Chapter 27 - The Dungeon Chronicles(1)

The atmosphere in the observation chamber was tense—thick with dread and the biting edge of failure.

Screens hovered in the air, flickering with distorted images of the dungeon’s interior. Static interrupted the feed every few seconds, warping the illusion runes and leaving only broken flashes of students moving through dense forest or battling rampaging beasts.

Instructors paced restlessly, their faces pale under the cold artificial light. Some barked orders into communication arrays. Others stood frozen, eyes fixed on the chaos they couldn’t stop.

Then the door creaked open.

A hush fell across the room.

"Vice Dean Arrives."

The announcement rang out like a bell toll.

Boots echoed as a tall figure stepped in—cloaked in black and silver robes, his shoulders squared, expression like carved obsidian. Vice Dean Caelum Thorne. A man known for his precision, his silence, and his absolute intolerance for incompetence.

His gaze swept across the room once, taking in the trembling instructors, the failing screens, the locked-down dome that now acted as a prison rather than a test site.

"What is happening?" His voice was low but sharp, edged with restrained fury. "Why is this situation spiraling out of control?"

An instructor with sweat streaking his brow stepped forward, voice unsteady. "S-Sir, we... we’ve lost full access to the dungeon’s outer shell. Something is blocking our entry. A high-level barrier... possibly layered with foreign runes."

Another chimed in. "The magical beasts have begun exhibiting unnatural behavior. Their power levels are fluctuating—sharply. It’s as if they’ve... gone berserk."

"And the failsafes?" Caelum asked coldly.

"Wristbands are malfunctioning," another instructor added, head bowed. "The health-monitor feedback loops are unstable. Some aren’t transmitting at all."

There was a moment of silence—so deep it rang in their ears.

Caelum continued"How many causalities are there?"

A third instructor, who’d been kneeling by the crystal relay console, rose to his feet slowly.

"Three, sir," he whispered, trembling. "Three students have already... fallen."

The temperature dropped.

Literally.

A rush of frost swept through the chamber, ice crawling at the edges of the observation glass. The mana crystals flickered. Even the enchanted lights dimmed, reacting to the spike in pressure.

No one dared to move.

No one dared to breathe.

The Vice Dean’s eyes gleamed—faintly glowing silver beneath his lashes. But his voice was controlled.

Deadly calm.

"Casualties. In a regulated, supervised academy test."

His gaze sliced through the room. "And all any of you can do is watch from behind glass."

A long pause.

He exhaled, slowly. "Who is the strongest individual currently inside?"

One instructor raised his hand, hesitating.

"Vincent Valentine, sir."

For the first time, Caelum’s expression eased.

Only slightly.

"If anyone can survive this, it’s him..."

He turned to the screen, where Vincent’s figure flickered—calm, blade in hand, facing down a beast nearly three times his size.

"Regardless," the Vice Dean said coldly, "our priority is the safety of every student."

He began moving toward the barrier control hub, his cloak sweeping behind him. "Keep trying. Disable the external lockdowns. I will examine the barrier myself."

Then he paused.

Turned back.

And asked, voice sharp and quiet:

"Where is Professor Seraphina?"

***

Far within the forested chaos of the dungeon, Luca, Elowen, and Lilliane arrived at the edge of a clearing, only to be met with a brutal scene.

A massive beast—towering, tusked, and rippling with corrupted mana—stood snarling in the center. Kyle, spear in hand, lunged at the creature with impressive agility, his movements sharp and practiced. A third-year senior fought beside him, casting reinforcement spells to bolster Kyle’s defense.

Kyle’s spear struck true, driving into the beast’s shoulder.

But it wasn’t enough.

With a furious roar, the beast swiped its clawed paw in a savage arc, catching Kyle mid-dodge. The impact sent him crashing through the air, slamming against a tree with a sickening crack.

He got up again.

But there was already a body of another student unmoving,with hole in a heart.

Luca froze. So did Elowen and Lilliane. For a moment, all they could do was stare—shocked, uncertain, breath caught in their throats.

But then Luca stepped forward.

No hesitation. No fear.

"Come on!" he called, drawing both sabers. "Let’s help them!"

His voice snapped the others out of their daze.

Elowen’s bow was in her hands in an instant, red eyes narrowing with focus. Lilliane raised her wand, her breath shaky but determined.

The three of them launched into the fray.

Luca dashed in first, blades flashing. He deflected a swipe aimed at the injured third-year and drove both sabers deep into the beast’s flank. The creature howled.

