"Hey, Art? Are you okay?" I asked, looking at him as he grabbed his shoulder. But before he could answer, the ground shook as a shockwave erupted from the wall at the far end.
"Grraahhh."
Really, Queen Snarlers at this level?
"You can't be serious..." Arthur exclaimed, staring at them with determination in his eyes. The three Queen Snarlers looked down at us as if we were nothing.
"Grrroarrrrr!"
They screamed at us, sending shockwaves through everyone.
Professor Glory summoned two swords and charged forward, taking down two Queen Snarlers. Wait, she can duel wield? She screamed something that I assumed was directed at Arthur. "I'll take care of them; clear the exit!" she shouted as she began slashing at them. I looked at Vero and said, "Help him." She nodded and went with Arthur, glancing back at me a couple of times.
I looked up at the other Snarler, watching the fight between the professor and her foes. "Hey, overgrown pig!" I shouted. He turned to me, his eyes still reflecting that monarchic arrogance I despised.
I glanced at my hand, gripping a 5-inch knife, then turned to a boy grappling with a Snarler as he killed it with a long sword. "Hey, do you have an extra sword or anything a bit longer than this? I need to take care of that guy who's staring at me intently." He lifted his eyes and froze. I expected that reaction. I grabbed the sword he dropped. Sending mana into it turning black to fiery red. Flames erupted dancing like it's their brother's wedding.
"Now, let's play, shall we?"
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Veronica POV :-
Veronica's POV
This was not how today was supposed to go.
I had planned everything perfectly. A well-thought-out date—or as close to one as I could get with Lucas' Who was so now trying to get some distance cause he feels shy when someone loves him back. I had mapped out our time together, ensured we'd be paired in this group, and even timed how long the dungeon crawl would take so we'd have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves.
And now?
Now, we were knee-deep in snarling, disgusting creatures, surrounded by their corpses, while Professor Glory barked orders and Arthur moved like some battlefield warlord.
I clenched my jaw, my ice-cold breath visible in the damp dungeon air.
This is ruining everything.
Lucas had already charged off after that oversized pig-queen without so much as a glance my way. Tch. Not that I expected him to notice, but still.
Fine. If my plan was already going up in flames, I might as well channel my frustration into something useful.
Arthur had broken off, heading toward the exit, his movements sharp and efficient as he cut down anything in his path. My eyes locked onto his retreating figure, a plan forming in my mind. If I can't have my moment with Lucas, I can at least get us out of this mess faster.
I lunged forward, ice coating the soles of my boots as I slid across the battlefield. A Snarler came at me from the side, its grotesque tusked mouth wide open. With a flick of my wrist, a spear of ice erupted from the ground, impaling it through the jaw before it could even reach me. Blood splattered across my shoulder, but I barely flinched.
"Arthur!" I called out, catching up to him just as he sliced through another Snarler, sending its head flying. He turned slightly, his golden-brown eyes scanning me for a second before moving ahead.
"You coming?" he asked, his voice casual—like we weren't in the middle of a battlefield.
"Tch. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed," I shot back.
Arthur only smirked, adjusting his grip on his blade as we moved forward.
Another beast lunged at us from the shadows, but before it could reach him, I sent a spike of ice through its skull.
Arthur barely spared it a glance. "Thanks."
"Just focus on the exit," I muttered.
We reached a group of students huddled together, their faces pale but determined. Tessia, Curtis, Claire—they were all here. But my attention shifted to the light-brown-haired girl standing stiffly in the middle, her big eyes darting around nervously.
Arthur stepped toward her, his voice steady despite the chaos.
"Your name is Delphine, right?"
The girl startled, blinking up at him before nodding quickly. "Y-Yes!"
Arthur gestured toward the collapsed tunnel. "You're an Earth Mage, aren't you?"
She hesitated, then nodded again.
"Good. I need you to clear the exit," he said. His voice was firm but reassuring, like he knew she could do it.
Delphine swallowed hard, glancing at the others before looking at the blocked pathway. She took a deep breath, then nodded once more. "Okay… I'll try."
Arthur turned to the rest of us. "We cover her. Keep them off her while she works."
