Chapter 42
A deep rumbling shook the ground as the massive door began to open. Dust and golden light spilled out from the widening crack, illuminating the anxious faces of students from all departments.
Volt and Kaito, who had been locked in an intense argument over best-friend status, immediately shut up and turned toward the portal.
"Fine. Truce. Let's go in." Volt huffed, crossing his arms.
"Only because I don't want to be left behind," Kaito muttered.
With that, the students stepped into the glowing doorway, their bodies phasing through the golden light.
And the moment they crossed over
The group found themselves standing in a grand yet abandoned palace.
The walls were cracked, with massive pillars stretching high above, covered in ancient carvings. The ceiling was decorated with faded paintings of monstrous beasts battling warriors.
But what truly caught everyone's attention were the multiple doorways before them.
Each one was a different size and shape, some emitting strange glows, whispers, or even faint roars from the other side.
Lucas cracked his knuckles. "I wonder which one leads to strong opponents."
Kaito snorted. "Oh, look at Mr. Battle Maniac. Maybe try picking one that won't get us killed?"
Lucas glared. "Say that again, clown."
Kaito bowed mockingly. "Sorry, I meant: Oh great warlord Lucas, please take us to our painful deaths!"
Before they could start throwing punches, Blaze sighed. "Let's focus"
Kaito rubbed his chin. "Alright, I have an idea. Let's make Akira pick a door."
Akira blinked. "Huh? Why me?"
Kaito grinned. "Because you have unnatural good luck.Meanwhile, I have the worst luck imaginable. Every time I win a bet, something catastrophic happens!"
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Sounds fake."
Kaito shook his head. "I once won a free meal at a restaurant. That same day, the restaurant mysteriously burned down."
Volt whistled. "That's impressive in the worst way."
Akira sighed. "Fine. But if we die, blame yourselves."
She stepped forward and, after a moment of silent consideration, pointed at the leftmost doorway.
The group nodded and entered.
The moment they stepped through, it felt like reality shifted.
The air became heavier, and a strange, whispering sound echoed in their ears.
The walls melted away into an endless corridor, and ahead of them stood three more doorways.
Kaito groaned. "Oh, come on! More doors?!"
Lucas sighed. "You sound surprised. This place was literally built to mess with us."
Akira narrowed her eyes. "I don't like this. My luck isn't helping me this time."
Volt grinned confidently. "No problem. I'll choose one."
Before anyone could protest, he lunged forward and pointed at the middle doorway.
"This one. I sense greatness behind it!"
Akira's stomach dropped. Something about that door felt off. She could feel it.
Kaito looked at Volt like he had just declared himself king of stupidity. "Wait… who told you to choose?!"
Volt puffed out his chest. "My instincts. My lightning senses never lie!"
Blaze sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Volt pushed the door open.
The group stepped inside.
And then,...
The air became thick with killing intent.
Before them stood a towering creature, unlike anything they had ever seen.
Its upper body resembled a twisted human, but its skin was covered in dark chitinous armor. Its lower body, however, was that of a massive scorpion, its deadly tail curling behind it, dripping with venom.
Two giant pincers replaced its arms, and atop its deformed head sat a single, jagged horn.
It exuded the aura of a peak Alkan Phase warrior.
Blaze froze. His instincts screamed danger.
The rest of the group visibly tensed.
Kaito turned to Volt with a look of pure betrayal. "Who told you to choose this DOOR?!"
Volt casually stepped backward. "I may have miscalculated."
Blaze's eyes twitched. "YOU THINK?!"
Volt took another step back. "Well, good luck, guys. I'll be cheering from the sidelines."
And then,
He turned and LEFT.
The group stared in shock.
Blaze blinked. "Did he just—?"
Lucas's vein popped. "HE JUST WALKED AWAY?!"
Kaito lost it. "GET BACK HERE, YOU TRAITOR!"
Volt simply waved over his shoulder. "You guys need experience. Think of this as a training arc."
Kaito clenched his fists. "I SWEAR, WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS, I'M KICKING YOUR—"
But before he could finish, the beast clicked its pincers and lunged.
A notification flashed in Blaze's vision.
[New Quest Received]
Quest: Survive.
Reward: 2 Instant Level-Ups.
Blaze's heart pounded.
That only meant one thing.
They were completely outmatched.
The Scorpion Beast let out a horrifying screech, raising its massive pincers before bringing them down with deadly force.
The ground cracked.
Blaze and the rest dodged just in time, feeling the shockwave of the impact.
Akira's face twisted. "We can't beat this thing!"
Kaito pointed furiously toward the door. "WE NEED TO LEAVE!"
Nephis gritted her teeth. "We might not have a choice!" She looked at the shut down door.
Blaze stared at the monster. His mind racing.
How were they supposed to survive this?
And more importantly
Where the hell was Volt?!
To be continued...
Support for faster release of the chapters.
The higher the support the faster the chapters will come your way.