Author's Note: Found myself with some time and decided to write the second part of this chapter.

As always reviews,ratings,Recommendations,Corrections,Questions and comments are greatly appreciated

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It was a tight fit with all the classmates in the room no larger than a public bathroom. Illuminated by one of the girls who had activated some type of lantern-like magic. He pushed his way forward in an effort to understand the situation.

“Whoa, What is this?” Edin asked as he stared at the stone platform situated on the floor. It had rune-like engravings throughout its entire surface.

“It looks like one of those Dungeon save points.” Said Michael. At the end of each floor in the dungeon was a similar stone platform that would serve as a teleportation point. This way people could come back to the most recent conquered floor. Similar to game save points.

“So then the treasure is probably at the other end of this teleportation relay?” Asked Ganesh even after he knew the answer.

“Deeper into the rabbit hole,Huh?” John joked but the dark mood didn't change.

“No use standing around. Let's go!” Jakob encouraged them as he stepped through the portal and disappeared.

“It's probably like a secret level, like in the games.”

“W-wait—”No one waited for Eden to speak his mind as they continuously stepped through the portal.

“We don't know what's on the other side.” He said to the nearly empty room.

“Haha it's fine Elden. You'll be there to protect us. Right?” Said Michael as he stepped through the portal.

“But...what if...I’m not?” No one heard Elden’s whisper.

▪️

Elden stepped out of the teleportation platform and into an environment he had never encountered. A murky swamp like the ones seen on documentaries about the amazon. Except this was darker; more sinister. The water was black to the point one wondered if it was even water. Water certainly wasn't this thick and gooey.

The water reached up to just directly below Elden's knees. He was taller than the class average so most others were deeper into the water.

“Who’s bright idea was it to come here?”

“Ew, my socks are like totally wet!”

The chatter from his classmates calmed Elden down if a little. A mix of complaints and jokes. Teenagers on a field trip.

“Let's go back.”

“We're already here might as well explore.” Paul convinced his clique.

“He's right we’re burning daylight.” John said as he stepped forward.

“But there is no sun. Genius” Riley said as she caught up to John.

They were still in the dungeon but although there were no sources of light visibility wasn't entirely gone. It was more gray than dark.

Paul walked forward and suddenly fell into the water. All the classmates eyes were wide open and continued to stare at the spot in the water where Paul had fallen.

“Puaa!” Suddenly Paul’s head came up. He was treading in one spot. His friends pulled him out of the water.

“Good thing you weren’t wearing your armor huh?” said Jakob

Elden followed his friends.

“Guys, wait up.” He said to them as water splashed as he repeated the motion of raising one foot after the other.

“Dude you're faster than any of us. You can catch up without us slowing down.” Jakob laughed.

“I can barely walk;let alone run.” Elden responded.

“You probably scared all the wildlife while you were stomping your feet.” Ganesh smiled

“Wi-wildlife?” Asked John.

“Uh yeah. There's bound to be something in this water. Probably swimming through our feet. We just can't see it—”

“Ah!” John whelped “something just rubbed against my foot.”

“Want me to carry you like a bride?” offered Riley.

“Damn dude being carried by a girl…” All the boys laughed when suddenly John fell on to the water. They almost started laughing until they noticed John was being dragged off .

“Ah! Its got me!” John looked like a jet ski racing through the water.

Dammit! I should have been paying attention

He should have been the lookout but instead he was laughing like they were just hanging out. He was their protector.

Using a nearby tree, he put power into his legs and jumped off the tree.

He crashed into John and grabbed him, only to crash into another tree.

“Not my best idea.You alright John?”

“Why is it always me!?”

“You're fine then. Come on get off me now. You ain’t light.” John pushed himself off Elden’s chest and stood up. Elden followed suit.

“What was pulling you away?” asked Elden.

“A hand.”

“A hand?”

They heard screams. They weren’t all that far from their classmates but a dense fog rolled in. Coupled with the already light-deprived environment made it harder to see what was going on.

The both of them ran back.Although it was more accurate to say Elden disappeared while John ran back.

