As my vision returned to me, I found myself laying on the cold hard cobblestone floor of this dungeon I had just been transported into. My inside seethe with with a sick wave of nausea of undergoing the swift vertigo of being pulled into the dungeon gate suddenly, as I gnashed my teeth in pain.

I took a moment, calming my breathing and then turning to look around the dungeon.

I was in an enormous hall like room with both sides of the wall covered with old mouldy moss which I think had grown on the walls over years. There were two enormous metallic doors mounted in front of me, with lanterns placed in a straight line a few feet away from each other, facing against the walls on both sides.

The purple fire burned brilliantly, as it made an eerie atmosphere inside here. But I was getting a really bad feeling.

‘Just where the hell am I?’ I thought, pushing my body upright, as I tried to make left from right of my situation.

But then I suddenly remembered about the window which had yet to generate something when I was—moments before—in the auditorium.

With a command, the system interface appeared in front of me, hovering a feet or two away.

I looked upon the system window which I had barely seen before being sucked into the dungeon gate. And judging from my current situation something felt odd.

____

【Quest】: Clear the Dungeon

【Rank】:

【Description】: ???

【Penalty】: Instant Death / Under the circumstances that the host is unable to clear the criteria of clearing the quest, the quest penatly will issue and the host will instantly die.

____

‘What?’

I incredulously looked at the window as anger rushed up my spine like boiling water. My thoughts were in jeopardy under this fucked situation. I clenched my hands, as I gritted my teeth in anger.

My nervousness sweeping perfectly over my face, as a frown crept its way up my face. I looked through the description, but there wasn’t one this time.

And the dungeon was a rank dungeon. I wasn’t feeling nervous for myself, rather the people who had been transported inside this dungeon alongside me. I had barely been able to look, but before I lost touch with my senses, I was somewhat able to make out of my surroundings, and I was sure that the others were also pulled in here with me.

But not exactly who or how many.

And the really problem will be if only we students were here, and worse if none of the instructors were pulled in here, then everyone would turn out to be in a real predicament. It was a rank dungeon. But that was only a reasonable theory I had came up with. But even considering the worst case scenario wouldn’t help me in here either way.

But if I was alone in a rank dungeon, I would have somewhat been able to make due alone. But if the other students were also in here with me, then that would be extremely terrible.

My strength had now barely reached on equal footing to a rank hunter, if I utilised all of my skill and strengths fighting one. But even still, I wasn’t confident enough in clearing a rank dungeon alone—all on my own.

“Aahh,” I heard the sound of light groans coming from a few feet away from behind me. I turned around and saw that Claire Heartman—the youth that had been sitting beside me in the auditorium a few moments ago—was laying on the floor of this enormous hall. Her cream coloured hair were a big mess, covering almost all of her face, as her eyes slowly opened.

I walked closer to her and extended her a hand. She firmly took hold of my hand, then I helped her to her feet. She rubbed the back of her head gently, as she looked flabbergasted upon seeing the enormous hall we stood in.

“Where are we?” Claire asked, a frown plastering over her porcelain white face, which was obviously pale from suddenly crossing through a dungeon gate.

“As you can see, we are inside a dungeon,” I replied, warily looking around the hall, before my eyes drifted back at her. Her brows furrowed sharply as she heard me.

I quickly withdrew bleak star from the system inventory and hanged it above my hip, also withdrawing the obsidian glove which I had bought from Durand’s shop, I wore it over my left hand. The glove was tattered from many places—from my battle against the millipede with Neil—, but somehow still usable, it could still be used as a support item.

Because I didn’t wanted to take any chances here, now that we were inside a high ranked dungeon.

Claire saw me and quickly withdrew her primary weapon—which was a rapier—, from the inside of her dimensional ring, as she firmly held onto it.

The rapier had a beautiful crest of a lion with beautiful wings over the pommel of the handle. And it was a bright white shade with fiery lines of crimson arching down its sheath.

But my mind quickly went back to the quest window hovering in the air in front of me.

‘Instant Death!’ I thought through gritted teeth as my face turned a shade darker, as my eyes landed on that specific section of the quest. ‘The system always loves to fuck me over without missing any chance it gets!’

