Chapter 94: Dungeon Escape
The party didn’t linger and quickly made their way through the Stormlands. They soon enough exited the dangerous Death Zone.
Elizabeth and Leonard moved at the rear, where it was the safest.
Karson was positioned in the middle, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for nearby monsters, while at the front, the walking corpse tread fearlessly, its heavy footsteps echoing across the Stormlands.
By now, Leonard had the chance to examine the corpse in greater detail. Besides its ghostly white skin, its eyes looked hollow and bore an unnaturally wide maw, making it look like a mutated version of an ordinary zombie.
’Considering how easily it managed to handle the Rotten Crows, its level must be just near the Level 30 threshold of entering the Grade 2 dungeon.’ He concluded.
He had gotten confirmation from Karson that the mutated zombie was, in fact, a subject of Malakor, just as expected.
Still, Leonard guessed that the Necromancer didn’t have a large number of such powerful subjects in stock. The most logical assumption was that the zombie must have been primarily sent to ensure Elizabeth’s safety.
While Leonard was lost in thought, mostly to avoid thinking about how tired he was, he didn’t notice that Elizabeth’s eyes were observing him.
’Strange...’
For some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t pry her eyes away from him.
Although he had assured her that he was indeed all right multiple times by now, Elizabeth still watched him.
There was no denying it... She was alive thanks to him.
His guidance during moments of crisis had been invaluable, and the food he had shared with her had allowed her to fight for long. Without the buff, she would have fallen to the Rotten Crows before help arrived.
Honestly, on paper, the two should have shared the least in common among everyone in the Elite grade.
Given Elizabeth’s Mythical Bloodline, she should have paired better with anybody, even the elves, rather than Leonard, who was reported to bear only a Common Bloodline.
Yet, in the end, Leonard had proven to be her most reliable teammate of all. Once when they had been lost in the Void, and a second time now, when they had been separated from the rest.
’He is Gideon’s child after all...’
After a moment of consideration, she reached out and placed her palm on the base of his neck.
"!!!"
Leonard jumped, startled by her cold touch.
"W—What was that for?"
He knew that she had been dubbed the Ice Queen, but he didn’t expect her body to be literally freezing!
"You were bleeding from there until recently, right?" Elizabeth tilted her head to the side. "I’ve heard that applying something cold brings comfort. Shouldn’t I have done so?"
Leonard blinked slowly.
"Well... Thank you." He coughed awkwardly.
To be honest, the freezing sensation did indeed alleviate some of his exhaustion.
ROOOAR!
Just then, the mutated zombie roared, sensing approaching foes. A small flock of Dire Eagles had found them and was prepared to dive in.
"Stay behind!" Karson said, ready to protect the first-years.
"No, I can still fight. I am not going to be a burden." Elizabeth declared.
"Likewise." Leonard stepped forward.
Karson scoffed at their rebellious behavior but didn’t try to stop them.
The mutated zombie and Karson took care of the majority.
Leonard found himself facing two Dire Eagles. Compared to the Rotten Crows he had faced prior, it was a walk in the park.
[You have defeated a Level 14 Dire Eagle.]
[You have gained 300 Experience!]
[You have defeated a Level 14 Dire Eagle.]
[You have gained 300 Experience!]
Level: 13 [Experience: 2,600/2,600]
[You have risen to Level 14!]
Level: 14 [Experience: 0/3,200]
[You have gained 10 Attribute Points and 100 Evolution Points!]
After he reached the same level as his adversary, he redistributed the points.
Vitality: 25 → 28
Strength: 25 → 28
Agility: 25 → 27
Endurance: 28 → 30
This time, he focused on the attributes other than Magic, because he didn’t want to leave them lagging behind.
Finally, after what felt like forever, they entered the familiar mountain valley where the portal leading outside the dungeon was located.
[You have exited the Grade 2 Dungeon, Stormlands!]
Leonard allowed himself to relax after he found himself on the grounds of the academy.
On the other side, Bao the panda and Malakor the Necromancer were patiently waiting for them.
"My friends! It’s most unfortunate that an accident occurred inside." Bao exclaimed with regret. "Let me mend your wounds!"
The panda instantly sprang toward their side and used his Monk Class to heal any lingering injuries.
"Don’t overreact. They’re alive, see?" Malakor threw them an unbothered glance before shifting his attention to the mutated zombie.
"Come, Brute. Our work is done here."
Brute obeyed with a low growl and followed after his master.
"Now that you are all safe, would you care to explain what happened inside the dungeon?" Bao asked, his round eyes peering at Leonard and Elizabeth with expectation.
"I would like to know too." Karson nodded. "The Academy Council must be informed about all matters regarding scholar safety. Not to mention, the sudden appearance of the True Boss has also piqued the interest of our Lady President as well."
The two didn’t have a problem with sharing what they had observed inside the Death Zone. They explained their theory about how soon the balance of the dungeon was going to tip and cause a dungeon outbreak.
Additionally, they mentioned their encounter with the Rain of Tomorrow.
Since the reason for entering the dungeon in the first place had been to slay one monster and present it for verification, they showcased the body of a slain Dire Eagle, completing the assignment.
"Well done, young ones. You have fulfilled the mission and survived the Death Zone. You have passed with flying colors." Bao clapped with his palms.
"Some of your classmates were worried about your safety, but we assured them that we would take care of you. You can meet them at tomorrow’s lessons. Dismissed."
Not lingering any longer than necessary, they left. Leonard and Elizabeth both had things they wished to accomplish as soon as possible.
"These two are good... Perhaps I should talk with Lady President about them joining the Academy Council..." Karson murmured, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Leonard was eager to learn as much as he could about familiars and Callum, his new Griffin companion.
For that reason, he headed toward the Tameless Household. After all, they specialized in familiars and still owed him for saving Daisy!
It was time to make use of his connections to help Callum become much stronger and one day even surpass his Level 50 mother!