The academy convoy stopped at the edge of the forest.
Kaien stepped out.
Cold air brushed against his face.
Ahead of them stood the dungeon entrance.
It looked like a massive crack in the earth, surrounded by jagged black stone. Mana leaked from the opening like a faint mist.
Students gathered around the instructors.
One of them raised his voice.
"Listen carefully. This is a supervised C-Rank dungeon. Stay with your assigned teams. Do not wander off. If your instructor orders a retreat, you retreat immediately."
Kaien looked toward the entrance.
His system appeared.
[Dungeon Detected]
[Monster Density: Moderate]
[Estimated Danger: C-Rank]
[Special Milestone Quest: Active]
[Progress: 0%]
Kaien dismissed the window.
"Alright."
Mira stood beside him.
"You look serious."
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
"Whether you can go five minutes without calling me sheep."
Mira smiled.
"No."
Kaien sighed.
"Expected."
Ren walked over.
"Everyone's ready."
Reina nodded.
"Then we move."
The dungeon was darker than Kaien expected.
The walls were covered in glowing blue crystals that provided just enough light to see.
Their footsteps echoed through the tunnels.
Ren walked at the front.
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Reina stayed beside him.
Aria followed behind them, keeping her eyes on the surroundings.
Kai stayed near the center.
Mira moved between everyone.
Kaien stayed toward the rear.
Not because he was weak.
Because his weapon made him most useful from there.
He quietly raised his pistol.
Mana flowed through his arm.
His breathing slowed.
One breath.
Two.
Three.
He focused.
A faint blue glow gathered around the weapon.
Then—
A monster dropped from the ceiling.
Kaien fired.
BOOM.
The shot struck it in the chest.
The creature crashed into the ground.
[Monster Defeated]
[+1 Weapon Point]
Kaien lowered his pistol.
"One."
Ren looked back.
"Nice shot."
"Thanks."
Another monster rushed from the darkness.
Reina moved first.
Her blade flashed.
The creature fell.
Then another.
Then three more.
The team moved together.
No hesitation.
No dramatic speeches.
Just training.
Kaien fired whenever an opening appeared.
He didn't waste ammunition.
He didn't chase kills.
He watched.
Waited.
Then fired.
[+1 Weapon Point]
[+1 Weapon Point]
[+1 Weapon Point]
Kaien smiled.
"Okay."
Mira glanced at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You look happy."
"I'm getting points."
"You're weird."
"So I've been told."
An hour later, the group reached a larger chamber.
Their instructor raised a hand.
"Stop."
Everyone froze.
Kaien looked ahead.
The chamber was filled with monsters.
Dozens.
Maybe more.
The instructor frowned.
"That's more than the dungeon report indicated."
Kaien slowly raised his weapon.
The monsters began moving.
Not intelligently.
Not strategically.
They simply noticed the humans.
And attacked.
"Formation!"
Ren stepped forward.
"Come on!"
The chamber erupted.
Kaien fired.
BOOM.
Another shot.
BOOM.
He moved backward while firing, maintaining distance.
A monster suddenly broke through the formation.
Kaien's pistol clicked.
Empty.
"Reload."
He dropped the magazine.
A creature lunged.
Mira intercepted it.
Her weapon slammed into its side.
"You're welcome."
Kaien inserted a fresh magazine.
"I had it."
"Sure you did."
He fired past her.
The shot struck another monster behind her.
Mira looked back.
"...Okay."
Kaien smirked.
"You're welcome."
She rolled her eyes.
"Sheep."
The battle continued for several minutes.
Eventually, the final monster collapsed.
Silence returned.
Kaien looked at his system.
[Monster Defeated]
[+1 Weapon Point]
[Current Weapon Points: 42]
He stared.
Still nowhere near enough.
Kaien sighed.
"Man."
Ren looked over.
"Something wrong?"
"No."
Kaien smiled.
"Just expensive upgrades."
Ren laughed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Good."
They continued deeper into the dungeon.
Eventually, they reached a massive underground lake.
The instructors ordered everyone to stop.
Kaien stared across the water.
Something felt wrong.
Not because anything was watching him.
Not because the dungeon recognized him.
There was simply something unnatural about the area.
The mana was thicker here.
The instructor noticed it too.
"We're turning back."
Reina looked surprised.
"Already?"
"Yes."
The instructor pointed toward the lake.
"The mana concentration is too high."
Kaien nodded.
For once, he was glad someone else had noticed.
They began retreating.
Then—
The ground shook.
Everyone froze.
A massive roar echoed through the dungeon.
Kaien looked back.
The lake began moving.
"That..."
Ren swallowed.
"Wasn't on the map."
The instructor's expression changed.
"Everyone move!"
The water exploded upward.
Something enormous emerged from beneath it.
Not intelligent.
Not special.
Just a monster far stronger than anything they were supposed to encounter.
Kaien raised his pistol.
His system appeared.
[High-Risk Monster Detected]
[Special Milestone Quest Updated]
[Survive.]
Kaien stared at the notification.
"...Yeah."
He tightened his grip.
"That's more like it."