CLAP


    "Good morning, class." Professor Redwood''s voice rang through the dimly lit corridor, cutting through the idle murmurs. "As we begin to enter the dungeon, you will be joined by the rest of your graduating class. Furthermore, the rules of tournament will be discussed ahead so please pay attention."


    Excitement crackled in the air amongst the students.


    "Are you guys ready?" Lilli grinned.


    "Y-yeah..but I''m a bit nervous, though. But I''m sure everything will be okay with Ryn here," Elnora muttered, gripping her sword handle tighter.


    Alex said nothing, keeping his usual smirk.


    The dungeon quickly swallowed us, a yawning of stone and crimson bricks stretched before us. As we stepped forward, the space opened up into a vast chamber, a stage sat in its center, students already gathered—some seemed anxious while others vibrated with the lust of battle.


    "w-oah!," Elnora breathed, eyes wide at the towering, arched ceiling.


    I caught her childlike wonder and smirked. Alex and Lilli stayed silent as we merged into the crowd. Then, a professor took the stage.


    "Quiet now, quiet!" He roared. "Welcome to your first dungeon tournament! I will not hold you here for long. Each party will have eighteen hours to descend to floor sixty. You are prohibited from going beyond that.. If you do you will be disqualified... and likely you could die. Checkpoints will be stationed at every floor."


    Then, he unsheathed his sword, sending a flame into the air.


    "Now may the tournament BEGIN!"


    The room erupted into chaos.


    Students surged different ways, as they headed deep into the dungeon.


    "What''s the plan?" Elnora looked up at me, as she unsheathed her blade. Lilli and Alex copied her mimicking a battle stance.


    I drew my iron spell blade, its edge gleamed.


    "Simple. We go around."


    A smirk crept into my lips. These fools. There''s always a way to drop floors.


    Since I reincarnated into this world, I''ve delved into dungeons many times, slain countless bosses than I can count. But never—never have I read of a endless dungeon with a Dungeon Master.


    How exhilarating.


    "Come. Follow Me."


    The Phantoms trailed behind me as I extended my mana. A whisper in the stone occurred. Suddenly, the wall pulsed.


    CRACK—a hole ripped open, revealing an abyss.


    "D-don''t tell me we have to go down that hole." Lilli gulped.


    I didn''t answer, I stepped forward and let myself fall.


    The blackness swallowed me, the distant light faded away.


    Elnora followed, her voice echoing my name as she casted levitation magic, closely behind her Alex and Lilli followed.


    The moment my boots hit the floor, the ground below me cracked. The others landed softly behind me.


    "We should be around the fifty-fifth floor," I grinned.


    I wanted to go deeper. But that would be for later.


    "I hear something," Lilli hissed, summoning her fox spirits for light.


    The glow revealed a horde of ghouls that lurched toward us.


    "End them," I commanded.


    "A-are you not going to help?" Lilli shot back.


    "No.... show me what you''re capable of."


    Alex and Elnora wasted no time.


    Elnora''s swordplay was elegant. Every strike was unique, her mana spiraling around her with confidence. Ghouls disintegrated as roots shot out of them.


    Alex fought with precision—each swing imbued with fire which burnt the ghouls from the inside.


    I turned to Lilli.


    "Look at them. But you''re just standing here. Are you going to help?"


    Her hesitation melted as she jumped into the fray, reappearing like a phantom, tearing through the ghouls'' blade and claws in hand.


    1,000 ghouls. Slaughtered in moments.


    I clapped.


    "Nicely done."


    Lilli panted; blood spattered on her cheek. "I''ve never seen this many monsters before. How are you guys so calm!?"


    "You''re right," Alex frowned, tapping his chin. "A floor like this one should have at least the equivalent of the floor number thus being fifty-five."Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Mmm... you have a point," I added.


    Elnora gripped her sword, expectant.


    "Nicely done, Elnora. You in particular did wonderfully."


    A smile bloomed from her face.


    "Now....now allow me to lead"


    I darted into the darkness.


    We walked for a few hours killing low tier monster until the—


    Monsters stirred. The air pulsed with death.


    "Two minotaur''s ahead!"


    The Phantoms barely kept up. How amusing.


    As we burst into the chamber, I locked blades with the one of the beasts. But something was different.


    Its—aura was boiling red.


    "Tch—rage magic?"


    It swung fast—I easily dodged it as its axe shattered the ground beneath me.


    "This must be the Dungeon Master''s doing I yelled."


    Alex grinned wildly and tossed his sword aside.


    He wanted to fistfight it.


    How bold.


    He slammed the towering beast, breaking its ribs as it reeled. Behind us—


    "More company" Lilli shouted.


    Two more minotaur''s appeared.


    "Oh, shi—"


    An axe flew toward Lilli, she barely teleported away.


    "Elnora" I barked.


    She lifted her sword, whispering an elven enchantment.


    Vines erupted from the walls, ensnaring the minotaur''s.


    "Yes, Entrap them"


    We then killed them as they were trapped.


    Four dark red magi stones remained in their place.


    Lilli turned to us.


    "You three have been hiding something from me. I want answers."


    I gripped the stone.


    "If you truly wish to know, stop asking meaningless questions."


    A voice whispered in my mind.


    "If she''s unworthy of the truth.... kill her."


    "NO!" I growled


    The others stared.


    "It''s nothing"


    Then—


    SCREAMING.


    Magic surged through the halls.


    "Let''s go!" Lilli yelled as she darted away from us.


    We followed her as we sprinted down the halls.


    And emerged into a nightmare.


    A man with a white robe stood in the checkpoint room, holding a professor''s severed head.


    Nearby, a badly beaten girl stood. Dead enraged monsters around her.


    She begun to whisper. Her golden mana swirling—


    "Complete obedience."


