Outside the Dungeon, at the human encampment.
Inside the hastily erected command tent, the atmosphere was heavy.
The magical lamp’s glow cast uncertain shadows across everyone’s faces.
The air was thick with the mingled scents of earth and herbs.
From afar came the heavy footfalls of patrolling soldiers, along with the anguished groans of wounded who’d escaped from the Dungeon.
Huff—!
Robert, Headmaster of the Galwin Magic Academy, slammed his palm heavily onto the wooden table, making the documents upon it tremble.
His gray beard quivered with anger.
“Hmph! Hain, that fellow, I’ve long seen that his resolve was weak! Betraying humanity was only a matter of time!”
Isavel, seated at the place of honor, merely glanced at him coldly and said in a low voice, “Robert, now isn’t the time for this.”
The candlelight in the tent flickered suddenly.
A mentor in a deep blue robe rubbed his fingers together and spoke hesitantly:
“Hain has now fused with the Abyssal Magic Heart deep in the Dungeon. Not only has his magic level risen to 50, he can also control half the Dungeon. The Rose Knights and our students alone… I’m afraid they’re no match for him…”
Another person, clinging to a sliver of hope, asked, “What if we order them to break through by force?”
“Impossible. If Hain can control the Dungeon, there’s no way he’ll let them escape.”
The more they analyzed, the more their hearts sank to rock bottom.
They knew what was happening inside the Dungeon, but there was nothing they could do.
After devouring the Abyssal Magic Heart, Hain had become the most terrifying being within.
Even if the Rose Knights and the academy students joined forces, they stood no chance.
“Are we just going to let them die in there?!” a young mentor couldn’t help but shout, fists clenched white.
“No, there’s still hope.”
Robert took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger. His gaze swept over everyone in the tent.
“After several days of research, I’ve found that although the Dungeon is suppressed by Abyssal Magic, it’s not entirely unshakable. It will just require considerable time and cost. When the time comes, we can project our power inside and kill Hain.”
He put particular emphasis on the word “cost.” Its meaning was self-evident, but Isavel acted as if she hadn’t heard, slowly rising to her feet.
The hem of her black dress swept silently across the ground.
“If there’s a way, what are we sitting here for?”
A few mentors exchanged uneasy glances. After a moment, one of the more senior mentors hesitated and said,
“Hain is the Divine Son of the Preston Family. Now that he’s betrayed humanity, shouldn’t we inform the Preston Family before we execute him?”
Stopping at the tent flap, Isavel didn’t look back, leaving only a mocking snort:
“Act first, send the message after.”
She tilted her head slightly, moonlight outlining her flawless jaw. Yet those deep eyes grew ever colder.
“As for their opinion, it doesn’t matter.”
“Remember, if anything happens to the Rose Knights, this world will go down with them. At a time like this, I hope you’ll put away your petty schemes.”
Before her words faded, her figure had already melted into the night outside the tent, leaving only a silence in the room and the weight of her warning.
……
Seventh Floor of the Dungeon.
After a string of fierce battles, the Rose Knights and the students of Galwin Magic Academy had slain most of the monsters on the sixth floor and entered the Seventh Floor.
Here, the dungeon walls were blood-red, pulsing quietly as if alive, and at times gave off a low, sinister rumble.
Leanna’s unease was magnified endlessly by the eerie environment.
Not long after they proceeded, she raised her hand, ordering all members of the Rose Knights to halt.
At the very same moment, the academy students also froze where they stood.
Before them was not a monster, but a demon.
The demon was roughly the size of three people, its tattered inner wings fanning behind it and stirring a filthy wind.
Though its face was decaying, one could still make out its features upon closer look.
And precisely because its face was still recognizable, everyone was left in shock.
This demon… was Hain!
At this moment, Hain seemed to have lost many of his memories.
His gaze swept over Teresa briefly; there was little hatred in his eyes—only greed and destruction.
