At that time, the atmosphere in the Ardentfall Forest was very calm, and the students of Vakenholt Academy were beginning their first dungeon exploration. Each group started to spread out, searching for hidden treasures within the dungeon. Over the course of two days, the first-year students managed to find some treasures, exploring various mysterious places.
On the third day, during a night filled with eerie silence, something happened.
"...Verra'khal...Seli'a non ven'tros… This treasure… belongs to the Guardians of Eternity…"
A deep, ancient voice echoed from within the dungeon, as if coming from another dimension. Then, monsters guarding the treasure appeared in each group's location and began attacking them.
The students looked visibly anxious—this was their first real encounter with monsters, and one moment of carelessness could cost them their lives.
At the location of Gray and Daliana's group, they encountered a Feral Grub, a large worm-like creature with stone-earth armor covering its body.
"Everyone, don't panic. Stay focused. This monster doesn't seem too dangerous, so get your weapons and abilities ready," said Gray as he raised his sword, ready to strike.
Daliana raised her hand and drew basic magic from a symbol on her glove. The other three students also began preparing to face the monster.
"Glarea!"(Little light, shine upon the shadows!)
A blinding white light struck the monster's head, making it difficult for it to see its surroundings. Gray then rushed toward it. With swift movements, he slashed his sword three times, both vertically and horizontally. The Feral Grub collapsed, groaning in pain from the strikes.
Meanwhile, Leonhardt and Aurelia's team faced a Stoneback Boar—a rock-armored wild boar with high defense but slow movements.
"Aim for its legs, not the back," Leonhardt commanded.
Aurelia nodded and began casting a fire spell.
"Ignis Minor!"(Small flame, burn your foothold!)
The fire magic struck the ground beneath the boar's feet, causing it to lose balance. Leonhardt took the opportunity and leapt forward.
"Spiral Slash Technique."
His spinning sword slammed into the boar's back, causing cracks to appear, and the monster fell.
Seraphine and Reinhart's team faced a swarm of Skyrats—small flying rats that were hard to catch due to their speed and numbers.
"One spell, one gust," Seraphine whispered, inhaling deeply.
"Ventula!"(Gentle breeze, clear the air!)
A blast of wind swept the Skyrats, knocking several out of the air. Seraphine's teammates quickly handled them one by one. Reinhart then took advantage of the momentum, slashing down the remaining Skyrats with incredible speed. In a single rapid strike, he hit multiple Skyrats mid-flight, leaving his team impressed by his agility.
Meanwhile, Aria's team had spent three calm days without encountering any monsters. In fact, they had already found around six treasures, which they carefully documented and stored in their bags. They continued exploring nearby areas for more treasures. But as night approached, they began hearing strange rustling from the forest bushes around them—something was moving fast and drawing closer.
When the sound became clearer, a monster suddenly appeared before Aria's team. Shocked by the sudden emergence—especially as night fell—they now faced a Murkfang, a two-fanged forest hound commonly found on dungeon outskirts. But this Murkfang was different. It was larger and more aggressive than usual.
"Ugh, why did we get one like this…" one student muttered.
Two of Aria's teammates attempted to attack using basic techniques, but the Murkfang evaded easily. Aria, usually hesitant, suddenly had a determined look—his eyes began to glow. His "Divine Visio" ability activated, as he sensed this monster was particularly dangerous.
"Mira! Use a wind spell to knock it back quickly…" Aria commanded with a clear strategy in mind.
"All right, Aria," Mira replied, beginning her chant.
"Ventar'Saell!"(Penetrating Wind Step!)
As the monster was blown back by the wind, Aria summoned fire magic into his fists, quickly dashing toward the beast and landing a fiery punch.
"Doran, strike with a diagonal slash—slow, but precise…" Aria said, having seen an opening.
Doran moved in, slashing the creature diagonally and thrusting his weapon into it after Aria's attack knocked it down.
Then Aria, with his glowing eyes, copied Mira's wind technique and combined it with her own spell.
"Ventar'Saell!"
"Ignis Minor!"
The wind pinned the Murkfang in place, and flames scorched its body. His teammates were stunned by the precision of his movements.
"Aria… you did it?!"
With teamwork and Aria's quick thinking, the Murkfang was finally defeated.
In the end, every team managed to defeat the monsters they encountered. Night fell, and they took time to rest, preparing for the next stage of their exploration when morning came.