Inside the dungeon's cave, Ain walked steadily, his steps echoing through the dimly lit tunnel. Dungeons in this world were a bit unique. Even the lowest-level ones were massive, sometimes as large as small cities. Because of their sheer size, it wasn't an issue for many people to enter at once. However, there was a clever mechanism to prevent overcrowding: if people didn't enter together within a specific timeframe, they'd be teleported to different spawn points, scattered across the dungeon.
The dungeon near Ain's school was no exception. It was an underground, tunnel-like labyrinth, a twisting maze of stone corridors and dark caverns. Each passage looked almost identical to the last, which made navigation a challenge for anyone without a keen sense of direction.
Ain checked his surroundings, his eyes quickly adjusting to the low light. There was an eerie stillness here, broken only by the faint sound of dripping water in the distance. Unlike most students who might be worried about getting lost or encountering monsters, Ain felt perfectly at ease. after all his [Sense Augmentation] is not for nothing.
The goal was simple: defeat the dungeon master to escape. No one could leave the dungeon without facing the boss at the heart of this maze. For most students, that would mean hours of searching and fighting, working together in teams to survive. But for Ain, this was just another walk in the park.
As he ventured deeper into the labyrinth, Ain passed through several empty chambers. The dungeon monsters had yet to show themselves, which was unusual. He had expected a few low-level beasts by now, but the path had been strangely clear.
Ain stopped, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the dark passage ahead. He sense a creature moving toward him from the shadows. A low growl echoed from the tunnel, and moments later, a figure emerged—its hulking form barely visible in the faint light. It was a dungeon beast, a creature resembling a giant, muscular lizard with sharp claws and glowing red eyes.
The creature lunged at him, claws outstretched. But before it could make contact, Ain's body moved with lightning speed, sidestepping the attack with ease. As he dodged, his [Space-Time Rupture] passive activated. Time seemed to slow down around him for a brief moment, giving him a perfect window to strike.
Ain's fist shot out, connecting with the creature's side in a single, powerful punch. The force of the blow sent the beast crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact. It didn't get back up.
Ain dusted off his hands and kept walking, his expression unchanged. "Too easy," he muttered under his breath.
The dungeon was full of creatures like this—monsters that would give regular students a run for their money if they were not careful. But for Ain, they were mere obstacles, barely worth his attention.
But what Ain didn't know was that back in the teacher's monitoring room, Katalina sat quietly with a frown etched on her face. The room was lively, filled with teachers monitoring the progress of various students with great fanfare. Everyone seemed engrossed in watching the different teams navigating the dungeon, but Ain's monitor? Only Katalina was watching.
Some might assume the teachers were neglecting Ain, but that wasn't the case. the principal had told the teachers Katilina's true identity, and when she had asked to monitor Ain alone, no one dared to object. They understood that her request wasn't arbitrary—it was backed by something deeper.
As Katalina observed Ain's performance, a nagging feeling of unease gnawed at her. She watched him fight dungeon mobs with effortless grace, dispatching them with ease. Everything seemed normal at first. After all, Ain had mentioned that he'd awakened the [Sense Augmentation] ability, which explained his ability to dodge incoming attacks so effortlessly. His heightened senses would naturally give him an edge in combat.
However, it wasn't his dodging that concerned Katalina. It was his counter-attacks.
When that massive lizard lunged at him, Ain dodged with ease, which made sense. But the way he retaliated—delivering a punch so powerful that it sent the creature flying across the cave—was what made Katalina's eyes narrow. The movement was so quick, so precise, and packed with so much raw force that it raised more than a few questions.
Katalina, with her strength as a Grandmaster, found herself unable to keep up with Ain's movements in those moments. It wasn't something she expected to feel, especially not from a student. Grandmasters were near the pinnacle of combat ability in this world. Even with Ain's [Sense Augmentation], his body shouldn't have been able to move so fluidly and powerfully after only three days since awakening that ability.
"It's strange," she muttered to herself, her frown deepening. "His body strength shouldn't have developed this quickly. There's no way a mere three days of training could lead to such drastic improvements, even with an awakened sense. Yet…"
Katalina tapped her fingers on the edge of the table, deep in thought. Ain had told her about his powers, about his awakened abilities, but something wasn't adding up. She had been monitoring him closely since his awakening, but the Ain she saw now seemed… different. Stronger. Far stronger than any reasonable progression should allow.
Could it be that Ain was hiding something? Or was there another factor at play here that she hadn't considered yet?
Katalina rewound the footage of Ain's fight, slowing it down to catch every detail of his movements. Her eyes flickered over the screen, analyzing the way he moved, how he shifted his weight before delivering that devastating punch. But no matter how many times she reviewed it, one thing was clear: Ain's body didn't match the strength he was displaying.
Normally, even with augmented senses, the body needed time to adapt to such drastic changes. Ain's movements were smooth, too smooth. His speed and power exceeded what should be possible for someone at his level. This wasn't just raw talent—this was something else entirely.
"Could it be… external help?" Katalina mused. But what kind? What could possibly explain this sudden surge in his combat abilities?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Katalina's frown deepened. She was determined to figure out the truth, but for now, she had no choice but to keep observing. Ain was proving to be more of an enigma than she'd anticipated, and the more she watched, the more questions piled up.
Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Ain continued his steady march forward, oblivious to the scrutiny he was under. His focus was on the task at hand, each step bringing him closer to the dungeon master. Yet, unbeknownst to him, Katalina's eyes remained glued to his every move, her suspicions growing with each passing moment.
She had seen countless talented students before, even geniuses, but Ain's progression was too rapid—too unnatural.
(End of Chapter)
(If you're wondering why I haven't been updating chapters, it's because I've been focused on rewriting my other novels. So yeah, it might be like this for the rest of the month.)