Vol. 2 Chapter 65: Welze in the Underealm

Welze Juble carefully cleans her glasses with the special cloth she always carries in her pocket. 

She puts the glasses back on after making sure they are neither damaged nor dirty. 

The surreal sight hasn't changed. 

She finds herself in an unknown place, a location that appears to be a cavern. 

There is little light, the air is damp, and she can hear sinister sounds echoing in the rocky walls, making it difficult to pinpoint their source. 

The timid class Wizard Venture has suddenly found herself in a dark dungeon. 

Her usual refuge, the academy library, has vanished, replaced by this mysterious cavern. 

The last thing she remembers is a rush of air, the walls of the structure crumbling, and books flying as she was sucked into what appeared to be a rift. For a long moment, she thought she was going to die. 

Even now, she can feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Her first thought goes to Strauss. Was he also at school? 

Could he have been involved in this incident too? Welze shakes her head. 

She shouldn't be thinking about him right now. 

This is a dungeon! A real dungeon! She still can't believe it. 

It could be her great adventure, an adventure worthy of a book! 

But she's alone... The excitement is dampened by fear. 

There's no Franz with her, no Strauss. 

What should she do? 

Welze takes a deep breath. 

She recalls her experience in the artificial dungeon with Strauss Wagner and Rero Sansanti. 

The first thing to do is to get a better look at where she is.

[LIGHT]

She casts the illumination magic on her staff, which she fortunately always carries with her, turning it into a magical torch.

The artificial lighting from her spell slightly reassures her, making the environment less unsettling. 

The place she finds herself in is indeed a rocky cavern. 

The ceiling is covered with stalactites, while the ground is rugged and made up of rock slabs where strange plants and fungi sprout. 

These fungi are monstrously sized, and she worries that the spores they release could be poisonous, covering her nose and mouth while lifting her jacket.

Bioluminescent lichens grow on the stone walls, contributing to the cave's illumination. 

Reflecting on what she sees, she tries to remember if she has read a description in a book. 

The place does indeed seem to resemble a specific location she has read about.

This seems like the Underealm. 

The blue-haired girl shudders at the thought. 

If this were the Underealm, it would be an extremely more dangerous dungeon. 

In addition to the usual monsters, it is inhabited by dangerous sentient creatures.

The Dark Elves.

Welze shivers with fear. 

Her mind remains in turmoil, and her heart beats fast in her chest. 

The excitement is strong. This is, in effect, an adventure. One of those she has always dreamt of while reading her books. 

However, she is aware that this is reality. Dungeons are dangerous environments, and she is alone.

She must be careful, meticulous, and remember her studies.

Welze explores the cave in which she finds herself. 

She spots some books that arrived with her when the rift opened and collects them in the hope of finding some answers or useful suggestions for her situation. Unfortunately, most of them cover irrelevant topics at the moment. 

They are romance or erotic novels.

She blushes at the thought. 

Lately, she has become an avid reader of these stories, seeking solace before falling asleep. 

Her libido has continued to grow, and she hoped to find satisfaction with the help of these tales. 

The hope was in vain. She found herself having lewd thoughts about her love, Franz Dadref, but true satisfaction came when she thought about Strauss Wagner.

This makes her feel guilty because in a way, it's as if she's betraying Franz. But at the same time, this sense of guilt makes her masturbation much more fulfilling. 

Welze shakes her head in embarrassment, trying to push away these lascivious thoughts.

The girl slaps her cheeks, trying to calm herself and focus on the situation at hand. 

After all, this is what she has always dreamed of, and she must try to make the most of this experience. 

The rift opened within the boundaries of the academy, so it's likely she wasn't the only one sucked into it. 

She should try to find other survivors and together come up with a plan to get out unharmed.

Welze cautiously proceeds through the cavern, her heart pounding in her chest, her illuminated staff pushing back the suffocating darkness of what she presumes to be the Underealm. Every step is measured, every breath controlled. Her eyes scan the surrounding environment, looking for signs of danger or other people.