    Her magic whipped toward the man—


    "You repulsive brat!" he roared, striking her across the face.


    "Celina!" Lilli shouted as she tried to teleport toward her.


    Suddenly, Celina disappeared.


    The man laughed. "Her death will be labeled an unfortunate dungeon incident—HAHAHA!"


    Lilli teleported.


    And reappeared behind him.


    CRACK. She kicked his skull downward with raw force.


    "How dare you!"


    She summoned her spirits.


    They swarmed him—


    And ripped him apart.


    That seems to easy.. I thought


    Blood splattered across her face. Her cold gaze met mine.


    ...Interesting


    Then—


    The room trembled.


    We were teleported.


    And in the middle of floor sixty—


    A black knight stood. His broadsword dripping of blood. Bodies of students and professors laid around him.


    Celina laid, by his feet her body weak.


    Lilli barely had time to react before—


    BOOM.


    A mana blast sent her flying into the wall.


    Her body imprinted into stone.


    She staggered to stand. Then she fell.


    The knight''s soulless gaze fell on the three of us.


    I grinned.


    Ahh, more bugs have swarmed in I, see? The Black Knight spoke.


    The Black Knights voice was deep, sharp like mithril scraping against stone. His armor gleamed under the dim dungeon light, a walking destroyer, his presence an anomaly.


    "I should thank you for killing that church heretic." He flexed his fingers, as if imagining them wrapped around someone''s throat. "He''s stirred chaos in this sacred place...thus this false princess here belongs to me. Her death will serve as a trophy for my people."


    Beside me, Elnora didn''t flinch. Her mana surged, and thick, gnarled vines spiraled from the ground, forming a protective barrier behind us. An aggressive defensive stance.


    "Ah...Elven magic." The Black Knight voice rumbled in amusement. "I haven''t seen that spell since the Dawn of the Elves. How fascinating you are, girl."


    Suddenly, black-crimson energy begun to wrap around the knight, his aura calm and controlled, yet ancient. The way it was casted—it was different. Not wild like most, but refined, almost elegant. Like Elnora''s. Like mine.


    We don''t appreciate you hurting our friend.


    Alex stepped forward, his fist clenched, his smirk defiant. The air cracked around his knuckles as mana surged through his muscles.


    I let my gaze drift toward the Knight. "You''re the dungeon master, aren''t you?"


    He titled his head slightly, then chuckled. "Is that what they call us now?" His voice carried arrogance. "I am Schutz, the Royal Crimson Protector of the true family of Idelia."


    "W-what nonsense—" Celina stammered.


    Before she could finish, Schutz placed his iron—clad boots against her back and pressed down. She cried out, her fingers scratching at the stone beneath her.


    "Who asked you to speak?"


    His crimson mana thickened, unfurling into a heavy fog that clung onto the walls. He summoned his first spell. With a slow, but deliberate motion, he raised his sword toward Elnora and uttered.


    "Der Vogt"


    A blur—a flash of steel—the blade shot toward Elnora.


    Her mana reacted, forming a shield. CLANG! The dungeon shook as magic met metal, and for the first time in Schutz life he hesitated.


    "Mhhh?" He exhaled, intrigued.


    Alex was quickly upon him. He lunged, fist blurring, striking with a unrelentless force BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Schutz raised a single arm to block it, his armor chipping away. Sparks danced in the air as the metal bent under Alex''s assault.


    "AGH!" SCUM!" Schutz snarled.


    His knee—shot forward—a brutal knee kick connected to Alex''s stomach.


    "GAH!" Alex gagged, doubling over, but he gritted his teeth—still swinging. His fist connected toward Schutz helmet the chamber banged like a war drum.


    "Should I help him?" Elnora asked me.


    "You may." I replied.


    Meanwhile Elnora gathered her mana near me. As I watched the battle take place. Elnora''s fingers grew a vibrant green as the air rippled around her infusing a mana arrow.


    She fired.


    A perfect shot.


    Schutz, without flinching, caught it midair—his gauntlet crackled with energy.


    And at that exact moment he caught Alex''s fist, stopping his next barrage of punches.


    "The youth of today." Schutz mused, staring at the arrow as if it was nothing but a plaything. "No respect for elders."


    With a single motion, he drove the mana arrow into Alex''s shoulder while bending back his other arm breaking it. –


    CRACK!


    Alex screamed. His body flung like a ragdoll, slamming into the dungeon wall.


    And—then Schutz gaze was upon us.


    "Now it''s your turn."


    Faster than I could blink – he shifted behind me.


    A flash of crimson red.


    A surge of overwhelming power.


    Schutz sword descended. Flames around the blade as he roared.


    "FEURER"


    Fire ignited the air.


    I turned—watching the blade hurl toward Elnora.


    She gasped.


    And for the first time—I felt true despair.


    I saw my fallen comrades in Phantom Force 1-46.


    Their bodies. Lifeless. Cold. But their faces once blurred replaced with that of my party members in this life.


    And then—the voice. The one that had whispered to me since the beginning.


    The voice that was filled with narcissism.


    "They were weak. Like your comrades before."


    "But now you have power. The means to confirm your ideals."


    "Allow her to die."


    "The weak must suffer." "YOU''RE THE REAPER!" It yelled.


    My mind begun to spin as I placed my hands on my face a smile crept as tears ran down my face.


    Power surged through my veins, screaming, trying to take control.


    The choice was mine.


    I REFUSE! I REFUSE! I REFUSE! I screamed cupping my face with my hands.


    Flashes of Elnora, Lilli, and Alex played in my mind. The images of the first year I met them. Me shaking Alex''s hand and Lilli bumping into me around the corner as she helped me pick up my books. The day I met Elnora in the orb.


    Then images of their lifeless bodies played in my mind. Then I was met with silence.


    I have made my decision.