Chapter 77 - Act Normal [1]
The orange hue of the setting sun painted the high archways of the practical combat building in warm, deep amber.
Following their final afternoon lecture, the five-member party regrouped and entered the dungeon once again a promised, Cordelia and Crystal had cleared their busy noble schedules to join the dive, standing alongside Zion, Cindy, and Vael as the security staff scanned Vael’s silver plaque and logged their entry into the official ledger.
"Everyone has their gear set?"
Vael asked, adjusting the leather straps securing [Frost] and his silver dagger to his belt.
"All set!"
Zion declared with a bright grin, unbuckling the safety catch on [Excalibur]’s sheath.
"My mana potions and spell catalysts are fully replenished."
Crystal noted, holding her wooden staff firmly at her side.
"Let us make this a swift and productive run."
Cordelia added with a polite, confident smile as her water whip rested neatly against her hip.
Cindy just looked at Vael and played with her two sais, signaling that she was ready as well.
And without further delay after that, the party stepped through the shimmering blue portal gate, instantly arriving at the first floor’s entry clearing.
SWOOOSH~
*****
Because their main objective for the evening was to farm the deeper sectors of the second floor, the group bypassed the upper tunnels at a rapid pace.
S L A S H—!
-KIAAAK?!
WHIP!!!
-KIEEEK?!!
Any stray Goblins or Mutated Bats that attempted to block their path were swiftly eliminated by Zion’s sword swings and Cordelia’s precise water strikes.
In a short amount of time, the five of them descended the wide stone staircase leading down into the high-arched caverns of the second level.
SWOOSH—!
The moment their boots touched the cool stone floor of the second floor, the heavy, metallic scent of damp iron and monster blood filled the air. Clusters of dark purple glowing crystals embedded along the cavern ceiling illuminated dozens of Kobolds and Shadow Crawlers lurking among the stalagmites ahead.
"Standard formation!"
Vael commanded, his sharp eyes instantly analyzing the layout of the chamber.
"Zion, take the front line! Cordelia, cover the right flank! Cindy, clear the high ledges! Crystal, prepare wide-area crowd control from the center! I will manage the rear and handle debuffs!"
"Got it!"
The group shouted in unison, springing into action like a well-trained unit.
BAM—! FWOOSH!
Zion surged forward, his golden mana flaring brightly around his boots as he drove [Excalibur] straight into the heavy wooden shield of the lead Kobolds.
TWHACK—CRACK!
-GYAAAK?!
The sheer impact shattered the crude shield into splinters, sending the massive creature tumbling backward into its comrades.
"Water Arc: Torrent Lash!"
Cordelia called out, snapping her wrist to send a localized wave of pressurized water sweeping across the right side of the cave.
SWIIIIISH—THUD!
The sharp water arc knocked five oncoming Kobolds off their feet, preventing them from encircling Zion.
Meanwhile, three Shadow Crawlers pounced down from the high cavern ceiling, aiming straight for Crystal’s position in the backline.
CRACKLE—!
Vael moved before the beasts could even reach the peak of their arc. Stomping his boot onto the hard ground, he unleashed a sharp wave of sub-zero frost mana across the cavern floor.
CRASH!
Four thick pillars of jagged ice erupted from the stone, catching the leaping beasts mid-air and freezing their limbs solid in an instant.
"Wind Pressure: Gale Blast!"
BOOM!
Crystal reacted flawlessly, raising her staff and releasing a powerful burst of compressed wind that shattered the frozen monsters into harmless, sparkling fragments.
"Nice timing, Vael!"
Crystal called out without breaking her focus.
"Keep your eyes on the left passage!"
Vael replied calmly, stepping smoothly alongside her while channeling his subtle freezing aura outward.
As the battle progressed, Vael glided across the battlefield using his ice paths, appearing behind elite Kobolds to deliver precise, numbing ice jabs with his silver dagger. Sapping their physical strength and slowing their reactions to a crawl, he turned tough, heavily armored threats into simple targets for Zion and Cordelia to execute.
Cindy moved silently and out of everyone’s eye,executing the monsters one by one without their knowledge! She was attacking the ones from behind whil all Kobolds were focused on her four teammates!
For the next two hours, the party pushed through four continuous sectors of the second floor, operating with seamless efficiency and collecting a substantial haul of high-grade mana crystals.
... ... ...
By the time they cleared the final cavern chamber, the floor was covered in dissolving monster remains and glowing drops.
"Phew... That was an awesome session."
Zion laughed, sheathing [Excalibur] with a satisfied click as he wiped a trace of sweat from his brow.
