"Okay. We're in."
Selene let out a quiet breath of relief beside him.
The uneasy alliance was sealed—now, the real challenge began.
***
After traveling for almost half a day, they finally reached the top. The pace had been fast—mostly thanks to the Master, who moved through the mountain like a beast-killing machine.
Kael gulped, the reality settling in deeper now.
'Power levels here aren't linear—they're exponential.'
Selene, as a rank 2 magician, couldn't come close to the Master's presence.
Kael sighed, the weight of his ambitions pressing down.
'Maybe capturing this duchy by mass murder is farther away than I thought'
Selene nudged him gently, sensing his mood.
They traveled at the rear of the group, keeping to themselves. The others spoke little.
Ahead of them, a shimmering rift in space hovered—a jagged tear glowing with unstable energy.
The Master's voice cut through the silence.
"We're here."
Kael's eyes flicked around the rift—and caught sight of other figures gathering nearby.
Travelers, adventurers, magic users… more than he'd expected.
He muttered, "Looks like this place is more popular than I thought."
Selene gave a dry nod.
"Yeah"
The Master cleared his throat, stepping forward with all the gravity of someone about to announce a city council meeting.
"Listen up. Rules are simple: don't fall in, don't get lost, and try not to get yourself killed before the fun really starts."
"Common mistakes," the Master said, holding up three fingers,
"One: thinking this place cares how strong you are.
Two: ignoring the creepy vibes.
And three: trying to be the protagonist."
Kael snorted quietly under his breath.
'So, basically, everything I do by default.'
The Master's expression didn't change.
"One more thing—if you hear something whispering, don't listen. It's not polite company."
One by one, the students stepped into the rift—each vanishing with a flicker of light and a strange, whispering hum. No one looked particularly confident, but no one hesitated either.
When it was their turn, Kael glanced at Selene.
She extended her hand without a word. He took it.
Their fingers intertwined—awkward, hesitant, but firm.
"Let's not die stupidly," Kael muttered.
Selene gave a tight smile. "No promises."
Together, they stepped into the rift. The world folded in on itself—light twisted, sound vanished—and then, everything was gone.
***
Kael landed hard—with a squishy thud that was definitely not stone.
He didn't care. His eyes scanned the surroundings instead.
Dim torches flickered along black marble walls. The air was thick, still, and humming faintly—like the dungeon itself was holding its breath. Creepy didn't even begin to cover it.
Around him stood a loose cluster of students—maybe seven or so. Elara was among them, arms crossed, staring directly at him with an unreadable expression.
Kael squinted. "What?"
Elara simply pointed downward.
He followed her gaze. Then groaned.
"…Oh."
Beneath him—limp, groaning, and slightly twitching—was Adam.
Unconscious.
Kael facepalmed.
'Of course. Out of everyone, I land on this guy.'
Just then, Adam stirred with a gasp, blinked up at him—and shrieked,
"Get off me, you bastard!"
Kael obligingly rolled off with all the grace of a sleepy cat.
"Relax. I didn't do it on purpose. Probably."
Elara smirked. "Great start."
Adam scrambled to his feet, brushing off his robes like he'd been personally insulted by gravity itself.
"You did that on purpose!" he snapped, jabbing a finger at Kael.
Kael dusted off his shoulder with exaggerated calm. "Right. I waited in the void between realms just to belly-flop onto your back. Makes perfect sense."
"You—! You arrogant little—"
"Magicless," Kael offered helpfully. "Don't forget that part. It's your favorite word, isn't it?"
Adam's face went red. "I don't know how a nobody like you even got in here!"
Elara stepped forward, her voice sharp and authoritative.
"That's enough—both of you."
Adam grumbled, backing off with a glare. "Just you wait."
Kael didn't respond. He didn't need to. His silence carried more weight than any insult.
But before anyone could say more, a low, guttural roar rolled through the stone halls.
The torches flickered.
Silence gripped the group like a vice.
Kael's instincts screamed. He moved first, stepping toward the corridor where the sound came from, eyes narrowing into the dark.
Then it appeared.
The beast emerged from shadow—towering, hulking, scaled. Its footsteps cracked the stone beneath. Muscles rippled beneath a hide like black iron.
Eyes like molten coals stared through them.
'That's a T-Rex,' Kael thought, comparing it to the monsters of his old world.
'Only worse…'
He focused—instinctively searching for mana color.
Nothing.
No pale blue. No gentle glow. Instead, a heavy, suffocating red shimmer pulsed from the creature like heat off a forge.
Someone behind him gasped.
A student stumbled back, face ghost-white.
"Th-That's a Crimsonback Devourer… Rank 2!"
The name hit the group like a slap.
Tension coiled. Spells buzzed on fingertips. No one moved. No one breathed.
Kael exhaled slowly.
'Well… guess things just got interesting.'
Adam stepped forward, puffed up like a rooster in a pit fight.
"What are you all afraid of?" he said, voice laced with arrogance.
"It's just a Rank 2 beast. We're Rank 2 magicians. Except for one."
His eyes slid toward Kael with a sneer. "Right, Kaelion?"
A few students chuckled. The kind of laughter that smelled like fear dressed up as ego.
Kael didn't even blink.
Elara, however, had no time for bravado.
"Shut up and focus! We'll all die if we treat this like a classroom spar."
She pointed sharply.
"Keep distance. Use spells to stagger its movement. You—" she looked at one trembling student—"Get the enchanted net ready. Wait for my signal. Once it's weakened, we trap it."
Everyone scrambled. Everyone but Kael.
He stood still, watching the beast, reading the rhythm of its breath, the shimmer of its mana, the twitch of its claws.
He smiled faintly.
The students unleashed a chaotic symphony of spells—flames sputtering, sparks flying, and a fair share of panicked screams.
The beast, visibly irritated, bared its teeth like it was personally offended by the whole ordeal.
Someone yelled, "It's dangerous!" just in time to watch another student get swallowed whole.
Despite the chaos, their combined efforts managed to slow the beast—barely.
But then, just when it seemed like the worst was over, another student vanished, leaving behind only a scream and a messy stain on the stone floor.
Panic thickened the air. Spells became sloppy, desperate. Fear soaked every incantation.
Another student fell. Screams again. The group was unraveling.
And Kael?
Kael stood back, doing exactly what he always did: nothing special