Chapter 14

When all trainees were inside the dungeon one thing they first noticed was the foul smell surrounding the area.

"Ew - what is this smell?" Covering her nose Ann disgustingly asked

"Monster's waste, it's their territorial instincts to tell intruders like us they own this place" explained Caleb

Just like any dungeons, it was dark and pestilent. The air was moist and the insides were narrow, in front of them appear five entrance that leads to somewhere they don't know.

"Hmp. Five entrance and there's ten of us guess we'll be going in pairs then" Adam walks to the first entrance "C'mon Ann!" He calls to her

Ann sighed "Guess, were doing this just like the survival test huh?" She followed him "Wait up!"

Without the need to confirm with each other Dorothy and Lilith went to the second entrance.

Cain and Caleb were about to enter the third when Linden stopped them.

"Please wait! C-can I come with you?" He begged

The two men were confused "Aren't you paired up with Albert?" voiced out Cain

"Sir Royce said were on our own in this dungeon and I prefer to be with the both of you," Linden said

Cain and Caleb stared at each other.

"You okay with this?" They asked Albert

"What? That he prefers to be with weaklings like you instead of me? Oh, don't worry! He's your burden now! HAHAHAHA!" He laughed as he enters the fourth entrance "I don't need people like you!" and he disappears

"Wow, he has some issues" Cain points out "What can you do?" He asked Linden

"I-I'm not good in fighting but I brought healing potions with me in case one of you is wounded" he explained while showing them a bag full of it

Caleb, "Since when did you start carrying those?"

"I figured that we will be having another survival test so I brought a lot, these are products from my family, we make medicines so I assure you the quality is good"

Cain, "Hmmmm...then how do we go about the points? I and Caleb can fight"

Linden gave them a defeated smile "To be honest, It doesn't matter if I don't get vouched after this..." He looks at Gin and Catori "I finally saw how weak I am and to become a knight is so far fetch... At the end of today all I want is to save myself, so if both of you can do that then -

I'm okay with it"

Cain ponders while stroking his chin "Well, whatever, as long as you don't bother us while fighting. Let's go then"

Linden's face lit up "Okay! Thank you!"

And the three went inside the third entrance.

"Guess we'll take the fifth entrance then?" Says Gin and Catori nodded

---

As soon as all of them went to different entrance it did not take long they've encountered the monsters who stays inside the dungeon. There were goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs altogether and the crowd couldn't help but cheer as they saw the trainees fought.

Yeaaaaaah! Kill those damn goblins!!!

An Orc!? Wow, that's a level b monster!!!

"Hmmm... An Orc? Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Freda cried out

As he watched the trainees fought, Ren crosses his arm and said "Well, Royce did report that one of them killed an Orc while doing the survival test, maybe it's to test the others as well"

Freda, "You mean that arrogant Albert right?"

"Tsk! Never like that kid and to think he's being recommended by Royce. What do you think about him Akio?"

Akio was so focused on the screen that he did not hear what Freda asked.

"Hello? Earth to Akio!"

Without much movement, Akio gave Freda a stare.

Freda, "Wh-what? I was just asking you a question"

Akio sighed "I never put any effort to observe someone I don't like anyway" he points to the screens "Besides if Royce were about to let loose ten Orcs or more at their previous survival test, those people will easily defeat them"

Ren and Freda went back to watching the screen and witnessed how Adam easily punch the Orc in the face while Ann using her magic shredded its body

Lilith calmly threw balls made out of poison while walking and Dorothy covered herself with Ice as they walk in a den of goblins.

Cain and Caleb, on the other hand, were fighting separately killing monsters they meet as they walk deeper inside the dungeon, Linden walking behind them.

The ever arrogant Albert still high with the medicine he took releases aura that attracts monsters and throws fire punches at them while laughing crazily.

"Oh,.." Was the only word Freda can utter.

--

[Wow. We have a good batch of Knights this year] Emilio thought, observing the arena so lively by the crowd's cheer. He also saw how the nobles were pleased and started talking about the trainees they wanted to vouch.

[Well, so far, so good] he continued to watch the test and that's when he noticed something was wrong.

The screen was only showing eight of the trainees instead of ten.

[Where the hell are the other two?]

----

"This is is weird," Gin said as he and Catori calmly walk inside the dungeon.

"We've been walking for half an hour now and I don't see any monsters. I can sense them but it's too dense"

Catori was observing the area when she knew something was up

"No, they're here already, watching us, waiting for the right moment," she said

Gin looks surprised "H-how did you know?"

"The smell and the moist in the air are getting stronger, we'll be facing into a corner after this, once we turned right they will try to ambush us"

Gin did not ask her further because for the time they have been together he got used to the way she fought monsters. Once they turned to the right corner, Catori stopped him from moving forward.

"Shhh.. Follow me" she said

They slowly walk into the sides of the wall hiding their figures when they reached solid rock. Catori tried to study the area first as she prepares the daggers she made on her own.

"Beyond this, there will be another entrance guarded by two hobgoblins, I'll take the one on the right side while you take the one on the left"

Gin nodded already holding his staff.

"After them, I don't know how many but there are more inside...and" she pauses

Gin, "What? Is there a problem?"

"Do you not sense it? I don't know if it's magic or mana or whatever"

"I told you I can sense them but it's too dense, they must have someone who's trying to hide their presence"

"That must be it, but there's something else"

"Something else?"

"Yes, I can feel its killing intent directed at us"

Gin gulped and nods in agreement.

"Okay, let's go"

Catori came out first followed by Gin. The hobgoblins were caught off guard that they did not have the time to signal their allies when Catori jumps in front of the hobgoblin on the right and pierce her dagger into his head. Using the ground Gin created a sharp object that killed the hobgoblin from below.