No one hesitated.
Curtis drew his sword, standing beside Arthur, while Claire flicked her rapier, her pink hair swaying as she readied herself. Tessia was already summoning vines from the ground, coiling them around her hands like whips.
And me?
I inhaled sharply, my ice forming in jagged shards around me.
Let's just get this over with.
Delphine stepped forward, pressing her palms to the ground. Mana surged through her fingertips, and the earth began to shift. Rocks trembled, small boulders rising as cracks formed in the debris blocking the exit.
And then—
SCREEEECH!
The Snarlers had noticed.
A fresh wave of them poured in from the darkness, their eyes glinting with hunger.
"Here they come!" Curtis shouted.
They were fast—but we were faster.
Arthur was already moving, his blade slicing through the first wave like they were nothing. Blood sprayed in arcs as he spun, his movements smooth, precise.
Curtis followed, his heavy sword crashing down onto another beast, splitting its skull open.
A Snarler broke past them, lunging toward Delphine—
I reacted without thinking.
Ice burst from my fingertips, encasing its legs before it could reach her. It howled, but before it could break free, Claire dashed past me, her rapier piercing through its throat.
"Watch your side!" she called to me as she twirled away, already engaging another beast.
I clicked my tongue, but she wasn't wrong. Another Snarler was coming from my right—two of them this time.
I twisted my wrist.
A wall of jagged ice erupted between us, stopping them mid-charge. I followed up with a sharp thrust of my hands, sending spikes shooting from the ice, impaling them both before they could react.
One collapsed instantly, its body twitching. The other managed to let out a strangled screech before slumping forward, dead.
"Almost there!" Delphine called out, her voice strained. Sweat dripped down her face as she focused, the earth shifting more rapidly now.
A larger Snarler—bigger than the rest—burst through the crowd, heading straight for her.
Arthur and I moved at the same time.
He slashed at its legs while I formed a spear of ice in my hands, hurling it straight at its exposed throat.
It fell with a sickening thud, twitching once before going still.
"Done!" Delphine shouted.
The last boulder slid away, revealing the exit—an open passage leading to the outside.
Arthur wasted no time. "Everyone, move! Get out now!"
We didn't need to be told twice.
One by one, we rushed toward the exit. Arthur stayed behind, covering the rear with Professor Glory, who had just finished off the last of the Queen Snarlers.
As I reached the opening, I glanced back—only to see Lucas emerging from the battlefield, wiping his knife clean on his sleeve.
His golden eyes flicked to me, then to the chaos behind us.
"Well," he muttered, stuffing the knife back into his belt. "That was fun."
I rolled my eyes and turned away.
Stupid battle maniac.
before I could say anything, an icy chill ran down my spine.
The ground shook.
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the cavern, reverberating in my chest like a war drum. Emerging from the depths of the dungeon, a monstrous thing stepped forward, its sheer size blocking the light from the exit.
As Lucas arrived, I instinctively turned toward him—but before I could say anything, an icy chill ran down my spine.
The ground shook.
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the cavern, reverberating in my chest like a war drum. Emerging from the depths of the dungeon, a monstrous thing stepped forward, its sheer size blocking the light from the exit.
A King Snarler.
Towering at an impossible twenty feet, its grotesque form was a nightmare given flesh. Thick, matted hair cascaded from its head, draping over its broad, muscular neck like a dark mane. Its loose mouth, filled with jagged, uneven teeth, hung open in a perpetual snarl, strands of saliva dripping from its maw.
Its claws, long and razor-sharp, glinted under the dim dungeon light, each talon large enough to cleave a person in half. But the most terrifying feature—what made my breath hitch—were the four tattered wings sprouting from its back, twitching with every movement.
With a single, thunderous swipe, it sent Professor Glory hurtling through the air, her body crashing against the cavern wall with a sickening impact.
Arthur, beside me, tensed—his grip on his sword tightening.
"This... this creature shouldn't even be here," I whispered, my throat dry. "King Snarlers are A-rank mana beasts... this is a creature from an A-rank dungeon."
So why was it here?
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Powerstonessss!!!
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