Chapter 226: Chapter 226 Dungeon Time Part 03.

"Everyone, keep your guard up!".Serafina loudly shouted her order, which made all the girls in the team tense their expressions. Slowly, as she led, the others followed behind, and after they reached the front door, they were faced with a dark room devoid of any life welcoming them.

"Hina, can you please?".

"Yes, Senior".

Hina created a tiny spark before it accumulated into a flame ball as big as her fist. She controlled the spell to float, entering the room, and they saw what room it was, which made them stand speechless.

In the middle of the wide room, a single big brown box decorated with a golden plate gives it a sense of elegance that pleases the eyes of the one who founded it. Everyone present opened their eyes wide in shock. Some of the girls' moods lifted for the joy of finding the treasure box ahead of the other team.

"That is a treasure box".

"Yeah, it seems so".

"Mm, it was indeed a treasure box".

However, Serafina, Hina, and Xiao Lian replied the situation was a bit weird. It is not completely wrong, though. Serafina and Xiao Lian, who possess wealth that could move the country, and Hina, who got used to it after her exploration in the trial gate with Soma, make the surrounding atmosphere dampened because of their lack of response.

"Oi, Serafina, what are you hesitating about? Let's open it, and who knows, maybe we will find gold or anything that can be beneficial for us".

One of the second-year students, who was too excited about the finding, stepped forward without knowing the risk she would handle. With one person bravely stepping up, another girl began to shout her idea.

"Yes, Senior is right, captain, let's hurry to open the treasure. This is my first time opening one, and I can't stop my excitement".

"She is right, captain. Let's go open it".

"I also can't wait to see what is inside the box".

"Right, it makes you thrilled imagining it".

Hina and Xiao Lian, who realised the heavy situation they were in, turned their gaze to Serafina only to see her knitting her brows because of the accumulated greed that started to envelop the team. She began to gather mana on her palm and create a small whirlwind to stop the argument that was bound to happen.

"All of you, stop. Let's discuss it with our leader first, you two, go toward the other place".

"Eh, but?!".

"Don't worry. I already checked the corridor here using my wind magic. There are no monsters in the way; you just need to go straight ahead before turning left, and you will find team A, who is resting their energy waiting for the other team. Inform our leader, Ryuu, and he will make the final decision about this. Hurry up!".

The two girls who were appointed leaked a tired sigh before reluctantly going toward the path Serafina had told them. Seeing the two seniors pass the corridor, the other members of team B's mood turned sour because of the Irrational decision Serafina made.

A treasure box had already been laid upon them, and she tyrannically ordered her teammates to spread the information with the other members, which would decrease their gain in this exploration.

After waiting for a while, Serafina could sense someone approaching their side, and it came from the corridor she asked her teammates to go earlier.

From there, Serafina spotted Ryuu with another person beside him, a junior who had blond hair, running toward their side. Her brows are knitted because of his appearance, and she is wondering why Ryuu brings the boy along.

"Miss Serafina, how was it?".

"It was inside".

She swallowed her complaint before softly instructing Hina to make another flame ball. Hina, who received it, nodded her head and created another firetail, which transformed into a mass flame of a ball that lightened the room.

"What do you think, leader?".

"It's suspicious indeed, but it's worth a try. However, we must wait for Akane as she is good with these things".

"Sounds fair to me".

Hina, who heard their conversation from the side, raised her brows as, from her experience with Soma, he single-handedly, without hesitation, opened every treasure box he found. However, in this case, the seniors were rather vague and cautious about their approach. "Well, not my problem though".

"Have you seen the inside?".

"None".

"Let's investigate it for a bit".

"Okay, Hina, you come in too".

"Hm? Okay".

Ryuu, Serafina, and Hina began to enter the room. The interior was built with a rocky structure and a soft surface. Then, from the wall behind them, something written across the wall made the trio open their eyes wide and gasp in shock.

The text was written in an ancient language unread by the three. The ancient text spread toward the ceilings, piquing the interest of Xiao Lian and Leon, who stand near the mouth of the door.

Seeing the two of them enter, the other members also began to enter the room, which made Serafina knit her brows in annoyance.

"Girls, what are you?!".

"Oh, come on, Serafina, we were just curious about the text. Don't be sensitive like that?!".

"She is right, Serafina. Let me see the text; it will also become a good source for my report".

Serafina, who has a frown on her face, holding back her annoyance, sighed in an exaggerated manner and turned her gaze toward Ryuu, who seemed okay with this. She knitted her brows further because of the lack of decisiveness in his attitude, which made a vein appear on her forehead.

Behind everyone's gaze, a female first-year student sneakily went toward the middle of the room where the treasure box was standing, but Leon halted her steps.

"Excuse me, but you shouldn't do that".

"Ah?! Oh, Leon".

The female jolted in surprise as she heard someone calling her, sneaking toward the treasure box.

"N-no, Leon, it was not like that. I-I just wanted to see it first-hand for my source of material in the report later".

"...I see".

Leon, who easily got shy in front of a female stranger, nodded his head in understanding.

"So, can I just touch it a bit, please?".

The female pleaded as Leon was troubled about what he should do in this situation; when he cast his gaze toward the senior, he accidentally saw Serafina's sharp eyes turned toward them, who heard their interaction. However, when he was in deep thought, the female used that as a chance to touch the box.

"Hey you, stop that!".

Serafina's strong shout brought back everyone's attention toward Leon and the female who accidentally touched the box because of the shock. The box let out a clicking sound as it opened.

Still, instead of gold that came out below their feet, a magic circle that enveloped the entire room shone brightly before swallowing them whole from the room, leaving only the remaining member who absentmindedly saw the event happening outside the room.

****

After passing many corridors and rooms, Soma and his team finally reached the fifth floor using other routes, where the other team was already waiting for them to regroup. In this exploration, he didn't have a single chance to get some experience to level up.

It was a bit disappointing, but he could utilize his time later when he gets the opportunity, and if that time comes, he will not leave a single prey to escape.

Soma scans his surroundings to search for his acquainted. However, he notices something weird. He felt the atmosphere was eerily heavy and filled with tension. One of the male seniors who saw team C incoming. With a pale-faced and distressed expression, he approached Akane and Kaori.

"It's bad".

Akane and Kaori, who were wondering what had happened, approached the man.

"What is happening?".

"Are you alright?".

The man shook his head vigorously before, with an impatient tone, told them.

"Captain Ryuu, Captain Serafina, and some of the female students in team B had gone missing after investigating the room with the treasure box; it seems they accidentally activated the trap inside".

"What did you just say?!".

Soma, who heard Akane's dumbfounded response, knitted his brows tightly as he clenched his fist. "Shit, so it's already happening". Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.