“What should we do now?” Claire asked trying to hide the panic in her voice as best as she could, but her demeanour perfectly hinted that she was not used to these kind of situations. But nonetheless, she still tried to put up a facade of bravado to not outright show her panic.

I took a deep breath, calming myself down. Right, being angry or pouring too much mind on these pessimistic thoughts wouldn’t get us anywhere.

I turned to look at the youth and spoke. “Well, the first thing we need to do is to gauge the rank as well as what type of dungeon we are in. And find out if there are others here with us!” I said matter of factly.

I already knew this was a rank dungeon, thanks to the half-ass description the system had provided me with, but I needed to find out what type of dungeon this actually was and what kind of monsters dwell here.

Claire nodded her head nervously and I turned around to look at the enormous doors which stood at the end of this hall.

The echo of my foot rang loudly inside the hall, as I walked over the cobblestone floor. Claire right behind me.

I touched the doors, which were cold and rusted. Mould was growing at the edges of the doors, as I placed both of my hands against the doors and forcefully pushed them forward. But unfortunately, they were stuck to their place.

I cycled the mana inside me, as I pushed harder this time, but the doors didn’t budge one inch. Beside me, Claire had also placed her hands against the doors and was pushing alongside me.

But it was to no avail. The doors didn’t move from their place.

After a few minutes of trying, I stopped with a defeat sigh, then took a few steps backward.

“Claire, step aside,” I voiced, firming my grip over the sheath and handle. In a sharp burst, I released my sword from the inside of the sheath and launched it at the metallic doors. The air around us shook violently, as I saw from the corner of my eye Claire taking a few steps back defensively.

A loud ringing hammered into my ears and entire hall, as I withdrew my sword back into the sheath and looked upon the doors, which still stood without a dent on them. They were much too sturdy to tear them down. I thought touching the hard surface of the doors, running my fingers up and down the door.

“What was that for?” Claire grunted from beside me, with a surprised expression.

“Well, I thought I could cut these doors down to make an entrance for us to move forward, but it didn’t work,” I said, matter of factly.

“Surely,” Claire sighed as she leaned against one of the doors.

Taking a few steps back, I placed my hand over my chin as I began to think. ‘There has to some way to open these doors?’ Like some kind of key, trigger or lever to activate some kind of built-in mechanism!’

I thought with squinted eyes, looking around the doors to search for any way to open them, any point or gap in them which could be a lock or trigger. But my eyes quickly stopped on a small gap hidden behind a narrow slit in the door to my right which was big enough for one of my hand to enter.

I activated Mind’s Eye, and began to observe the doors, there was some kind of pattern installed inside the doors,sole areas which had mana imbued in them. Just like a lock mechanism. I walked closer to the door on my right, I went on one keen, as the gap was at least thigh high, as I hesitantly inserted my hand inside that small gap.

My fingers touched against a hard surface, but there were smaller gaps inside this opening in the door. But big enough to allow three of my fingers to enter.

I channelled the mana inside me and inserted three fingers inside those gaps. I kept observing the way the door reacted to the release of mana, as I kept on releasing sudden bursts and pulses of mana, from weak to strong.

Mana rolled out of the tip of my fingers, as I kept observing the lock mechanism reacting to my mana. I released a quick burst of mana but the door didn’t budge, then released a weak pulse, but the outcome was the same.

“What are you trying to do?” Claire asked, as she leaned closer to me, her hand placed over her knees, as he too observed the opening which I had found in the door.

“I think these doors can be unlocked by releasing some kind of frequency of mana which can trigger the lock mechanism built inside them,” I answered, keeping my focus entirely on the mechanism, and the mana.

I keenly observed how the mana, as well as how the mana residing in the specific areas of the doors reacted to the quick and sudden pulses of mana.

But after trying for a little over twenty minutes, I slumped on the floor, frustrated, clearing the sweat which had accumulated over my forehead, beads running down my temples.

I had used more than half of my mana reservoir trying to trigger the lock, but to no avail.

I sat down crossed legged on the floor, then withdrew a mana recovery potion from the inventory from my limited stock of potions, and chugged it down, as I began to preform a certain type of breathing form—the one which Han had taught me in my past life.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The mana began to coalesce faster towards my body, as I quickly pulled the particles inside through my mana channels and began to refine the raw mana.

