“A swarm of Nightbugs spotted to the south! Everyone, stay alert!”
At Senior Lena’s warning, Brandon and I immediately turned to look in the direction she indicated.
At quite a distance away, a swarm of insects with metallic shells about the size of cats and bladed legs was crawling up the wall toward us.
‘Nightbugs, huh. Monsters you don’t see often. Perfect for real combat practice.’
This should earn us a decent score.
I smiled in satisfaction and stepped in front of the group.
“Kiiik!”
Before we knew it, the Nightbugs had come within fifty paces and let out a grotesque cry.
I didn’t have the ability to understand insect speech, but they were probably delighted at having found prey.
‘Then I suppose I should let them know they picked the wrong prey.’
“Senior Lena, Brandon, into the formation we decided on!”
After saying that, I faced the Nightbugs approaching from the front.
The one at the head of the swarm seemed to have recognized me as well, swinging its sharp foreleg at me.
A slash that could mercilessly cut through most armor.
But its trajectory was far too simple.
Dodging the insect’s attack with a simple step, I immediately thrust my spear at its joint.
The spearhead slipped between the thick metallic plates of its shell and dug deep into its flesh.
The Nightbug writhed and resisted for a moment, but soon its body went limp.
After that, I continued swinging my spear against the approaching Nightbugs.
More than half lost their lives to my spear, but a few used the ceiling and crevices to slip past me and aim for the group behind me.
In response, Brandon raised his magic staff and immediately deployed mana arrows.
Countless arrows of light poured through the air.
Each one was weak on its own, but they were powerful enough to pierce the insects’ leg joints.
Of course, a very small number of uninjured Nightbugs still targeted Brandon, but Senior Lena’s arrows rained down on them.
“Let’s keep going like this!”
Seeing the situation unfold as expected, Brandon shouted in an excited voice.
In fact, the swarm of Nightbugs seemed to have realized they were outmatched and was gradually retreating.
At this rate, we would win without any variables.
That was how it should have gone.
Rumble—.
A sudden vibration shook the entire dungeon.
“Huh, is it an earthquake?”
“I’m not sure.”
As if they had felt the same thing I did, Senior Lena and Brandon tilted their heads.
‘Can an earthquake happen on the first floor of the dungeon?’
At least, there was no such event in my memory.
This kind of phenomenon could occur if large-scale magic was activated on the third floor or higher, but there was no way something like that would happen on the first floor.
The moment I thought that, an inexplicable chill crawled up my back.
At the sudden surge of unease, I hurriedly surveyed our surroundings.
The swarm of Nightbugs, as if they had given up on targeting us, was quickly moving away.
No, were they really just running because they had given up?
For that, they were fleeing at an oddly rapid pace.
Like a swarm of rats running from an earthquake.
The moment I felt doubt at that fact, the Red Blood within me sent out a danger signal.
At the same time, a surging darkness descended upon me.
‘What is this?!’
My expression hardened, and I immediately retreated.
I succeeded in dodging it once, but the darkness did not give up and instantly changed direction to engulf me.
No, was it not just targeting me?
‘It’s approaching Brandon and Senior Lena too!’
“Brandon, Senior Lena! Run far away!”
As soon as she heard that, Senior Lena grabbed Brandon by the scruff of the neck and ran off at high speed.
Once the distance between me and the two of them widened, all of the darkness now moved to target me.
Surrounded on all sides by darkness, I clicked my tongue.
‘I can’t dodge this time.’
Then I had no choice but to break it.
Conveniently, there was no one here watching.
At the same time as I drove my spear into the ground, I immediately partially released the Red Blood.
The blood-red liquid spun at high speed, tearing the darkness apart as it spread outward.
I stared closely at the darkness being ripped apart by the Red Blood.
At first, I had thought it was simply darkness, but a faint magic circle was drawn over it.
‘Large-scale summoning magic?’
Why is this here? This is supposed to be a trap that only appears on the third floor or higher.
I was filled with doubt at that fact, but I had no time to get caught up in it.
If this really was that trap, then the other students would be in the same danger.
When I examined the dungeon through the senses of the Red Blood, the flames of life in my vision were going out one by one, like candles being snuffed.
Judging by the reactions, they were not dead, but it was an unnatural disappearance. What that meant was simple.
‘The students are being moved somewhere else!’
Could everyone have been caught in this trap?
Realizing that something more dangerous than expected had occurred, my expression hardened, and I immediately chased after Senior Lena and Brandon.
“Ashen, what was that just now?”
After setting Brandon down on the floor, Senior Lena caught her breath and looked at me.
“Large-scale summoning magic.”
At my words, Brandon looked at me in shock.
“The one Professor Louise showed us? There’s no way a trap like that would be on the first floor.”
“Yeah, it’s strange.”
I agreed with Brandon and fell into thought for a moment.
‘We escaped the trap, so it would be possible to press deeper. But….’
An abnormal phenomenon had already occurred once. Who was to say it would not happen again?
‘I can’t gamble with Senior Lena’s and Brandon’s lives too.’
I set aside my greed and looked at the two of them.
“For now, let’s return. The situation is unfolding differently from what we expected.”
“It certainly doesn’t feel ordinary.”
When Senior Lena nodded, I turned my gaze to Brandon.
“What do you think? Will you agree to return?”
“Huh, you’re asking me too?”
“You’re a proper party member too.”
At my words, Brandon sank into thought for a moment, then soon expressed his agreement.
