In one of the largest halls of Arcadia Academy stood the Waygate Hall, a place both majestic and intimidating.
At the very center of this vast chamber shimmered a massive teleportation gate. A swirling portal of silver-blue light rippled, its surface like water, yet it pulsed with energy that could tear apart anyone careless enough to step in unprepared. The gate was directly linked to one of the nearby dungeons.
Several professors moved around it, adjusting arcane machines that hummed softly beside the portal. Amon didn’t really know what exactly they were setting up, but their serious expressions made it clear that this was no small task.
All across the hall, groups of students gathered in excitement and nervousness. One by one, parties would soon be entering the dungeon through the gate.
Among them, Amon stood with the rest of Class A. Beside him were Seraphina and Eliana, their calm expressions contrasting with his own uneasy frown.
"They’re really going to tell us our teams only at the last moment," Amon muttered, irritated.
If they had announced the teams even a day earlier, he might have had time to get acquainted with his teammates. Fighting alongside strangers in a dungeon wasn’t exactly comforting.
"Don’t worry," Eliana said with a soft smile. "It’s not like you’re going to die in there."
Before Amon could reply, a sudden chime rang out. Every student felt their pagers vibrate. Amon quickly pulled his out, and the announcement appeared before him.
His team had been decided.
---
[Team Members]
Aisha Darkfang
Amelia Black
Arnold Bigod
Amon Vale
Neil Bright
---
Amon sighed as he read the names.
’That wolf girl is with me. Dammit.’
He looked over at Seraphina and Eliana. "Who are your teammates?" he asked curiously.
"Coincidentally, Eliana and I are in the same group," Seraphina answered. "The other three are Sam, Ella, and Nero."
Amon nodded, though he had no idea who those three were. "Well, I’m grouped with Aisha and Arnold. But I don’t know Amelia or Neil at all."
He smiled faintly. "I’ll head to my team, then. See you inside the dungeon if we cross paths."
Seraphina gave him a nod of encouragement, while Eliana smirked mischievously. "This time, don’t run away after seeing a monster, okay~?"
Amon’s cheeks heated up instantly.
’She really doesn’t miss a chance to tease me.’
He just nodded awkwardly before turning away, while Eliana’s soft laughter trailed behind him.
Spotting Aisha, Arnold, and two others gathered in the distance, Amon made his way toward them. They were already assembled; he was the last to arrive.
"Hello, friends. I’m Amon Vale," he greeted them with a polite smile.
"Tsk."
The sound came from Aisha Darkfang, the wolf beastwoman. She clicked her tongue in irritation the moment he introduced himself.
’Wait, did she just... click her tongue at me?I will remember this silent humilation.’ Amon stared at her dark-haired figure. Her ears twitched slightly, and her red eyes narrowed with clear annoyance.
’Tsk her ears are cute...I will forgive her this one time’
Arnold stood beside her, arms folded. His indifferent expression made him look like he was trying to be some protagonist straight out of a novel. He didn’t say a word.
Thankfully, one of the others broke the silence. A girl with black hair tied in a high ponytail and striking emerald eyes stepped forward.
"Hi. I’m Amelia Black, and this is Neil Bright." She gestured toward the brown-haired boy standing next to her. "Looking forward to working with you." Her kind smile helped ease the tension.
Neil gave Amon a friendly nod. "I wanted to talk to you, Amon. Let’s work well together."
"Likewise," Amon replied, relieved at their warm response.
Before they could speak further, a clear voice rang through the hall.
"Attention, everyone!"
All eyes turned toward the stage. Standing there was none other than Professor Cristina Frostblade, dressed in her sharp professional attire—a fitted suit, pencil skirt, and black stockings. Her beauty was matched only by the authority she carried. Her sky-blue hair was tied in a neat bun, and her dark blue eyes swept over the students like blades of ice.
"Each of you will now receive a wristband," she announced. Assistants began passing them out. "These bands will record your scores in real time. They will also track your health. If your health drops below a critical threshold, you will be automatically ejected from the dungeon."
A low murmur spread through the hall, but Cristina continued firmly.
"Also, remember this—time flows differently inside the dungeon. One full day in the dungeon equals only two hours in the outside world."
A ripple of surprise moved through the students.
Cristina’s expression remained stern. "The team with the highest points will rank first. And once the boss monster is defeated, the dungeon expedition will end. That means your stay may last several days... or less than a single day, depending on how you perform."
Her strict gaze scanned across the crowd. "If you have questions, ask now."
The hall stayed silent. No one dared.
"Good," Cristina said with a small nod. "Then prepare yourselves. Groups will enter the portal one by one."
Excitement and tension filled the air as students shuffled into lines.
Amon’s heart thumped faster. His palms felt slightly sweaty, but his eyes glimmered with a trace of excitement.
He glanced at Arnold. "Hey, Arnold. You’re pretty strong, right? I guess you might even be stronger than Aisha."
A cold glare immediately burned into his back.
"What did you just say?" Aisha’s red eyes narrowed dangerously. "It seems you’ve forgotten our little spar."
Amon winced inwardly. As expected, her nerves were easily provoked—just like Marcus.
"Maybe,you are right," Aisha admitted, her lips curling into a crazed grin. Her sharp canines flashed. "But I’ll need to fight Arnold myself to be sure."
’Yep. She’s definitely battle-crazy,not like our arrogant young master Marcus.’ Amon thought with a sigh.
"Sure, sure. I’d love to watch you two fight," he replied with a fake smile.
Arnold, however, remained silent. He didn’t even acknowledge either of them, his stoic expression unchanging.
Amelia and Neil exchanged awkward glances. Neither could quite figure Amon out. Was he brave for provoking Aisha... or simply reckless? Was this really the same boy who had screamed during their first combat class?
One by one, the groups began stepping into the portal. Finally, it was their turn.
Before entering, Amon asked "Wait. Shouldn’t we decide on a leader first?
Amelia replied hesitant. "I think it should be either Aisha... "she take a piased for a while and the continued".....or Arnold."
It was understandable. Arnold had been known as a weak and spoiled young master not long ago, but his recent changes were impossible to ignore. His growth was shocking.
"I agree," Neil said.
"Hah. What’s the point of a leader?" Aisha snorted. "Just kill every monster we see."
Arnold, as usual, said nothing more than, "Let’s enter the dungeon. We’ll decide inside."
The others nodded.
Together, the five of them stepped into the shimmering light of the Waygate.
The world twisted. A moment of dizziness passed, and then everything changed.
When Amon opened his eyes again, they were no longer in the Waygate Hall.
Instead, they stood in the middle of a vast forest.
Tall trees rose endlessly into the sky, their emerald canopies blocking out any direct sunlight. Golden shafts of light filtered through in scattered beams, illuminating the mossy ground. The air was fresh, crisp, and thrummed faintly with mana.
Yet when Amon glanced up, there was no sun at all—only an endless expanse of dim, glowing mist.
They had entered the dungeon.