Sixth Floor of the Monster Catacomb—unlike the upper floors, which teemed with rampaging monsters, here was strangely silent and vast.
The immense space seemed endless. Corroded by Abyssal Magic, the ground was etched with ancient, enormous, and sinister magical patterns.
From the lofty dome above hung countless pallid crystals, like stalactites, exuding a chilling air.
After slaying the Spider on the Fifth Floor, the Rose Knights had tracked the traces left by the Magic Academy, and easily caught up with Hain’s group at the center of the Sixth Floor.
Not long ago, the two sides might have been considered amicable, but now, they stood at daggers drawn.
“Hain.” Leanna’s voice echoed through the empty corridor, cold and clear, breaking the silence of this place.
“It’s time to settle our previous account.”
Hain’s team members exchanged glances, complex expressions flitting across their faces.
Some among them looked down on Hain’s earlier act of desertion; others feared the might of the Rose Knights and the razor-sharp killing intent radiating from them at this moment.
But whatever the case, Hain was still one of Galwin Magic Academy’s own. His disgrace was one thing, but he couldn’t drag Galwin Magic Academy down with him.
As Students of Galwin Academy, they took pride in their own institution.
Hain’s face was unsightly. He felt the hesitation from his teammates, as well as the pressure from the Rose Knights. “Leanna, this is a dangerous dungeon, not a place to settle personal grudges!”
No matter how confident he was, he knew he was no match for the Rose Knights. After all, it was one against forty—how could he have any hope of winning?
“Personal grudge?” Leanna stepped forward, her gaze sharp. “You betrayed your comrades, set them up to die at others’ hands—this ceased to be a personal grudge long ago.”
“Or is it that you no longer have the courage to face a challenge head-on, Divine Son?”
That last title was laden with sarcasm.
Hain was driven to the wall. Instinctively, he glanced around, only to realize he was completely isolated—those Students who had once followed him now turned away, feigning indifference.
Rage ignited completely within him.
These people were nothing but petty sycophants!
When he stood at his peak, they fawned and flattered shamelessly; now, at his lowest, they turned away coldly, even kicking him when he was down!
His earlier choices had clearly been for Galwin Magic Academy’s sake, for victory in the Challenge Tournament, yet this was the result: everyone turning against him!
“Fine!” He knew he could not escape, and shouted in forced bravado, “I accept your challenge! But if you want me to fight all of you, isn’t that just bullying the few with the many?”
“No need.”
A cold voice rang out. Teresa stepped from among the girls, coming to stand before everyone.
“Hain, your opponent is only me.”
As she spoke, the Rose Knights’ expressions didn’t change, as though they had foreseen this scene.
Behind Hain, however, the group of academy Students let out a collective sigh of relief.
If the Rose Knights really intended to bully the few with the many, then to protect Galwin Magic Academy’s honor, they would have joined in—after all, Hain was still a Student of the Magic Academy.
But now it was different; this matter could be considered Hain’s personal affair.
Teresa was also of the Preston Family, and had her own grudges with Hain.
Many of them were now curious—after the so-called Divine Son faced the true Divine Maiden, just how much ability would he have left to show?
To see Hain embarrassed—this was something quite a few people yearned for.
“Very well, very well, since that’s how it is, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Hain also exhaled heavily. In his eyes, dealing with Teresa was as easy as could be.
Whatever Teresa had gone through, others might not know, but he did.
It had only been a few years since she was stripped of her Divine Grace. Even if she had regained it, her Magic would need to be retrained from scratch.
With just a few years, how strong could she possibly have become?
Watching Teresa approach him, Hain forced a stiff smile, trying to maintain his composure.
“Teresa, I admit I bear responsibility for what happened before. But this is the Catacomb—if we fight among ourselves, the monsters will benefit. If you back off now, I’m willing to compensate you in my own name afterward.”
Teresa didn’t reply. She only raised her hand slowly. Ice-blue Magic twined around her fingertips like a living thing, finally forming a crystal-clear Ice Crystal Sword.
