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Chapter 38: Paths
"We have been waiting for you. Why do you take your sweet time?" the leader of the House Solarin team said, her voice sharp as if she was scolding a subordinate.
"Let's just kill them here and say they were immediately overrun by monsters," the leader from the House Draconis team said.
But Severin wasn't listening. His eyes were scanning the large cave that they found themselves in, the diagrams on the walls, and the runes set into the floor.
But most importantly, the seven paths that were set into the wall—the different entrances that led into the dungeon. His body finally relaxed.
It was the same dungeon as in the book.
He had doubted it a little since his actions might have changed the future, but it seemed the ripple effect wasn't touching the smaller things right then.
He finally turned to the two teams. Just what were they yapping about earlier?
"What did you say?"
The leader from House Draconis gritted his teeth. His eyes flashed, and he took a step forward. He was in year two. His advancement stage was above that of Severin and the others. "You...!"
The two leaders were in the Ascendant rank while the others in year one were Awakened.
Yes, that was also one thing that made the Zenith Hero Academy famous and brutal. Only the best of the best could reach the final year. They tied some advancement stages to academy level, or else the student might choose to stay in their previous year or drop out.
Severin didn't want a clash with them. "Ah! This is my first time entering the dungeon! There's so much to see. I can't wait to slay all the monsters!"
Everyone blinked and focused on Severin, who was indeed looking around with big eyes.
Even Derrick and the others shifted uncomfortably at the naivety in their leader's voice. What the fuck?
The House Draconis leader blinked and then laughed. "Boy, why don't you join House Draconis? You must be a rich kid, so you'll be accepted right away. Think of it—your House under my House!"
The leader of House Solarin snorted. "Only a fool will join you battle-crazy bastards. Anyways, I don't want to see any of you guys getting in our way. It'll be ugly."
Immediately after saying that, House Solarin moved forward and went down one path at random.
The House Draconis leader shook his head. "What a bitch. But still, she's thic... I'm moving out as well. Stay out of my way, House ropes!"
His laughter followed him down his chosen path too.
"Now then," Severin straightened.
"Julius will lead this operation, and as we've all practiced, you have to secure the chest artifact first so that you can..." Severin stopped talking. He had already talked about it before, but maybe even he was allowed a little nervousness.
So he just looked at them and nodded.
Severin turned. The room was big and had lots of grass and wild roots growing all around the wall. Just big enough to allow for smaller monsters to hide. But although there were no hiding monsters, something else was there.
In the book, there was a reason why the Scar members knew which way each team went. It was how they assembled and hunted them down.
A scout was hidden in those grass.
"Get them, Celia," Severin said flatly.
And she jumped into action. She leaped forward, blurring like the wind, and appeared in front of a patch of grass. The small crowded grass shook, and a curse came from within.
A glowing sword jutted out, but she dodged it with ease. Then she punched forward. "Exploding fist!"
Celia's punch snapped in the air like a whip, but there was really no enemy she was physically punching. It was almost like slapping empty air, but then at the end of her fist, a glow appeared.
Boom!
A red glow that rapidly expanded and then pushed forward in an explosion of fire and sonic boom.
The grass—and everything in it—was instantly blown to bits. The scout was an ordinary human and he couldn't resist at all. Body parts and blood flew in the air.
"That was too easy," she said, trying to rub away the blood on her body but only ended up smearing blood on her face.
Derrick looked at her but didn't say anything. It was becoming more and more apparent that he wasn't the top dog in the team anymore. But at least there was still Julius... who was made the leader.
Nobody noticed his narrowed eyes.
"What about you, Severin? It'll be a shame for all that training to go to waste without fighting monsters!" Celia said, punching her fists together.
"Me? I have my own work to do here. Alright then, you guys can start."
The team walked closer to the seven paths, but then Ethan stepped forward and jumped high into the air at the stone wall. He swung his hammer—the force heavier than normal because of his gravity manipulation.
Crank!
The wall he hit shattered, revealing a new path.
The hidden doorway.
Severin smiled. It was indeed there.
Julius looked at him. "There it is, as you said, Severin."
"Then go."
They did. Derrick gripped Julius and jumped into the hole in the wall, followed quickly by Celia. The lot soon disappeared, leaving Severin alone at the entrance.
He turned to the place where the scout was hiding, now scorched black with cracked stones. "How will the Scar react to this? I'm sure they have their own methods. The aim of this, after all, is for them to wipe out all the students by using the monsters in the dungeon as test subjects.
"Really, the Scar are crazy bastards."
"I should start going as well. I've taught them everything that could keep them alive in there. The rest is in their hands."
But still he hesitated. Because he'd changed the future in the dungeon and he knew it—by killing the scout.
"But if I don't, then they will come after my team. Even now they will notice the hole in the sky, but still I managed to buy some time."