Chapter 20: Chapter 20 – Dungeon crisis (1)

The entrance to the monster dungeon loomed like a mouth waiting to swallow them whole.

A massive stone gate stood open at the edge of the trial grounds, its surface carved with ancient runes that faintly pulsed with mana. Beyond it, a dark corridor stretched downward into the earth, illuminated only by dim, flickering crystals embedded into the walls.

Cold air drifted out from within.

Heavy.

Dense.

Filled with mana.

Eternia Sinclair stood at the threshold alongside her team.

Leon Valerius.

Kael Dren.

Three candidates.

One trial.

She exhaled slowly.

"...Focus."

Behind them, Captain Varos’s voice echoed one final time.

"Enter."

And without hesitation—

They stepped inside.

The moment their feet crossed the boundary—

The atmosphere changed.

The mana density increased instantly.

It pressed against their skin like invisible pressure, thick and suffocating compared to the open air outside.

The corridor stretched forward, winding deeper underground.

The faint glow of mana crystals barely illuminated the path.

Silence filled the space.

But not for long.

A low growl echoed from the darkness ahead.

Then another.

And another.

Eternia’s eyes sharpened instantly.

"...Incoming."

From the shadows, shapes began to emerge.

Monsters.

Wolf-like creatures with distorted bodies and glowing eyes rushed toward them, their claws scraping against the stone floor.

At least six of them.

Fast.

Aggressive.

No hesitation.

They attacked immediately.

Leon reacted first.

His expression shifted slightly—still gentle, but focused now.

"...I’ll handle the front."

Before Eternia could even respond—

He moved.

The massive sword he carried swung upward with surprising speed.

Despite its size, there was no hesitation in his motion.

No strain.

Just smooth, controlled power.

"Ha—!"

The blade cut through the air in a wide arc.

SHING.

Two monsters were cleaved instantly.

Their bodies split cleanly before collapsing to the ground.

Eternia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"...So he’s not just decoration."

Leon stepped forward again, bringing the sword down in another precise strike.

Another monster fell.

Meanwhile—

Kael had already disappeared.

For a moment, Eternia lost track of him.

Then—

A blur of motion appeared behind one of the creatures.

A flash of steel.

One clean strike.

The monster collapsed.

Kael reappeared a few steps away, another dagger already in hand.

A faint glow flickered from one of the scrolls attached to his belt.

Speed enhancement.

A rune.

He moved again.

Fast.

Silent.

Efficient.

Another monster dropped before it could even react.

Within seconds—

All six monsters lay dead on the ground.

Silence returned.

Leon exhaled softly, lowering his sword.

"...That wasn’t too bad."

Kael straightened slightly, brushing a bit of dust off his sleeve.

"...Basic creatures."

Both of them paused.

Then, almost instinctively—

They turned toward Eternia.

"...Let’s see how she did."

Their expressions held a hint of curiosity.

Maybe even a bit of pride.

After all—

They had handled their share cleanly.

But the moment their eyes landed on her—

Their expressions froze.

Completely.

"...What."

Eternia stood quietly.

Her posture relaxed.

Her breathing steady.

And around her—

A mountain of corpses.

Monster bodies scattered across the ground.

Heads severed cleanly.

Limbs detached.

Blood staining the stone floor in dark patterns.

Kael blinked once.

"...When did she—"

Leon’s grip on his sword tightened slightly.

"...That’s..."

Eternia tilted her head slightly.

"...Hm?"

Her staff rested lightly in her hand.

A faint breeze still lingered around her.

The remnants of her spell.

First Circle Magic.

Compressed wind.

Accelerated.

A fusion of precision and speed.

Each strike had been clean.

Efficient.

Instant.

While Leon and Kael had been dealing with their targets—

Eternia had eliminated the rest.

Alone.

In seconds.

She glanced at the corpses briefly.

"...We’re wasting time."

Her voice remained calm.

Completely unaffected.

As if what she had just done was nothing remarkable.

But inside—

Her thoughts were moving quickly.

"...We need to move faster."

Godfrey’s words echoed faintly in her mind.

’You’ll win.’

Her fingers tightened slightly around her staff.

A faint shiver ran down her spine.

For a brief moment—

Her mind replayed that crushing murderous aura.

The suffocating pressure.

The certainty of death.

Her hand instinctively moved toward her neck.

"...I don’t have time to fall behind."

She lowered her hand quickly.

Her expression remained unchanged.

Cold.

Composed.

Unshaken.

But inside—

Fear lingered.

Quiet.

Sharp.

Driving her forward.

Eternia turned without another word and began moving deeper into the dungeon.

"...Let’s go."