Chapter 52: The dungeon

Leon led his team through the ancient stone archway. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the atmosphere changed.

The warmth of the Emerald Forest disappeared almost instantly. And a cold sensation spread through his body, crawling from the soles of his feet toward his chest. It was not the ordinary chill of entering a dark cave. The cold seemed to seep directly into his bones, as though something inside the dungeon was slowly draining the warmth from every living thing that entered.

Leon stopped for a moment. Behind him, the rest of his team looked around cautiously. One of the students immediately shivered and rubbed his arms.

"This place is much colder than I expected," he said.

Another student glanced back toward the entrance.

"The forest is still right behind us, but it already feels like we are in another world."

Leon looked toward the entrance as well.

The sunlight from outside illuminated the vines and ancient roots covering the entrance, but the light seemed strangely distant from where they stood. It was as though an invisible boundary separated the dungeon from the forest.

Leon tightened his grip around his sword.

"Stay alert," he said. "Something about this place feels abnormal."

His teammates nodded.

They had all entered the dungeon expecting excitement. A hidden dungeon meant treasure, rare materials, and possibly opportunities that could dramatically improve their results in the examination.

Yet the moment they stepped inside, that excitement had been replaced by uneasiness.

The passage before them descended gradually into darkness. Ancient stone walls surrounded them on both sides. The surfaces were covered with patches of dark moss and faintly visible carvings. Some of the carvings looked like symbols, while others appeared to depict figures kneeling beneath a large circular shape.

None of them recognized the writing.

One of the students raised a magical lamp. The light spread through the passage, revealing a floor made of large stone tiles. Several tiles had cracked over time. Others were covered in dust that appeared untouched.

Leon crouched down and examined the ground.

There were no obvious footprints.

He frowned.

"This place has not been visited recently," he said.

The scout who had discovered the entrance looked around nervously.

"Then how did something like this remain hidden for so long?"

Leon stood up.

"I do not know."

He looked deeper into the passage.

David stepped beside Leon and said, "But we should assume that something is living inside."

Leon nodded slightly. "That’s right."

The group became silent. Leon drew his sword completely from its sheath and David bumped his knuckles.

The faint metallic sound echoed through the corridor.

"Keep your formation," Leon instructed. "Nobody moves ahead alone. If we encounter something, we will determine its strength before committing to a fight."

A student carrying a shield moved closer to the front. Another positioned himself behind Leon with his spear ready. Their healer remained in the center of the group, while the mage stayed toward the rear.

They began moving forward.

Their footsteps echoed through the dungeon. With every step, the forest outside felt farther away. The sounds of birds and insects disappeared completely.

There was no wind and no rustling of leaves. There was only the sound of their footsteps and the occasional drip of water somewhere in the darkness.

Leon kept his eyes forward. His instincts told him that the dungeon was far older than the academy’s examination grounds. There was something unnatural about the place. The walls did not resemble the ruins they had studied in their lessons. They were too well preserved. The stone had weathered with age, but the structure itself remained intact.

It almost felt as if the dungeon had been waiting for someone to enter. Leon immediately dismissed the thought.

It was only his imagination.

After walking for several minutes, the passage widened and the ceiling rose higher, and several pillars appeared along the sides.

The team slowed down. Then the scout moved closer to Leon and David.

"Leon, should we stop here and investigate the room?"

Leon studied the area.

"No. We have only just entered. We should continue a little bit further."

He pointed toward the passage ahead.

"We will mark our route as we go. If we find something valuable, we can return later."

The scout nodded.

Then the team continued.

They had not traveled very far when they heard something. A faint sound came from somewhere ahead.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Everyone stopped and Leon raised his hand. The entire team froze.

The sound came again.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Scrape.

It sounded like something dragging itself across the stone floor.

The students exchanged curious glances.

One of them whispered, "What is that?"

Leon shook his head.

"I do not know."

The sound stopped, then silence returned.

Then they heard it again. This time, it was closer.

Scrrrape.

"Something is approaching." Leon raised his sword. "Prepare yourselves," he said.

The shield bearer stepped forward. The mage began gathering mana. The healer moved closer to the center of the formation. David and the scout were already ready for what was about to come.

Everyone watched the darkness ahead.

A shadow slowly emerged. At first, it looked like a person. Then it stepped into the light covered by the magical lamp.

The creature was humanoid, but clearly not human. Its body was thin and unnaturally pale. Pieces of rotten cloth hung from its frame, while parts of its exposed body had already decayed to the point that the bones beneath could be seen. Its eyes glowed with a faint blue light. And one of its arms dragged along the ground, its fingers scraping against the stone.

The creature opened its mouth. A low, distorted sound escaped its throat.

One of Leon’s teammates swallowed.

"Is that an undead?"

The mage stared at the creature.