They got a blue ribbon each. Once they were done they slowly walk inside the entrance and saw hundreds of goblins and hobgoblins altogether. Gin was shocked to see them so many "I did not expect this - what kind of monster can hide the presence of this many!?"

"Look above them" Catori pointed out to the monster standing on a high stone holding a staff

"T-that's an Orc Shaman!!" Gin screams frightened "It's stronger than an ordinary Orc plus it can use magic - that thing must be the reason behind all if this"

Sweat trickle down on his face [This is bad, how can we defeat them when it's just the two of us?] He but his lip [Just when I thought I can now be free]

"Catori, let's go back," he said

Catori faces him

"We can't defeat this many monsters, I know you are strong but it's an Orc Shaman were facing and you can't use magic as well..." He quietly said to her

"Let's head back while we can or else -"

"No."

Gin, "What?"

Catori readied herself as she calmly walks toward the monsters, Gin grabs her by the arms

"Weren't you listening!? We're gonna get killed if we push through and we can't ask help from the others, he grabbed her a bit harder

"No" Catori uttered again "...if we go back then you have nowhere to go" she looks at the monsters "... And I promise not to fail this time and he's waiting for me"

Gin got confused "Waiting? Who?" Catori continued to move forward and Gin finally let's go of her

"Who else would be waiting?" she smiled while holding both her daggers tight when her walking phase changes to running and from there one by one she slices every monster she met. Her phase became faster as she ran across the dungeon, the monsters followed her and like a skilled killer, she easily dispatches them.

Gin who was left behind was observing her every move and he could not believe what he's seeing. [What kind of move is that? How can she swiftly kill those creatures? Isn't she afraid of death!?] He questioned himself while watching her running around the dungeon and lightly swung her daggers right and left, most of the monsters were killed on the spot due to slicing their throats. [How can she move like that? Moving around so carelessly] It was an unruly sight but Gin can't help observing her even more as the monsters were decreasing in numbers.

"Oy,oy,oy, what the hell is this?" He finally talks

[How can I just watch her fighting so earnestly while I stay at the corner like last time]

He tightly raises his staff and said: "I won't shame myself this time!" Spikes came out from the ground like a snake surprising the monsters.

Kkkkmeeeeeeeek! Screeeeeskek!

The Orc Shaman started to feel pressure when he sees his comrades were decreasing. He locked his sight to Catori who killed the most, feeling angry, he waved his staff and a huge blow went directly to her but was immediately deflected by Gin who created a wall.

The Orc shaman became furious and signals the remaining monsters to finish her fast but no matter how many times they got the chance to face her. It's either their throat will be slice or their heart pierced.

Aaaarkkkkkkkkk! The Orc Shaman shouted and releases four clones of him and together they create a massive ring of fire surrounding Gin and Catori's range.

"W-what the hell? He multiplied himself!? Just when we just finished eliminating all the monster below" said Gin

Catori on the other hand, still silent was looking at the shaman, thinking about what ways to kill the monster in front of her.

---

At the same inside the third entrance Cain, Caleb and Linden were almost at the exit. So far they have gathered many ribbons divided among themselves (not Linden) and they gathered two red ribbons and a lot of blue and a few green ones. Both were pleased that the monsters they fought were easy to kill.

"Whew and I thought Sir Royce prepared us a high-class level of monsters, I was preparing myself," said Caleb

"So do I, I guess every entrance is not the same, let's just hope the others have a similar situation as us" Cain continued

"Are you sure you don't need ribbons, Sir Linden?" Cain asked

Linden who was behind them all the time nodded "Yes, don't worry about it"

"Well, if it's what you want"

It's already an hour when they got inside the dungeon and an hour to go till the test is finally over. Linden was in a state of shock since they've encountered the monsters [Are these people real?] He thought. Cain and Caleb had no difficulty whatsoever in getting their ribbons, they were fast enough that the goblin's had trouble keeping up their phase. What's even interesting was both of them were enjoying themselves in battle while he, afraid of his life, hid behind their backs.

He gave out a sigh of relief [Good thing, I paired up with them] he thought. In this era becoming a knight was everyone's dream that includes him but when he witnessed that woman, he felt so little about himself. The way she swiftly moves and can easily kill monsters without mercy it was horrid but he can't stop thinking about it.

The three of them kept walking and walking till they reach an intersection and heard screams.

"Did you hear that?" Cain stopped their tracks

"C'mon let's move forward" Caleb suggested

When the three were near the area where the scream came. Linden's face turned pale white.

"W-what happened here?" He said

Dead bodies of monsters were everywhere. It was twice as many as the monsters they fought.

They were walking while observing the area, it was a total mess. The stench of dead monsters made Linden's stomach ache.

"Look, up ahead there's someone there" Caleb whispers

Both armed themselves while approaching the figure. When they finally got near him, to their surprise it was Gin.

"Gin? Why are you here?" Cain asked

"I should be the one asking you, why are you guys here?" He replied

The three looked at each other it seems Gin felt their presence as well for he was also on his guard.

"Sorry, I thought you were them" he pointed at the dead bodies.

Cain, "Ah, sorry as well... but what happened here?"

Gin's expression turned gloomy "We thought it was strange when we went inside this route, there was no monsters insight but when we arrived here we never expected this many to appear. An Orc shaman was with them hiding their presence."

"Whoaa.. An Orc Shaman? No way! Where is it!? Did you finish it off!?" Impressed, Caleb asked

"Ah- well" Gin felt uncomfortable that he looks away from their gazes.

"Uhm" Linden interrupted them

"Where is she?"

Caleb, "Ah, right you were with that woman - yeah, where is she?"

Gin looks at another direction far from the dead bodies, he looked above them beside a high stone was a woman carrying the Orc Shaman's head.

--- end.