Chapter 82 - Act Normal [6]
The next day went like usual... but the group couldn’t enter the dungeon with me today, they have something they have to do.
Cindy had a mandatory theory review session she couldn’t skip, while Zion said that he will do another solo training today. Cordelia and Crystal were both tied up with their private noble obligations outside the campus grounds until late evening.
So, after my part-time job—
I walked down the quiet subterranean stairs of the practical building alone.
I presented my silver plaque to the security guard on duty, who quickly scanned the clearance code and stamped my individual entry pass without asking any questions.
"Stay within the safety boundaries of the first floor if you’re diving solo tonight, Frostguard."
The guard reminded me as the portal gate flared to life.
"Understood. Thanks."
I replied, stepping directly into the swirling blue light.
SWOOSH~
The familiar spatial displacement washed over me, and a second later, my boots landed on the damp, cool stone floor of the evaluation dungeon’s upper level.
TAP-
The air was thick with the familiar smell of moist earth and glowing cavern moss. I pulled [Frost] from its sheath with my right hand and drew my silver dagger with my left, letting my cold frost mana circulate smoothly through my veins.
*****
’Tonight is a good chance to work on my speed and individual reaction time without having to adjust my tempo for a party.’
I thought to myself, stepping out of the portal chamber and heading down the main cavern passageway.
TAP-
My footsteps made faint, measured sounds against the damp rock as I navigated through the twisting tunnels.
-GRRRR—!
A low, guttural shriek echoed from the shadows ahead.
Three Cave Goblins rushed out from behind a large stalagmite, their rusty iron daggers raised high as they sprinted toward me on all fours.
"I’m so sick of seeing them again and again."
I mumbled, gliding forward smoothly on a thin sheet of ice created beneath my boots.
SWOOSH!
I slid beneath the lead goblin’s desperate horizontal slash, thrusting [Frost] upward in a clean, effortless motion.
STAB!
The cold blade pierced its chest, instantly freezing its torso solid before its body even hit the ground.
Without pausing, I spun on my heel, bringing my off-hand silver dagger down in a sharp, parrying arc that snapped the second goblin’s rusted weapon right at the hilt.
CLANG!
Before the disarmed creature could recover its balance, I drove my right elbow hard into its stomach, channeling a sudden burst of freezing aura into its core. The monster shuddered violently as dark ice spread across its skin, locking its limbs completely stiff.
The third goblin turned to flee back into the darkness, but I snapped my wrist and grabbed its arm before it could get away.
FWIP—!
Then as I was holding it—
ZOOOOSH!!!
I froze its whole body.
CRASH!
Then I finished the creature with a swift, clean strike from my rapier, shattering its ice statue.
’Phew...’
I let out a soft, cool breath, watching the frozen remains dissolve into faint particles of mana as three low-tier monster cores dropped onto the dirt.
I picked up the cores, sliding them into my satchel before continuing deeper into the eastern cavern sector.
... ... ...
For the next hour, I moved through the twisting side tunnels of the first floor, clearing out scattered goblin patrols and practicing my dual-wielding transitions.
... ... ...
-SQUEEEEEK—!
A sharp, high-pitched screech suddenly echoed from the high ceiling arch of the cavern chamber up ahead.
I halted my steps instantly, tilting my head up to scan the shadowy stalactites hanging twenty meters above the cavern floor.
Dozens of dark purple eyes flared to life in the darkness.
It was a swarm of Mutated Cave Bats—monsters known for their rapid flight patterns, sharp acoustic shrieks, and venomous fangs.
They were typically annoying to deal with for close-range fighters because they rarely descended to ground level.
"SQUEEEAARK!"
The lead Mutated Bat dropped from the ceiling, its massive dark leather wings swooping down through the dim light as it dove straight toward my head!
CRACKLE—!
I stomped my right boot against the cavern floor, unleashing a sudden, localized wave of frost mana directly upward.
CRASH!
A jagged pillar of ice erupted straight from the ground, catching the diving bat mid-air and freezing its right wing solid. The heavy monster crashed hard onto the rocky floor, screeching in frustration.
PHUCK!
