Theo's POV
Class B didn't get stronger training.
It got real missions.
The instructor stood at the front.
Calm.
Serious.
Different.
"…You've passed internal evaluation," he said.
"…Now you'll be evaluated outside."
Silence.
Not confusion.
Focus.
"Dungeons."
The word settled.
Heavy.
Real.
Not controlled arenas.
Not sparring.
Unpredictable.
Dangerous.
Kairo leaned forward.
"…finally."
Selene didn't react.
But her eyes—
Sharp.
Calculating.
The instructor continued.
"You will be assigned to licensed raid teams."
"…You follow their orders."
"…You do not improvise beyond your capability."
A pause.
His gaze moved—
Across us.
"…Out there, mistakes don't reset."
No one spoke.
Because everyone understood.
This wasn't training anymore.
This was survival.
Deployment
The transport stopped at the edge of the zone.
A wide clearing.
Marked.
Restricted.
The air felt different.
Heavier.
Distorted.
Like the world itself—
Was unstable.
In front of us—
The dungeon gate.
A tear in space.
Swirling.
Dark.
Alive.
Kairo grinned.
"…that's sick."
"…That's dangerous," Selene corrected.
"…Same thing."
I didn't speak.
Because I felt it.
That same pressure.
Faint—
But familiar.
The system—
Quiet.
Watching.
Again.
A group approached.
Older.
Experienced.
Their movements—
Efficient.
Controlled.
Not students.
Raiders.
One stepped forward.
Tall.
Scar across his face.
Eyes sharp.
"…You're Class B?"
The instructor nodded.
"…They're yours."
The man looked at us.
Measured.
Unimpressed.
"…You listen," he said.
"…You fall back when told."
"…You don't try to be heroes."
Kairo smirked.
"…depends."
Selene elbowed him—
Hard.
"…We understand," she said.
The man nodded once.
"…Good."
He turned.
"…We move."
No hesitation.
No buildup.
Just—
Entry.
Inside the Dungeon
The world changed.
Instantly.
The air—
Cold.
Heavy.
Sound—
Dull.
Like it was being absorbed.
The ground—
Uneven.
Stone.
Cracked.
Dark.
This wasn't natural.
It wasn't supposed to exist.
"…Stay close," the raid leader said.
We followed.
Formation tight.
Disciplined.
Even Kairo didn't break it.
That meant something.
The deeper we moved—
The worse it felt.
Pressure building.
Not physical.
Something else.
Then—
Movement.
Ahead.
Shapes.
Low.
Fast.
"…Contact," one of the raiders said.
No panic.
No shouting.
Just—
Action.
Creatures emerged.
Not animals.
Twisted.
Distorted.
Their bodies—
Wrong.
Edges too sharp.
Movement too jagged.
Like they weren't fully stable.
"…Void-touched," Selene whispered.
That word—
Hit.
Harder than it should.
The creatures lunged.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
The raiders moved first.
Clean.
Efficient.
Blades flashed.
Magic surged.
Creatures dropped.
Quick.
Precise.
No wasted motion.
Kairo moved next.
Lightning exploded forward.
He didn't hold back.
One creature—
Gone.
Another—
Thrown back.
Selene moved in sync.
Perfect timing.
Covering angles.
Control.
I stepped forward.
Water formed.
Clean.
Stable.
I released it.
A controlled strike—
Direct.
It hit.
The creature froze—
Then shattered.
Normal.
Everything—
Normal.
Then—
A flicker.
The water—
Shifted.
Just for a moment.
Dark.
Deep.
Wrong.
[ERROR: EXTERNAL INTERFERENC EDETECTED]
Gone.
I froze—
Just slightly.
The creature in front of me—
Didn't.
It lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
I reacted—
Late.
Water formed again—
But—
It resisted.
The structure warped.
Unstable.
The creature closed in—
Claws raised—
Then—
Gone.
Cut down instantly.
The raid leader stood there.
Blade steady.
"…Focus," he said.
Not angry.
Not loud.
Just—
Sharp.
"…This isn't a classroom."
"…Understood."
I reset.
Forced control.
Forced clarity.
The fight ended quickly.
Too quickly.
The creatures were strong—
But the raiders were stronger.
That wasn't the problem.
The problem—
Was how they died.
Not clean.
Not stable.
Their bodies—
Collapsed inward.
Just slightly.
Like something—
Was pulling them.
After they were already dead.
Selene noticed.
Of course she did.
"…That's not normal," she said quietly.
"…No."
Kairo tilted his head.
"…you seeing that too?"
"…Yes."
The raid leader didn't comment.
But his grip tightened—
Just slightly.
That meant—
He noticed too.
We moved deeper.
Further in.
The pressure increased.
The air—
Heavier.
The walls—
Closer.
Like the dungeon itself—
Was closing in.
Then—
It hit.
Not physically.
Not visibly.
But directly.
The system—
Spiked.
Violently.
[CRITICAL ERROR :SOURCE UNKNOWN]
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE ATTEMPT DETECTED]
I stopped walking.
Just for a second.
Selene noticed immediately.
"…Theo."
"…Keep moving."
"…I am."
Lie.
Because something—
Was very wrong.
And this time—
It wasn't just me.