The teleportation activated with a bluish flash, and a sensation of displacement took hold of Kael and his group. In an instant, they left the safety of the academy and appeared at the entrance of a colossal tunnel, carved into the black rock. The tunnel spiraled downward endlessly, swallowing the light as it descended into the depths. The air was dense and cold, carrying a faint metallic scent mixed with moisture.
Magical flames, floating atop stone pedestals, illuminated parts of the passage with a pale blue glow, casting flickering shadows on the sculpted walls.
At the front, Erika turned to the students, her black armor reflecting the ghostly flames around them. Her crimson katana rested on her back, and her cape swayed slightly with the draft coming from the depths.
"Keep moving and stay with your teams!" Her voice echoed through the tunnel, impatient.
Kael's group stayed close together, following the cautious procession. Every step seemed to amplify the noises around them—the rustling of cloaks, the sound of boots against stone, and the controlled breathing of the students.
A cold gust of air rose from the tunnel, making Stella shiver.
"Why did it suddenly get so cold..." she murmured, crossing her arms to warm herself.
Irelia shot her an irritated look. "You should have listened to Professor Erika. Protect yourself with mana!" Her voice was firm and commanding.
Stella huffed but followed the suggestion, wrapping her body in a thin veil of energy. Kael, on the other hand, felt perfectly fine.
"Even without mana, my body isn't affected... Is it because of my spiritual contract with Ahri or Umbra...? Or am I just that strong?" he wondered, noticing how his body temperature remained unchanged.
Further ahead, Sylphie walked beside him, her eyes gleaming with the blue light of the magical flames.
"I know it's a dungeon... but..." Sylphie began, her voice filled with awe. "This place is beautiful."
Indeed, despite its ominous atmosphere, the tunnel had a peculiar beauty. The ceiling was covered in luminescent crystals glowing in shades of blue and violet, forming a breathtaking underground sky. Stalactites, covered in glowing moss, hung like sharp blades, and the rocky walls had veins of a shimmering mineral that reflected the surrounding lights.
Erika, still leading, continued her explanation as the expedition advanced.
"Since some of you clearly weren't paying attention in class, this dungeon is Rank-C. It doesn't have an official name, but the one who discovered it called it the 'Cradle of the End.'"
The name made several students exchange uneasy glances. Cradle of the End? What exactly was hidden in this place?
"We will only explore the first two floors, so the only mana beasts we should encounter are golems."
Upon hearing that, a student further back murmured hesitantly.
"But aren't golems strong...? They're really hard to kill since they have such high magical resistance..." She paused, shuddering. "Not to mention, they're really ugly and creepy..."
Kael noticed two familiar figures walking nearby—Elizabeth and Arthur. Both were skilled, and Arthur, always pragmatic, stepped forward to clarify.
"Just focus on a golem's core. If the gem is broken, it dies instantly."
It was a simple yet essential piece of advice. Golems were composed of stone and mana, making them absurdly resistant to conventional attacks. However, their mana core was their source of life—destroying it meant annihilating the creature instantly.
Kael observed his companions. Sylphie and Irelia appeared confident, Amelia maintained her usual calm, but Stella still looked somewhat uneasy.
He sighed internally.
"This is going to be interesting..."
As the group continued following Erika, the first signs of danger began to appear. The temperature dropped further, and a low humming sound echoed through the tunnels.
The group pressed forward, their footsteps reverberating against the rocky walls as the temperature continued to plummet. The once-distant hum now intensified, vibrating through the depths of the dungeon.
Kael frowned. Something was wrong.
The dim light of the magical flames cast distorted shadows along the path, and the moisture in the air thickened. Small fragments of rock loosened from the stalactites above, silently falling onto the stone floor, as if something was disturbing the structure of the place.
Ever-vigilant, Erika slowed her pace as the group approached a colossal opening in the tunnel wall—an archway of stone, carved with ancient rune patterns. The entrance to the next section of the dungeon.
She raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. "Stay alert."
The students froze in place, their eyes fixed on the leader. Erika stepped cautiously through the archway, her hand resting on the hilt of her crimson katana.
The moment her foot crossed the threshold, the humming stopped.
An absolute silence took over the space—heavy and oppressive. The air, once cold, now felt frozen.
Then, Erika stopped abruptly.
Her body went rigid, as if a primal survival instinct had been triggered. Her eyes widened in alarm, and in a flash, she spun on her heels and shouted:
"FALL BACK!"
The roar of crashing stone filled the tunnel.
From the shadows beyond the entrance, a deafening rumble echoed as a horde of golems charged forward. Massive constructs of raw stone, with veins of pulsing blue mana coursing through their granite bodies, came rushing in with overwhelming force.
Their steps were like thunder, making the entire tunnel tremble. The ground cracked beneath their weight, and dust and debris were sent flying in all directions.
"SHIT!" Someone among the students screamed, panic setting in.
The brutal silhouettes of the golems emerged from the darkness like mechanical predators. Their eyes glowed with magical energy, and with each step, they closed in on the group at an alarming speed.
Kael's heart pounded. "This isn't supposed to be happening... Why are they so aggressive?" But there was no time to think. The attack had begun.
Chaos erupted in an instant.
Erika was the first to act.
