Chapter 80: Practical Dungeon Exam (XIII)

Maelis’s face went pale, her entire body trembling uncontrollably as hot tears spilled from her eyes.

She clutched at the bleeding stump with her remaining hand, sobbing, her voice cracking with both fury and despair.

“Y-YOU MONSTER! YOU—BASTARD!! GRAY!!! I CURSE YOU! I CURSE YOU TO DIE SCREAMING! TO ROT IN HELL! TO—AHHHHHHHHHH!!”

Her words came out broken, choked by her own wails.

Blood splattered against her cheek as she slammed her forehead into the ground, crying, spitting, screaming, cursing him with every ounce of strength her lungs still had.

“You’re not my brother! You’re not anything! YOU’RE A DEMON! I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU SO MUCH!!”

Her voice rose to shrieks, echoing off the stone walls like the wails of a dying animal.

Gray stood silently, his gaze cold, detached, watching her tantrum like one might watch a pathetic child struggling.

Slowly, almost casually, he raised his foot and pressed it hard into her back.

“Stop screaming,” he muttered.

THUD!

He kicked.

“GUH—!”

Her body shot forward, rolling across the blood-slick floor like a rag doll.

Bones cracked against the stone as she tumbled helplessly, smearing crimson across the ground before slamming into the wall.

She gasped in agony, coughing blood, her face pressed to the cold stone as her tears mixed with the dark red trail beneath her.

Her shoulders shook violently, a mixture of grief, rage, and unbearable pain consuming her whole frame.

Gray stepped forward slowly, his eyes never leaving her trembling body, as his lips curled into a faint yet extremely cruel smile.

“You cry too much, Maelis. Just like before.”

Maelis tried to crawl back, but she was too weak, her body trembling, her blood leaving a long trail behind her.

Then, Gray grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head up.

Her face twisted in pain, a cry slipping from her lips, but he didn’t care. He forced her to stare straight into his hypnotic dark eyes, pulling her in like a pit she couldn’t escape.

“You’re quite lucky, my dear sister…,” he mocked with a small grin.

“They said no killing in this dungeon. If not…” He pulled her hair tighter, making her whimper. “…you’d already be dead.”

Her lips trembled, tears and blood dripping down her chin. She tried to curse him, but her voice broke into sobs.

Gray let go, shoving her down.

Her body hit the ground before rolling like a broken doll into the wall.

“Cough, cough… ugh!” She coughed hard, curling up and clutching at the bloody stump where her arm used to be.

Gray didn’t spare her another glance.

He turned away, walking back to the girls. Claire, Selina, and Mira were still holding each other close, their faces pale.

When Gray neared, they froze, their bodies stiff, their eyes shaking with both fear and relief.

At that moment… Gray’s cold expression softened for a moment.

“Let’s go,” he said, sticking out his hand towards them.

The three of them exchanged glances and got up without taking Gray’s hand, which made him feel awkward, but he pushed it aside.

Then, while leaving Maelis behind, they continued exploring the dungeon.

Gray was leading at the front, while behind him, the three girls walked close together, whispering among themselves.

“He said… my girls, right?” Claire whispered, her cheeks turning pink.

“I didn’t hear that wrong, did I?” Selina asked, fanning her face with her hand like she was overheating.

“No, you heard it too,” Mira muttered, a little more shy, her voice barely above a murmur.

Selina’s lips curved into a small smile.

“I was so surprised…”

“Tch, why does he have to say it in such a scary moment? My heart almost jumped out of my chest.” Claire bit her lip, her blush deepening.

“Y-yeah…” Mira admitted, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“But… it wasn’t bad…”

Selina giggled softly.

“Not bad at all.”

Their whispers continued, girlish and quiet, each of them sneaking glances at Gray’s back.

Meanwhile, Gray was currently speaking with Jasmine.

[There shouldn’t be monsters stronger than the mutant wyvern in this dungeon.]

Gray’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t slow his pace.

“…Yeah, I thought so too,” he muttered under his breath.

“But… are you sure?”

[…As long as there are no more light runes, then yes.]

Gray thoughtfully nodded at her words.

[Steps, I sense the presence of four people… from middle-advanced to peak-advanced.]

Jasmine instantly warned Gray, who slowly reached out to his rapier, and then, four silhouettes appeared out of the dim light of the dungeon crystals.