What the Fuuu…

It stood on four large and muscled legs. It looked like a giant dog but it was covered in wet rubbery type fur. It’s front paws were more like the hands of a raccoon. The long tail that was moving like an appendage had a similar like hand at it’s end. In its grasp was Paul’s sword—Brilliance—being flailed around at the teens.

After going through 20 floors filled with fantasy creatures—Elden—had grown accustomed to constantly being astonished at these creatures. He couldn’t afford to stand there bewildered. Aiming for the varmint’s tail he slashed his sword and met some resistance. The tail couldn’t be cut due to the pike like fur covering the creature’s body. It would take more than one swing of the sword to cut off it’s tail.

Dodging and slashing. He repeated this process as the creatures spike-like fur prevented his sword from causing any actual damage. The enchanted longsword was not designed to slice but rather cleave flesh. When he attempted knocking Brilliance—the enchanted sword given to Paul by the royal family—from the monster’s hand-tail;It failed. Elden’s swordsmanship relied on both technique and agility. Swordsmanship designed to deal with human opponents.

Deflecting attacks from the sword being held by the hand tail:Evading attacks from the hand-like paws,Not to mention the fatigue he had built up from conquering the previous dungeon floor.Even now using mana to increase his speed wasn’t an option.

Whatever remaining mana he had was being used sparingly. He wasn’t an expert on controlling his mana. So while he attempted to turn off and on his speed instantaneously;it backfired. Making his muscles scream with pain. With willpower alone he kicked the ground and jumped backed as far as physics could take him.

Right about now. Some help would be appreciated.

He turned his head and looked at his companions. He spotted John—who had returned—swinging his sword at another monster identical to the one Elden was having difficulty dealing with. There was an entire pack of the creatures attacking the group. Although it would be more accurate to say they were more toying with rather than attacking. The creatures had disarmed and were swing swords. Almost as if corralling the students towards the center.

I have to save everyone…

He clutched his enchanted sword—ThunderCrack—and crawled forward only to be lifted into the air. Using it’s tail-hand,the creature held Elden by the leg. The creature had dropped brilliance on the floor nearby.

Elden glanced at a shadow moving behind the Hand-tail monster. He then turned and started to speak to the monster holding upside down in the air.

“Hey! You raccoon-dog piece of shit!.” Elden wasn’t very good at cussing.” Yeah you! I’m talkin to you!” But he had to distract it.

Elden had bought enough time for Michael to crawl and grab Brilliance. Michael threw brilliance at Elden,who caught it, and swung it at the monster’s tail,thereby electrocuting it. At the same time using Thundercrack to escape from the monster’s grasp.

With a thud he fell to the floor next to a knocked-out creature. Michael helped him and lent him an arm to walk.

“How many more times can you use the special attack?” Michael asked him. Elden grunted.

“Hnng, one more time.” he answered. Each enchanted weapon had to be charged before being capable of using the preinstalled magic inside the gem. Paul had previously charged his sword which gave Elden the opportunity just now to use it. His own sword Thunder-crack was empty and required a charge.

“There’s over ten of them…” Michael commented offside.

“We can get one of the girls to charge it.” Elden suggested. At this point only himself and Paul could charge magic into the swords. The boys hadn’t even been taught magic let alone how to move magic power into a gem. The girls were also not taught on how to charge the stones but Elden figured that their training with magic might help them do it now.

“I’m fine now.” Elden continued walking without Michael’s assistance. They both were outside the encirclement. The classmates had been corralled into a tight circle with all sides surrounded by the pack of Hand-tails,so dubbed by Michael.

“We have to get to our friends. Ok here’s the plan. I’ll take one of those hand-tails out and then we run inside.” Elden gave his plan to Michael, who just nodded.

“Now! Run!” Elden charged forward as he charged Brilliance and stabbed it into the nearest Hand-tail. It was electrocuted and Elden and Michael ran to their friends.

“You guys alive!?” John asked. Michael nodded as Elden flopped onto the floor.

