A Venture into the Dungeon!

Time passed—but not like a breeze. It more or so felt like storm grinding stone into dust. In the weeks since the introduction of the dungeon, students were honed from being amateur, to someone who could take on monsters—of their calliber of course.

Magic crackled throughout the training grounds, swords released sparks as they clashed, and bruises were worn like medals of honor.

Luciel no longer stumbled as much, Lilith’s precision with her spells were top-notch, while Fenn… well… he still has the same smirk as before.

Jokes aside, his strength as a warrior with sharper reflexes and a reputation for never missing his mark.

Their guide, and instructor for today is a man named Julius Venson. A well-respected adventurer—and a high ranking one at that, achieving the rank of Dungeon Count at an early age of twenty.

“Students of Eledale, prepare yourselves now,” came a deep, strong, and commanding voice that echoed across the chamber.

“Oh the instructor is here already, Luciel clean up already.” Fenn whispered, quickly packing up his sword for the assembly that’s about to take place.

“Just wait for me a bit, I want to try this spell…” he replied back, but a glance was not returned.

Fenn sighed, knowing that any type of persuasion will not steer him away from his goal. So instead of pleading to Luciel himself, he of course asked Lilith to do the job.

She gave a small sigh of her own and stepped forward.

“Let’s go now, Luciel. The instructor is waiting,” Lilith said gently, her voice calm but edged with quiet firmness.

Without hesitation, Luciel stopped whatever he was doing, and quickly packed up his sword, and wore his armor.

“You really are Lilith’s lapdog.” Fenn chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Shut up, I can’t afford to be smacked again!”

“You really are dumb… you just proved my point.”

“You—” as Luciel was about to retort, he realized that what Fenn said was actually accurate. So he stayed there—silent, and followed the two towards the entrance of the dungeon, where fellow students gathered.

And then, a few moments later, the same commanding voice the echoed earlier, appeared once more.

“Students of Eledale Academy—no, fellow adventurers. Today, I welcome you to my favorite dungeon—Elvyr’s Labyrinth.”

He paused, letting the name sink in.

“This is your first dungeon, isn’t it?” he asked, receiving a wave of nervous nods from the wide-eyed students.

“Very well. I’ll run you through the basics of dungeon exploration. Since this one is already well-documented, I will only permit each group to consist of six members.”

“Inside, you will find traps, puzzles, and monsters,” he continued, scanning the crowd with sharp eyes. “All well within your capabilities… if you act with caution. Death is not guaranteed to happen, as we have healers ready to save you in time."

Students listened in silence, as they finally realize that—this is really happening.

“The dungeon is divided into layers. Your objective is to reach the third layer and retrieve the marked crystal fragment. Do that, and your party passes.”

A few students murmured anxiously. One even raised their hand—visibly shaken.

“What happens if we fail to retrieve it?” their tone was stiff, nervous, and noticeably shaking.

Julius gave a thin smile—one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I suggest you don’t fail.”

The students stiffened, probably thinking of all possible conclusions that may happen.

Before they could proceed to second-doubting themselves, his assuring voice echoed once more, “Now, I’ll be watching all parties through the scrying stones embedded in your tags. I will not interfere unless a life is on the line.”

He gestured toward the looming entrance.

“Group up. You have three minutes. Then the dungeon opens. Group up in the middle once you’re all together.”

Immediately, Fenn, Luciel, and Lilith grouped up, followed by familiar chimes in the distance—it was Arvan, Anneliese, and Cedric. A waft of closeness and calmness arose between the six of them—seemingly prepared for what’s to come.

“Yo! Luciel, Lilith—good to see you!” Cedric called out with a wave. His eyes shifted to the unfamiliar figure beside them. “And… who’s this guy?”

With a dramatic bow and a confident grin, the boy stepped forward. “Greetings, good sir! I am Fenn Rurik—Level 6 Noble Swordsman, at your service!”

Anneliese offered a graceful bow in return, her voice calm and clear. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Anneliese Estelle.” she reached out her arm, offering a handshake.

Fenn, trying to be respectul, immediately took the handshake. “Nice to meet you miss! Glad to know you’re a friend of Luciel!”

Cedric noticing how long Fenn is holding Anneliese’s hand, got ticked off a bit. “Okay, that’s enough. You’ve held her hand for far too long…”

Arvan smirked, arms folded. “Someone’s jealous.”

“Shut up!” Cedric snapped, his face heating up.

“I guess the three of you are getting pretty close now, huh?” Lilith chuckled, covering her soft smile with her hand.

Luciel allowed himself the faintest smile—but only for a moment. Then, his expression hardened.

Calculated as always, Luciel immediately brewed up a plan for them to follow. He took a short breath, his gaze steady, and turned slightly to address his teammates.

