Rhys shot a knowing sneer back at Jacob, his eyes flickering to Silas for a pointed moment. "Just wait a few more days," he said cryptically. "You'll have more things to be proud of soon enough."
Jacob just looked confused by the inside joke, but Silas immediately averted Rhys's gaze, a familiar heat creeping up his neck. He knew exactly what Rhys was implying, and the truth of it that he was already started falling for Draven was a fact he was still trying to process himself.
***
Later that night, a profound silence settled over Argent Spire Academy. The sprawling campus was dark, its inhabitants sleeping soundly in their dorms and apartments.
But not everyone was asleep.
A lone, dark shadow slipped silently from a dorm room door. It was Silas, dressed and ready for his midnight journey with Draven. He moved with practiced stealth, but in the pitch-black corridor, his shin connected hard with an unseen, misplaced chair. A sharp cry of pain almost escaped his lips, but before he could make a sound, a firm hand clamped over his mouth, and a familiar, low voice whispered directly into his ear.
"Endure it," the voice rumbled, "or we'll get caught by the security patrol."
Silas nodded, recognizing the scent and sound all too well. It was Draven. He had come to fetch him.
Just as Draven's hand released him, a bright beam of light swept across the very spot they had been standing a moment ago. They both flattened themselves into the shadows, holding their breath. Seeing nothing, the security guard moved on, his footsteps fading down the hall.
Draven took Silas's hand, his grip warm and steady, and led him through the labyrinthine corridors. They slipped out of the academy through a hidden exit Draven knew, and even then, they didn't stop, running hand-in-hand until the manicured lawns of the academy gave way to the vast, untamed forest that bordered it.
Finally, deep within the trees, Draven released his breath in a great sigh that turned into a laugh. "Hahahaha... that was close," he said, his voice ringing with exhilaration. "If we were a few seconds late, we would have definitely been caught."
Silas laughed with him, a matching thrill coursing through his veins. "Hahaha, it really is an exciting way to leave the academy at night."
"I found an E-rank dungeon earlier, during my rounds checking the forest," Draven said, his tone shifting to business. "Let's go there."
Silas nodded, and they set off through the dark woods. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at their destination.
There, in a small clearing, hung a sight that stole Silas's breath away. It was a shimmering, swirling vortex of deep purple light, at least fifteen feet wide and just as tall, humming with a low, otherworldly energy. He had only a vague, theoretical idea of what a dungeon looked like, but seeing it with his own eyes was mesmerizing.
He turned to Draven with wide, curious eyes. "Are all dungeons, the other ranks, like this one?"
Draven shook his head. "No. They vary in size and color." He pointed to the portal. "Dungeons are purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, corresponding to ranks E, D, C, B, A, and S. Seeing this one, we can guess it's a mid-level E-rank."
Silas looked at the portal with glittering eyes, a plan already forming in his mind. He turned back to Draven, his expression serious. "Can you promise me something? Don't interfere until I absolutely need help."
Draven's answer was immediate. "No. You've never raided a dungeon before..."
Before he could finish, Silas deployed his ultimate weapon, his puppy-dog eyes. He looked up at Draven, his expression pleading. "Please, just let me try first. I swear I'll ask for help if I need it."
Draven became visibly restless, but under the assault of Silas's earnest gaze, he faltered. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But I will interfere immediately if I see you in a desperate situation."
Joy instantly lit up Silas's face.
Together, they stepped into the shimmering portal. As they passed through, a red hue washed over the outside of the vortex, sealing it from the world. They both noticed the change.
Before Silas could ask, Draven explained, "The red hue indicates the dungeon is being raided. It will only stay open for six hours now."
"What happens if we don't leave before the six hours are up?" Silas asked.
"If we die inside, the dungeon won't return our corpses," Draven said grimly. "But if we're still alive when the time is up, the dungeon will spit us back out before it disappears."
The information only made Silas more curious. Where did these places come from? What kind of monsters did they hold? His mind raced with a thousand questions as his feet touched the solid ground on the other side.
Silas took in the surroundings. They were in a damp, echoing cave that branched into several dark tunnels.
"E-rank dungeons are mostly caves," Draven said, his voice low. "The higher the rank, the more varied the environment. I once raided a B-rank that was like a castle inside."
Silas nodded, then froze. In the darkness ahead, hundreds of tiny red eyes blinked open, all staring at them. The creatures were short, but the gloom hid their shapes.
