"Have you heard?" a mage woman whispered while eating dinner, leaning slightly toward the tanker seated beside her. "I heard a new A-rank dungeon appeared just a few kilometers from here."
The tanker paused mid-bite and frowned. "Really? That's news to me. What kind of dungeon is it?"
"They say it's overflowing with fire-based monsters," she replied, lowering her voice. "Apparently, it's extremely dangerous."
The tanker's interest sparked. "Then who owns it?"
"The Luminary Association," she answered without hesitation. "They're planning to raid it tomorrow."
"That's impressive," he said. "But raids happen all the time."
She smirked. "That's not the important part. They're live-streaming the entire raid to the academy."
His eyes widened. "Live-streaming? You're serious?"
"That's what I heard. Everyone will be able to watch it in real time."
"That's insane. Who's participating?"
"As far as I know, two S-rankers and five A-rankers," she said, counting on her fingers. "Professor Sisiliya and Draven will lead the raid. Eirena is participating too. The association chose them because Draven and Eirena were originally members. The professor's going because she's a former member, and apparently, she's close friends with the association president."
The tanker let out a low whistle. "That's stacked. How many raiders in total?"
"Around fifty. They're preparing for every possible situation."
A murmur of excitement spread through the dining hall as others overheard the conversation.
Ashan, seated nearby, continued eating quietly, though every word reached his ears.
'So it finally appeared,' he thought calmly.
'The first apocalypse dungeon… right on schedule.'
His gaze sharpened slightly.
'My real mission begins now. One of the ten keys of the Apocalypse Gate lies inside that dungeon. This raid is destined to fail unless I intervene.'
He took another bite, unfazed.
'Eirena is supposed to lose an arm. Draven and Sisiliya will be severely injured. And the demon inside… it escapes, surviving just long enough for 'IT' to arrive.'
'Even without visual information, I could feel it. That thing isn't small. It's massive.'
His eyes shifted toward Narasha, who was eating silently beside him, her expression calm and unreadable.
"Narasha," Ashan said casually, "it seems I might need to pay a visit to that raid. I'm curious."
Narasha paused, her spoon stopping mid-air. She looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked flatly. "Why do you insist on meddling in other people's affairs? Why can't you just stay here and watch?"
Ashan smiled faintly.
"Who knows?" he replied. "They might need my help."
She stared at him for a moment, then looked away.
"Then go," she said coldly. "It's not like I want to stop you. Just… be careful."
Ashan tilted his head. "Are you worried I'll get hurt?"
She scoffed. "Worried about you? When every attack passes straight through your body?"
He chuckled. "Fair point. But I'll try not to make a mess. I have something to ensure things won't go wrong."
Narasha said nothing, but her eyes lingered on him longer than usual.
…
The next morning, the academy's main hall was packed.
A massive screen had been set up at the front, glowing faintly as technicians prepared the live cast. Students filled the seats, voices buzzing with excitement.
"For once, no brutal training," someone cheered. "I needed this break."
"Forget that," another replied. "We're about to watch a real dungeon raid. This doesn't happen often."
"High-rankers fighting in real combat," a third added excitedly. "This is priceless."
Narasha stood quietly at the edge of the crowd.
She wasn't watching the screen.
Her eyes were fixed on Ashan, seated nearby.
Or rather… what looked like Ashan.
It was a shadow clone.
The resemblance was flawless, not just in appearance, but in presence. It sat, breathed, and even reacted exactly like him.
'To think he would leave a clone behind, she thought. And such a perfect one… It's as if he split himself into two.'
"Look," someone shouted. "It's starting!"
The screen flickered to life.
…
Inside the dungeon, the raiding team advanced cautiously through a wide stone corridor. The air shimmered faintly with heat. No monsters were visible.
A B-rank raider equipped with a camera helmet stood near the center, ensuring every angle was captured.
Draven glanced at Sisiliya and smiled.
"Professor, it's an honor to explore a dungeon alongside you."
Sisiliya chuckled softly. "The honor is mine. Working with the next generation feels refreshing. Besides, my only duty today is healing."
"That makes you the most important person here," Draven replied seriously.
"A healer is the backbone of any raid." Eirena joined them, her tone calm.
"You're praising me too much. I doubt my presence will even be necessary."
Before anyone could respond,
ROOOOAR…
The dungeon trembled.
Draven's eyes sharpened. "Incoming."
Weapons were drawn instantly.
From the darkness, fire hounds charged forward, four-legged beasts wreathed in flames, jaws blazing as they released bursts of fire.
"Attack formation!" Draven commanded.
He raised his wand. A massive surge of water exploded forward, crashing into the hounds.
KREEEAAK!
The beasts screamed as their flames were extinguished, steam filling the corridor.
The spectators erupted.
"That was perfect!"
"He neutralized their element instantly!"
"Soaked completely, they won't be able to use fire for a while!"
Eirena moved like lightning, slicing through the weakened hounds. Fighters followed, while mages bombarded them with liquid-based spells.
Limbs fell. Heads rolled. Bodies split apart.
Within minutes, the corridor was silent.
"That teamwork…" Garrick muttered from the association headquarters. "Efficient and precise."
"Fire hounds are extremely vulnerable to liquid-based attacks," Ashan's shadow clone commented calmly. "That's why this was easy."
Narasha glanced at the clone. "…But it won't stay that way."
"You're right," the clone replied. "The real raid starts now."
The team collected mana cores and advanced deeper.
As they moved, the air grew heavier.
"The mana density is increasing," Sisiliya said cautiously.
Draven nodded. "What's ahead is far stronger than before."
The corridor widened into a dark chamber. Flashlights illuminated walls covered in irregular markings.
"I don't like this," Eirena muttered.
Draven instantly raised his wand.
A translucent white barrier enveloped the entire team, including the ground beneath them.
"Mages, reinforce the barrier," he ordered. "Do not let it weaken."
They moved forward carefully.
Then,
Whoosh..
Holes opened in the walls.
An overwhelming torrent of flames erupted, flooding the chamber and sealing every exit.
The square chamber became a furnace.
They were trapped.