“Insects who’ve trespassed into my palace, are you ready to pay the price?!”
He swung his arms violently, and the entire Seventh Floor seemed to become an extension of his body, letting out a pained howl.
In an instant, the soft ground turned into a viscous, bloody mire, rapidly spreading as Abyssal Magic surged forth.
A student from Galwin Academy was caught off guard, his feet sinking into the mire in a blink.
“Help me!” he shouted in terror.
The mire not only restrained his movements, but was devouring his magic and life!
Leanna reacted swiftly, slicing the mire entangling him with a single stroke of her sword.
Aixi then rushed forward, pulling the student out with brute force.
The student collapsed, face deathly pale, filled with lingering fear.
“Freeze!” Teresa shouted, and a freezing spell surged outward from her feet, turning the devouring mire into a sheet of ice.
But before anyone could sigh in relief, Hain grinned savagely and turned his attention to the ceiling.
At some point, the ceiling of the Seventh Floor had become covered with pale, chilling crystals.
Now, as if given life, they broke loose and rained down!
But they weren’t simply falling—they were guided like deadly arrows, whistling through the air, each aimed precisely at a target!
“Barrier!” Under Iserine’s command, many academy students joined forces to erect a massive magical shield.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Crystalline arrows slammed into the barrier, shattering into icy shards and chaotic magic currents.
The shield trembled, flickering unsteadily.
Behind the barrier, Seli nocked an arrow and tried to shoot Hain, but even arrows imbued with third-tier magic were swatted aside with ease by Demon Hain.
Now that Hain had reached Level 50, in the human world, such a person was called a Sage—his strength was far beyond that of any ordinary Level 40 individual.
Moreover, the power gap between third-tier magic at different levels was enormous.
Seli’s own magic level was barely approaching 40. Even using a Forbidden Curse, she’d struggle to harm Hain.
“We can’t hold out much longer!”
A student’s face turned pale as his magic was rapidly drained, desperately defending against the relentless crystal barrage.
And this was only the beginning.
Dark organic tissue on the walls began writhing violently. Soon, countless frenzied, malicious eyes snapped open, and a wave of psychic shock reverberated through the entire Seventh Floor!
“Ah—!”
A female student, unable to withstand the onslaught, clutched her head and screamed.
Terror, despair, suspicion—an onslaught of negative emotions was forcibly poured into her mind, shattering her focus and will to fight.
In that instant, the academy group faltered. Cracks appeared in the magic barrier, and several ice crystals seized the chance to smash into the students.
But to their horror, those struck by the crystals instantly turned to ice statues, then shattered—
Only now did the students of Galwin Magic Academy realize this was no mere academy competition, but a true life-or-death trial.
A single misstep could cost them their lives.
Once they understood this, the already fragile alliance fell apart completely.
Under the relentless barrage, the students—driven by survival instincts—frantically fled for the Seventh Floor entrance.
But would Demon Hain let them go so easily?
Their chaos only led to greater disaster. Without a collective barrier, the students were picked off one by one by the falling crystals.
As more and more students died before their eyes, even the Rose Knights began to waver, seeds of fear sprouting in their hearts.
“Hold your minds steady!”
Thankfully, Teresa’s cold, clear voice rang out like an icy spring, dispelling some of the confusion.
Still, her face was grave.
She could sense that the entrance to the Seventh Floor was sealed.
Now, they were all trapped beasts. Only by killing Demon Hain could they regain their freedom.
But killing Demon Hain… seemed utterly impossible.
His strength had clearly reached the limit of the Dungeon.
Even if the Rose Knights and academy students worked as one, there might be a sliver of hope. But now…
Watching the students flee in all directions, Teresa’s eyes dimmed.
They were, after all, only students. With no real combat experience, they were hopeless.
…Are we really doomed to die here?
No, no! There must be another way!
Her unwillingness fueled her thoughts, desperately searching for a way out.
Yet the cruel reality was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the flame in her heart.