“What are you doing?” Claire asked from my side, confused as to what I was doing. This breathing art may have looked absurd to the spectators, but for the one utilising it, it worked like a charm.

“Well, I am trying to recover some of my mana before I try again,” I voiced, focusing on the particles hovering in the air. With each breath I inhaled, the particles were drawn more faster and effectively inside my body.

“Shouldn’t potions be sufficient enough?” Claire asked, as I titled my head at her, continuing the breathing form.

“True... But, becoming too reliable on potions isn’t too good of a thing either," I answered placidly.

“Why so?” Claire inclined her head in question, confused. Her expression perfectly displayed that she hadn’t understood the meaning behind my words.

Because now that potion and herbs had become a common necessity among hunters, which everyone uses to increase their body’s capability to quickly adapt to the changes it goes through due to mana, or else help someone to increase their strength or grow.

I also used herbs and potions, but I was never too reliant on their use, neither did I abuse their use. I mean herbs and potions were good and all to allow a person to grow and help them during their breakthrough, and whatnot, but becoming too lenient on their use isn’t a good thing either.

“Lets say, if a mage uses all of their mana conjuring spell after spell, they go into a state of backlash by overflowing their mana veins by absorbing the mana from the atmosphere—sequentially charging themselves with an abundance of mana—, if they are not careful—which is actually common among them after exhausting all of their mana which they absorb and refine in their body. And why do you thing that is?” I asked with my attention on Claire now.

She pursed her lips trying to form an answer. After thinking for a few seconds she answered. “Because the amount of atmospheric mana they can quickly use to form their spells by filling the empty spaces and also depending on each mage’s construction of their mana veins.”

“Correct, but I think that the constant use of potions and herbs can hamper one’s growth and ability to strengthen their channels or veins on their own, and to get a better grasp and control over their mana, and the ability to manipulate it, and as well as to allow their body to naturally refine the mana which they absorb to better adapt to it, despite how pure or great the herb or potion maybe in grade, ” I finished my sentence taking a deep breath.

"But that's only my way of thinking," I added.

But, mages were completely different from people like me, as we utilised mana to reinforce our body to strengthen it to fight in close quarters. But that didn’t mean that mages couldn’t do the same.

But our use of mana and the way a mage manipulated his/her mana was different, but similar in some ways. Because mages used the atmospheric mana—depending on the element they could manipulate—to allow them to conjure spells, so to not go into backlash, they used the mana inside their body as a backup reserve, as they used their own mana to assist them in conjuring a spell. The likes of Adam, who was a brillant mage.

After relaxing, and utilising the breathing form to recover some of my mana for a bit—almost half of it—I once again inched closer to the door and inserted my hand inside the small gap.

Again releasing a sudden pulse of mana into the gaps, I observed the mechanism of the doors through Mind’s Eye—the areas where there was some mana sustained, but there was no development what‐so-ever.

Frustrated, I released a weak pulse of mana, but as I gritted my teeth in anger, I released a strong pulse right after.

The sound of rustling echoed in my ears, as I saw the first trigger unlock with a sharp twitch of metal clanking.

I took a deep breath, this time as well I released a weak pulse of mana, following a strong burst. I had tried releasing all sorts of amounts of man, but there was something missing as I had thought. But after that coincidental try, I had now found my answer.

I heard the doors rustle, as the sharp noise of metal clanking against each other echoed in the hall and my ears.

After one last try, I released a weak pulse of mana following a strong pulse. Through Mind’s Eye, I inspected that my mana had triggered the lock mechanism built inside the doors, as one lock after another unlocked. Making a chain reaction.

I quickly withdrew my arm back, as I jumped backwards. The doors harshly screeched against the cobblestone floor, as they opened, causing the entire room to quake momentarily. I shot to my feet and waited for the doors to completely open.

After taking a few more seconds, the metallic doors opened, as a cold gust of wind swayed my bangs and clothes backward.

I sharply inhaled, then as I exhaled, I stepped forward, gesturing Claire to follow suit. The youth firmly held on to the rapier in her hand, to withdraw from the sheath at a moment.

The ominous feeling since entering this dungeon was still pestering me, as my body and senses were on high alert for any incoming attacks or ambush.

As we left the enormous hall, we found ourselves walking into a tunnel like cavern, which had an enormous rift on the further left side. The floor here was also of cobblestone and there were man lanterns hanged alongside the walls, illuminating our surroundings.