Arrows rained from Elowen, each one glowing with green magic—piercing through the thick hide like needles through cloth. Her precision was surgical, relentless.

Lilliane provided cover, casting elemental shields around her allies and launching bolts of flame and wind to keep the creature off balance.

Kyle stirred, groaning, and dragged himself upright just in time to see his would-be saviors surround the beast.

With all five of them now attacking in perfect rhythm—Kyle and the third-year joining back in—the tide turned.

The beast’s snarls grew desperate. Its movements slowed.

And with one final, coordinated strike—Luca’s blades severing its spine, Elowen’s arrow piercing its skull, Lilliane’s spell combusting inside its mouth—it collapsed.

The monster let out a final screech... and then burst into particles of glowing light.

Silence fell.

And then, ragged breathing.

They had won.

But none of them felt safe.

Kyle staggered over, supported by the third-year. "Thanks... all of you," he panted.

The older student—John, judging by the badge on his collar—nodded with a tired smile. "We owe you one."

Elowen didn’t respond right away. She knelt by the corpse of another student—a body partially buried beneath broken branches.

"What happened here?" she asked, her voice soft but serious.

John’s face stiffened. Kyle looked away, eyes misting.

"We were heading toward the center," John said, voice low. "One of the beasts claw struck him. His wristband should’ve activated. He should’ve been ejected. But nothing happened."

"He died right in front of us," Kyle added, voice cracking. "There was nothing we could do..."

Elowen’s lips pressed into a thin line. "So it’s true... our wristbands are failing too."

Silence stretched among them.

Then she stood, gaze steely. "Now’s not the time to mourn. There may be others who need our help. We move."

Kyle tried to get up but staggered.

Luca caught him, steadying him before offering a healing potion.

Kyle took it, drinking with gratitude. "Thanks, man..."

"We head toward the dungeon boss," Elowen said, turning to Luca. "If we take it down, we may be able to trigger the exit manually. What do you think?"

John and Kyle both blinked at her.

She had asked Luca’s opinion. As if it mattered. As if he were... equal.

Luca exhaled, meeting her gaze. "You’re right. But I don’t think the five of us alone can handle it without losing someone."

He looked around at the worn expressions. "It’s best if we regroup with Aiden’s team first. That way, we’ll stand a real chance."

Elowen smiled. "Ah, that’s true. With your brother around, our odds do improve."

Three sets of eyes snapped toward her.

Kyle, John, and even Lilliane stared.

John blinked. "His....his brother, ma’am?"

Luca sighed internally.

Just how irrelevant was he to everyone... that even his own brother’s identity was a mystery to them?

He shook his head.

Back to the mission.

Elowen tilted her head slightly, amused. "Who else?"

She smiled brightly. "Vincent Valentine, of course."

***

In front of the dungeon boss’s lair, three figures stood locked in fierce combat.

Aiden Everheart—his golden sword glowing with radiance to match his hair—clashed with the towering monstrosity again and again, blades ringing against bone and corrupted armor.

Beside him, Vincent Valentine moved like a shadow—fluid, precise. His deep crimson sword weaved through the air with practiced arcs, striking only when necessary.

A third figure floated behind them—Selena, her white hair fluttering, mana rippling off her in sparks of electricity and frost. Her wand carved runes into the air, launching spells that seared and froze the beast’s limbs.

"We’ve been fighting it for fifteen minutes," Aiden growled, parrying another massive claw swipe. "It’s still not going down!"

"Buy me some time," Vincent replied, his tone clipped.

Selena and Aiden didn’t hesitate. They changed formation, distracting the creature with feints and waves of attacks.

Two minutes passed.

Then Vincent raised his blade.

Blood-red mana surged through it—unstable, raging, focused.

He slashed.

A beam of violent energy burst forth, slicing through the air and cleaving the boss’s right arm clean off. The beast howled, staggering.

Aiden exhaled in relief. "Finally—!"

But Vincent dropped to one knee, coughing blood into his hand. The cost of the strike was immense.

Selena rushed to him, pressing a potion vial into his palm.

He took it—only for his eyes to widen in alarm.

Without warning, he pulled Selena toward him, and started running with her.

"RUN, AIDEN—NOW!!"

Aiden’s instincts flared. He didn’t question it. He dashed backward just in time to see—

—the boss’s severed arm regrow in seconds, darker, meaner, sharper than before.

Like nothing had ever happened.

The real fight... had only just begun.