Chapter 30 — The Descent Approved by Error
The dungeon assignment was approved in under a minute.
That alone should have been a warning.
Kairo stood at the edge of the expedition platform, eyes fixed on the rune-inscribed gate slowly descending into the ground. The sigils embedded along its surface glowed a muted blue—Academy Sanction Grade, meant for first-year exploration under supervision.
CIEL flagged the inconsistency immediately.
[Dungeon Classification: Tier-2 Official Record.]
[Observed Mana Density: Tier-4 or higher.]
[Conclusion: Misclassification detected.]
"Someone rushed the paperwork," Kairo murmured.
Lyra, standing beside him, adjusted her gloves. "Or someone didn't want to double-check it."
Selena folded her arms, gaze sharp. "Second-years?"
"Possibly," Kairo replied. "Or instructors assuming margins of safety."
Behind them, the rest of the assigned students gathered—twenty-three first-years in total, divided into five mixed-specialty groups. This was no longer a casual exploration. Weapons gleamed. Alchemical vials clinked at belts. Nervous mana signatures fluttered like unstable flames.
An instructor stepped forward.
Professor Dornak—broad-shouldered, earth-affinity, veteran of three border wars. He had the look of someone who trusted systems because systems had never failed him.
"This is a live dungeon exercise," Dornak announced. "No second-years inside. Minimal interference unless necessary. Objectives are simple: map the first three layers, eliminate hostiles, extract with samples."
He paused, eyes sweeping over the group.
"Kairo Vale. You'll lead vanguard coordination."
No debate. No vote.
A ripple passed through the students.
Lyra turned to Kairo, lowering her voice. "They're leaning on you too hard."
"They always do," Kairo replied calmly. "Because it works."
The gate finished opening.
Cold air surged upward, carrying the scent of iron, old magic, and something faintly acidic.
CIEL updated.
[Dungeon Name (Ancient Registry): "Gravefold Descent."]
[Status: Inactive for 87 years.]
[Warning: Historical casualty rate—high.]
Kairo stepped forward first.
---
Layer One — False Calm
The first layer was deceptively tame.
Wide stone corridors. Stable lighting crystals. Low-tier creatures—bone crawlers, mana-fed vermin, animated debris. Perfect for training.
Too perfect.
"Formation Alpha," Kairo ordered. "No chasing. No splitting."
Renell gripped his spear. "This feels… easy."
"That's the problem," Kairo replied.
They advanced methodically. When monsters appeared, they were dispatched cleanly. Weapons forged in the previous dungeon proved effective—mana edges held, alchemical charges detonated with controlled force.
Students relaxed.
That was when the dungeon shifted.
The floor sigils flickered.
Walls reconfigured with a grinding sound.
CIEL's warning struck immediately.
[Environmental Rewrite Detected.]
[Dungeon Behavior: Adaptive.]
"Stop," Kairo said sharply.
Too late.
A spike of mana surged from the floor, impaling a student's leg. Screams echoed. Another corridor collapsed, sealing off two rear members.
Panic erupted.
"Hold positions!" Kairo commanded, shadows exploding outward to stabilize collapsing stone. "Healers—focus. No mana dumping!"
Lyra dropped to her knees beside the injured student, hands glowing as emotional resonance steadied trembling mana flow. Selena's shadows wrapped around exposed gaps, forming temporary barriers.
This was no longer a Tier-2 dungeon.
It was testing them.
---
Layer Two — Predatory Design
They descended anyway.
Retreat protocols failed—spatial anchors refused to activate.
Professor Dornak's voice echoed faintly through the communication crystal.
"Odd interference… standby—"
Then silence.
CIEL updated grimly.
[External Extraction: Blocked.]
[Instructor Override: Denied.]
The second layer was alive.
Veins of mana pulsed through the walls. The air felt heavy, compressive, like breathing underwater. Creatures here did not rush blindly—they stalked.
Pack entities. Coordinated hunters.
A creature dropped from the ceiling, jaws splitting into four segments. Another emerged from a wall seam, body phasing between solidity and shadow.
"Rotate!" Kairo shouted. "Three-step fallback—now!"
Students moved on instinct, drilled patterns holding under pressure. Shadows lashed, weapons flashed, spells detonated—but casualties mounted.
A first-year miscast.
Mana backlash.
Blood hit stone.
Lyra froze for half a second too long.
That half-second almost killed her.
Kairo's shadow intercepted the strike inches from her throat.
"Focus," he said quietly, eyes never leaving the battlefield.
She nodded shakily, swallowing fear.
This dungeon punished hesitation.
---
The First Death
It happened near a broken altar.
A student named Halen—fire affinity, loud, reckless—charged ahead despite orders. A mimic construct unfolded beneath his feet.
He didn't even scream.
The floor closed.
Crushed.
Silence followed.
No resurrection sigil activated.
No recall.
Just a name disappearing from the group count.
CIEL recorded it.
[First Casualty Confirmed.]
The students stared.
Someone whispered, "This isn't supposed to happen…"
Kairo clenched his fist once.
Then released it.
"Listen to me," he said, voice calm but absolute. "This dungeon is not misbehaving. It is functioning as designed. The mistake was ours—for trusting the label."
Fear turned into something sharper.
Understanding.
---
Decision Point
They reached a sealed gate at the end of Layer Two.
Beyond it, mana pressure spiked violently.
CIEL overlaid projections.
[Layer Three Threat Index: Extreme.]
[Survival Probability (Group): 38%.]
[Survival Probability (You Alone): 91%.]
Kairo stared at the gate.
Behind him, students breathed heavily. Injured. Shaken. Alive—but barely.
Lyra stepped forward. "Kairo… we shouldn't go on."
Selena nodded. "We've lost one already."
Kairo turned to face them.
This was the first time his expression shifted—not to anger, not to fear, but to something colder.
"Then we don't," he said.
Relief surged.
"You'll extract," he continued. "When the dungeon cycles again. I'll draw aggro and force a delay window."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Alone? No. That's—"
"Necessary," Kairo interrupted. "And optimal."
CIEL confirmed silently.
Selena clenched her fists. "You're not invincible."
"I know," Kairo replied. "That's why this works."
The dungeon gate pulsed.
Something on the other side noticed him.
And waited.