“Ok guys, Let’s focus.” he calmly sighed, immediately brewing up a plan for them to follow.

“Arvan and Cedric, take the front. Anneliese, hold the left flank. Lilith, you’re on the right. Fenn and I will cover the rear” his gaze was steady, and paused for moment, letting the plan set in.

“This dungeon’s already mapped. We don’t need to explore—just track the enemy movements and engage when necessary.”

Then, his tone dropped just slightly, heavier with purpose.

“Our goal is the marked crystal fragment. Once it's secured, we regroup and get out. Is everything all set?” Luciel asked.

“Yup, no problems over here,” Cedric replied with a confident nod, cracking his knuckles.

“I’m all set!” Anneliese chirped, tightening the straps on her gauntlets.

The others also agreed, giving quick nods of confirmation.

With the plan finalized, Luciel's group immediately sprinted toward the center, where the other teams were already gathering. Then, Julius approached them, designating them as Squad Z—meaning they will be the last squad to go in the dungeon.

Just then, a voice echoed from the front of the staging area—one of the instructors overseeing the operation, calling the first squad—Squad A, to take form and enter the dungeon.

It took hours before Luciel’s squad was called to enter the dungeon—considering they were last.

As they walked through the path, where other squads settled after the mission, some where elated, while some were depressed, which made Luciel have mixed feelings about the difficulty of the mission.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Their footsteps echoed against the stone.

And then—the dungeon door closed shut behind them.

The dungeon was pretty dark—like pitch-black. For a moment, nothing but silence and the faint sound of breathing filled the space.

Luciel narrowed his eyes, letting the silence stretch for a heartbeat. Then, in a calm and calculated tone, he said, “Light, please, Anneliese.”

A soft humm then followed, as she quickly casted a simple light spell, illuminating the area with its glow, that pushed back the thick shadow that once confined them. Jagged stone walls, narrow paths, and moss-covered debris slowly emerged from the darkness.

They kept moving forward, following the procedures at a very well-mannered pace—faster than any squad did.

Traps were disarmed. Monsters eliminated. Room by room, they moved with practiced precision—leaving Julius and the other students watching in stunned silence.

But then—everything suddenly went silent.

The signal was abruptly cut off.

No way to track their whereabouts. No way to contact them. And worse—no way to send help.

In Luciel’s perspective, nothing seemed to be wrong—but outside turned into a frantic warzone, finding ways to save them. Nonetheless, the group pushed further, reaching the layer they were designated to reach—Layer 3.

There, they find the marked crystal fragment, nestled atop a marbled pedestal. But as Luciel, followed by Fenn and Lilith by his back, tried to grasp the fragment—the ground shook.

Cedric, alongside Anneliese tried to save the three from danger, but it was of no use—As a massive wall separated the group into three.

With no way to break the wall, Luciel quickly scanned his surroundings for any clue to get out. Luckily Cedric, Anneliese, and Arvan can easily escape since they only need to go back from where they came from.

But obviously, they can’t go back to where they came in—They would have to beat the dungeon itself.

“Is there really no other way to destroy the wall?” Fenn asked, eyes darting to the sides.

“It’s no use, the wall is reinforced with mana, making it hard to break. Heck, even Julius won’t be able to break that wall.” His tone remained composed, but his grip on the hilt of his blade tightened.

“I assessed it… and it really is enforced by mana that could classified as a Level Nine Divine Sorcery.” Lilith added, quickly clinging to Luciel’s side.

The three then pushed on, quickly trying to clear the dungeon itself. At first it was a breeze, clearing Layers four through ten. But as they went deeper, and deeper. The air grew colder. It was unlike any of what the guides say.

“It is said to become warmer as we head deeper… but why is it so cold…” Luciel shivered, trying to tredge forward, slaying monsters as they went.

“Luciel… I’m worried…” Lilith muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she clutched his sleeve.

Luciel gently glanced back, offering a small, reassuring smile. “We’ll get out of this. Don’t worry… Right, Fenn?”

“Of course we can!” Fenn declared, puffing out his chest. “After all, I’m here with you guys!”

Then he added, grumbling under his breath, “But seriously, please don’t flirt in front of me… I’m emotionally fragile right now.”

Lilith blinked, flustered. “W-We weren’t flirting!”

“Sure, Sure…” he sighed, clearly jealous by how they act around each other. “Anyway, we’re getting side tracked, let’s move on.”

And just like that—their venture continued.

Surprisingly, they managed to clear through fifteen layers of the dungeon in a swift manner, despite the shivering cold.

And then, they finally reached one of the hardest layers according to some scriptures from previous adventurers—Layer Sixteen, the Adventurer’s grave.

