For the next few hours, the group pressed deeper into the Dungeon. The eerie silence was frequently broken by the sounds of combat as more monsters appeared in their path. Alongside the familiar skeletons and zombies, new threats emerged.
Larger, hulking zombies, their rotting flesh bulging with unnatural muscles, stumbled forward with relentless force. These abominations took multiple coordinated spells to bring down, their sheer durability forcing even the most experienced students to remain vigilant.
Adding to the challenge were skeletal mages—liches. Those creatures with hollow eyes were capable of striking from afar and at high speeds with destructive spells. Erik tightened his grip every time he saw one.
If he was here alone, without anyone to rely on, left to his demise could he beat them? Erik shook his head. He might take down a few liches or archers, but exhaustion would eventually leave him vulnerable.
This was weird, he wasn’t one to self-doubt usually. The oppressive pressure he felt here was just too strong, making his bravado disappear.
Between battles, Kyle walked near Erik and his friends, his expression tense. “The boss of this Dungeon is probably an elder lich,” he mused. “Or some type of undead capable of summoning creatures.”
“Is that bad,” Colin asked.
Kyle looked back with a faint smile. “They’re some of the most annoying enemies but it means their power is more distributed among their summons and won’t be so strong by itself.”
The group kept on exploring, each step weighed down by the increasing danger of the Dungeon. Tensions were high, but the students moved in relative unity, their formation steady even after hours of encounters. The battles had taken their toll, however. Many students bore scratches, bruises, and a few minor burns from errant spells. Despite this, there was a determination to press forward.
Without warning, a click echoed through the corridor, louder than any they’d heard before.
“Trap!” someone shouted from the front, but the warning came too late.
The ground beneath them rumbled violently, and then the walls shifted. Erik stumbled as a section of the corridor collapsed on his right with a deafening crash, dust and debris filling the air. A massive stone wall slammed down, splitting the group in half.
“Erik!” Kyle’s voice was muffled, his figure barely visible on the other side of the wall before the dust obscured him entirely.
The boy held his sleeve against his mouth, coughing the dust. “Kyle!” he screamed back. What was this? Erik never even thought this could possibly be a trap. It happened so fast, so without warning that had he been just half a meter to the right, he wouldn’t been crushed by the wall. In fact, it was a miracle that no one seemed to have suffered injuries from it.
“D-Damn it!” Colin cursed, his voice shaking. “What do we do now?”
Erik glanced to his side, searching for familiarity amid the chaos. Colin stood nearby, his brow furrowed in concentration, while Emilia clutched her pillow like a lifeline. Her wide eyes darted nervously around the chamber, her usual calm nowhere to be seen. The quips and grins he’d come to expect from her had vanished, replaced by an uncharacteristic silence that spoke volumes.
Aria’s was vanishing, however. She must’ve gotten stuck on the other side with Kyle.
“Everyone, stop and breathe!” Helen’s voice rang out, commanding the remaining group. She stood in the front, her steady presence keeping the students from spiraling into panic. “Panicking won’t help. Let’s assess the situation.”
The murmurs of fear quieted as everyone turned to her. She was clearly respected by the people here as a proven leader, whether it was because of her might or intelligence Erik wasn’t so sure yet, however.
Helen placed a hand against the wall, closing her eyes briefly before shaking her head. “This wall isn’t coming down—not without advanced magic we don’t have right now.”
From the other side, Professor George’s voice broke through faintly. “Miss Drakemore! Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” Helen replied loudly. “Are you okay over there?”
“We’re fine,” George shouted back, though his voice was faint. “Is everyone on your side okay?”
“We’re intact,” Helen assured him after glancing at the students. “What’s the plan, Professor?”
George paused before answering “This wall’s solid,” he said in a calm tone. There’s no mapped path back. If one exists, it’ll take hours, maybe days, to find—and we can’t risk that.”
“Agreed,” Helen called back. “Our best option is to descend further. Dungeon paths often reconnect on deeper floors.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” George said. “Stick together, keep moving forward, and we’ll regroup as soon as possible.”