The one at the front had long, light brown hair tied loosely, her hands brushing her thighs nervously as she walked.

When her golden eyes landed on Gray, she blinked once, then twice, and her lips parted.

“…Gray?” Lyra’s voice wavered, soft but full of relief.

Gray stopped in surprise.

“Lyra.”

Her whole face brightened, her nervousness melting for a moment. She jogged a little closer, almost tripping over her own boots, but caught herself quickly.

“I–I can’t believe it! You’re here too… I was so worried when I didn’t see you earlier!”

Gray’s lips twitched faintly, the closest thing to a smile he could manage.

“Still alive, see?”

“Hah, yeah… barely. You look like hell, though.” Lyra let out a shaky laugh, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“I’ve had worse,” Gray replied flatly.

Behind him, Selina, Claire, and Mira had stopped walking, watching the scene with quiet eyes.

It was then that Lyra finally noticed them. Her smile froze, her gaze flickering to the three girls standing close behind Gray.

For a second, her lips pressed tightly together, but then…

“Ugh…”

She straightened, forcing her voice steady, and stepped forward.

“Oh! Uh—hi.” She gave a small, polite bow.

“I’m Lyra. A… friend of Gray’s.” Her words carried a little hesitation, but she quickly covered it up with a bright smile.

The girls blinked at her, and Selina was the first to respond.

“Selina. Nice to meet you.”

“Claire,” the redhead added, her tone a bit more guarded.

“Mira,” came the last, soft and short.

Lyra’s hands fidgeted slightly behind her back, but she nodded firmly.

“It’s good to see Gray isn’t wandering around alone. You three must be… his teammates?”

Claire glanced at Gray, then back at Lyra, answering carefully.

“…Something like that.”

Selina raised a brow, smirking faintly, while Mira just looked away, cheeks tinged pink.

Lyra tilted her head, brushing a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear before speaking softly.

“So… Gray, do you maybe want to… team up? Just for the rest of this exam? It might be safer.”

Gray looked at her for a moment, silent as usual. Selina, Claire, and Mira watched carefully, expecting him to brush Lyra off the way he usually did with people.

But instead…

“Alright,” Gray said simply.

Lyra’s eyes lit up.

“R-Really?!”

Before he could add anything, she grabbed his hands, clasping them tight.

“Thank you! You don’t know how relieved I am…!” Her smile was so bright it nearly glowed under the dim dungeon light.

The three girls behind him frowned immediately.

“Didn’t he literally call us his girls earlier?” Selina leaned closer to Claire, whispering sharply.

Claire crossed her arms, scowling.

“That’s what I thought too. Guess he’s quick to cheat.”

“…Bastard,” Mira’s lips pressed into a thin line as she muttered-

Their whispers weren’t as quiet as they thought. Lyra caught it instantly. Her eyes flicked toward them, then back at Gray, her smile curving into something more mischievous.

“I didn’t know you were dating those three, Gray…” she teased lightly, her voice dipping just enough to carry.

“It’s a misunderstanding,” he replied straight away.

But Lyra caught the slight twitch in his lips, the tiny reaction he always showed when her teasing actually got to him.

“Mmhm,” she hummed knowingly, squeezing his hand a little tighter before finally letting go.

The three girls, however, were clearly not amused.

“Haaaaaaaa…”

Gray let out a ’small’ sigh, then stepped closer to the three girls. His eyes narrowed slightly, and instead of his usual flat tone, a crooked grin tugged at his lips.

“If you wanted me to hold you so badly,” he drawled, voice low and teasing, “all you had to do was ask.”

The girls froze for half a second, then their faces twisted at the same time.

“Keep dreaming, idiot.” Selina let out a sharp scoff, arms crossing as she turned her head away.

“As if I’d ever ask for that!” Claire jabbed a finger at his chest, her cheeks red despite her glare.

“…Delusional.” Mira just huffed, refusing to meet his eyes, though her ears burned pink.

All three brushed past him in sync, their steps quick and annoyed as they walked ahead deeper into the dungeon.

Gray blinked once, then smiled faintly as he watched their backs disappear into the darkness.

“These girls..”

When he glanced back, Lyra was still behind with her group, covering her mouth to hide a laugh. Her eyes sparkled knowingly, as if she had just seen through all of them.

Gray gave a small, wry smile before finally turning to follow after the three.

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