Outside the dungeon,

The mana swirl carved into the massive wooden door pulsed erratically, its glow fluctuating with unstable intensity. Each surge sent ripples through the ground, and the professors stationed nearby exchanged grim looks, their anxiety mirrored in the twisting light.

A short distance away, Zane stood casually with his arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold as though it were a passing curiosity. Around him gathered the other professors — Varris Denholm, towering and silent as ever, Iralyn Ashwyn, whose sharp teal-blue eyes blazed with irritation beneath her bob-cut black hair, and Mira Elesyn, the composed mage with a furrowed brow betraying her concern.

Iralyn broke first, her voice sharp with frustration.

"Please, Professor Zane, take this seriously! Our students are inside! We're trying to save them—yet you stand here as if it's some kind of show!"

Zane's lips curved into an unbothered smile. "Relax. I just wanted to inform the three of you — if the mana swirl on that door gets any more unstable…" he tilted his head, tone calm yet decisive, "…I'm going in."

All three froze. Even Varris, usually a stone wall of silence, glanced toward him in surprise.

Iralyn stared at him wide-eyed. "Are you out of your mind?" she hissed.

Mira stepped forward, her tone respectful yet firm. "Professor, not to be rude, but surely you understand what that would mean. If someone of your level enters, the dungeon will immediately recalibrate. Its rank will rise—its creatures will evolve. By the time you reach the students, they'll already be overrun by stronger monsters."

Zane chuckled softly, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. "Well, that may be true," he said lightly, "but tell me—what makes you so sure they're still alive now? With the mana this unstable, it's possible the dungeon already consumed them."

Iralyn clenched her fists, ready to argue—but the words caught in her throat.

Zane's smirk deepened. "And besides, I'm not one to cower behind rules when lives are at stake. I know my strength—and I know I can save them."

Her teeth ground audibly. "Are you calling me a coward?"

Before Zane could answer, Varris finally spoke, his deep voice cutting through the rising tension.

"Enough."

He turned toward Zane, eyes narrowing slightly. "Fine. You'll enter the dungeon. But if you can't handle it—if they die because of this—then their deaths are on you."

Zane's grin lingered, calm and unreadable. That's probably the most he's spoken all day, he thought with amusement.

Meanwhile inside the dungeon's boss chamber—

The cut hob goblin's upper torso hit the ground with a thud, its guttural growl turning into a pained screech as it glared at the humans before it.

All around, the corpses of other goblins lay scattered, torn, and burned.

Lia, Jax, Aurelian, and Selene finally relaxed, panting slightly—relieved that the fight seemed over.

But then—

The black hob goblin suddenly let out a thunderous roar.

The blue crystal embedded beneath the floor pulsed violently, its glow intensifying under the eerie orange sky and crimson sun above.

"Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!!!!!!!!!"

The bodies of the slain goblins twitched—then floated.

Chunks of flesh, shredded limbs, and darkened remains lifted into the air as if pulled by an unseen force, swirling toward the wounded hob goblin.

Its body began to absorb them all.

Muscles bulged.

Veins surfaced, glowing faintly with blue light.

The creature's mangled form repaired itself—no, mutated.

Its hollow eye sockets burned with unstable blue mana, flickering violently.

Then, a sharp crack echoed as a small horn sprouted from its forehead—growing longer by the second.

Maera, who had been fighting nearby, turned just in time to see the transformation.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as the mana pressure in the air spiked sharply.

"What the hell is this creature…?!" she shouted, taking a step back as a wave of mana swept through the chamber.

The hobgoblin's mutilated body began to shift grotesquely. Its lower half—once severed—started to regrow, bone cracking and reforming, muscle twisting into shape as blackened flesh spread like tar. Within thirty seconds, a new pair of legs had formed—bulkier and darker than before.

"Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhh!!!"

Its roar shook the chamber, sending tremors through the stone floor. Blue mana surged around it, flaring higher, wilder—like waves of chaotic fire. The air itself began to hum violently under the pressure.

Lia's eyes widened as she steadied herself. "Its mana… it's much stronger than before."

Footsteps echoed behind her—Maera and Ron had arrived, the last of the goblins fallen around them. Both looked at the grotesque creature in shock as its horn gleamed with a deep, pulsating blue light.

Maera clenched her fists. "What's happening to it? It's getting stronger and stronger!"

At that moment, Lirael appeared beside her, her expression tense as she studied the monster and the flickering crystal buried deep within its chest.

"It's that crystal," Lirael said sharply. "It's feeding power into the hobgoblin. We have to destroy or remove it—otherwise it'll just keep getting stronger!"