“You too. Stay safe,” Helen replied, her tone resolute. She turned back to her side of the group, her sharp gaze sweeping over the students. “You heard him. We’re moving forward. Follow my lead, and we’ll get through this.”
“What about Kyle and the others…” Erik muttered to himself.
Colin placed a hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Professor George will keep them safe Erik, now let’s keep together,” his tone was unusually serious.
Emilia nodded silently, her usual sleepiness replaced by a rare intensity.
Erik took a deep breath, nodding. He tightened his grip on his gauntlets, feeling the cold metal against his skin. If Kyle wasn’t here to guide him, he’d have to rely on Helen and trust Colin and Emilia to have his back. He also couldn’t afford to be a deadweight right now, fear wouldn’t rule Erik Blake from now on.
‘We’ll see each other again,’ he thought. ‘We have to.’
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“Move, Erik!” Colin’s shout barely reached him over the clash of bone and the groans of the undead. Erik ducked just in time as a skeletal archer’s arrow whizzed past his head, embedding itself in the wall.
Erik gritted his teeth, prepared to retaliate. He built mana around his fist before releasing it in fire. “[Fireball]” he shouted, launching the projectile. It exploded in a boom as it smashed the archer’s ribs and shattered its brittle frame.
“Behind you!” Emilia’s voice cut through the chaos.
Erik turned, raising his gauntlets instinctively. A hulking zombie, much bigger than the others, loomed over him, its grotesque form dripping with black fluids. The creature swiped with its massive claws, forcing Erik to step back, each blow shaking the ground as it struck near his feet.
Emilia swung her glowing pillow artifact, mist erupting from the strike as it collided with the zombie’s arm. The creature stumbled, letting out a guttural groan, giving Erik the opening he needed.
He dashed forward, flames igniting around his fists. With a roar, he drove an [Ablaze] into the zombie’s chest. The explosion of fire engulfed the creature, turning its flesh into mush.
“Nice one!” Colin shouted as his wind attacks cut the legs of a skeletal warrior, making them fall before he finished them off with a [Wind Sphere].
As the dust settled, Erik stood panting, the glow of his magic fading.
“Good work,” Helen said, stepping forward to check the path ahead.
The group moved to a defensible corner of the corridor, where Helen called for a rest. Erik slumped against the wall, his gauntlets feeling heavier than ever. Colin dropped to the floor beside him, wiping sweat from his brow, while Emilia perched on her pillow, still clutching it tightly.
Despite their exhaustion, there was a strange sense of accomplishment between them.
Erik’s thoughts drifted as Helen addressed the group. “The 5th years are running low on mana,” she said, her tone serious and yet calm so as to not cause panic. “From now on, we’ll need everyone to step up. If we exhaust ourselves now, we won’t stand a chance against the Dungeon boss.”
Erik glanced at Colin and Emilia, their tired faces mirroring his own. They were first-years, untested and inexperienced, yet now they had to keep fighting like just now. There was no room for hesitation anymore. The veterans needed to conserve their mana, and that meant the younger students had to shoulder more of the burden.
Just thinking about how the monsters looked, however. Their guttural sounds bloodlust. How they would kill him if they had a chance—
No, Erik couldn’t afford to think about that right now. He would rather keep his uncertainty inside for when he’d leave the Dungeon. Right now, hesitation meant death.
For hours, the group pressed onward, their pace slowed by exhaustion and the unrelenting nature of the Dungeon. Every few steps seemed to echo with either the faint sound of distant bones hitting something or the unnerving groans of zombies lingering just beyond sight. Each battle drained their strength, the veterans relying more on the first years as their mana reserves dwindled.
Erik’s legs burned with each step, his gauntlets feeling heavier with every passing hour. Colin, despite his bravery earlier, was now pale and quiet, his breaths shallow. Emilia was quiet, she kept to herself and said she was fine but one could wonder what went through her head.
They descended a staircase one more, the air growing colder. It sent chills through Erik’s body, making his every hair stand up as if the air was filled with malice. Then, they saw it—the boss room.
