“Lucas?”

As I retraced my steps through the dungeon, a familiar voice called out.

Turning my head, I saw Ella and the rest of the group rushing toward me.

“What’s going on?” Iris asked, squeezing water out of her hair, droplets streaming down her arms.

“It looks like this dungeon is a red dungeon,” Ella answered before I could speak.

Iris’s brows furrowed. “So… does that mean it’s going to rank up to A+?”

“Most likely,” Rose nodded thoughtfully.

I glanced back toward the path we had taken.

“We can’t waste time standing around. Some of our classmates are too weak to handle an A+ dungeon, even in groups. We need to find them before something happens.”

Iris nodded, already moving, as she replied to my words.

“If I remember correctly, some of them went down that passage.”

We didn’t say anything and instead followed her, quickening our pace.

It didn’t take long to reach our destination, but as soon as we arrived, our gazes sank almost immediately.

“A-agh…”

Scattered across the ground were the mutilated remains of several students.

Blood painted the floor and walls, and standing in the center of the carnage was a strange purple creature.

It had a strange appearance, its body was so thin you could see its bones despite having a slight amount of purple skin, and its terrifying black eyes that glowed sinisterly.

Gulp…!

We all couldn’t help but swallow hard when we saw it, but at the same time, we got into our fighting positions, ready to attack at any moment.

“….Gragh…..”

The creature growled softly, and at that moment, I exchanged glances with Ella before she dashed forward.

『 Royal Swordsmanship: Heavenly Strike! (✦ SS-Level Swordsmanship ✦) 』

Ella’s sword pulsed with a strong gold energy as she swung it downwards, in the direction of the strange purple creature.

Crack!

The creature’s head snapped unnaturally to the side, its neck twisting like a broken doll.

He extended his clawed hand as a strange small black void formed on it.

Fwip!

The golden energy was suddenly swallowed by the black void.

“WHA—?!”

Before she could finish her words, the creature’s other arm lashed out like a whip, striking her squarely in the chest with a bone-breaking force.

She was thrown across the cave until her back slammed against the cave walls.

But I ignored that, knowing that Iris was going to heal her. During the time she was flying, I was already behind the creature.

“Demon Slaying Sword Art…”

『 Corrupted Sword! (✦ Advanced-level Swordsmanship (B+) ✦) 』

Black flames engulfed my sword as I aimed for the creature’s head.

Just like before, it formed a black void in its hand, but this time, my flames weren’t so easily extinguished.

“….Guragh?”

The creature let out a strange noise as the black flames devoured the void and started crawling across its body.

“Die you fucking bastard!”

Clang!

“…Huh?”

My blade struck its flesh—or what I thought was flesh—but the sound was like metal clashing against metal.

“…What the hell?” I muttered, pulling back slightly.

The creature’s body was unnaturally tough.

However, at that point, my black flames had already crawled to its body and were slowly burning him.

“Is it dead?” Maya asked cautiously, tapping my shoulder.

I kept my eyes on the creature.

And moments later, its body crumbled to ash, leaving only scorched remains on the ground.

“Finally…” Maya sighed in relief.

“That thing was tougher than it looked.”

And then we both turned to the rest of the group…

“Uhh…”

Maya hesitated, pointing toward the chaos.

“I thought that thing was a mini-boss,” she muttered.

I nodded in agreement, but our attention snapped to Rose’s urgent shout.

“Guys, what are you doing starting? Fucking helps us!” Rose yelled, launching two fire spells at a horde of similar creatures swarming toward her.

There were at least twenty of them…

“Lucas! Your flames are the only thing that works on them!” Ella shouted, blocking an attack with her sword but visibly struggling.

“Quickly, do something!”

“Got it!”

I tightened my grip on my blade, black flames reigniting along its edge.

Then, I dashed towards the small horde of those strange creatures.

Except that this time, I was going to use a wide-range attack!

“Demon Slaying Sword Art…”

『 Devastation Sword! (✦ Advanced-level Swordsmanship (A) ✦) 』

The black flames surged, condensing into a massive crescent-shaped wave as I swung my blade in a wide arc.

The fiery slash tore through the air, heading straight for the horde.