With a swift motion, she unsheathed her crimson katana and spun her body, delivering a rapid slash. The blade, infused with mana, left a crimson trail in the air before striking the first golem.
CRACK!
The impact split the creature in half, and its mana core flared intensely for an instant before shattering, reducing the monster to a pile of inert stones.
"STAY BEHIND ME!" Erika shouted, spinning her blade and assuming an offensive stance.
The horde advanced like a raging river, but the instructor was an unyielding wall. Her body moved with precision, cutting down the most dangerous golems before they could reach the students.
However, some managed to slip past her—those that were slower or smaller, the ones the students could handle.
Kael and his group were directly in the path of one of them.
The creature stood over two meters tall, its massive body composed of raw stone with a pulsating blue core in its chest. Its arms were as thick as tree trunks, and each step it took made the ground tremble.
Sylphie, seeing the monster approach, raised her rapier and began gathering mana, preparing to strike.
But before she could cast a spell, Kael raised a hand. "Wait."
Sylphie frowned. "What? But Kael, we have to—"
He stepped forward, completely ignoring the urgency in her voice.
The golem raised its fist, ready to crush him. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kael didn't move.
He simply walked toward the creature, his eyes locked onto the glowing core. Every muscle in his body was relaxed, but an unfamiliar aura radiated from him.
Then, he clenched his fist.
Mana began to condense around his hand, vibrating with brutal intensity.
The air around him trembled.
The pressure skyrocketed in seconds, and blue sparks crackled across his skin.
The golem brought its stone fist down, aiming to crush him.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He shifted slightly forward and threw a punch.
BOOOOM!
The impact was so devastating that the creature exploded into a rain of debris. Chunks of rock were hurled in every direction, and a shockwave reverberated through the tunnel.
The golem's core was pulverized instantly, disintegrating into a mist of magical particles.
Silence.
Sylphie's mouth hung open.
Irelia and Amelia's eyes widened in shock.
Even the students still engaged in battle paused for a brief moment to process what they had just witnessed.
Kael remained there, his fist still clenched, as stone dust settled around him.
He frowned. "Hmph." As if the golem had been disappointing.
The silence following Kael's punch was almost deafening.
Sylphie blinked a few times, her staff still raised in the air as she struggled to process what she had just seen. "Did you… just…?"
Irelia, usually composed, had her mouth slightly open, eyes locked onto the scattered remains. "Did you just PUNCH a golem until it exploded?!"
Amelia, on the other hand, simply adjusted her glasses, observing Kael with a glint of curiosity in her eyes.
Stella was the only one who found words quickly.
"That was NOT normal!" she exclaimed, pointing at the dust-covered ground littered with stone fragments. "Since when can you DO THAT?!"
Kael looked at his own hand, flexing his fingers as if testing something. His expression, however, remained indifferent.
"Hm. I thought it would be tougher."
That simple remark left the three girls even more stunned.
Before they could react further, a LOUD EXPLOSION echoed through the tunnel.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave rumbled through the walls, making the ground tremble as dust fell from the ceiling.
The group immediately turned toward the noise—and what they saw made their hearts race.
Erika was still holding the front line, her crimson katana slicing through the nearest golems. Her black cloak moved like a living shadow, and her expression was that of a warrior completely immersed in battle.
But something had changed.
There were too many golems now.
The monsters were starting to break through her defenses.
"DAMN IT!" Erika growled, sliding back and cutting down two more enemies. "They're increasing!"
Indeed, the tunnel behind her was swarming with enemies. The stone creatures moved like an unstoppable tide, trampling over their fallen kin as they advanced.
The students around them panicked.
"M-More of them?!"
"We can't handle this!"
"We have to retreat!"
Kael frowned at the sight. He glanced at Erika, who was still fighting fiercely but was beginning to get overwhelmed.
If this continued, she wouldn't be able to protect everyone.
And then, he made a decision.
He took a step forward.
"Stay here."
Sylphie looked at him, alarmed.
"What? Kael, you can't—"
But he was already moving.
With a swift push, Kael shot through the tunnel toward Erika. His boots slid across the rocky floor, and within seconds, he was beside the instructor, clenching his fists.
"I'll handle these."
Erika glanced at him, surprised, but there was no time to argue.
"Then do it right!" she growled, spinning her blade and cutting down another enemy.
Kael simply nodded, his fists tightening as energy began to gather around him.
Meanwhile, back with the group, the girls were in shock.
"He just left us?!" Irelia said, outraged.
"We can't just stand here and wait for him to come back!" Sylphie declared, her gaze resolute.
Amelia quickly assessed the situation.
"If Erika and Kael hold off most of them, there are still some left for us."
Stella clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. She looked around and realized that, at that moment, she was the most experienced one there.
And that meant she had to lead.
"Alright, listen up!" she took a firm stance, her eyes sharp. "We're going to organize ourselves! Sylphie, focus on support! Irelia, you have the highest attack power after Kael, so you'll clear the path. Amelia, cover our rear!"
The three looked at her, surprised, but quickly nodded.
"Understood!""Leave it to me!""Hm, sounds like a solid plan."
The golems were closing in.
Stella gripped the handle of her weapon, her heart racing—but her mind was clear.
"Let's show them what we're capable of. ATTACK!"
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