章節 5: Dungeon Incident
{Three Months Later}
*Creeeek*
"Hehe… he's still asleep!"
Early in the morning, soft whispers echoed as a figure crept into a dark room.
The figure silently approached the bed and slid beside the sleeping boy.
As sunlight poured through the windows, it illuminated the intruder's face, revealing pink hair and a sweet smile. She stared at the boy, brushing strands of his hair out of his face.
'Mmm… Eden. How you interest me so much!' Her fingers traced the roots of his hair as she admired the silver color.
Sylvia knew she couldn't stay much longer. She had used her aura to unlock the door and didn't want him to catch her. Her love for him was immense, and she couldn't bear the thought of upsetting him.
Drawing closer, she rested her head on his chest, savoring his scent before getting up and slipping out of the room, making sure to lock the door behind her.
*click*
As soon as the door shut, Eden's eyes slowly opened, a small smile forming on his lips.
'Sylvia... If only…'
Eden touched the spot where she had been lying, still feeling her warmth. His mind raced as he got up—today was the day to head to the dungeon.
~
"Good morning, everyone! Today, you will be entering the training dungeon. It's an easy task, with only seven floors and around 280 enemies in total. The first floor has ten, the second has twenty, the third has thirty, and so on." A guard stood at the dungeon entrance, addressing the eager students before stepping aside to open the doors.
"Saint Eric has an emergency signal band and will request immediate assistance if something goes wrong!"
The students filed inside, eager to grow stronger.
"Eric! How are things going with the princess?" Kei asked, walking beside him.
"Ah, don't remind me. It's been three months, and she still barely speaks to me. The king wants us to marry, but that only pushed her further away." Eric complained.
"Does it matter? You're a Saint! Just declare your desire to marry her, and Wyster would force the marriage. He clearly favors you." Eli chimed in. He had a chubby body and an unkempt appearance.
Eric listened, nodding. He was chosen by God. How could Lyria treat him this way?
"By the way, are we still going through with the plan?" Mike asked, lowering his voice and gathering the group closer.
The boys exchanged glances, their faces darkening as they looked to Eric for a final decision.
Eric's eyes narrowed as he watched Eden, who was surrounded by several girls from their class. His gaze then shifted to Alycia, who was also close to Eden, and anger surged through him.
"Of course we are! What, are you chickening out? How long do you want to live in his shadow?" Eric snapped, and the others' expressions hardened.
"And you, Kei? You've liked Sylvia since childhood, right? But she's in love with that guy and doesn't even notice you! Doesn't that piss you off?" Eric's words riled them up, and they nodded in agreement.
"Ever since he showed up at our school he's taken away everything. Our popularity, our top grades, even in athletics he dominates us! We had no choice but to assume the little brother role to him, the all mighty male god of our school! But now, the table has turned." Eric's emotions surged but he managed to keep his volume low.
"Don't worry. Once we succeed, I guarantee you'll get everything you've ever wanted!" Their morale lifted as they cheered for Saint Eric.
Meanwhile, Eden and the girls around him paid were unaware of the group's plotting as they proceeded through the dungeon, killing any monsters they encountered.
A few students, unwilling to fight, were tasked with gathering important items and carrying supplies.
Everything went smoothly for the first four floors. But things suddenly changed at the end of the fifth.
*Boom* *BOOM* *BOOM*
Deafening explosions rocked the dungeon.
Everyone tensed as a massive figure approached.
The creature was humanoid but stood nearly four meters tall. It was gaunt, with long limbs, and its eyes were large and milky as they lifelessly stared at the group.
"What the hell is that?!" Kei screamed, retreating behind the others.
"I don't know, but it definitely doesn't belong here. It could be a Peak Mortal-level beast." Eric responded, his voice tense.
The term Peak Mortal-level sent shivers down everyone's spine as they recalled the rankings:
- Beginner
- Training
- Mortal
- Peak Mortal
- Master
- Legend
- Phenom
The kingdom's strongest guardian was only at Legend class, and the Phenom class was said to exist only in the goddess's army. That was why they summoned those blessed by the goddess.
For the students who were still at the Beginner level, facing a Peak Mortal-level enemy was terrifying.
"P-Peak Mortal-level?! There were only supposed to be Beginner-level monsters here! At most, Training-level!" one of the students shouted in panic.
"Don't panic! No sudden movements! It seems to be blind. I've already called for reinforcements, but it may take a while." Eric said, trying to calm the group.
Some students attempted to run, but felt their bodies being held down by an unseen force.
They looked at Eden, who shook his head, signaling them to stay still.
Minutes passed, though it felt like hours, until the hurried footsteps of several guards could be heard.
Relief washed over the students as the guards, all Peak Mortal-level, arrived.
"Switch out and run!" one of the guards ordered, launching an attack on the monster.
The students didn't hesitate, sprinting away.
Sylvia used her aura to enhance their speed, and Alycia added her wind powers to make them even faster.
But then something horrifying happened.
*Woosh!* In a blur of movement, the body of the first guard who arrived flew past them and splattered against the wall.
"…"
"Oh god…!!!" a student screamed as panic set in.
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
The remaining guards were torn apart by the beast as it sprinted after the fleeing students.
