The destruction Grey's final attack caused was anything but small.
It was as if half the cavern had been utterly obliterated, leaving nothing behind of the ant beast — not even a corpse, only charred dust and broken earth.
The very ground was scorched and torn, testament to the sheer force he had unleashed.
Despite having poured out a torrent of high-level spells and even using an ultimate attack that drained half the mana in his core, Grey wasn't exhausted.
His stamina held firm, but his battered body told a different story. Each step he took was heavy, his limp worsening, his breath ragged and shallow.
His body screamed at him to surrender, to collapse and rest, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, blood trickling freely from his nose.
Every few steps, he coughed up specks of blood, likely from internal injuries caused by the beast's brutal blows.
The others stood frozen, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief. This high-level beast, which had resisted all their combined efforts — even breakthroughs from some of the strongest students — had fallen to a single first-year student. And not just fallen... It had been annihilated.
In their minds, there was no longer any doubt — Grey was the strongest among them.
They watched, dumbfounded, as he dropped to one knee and began drawing intricate runes on the stone floor, using his own blood as ink.
"What are you doing?" Vanica asked, her voice filled with confusion.
"Doing what I want to," Grey replied, his tone casual despite the pain. "You all keep staring at me like I'm a monster. So, I need to fix that."
He finished the rune circle and channeled a thin stream of mana into it. The carvings blazed with radiant light, bathing the cavern in an eerie glow.
Grey stepped inside — and before their eyes, his crimson hair slowly reverted to the familiar brown they were used to. However, the injuries marring his body remained unchanged, bleeding and raw.
"You can make runes?" Vorden asked, almost breathless.
"Is it really surprising anymore?" Scarlet scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away with a snort.
"We have so many questions…" Raze began, then hesitated, frowning. "But I doubt you'll want to answer them."
He paused, realization dawning. "Wait — is that why you never let anyone touch you? Because if I did, I would've sensed the absurd amount of magic you're hiding?"
"Ding ding ding! The fool finally gets it," Grey said, flashing a smirk. "But you're still forbidden from touching me. I hate it."
He turned to move forward when suddenly a strong hand clamped onto his shoulder.
Grey spun around and found himself staring at Dante's battered, bloodstained face.
The older student's jaw was clenched, his eyes brimming with unshed tears that finally spilled over his cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Dante said hoarsely. "Sorry for always looking down on you... for planning to kill you in this dungeon. Thank you... for saving us — and for avenging Kael."
Grey blinked. "Wait, what?! You planned on killing me?"
"Let's not lose track of the conversation here," Dante said hurriedly. "Not like I could've killed you anyway, after seeing that." He wiped his tears roughly. "As thanks, your secret's safe with me."
"That doesn't count. You're all obligated to keep it a secret," Grey replied with a shrug. "Otherwise..." His gaze sharpened. "You won't live to see the sunrise."
A chilling silence fell as everyone felt a cold shiver run down their spines.
"So... How are we taking back Kael's body and the treasures?" Grey asked, changing the subject.
"I got that covered," Selene said, stepping forward. "My shadow magic allows me to store non-living things. And since Kael is... you know... it should work."
"Perfect. Take the body and let's—" Grey's words faltered as the entire cavern trembled violently.
Chunks of rock started raining from the ceiling. At first, pebbles. Then slabs of stone, large enough to crush a man, crashed down around them.
"The cavern's collapsing!" Raze yelled, blasting a massive slab away with a fireball.
"Well, after that fight between two titans, it's a miracle it lasted this long," Lyra commented grimly.
"Run! Now!" Grey commanded.
He summoned the wind around him, the air swirling violently before coalescing into the shape of a massive bird. Its wings stretched wide, made entirely of compressed, roaring air.
Selene quickly rushed over, storing Kael's body and the scattered treasures into her shadow.
The group leapt onto the bird's back just as a massive boulder smashed into the ground where they'd been standing a moment ago.
The bird shot forward at breakneck speed, weaving through the falling debris with impossible agility.
Each wingbeat carried them higher, dodging death by the slimmest margins.
The opening they had entered through finally came into view, but the cavern's collapse was accelerating. Entire sections of ceiling gave way in thunderous crashes.
With perfect timing, Grey's bird hurled itself toward the hole, slipping through just as the entire cavern imploded behind them. Whatever other treasures lay hidden inside were buried forever beneath tons of stone.
Yet the danger wasn't over.
The dungeon itself was trembling now. Even the wide altar room was beginning to crack apart, ancient stones splitting as if struck by invisible hammers.
Without pausing, Grey guided the bird through the shaking ruins, racing for the exit.
"Can't this damn bird go faster?!" Raze screamed, his voice nearly lost in the roaring wind.
"I'm slowing down for your weak stomachs!" Grey shot back, scowling.
"Is it until we're buried alive?!" Greg shouted. "Step on it, you shitty bird taxi!"
Grey snorted. "Fine. As you wish."
The bird's speed doubled — no, tripled — and the world around them blurred into a chaotic rush of stone and wind.
The group screamed in terror, clutching onto the bird for dear life as they sped like a comet toward the dungeon's final hallway.
"I take it back! Slow the f*ck down!" Raze roared, his cheeks flapping violently from the force of the wind.
"Error! Command not recognized!" Grey said with a savage grin.
Ahead loomed the steel door sealing the dungeon's entrance — still closed.
"Arghhhhhh! We're going to smash into the door!" Vince howled as the solid metal rushed up to meet them.
The steel door was blasted clean off its hinges, flying outward like a missile. The bird rocketed through the opening, carrying them into the open sky just as the entire dungeon collapsed in on itself with a deafening roar.
They barely escaped by the skin of their teeth.
"Curse you Grey! You'll suffer in the pit of hell for this, Grey!" Jay shouted over the rushing wind, clutching his stomach, looking ready to vomit.
"At least I'll be at peace... knowing you're coming with me," Grey called back, laughing.
The bird soared higher, speeding towards Lunaria Academy, leaving the crumbling dungeon far behind them.