"Our clear speed has improved by nearly twenty percent compared to the last time."
Cordelia observed, coiling her water whip while checking her student pass logs.
"Our coordination is becoming quite natural."
"The mana stone yield from these deeper sectors is significantly higher as well."
Cindy added, holding up a heavy leather pouch filled with sparkling monster cores.
"We made great progress today."
Vael stated, looking over at everyone’s physical condition.
"Our mana reserves are down to forty percent, so we will call it a day here. Let us return to the surface and divide the loot."
"Agreed."
Crystal nodded in complete approval.
The five party members gathered their gear and began their trek back toward the portal gate.
After exiting the practical building and dividing the mana stones evenly among the three who needed them—Zion, Cindy, and Vael—the group parted ways to return to their respective dormitories.
Vael walked down the quiet, moonlit stone path toward the freshman quarters, keeping his hands in his pockets.
The night air was calm and silent, carrying a gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of the tall oak trees lining the walkways.
As Vael turned the corner near his dormitory block, his sharp senses picked up a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in the surrounding mana.
TAP—
He halted his steps in the middle of the empty path, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked toward the dark shadows of the nearby archway.
"..."
Standing silently near the base of the stone pillars was Professor Ulfar.
The heavy instructor was dressed in plain dark clothing, keeping his massive broadsword sheathed at his hip as he leaned casually against the stone wall.
"You are attentive, Vael."
Professor Ulfar spoke softly, his deep voice carrying clearly through the quiet night.
"Professor?"
Vael said, relaxing his posture slightly as he recognized the instructor.
"What are you doing here at this hour?"
"Just fulfilling my promise."
Professor Ulfar replied, stepping out of the shadows into the soft moonlight.
"I told the headmaster I would keep a personal eye on your surroundings. I have been discreetly monitoring the perimeter of your dorm block since dusk."
Vael looked at the battle-hardened instructor, a small, subtle sense of respect rising within him.
"Has there been any unusual activity?"
Vael asked in a low tone.
"Nothing out of the ordinary so far."
Professor Ulfar stated, shaking his head.
"The headmaster has already initiated a quiet, internal review of all faculty clearance logs associated with the dungeon’s spatial networks. However, whoever is behind this is extremely cautious. They haven’t made a single suspicious move since you reported the archive."
"That means they don’t know their secret room has been discovered yet."
Vael noted calmly.
"Precisely."
Professor Ulfar nodded firmly.
"Which works in our favor. We have the advantage of surprise as long as we maintain complete secrecy. Your job right now is simply to focus on your studies, train with your party, and stay safe."
The professor walked up to Vael, resting a broad, heavy hand on the young student’s shoulder.
"You did a remarkable thing reporting that evidence, Vael. Most young students would have panicked or tried to investigate on their own. You showed restraint and wisdom far beyond your years."
"I just did what was necessary, Professor."
Vael replied modestly.
"Go inside and get some rest."
Professor Ulfar smiled faintly, giving his shoulder a firm, reassuring pat.
"I will be watching the area throughout the night. You don’t need to worry about any sudden ambushes while you sleep."
"Thank you, Professor. Good night."
Vael said, offering a polite nod before turning toward the entrance of his dorm building.
Vael unlocked the door to his room, stepped inside, and locked it securely behind him.
He unbuckled his weapon belt, placing [Frost] and his silver dagger neatly onto the weapon rack beside his desk.
After taking a quick, hot shower to wash off the dirt and cold sweat from the dungeon dive, Vael changed into comfortable clothes and sat down on the edge of his bed.
He looked out the window at the peaceful campus grounds bathed in the pale light of the moon.
Despite the hidden threat lurking somewhere within the upper ranks of the academy, feeling the steady protection of Professor Ulfar and the sharp, calculated leadership of Headmaster Sebastian gave him a strong sense of security.
The original game storyline had placed the burden of surviving these corrupted incidents entirely on the player’s shoulders, forcing them into isolated, desperate battles.
But this world was no longer just a script on a screen.
He had forged genuine bonds with his party members, earned the trust of the academy’s strongest figures, and established a firm foothold in this altered timeline.
’Tomorrow is another day.’
Vael thought to himself, lying back onto his pillow and letting out a slow, quiet breath.
He closed his eyes as the lingering fatigue of the dungeon farming run finally washed over his body.
With his dual-wielding techniques refining every day, his party growing stronger, and the faculty actively closing in on the traitor’s trail, Vael felt completely ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
’But damn... Professor Ulfar nearly gave me a heart attack earlier.’
Within minutes, he fell into a deep, restful sleep.