Chapter 3

The afternoon sun was vicious.

I dragged my heavy body, trailing at the back of the group. With every step, my chest felt like it was being pierced by needles.

The entrance to the Dungeon was a massive stone ring carved with ancient runes. The instructors were checking every student's equipment.

"Remember, the monsters in the Dungeon are real," Professor Ravenclaw said grimly. "If you encounter danger, fire your signal flare immediately."

I touched the signal flare at my waist. It was red and small, like a piece of candy.

Stella and Julian were just up ahead. She was wearing a pale blue combat robe today, with a delicate magic staff hanging from her waist. The sunlight shone on her blonde hair; it looked very pretty.

"Liam tagged along again," Julian complained with dissatisfaction.

Stella glanced back at me and rolled her eyes.

"Let him be," she said casually. "He’s got thick skin and tough flesh. He'll be fine for blocking some low-level mobs."

I heard her, but I wasn't angry. Whatever Stella said was right.

We entered the Dungeon.

The stone stairs were very steep. I had to stop and catch my breath every few steps. My legs felt as heavy as lead.

"Can you walk any faster?" Julian glared back at me. "Stop dragging us down."

I nodded, trying hard to keep up with their pace.

It was very dark inside the Dungeon. Only the magic stones on the walls emitted a faint blue glow. The air smelled of mildew mixed with the stench of rot. We walked down a long corridor, flanked by empty stone chambers.

"It's so quiet here. Where did all the monsters go?" Stella whispered.

Just as she spoke, a low growl suddenly erupted from the front!

Three gargoyles lunged from the shadows. They had bat-like wings, and their sharp claws produced a harsh, scraping screech against the stone floor.

Julian violently jumped back in fright.

"Don't panic," Stella raised her staff. "They're just low-tier monsters."

She chanted a spell, and the tip of her staff lit up with a white glow. Three arrows of light shot out, striking the gargoyles dead in the chest. The monsters shrieked, collapsed, and turned to ash.

"Easy," Stella smiled smugly. "Monsters of this level are nothing to fear."

The squad continued deeper.

The Dungeon grew wider and more spacious. The ceiling was so high we couldn't see the top; only the occasional passing bat reminded us of how deep underground we were.

"What is that?" Stella pointed ahead.

A massive stone chamber appeared before us. A complex magic array was drawn on the floor, emitting an eerie crimson light.

"A high-tier magic array!" Julian was practically buzzing with excitement. "If we can activate it, we'll definitely earn a ton of credits."

"Wait," Stella frowned. "This magic array doesn't look quite right."

But Julian had already leaned in. He squatted at the edge of the array and reached out to touch the glowing runes.

"Julian, don't touch it!" Stella shouted urgently.

It was too late.

The moment his finger graced the rune, the entire magic array instantly erupted with a blinding red light!

The ground began to shake violently. Countless black magic blades surged from the array, sweeping toward us like a black storm.

Julian's face drained of all color. He scrambled backward, crawling to hide behind Stella. "Save me!"

Stella hastily raised her staff, trying to cast a protection spell, but the magic blades were too fast.

I saw death lunging right at her. In that fraction of a second, my body moved faster than my brain.

I threw myself at Stella, using my own back to shield her.

Squelch—!

Countless black magic blades smashed violently into my back, feeling like millions of steel needles piercing my flesh all at once.

Pain.

It hurt. It hurt so much, so much, so much.

It hurt even more than when I took that curse when I was little.

I felt blood welling up in my mouth. Warm liquid sprayed out onto the freezing stone floor. The dull pain in my chest instantly magnified, and my heart felt like it was going to stop beating.

I collapsed to the ground. The world was spinning madly.

Stella's voice floated over from somewhere very far away: "Liam!"

She squatted beside me, her face pale. "Are you okay? Get up, quickly."

I wanted to answer, but my mouth was entirely filled with the taste of blood. I could only let out a muffled, choked whimper.

"He's bleeding so much," Julian's voice carried obvious disgust. "It’s getting everywhere."

"Always making such a pathetic mess," Stella frowned, looking down at the bloodstains on her boots. "So annoying."

She stood up and patted the dust off her magic robe.

"This place could collapse at any second," Julian urged. "The infirmary is just upstairs. Let's head out first and find an instructor to carry him up."

Stella hesitated for one second.

"He has a special constitution. He won't die," she said. "Let's go out first."

Their footsteps gradually faded away.

The Dungeon grew quiet again. I was the only one left.

I lay on the freezing stone floor, feeling my life slowly slipping away, bit by bit. The pain in my chest was slowly fading—not because I was getting better, but because I was losing sensation.

My vision began to darken.

Brother, I called out in my heart, though I couldn't make a sound.

I felt like I was going to die. But at least, Stella was safe.

That should be enough, right?

My consciousness grew fuzzier and fuzzier. Just before passing out completely, I faintly heard some sort of commotion.

It sounded like someone running. The footsteps were rushed, and very heavy.

But it could have just been a hallucination.

I sank completely into the dark.

I don't know how long passed.

When I woke up, I was already lying in a bed in the infirmary. My body was wrapped in thick bandages. My chest still throbbed with a dull ache, but at least, I wasn't bleeding anymore.

"You're awake?"

Professor Ravenclaw sat by the bed, looking extremely grim.

"You suffered remarkably heavy injuries in the Dungeon. You were a hair away from..." He shook his head. "Fortunately, we found you in time."

I tried to sit up, but my body refused to listen.

"Don't move," the professor pressed down on my shoulder. "You must rest for at least three days before getting out of bed."

"Is... is Stella okay?" My voice was dreadfully hoarse.

"She is fine," the professor's tone grew complicated. "She said you were injured to protect her."

I nodded. That's good.

"The academy is holding a celebration banquet right now," the professor continued. "To celebrate the successful conclusion of the trial. Your brother is there too."

Brother?

I remembered the words I heard last night. System? Mission?

Brother seemed to be doing something very agonizing just for me. I needed to go find him.

"I want to... see my brother."

"You cannot leave this bed right now," the professor shook his head. "Once the banquet is over, I will ask him to come see you."

But I couldn't wait any longer.

Inch by inch, I crawled out of bed. My body was weak to the absolute extreme. Every step I took required me to lean heavily against the wall.

But I had to find my brother. I had this premonition that he really needed me right now.

Just like when we were little.