The group exchanged quick, determined looks as the mutated hobgoblin let out another bone-rattling roar, blue mana bursting outward like a storm.

The transformed hobgoblin's glowing eyes locked onto Aurelian—the one who had dared to cut him in half. A guttural snarl rumbled from its chest as it gripped its massive club, the blue aura swirling around its arm like a storm.

With a thunderous crack beneath its feet, the creature vanished from its spot—its speed far greater than before.

Aurelian barely had time to react. His instincts screamed as the monstrous shadow appeared right before him, the club already descending.

BOOM!

The impact rattled the ground. Aurelian raised his greatsword just in time, the blade catching the blow. Sparks burst from the contact, and his knees buckled under the monstrous force.

"Tch—damn it!" he gritted, struggling to hold his stance as the ground beneath him cracked.

Then, a crimson blur cut through the dust.

Maera—her form wrapped in a deep red aura—charged in, her claws glowing faintly as mana surged through her veins. "No, you don't!"

She leapt, grabbing the hobgoblin's massive wrist with both arms. Muscles strained as she pulled with everything she had, trying to toss the beast off balance. The air rippled with the clash of brute strength.

But the hobgoblin roared, jerking its arm back with overwhelming force.

"—!?"

Maera's body was yanked forward and flung like a ragdoll. She crashed into the stone floor, sliding across the ground before digging her claws in to stop herself, gouging twin trails in the dirt.

Coughing lightly, she wiped a streak of blood from the corner of her mouth. "His physical strength… is insane."

Then she straightened, eyes blazing with defiance.

She drew in a sharp breath and roared, voice echoing through the chamber—

"Attack, all of you!!!"

All across the shattered chamber, the remaining fighters and mages gathered their resolve, surrounding the towering, black-skinned hobgoblin whose monstrous aura warped the air itself.

Then—

"KEEEEEERRAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

The creature's roar shook the dungeon. Its blue aura erupted outward in a violent surge, blasting dust and broken stone into the air. The sheer pressure pressed down on everyone—forcing weaker students to their knees, gasping, trembling in terror.

But amid the chaos, one group stood firm.

The students of Class Caelis.

Their expressions calm, eyes steady—fighters heartbeat synced with mana through Iron Pulse, mage's minds wrapped in Tranquil Veil. The techniques Zane had drilled into them were holding, keeping their focus razor-sharp even under the suffocating pressure.

Some students from other classes still managed to endure—the strong-willed ones like Aurelian, Lirael, Torren, and Kain—standing tall despite their shaking limbs.

Jax, muttered under his breath, "I'm gonna do the same thing as before… gather mana for one big shot—blow his head clean off. Someone just needs to take the crystal after that."

"I'll do it," Lia said firmly, eyes gleaming with determination.

"Then," Lirael cut in, her silver hair swaying as she stepped forward, "Maera, Aurelian, Ron, and I will keep it distracted."

Everyone nodded in silent agreement except Maera and Aurelian who were already fighting the transformed hobgoblin

But before they split, Lia turned to Ron and caught his hand, her brows furrowing. "You sure you can distract him? You still can't use more than fifty percent of your strength, right?"

Ron gave her a small grin. "Don't worry. I'm just glad I can still fight beside you all. That's enough for me."

Jax cracked a smirk. "Alright then. Let's make this count."

He rolled his twin guns into position, crossing them dramatically before lowering into a wide stance—flashy, sure, but his focus was dead serious. Mana began coiling around his body, flowing into the barrels like molten energy.

"This time… I'll need at least fifty seconds to charge," he said, exhaling sharply.

And then—

"Rune Magic — Fourth Circle: Empowering Array — Single Target."

Selene's voice rang out, steady but faint.

From her wand, glowing orange runes spiraled outward, forming a circular field that enclosed Jax's body like a second skin. The light pulsed brighter, denser than normal—her spell condensed into a field barely the size of a human silhouette.

Jax's breath hitched. Power surged through his veins; his mana flared, doubling—until he could barely contain it.

Selene stood behind him, her midnight-blue hair clinging to her face from sweat, her black eyes unwavering.

"She's… using Tranquil Veil too," Jax realized, watching the runes shimmer with surgical precision. "Maximizing her control…"

Selene exhaled softly, her voice calm yet exhausted. "That's… all I can do, Jax."

Jax smiled without turning around. "You're the best."

Then, eyes narrowing, he whispered under his breath—

"Guess I should give it my all too."

And his aura exploded—wild, red-orange energy swirling around him as both barrels began to hum, the sound of condensed mana building toward something colossal.

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