Final Exams - [85th Floor]

They traveled for 20 to 30 minutes, as they reached a colossal tree. Kathleen was unsure of their destination, but she believed in her strength which led her to follow Iris not worrying about a betrayal.

Coming to a halt before the tree, Iris advanced towards its sturdy trunk, she reached and gently rested her hands upon it.

"Hmm, it must be right here," she murmured, her fingers lightly tapping various spots on the trunk.

Grrr~

In an instant, one of the places she tapped emitted a radiant glow, causing a hidden entrance to materialize within the tree.

Seeing this, Kathleen eyes opened wide.

"What the hell! How are we supposed to stumble upon these hidden entrances if they are this intricate? And, how did you actually discover this place?" Kathleen exclaimed, observing the intricate nature of the dungeon's entrance.

"Hehe, it wasn't really a challenge to discover them. Whenever you're near a boss chamber, there are many clues scattered around it that will guide you here. As for how I found it, I have a fondness for training in dungeons. I frequently venture into lower-level dungeons to hone my skills and uncover treasures."

"I've become so familiar with them that I can easily discern an ordinary tree from an entrance. Additionally, this boss areas tends to spawn a lot of monsters around them, making it even more easy. These are just basic informations about the dungeons that everyone already knows." Iris chuckled, before stepping into the trunk of the tree.

"Basic informations? Everyone already knows?" Kathleen suddenly realised what Iris said.

"Hey, you! Are you mocking me for not knowing that? Wait right there!" She hurriedly followed Iris, entering through the now revealed entrance.

As they both entered, Kathleen's eyes widened in astonishment. The space within was a stark different from the green forest they had just left moments ago.

They found themselves in a spacious enclosed chamber, its four walls surrounding them. Standing before them was a monstrous creature that Kathleen immediately identified as a Goblin. The doors behind them abruptly slammed shut, sealing off any means of exit.

Kathleen was unfazed by the presence of such creature, she remained calm as she was well aware, thanks to her knowledge of the novel, the Goblins, orcs, and Ogres were common monsters in dungeons. These creatures were bound to the confines of their underground domains, they were incapable of surviving outside the dungeon.

That's why, these creatures did not garner much attention or pose a significant threat in the eyes of powerful clans.

The short and ugly green Goblin before them was merely a 1-Star monster, it was easily defeated without consuming much time or effort.

With the task accomplished, they received a few minor rewards, which Iris claimed since Kathleen didn't show much interest in them. Following that, a door unexpectedly swung open on the opposite side of the chamber, revealing a path leading to the second floor.

Passing through the doorway, they found themselves once again surrounded by a lush green forest, similar to the scenery they had encountered on the previous level. But suddenly, the very door they had exited through vanished, leaving no traces behind.

"So we have to search for another ninety nine bosses before the exam ends, huh." Kathleen commented feeling the boring journey that was ahead of her.

"Yeah, isn't that exciting." Iris said with a twinkle in her eyes.

'Exciting?' Kathleen slowly started to understand this girls personality.

Iris was very intelligent, evident in her keen understanding of Instructor Elina's words.

Her proficiency in charm magic, if Iris further honed her magical abilities, it was clear she had the potential to become a captivating enchantress. Moreover, her interest in battle shown that she was a battle freak and had a fondness for dungeons and conquering them.

'She was like a succubus, being able to charm me without using any special technique. I have to be extra cautious around her.' Kathleen muttered to herself, as they started walking.

Day passed slowly, they journeyed through the depths of the dungeon side by side, battling monsters, defeating bosses, and conquering the various dungeon floors. they also shared their stories and learned more about one another, as they started feeling a sense of comfort and familiarity between them after many days of traveling.

To Kathleen's surprise, she discovered that Iris, despite her remarkable strength, did not come from any noble family. She was born to commoner parents residing in the capital.

Driven by her desire to become stronger, Iris had chosen to enroll in the Magus Academy. However, she had been hesitant to reveal her commoner background to Kathleen, unsure if it would cause any distance between them.

Of course, Iris didn't have any inferiority complex, but, she couldn't help but worry. Much to her relief, Kathleen showed no signs of distancing herself upon discovering the truth.

They speedily conquered the floor with iris's ability and Kathleen strength.

As they reached the 80th floor, Kathleen started becoming more serious, since the monsters in these levels proved to be significantly stronger. Along their path, Kathleen diligently searched for Sophie and Max, but alas, they were nowhere to be found.

They currently reached the 85th floor of the dungeon, Iris took charge in scouting of the area for the boss room. With a keen eye, she carefully observed the patterns of monster spawns, and also was on a lookout for any peculiarities or anomalies.

Kathleen couldn't help but feel gratitude towards Iris. Without her assistance, there was no chance she would have reached this floor with such swiftness. Iris was like a walking, talking map, guiding her along the correct path with ease.

Several hours of battling monsters and relentless searching followed as they eventually stumbled upon the entrance to the boss room. Positioned within a cavern, the entrance was relatively not hidden, standing out from its surroundings.

But, To their surprise, another party had also stumbled upon the boss room simultaneously. This party consisted of five members, outnumbering Kathleen and Iris. However, the real problem arose from the fact that the boss room only permitted three participants at a time.

This rule was in place to prevent the students from overwhelming the boss monster. Furthermore, the entrances to the boss rooms would shift their locations after being used once.

"Oh, isn't it Miss Kathleen? It appears like we'll have to compete to proceed to the next floor." One of the party members remarked seeing there was only two girls.