If only Isavel were here—
She laughed wryly at the thought.
This was a monster-filled Dungeon, corrupted and suppressed by Abyssal Magic.
No matter how strong Isavel was, how could she possibly get in?
It seemed that despair was making her indulge in impossible fantasies.
But just then, a violent tremor shook the Dungeon above.
A cold, clear voice pierced the darkness like a goddess of salvation, bringing hope to them all.
“Endure.”
Just that single word rekindled the fighting spirit in the hearts of the Rose Knights.
Perhaps the students of Galwin Magic Academy didn’t understand, but the Rose Knights certainly did.
That was the voice of Saintess Isavel. Though she was fierce in daily life, what she said—she would do.
And “endure” meant—she would come for them!
Of course, if they could hear Isavel’s voice, so could Demon Hain—especially since he was the Dungeon’s master.
Sensing his Dungeon being broken into from outside, he flew into a rage.
“Damn you! Today, all of you will die here and become the new nourishment for my Dungeon!”
As his words fell, the Dungeon shuddered violently. Magical and psychic attacks grew more frequent.
Even Leanna, usually so composed, was forced to shrink her enchanted sword to cover only a core group, sweat beading on her brow.
If even Leanna was struggling, the others were even worse off. The students of Galwin Magic Academy, in particular, now numbered less than a tenth of their original force.
Endure?
Though no one knew how long they needed to endure, Teresa knew that if things went on like this, they wouldn’t last a minute—maybe not even thirty seconds.
Perhaps… the time had come.
She took out the jade stone Isavel had given her.
It was a Divine Relic. With it, she could manipulate the concentration of Divine Grace in her bloodline—suppressing or unleashing all her potential.
But such a thing came at a cost.
If she chose to unleash all her potential, she would be transformed by an excess of Divine Grace—becoming a true… monster.
Monster…
[As long as you are still you, you are a member of the Rose Knights.]
Dark red Abyssal Magic raged through the Dungeon. The defense line was about to collapse.
Just as despair was about to consume everyone, Teresa made her decision.
She gripped the jade, letting the Divine Grace of her bloodline surge forth!
Boom—!
Vast and boundless Divine Grace burst free, forming a pillar of holy light that pierced the heavens!
Teresa hovered within it, silver hair wild, her dress flowing with golden runes.
From behind her left shoulder, a pure white Divine Feathered Wing unfurled, pouring endless radiance and pressure upon all!
Hain’s assault paused for a moment. The Rose Knights were stunned.
Teresa’s transformation exceeded all expectations!
When the light faded, Teresa appeared before them like a one-winged angel.
The skin near her wing was no longer fair and smooth but covered in feathers.
She could feel the Divine Grace filling her body, her eyes now suffused with a godly indifference and majesty.
She raised a delicate hand, and a Sanctified Spear, wreathed in holy runes, appeared in her grasp.
“Hain, this ends now!”
Her voice echoed with ethereal resonance, the Sanctified Spear imbued with purifying will, slicing through the foul Abyssal Magic and striking straight at Hain!
A flicker of fear flashed in Hain’s eyes, but he immediately let out a savage roar:
“Useless! Here, I am the strongest!”
He spread his arms wide, and all the Dungeon’s Abyssal Magic surged into him—not only forming a colossal Abyssal Vortex before him, but also fusing his lower half with the Dungeon itself!
Walls, floor, ceiling—all became part of his body. Endless Abyssal tentacles, terrifying ice crystals, and psychic assaults surged at Teresa from all directions like a tidal wave.
Not only did this counteract the power of the Sanctified Spear, it also rapidly drained the Divine Grace within her!
Rumble—!
The Sanctified Spear and the Abyssal Vortex collided violently.
Light and scarlet magic clashed and annihilated each other, and the resulting shockwave battered Leanna and the others nearby.
The Dungeon quaked, cracks webbing through its walls.
Yet, this time, the light failed to completely dispel the darkness.