"But Professor, I am above level 80 just like them."
"Okay... I already told you, you canât enter. This is too dangerous for a Craftsman-class."
"But... what about him? He isnât evenâ"
"Isolde... canât you understand? Time is of the essence, and itâs not like weâre touring a dungeon. He is entering because he was sent here by Principal Logan himself. Or do you think I would jeopardize my studentsâ lives so easily?"
Lyra felt slightly annoyed at the tall girl standing before her, who remained adamant about entering the Abyss.
Didnât she understand how dangerous it was?
As for her being above level 80, she was two batches senior to them, so of course, she would have reached that level already. In fact, it was actually quite low.
"Okay, there is no need to waste time. You guys understood what I said, right? Your main objective is to reach the location I said and activate the Void Stone I gave you once I ordered."
Lyra ignored Isolde and spoke to the five figures standing before her, one of whom was Soren.
As for Aurelia, Evan, Elara, and Elise, they had already been eliminated from the team directly. Although they wanted to say something, considering the situation at hand, they remained unusually quiet, unlike a certain someone.
"Tch... I know, itâs all because of you, Soren. Take this and donât ever come to me again."
Seeing that Lyra had made her decision, Isolde turned around and cursed at Soren before throwing a ring at him.
Then she hmphed and walked away, sulking in the corner.
She had thought today would finally be her chance to enter the Abyss and show off her skills, but everything had come to nothing.
Her mood was completely ruined.
âWas he really sent by the Principal? Damn it, I shouldâve just blasted that body apart when I saw him earlier.â
And another person whose mood was ruined was Ruther. Unlike Isolde, however, he couldnât even show it openly.
His plan to sacrifice a few virgin girls to the Demon Lord Lilith had already failed before it could even begin.
Of course, he wasnât feeling good.
But he couldnât just ask Lyra to throw this student into the Abyss, could he?
"Okay, since you all are ready, get ready to teleport. Donât forget to drink the potion given to you by Lysandra as soon as you enter the Abyss."
Once all five students nodded, Lyra used her abiltiy directly using her skill to teleport them inside the Abyss before her.
*Swoosh!*
As soon as she did that, Soren found himself being pulled by space, before his surroundings abruptly changed.
It seemed he had already entered the 10th floor of the dungeon. He didnât even need to go through the Demon Gate behind him, which floated alone like a fracture in space.
Simultaneously, the â
Voice of the World
â immediately affirmed his conjecture.
---
[Warning!]
[You have entered the 10th Floor of the Abyss.]
[The surrounding demonic energy is suppressing your body.]
[All stats have been reduced by 15%.]
[Due to your Passive, Kingsâ Grace, you are unaffected. Your Stats have been restored.]
[Please note that remaining too long inside the Abyss may result in irreversible corruption.]
---
Not surprisingly, there was no usual confirmation that they had entered a dungeon, nor any message stating an objective or completion requirement.
It didnât say they had to clear it, nor did it mention anything about needing to conquer it in order to leave.
Maybe their entry was unofficial, which was why the system didnât acknowledge it properly?
âNow it did make sense why Lyra directly teleported us inside.â
Soren guessed as he looked around curiously at the strange, lifeless expanse before him.
âIs this... Abyss?â
But the sight before him didnât impress Soren much.
If anything, the Abyss was dark, darker than outside, while that Red Moon above looked extremely clear.
Besides that, the entire place was covered under a dark crimson sky, with strange clouds swirling endlessly above like flowing blood, making the surroundings dim and oppressive.
The ground beneath them was dry and cracked, countless fissures spreading everywhere while jagged black rocks rose from the land like giant spikes.
Not a single plant, animal, or even insect could be seen anywhere, only ruins scattered across the wasteland as if an entire civilization had long been erased from existence.
Even the air itself felt heavy and uncomfortable to breathe, carrying a faint metallic smell mixed with violent mana fluctuations that instinctively made everyone wary.
In fact, he could feel that the power of corruption in the air was countless times stronger than outside.
If they stayed inside enough, even hunters might not be able to stop themselves from being mutated.
Only...
âI donât feel much.â
Lyra had warned them that even if this was just the 10th floor, they should all guard their minds at all times and shouldnât, under any circumstances, absorb the mana here.
But... Soren felt that none of that had any effect on him.
In fact, he didnât even feel the corruption affecting him, so much so that he could freely explore around with his mind unguarded.
âThis âKingâs Graceâ is really something else, or is it my bloodline working?â
Soren didnât know exactly, but he wasnât complaining.
Just as Soren took in his surroundings, a gruff voice echoed from the side.
"Drink your potions, fast. Didnât you hear Professor Lyraâs order?"
It belonged to a tall man with broad shoulders, carrying a heavy shield behind his back. His entire body was covered in metal plate armor, leaving only his head exposed.
Clearly, he was a Warrior.
"Oh... right..."
His words were clearly directed at Soren, who was distracted, unlike them.
Feeling embarrassed, Soren quickly took out a green potion from his inventory and chugged it down his throat.
Although he didnât need it, for the sake of appearance, he should drink the potion.
âI hope that crazy woman didnât do anything to the potion. Probably not.â
She should know the situation right now. Not to mention, there wasnât any problem with the potion given to Frost either.
"Okay, since you all have drunk the potion, we should be able to operate freely for a while now."
Although the Warrior wasnât the leader, he acted like one, giving directions.
"Now, just head in the direction given to you by Professor Lyra. Use the compass given to you and be cautious. By the way, you know what to do when you encounter danger, right?"
He asked, and when everyone nodded, he once again looked at Soren and spoke.
"You seem to be trusted by Professor Lyra. But... donât take this mission lightly and ask for help if you need. Now disperse."
As much as he disliked the idea of letting a junior do most of the work here, it was the order of the Professor after all.
He wasnât going to act hot-headed in such a crucial time.
*Swoosh!*
As soon as the Warrior spoke, all four figures directly disappeared from their positions, rapidly moving in four directions in the formation of a huge circle, surrounding the rift in space, leaving Soren alone.
Unlike the Warrior, none of the seniors spoke, clearly minding their own business. They all knew how important it was to close the Gate as soon as possible.
"He is surprisingly nice."
Soren looked in the direction the Warrior disappeared into and mumbled with a smile.
Maybe because of his encounter with Kairon and Leon, he didnât have a good impression of his seniors.
Even Isolde was quite rude, although she seemed to have made all the artifacts he ordered, stored in the ring thrown by her.
âWelp... letâs get to work then. I have to set up six anchor points, unlike them.â
Soren stretched lazily while looking at the barren land ahead. He noticed that, after a certain distance, he couldnât see anything ahead due to the dark mist, even with his Keen Sight.
The four seniors, despite being fairly close, had already disappeared from his vision.
âSystem, use GAP stat on my passive skill, Windwalker.â
Before leaving, though, he had to be thoroughly prepared. So Soren first activated his âFortune Sightâ, scanning his surroundings while issuing the order to his system.
Simultaneously, he quickly took out the artifact from the ring given to him by Isolde, throwing the robe over his body without even bothering to look properly.
In his hand, a metallic bow materialized, faintly humming with restrained energy, as if it were waiting for something to be unleashed.
---
Ding!
[You used your GAP stat on your passive skill.]
[Congratulation! The skill, Windwalker (A-rank), has evolved by one level into Spirit of Zephyr (S-rank).]
---
Simultaneously, his form subtly shifted as he felt light as a feather, as though the weight of his body had been partially erased.
The air around him, though stale and corrupted, responded faintly to his presence, bending ever so slightly as if acknowledging its masterâs call.
Soren suddenly felt refreshed.