Suddenly, a sharp scream pierces the silence, making the blue-haired girl jump. 

They are clearly cries for help, desperate and filled with terror. Without hesitation, the girl rushes toward the source of the sound. 

Her mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. She must help, she must do something. 

It's not just an adventure now; it's a matter of life or death.

Navigating through a series of narrow corridors, Welze emerges into a larger cave than the one she was in previously. 

The scene before her is chaotic and terrifying.

She recognizes a blond man: it's Franz! 

Alongside him are Gallo Schrecken, the silver-haired boy, and Jarica Fluebert. 

All three of them are her classmates.

The three are surrounded by a pack of giant spiders. 

The creatures, with their gleaming eyes and sharp claws, move with terrifying speed, encircling her companions in a deadly dance.

Jarica, the brown-haired woman, clutches her right arm, on which a bleeding wound is clearly visible. 

She stares into space, struggling to remain conscious. Foam and saliva spill from her mouth, indicating probable poisoning.

Franz fends off an attack from one of the spiders, elegantly severing one of its legs with a graceful sword stroke. 

On the other side, Gallo keeps other monsters at bay with feline leaps, stabbing into their flesh with his two knives with lethal agility

The two are pinned against the wall with Jarica in agony behind them.

Welze doesn't have time to think further. 

Recalling Strauss's teachings, she uses the ability [SCAN EYE] to scan the monsters and identify their weaknesses.

Her eyes flash with determination as she spots what suits her purpose. 

She tightly grips her staff with both hands, its tip already shimmering with energy.

[RAY OF FIRE]

With a determined cry, she casts the fire spell. A jet of flames erupts from the tip of her staff, hitting one of the giant spiders squarely.

*HRIEKKK!!!*

The creature emits a piercing scream as the flames engulf its hairy body. 

Welze knows that spiders have a weakness to fire, and this gives her a glimmer of hope.

"Franz!" she screams, catching the attention of the blond boy. Her timid gaze meets Franz's concerned eyes, her childhood friend with whom she is secretly in love. He, too, seems bewildered and confused, but a reassuring warmth spreads in Welze's heart at the sight of him.

"Welze!" the man, surprised by the sudden flames that engulfed one of the spiders, notices the presence of the blue-haired girl. 

Gallo also turns in her direction, flashing a half-smile. Jarica collapses to the ground with a dull thud.

There's no time to talk. The two exchange a knowing look. 

Franz and Gallo take advantage of the unexpected help from the mage. 

They fight bravely, weapons in hand, but they are clearly overwhelmed.

Welze moves quickly, casting spell after spell. 

She doesn't know if she'll have enough mana points to keep casting [RAY OF FIRE], but she doesn't think about it. 

She can't stop. 

The fire burns and crackles, devouring spider after spider, but there are too many of them.

Welze's flames dance in the cave, illuminating the darkness with a reddish light. The heat is suffocating, but her concentration remains unwavering. Every movement is precise, every spell cast with deadly accuracy. The giant spiders, despite their size and speed, are consumed by the flames as they scream in agony.

Franz fights valiantly, cutting through limbs and bodies with his sword. Gallo joins him, swiftly moving from point to point thanks to his assassin skills, forming an almost impenetrable line of defense.

Welze is now the center of attention for the spiders. Her fire magic has drawn the creatures' anger towards her. 

In an act of desperation, one of the giant spiders lunges at her. 

Welze turns just in time, raising her staff and casting a direct fire spell.

[RAY OF FIRE]

The creature is hit squarely, its screams echoing in the cave as it retreats, its body engulfed in flames.

The more they eliminate, the more keep coming. 

Welze starts to feel tired. 

She curses the fact that she is only a rank D wizard and, therefore, has a limited maximum MP available.

The situation is hopeless. 

But at that moment, a woman with pink hair appears from the opposite direction.