female cadets whispered, "That's Saul Mayne..."
At that moment, Instructor Park Leon stormed in.
"What's all this noise? I told you to train, not gossip like brats! Gather around. These are the results of your last written exam."
Everyone turned to the large digital board:
1. Paul Wayne
2. Rachel Queen
3. Louis Hall
4. Demetri Valen...
"First place...?" I muttered.
I barely answered two out of the three questions. How\...?
As I turned around, I caught Rachel Queen staring at me. My gut sank.
"...Ah, crap," I muttered to myself.
Uproar spread through the class.
"How did he get first place?!"
"Maybe he cheated," someone accused.
Instructor Leon shut it down. "No one can cheat in these exams. Paul Wayne earned his rank. His answers were concise and showed deep understanding. I was impressed. I didn't even know we had someone this sharp in Class Veritas."
After the instructor left, chatter continued. I checked my system quietly.
**\[SP Earned: +80]**
"Not bad. Time to enhance my weapon," I muttered, slipping out of the room.
---
**Paul's Room**
I sat on my bed and opened the weapon customization tab. Channeling SP through my stigma, I modified the Iron Maw into a sleeker, long-range sniper rifle. Designed for precision kills.
"This will do nicely," I said, admiring the scope.
---
**Classroom**
Rachel sat at her desk, fists clenched.
"How did Paul Wayne beat me...?" she whispered. Her eyes lit up with fire. "I need to study more."
Somewhere across campus, I sneezed.
"...Someone's talking about me."
**\[SP Earned: +50]**
"I'll put it to good use," I said, smiling.
Suddenly, Instructor Leon's voice came through the speakers.
"Another student has gone missing. All cadets must exercise caution when returning to dorms."
I narrowed my eyes.
"I know who the culprit is. But without proof, I can't act yet."
---
**Training Grounds**
Instructor Park Leon addressed us.
"Today's outdoor training will be a live dungeon raid. This is a school-manufactured dungeon, but don't take it lightly. Injuries and death are very possible."
The class tensed.
"You'll work in teams, mixing with other classes. However, you'll still keep your original squad structure."
I looked around until I saw my team: Mira, Izuki, and Jake. I rushed over.
Mira glanced at me, then looked away with a slight huff.
"I'm scared," Izuki admitted.
"Me too," Jake added. "But we'll do our best."
I spotted Saul briefing his team. Their leader was a confident girl named Jo Yoon.
Nearby, a foreign cadet caught my eye. Robert from Alurcon International—an elite cadet known for top-tier magic and swordsmanship. He seemed busy trying to impress Lila Dawn.
"Hello," Robert said to her.
Lila raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
"I'm Robert. We're the same age."
"Okay," she said flatly.
His eyes sparkled. I shook my head.
"Hopeless," I muttered.
Just then, another student approached.
"Hey, I'm Jay," he introduced. "My team includes Jin, Oh, and Jinxia."
Mira took charge. "We're Jake, Izuki, and... Gunman."
"My name is Paul," I corrected quietly.
Jay raised a brow. "Are you that gun guy?"
He was clearly trying to provoke me. I ignored him.
"Everyone, get ready!" Park Leon shouted.
One by one, teams entered the dungeon. Finally, it was our turn.
---
**Inside the Dungeon**
We reached a chamber with seven doors, each marked A to G.
"Where should we go?" Mira asked.
"Let's pick B," Jay said.
I stayed quiet, expecting to be ignored. To my surprise, Mira turned to me.
"What about you?"
I pointed randomly at F.
"Let's go with F," she said.
Jay protested. "Why listen to him?"
"He might not look it, but he has sharp senses," Mira replied.
I blinked. "I hope she doesn't ask me for anything later."
---
**Path F**
Five minutes into the corridor, I stopped.
"There's something ahead. A monster."
"What? I can't see anything!" Jay scoffed. "Stop lying."
"Suit yourself," I muttered.
"You bastard—"
"Quiet," Mira said, her eyes narrowing. "There's a golem up ahead."
"Get ready for battle."
With a sigh, she drew her weapon—a glowing whip etched with runes.
The dungeon raid had officially begun.
---
**\[End of Chapter 8]**
*Note: Paul Wayne, Mira Roodes, Izuki, Jake, Jay, Jin, Oh, and Jinxia are part of the same joint dungeon raid team.*
*Paul belongs to Class Veritas, which includes several major characters.*