The sword’s tip pointed at Hain, and the cold killing intent pierced straight through his calm.
“Hmph, stubborn fool!” Infuriated by her attitude, Hain’s contempt turned to anger. “Since you’re asking for humiliation, I won’t hold back!”
As his voice fell, a Magic Wand appeared in his hand. He swung it with a shout: “Third-tier Magic, Blazing Sun!”
A surge of blinding light erupted from him, blazing like the sun, sweeping outward!
This was his signature opening move: overwhelming and imposing, enough to intimidate most opponents.
At this moment, he could already picture Teresa being scorched by Holy Light and forced into a miserable retreat.
However—
Facing that dazzling Holy Light, Teresa’s gaze didn’t waver.
She didn’t even dodge, simply held the Ice Crystal Sword upright before her, the blade trembling faintly.
“Third-tier Magic, Ice Shield.”
A transparent magical barrier spread instantly in front of her. The wild Holy Light crashed into it—and, like waves on a rock, the light quickly faded, not even lifting the hem of her garment.
“What?!”
The arrogance froze on Hain’s face, replaced by utter shock.
He was shocked not just that his Magic was blocked, but that Teresa’s opening was also Third-tier Magic.
How—how was this possible?!
Even at Galwin Magic Academy, any Student capable of casting Third-tier Magic could vie for the title of Magic Star with him!
A cripple who had been stripped of Divine Grace, and in a mere few years, she had returned to her peak?!
Before he could react, Teresa moved.
Her figure blurred like a phantom, leaving behind a faint icy afterimage. In a flash, she crossed dozens of meters to appear before Hain.
The Ice Crystal Sword shrieked as it ripped through the air, stabbing for his heart!
Too fast!
In a panic, Hain threw up a Holy Light Shield.
“Crack!”
The instant the ice sword met the shield, it shattered like glass. The piercing cold rushed through, making Hain shiver violently, his blood surging in turmoil.
He staggered backward, true fear finally surfacing on his face.
Teresa’s strength was far more terrifying than he’d imagined!
And… she genuinely wanted to kill him!
“Third-tier Magic, Judgment Spear!”
He howled, forcibly drawing on the Divine Grace he’d stolen from Teresa. A massive spear of light gathered in the air and, carrying the will of judgment, crashed down!
This was his trump card.
Don’t be fooled by the fact it was still Third-tier Magic—with the blessing of Divine Grace, it was nearly on par with a forbidden spell.
With this move alone, he had defeated countless opponents and won the title of Magic Star at Galwin Magic Academy!
In his eyes, Teresa could never block this attack!
Yet, reality always defied his expectations.
Teresa didn’t even glance at the awe-inspiring light spear. With a twist of her wrist, she drew her Ice Crystal Sword upward, Divine Grace surging at her fingertip.
“Third-tier Magic, Annihilation.”
A slender ice-blue line rose to meet the spear. There was no earth-shattering explosion.
The massive spear, upon touching that line, silently unraveled from the tip, as if it had never existed.
Crushed! Absolutely crushed!
Hain’s pupils shrank to their limit.
There was no mistake—just now, he had sensed Divine Grace radiating from Teresa.
It was like comparing a sea to a pond—his own Divine Grace was utterly insignificant before hers…
A fake would always be a fake…
In front of Teresa, for the first time, he felt so pale and powerless.
All his means of attack were blocked with ease by this young woman. The Magic that had made his name was unraveled in a way he simply could not comprehend.
Fear washed over him like a frigid tide, stronger than ever before.
“You… what kind of monster are you?!”
She’d been stripped of her Divine Grace—why, why could she possess it again?!
Hain’s mind collapsed completely. He had no will to fight left; crazed, he turned and fled, desperately channeling Divine Grace to put as much distance as possible between him and Teresa.
Teresa instinctively gave chase, but it seemed even the Catacomb itself aided Hain. After just a few twists and turns, she lost all trace of him.
