Chapter 152: First Act 22: Into the Climax 5

"Hello, everyone! Did you miss me?" The principal's whimsical voice rang out, breaking the silence that had settled over the gathering of students.

However, rather than receiving the warm welcome she may have hoped for, eyes rolled, and scoffs resounded through the crowd.

Even some of the professors couldn't help but smack their heads in resigned realization, fully aware that the principal had plunged headfirst into her usual theatrics once again.

Defensive positions were assumed as lightning crackled near the dungeon's entrance.

The anticipation had everyone on edge, but the spectacle of the principal emerging from the smoke left them more surprised than prepared.

If only she had informed them beforehand, they could have spared themselves the surprise.

"Hehehe, I know you guys are all excited, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Now, everybody line up!"

The principal's command was accompanied by a snap of her fingers, and starlight mana enveloped every student across the field.

In a sudden flash, they disappeared and reappeared simultaneously, finding themselves standing with their respective parties.

All lined up in perfect rows in front of the dungeon entrance, the students exchanged puzzled glances.

"What was that?"

"Celestial magic?"

The abrupt magical transportation left many confused, but the realization soon dawned on them—it was the handiwork of the unpredictable principal.

After all, she was the only one in the school with enough power to wield such a large-scale celestial magic.

Despite the rumors suggesting that Bella might be on par with the principal, these were mere speculations lacking any concrete proof.

Bella's laid-back demeanor and the absence of information about her strengths and limits fueled wild conjectures. The only confirmed knowledge students had was that she stood at the pinnacle of the first years in the magic department.

"Ok~! Now that everybody's organized, let's talk about the rules and the exam as a whole, shall we?"

The principal's cheerful voice cut through the buzzing conversations, and she clapped her hands to capture everyone's attention.

"I'm sure your professors and even some of your seniors have already explained all the rules of this exam, but allow me to remind you once again."

With another snap of her fingers, a giant holographic and translucent screen materialized in mid-air.

Within the floating display, the overall structure of the dungeon was showcased, offering a bird's-eye view of the challenges that awaited the participants.

The students gathered in front of the holographic screen, their attention fully focused on the principal's presentation.

As she began to elucidate the intricacies of the exam, the animated expressions on their faces reflected a mix of curiosity, excitement, and a hint of apprehension.

"As you all should know by now, the dungeon is not just an underground cave filled with monsters and treasures. It's more of a living mana structure than anything else. The dungeon is alive, and it will consume you the moment you make a mistake. and just because your mission is to kill monsters inside the dungeon doesn't mean that the monsters won't retaliate. I want you all to remember this—you could be killed..... no 'YOU WILL DIE' So, if there are those who aren't prepared, leave now..... And I mean literally leave the academy, as this isn't the life for you."

The principal's words hung heavy in the air, casting a momentary hush over the assembled crowd. The gravity of the dungeon exams was starkly presented by the principal's stark warning.

The prospect of facing not just mindless monsters but a living, breathing dungeon that could pose a threat to their very existence was a reality check for many.

Despite the serious tone and the explicit invitation to reconsider their participation, not a single student chose to leave.

The resolve in their eyes and the determination on their faces suggested that they were ready to face the challenges head-on.

The principal, observing their collective commitment, wore a satisfied smile.

"Hooh, we sure have a tough bunch this year. Most of you do realize that many of you only survived because of a lucky coincidence, right?"

...

"Hooh, if it isn't the depressed baby," said Evadne, casting her sharp gaze on a guy with dark blue hair and a face that personified handsomeness.

"Senior..." responded Tristan, wiping the sweat from his face, a fairly large backpack behind him.

"Hmm? Where's that little brother of mine?"

"Ah, Alex isn't here. We didn't party up."

"Oh, you're going solo? That's unexpected. I never thought I would see the day where the two of you would separate. Did the two of you get into a fight or something?"

Evadne wondered aloud, as everyone in the school knew that wherever Tristan went, there was that bulging piece of muscle hanging around near him. She herself even believed that Tristan and her little cousin might swing in that direction at some point, considering how close they were as the two were practically inseparable even during training.

"Ah, no, it's nothing of the sort. It's just that... I needed to fix some personal stuff."

Evadne didn't even bother to ask what it was about, as she didn't really care and disliked emotional stuff.

"Well, I'll be going now, junior. Since we're both going solo, I hope you don't get mad at me for claiming most of the strong monsters," said Evadne as she jumped off and immediately entered the dungeon.

Although the students were a bit surprised by the gust of wind, seeing the fiery red streak, they just let it be, knowing it was Evadne.

'Don't worry, senior. High-ranking monsters weren't exactly the thing I was aiming for' thought Tristan as he carried his large backpack on his back, ensuring everything was set.

Remembering his master's words, 'Tristan, I can feel a pretty nasty energy in the dungeon, so you and your party better prepare. Oh, and don't show your face to me if you don't get to beat a boss, okay?'

Thinking back to his master's words, it seems he made the right decision to face the dungeon alone, as his goal was to confront one of the named bosses in the dungeon.

....

"This place sure is big," commented Elena as she walked down the gigantic stairs. Although there were probably dozens of students walking down together with them, the stairs were so wide that they had enough space to accommodate another couple more dozen students.

"Yes..." said Aria, mesmerized by the place. Not only was it wide, but it was also adorned with a bunch of glowing stones, making the place feel a lot more magical.

"Are you okay, Brother Alex?" asked Elena in concern as she looked behind her to see Alex, who was pushing down a small cart behind him.

Although the cart's wheels might seem like a problem for the stairs, it didn't make any substantial noise as celestial magic was making it float.

"Ah, everything's fine, saintess. A workload like this is nothing, and besides, the celestial magic placed on the cart is basically doing most of the work, haha," said Alex in his usual charismatic voice.

He looked behind him and saw that the cart was full of food and utilities their party needed for the exam.

At the center of the cart was a girl with shoulder-length blue hair, sleeping soundly with her blanket while hugging her huge pillow.

It was Bella Raiseinler, peacefully napping despite the impending exam.

Beside her was a girl with beautiful plum blossom-colored hair, her mature and commanding green eyes locked onto the book she was reading – the first princess of the empire, Christine De Alger Lumenia.

Alex just gulped at the pressure emanating from his party. Although he should've been happy being in a party full of beautiful women, he was anything but happy about that fact.

On one hand, he was together with the girl he fell for, Aria Tellus, but she seemed to be deliberately ignoring him for some reason.

Elena, the saintess, was a person he couldn't exactly talk to casually, as who knew when his neck would be on the line since he knew for a fact that hidden templars were probably around protecting her in the distance right now.

Bella Raiseinler was someone he never really talked with, let alone actually talked to, as she always seemed to be asleep.

Lastly, the princess of the empire, who just casually joined their party at the last second, was now sitting behind him. He did everything in his power to not disturb her from her reading.

'Haha, are you blessing or punishing me, goddess?' Alex thought as he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.