Massive iron doors loomed at the end of the corridor, their surface etched with strange, twisting runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. Rusted chains hung loosely from the handles, and a heavy aura radiated from the room beyond, pressing against them like a tangible force. Despite the foreboding energy, the area around the doors was eerily quiet.
“Safe zone,” Helen muttered, her voice almost reverent. “As long as those doors stay closed, the boss won’t come near us.”
The group let out a collective sigh of relief, though it was clear their rest would be short-lived.
Near the doors, the other half of their party stood waiting. Professor George, Kyle, and Aria turned as Helen’s group approached, relief etched across their faces. Aria leaned against the wall, her breaths shallow and uneven. Kyle straightened at the sight of them, though the sweat streaking his dirt-smeared face betrayed his fatigue.
Kyle’s grin widened when Erik and the others finally reached them. “You made it.” His voice cracked, but his tone carried unmistakable relief.
“Barely,” Erik rasped, his throat dry. His gaze lingered on the smudges of dirt on Kyle’s face. “You?”
Kyle gave a weak laugh, shaking his head. “Same story. Fewer skeletons, more large zombies. You know the ones.”
“We know,” Colin interjected, sinking to the ground beside Emilia, who perched on her pillow. She stared at the floor, her fingers gripping the fabric tightly.
Aria snorted faintly, attempting to wipe sweat from her brow but smearing dirt instead. “I’m just glad we’re all still in one piece. That wall nearly got us.”
For a moment, silence hung over the reunited groups, their collective exhaustion pressing down like a weight. Erik scanned the faces around him, noting the hollow stares and drooping shoulders. Even the veterans seemed drained, their posture sagging with unspoken fears.
Professor George and Helen exchanged a glance before stepping away from the group. Their voices were low, but Erik caught fragments of their conversation. He leaned against the wall, the chill of the stone seeping through his armor as he strained to listen.
“I used a scroll to warn the Adventurer’s Guild,” George said. “They’ll send reinforcements, but it’ll take them at least a full day to reach us.”
Helen’s eyes narrowed. “A day? We don’t have that long. Staying here will only make it worse. The longer we’re stationary, the more monsters will gather in the dungeon.”
George nodded. “Exactly. If we face the boss, it’s dangerous, but taking it down will stop the monsters from flooding in. It’s our quickest—and possibly safest—way out.”
Helen crossed her arms, her sharp gaze cutting through the group, assessing every one of them. “We’ll need a solid plan. Everyone’s exhausted, and the first-years are already at their breaking points.”
“They’ve been impressive so far,” George replied, a small nod of approval hidden beneath his concern. “But we’re going to need everyone’s strength for this.”
This wasn’t training anymore. It hadn’t been for a while.
“I’m sorry that you guys have to fight,” Kyle said, crossing his arms. “Us being separated in half really exhausted our resources.”
“It's not your fault…” Emilia added in a tired tone, her head deep into the pillow.
Erik’s grip on his gauntlets tightened, his knuckles pressing against the cold metal. His gaze darted between his friends. Their exhaustion pressed on him like a weight he couldn’t shake.
“We chose to come here, we knew the risks,” Colin said.
Erik opened his mouth, then closed it, the words caught in his throat. His hands trembled slightly as he adjusted his gauntlets, trying to keep his mind occupied. They wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him—he’d pushed for this. He swallowed hard, trying to embrace the guilt he felt.
“Yeah, but—” The words faltered, his voice barely audible. What could he say? Apologies wouldn’t fix this. The decision was made. They were all in this now, and hesitation would only slow them down.
Colin gave him a soft look. “We all have our regrets. Right now, we keep moving forward. We get through this, together.”
Erik nodded, though the gesture felt heavier than usual. Despite the bravado he showed in front of other students, here—away from the comforts of training and familiar faces—his inexperience was laid bare. The reassurance from the others was necessary, and it hurt to admit it. It wasn’t something he wanted to acknowledge, but it was the truth of the situation.
The professor and the leader decided to give the group seven hours to rest—a welcome decision after nearly a day without sleep. The exhaustion weighed on Erik’s limbs, the fatigue gnawing at him. He knew sleep wouldn’t come easily, not on the jagged rocks, but he’d try. He would have to.