“Hmph.”
She gave a cold snort, waved away her ice sword, and thus ended this brief battle.
With the fight concluded, the Rose Knights pressed deeper into the Catacomb, while the Students of Galwin Magic Academy remained where they were, dazed and stupefied.
They had imagined all sorts of endings—perhaps even that the Rose Knights would play dirty—but they’d never expected Divine Son Hain to lose, and so miserably at that.
It was—he was utterly defeated…
And Hain was the strongest among them. If even their strongest was crushed like this, didn’t that mean… the girls had never even taken them seriously from the start?
So, in this Challenge Tournament, who was challenging whom?!
With this realization, bitterness filled the faces of many Students.
……
On the other side, after escaping from Teresa, Hain unwittingly stumbled into a pitch-black place.
No matter how dangerous it might be, he didn’t care—his mind had only one thought: Escape! Get as far away from that woman as possible!
The dignity of a Divine Son, the legitimacy of the Preston Family bloodline—none of it mattered before the instinct to survive.
He had no idea how long he’d run. Finally, exhausted, Hain collapsed in a corner thick with twisted shadows.
Glancing around, and finding Teresa hadn’t followed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But in the next instant, a sharp, mocking laugh rang in his ear.
“Look at you, how pitiful you are…”
“Who?!”
Hain scrambled up in a panic. Before him appeared a twisted projection of a Demon.
“It’s you?!”
“It is I.”
The Demon’s whisper coiled around his soul like a venomous serpent.
“Look at yourself. Are you still the Magic Academy’s new star? Are you still the Divine Son adored by so many?”
“Get lost!” Hain collapsed to the ground, cursing.
“Get lost? Get lost where?”
The Demon sneered.
“Back to the Academy? Everyone there will know you’re a failure, a false Divine Son, a thief who stole another’s power! Your reputation will plummet throughout the Academy!”
“Besides, Teresa… She spared you today, but next time? You and your elders killed her Parents, after all. She will surely take her revenge—then, she’ll become your eternal Dream Demon!”
Each of the Demon’s words was a sharp knife, stabbing into Hain’s bleeding wounds.
Clenching his fists, Hain’s heart was filled with towering hatred—and confusion.
He didn’t know what to do next. No matter what he did, it seemed only death awaited him.
But he didn’t want to die—he shouldn’t have to die.
The one who truly deserved death was that woman named Teresa!
Since she’d lost her Divine Grace, she should have remained a cripple. Why did she leave the Preston Family? And why did she come back?!
Fate was truly unfair!
After railing against Teresa for a while, Hain turned to the Demon. The darkness in his eyes was gradually replaced by a strange glimmer.
The Demon had come to him. That meant… he was still of use!
He could still live!
As if seeing through his thoughts, the Demon cackled, pulling a dark red Abyssal Magic heart from its breast.
“Look at this power. It will not mock your past, nor question your origins. It recognizes only true strength.”
“All you need do is swallow it, and you will become Lord of the Dungeon, gaining command of this Catacomb. By then, Teresa, the Rose Knights…”
“With this power, you can crush all that you despise! You will become their Dream Demon, their source of fear!”
Reason told him he must not, under any circumstances, swallow this heart.
But as soon as he recalled Teresa’s cold gaze, the scorn of those around him, his own defeat—beaten like a dead dog just moments before…
Hain’s craving for power, his obsession with revenge and fear, finally overwhelmed everything.
Reason faded from his eyes, replaced by a hysterical frenzy. Like a starving vagrant, he lunged at the Demon, snatching the magic heart from its hands.
“Give me… power!”
He murmured, clutching the heart, and bit down.
The dark red radiance stretched his shadow longer and longer.
Amid his anguished screams, that shadow, baptized by blood and Magic, gradually shed its human shape, sprouting wings and horns.
When he looked up, Hain’s eyes were filled only with hatred for everything—and a thirst for annihilation.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.