Chapter 153: First Act 23: Into the Climax 6

"Stars......?" In a cute and sleepy voice, Bella murmured as her eyes fluttered open, greeted by a myriad of shiny and twinkling lights adorning the dark ceiling above her.

Rattle! Rattle! Her makeshift bed shook and vibrated with each explosion and clash reverberating through her surroundings. Rubbing her eyes, Bella squinted to get a clearer view of the mysterious spectacle before her.

'Glowing crystals....? Oh, that's right, we were supposed to take an exam in the dungeon' she mumbled to herself, slowly rising from her cozy blanket.

As Bella emerged from her slumber, she was met with an unexpectedly tiresome scene.

Glancing around, she realized that she was perched on the edge of a small cliff, overlooking a circular arena below.

The ground trembled beneath her, and she could hear the echoes of blades clashing and sparks flying through the air.

Focusing her gaze on the source of the commotion, Bella spotted a group of students rallying together against a colossal skeleton standing over three meters tall.

The skeletal figure brandished a menacing halberd, its glowing red eyes seething with anger as it relentlessly attacked the dozens of students attempting to overwhelm it.

"Kana, Emmanuel, Fire!!!" The urgent command echoed through the air, prompting quick responses from the party members.

"Y-yes!" "Got it!" they chorused, their voices carrying a blend of determination and readiness. Shouts reverberated from all directions as their party leader skillfully outmaneuvered and baited the skeletal monster, creating a synchronized assault that showcased their well-honed teamwork.

'Well...... their teamwork is pretty good—' Bella thought, observing the dynamic coordination among the various students fighting.

Although some members seemed to be struggling, it appeared to be only a matter of time before they would triumph over the predictable attack patterns of the skeletal monster.

Bella looked behind her and saw that there was a giant whole and the familiar stair case going down below

But....

"Where am I?" Blinking, she looked around and realized that she was still in the cart, but her party members were nowhere to be seen. A sense of disorientation set in as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

Slowly rising to her feet, Bella spotted a piece of paper lying nearby. Picking it up, she was taken aback by the unexpected message scrawled across it.

<Bella, if you're seeing this, please note that we're currently on the lower floors below. You can follow us or stay there if you want. Although we would have liked to bring you along, considering the abundance of magic stones we've collected so far is getting in the way, we all decided to leave it down there with you on the fifth floor. We are all sorry for doing this without asking for your permission, but please protect our loot while we're away.>

From: Aria

A mix of confusion and concern clouded Bella's expression as she processed the contents of the note. It seemed her party had made a decision without consulting her, leaving her alone on the fifth floor with the responsibility of safeguarding their valuable loot.

And to the side of the cart were a bunch of bags, filled to the brim with magic stones.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise at the sheer amount of magical energy emanating from the glittering stones.

The weight of the bags hinted at the tremendous effort her party had put into gathering them.

Despite her initial shock, Bella paid it no mind, remembering who her party members were.

As the sounds of battle continued in the background, Bella couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

'But still......leaving me alone like this..." she mused, a subtle hurt lingering in her heart. It was a feeling she couldn't quite place, an unexpected pang of loneliness.

However, she quickly rationalized that her companions had likely made this decision out of consideration for her well-being, trusting in her strength and respecting her need for rest.

Bella puffed her cheeks.

She was really annoyed...

....

GROAGHHHH!!!!!

A monstrous serpent roared, its snake-like form coiling with menace. Four venomous fangs, each as large as spears, glistened ominously in the dark.

"Yeah, Euphemia was sticking to me like a magnet all throughout the day," I replied to Loki, stretching my hands slightly. The truth was evident; Euphemia, with her boundless enthusiasm, had practically whisked me away to explore and shop throughout the bustling commercial district. The prospect of a less crowded environment seemed to excite her, turning our day into an impromptu shopping spree.

Even though I had merely suggested tagging along, Euphemia took the liberty to practically force me into joining her little excursion by locking her hands with mine. Despite the initial surprise and slight resistance, she radiated such genuine happiness that I decided to simply let it be.

As we strolled towards the vast array of screens suspended in the air, I approached Principal Victoria. "Principal, can you enlarge that monitor, please?"

"Sure," she responded, and with a swift motion, the screen I had requested expanded. The real-time situation of Aria and the others unfolded before me.

"They're camping?" I remarked, a sense of amusement coloring my tone.

"Haha, well... They pretty much finished the exam already, and it seems they're just waiting for the school's quest announcement" Loki casually explained. His nonchalant demeanor belied the excitement brewing within the screen.

'Well, that's a bit of a surprise?'

I had known that Aria, Alex, Elena, and Bella were teaming up last week, but the speed of their progress was astonishing.

They were the only group on the screen with a distinctive green outline, indicating that they had already surpassed the 5,000-quota points needed to pass the exam.

While the students still needed to deliver the acquired magic stones back to the surface, the school's monitoring process allowed them to count and estimate the total number of points in real-time.

"I see, but why did they go to the 6th floor?" I asked.

"Who knows?" said Loki. "It was that pink-haired lady who suggested it."

Pink hair? I looked at the screen again and saw a hooded figure.

Although she had a graying hood covering her face and hair, the tips of pink hair could still be seen.

'The first princess? Why was she partying with them? I thought their last party member was Leslie. What happened?'

But they're waiting for the quests huh.... I can't say it's a bad choice but wouldn't it be better to wait in the upper floors?

As the quests unfolded, they were not just standard challenges but rather additional tasks, either extra assignments or consolation prizes announced by the school through the use of scattered communication stones and crystals within the dungeon. The students seemed to be eagerly awaiting these announcements, anticipating opportunities to earn extra scores and showcase their skills.

"By the way, boss, did you try the mask yet?" Loki inquired, his golden eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Yeah," I replied, recalling the divine mask Loki had personally gifted me.

Delving into my bag, I retrieved the mask, a finely crafted piece imbued with magical properties.

It held the extraordinary ability to alter my face, shape, and body structure according to my preferences.

"It's pretty good"

I hope Tristan won't hate me too much when we meet later...

"Where is our protagonist?" I asked, curious about the whereabouts of the key character in our unfolding saga.

Principal Victoria swiftly adjusted another screen, causing it to pop up and enlarge, revealing Tristan in the midst of a difficult situation.

He was tending to his right hand and shoulder, a large hole pierced through them.

Despite his evident pain, a golden aura enveloped his body, gradually healing his wounds.

"What happened to him?"

"He fought one of the four bosses of this dungeon and had a hard time" Victoria explained, her eyes fixed on the screen displaying Tristan's struggle.

"Tristan had a hard time?" I echoed in surprise. Knowing Adrian's prowess and ability to effortlessly handle challenges within the dungeon, the sight of Tristan facing significant difficulty was genuinely unexpected.

"Well, he had a formidable opponent this time. Nadrika, a magical serpent immune to sword-based attacks"

'There was a boss like that?'