I stepped inside its guard, driving my silver dagger through its skull to finish it instantly.
-SQUEEEAK!
Seeing their leader fall, five more Mutated Bats detached from the ceiling, diving down simultaneously from different angles to overwhelm me.
’Multiple airborne targets...’
I thought, narrowing my eyes as I calculated their descent trajectories.
I took a deep breath, preparing to create a wider ice barrier around my backline—
SWOOSH—!
Suddenly, a brilliant pink light cut through the dim cavern air with terrifying speed.
A long, white spear wrapped in vibrant pink mana shot across the chamber like a streak of lightning, piercing straight through the chest of the lead diving bat before impaling itself deep into the cavern wall!
THUD!
The momentum of the weapon was so overwhelming that the massive bat was killed instantly, its body frozen to the stone by the sheer force of the impact.
"...?"
I blinked, holding my dual-wielding guard as I turned my head toward the entrance of the chamber.
Standing near the edge of the cavern archway, holding her hand out in a lingering throwing posture, was Lilia.
Her vibrant pink hair caught the faint glow of her mana, and her stoic, emotionless eyes were fixed straight on the remaining bats hovering near the ceiling.
TAP- TAP- TAP-
She walked forward with calm, effortless steps, extending her right hand toward the wall.
BZRRRT—!
The white spear embedded in the stone dissolved into pink particles of light, reforming instantly inside her open palm as her bound weapon returned to its master.
-SQUEEEAAARK!
Panicked by her sudden appearance and heavy mana aura, the remaining four Mutated Bats turned around and fled up into the dark ceiling vents, abandoning the chamber entirely.
Silence returned to the cavern.
Lilia lowered her spear, resting its end lightly against the stone floor as she looked over at me.
"Are you alone today?"
Lilia asked, her voice calm, clear, and completely devoid of any dramatic flair.
I lowered [Frost] and my silver dagger, sheathing both weapons back at my waist with a quiet sigh.
"Yeah."
I replied, looking at her with a slightly confused expression.
"My party members had other things to take care of, so I’m just running some solo drills on the first floor."
I paused for a second, gesturing toward the fallen Mutated Bat behind her.
"Thanks for the assist, though I had it under control."
"I know."
Lilia said straightforwardly, stepping closer.
"Your reaction time was already set to block them with ice. I just took the throw because it was an open line."
"Right..."
I mumbled, feeling a slight sweatdrop form on the back of my neck.
She really was as blunt and unbothered in private as she was in public.
"What are you doing on the first floor anyway?"
I asked, curious.
"Someone with your combat rank should be farming the lower levels or training in the [Z Class] private arenas."
"I came down to test the balance of my spear after adjusting its mana weight."
Lilia explained, holding up the white-and-pink weapon for a second.
"The upper floors are quiet enough for precise solo testing."
She looked at my hands, her pink eyes lingering on my silver dagger for a brief moment.
"Your dual-wielding style is unusual for a frost mage. Most mages in our year rely entirely on distance casting."
"It’s just the style that suits me best."
I told her simply, turning around to gather the mana cores dropped by the fallen goblins and the Mutated Bat.
"It saves mana and keeps my mobility high."
I didn’t tell her my condition of not being able to use long distance spells.
Lilia watched me pick up the glowing cores, staying completely silent as I finished clearing the chamber floor.
When I stood back up and turned toward the tunnel leading back to the main portal gate, I noticed she was standing right beside me again, matching my pace step for step.
"..."
I looked to my left, staring at her stoic side profile as we walked down the quiet corridor.
"Are you walking back to the surface with me again?"
I asked.
"Yes."
Lilia answered without hesitation, keeping her eyes fixed on the tunnel ahead.
"It’s dark, and walking together is more efficient."
"Right... Of course it is."
I grumbled softly, shaking my head with a faint, amused smile.
Even though her blunt personality made her difficult to read at times, walking beside with one of the strongest freshman in our year through the quiet cavern tunnels was far from the worst way to end a solo hunting run.
We made our way up the stone stairs together, stepping through the portal gate and returning to the quiet, star-filled night of the academy grounds.