Silas reached into his space pouch and drew his family sword a plain, well-balanced blade. He stepped forward, his footwork light and precise. Draven watched, intrigued. This was only the second time he'd seen Silas move like this; the style was Silas's own, not copied from anyone.
Silas slid between the shadows and struck. His first clean swing took a head clean off. Up close, the monster was clear, a horned hare, no bigger than a dog, with glowing red eyes and a sharp spiral horn on its forehead. They weren't normal rabbits they attacked in packs, fast and without hesitation.
He kept moving, each step measured, each cut efficient. One after another, the horned hares fell like he was slicing vegetables. Draven's surprise grew. These were at least level 10 monsters, and here was a level 1 magic swordsman cutting through them.
About fifteen minutes later the cave fell silent. The bodies dissolved into motes of light, leaving a single horn behind for each hare.
Silas looked at Draven. "Collect the horns," Draven said. "We can sell them at the academy for money."
Silas nodded and began gathering the pile of sharp, ivory horns.
They pressed deeper into the cave, Silas cutting down horned hares as they came. With each kill a chime rang in his head.
[Ding! Congratulations host for killing a rank 9 horned rabbit. Gained 9 experience points.]
[Ding! Congratulations host for killing a rank 10 horned rabbit. Gained 10 experience points.]
.
.
.
[Ding! Congratulations host for killing a rank 8 horned rabbit. Gained 8 experience points.]
The notifications kept stacking until a warm surge rolled through his body. An enlightenment that filled every corner of him. Then:
[Congratulations host for reaching 1000 experience points. You gained a single level in advancement, 50 free points. You'll need 2000 experience points to reach level 3.]
He pulled up his status in his mind.
[Silas Valerius
Class: Author (Unique Hidden Class)
Level: 2
Strength: 64
Stamina: 49
Agility: 35
Mana: 52
Intelligence: 100
Free points: 50
*These are the base stats of the Author class. You will gain 50 points each time you advance a realm.
Special Power:
1. Analysis: Can see through anything in the world by concentrating for a fraction of a second from an author's perspective.
**Other powers will be unlocked as the owner advances in level.**]
"Distribute 25 to mana, 9 to strength, 8 to stamina and 8 to agility," he thought. The numbers shifted instantly.
[Silas Valerius
Class: Author(Unique Hidden Class)
Strength: 64+9
Stamina: 49+8
Agility: 35+8
Mana: 52+25
Intelligence: 100]
Draven glanced over. "We only have the boss left. Clear it and we can leave."
Silas nodded. They reached a massive stone door set deep in the cave. Draven studied it. "Boss is at least five levels higher than the mobs. Be careful. If you can't handle it, call me I'll jump in."
Silas set his shoulder to the door and pushed it open. Cold air spilled out, and the two of them stepped into the boss room for the final fight.
The boss room was a wide, hollow cavern. In the center crouched a huge hare, fur black as pitch, with two mismatched horns one large, one small and eyes burning red. It locked onto them with pure aggression.
A grin tugged at Silas's mouth. He launched forward, footwork sharp and light. This time he switched to the swordsmanship he'd learned from Draven, blade flowing in tight, precise arcs. The hare lunged to bite, swiped with claws that could tear stone, but Silas was faster . He slipped each attack by a hair's breadth.
Lightning crackled along his sword. He drew the current into the edge and fell into the first form of the Nine Blade of Destruction. One clean, devastating slash cut the black hare in half. Draven's eyes lit up; he knew how demanding his style was, and Silas was using it like he'd trained for years.
The corpse dissolved. In its place lay two horns one big, one small and a piece of black fur leather. Silas gathered them.
"Search the room," Draven said. "Boss rooms usually have a treasure chest there should be coins, maybe magical treasures also."
Silas nodded and combed the corners. A few minutes later he found a sturdy chest tucked against the far wall. He flipped it open. Inside glittered at least 300 gold coins and 678 silver. He scooped the coins into his space pouch, then took the purple-lined box they'd been sitting in as well.
A soft purple vortex unfurled in the air in front of them. This is the exit. Silas and Draven stepped through, and when Silas blinked his eyes open, they were standing back in the forest outside the dungeon. Behind them the big purple portal shivered, shrank, and winked out of existence.
"After a raid is finished, the dungeon closes and vanishes," Draven explained. "If you don't clear it in time, it breaks. Then the monsters spill out into the world and tear through anything in their path."
Silas nodded. He was starting to get it now ,dungeons were both a threat and a chance, dangerous and full of opportunity at the same time.