“It’s dangerous, so it would be better to go back.”
With all three of us in agreement, we hurriedly returned to the dungeon entrance.
**
When we reached the outside of the dungeon, the first thing we encountered was Eleonore, her expression rigid.
On the screen before her eyes, the students’ location information was changing.
The positions of most of the students on the screen had changed to the second floor of the dungeon.
It was a place far too difficult for the current students to overcome.
“What happened, Professor?”
“I don’t know either. There definitely shouldn’t have been a trap like this on the first floor.”
As we were speaking with her, another party appeared at the dungeon entrance.
Theodora, Ramsey, and a priest of the Order of Light.
They looked so calm that it was hard to believe they had been inside a dungeon where magic had been running wild just moments before.
Perhaps sensing my gaze on them, Ramsey greeted me as if pleased.
“Well now, you made it out safely too. What a relief.”
His voice carried the feeling of genuine relief, but it did not feel that way to me.
‘That guy isn’t the sort of person who would honestly say something like that when he’s surprised.’
Ramsey was the kind of person who, when his calculations went awry, would immediately try to figure out why.
Just as he had done when an unexpected result came out during Senior Lena’s test.
If this was an unforeseen accident, he would be trying to grasp the reason right away.
‘Just how did he interfere?’
Don’t tell me he moved a trap from another floor wholesale?
I looked at him with suspicion in my eyes, but Ramsey merely continued smiling calmly.
So just as I was about to approach him, Eleonore’s voice rang out.
“I will now declare an emergency situation. Everyone, follow my instructions.”
Her voice was calm yet cold. Everyone’s eyes turned to her at once.
“From now on, all other students will evacuate. And please bring the professors here. For now, I will proceed with the rescue operation alone.”
At Eleonore’s statement, all the students showed different reactions.
Ramsey was simply smiling as usual.
Theodora wore an expression that gave no clue what she was thinking.
Senior Lena looked slightly worried, while Brandon nodded desperately.
And the priest of the Order of Light simply stood there with an impassive attitude.
Aside from Senior Lena, it did not seem as though any student would oppose Eleonore’s opinion.
However, I had no choice but to refute her.
‘It’s rational, but that method is dangerous.’
No matter how strong Eleonore was, rescuing them alone was impossible.
This was not a matter of strength, but of time.
No matter how quickly she moved, she could not be faster than the students falling into danger.
Even if the professors came, that fact would not change.
In order to change this outcome, more people needed to be put into the rescue effort.
“Professor Eleonore. I will also assist in rescuing the students.”
“I refuse, Student Ashen. I cannot put another student in danger.”
“If we stay like this, half of those students will die. Are you going to let that happen?”
At my words, Eleonore fell silent.
She must have known that what I said was true, but her sense of responsibility as a professor was stopping her.
I took one step toward Eleonore and continued speaking.
“As you know, Professor, someone at the squire rank can endure the second floor without difficulty.”
“Even so, adding one person will not change the situation.”
“Then I’ll assist too.”
Senior Lena stepped forward.
“Student Lena!”
“Professor. I served as a scout in the military before. If someone like me joins the search, I’m sure we can save many students.”
Eleonore’s pale blue eyes wavered.
Looking at her, I surveyed the surroundings.
‘If just one more person volunteers, we should be able to persuade Eleonore.’
It was impossible to ask Brandon.
He had gotten stronger thanks to training, but he had still not reached the squire rank.
Even if he entered the second floor of the dungeon, he would only increase the number of missing people.
‘Then the only ones left are them.’
I turned my gaze toward Theodora’s group.
Theodora had not expressed any intention, but there was a trace of hesitation in her eyes.
‘Maybe….’
“Lady Theodora, would you also assist us?”
“…Me?”
At my words, Theodora’s eyes widened slightly.
“If it is you, Lady Theodora, who took an overwhelming first place in the exam, then surely you can endure the second floor. Please. Step forward yourself to save the students.”
Instead of answering, Theodora chose silence.
Her eyes anxiously looked toward Ramsey and the priest of the Order of Light.
Ramsey merely smiled and said nothing, but the priest of the Order of Light whispered something into Theodora’s ear.
After hearing the priest’s whisper, Theodora’s gaze wavered, then settled coldly.
At last, she stepped forward and opened her mouth.
“Very well. I will participate as well. I am also the head of the Noble Alliance. At the very least, I have a duty to save students from the same alliance.”
In the end, with Theodora joining in, three people had volunteered, and Eleonore closed her eyes as if deep in thought.
A brief silence.
Then, opening her eyes, she looked at the other students.
“Originally, putting students in danger is something a professor must never do, but right now, there is no helping it. However, the only ones who may come with me are these three: Ashen, Lena, and Theodora. The students who are priests will guard this place and be ready to treat any injured who arrive. And Brandon.”
“Y-yes!”
“You are to go up to the surface immediately and bring the professors. If possible, bring Professor Tracy or Professor Steven.”
“…Understood.”
Told that he was being excluded from the operation, Brandon clenched his fists tightly.
But only for a moment. He looked at Senior Lena and me, then shouted in a loud voice.
“Make sure you save everyone and come back.”
With those words, Brandon hurriedly ran upstairs.
After glancing at his retreating back, Eleonore turned her gaze to us.
“Then you will move to the second floor. Focus as much as possible on rescue rather than combat. Now, let’s go.”
“Yes!”
We answered her loudly and followed her into the dungeon entrance.