The serpent did not hesitate.
The moment it emerged from the fog, its long body coiling around broken stone, it struck with terrifying speed. Its head snapped forward like a launched spear, jaws wide, fangs dripping thick green poison that hissed when it hit the ground.
Eira barely managed to shove Ryn aside before the creature's head slammed into the stone pillar behind them, cracking it down the middle. Dust and fragments filled the air as Lara cried out and raised her staff, sending a thin stream of water that struck the serpent's face and splashed uselessly against its scales.
"Get back!" Eira shouted, stepping between the monster and the others.
The serpent pulled its head back and spat a glob of poison that burst against the floor, sending fumes into the air. Ryn coughed violently and stumbled, trying to activate a small device from his belt. Before he could finish, the serpent's tail whipped around and struck him across the chest with brutal force. He was thrown into a stone wall and collapsed to the ground, unmoving. A dark stain spread across his clothes where the poison had splashed him.
"Ryn!" Lara screamed.
Lara rushed toward him, panic in her eyes.
"Don't go near him. The poison's still active." Eira shouted.
Ryn's breathing was shallow, his skin already turning pale and cold. Green veins spread faintly across his neck and chest where the poison had touched him.
"He's been poisoned," Lara whispered. "If we don't treat him within a day…"
She couldn't finish the sentence.
The serpent hissed again, angered now, its body sliding around the chamber, cutting off escape routes. They backed toward a fallen pillar, pressing close together, trying to stay out of reach.
"I'm sorry," Lara said suddenly, her voice shaking. "This always happens. Things go wrong around me. My mana… it attracts disasters."
"This isn't your fault," Eira said firmly, though his hands trembled as he dodged attacks.
The serpent lunged again. Eira rushed forward and slashed, his blade cutting into its scales but barely breaking through. The impact jolted his arms and sent pain shooting through his shoulders. The serpent's body slammed into him in response, throwing him across the ground. He hit hard, breath knocked from his lungs, blood filling his mouth.
Lara screamed his name.
Lara raised her hands, trying to control her mana, but it surged wildly, light flaring and fading around her fingers. She bit her lip, forcing herself to stop holding back, to stop trying to contain it the way she always did. Her eyes glowed faintly as she focused everything she had into a single attack.
A sharp blade of condensed energy formed and struck the serpent's side, slicing into its flesh and drawing dark blood. The monster roared in pain, thrashing violently, but the wound was not deep enough to kill it.
Lara staggered, nearly collapsing as her mana drained dangerously fast.
The serpent turned on her immediately.
It lunged.
Eira pushed himself up, ignoring the pain, ignoring the dizziness, ignoring the blood soaking through his clothes. His vision blurred, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. The sword in his hand suddenly grew warm, then hot, light spreading through its white blade like veins of pale blue fire.
He felt something inside him break open.
Mana surged through him for the first time not as pressure, but as motion, flowing into the sword, into his muscles, into his breath.
He moved.
Faster than he ever had before.
He ran straight at the serpent as it aimed for Elira, leaping high, driving the blade down into the same wounded spot she had opened. The sword cut deep this time, slicing through scale, muscle, and bone. The serpent's body convulsed, its scream echoing through the chamber as it collapsed, crashing into the stone floor with a final violent shudder.
Silence followed.
Only their breathing remained.
Eira dropped to one knee, the sword dimming again, the sudden strength fading as quickly as it had come. His whole body shook from exhaustion and pain.
Lara rushed to Ryn, checking his pulse, then looked up at Eira with desperate eyes. "He's alive. But the poison… we need to get him out. Now."
Lara forced herself to stand, her face pale but determined. Together, the two of them lifted Ryn, supporting his weight between them as they stumbled through the dungeon corridors, guided by fading light and instinct. They moved slowly, carefully, every step a struggle, until at last they reached the collapsed passage and called for help.
When the rescue team finally arrived, they found students alive who should not have been.
And one A-rank monster, dead by their hands.
The academy did not know what to make of what had happened in the dungeon. An A-rank monster was dead, three students had returned alive, and no teacher had been present when it happened. The official report was vague, carefully written by the supervising instructor after questioning the group. It stated that the monster had likely already been wounded by previous adventurers and that the students had finished it by chance while escaping.
It was a story thin enough to be believed by those who wanted to believe it, and fragile enough to invite endless doubt. Rumors spread through the academy halls while Eira, Lara, and Ryn were kept in the infirmary for observation. Students whispered about hidden talents, forbidden magic, and impossible luck. Some looked at Eira with suspicion, others with curiosity, and a few with open envy.
Neo barely left Eira's side during that time. She sat beside his bed, holding his hand when he slept, watching his breathing, and flinching whenever he stirred. When he finally woke properly, her relief showed too clearly in her eyes.
"You scared me," she said quietly, trying to sound angry but failing.
"I'm sorry," Eira replied. "I didn't mean to."
She laughed weakly at that and shook her head, squeezing his hand once before letting go.
Ryn woke later that day, pale but stable, thanks to the antidote given to him in time. He admitted in a low voice that he had been conscious for part of the fight and had seen flashes of what happened before losing awareness again. He did not accuse Eira of anything, but his eyes lingered on the sword more than once, thoughtful and unsettled.
A few days later, the student council requested formal statements for their records. Lily, the flower magic user, the S-rank girl known across the academy, personally came to speak with Eira. She was polite, calm, and observant, her light green hair adorned with small living blossoms that shifted slightly with her movements.
She asked careful questions about the dungeon layout, the trap, the timing of the attack, and the way the serpent fell. Eira answered honestly but simply, repeating the official version. She listened, nodded, and accepted it outwardly, but her eyes lingered on him with quiet interest.
"You were very lucky," she said.
"Luck like that doesn't happen often."
"Then I guess I used up all of mine," Eira replied.
She smiled faintly at that, but her gaze remained thoughtful as she left.
After being cleared to leave the infirmary, Eira and Neo decided to spend the afternoon outside the academy grounds. Eira still had bandages on his arm and shoulder, and Neo walked close to him, watching his steps as if afraid he might collapse at any moment.
They wandered through the city market, browsing shops filled with charms, books, clothes, and small magical trinkets. At one stall, Eira bought Neo a delicate silver chain with a small snowflake pendant. She blinked in surprise when he handed it to her, then smiled and put it on immediately, touching it as if it were fragile.
Later, they visited a small restaurant near the river and shared a simple meal. A noble student approached their table, clearly interested in Neo, introducing himself with practiced charm and offering polite compliments. Neo responded kindly but distantly, and Eira stayed quiet, watching without comment. The noble eventually left, glancing once at Eira with mild annoyance before disappearing into the crowd.
On the way back to the academy, the city lights reflected on the river, and the evening air was cool and calm. Neo walked slightly ahead, then suddenly turned back and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Eira's cheek.
"Thank you," she said quietly, her face warm with color.
"For what?" he asked, surprised.
"For coming back," she replied.
Eira didn't know how to answer that, so he simply nodded as they continued toward the dormitories together, unaware of how much the world around them had begun to change.