Immediately, Ella grabbed Iris and jumped away while Rose did the same thing as her.

“GUARAAGHHH!”

The creatures let out a bunch of growls, their last cries echoing through the cave before they were engulfed by the black flames.

Within moments, the entire horde crumbled to ashes, leaving nothing but silence and charred remains behind.

“Thank god your weird black flames actually work on these things,” Ella sighed, brushing dirt off her battle suit as she caught her breath.

Then she approached one of the bodies and took a sample of the ashes before coming to me and placing it in the device.

Beep!

“It works!” she smiled faintly.

We all gazed at the device.

[Void Skeleton:

Type: Undead / Void Species

Description: A creature made out of void, usually found in extremely rare A+ ranked dungeons. Typically serves as a subordinate to a higher-ranked boss creature known as the “Void Lich.]

“Ah… so this kind of creature already exists, huh?” Ella muttered, scrolling through the entry.

“Yeah, but void species are extremely rare. If we can just acquire the body of this skeleton, it should be valued highly,” Rose said as she began to look around.

“Strangely… they don’t have a core,” she muttered in disappointment.

“Or did your flames reduce the core to ashes?” Rose asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at me.

“No, that’s not the case…” I replied.

I had tested that theory, and nothing happened to the cores.

“Then these things just don’t have any.” Rose looked more frustrated than surprised.

Then as Iris looked at the device, she opened her mouth with a thoughtful expression.

“If this dungeon really is void-type, then the boss has to be the Void Lich, like the description just like the device indicates.”

“A Void Lich!” Maya’s eyes immediately lit up.

“That means… a Lich Heart! And not just any Lich Heart—a Void Lich Heart!”

Her excitement was palpable, but I quickly brought her back to reality with a light smack on the head.

“Ouch…” she pouted, rubbing the spot before glaring at me.

Iris chuckled at my actions before explaining.

“Maya, the chances of a Lich Heart dropping are less than 0.001%. For a Void Lich? It’s probably even lower.”

“Ugh, way to kill the mood,” Maya pouted once again, crossing her arms with an annoyed face.

“Guys…” Ella called out to us, covering her face as though she were looking at a group of clueless people.

“How are we supposed to deal with Void Magic…?”

“Ah…”

All of us emitted a surprised sound in unison.

We had completely forgotten about that detail.

.

.

.

.

.

Clang!

Zeva’s smirk deepened as she slowly lowered her sword to her side, the tip barely grazing the ground.

Her green eyes sparkled with a strange delight as she studied me like a cat playing with its mouse.

“Don’t use mana,” she declared, pointing her sword at me.

“Or aura. Just swords. Pure skill. Let’s see how you measure up…”

I didn’t respond.

What was the point?

If I refused, she’d only find some way to force me into it. Zeva wasn’t the type to take no for an answer.

My grip tightened around the hilt of my sword.

This was going to be hell.

Her grin widened as if she could read my thoughts. “

“Good. Let’s begin.”

Before I could even take a stance, she was on me.

Shing!

Her blade whistled through the air, moving faster than I had anticipated. I barely managed to sidestep, and her sword sliced clean through a strand of hair that had fallen into my face.

“Damn it…”

I cursed under my breath and quickly countered with a swift strike of my own.

Clang!

Our blades collided, the force of her block sending a jolt throughout both of my arms. She was strong—way stronger than me.

‘Perhaps… a S++ level strength… or more.’

“Not bad,” she mused, her voice almost teasing.

“But you’re holding back. Come on, Aestrea, entertain me!”

I gritted my teeth.

Entertain her?

She was crazy; absolutely insane.

She lunged towards me again, and I parried, barely, but she shifted her weight mid-strike, twisting her body like a dancer and driving her knee into my gut.

Thud!

I stumbled back, gasping for air.

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me falter in pain.

“Oh? You’re still standing?” Zeva tilted her head, her grin never fading, if anything, it seemed to have widened even more.

“Impressive. Most people would be on the ground crying by now.”

“You’re fucking insane,” I spat, wiping the blood from my lip.

