<h4>Chapter 39: Dungeon Trials [1]</h4>


    Author''s Note: The Dungeon Trial as a whole is going to be 15 chapters long so brace yourself.


    For reference Ellie Greyart is a member of ss A2. She is mainly a support.


    And Myung Joon is leader of ss A2.


    ***


    Ellie Greyart''s POV:


    Tap-tap-tap-shk


    With each step we took, the rustling of tree leaves and cracking of branches reverberated beneath our feet.


    "Halt!!" Myung Joon''s voice boomed, and he swiftly nced backward.


    *Pha pha pha* The air resounded with the sound of feathers slicing through it, creating a wless harmony as the birds hastily took flight from the foliage, hastily reacting to Myung''s powerful cry.


    My gaze followed his, apprehending the tree branches above us.


    We found ourselves in a clearing within the forest, seemingly undisturbed by any lurking monsters.


    Yet, as if on cue, threeva chimps emerged from their leafy concealment, their fiery tails aze, casting an orange hue. Towering at least 6 feet tall, they presented a formidable sight.


    Lava chimps, the lowly F-ranked monsters, possessed a mightparable to that of two gorisbined.


    Their terrifying ability to gush moltenva from their mouths added an extrayer of danger to their presence.


    Amidst the chaotic scene, someone abruptly pushed me aside, striding confidently towards the oing Lava chimps.


    "Huh, Karthik?" I uttered, bewildered by his audacity.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of them," he reassured, retrieving his Katana from a concealed dimensional bracelet.


    My mind raced with skepticism.


    ''How could he possibly handle three Lava chimps alone? It seemed like a reckless notion.''


    "Listen, let''s stick together and fight as a team. You don''t have to face them alone",I pleaded, my voiceden with concern.


    He grinned back at me with warmth in his eyes, shrugging his shoulders nonchntly. "If things get out of hand, you can always step in", he suggested, his words bothforting and unsettling.


    *sigh*


    A sigh of resignation escaped my lips, realizing that my intervention might be inevitable.


    In a rapid flurry of action, one of the Lava chimps pounced towards Karthik, its intentions clear.


    Click—


    With a subtle clicking sound, Karthik unsheathed his Katana from its scabbard in a swift motion and just as quickly returned it to its rightful ce, defying conventional expectations with his fluid grace.But it wasn''t until I followed his line of sight that the pieces of the puzzle fell into ce.


    The Lava chimp bore a massive scar across its chest, crimson streams of blood cascading forth as it crumpled in agony.


    My eyes widened in astonishment as I tried toprehend the puzzle thaty before me.


    ''How had Karthik managed to inflict such a devastating blow without even being near the Lava chimp? And to add to the perplexity, his Katana had been far away from the chimp during the entire sequence of events. It was as if he had wielded an invisible force, striking down his adversary with bewildering precision.''


    "Krriieeekkk!!!" The wounded chimp''s cry echoed through the forest, signaling an rm to itspanions.


    Vlukhhh~ moltenva erupted from the maws of the other two Lava chimps, hurtling towards Karthik.


    Yet, with effortless grace, he adeptly evaded the scorching onught.


    In the blink of an eye, heunched himself towards the remaining chimps, his body eerily motionless despite the blistering speed at which he moved.


    In a decisive -swing-, Karthik deftly wielded his Katana, his skill evident as he swiftly shed through the first Lava chimp.


    Another resounding -sh- followed suit, dispatching the second chimp with equal precision. With a measured finesse, he then sheathed his Katana, its gleaming de finding sce within its scabbard as he gracefullynded upon a sturdy tree branch.


    "Kruuaakk!!" The Lava chimps cried out in agony, their pain echoing through the air as their bnce faltered, forcing them to crash to the unforgiving ground.


    Once again, Karthik resolutely drew his Katana from its scabbard, the sound of metal whispering through the air - shhhessh


    Taking a firm grip on his Katana with both hands, Karthik focused his steely gaze upon the trio of rampagingva chimps. As his body blurred with astonishing speed, he effortlessly materialized before me in an instant.


    "Huh!" I involuntarily took a step back,pletely caught off guard by his sudden appearance.


    "It''s done," he calmly dered, his voice underlining his aplishment.


    ''Done?'',I frowned.


    When I turned to survey the aftermath, a surreal sight greeted my eyes: three headlessva chimpsy strewn in disarray.


    "..." h-ho..w?..


    My eyes flickered with a mixture of awe and uncertainty.


    A frown etched itself across my face.


    If anything, this encounter had made one thing abundantly clear - Karthik was strong.


    A whole lot stronger than I originally anticipated.


    He was extremely skilled with the Katana.


    I instinctivelt gulped as my thoughts raced with a mix of admiration and trepidation.


    ***


    Noah''s POV(Point of view):


    Tung!—The resounding sound of machete colliding with bones cut through the air as Iunched my attack on the skeleton blood hound.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia chanted a spell, her words resonating through the air—"Mother Earth! I beseech you to embrace the foe, just as you embrace all life upon this sphere."


    As if summoned by her incantation, a cage of earth materialized, ensnaring the monster, effectively immobilizing it in its ce.


    Swoosh!— In the midst of this all James leaped at the monster with a roar—"Rah!"


    With an arcing motion of his scythe, he swiftly and decisively sliced through the skeletal beast, cutting it down with deadly precision.


    The cacophony of battle temporarily subsided as the monster crumbled to the ground, defeated by our coordinated efforts.


    "Huff, huff",breathing heavily, James sank down onto the ground, his weary expression mirroring his exhaustion.


    Observing his state, Anastasia turned to me and with concerned voice asked, "This was the third monster we encountered on this path."


    Doubt clouded James'' face as he questioned our chosen route, "Are you certain we''re on the right path?"


    With a feigned confidence, I bullshited him, "Absolutely. This path has lesser monsters than the surrounding area. Trust me bro!", I shed a smile at him while gesturing a thumbsup, "My propensity is rted to navigation"


    Within my vision, an augmented reality map disyed four approaching dots—a clear indication of more monsters drawing near.


    A momentary flicker of apprehension crossed my mind.


    My true intention was not to secure the path with the fewer monsters but to evade any encounters with members of the enemy ss, who were also navigating the treacherous terrain.


    Having gained valuable information through Nano''s hack, I was well aware of the location of others.


    However, the approaching four monsters from behind threatened to overwhelm our tiny group.


    It became apparent that my team would struggle to deal with this final wave of creatures along my chosen path.


    So, I made a decision.


    It''s time for battle mode.


    "You guys rest here" I spoke, my voice confident and resolute. "There''s something I need to take care of."


    Anastasia''s voice filled with curiosity as she questioned, "Where are you going?"


    Raising my little finger with a smile, I replied, "Nature''s call."


    I stealthily slipped away, leaving my teammates to catch their breath.


    "Nano, activate battle mode."


    [Affirmative]