章 16: FIRST FLOOR PART-2
Once they received their supplies, each cadet formed their respective teams. They lined up one after another, ready to enter the Mulvise dungeon. This lower intermediate dungeon was spacious enough to accommodate all 5,000 first-year cadets. Its grand entrance allowed multiple teams to enter simultaneously. The procession started with the 'Ho Doona' team, followed by the 'Francis Reign' team, and so on.
Thirty minutes after the first team's entry, it was time for the 'F-Class' teams to make their move. The fifth entry from the F-Class was Leemin's team, followed by Roberto's team, which included Xiaxia. The instructors at the gate meticulously noted the details of each team's entrance.
Opdu, who had momentarily forgotten his fear due to the irritation of waiting, voiced his thoughts menacingly, "Why are they taking so long to enter a dungeon! Are they slugs! Hu-h."
Another cadet responded, "It can't be helped, Opdu. We are in F-class, so we have to be patient. Besides, aren't you mostly afraid of entering the dungeon?"
"No, no, Lilly, it's not fear. I'm just super excited, you know," Opdu tried to convince Lilly, a member of his team, in a rather unconvincing manner. Everyone knew the truth.
"Oi, loser, stop running your mouth, will you?" Jisuka and Hanol retorted simultaneously, their faces twisted in disgust.
"Huh, the witches," Opdu reflexively muttered, but the icy aura emanating from them made him swallow his words. He quickly apologized, "Sorry, I am extremely sorry. I won't bother anyone, so please…"
"Tch," was the only response he got.
"Enough, guys, it's our turn now," Grey interjected cheerfully. "Yes, let's rock and roll, shall we?"
With that, they entered the dungeon. Their hearts raced with anticipation, but the reality was rather mundane. They simply crossed the gate, much like entering a house through the front door. The excitement and anxiety were quickly replaced with a sense of emptiness.
"Oi, blockheads, move your feet. Don't block the line," an instructor near the entrance barked angrily.
"So much for the expectation, isn't it, guys?" Leemin remarked, a tear glistening at the corner of her eye.
"What did you expect, Leemin? Start moving, or else you'll have to take responsibility for that instructor's receding hairline," Hanol advised Leemin gently, like one would speak to a child.
"Oi, who are you calling bald? I still have many hair strands left," the instructor protested.
"Okay, guys, let's move on."
"Hey, brat, wait! I'm still talking to you," the instructor called out, but it was too late. Leemin and her team had already ventured deep into the dungeon, leaving the poor instructor behind.
All the students hurried to their designated counters to collect their supplies. Time was of the essence, as none of them had officially entered a dungeon before, even those from powerful and wealthy families. They were all eager to clear level 5 within the tight deadline of five days.
The S and A class cadets, being at the pinnacle, were confident about completing the task before the time limit. They took it easy, as if they were going on a picnic in the park. However, the same could not be said for the D, E, and F class cadets, especially the F class, whose stats were at rock bottom, much like a ship sunk in the depths of the Pacific. Grey's party was also in line to get their supplies.
Opdu, a close-quarters combat fighter, was a bundle of nerves. He had learned his skills from his father, a brave Buddhist monk from a small village. But unlike his father, Opdu was far from brave. His fear and anxiety were so palpable that he began to stutter a song, "Ratatataat…"
Grey asked Opdu, "Could you please stop it, Opdu?"
Opdu stammered, "Wh-at i-i-is y-y-y your prob-lem?"
Hanol chimed in, "Don't die before entering the dungeon, you fool."
"Yo-u-u-u shut-u-up, damn!" Opdu retorted.
By this time, every cadet in the vicinity could hear Opdu's stuttering song. They all laughed, and for a brief moment, the tense atmosphere lightened.
"Alright, guys, as we practiced, assume battle formation," Grey commanded. His team members promptly took their positions, just as they had practiced in the academy's training simulator.
Michale Li and Lilly Winn, the tanks of the party, took the front. Grey and Opdu, the damage dealers, covered the left and right flanks. Julie was positioned between the two dealers to launch attacks. Leemin was placed in the center to heal and buff the tanks and dealers. Christopher and Hanol were tasked with protecting Leemin, the healer. Nanthagopal, the archer, took the rear position to coordinate in risky situations and oversee the entire battlefield. Lastly, Jisuka was assigned the role of a scout, gathering information using her tamed spiders.
With their positions set, they began to move slowly. Jisuka sent her spiders out in different directions for scouting. Fifteen minutes after entering the dungeon, one of Jisuka's spiders spotted a couple of worm-like monsters in a corner of the tunnel.
"Hey, guys, my spider spotted some worm-like monsters in the corner of the tunnel," Jisuka reported.
"How far away are they?" Grey asked.
"About 40 to 50 meters ahead," Jisuka replied after communicating with her spider, Twerpy.
Opdu, unable to hide his disbelief, blurted out, "Did you just talk with the spider? And what's with the name Twerpy? Is it a tarantula? Black widow? Goliath?"
"I can communicate with them, and you don't need to worry about my babies," Jisuka retorted.
Ignoring the banter, Grey refocused the team. "Alright, it doesn't matter what kind of monster it is. Team, assume your positions. We will now attack those monsters. Jisuka, let your spiders keep watch and report any changes. Stay alert."
As they neared the monsters, Opdu couldn't contain his excitement. "Wow, this is my first time seeing a monster up close! And gross, there's something coming out of its mouth!"
"Opdu, shut your trap," Grey reprimanded.
"Sorry, sorry, I got excited," Opdu apologized, his excitement undiminished.
"Ugh…" Opdu couldn't help but express his disgust. "Sorry, guys, I can't help it."
"Don't worry, we're also repulsed by its grotesque appearance. I don't know which part of it is supposed to resemble a saber-tooth," another team member chimed in.
Just then, one of the wurms let out a roar, revealing its blade-like teeth. It had multiple layers of teeth, resembling a grinding machine - a truly grotesque sight.
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