“And you’re slow,” she retorted, charging again.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Her strikes came in rapid succession, each one heavier than the last. I was forced to retreat, with every step a desperate attempt to find an opening to attack her.

But then, I saw it.

A tiny misstep…

Her left foot was just slightly off-balance.

It was barely noticeable, but it was enough.

I shifted my stance and swung low, aiming for her legs.

Shiiing!

To my shock, she jumped, flipping over my blade like it was child’s play. She landed gracefully a few feet away, laughing.

“Smart move!” she said, her green eyes wide with excitement.

“I didn’t think you’d catch that.”

Fuck, did this woman make that error to see if I could see it simply?

‘She’s indeed fucking crazy.’

I didn’t need to be told twice.

This time, I went on the offensive, unleashing a flurry of strikes. She parried each one effortlessly, but I could tell I’d caught her off-guard.

For a moment, she looked almost impressed.

Clang! Clang! Shing!

Our blades danced, sparks flying with every clash. Sweat dripped down my face, mixing with the blood that now seeped from a cut on my cheek.

My arms ached from the effort, but I couldn’t stop.

Not now.

Not with her watching me like a hawk.

“You’ve got enough spirit,” she said, blocking another strike with ease.

“But spirit won’t win this fight alone!”

Thwack!

She kicked me in the side, hard enough to send me sprawling. My sword slipped from my grasp, clattering to the ground a few feet away.

Before I could recover, her blade was at my throat.

“Dead” she said simply, her grin widening.

“Again.”

“Ah… huff…”

I glared up at her, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.

“You’re a fucking lunatic.”

“And you’re sloppy.” She stepped back, lowering her sword.

She didn’t even care about me cursing at her.

“Pick up your sword. We’re not done yet.”

I groaned, forcing myself to my feet. Blood trickled down my arm from a shallow cut, staining the hilt of my sword as I picked it up.

This time, I didn’t wait for her to make the first move.

I charged, swinging with everything I had.

Clang!

She blocked me, but I didn’t let up. I pressed forward, forcing her to take a step back.

Then another.

And another.

For a moment, it felt like I might actually have the upper hand.

But then she laughed—a low, unsettling sound that sent a chill down my spine.

“Oh, Aestrea,” she said, almost pityingly.

“You’re trying so hard.”

Before I could react, she twisted her blade, disarming me with a flick of her wrist. My sword flew from my hand, embedding itself in the ground several feet away.

And then she was on me again, her strikes faster and more brutal than before.

Shing! Clang! Thwack!

I couldn’t keep up.

Every block sent a shockwave through my arms, every hit driving me closer to the edge.

Finally, I saw my chance.

She overextended, just slightly, and I ducked under her swing, grabbing the hilt of her second sword.

She didn’t see it coming. I spun, slashing at her side.

Shiiiink!

Blood sprayed as my blade found its mark, slicing through her armor and into her flesh.

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought that the fight would be over.

But then she laughed.

Not a normal laugh—a full-blown, unhinged cackle.

“That’s more like it!” she said, her voice filled with glee.

“Now we’re having fun!”

‘…..Crazy bitch.’

She didn’t even flinch as she retaliated, her movements faster and more vicious than before.

Clang! Shing!

The fight became a blur of steel and blood. I didn’t know how long we fought—seconds, minutes, hours?

All I knew was that I couldn’t let her win.

Finally, I saw it—a shimmering light in the corner of my eye.

The dungeon portal.

We had fought and now we were back to the beginning where we started it. But the portal was different, instead of its usual blue color, it was red.

Zeva saw it too.

Her grin widened, and without a word, she began pushing me toward it.

Clang!

“You’re not serious,” I said through gritted teeth, blocking another strike.

“Oh, I’m very serious,” she replied, her voice dripping with anticipation.

“What better place to finish this?”

Before I could protest, she delivered a powerful blow that sent me flying backward.

Thud!

I hit the ground hard, the world spinning around me.

When I looked up, I realized where I was.

Inside the portal.

Zeva stood over me, her sword at the ready and her green eyes blazing with excitement as a deep grin stretched in her face.

“Round two?”

I groaned, dragging myself to my feet.

“Goddamn it….”

I muttered.

And then the portal closed.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep