Chapter 32: Dungeon Survival (2)

The forest loomed ahead, its towering trees stretching high into the fading light, casting long shadows across the ground.

Amon and his teammates stepped inside, the crunch of dry leaves underfoot echoing softly in the quiet air.

At the front, a boy with dark-blue hair led the way. He finally opened his mouth, his voice clean, steady, and a little friendly.

“So, Amelia, you’re a Light element user, right? That means you can heal. And Neil—you’re an Earth user with a tank-like build. That makes things easier.”

He glanced back at the group, his tone calm yet authoritative as he assigned their roles.

“You all already know your positions. Aisha and I will take the front lines. Neil, you’ll act as our shield and tanker. Amelia, support us from behind as rear guard.”

Then he stopped talking.

Arnold, the boy with blue hair, clearly considered the discussion finished.

Amelia nodded obediently, her black hair in ponytail swaying as she walked. Neil didn’t argue either, which meant he accepted the arrangement without complaint.

Aisha, however, simply strolled forward with her usual carefree confidence, hands tucked behind her head, as though none of this mattered.

But what about Amon?

’What about me? He thought bitterly. He didn’t even mention my role…’

“Hey,” Amon spoke up at last, his tone sharper than he intended. “What about me? Did you forget I’m also in this team?”

Arnold turned his head toward him with a faint look of surprise, as if only now realizing that Amon existed at all.

“Oh, right. You use a revolver, don’t you? Just stand near Amelia at the back. Support us from there. And make sure to protect our healer.”

The words were delivered casually, almost dismissively, like stating a simple fact.

Amon’s lips twitched.

’Fuck… talk about silent humiliation.’

He cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he only nodded and said nothing more.

The air shifted. A rustle came from the nearby bushes, breaking the silence.

Everyone immediately looked toward the sound.

“Take positions! Weapons out!” Arnold ordered, his voice firm.

With a swift motion, he summoned his weapon. A beautiful longsword materialized in his hand, gleaming silver from blade to hilt. The sword was longer and looked heavier than the sword Amon carried, elegant yet lethal in appearance.

Amelia raised her magic wand—an intricately carved staff designed to help focus spells with greater power and less mana consumption than direct casting.

Neil drew his equipment as well, hefting a large shield in one hand and a heavy battle axe in the other. His stance was sturdy, ready to block whatever came their way.

Aisha didn’t bother with hesitation. Sparks of lightning leapt from her fists as she slipped on her gauntlets, her wild grin spreading wide.

Amon unsheathed both his weapons—his revolver in his left hand, his sword in his right.

Then, from the thicket, four wolf-like monsters leapt out. Their fur was a dark, matted gray, their jaws open with low growls. Their glowing green eyes burned with hunger as they prowled closer.

Aisha, reckless as ever, didn’t wait another moment. She dashed forward with a grin that promised violence.

One wolf lunged at her. But Aisha’s speed was faster than the beast’s eyes could follow. Her lightning-charged fist slammed into its chest.

Boom!

The monster flew backward, skidding several meters with a pained whimper.

Arnold and Neil followed right behind her. Arnold’s silver blade shimmered faintly, its surface glowing with a soft silver hue. Neil braced himself, shield forward, axe raised high.

The wolves split apart to attack. One rushed toward Arnold, another toward Neil. The fourth circled and leapt at Neil from the side.

Amon raised his revolver, cocked the hammer, and pulled the trigger.

Bang! Bang!

Two explosive bullets burst from the muzzle, the sound echoing through the forest. The wolf targeting Neil twisted midair, dodging the first shot, but the second bullet tore into its front leg.

The creature howled in pain, stumbling.

Amelia seized the opening, chanting softly. A golden spear of light formed at her wand’s tip, then shot forward like a radiant arrow. It pierced the injured wolf cleanly through the chest. The beast collapsed lifelessly, smoking from the wound.

Arnold’s sword flashed as he cut through his wolf with ease, his strike so sharp that the monster’s body fell apart like sliced butter. He immediately turned to help Neil, who was struggling against his opponent.

The wolf tried to bite through Neil’s defense, but the heavy shield blocked its jaws. Before it could retreat, Arnold’s blade cut through the beast in a single clean slash.

Aisha, meanwhile, already stood with one hand on her hip, her other fist still crackling faintly with lightning. The wolf she had smashed lay unmoving behind her.

Amon exhaled, lowering his revolver.

Well, that was easier than I thought.

The dead monsters body started to turn into

sparkling light and vanished.

In the dugeon, after monsters are killed their body turns into sparkling dust and goes to Dungeon core.

Which is control by Academy.So they can again revive this monster later on.Until the main core of dungeon is not destroy this monster can continue to get revived.

These wolves were weaker than the hobgoblin he had fought before. Still, they were Rank 1 monsters—nothing to underestimate.

Aisha yawned dramatically. “Hah! Too weak. I want stronger ones next time.”

Arnold didn’t respond. He simply wiped the blood off his sword and returned it to his storage ring.

“You’ve got a pretty good aim, Amon,” Amelia said with a gentle smile.

Amon’s chest puffed up at the compliment. He was, after all, easy to please.

“Of course! I’ve trained hard for weeks to master my aim. Guess I’ve got talent for it.” He grinned shamelessly, unwilling to waste the chance to show off.

Amelia chuckled softly at his reaction.

The group continued deeper into the forest, encountering more monsters along the way. Most were Rank 0, easily dispatched, though a few Rank 1 beasts showed up as well. None posed a real challenge.

Aisha’s strength, at the peak of the Awakened stage and nearly at the level of a Mana Initiate, made her presence alone overwhelming. Even Amon could tell how close she was to breaking through.

Hours passed, and the light gradually dimmed. The forest grew darker, shadows stretching long across the ground.

“Let’s camp here,” Arnold finally said, stopping in a small open clearing. “This spot is wide and less crowded with trees.”

Everyone agreed without complaint.

They set up a campfire and pitched two tents from their storage rings—one for the boys, one for the girls. The last person remained outside to take watch.

The fire crackled warmly, its light pushing back the encroaching darkness. The sky above was strange—dark yet faintly glowing, with a silvery haze, though no moon was visible.

Dinner was quiet. They shared rations of dried meat, mana-rich roots, and plain bread. Functional food, not flavorful, but enough to keep them going.

“I’ll take first watch,” Arnold volunteered.

No one objected.

Neil and Amon headed to one tent, while Amelia and Aisha entered the other. Arnold remained by the campfire, staring into the flames with a quiet, unreadable expression.

Some time later, Amon stirred restlessly inside his tent. Sleep wouldn’t come. With a sigh, he stepped outside and walked toward the fire, sitting down beside Arnold.

For a while, he said nothing. The fire crackled between them, filling the silence.

“It’s still not your turn for watch,” Arnold finally said, eyes still fixed on the flames.

“Yeah, I know. Just couldn’t sleep.” Amon gave a half-smile. “Thought I’d keep you company instead.”

Arnold didn’t reply.

Amon, shameless as ever, leaned forward with curiosity glinting in his eyes. “By the way… I’ve been wondering. Can I ask you something?”

Still no reply.

But that didn’t stop him.

“How did you get so strong in just a few months? I heard that before the academy started, you weren’t this powerful. But now? Damn, you’re on a whole other level.”

There was no jealousy in his tone—only raw curiosity. After all, even Amon desperately wanted to grow stronger. His body was average, his mana control even worse. Only with Seraphina’s guidance had he begun to make progress.

But Arnold’s growth? It was almost unnatural.

Arnold finally turned his gaze from the fire to Amon, studying his face carefully.

“That’s none of your business,” he said flatly. Then, after a pause, he added, “But if you must know… let’s just say I worked hard. Harder than you can imagine. And I only recently discovered my real talent.”

His voice carried no emotion, only calm certainty. With that, he turned back to the fire, falling silent again.

Amon sighed inwardly. ’I knew it. He wouldn’t tell me the truth anyway. Figures. Guess reading all those novels in my past life really messed with my brain—always expecting cliché answers like hidden power-ups or secret legacies.’

Even after seventeen years in this world, Amon still remembered the hobbies of his old life—the novels, the anime, the stories he used to lose himself in.

The memories felt distant now, but moments like this brought them back sharply.

Silence stretched between them, the crackle of the fire the only sound.

Amon stared into the flames, lost in nostalgia. Arnold sat beside him, expression unreadable. What thoughts swirled behind his calm eyes, only the gods could know.

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