"M-Master class… there's no way!" Eric stammered, watching in horror as the guards were easily defeated.
"Keep running!" another guard shouted, snapping the students out of their terror.
They ran faster than ever before, but it wasn't enough.
The creature closed in, its massive arm swinging toward Sylvia as she hastily raised an aura shield.
'It's not going to hold!' Despair filled her as the arm loomed closer.
But just before it struck, the beast's arm froze in mid-air.
It took Sylvia a moment to realize that Eden was standing beside her, using his power to hold the monster back.
Her heart warmed, but clenched immediately as she saw the strain on his face.
"R-run! I can't... hold it... much longer!"
'And leave you to die? No!' Sylvia thought, refusing to abandon him. Instead, she gathered her aura and sent it crashing into the creature's head.
Alycia followed with a massive elemental blast, causing the beast to stumble and fall, giving Eden enough time to escape.
Everything happened in a blur.
They reached the third floor, still being pursued.
"I have an idea!" Eden shouted.
"That thing has elements of darkness in it, which makes it weaker to holy attacks. I'll hold it still for a few seconds, and Eric can use his strongest attack! That should buy us enough time for the rest of you to escape."
Most of the group agreed.
"I'll stay too! I can support with my aura." Sylvia said.
"I'll help as well. My elemental powers can deal serious damage." Alycia added.
But Eden shook his head.
"You two are needed to get the others out. Besides, you've both overexerted yourselves and could pass out from pushing any further." he reasoned.
Reluctantly, they agreed, angry at their own weakness and vowing to become stronger.
"You know I'm with you, buddy!" Eric said, smiling as they ran. "But Mike, Kei, and Eli can help too. They haven't done much, so they've got plenty of energy."
"Huh? We can— Oh! Yeah, of course we can!" Eli stammered, glancing at Eric.
Eden nodded, and they made their plan. When they reached the third floor's exit, they would attack.
They hurried into position, with the monster in hot pursuit.
"Three… two… one…" Eden counted as the beast approached, its lifeless eyes locked on them, its mouth hanging open.
"Now!" Eden shouted, holding the creature in place.
"Sacred Blade!" A bright arc of golden light shot from Eric's sword.
"Killshot!" Kei conjured a bow and released an arrow.
"Roots!" Eli caused branches to erupt from the ground, piercing the monster's body.
"Restore!" Mike's healing light fell on Eric, Kei, and Eli, restoring their strength—but conspicuously avoiding Eden.
Unbeknownst to Eden, his "friends" had something else planned.
~
Ten minutes passed since the group split up, and those who had fled reached the dungeon's entrance.
Outside, King Wyster and Languid waited anxiously.
"What happened? Where's Eric?" the king asked.
"A Master-class monster appeared! They stayed back to hold it off!" a student explained, causing the king's eyes to widen in shock.
"Languid! Go retrieve Eric!" the king commanded.
Languid, who was at the Legend rank, bowed and sped into the dungeon. His unmatched speed carried him through the floors with ease.
When he reached the scene, he saw something astonishing. The monster was lying down, injured but not dead.
Unfortunately, there was another body.
Eric and his friends stood around a corpse with tears in their eyes.
"Eden! Thank you for your brave sacrifice!" they cried while mourning the death of their friend.
Seeing the monster begin to stir again, Languid simply flicked his finger, and the creature's head exploded.
He walked over to the boys and examined the body. Eden looked extremely weak and thin, as if he had been completely drained.
"What happened?" Languid asked, his voice steady.
"I was careless! Eden used so much energy restraining the monster, but he still dove in front of me to protect me!" Eric replied, his face contorted with guilt.
Languid shook his head, keeping his thoughts to himself.
"Well, let's get you out of here. It's unfortunate for the boy, but you're the Saint. At least his death served a purpose."
With that, Languid led the boys out of the dungeon. Eric told him to leave Eden's body there, saying it was his final wish—he didn't want his friends to see him like this.
As they walked in silence, Languid heard faint snickers from behind, but he paid them no mind.
…
"You need to sit still so we can heal you, miss!" a medic urged outside the dungeon.
"Please be okay… please…" Sylvia muttered under her breath, ignoring the medic. She paced near the dungeon entrance, her thoughts racing, dread tightening around her heart.
Trying to calm down, she glanced at the bracelet on her wrist and managed a weak smile.
Beside her, Alycia stood anxiously, also waiting for news. Her hands trembled as she tried to hold herself together.
Minutes passed like hours until, finally, the dungeon doors creaked open.
Sylvia bolted toward the figures emerging from the dark. Her eyes scanned frantically, searching for Eden, ready to throw herself into his arms.
But only five people came out.
Her mind went blank as she froze in place, the pit in her stomach growing unbearable.
The tears streaming down Eric's face told her everything.
"Eden… *sniff*... he's dead."
The words hit her like a sledgehammer. Sylvia's body shut down, her legs buckling as her mind overloaded with grief.
The medic, who had been trying to treat her earlier, caught her just in time before she collapsed.
Silence hung heavy in the air as the students around them processed the news. They had all seen Eden as a friend. Knowing he had stayed behind for their sake tore at their hearts, and soon, they too began to cry.
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