I walked closer to the rift, and looked down into the abyssal like pit. As far as the eyes could see, only darkness met.

As a strong gust of wind blew upwards, I stepped back looking at Claire. She nodded at me and I nodded back.

Then we began to move deeper into this dungeon.

“Oh right...Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Claire Heartman.” She said as we strode deeper into this passageway.

“I am Seo Jiwoo,” I said.

“Yeah, I already know,” She exclaimed. “Aren’t you the guy who always sit with Jiyoung in class, and is close with Aogiri Ryuya and the other top ten."

“Well, that’s a weird way to remember someone, but yes...I am close with them...I think.”

Afterwards we both silently walked.

My mana was almost entirely recovered, but the thoughts which I had been trying to push to the back on my head began to pester me to no end.

Just why had the system given me a quest out of the blue? Also it didn’t have a description either? Neither was there any hint as to what was I supposed to do in here. Just like the time when I had went into the ‘devil’s whisper’ dungeon.

Could here be a demon as well? I formed a theory which for some reason felt the most plausible to me. Like when the system had given me a quest, and inside the dungeon, there had turned out to be a ranked demon residing there.

‘What if there was a high ranked demon here?’ I thought as a frown found its way up my face. ‘If its a rank dungeon then...there could be an amber or turquoise eyed demon or worse if here was a grey eyed demon.

If there was a high ranking demon here then we would all be fucked. Right now I could fight against a turquoise eyed demon if I used all of my strength or below on pair, but that would be a problem if the other students were here, or if they were in a bigger quantity.

“—iwoo!”

I snapped to my left as I heard Claire calling out to me.

“Yeah what was that? Sorry, I was thinking about something!”

“Like I was saying, we should—!” But I quickly grabbed Claire by the wrist of her arm as I pulled her close to me and dodged the sudden attack of a mana beast which had came out of the rift beside us.

Claire lightly squealed as I embraced her, and side stepped as I invaded the python’s attack.

I released Claire as I withdrew bleak star and lunged at the monster. The python was at least ten meters in length and had a fiery red shade for skin.

It was a crimson python. A monster whose poison could kill anyone below the rank without any afford. And it was a rank monster due to the strong poison it possessed.

Firming my grip, I performed a horizontal slash, as I took a half step forward, but the monster was moving in a zigzagg pattern. I quickly changed the trajectory of where my sword was moving and performed a diagonal slash instead.

The blade of my sword connected with the python and its head got severed in a clean strike. But from my side, I saw another crimson python sneakily making its way in Claire's direction.

I cycled the mana inside me and shot in Claire direction. Claire who had already withdrawn her rapier from the scabbard trying to intercept the ambush from the monster, but unfortunately, the python instead shot its long tail at her.

The tail connected with Claire’s body, and with a painful groan she was pushed backward. Staggering on her steps, she lost her footing and fell into the abyssal rift.

I quickened my pace and lurched in Claire’s direction, as I let go off bleak star and shot my hand for Claire to grab on to.

She did, and I tried to pull her up. But the other crimson python was already over us. Instead I whipped my body around, still supporting to pull Claire up.

I shot my hand at the python as I channelled my mana into the glove I was wearing, soon enough a translucent green arrow materialised over the glove as I released it with a quick burst.

The arrow launched at the mana beast as it impaled it through its head and pushed it backwards, making it crash into the wall behind.

The python wiggled violently for several quick seconds, but stopped soon enough as it hanged dead on the wall. The arrow dissipated and its body fell on to the cobblestone floor.

I quickly pulled Claire up and took a deep breath in relief.

“T-Thanks,” Claire said, as she sat on the dirty floor.

I hurried to my feet and spoke. “Hurry, we need to move from here.”

Claire did as I said and slowly got up from the floor and on to her feet.

Then I took a step forward. But I heard Claire groan from behind me. I turned around and saw that she wasn’t able to balance her footing.

“I am fine, lets move on,” Claire quipped.

I sighed, taking Claire by her wrist and slowly walking her close to a big slab of cobblestone which was laid a few feet away.

She took her left shoe off and gently touched her ankle. He lightly squeaked as I laid my eyes on her foot. Her entire foot was purple due to swelling as well as her ankle.

