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Chapter 55: The Dragon of Calamity
Iris’s team was the strongest.
Proving those words true, Iris's team swept through the floors like a storm.
The location they had currently reached was the third floor of the Demon Dungeon, Weeping Sky.
Above the dark clouds, two massive eyes remained shut, shedding tears.
These tears turned into rain that drenched the ground below.
‘That thing, it’s an Apostle.’
The true Apostle of Weeping Sky.
It would later be reborn as an Apostle during the transformation of Weeping Sky.
‘I’ll have to deal with it eventually.’
But now wasn’t the time.
It was better to leave it be for now.
“The third-years are almost caught up.”
In the pouring rain falling from the sky, Dorara, the second rank of Magic Arts trailing behind us, let out a cackling laugh.
Perhaps it was because of the blow to his self-esteem caused by Sharin.
He seemed to enjoy showing off like that.
But his skills were undeniable.
Our compatibility wasn’t great, and I had figured out all of Dorara’s bad habits and weaknesses.
Even so, his wind magic, befitting the second rank of Magic Arts, was remarkably sharp.
“Ugh, I’m losing my mind staying here for days,”
whined Valencia, the cursed sorcerer clinging to Joachim’s back.
The Demon Dungeon was a place where space and time were distorted.
The deeper one descended, the greater the distortion became.
On the first floor, time wasn’t much different from the outside.
But starting from the second floor, time became completely different.
In outside time,
one day equaled three days on the second floor,
a week on the third floor,
and a fortnight on the fourth floor.
Thus, staying long on the lower floors didn’t create as much of a time disparity with the outside.
Accordingly, we had already spent several days in the Demon Dungeon’s time.
We had been on the third floor for three days.
“It’s surprising a cursed sorcerer dislikes gloomy things.”
“Ugh, please don’t perpetuate stereotypes about cursed sorcerers.”
Dorara’s jab was met with a groan from Valencia.
Watching their exchange, I looked down at my hands.
Despite having come down to the third floor of the Demon Dungeon, I didn’t feel much physical strain.
After all, I was in the body of the stamina monster Vikamon.
Coupled with Aisha’s hellish training, it was natural.
‘The real problem lies elsewhere.’
The true challenge wasn’t physical.
‘Pretending to be Hania is harder than I thought.’
Conversations could be handled by dropping the right bits of knowledge.
As students of the same academy, the topics of discussion were naturally limited.
Moreover, Hania was a relatively minor character.
I was familiar enough with her to play the role convincingly.
So portraying Hania wasn’t the issue.
The difficulty lay elsewhere.
I clicked my tongue quietly, looking at the sword in my hand.
Hania possessed the skills of the second rank of Martial Arts.
Naturally, her proficiency was far superior to the average Martial Arts student.
She wielded a long sword with precision so refined that even the so-called lazy genius recognized it.
Her mastery was the fruit of talent and relentless effort.
The problem?
I’d never used a sword in my life.
A guy who’s fought with his fists all his life isn’t going to wield a sword properly.
‘Though I’ve been training, at least it doesn’t wobble in my hands.’
But I couldn't judge the weapon's range because I was used to fighting with bare hands.
The destructive power of a sword varies based on the angle of the swing.
Failing to fully grasp this meant I was making constant mistakes.
So halfway through, I gave up trying to wield it like a sword and just swung it like a blunt weapon.
‘Yeah, I’m never picking up a sword again.’
Hands are the best tools.
“Hania, are you feeling unwell lately?”
Suddenly, Valencia addressed me.
Thanks to the Veil Bandages, I looked just like Hania.
But these were comrades I had fought alongside.
To their eyes, I must have looked off.
“Hm, your movements feel more aggressive than usual and less controlled,”
Valencia remarked.
Her bangs covered her eyes, so how could she even see anything?
“Hmm, now that you mention it, I’ve felt something similar these past few days,”
Joachim chimed in agreement.
Naturally, the team’s gazes shifted toward me.
Even Iris glanced at me.
There was nothing Iris could do to help here.
Until Nikita attacked, I couldn’t risk raising suspicion.
If Nikita sensed something off with Iris’s team and decided not to attack, things would become problematic later.
“Well, the thing is...”
How should I get through this?
Thankfully, I had a plausible excuse prepared—something from before entering the Demon Dungeon that could explain my state.
“...Professor Barkov confessed his love to me before we entered the Demon Dungeon.”
“Ah.”
“Oh, dear God.”
A deep sigh escaped both Valencia and Joachim.
The horrors of Professor Barkov were well-known to all.
“Well, uh, just take it easy and rest when you can.”
Even the insufferable Dorara looked at me with pity.
Seeing their reactions, I forced a strained smile.
Pity flickered in everyone’s eyes.
Who would’ve thought even that scumbag Barkov could come in handy?
Not that I felt any gratitude.
“Let’s keep going.”
Noticing my narrow escape, Iris resumed walking.
