Chapter 153: How Dare You!

"Why is the dungeon shaking...?"

Ethan Morvendrell frowned as he struggled to keep his balance.

His group was still cautiously making its way through the sixth floor, yet the entire dungeon had begun trembling violently beneath their feet.

Dust drifted, cracks spread across the stone walls, and the occasional roar echoed from somewhere far away.

Then, a tremendous explosion shook the entire floor.

BOOOOM!

The shockwave rippled through the underground passage, causing everyone to instinctively brace themselves.

"What in the world..." Leopold muttered.

Moments later, they saw an opening from which a large section outside the dungeon was visible.

"The dungeon... is breaking?"

"How is that even possible?" Leopold said grimly as he stared at the collapsing cavern.

The others silently shared his concern.

Even Erica’s usually calm expression had become serious.

No ordinary battle should have been capable of damaging one of the Imperial Zenith School’s training dungeons to this extent.

Ethan quickly made a decision.

"Let’s hide somewhere safe for now."

His instincts were screaming that something far beyond their level was happening.

This... was not suppose to happen!

Then feeling something, he thrust his hand toward the ground.

Mana surged from his body.

A large magic circle spread beneath the group.

Second Circle Earth Magic — [Earth Walls].

The spell was among the more complex Second Circle defensive spells and required exceptional control over mana.

Massive stone walls erupted from the ground, completely surrounding the four of them and creating a temporary fortress.

Just as the walls finished forming.

BOOM!

A figure burst through a nearby doorway with enough force to shake the ground.

It was Bonjour.

The young barbarian had sensed several presences nearby and instinctively leaped toward them.

Almost simultaneously, two more figures arrived from another corridor.

The elf and her human companion from the cult.

"...A barbarian?"

The elf stopped in surprise.

She hadn’t expected to encounter one here.

After taking a quick look at Bonjour’s appearance, she couldn’t help asking.

"Aren’t you still just a child? What are you doing here?"

Before Bonjour could answer, the human beside her suddenly dashed forward.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted at the elf.

"Focus on the mission!"

The elf frowned in irritation but ultimately suppressed her anger.

Their objective came first.

With a single glance, she had already identified the true target.

The girl they had come to capture was almost certainly hiding behind those erected Earth Walls.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling a little pity for her companion.

He clearly had no understanding of barbarians.

Fighting a barbarian while standing upon the earth itself, was nearly equivalent to courting death.

The Barbarian race was loved by the earth and embraced by nature itself.

Had Bonjour been an adult, the human would’ve likely died the moment he rushed forward.

Fortunately for him, his opponent was still only a child.

’The barbarians have remained hidden for far too long... are they finally beginning to move again?’

The thought flashed through her mind as mana gathered around her.

Although Dark Mana dominated this floor, ordinary mana still flowed through the surroundings.

She calmly drew it toward herself.

A beautifully carved bow materialized within her grasp.

At the same time, a translucent spirit resembling a great wolf appeared beside her.

The Wind Spirit affectionately rubbed against the bow before merging into it, blessing the weapon with its power.

She was a Spirit Archer.

A shimmering arrow condensed from pure mana.

Without hesitation, she aimed directly at the Earth Walls protecting Ethan’s group.

She intended to shatter the barrier with a single shot.

But before she could release the arrow.

BOOM!

Something slammed into her side with terrifying force.

The impact completely ruined the elf’s aim and sent her flying across the battlefield like a ragdoll.

She crashed through several trees before finally rolling to a stop.

"How dare you try to harm my dog?!" An angry voice echoed through the battlefield.

The elf instinctively looked toward its source.

A blue-haired boy slowly emerged from seemingly empty space.

It was Caelum.

Under Grozni’s Stealth Spell, his presence had remained completely hidden until the moment he attacked.

The instant he sensed through his bond that Voomie was behind the Earth Walls together with several unfamiliar presences, he had rushed over without hesitation.

He had even expanded his Spirit Sense while approaching.

However, some unknown interference blocked his perception, preventing him from clearly observing what lay beyond the walls.

That alone had been enough to put him on guard.

The elf felt a sharp pain spreading through her abdomen.

Looking down, her pupils contracted.

A sword was embedded deep into her stomach.

It was Caelum’s sword.

The weapon nurtured from his [Natal Sword Seed], capable of greatly amplifying his Sword Qi.

For the first time since entering the school.

The elf genuinely felt shocked.

Not because she had been injured.

That much could be healed.

But because, she hadn’t sensed Caelum’s presence at all.

Not even for a moment.

Despite being only an Expert, he had somehow approached close enough to stab her before she noticed anything.

Even the stranger was the fact that, the Wind Spirit accompanying her had become unusually restless the instant Caelum appeared.

It whimpered softly, as though feeling something about the young boy.

Suppressing her surprise, the elf immediately retreated several dozen meters.

Only then did she grip the sword lodged inside her body and slowly pull it free.

Blood spilled onto the ground.

Without hesitation, she threw the unfamiliar sword away.

Then, a soft green glow enveloped her wound.

Using a healing technique, she rapidly closed the injury before it could affect her movements.

Just then, the discarded sword suddenly trembled.

Swish!

It shot through the air on its own before accurately landing back in Caelum’s hand.

The elf’s breathing stopped for a second.

"S-Sword Control...?"

Her voice unconsciously trembled.

That was a technique only Masters could reliably perform.

Yet, the child standing before her looked no older than ten or twelve.

How...?

How could someone his age accomplish such a feat?

Before she could recover from her shock, Caelum casually raised his left hand.

Without even looking, he pointed a finger toward another battlefield.

A small black magic circle instantly formed.

Swish!

A compressed [Mana Bullet] streaked through the air.

"AAAAAH!"

The human cultist fighting Bonjour screamed as the projectile pierced straight through his thigh.

His balance immediately faltered.

Bonjour didn’t waste the opportunity.

The young barbarian’s fist, wrapped in that bizarre black energy crashed directly into the man’s chest.

BOOM!

The cultist was blasted backward like a broken doll.

His enhanced Sword Aura couldn’t even break through the strange black energy coating Bonjour’s fist.

The elf’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

Caelum calmly lowered his left hand before pointing his sword toward her.

"Let’s continue."

His blue eyes shone with frightening calmness.

Around his blade, dense Blue Sword Qi slowly gathered, causing the surrounding air to tremble ever so slightly.

The elf felt that something had gone terribly wrong.

These weren’t ordinary school students.

They were monsters disguised as children.