I touched her foot, as Claire shut her eyes under the pain she felt. Her skin was soft to the touch, with her foot being small and timid.

I pulled a potion out of the inventory and handed it to Claire.

"Here, drink this."

Claire took the potion from my hand and gave me an apologetic look.

“It might lessen the swelling, even if its effects are not as strong as a high level potion." Claire nodded, then took the cap of the flask off and drank the potion. With a diminishing white glow, which enveloped her ankle and foot, the swelling resided a little. But not enough to allow her walk on her own for now, The potion will heal her in time.

“It will take some time for the swelling to completely go away, to allow you to walk again,” I said taking her shoe and helping her put it on.

“It must have happened when I tried to defend against the crimson python's attack, I am sorry,” Claire said with an apologetic tone, as her beautiful face darkened due to a frown.

“Don’t worry about it! Things like this can happen all the time inside a dungeon. But we will still need to be careful from now on,” I assured, as Claire looked at me with her lips pulled into a smile.

But it would take her a while until she could walk again on her own. The swelling was just too bad.

I whipped around, my back facing Claire as I looked above my shoulder, and back at her.

She looked confused as to what was I trying to do. “Aren’t you going to get on?” I asked slowly jerking my hands up and down for her to get on.

A dumbfounded expression replaced Claire confused face. She pushed both hands forward and began to speak.

“N‐N-No, it’s perfectly fine, I can walk on my own now,” She replied, flustered. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you anymore than I already have.” Her face turning a shade redder.

I sighed looking back at her. “Claire we don’t have time for this. We need to hurry up and regroup with the others, if they are also here in this dungeon.” I said half sternly.

Claire obliged, and slowly slid on to my back, her front pressed against me, as she wrapped her slim arms around my neck. I firmed my hands under her thighs—trying to keep the intimacy to the bare minimum—and lifted her up, as I shot to my feet.

"Thanks Jiwoo," Claire said in a low voice, but still loud enough for me to hear. Her warm breath brushed past my ear as I stepped forward. I looked behind me—at Claire—and her cheeks were a shade even redder now up to her ears.

"Don't worry about it!" I walked closer to where my sword laid, and withdrew it back into the sheath.

Then we kept on walking deeper into this passageway for almost ten minutes.

“Jiwoo...” Claire said.

“Yeah?” I asked, keeping a keen eye out for any attacks.

“You have been hiding your strength haven’t you?” Her sudden question made me stop in my tracks. But after a second of two I moved forward. “Crimson pythons are at least close to rank monsters, and according to your rank assessment in the academy, you are supposed to be an individual assessed on the rank. Aren’t you?"

“So what if I am?” I nonchalantly said not giving the youth’s words any deeper meaning.

“A single rank can’t kill two crimson python’s, without exerting all of their strength, even at that they can't defeat them so easily. But you killed both of them with relative ease!” Claire exclaimed, her voice curious. “So why have you been trying to hide your strength? If you’re this strong then you could have easily taken the first rank spot in Lock?”

“Bec—!”

But just as I was about to answer, I heard the sound of battle coming from in front of us. Loud noises of flesh cutting and heaving breaths, as well as shouts. I quickened my pace, as I held Claire firmly to not drop her.

Two enormous metallic door came into my vision—same as the ones before—but they were open.

I rushed through and saw the entrance let down to an open area after a short stride through a steep flight of stairs.

There I saw a horde of obsidian pythons, attacking the students who had been transported here alongside me. Obsidian python were close to rank monster, but their size was just a few meter short than the crimson pythons. But an entire horde still held a problem.

Among that horde—of mana beast as well as students—my eyes landed on Jiyoung who was swinging her short relentlessly, severing any mana beast which came close to her, whilst helping the other students.

“Claire,” I looked back at her as I quipped, she nodded back at me.

I released Claire from my grasp as she supported herself against a pillar standing wide in the entrance of the doorway. I lunged down into the open area which was led through the steep flight of stairs.

I withdrew bleak star and began to hack away at one monster after another.

One obsidian python lunged at Jiyoung, but quickly moving, my sword severed its head, as its body laid on the floor lifelessly.

“I am not too late am I?” I sarcastically asked with a smirk.

“Took you long enough!” Jiyoung said severing a python’s body in half.