Though a smile tugged at her lips, she didn’t say anything.
“The third floor is almost done.”
We had taken down three Apostles on the third floor.
The number of beasts we’d slain was uncountable.
Moments like this reminded me just how powerful Iris’s team was.
Joachim, the battle priest, held a book in his left hand and crushed enemies with just his right hand.
All the while, he healed any injuries sustained by the team instantly.
Valencia, the cursed sorcerer, cast curses the moment enemies appeared.
She could wield roughly ten thousand curses.
The torrent of curses would swiftly render enemies utterly powerless.
There was no need to even mention Iris or Dorara.
‘Truly a monstrous group.’
If you added Hania to the mix, the team would be near perfection.
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Even so, Iris’s team couldn’t overcome Nikita, the Dragon of Calamity.
To defeat her, the Flame of Resolve of Lucas was essential.
‘Especially on the fourth floor.’
The environment there was practically designed for the Dragon of Calamity.
“Let’s go.”
With Iris leading the way, the team began to descend.
It seemed questionable to put the Third Princess at the forefront, but if Iris were to face a crisis, no one here could handle it anyway.
The white staircase stretched endlessly downward in a space entirely shrouded in darkness.
The staircase had only the steps themselves, which made it look rather precarious at a glance.
“Hehe, this time, we might set a new record.”
“We’ve got to pick up the pace. We were so humiliated in the group competition.”
Voices of Joachim and Dorara chatting behind me reached my ears.
At this speed, we were indeed moving incredibly fast.
‘If it weren’t for Nikita, they could probably reach the sixth floor.’
It seemed likely that in the next dungeon expedition, they’d become the first second-years to reach the seventh floor.
Of course, there was a fundamental reason Iris couldn’t venture too far down into the dungeon.
“Hania.”
At that moment, Iris called out to me.
Her eyes were shadowed with deep, dark circles.
Since entering the dungeon, she had hardly been able to sleep.
Though she already suffered from insomnia, the influence of the sinister presence pervading the dungeon exacerbated her condition.
Her body bore traces of the sinister power, which resonated with the dungeon’s presence, intensifying her nightmares.
Thus, Iris was particularly vulnerable in the dungeon.
If the strategy wasn’t focused on clearing as quickly as possible, Iris’s strength would gradually deteriorate over time.
‘But if Lucas, with his Flame of Resolve, were here, he could drive away the nightmares.’
That was why, during her first year, Iris had hired Lucas as a team member for the dungeon expedition.
Of course, back then, the Flame of Resolve hadn’t fully ignited, so the results weren’t significant, and she didn’t bring him along for the next expedition.
‘And Lucas died there.’
It was a story that left Iris with many regrets in more ways than one.
‘As I am now, I can’t resolve Iris’s nightmares.’
Thus, Iris grew increasingly exhausted as time went on.
“Yes, Lady Iris.”
When I approached her, she gestured to me.
“It’s soon.”
Nikita’s team had entered the dungeon ahead of everyone else this time.
She would be waiting on the fourth floor, fully prepared.
‘She’s ensured that no reinforcements can come to the fourth floor once Iris’s team sets foot there.’
It was a strategy anticipating that Iris’s team would surpass even the third-year teams.
“We’d better get ready.”
Iris nodded.
Her form began to blur and scatter.
Seeing that, I immediately followed after her.
Boom!
Soon, the surroundings shifted.
A nauseating sensation swept through my body.
It was proof that we had entered the fourth floor of the dungeon.
A cold chill seeped through my entire body.
Crunch—
The sound of snow crunching underfoot accompanied my gaze as I slowly lifted my head.
A white expanse of snow.
Ice-covered duckweed and water hyacinths blanketed the surface of the snow.
The place felt eerily dark, with ice sculptures scattered here and there.
My breath fogged the air as it escaped my lips.
The fourth floor of the dungeon.
The Ice Garden.
The extreme cold left my body feeling icy.
However, the real challenge started now.
“Everyone, get down!”
I shouted as I rushed forward to shield Iris.
Shhhhhh—
A sound echoed from above, followed by something crashing down from the ceiling.
Boom!
A massive ice wall slammed down behind us.
“Waaah!”
“Kyah!”
Joachim, carrying Valencia and Dorara, made a great leap.
Thanks to him, all three narrowly avoided being crushed by the ice wall.
“W-What is this? What’s going on?”
Dorara turned back, his face pale with shock.
What he saw was a wall of ice so thick it defied reason, shrouded in a haze of snow.
The passage connecting the third and fourth floors of the dungeon had been completely sealed off by the wall of ice.
Everyone’s faces showed signs of shock.
This was an entirely unexpected development.
Except for me and Iris.
My gaze slowly rose.
Beyond the passage in the Ice Garden, a sinister chill seemed to extend its reach to this very spot.
‘It has begun.’
To avenge the death of her brother, the Dragon of Calamity, Nikita Cynthia, had begun to move.
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