“Well, we’re finally here. If we manage to conquer this, maybe my mom will finally accept me.” Fenn smiled, but it wasn’t his usual cheeky one—but one that shows a hint of sadness.

“What do you mean Fenn?” Luciel asked, curious about his predicament, with Lilith nodding in agreement.

Fenn gave a dry laugh. “Well, I’m really just a failure through and through… Always getting compared with that spoiled younger brother of mine…”

He let out a long sigh, gaze lowering. “He always gets high grades, has better skills than me… and funnily enough, he’s already engaged to some noble’s daughter. The perfect son. The heir. And me? I’m just the guy who left home and joined some random adventuring task force, hoping I’d find something I’m good at.”

A silence followed, heavy, but not awkward.

“To our eyes Fenn, you’re the coolest person ever.” Luciel assured, patting his back.

“You’re not a failure, Fenn…” Lilith said quietly, “ou’ve saved us more times than I can count.”

“Thanks, you guys really are the best…” he smiled once more, a cheekier one at that.

After that brief exchange, they pressed onward, cutting through each chamber with relentless resolve—until they finally stood before the final one: a cursed hall spoken of in old scriptures, said to house a horde of a hundred undead.

Luciel tried to scramble for a plan, but before he could speak out, Fenn tapped his shoulder, whispering something to him.

“Let me handle this brother, I can handle this myself.”

Luciel's eyes widened. “What are you talking about? There’s no way in hell I’m letting you do that!” He grabbed Fenn by the arms, panic in his voice. “You’ll… You’ll die, y’know?”

But Fenn only gave a calm, almost peaceful smile. “I’m strong enough. I can do this. Trust me. I’ll meet you on the other side.”

“But—!” Luciel began, but before he could finish, a sudden gust of wind erupted from beneath the chamber, hurling him and Lilith toward the next layer.

“Fenn!” he cried out, reaching a hand toward the boy still standing firm at the threshold. His voice cracked with desperation, his eyes wide with helplessness.

“See you Luciel…” he muttered.

In an instant, Fenn unleashed a surge of power, his blade dancing through the air as he cleaved down a quarter of the undead horde. Every strike was precise, every movement swift—an elegant yet desperate flurry of survival.

He darted between lunges and claw-swipes, a whirlwind of steel and resolve. But even he couldn’t remain untouched forever.

A cold, rotting hand grazed his wounded left arm.

It wasn’t fatal—yet. But the pain settled deep, slow and spreading. For a moment, his grip faltered as he stumbled back. He knew this affliction all too well. And that’s where he knew that he needs to finish it.

Now or Never.

The attack the scriptures speak off, is known none other than—Necrosis. A curse that withers you from the inside-out.

Undeterred, he pushed forward once more, despite the lingering pain on his left arm. He slashed, and slashed, pulling himself together at every step.

But as minutes passed, the horde did not seem to dwindle—but it seemed to grow even more in numbers. He screamed, dashing forward dismantling every undead in his sight. His face was covered in ashes, blood, and rotting flesh.

It was unsightly, brutal and vile even.

But surrendering? That’s never an option.

He danced like a dying bird in a storm, wings broken but unfazed by the imminent danger.

And as he continued to fight, words from the past echoed in his mind.

“Fenn, are you going to make Mother proud?”
“Yes, Mother! I will!”
“Then score a high score, okay?” A warm voice chuckled. “As a reward, you can eat your favorite waffles.”
“Waffles! Waffles!”

But just as quickly, the memory twisted—warmth giving way to cold.

“Why can’t you just make your mother proud…? I wasted my time cooking this.”
“I-I’m sorry mother… I-I’m sorry—”

A slap cracked through the memory. Loud. Sharp. Final.

“Whatever, I don’t care anymore. Just eat it.”

Even though the memory was painful—traumatizing, even—he smiled, relishing the moment as he mercilessly cut down the undead.

“Mother, you’re proud of me now, right?” he muttered, smiling cheekily.

It’s the cheekiest… But no one will be able to see it.

For a fleeting second, he thought he’d live. That he’d walk away from this, waffles waiting. The aromatic smell of freshly cooked waffles… if it were the case.

In that instant, a rotting arm pierced through his stomach. Bones cracked, flesh was torn apart—Necrosis taking its effect. Aftermath—a rotten body, torn into indescribable shreds.

Just then, Luciel felt a bond snap—But he couldn’t tell what it was.

Author: A longer one than usual... Anyway this is the second to the last chapter of Arc 1
Next Chapter: Chapter 13 - Live on, Luciel (Final Chapter of Arc 1)
Release: 30th of July, 2025 GMT +8

As we wrap up Arc 1, I want to say thank you for reading this far. I can't wait for you guys to wait for what's in store for the upcoming arc!

See you all on the 30th