“Not for much longer,” said Jakob as he stared at the monsters surrounding them. Zachary went down on a knee next to Elden.”You alright Elden?”

“I’m tired.” Elden’s voice was muffled by the floor.

“Dammit! what are they waiting for!?” asked Zachary as he looked at the hand-tails surrounding them.

“They took our swords but they’re not killing us.”

“Are we gonna die?”

“What do we do?”

Elden raised his head from the floor. He looked at the closest girl and called out to her. “Sharon!” She jumped as she was startled to be called out.”Y-yes?” she asked timidly. Elden raised his arm and gestured for her to come closer. She bent down slightly and asked “What?”

“Charge these swords.” he handed Thundercrack over to her while Sharon raised an eyebrow.

“B-but there’s like no outlets or electricity?”

“...”Elden sighed.“Charge it with magic…”

“I don’t know how Elden.”

“Mary!” he called to another classmate.

“What is it?” Mary asked.

“Charge these swords Sharon is holding ,please.”

“With magic? They never taught us how but I'll try.” Mary took the sword from Sharon.

“Thanks.” he have his gratitude. Sharon was still there absentmindedly. “It’s fine Sharon.I don't need you anymore, thanks.””

Sharon scurried away while Elden stood up.

“Who remembers the path back?” he asked.

“I do. Why? What’s the plan?” Ganesh asked.

“I’ll clear the path and make an opening. You guys run back to the portal while I deal with the Hand-tail things.”

“Will you be able to deal with it?” asked Paul “I mean you could barely deal with one.”

Elden stared at Paul. While Mary walked up to Elden holding two swords.

“It’ll be fine if I have both these babies.”

“But that one is mine.” said Paul

“And your point is?”

“Nevermind.”

Elden thanked Mary and attached Brilliance’s sheath to his waist together with Thundercrack.

“Ready?”

“Waiting on you bro.”

Elden took a few deep breaths. He turned to face the monster that was blocking the path back to the teleportation platform.

“Ok, As soon as that guy is out of the way everyone run back in single file. I’ll stay back to deal with these fuckers.”

He ran forward and jumped while drawing Thundercrack from its sheath. He pulled it back as far as he could and swung with everything he had. Unleashing Thundercracks shockwave as soon as it made contact. The creature was blown away. Literally flying in an arc across the fog-filled sky.

The big boom that accompanied Elden’s attack had served as a starting signal as all the kids ran forward, Ganesh leading the way. The creatures reacted quickly enough and began to pursue them. Only to be stopped by the blond teen with shoulder-length hair. The creatures were attempting to go back into the deep water in order to catch up more quickly to their prey.

Elden moved in a blur, instantaneously moving from one creature to another. Constantly holding them back. Their was only on objective. Every move designed to deal with these things. He would not fail.

He lost track of time but thanks to the muscles in his body that were burning with lactic acid;He could tell maybe he had bought enough time or maybe not. He was already tired and didn’t know if his muscles could keep up. Maybe he had stopped these things for a minute or an hour. Well he doubted he was still standing if he was here for an hour.

Using a final burst of speed he went towards the small dirt path that was above the water. He failed his landing due to exhaustion and was sprawled on the floor. On the muddy part of the ground someone had drawn an arrow pointing to ,what Elden assumed, was the way back.

Under the arrow was written ‘I’ll see you soon-M’

Elden smiled and stood up. He tried running but tripped and got more mud on his face. The sweat went into his eyes. It felt like his eyes were burning together with every other part of his body. This was nothing compared to the intense training he had once gone through. Eventually he settled with a half-jog/half tripping pace.

He saw the footprints on the small path and followed them until he reached it. He heaved a sigh of joy and stepped on the portal platform.

When he was finally back in the small room he saw a few knights. It seemed the small hole in the wall had been expanded. The entire wall was now missing allowing some fresh air to circulate into the small hidden room.

“He’s here!” screamed a knight towards the outside.

“Did everyone make it?” Elden asked the closest knight as he fell onto the floor unconscious. Elden’s question would be answered three days later.