"It looks like one."

Leon carefully examined it.

The creature’s movements were slow and its body was thin. There was no visible armor. Its magical presence was also weak.

Leon released a quiet breath.

"It is low rank undead."

The tension within the group immediately eased.

One of the students lowered his shoulders.

"We were worried for nothing."

Another student gave a nervous laugh.

"If that is the only monster in this place, then we might have strike rich this time."

Leon did not share their confidence. He continued watching the creature.

"It is still dangerous. Do not become careless," he said.

The shield bearer stepped forward.

"I will handle it."

Leon nodded.

"Go."

The student charged and the undead creature reacted immediately. Despite its thin body, it moved faster than expected. The shield bearer raised his shield and swung his sword. The blade struck the creature directly in the shoulder.

Clang!

The sound was not what they expected. The sword did not cut through flesh. Instead, sparks flew from the point of impact.

The creature staggered backward. But the shield bearer stared at his sword in surprise.

"What?"

The blade had barely penetrated the creature. A shallow mark was visible on its body, but there was almost no injury.

The student tightened his grip. He swung again. This time, he aimed for the creature’s neck.

Clang!

The blade struck the creature again. The undead staggered, but remained standing. The student’s expression changed.

"What is this?"

The creature suddenly lunged.

The shield bearer barely raised his shield in time.

Boom!

The impact forced him backward.

"Hold it!" Leon shouted.

The student gritted his teeth.

"I am trying!"

Leon rushed forward.

He swung his sword with both hands. The blade struck the creature’s torso.

Clang!

Again, the attack failed to penetrate.

Leon immediately stepped backward. His expression became serious.

"That is strange."

The mage behind him stared at the creature.

"The attack should have damaged it."

Leon looked at the shallow mark on the creature’s body.

It was already disappearing.

His eyes narrowed.

"There’s something strange about it," David said.

Leon nodded slightly. Then he said, "Everyone, do not assume its low rank means it is weak."

The undead suddenly opened its mouth. A strange cry echoed through the chamber. The sound was so distorted that Leon’s teammates instinctively covered their ears.

The creature charged again. This time, Leon met it directly. He swung his sword toward its chest. The creature raised its arm. Leon expected the blade to cut through the limb.

Instead, another metallic sound rang through the chamber.

Clang!

The creature’s arm remained intact. Leon was forced backward. His boots scraped across the stone floor.

His expression hardened.

"This is not normal," Leon muttered.

David also attacked from the side and the shield bearer attacked from the other side. David’s knuckle hit the creature’s face and the shield bearer’s sword struck the creature’s ribs.

However, both of their attacks did nothing.

The undead turned toward the shield bearer and struck with its claw. The shield bearer blocked but the force sent him stumbling backward.

"Fireball!"

The mage finally released his spell.

A sphere of fire flew across the room and struck the creature.

Boom!

Flames engulfed its body. The students watched anxiously. For several seconds, the creature disappeared inside the flames.

One of them said, "Did we get it?"

The flames slowly disappeared. The creature was still standing. Its clothes were burning, but its body remained largely unharmed.

The mage’s face turned pale.

"That spell should have been enough to seriously injure a low-rank monster."

Leon stared at the creature.

He finally understood what was happening.

"It has extremely high resistance."

The mage shook his head.

"That should not be possible."

Leon tightened his grip around his sword.

"Then this dungeon does not follow the same rules as the monsters outside."

The creature moved again. This time, Leon did not attack immediately. He watched its movements. The creature was slow. Its offensive power was not particularly impressive.

But its defense was extraordinary. Their ordinary weapons couldn’t damage it. The realization made Leon’s expression increasingly grim.

They had entered the dungeon expecting easy rewards. They had assumed that a low-rank monster would be easy to defeat. But they had made a fundamental mistake. They had judged the creature by its rank without understanding its nature.

Even David didn’t understand what was going on. Why this supposedly low rank monster seemed undefeatable?

"Everyone, stop attacking randomly," Leon ordered.

One of his teammates asked, "Then what should we do?"

Leon kept his eyes on the undead.

"We need to find its weakness."

The creature suddenly charged. Leon moved to intercept it. Their weapons collided once again. The impact pushed Leon backward. He adjusted his stance and avoided another claw strike. The creature’s movements were predictable. That was their advantage.

Leon stepped to the side and struck its leg.

The blade bounced off. He immediately retreated.

"It is slow, but its body is incredibly tough."

The mage quickly asked, "Should I continue using fire?"

Leon shook his head.

"Not yet. We do not know which element will work."

The mage nodded.

Another student raised his bow.

"I will try attacking its head."

Leon looked toward him.

"Do it."

The archer drew the string.

He waited for the creature to expose its face. Then he released the arrow. The arrow flew straight toward the undead’s eye.

It struck.