The instant we stepped through the shimmering veil of teleportation magic, everything changed.
The dungeon welcomed us with the scent of dew-laced leaves and distant birdsong. Around us stretched an emerald canopy—trees rising high into the air, sunlight filtered into golden shards through branches tangled like old runes. The air was crisp, fresh, humming faintly with mana.
We’d arrived. One of the randomized zones, just as the instructors warned. Completely separated from the other teams.
Our boots crunched softly against moss and twigs. Every step stirred something unseen in the brush. A soft wind rustled the leaves overhead, and far in the distance, a beast’s howl echoed faintly. We weren’t alone in here.
"Well then," Elowen said, casually brushing a strand of her braid behind one pointed ear. She stood a few paces ahead, eyes scanning the treeline. "Welcome to your first survival dungeon."
Her voice held a teasing lilt, but her posture was alert—relaxed yet sharp, like a bowstring half-drawn.
She turned to face us with a smile. "Since I’m your designated third-year guide, allow me to explain how this will go. We’re inside an artificially constructed environment—one that simulates real wilderness conditions. Each second here is compressed, so what feels like two days in this place will only be about four or five hours outside. Fascinating, right?"
Lilliane nodded. Her hands stayed close to her wand, body taut, listening with full attention. Her green eyes flicked between every shadow, already calculating.
"We’ll earn points based on how many magical beasts we subdue, the difficulty level of each, and how efficiently we navigate," Elowen continued. "There are resting points scattered through the forest and zones with higher beast density as we move deeper in. Simple stuff—but don’t let your guard down. These constructs may be fake, but their claws? Not so much."
I nodded along.
Pretended to be surprised.
Pretended to be taking it in.
But the truth?
I already knew everything.
This entire dungeon—the terrain layout, the beast types, the hidden spawns, even the location of the mini-bosses. All of it was buried somewhere in my memory from the game.
And more importantly... I knew the story event that came next.
The traitor.
Someone hidden among the staff.
A sleeper agent for the Cult of the Black Star, one of the devil generals. They were after Aiden, Lilliane, Kyle, Selena—the key pieces of the board. Their goal? To erase the budding geniuses before they could bloom into threats.
In the game, the plot escalated after the first dungeon day passed.
A hidden command stone would be activated.
The mana regulators would spike. Monsters would go berserk. Spawn rates would triple. Worse—the protective safety failsafes built into our wristbands would malfunction.
No more emergency ejection.
No more second chances.
Just survival.
And death.
I exhaled slowly, adjusting the grip on my sabers.
So it begins.
Again.
Well anyway, Aiden will take care of the dungeon boss.
All I had to do was my part and make it through this without drawing too much attention.
Elowen took the lead, her movements fluid and assured. I trailed behind with Lilliane, making sure to neither overstep nor underperform. Knowing too much, acting too precisely—it would raise questions. I couldn’t afford that. Not yet.
Our pace was reasonable, pushing deeper toward the heart of the dungeon. Elowen glanced back with a nod. "Let’s move a little further in and find a secure place to rest before nightfall. We’ll take shifts to keep watch."
Lilliane bent down once, nearly brushing her hand against a seemingly normal patch of grass.
"Trap," I murmured, nudging her elbow just before a small glyph blinked beneath the foliage.
She blinked, startled. "H-How did you—?"
"Read about similar formations in the library," I lied smoothly. "Also asked a few seniors what to watch for."
Elowen gave me a glance, eyebrow raised, but said nothing. If she was suspicious, she didn’t show it.
Along the way, we encountered several beasts—mana-twisted boars and vine-covered serpents with glowing eyes.
The first boar charged out of the thicket with a guttural screech. Lilliane conjured a fireball, throwing it just in time to catch the creature mid-charge. It exploded in a shower of embers, and the air filled with the scent of scorched fur.
A moment later, two serpents slithered from the trees, hissing and coiling with glowing fangs. Elowen was faster. Her bow sang twice, arrows of emerald mana piercing the serpents through their heads before they could strike.
Then came something larger.
A panther-like beast, its fur laced with stone plating, eyes glowing crimson.
It moved silently through the brush, pouncing with deadly precision.
I stepped forward, meeting it head-on.
One saber came up, catching its claws mid-swipe. The other arced down in a counter-blow that split the soft flesh beneath its armor. It howled once—then burst into particles of light.
No applause. No comments.
Just another point added to the score.
Eventually, after a steady march and several more encounters, we heard something heavy crashing through the trees.
A towering beast emerged—a hybrid of bear and boar, its hide armored with mossy bark and tusks like broken stone pillars. Its mana signature was heavier, darker.
Elowen lifted her bow, then lowered it with a smirk. "Why don’t you two cute juniors handle this one? Good bonding exercise."
Lilliane and I exchanged a glance.
"On your lead," I offered.
Lilliane nodded, stepped forward, and raised her wand. A swirl of frost erupted from her feet, curling up her arms as she chanted. A powerful freezing wave shot forward, encasing the beast’s legs in thick ice.
The creature roared, frost cracking against its mossy armor. With a bellow, it smashed the ice apart and lunged.
I surged forward to meet it.
Its tusks slashed down like twin blades—I ducked, feeling the air split above my head, and swept in low. My first saber struck its ankle, drawing a spray of black-green blood. The second saber followed up in a rising arc, carving across its flank.
Lilliane didn’t waste a moment—she unleashed a barrage of spells. First a blast of wind to knock the beast off balance, then a pillar of water that slammed into its side, forcing it to stumble.
The beast snarled, staggered, and swung a paw like a falling boulder. I blocked with both sabers crossed, sliding back a few feet from the impact. My arms rattled with the force, but I kept my stance.
"Now!" I shouted.
Lilliane understood.
I dashed in again, feinting left—then struck right, my saber slicing deep into the beast’s neck.
At the same moment, Lilliane’s wand lit with a red glow.
"Burn," she whispered.
)
A firebolt slammed into the beast’s chest.
With a shuddering cry, the monster collapsed, its form flickering—then disintegrating into a burst of motes and light.
Steam and smoke hung in the air.
"Hahh..." Lilliane wiped her forehead, cheeks flushed from the heat and effort.
"Nice job," I said, sheathing my sabers.
Elowen clapped gently. "Adorable. And effective."
Soon after, we found one of the resting domes. Half-hidden behind a waterfall and protected by illusion wards, it shimmered faintly like a mirage.
Elowen stepped inside first, her mana pressing against the dome’s entrance until it recognized our bands and allowed entry.
The inside was simple—an open space with beds of moss and a faint warmth that pulsed from the walls. Safe. Comfortable.
We secured the perimeter, and for the moment, we could breathe.
As the dome’s enchantment adjusted to simulate nightfall, the sky outside darkened.
We shared a quiet meal from the rations provided—dried meat, mana-rich roots, and soft bread. The kind of meal made for function, not taste.
A fire was lit in the center of the dome—contained in a protective barrier to keep the beasts away.
"One of us has to take the first watch," Elowen said.
"I’ll do it," I offered.
They nodded, and soon both were curled up in their chosen spots.
I sat near the fire, staring into its flickering light.
The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Sometime later, Lilliane stirred.
She walked over and sat beside me, her eyes reflecting the firelight.
Neither of us spoke immediately.
But the silence... wasn’t uncomfortable.
Not this time.