As soon as the dungeon gate stabilized, Ms. Anna—the only S-rank awakener currently on the Rault Islands—appeared before it.
Her expression was grim.
Students and officials alike gathered behind her, forming a defensive blockade around the gate.
For a full hour, everyone waited in tense silence.
Then the dungeon finally stopped absorbing mana.
The massive gate began to rotate slowly, its surface rippling like disturbed water. Moments later, monsters began pouring out.
At first, only low-rank creatures emerged.
Then mid-rank.
Then high-rank.
An endless army surged forth—beasts of every known species, filling the battlefield in waves. Almost every common monster could be seen marching out in an orderly yet horrifying flood.
Only the truly rare species were missing.
Creatures like dragons and phoenixes.
Legendary monsters possessed intelligence from birth. They never acted as disposable cannon fodder. Trying to enslave one was nothing short of suicide—attempt it today, and tomorrow an entire flight of enraged dragons would appear at your doorstep, greeting you with concentrated dragon breath.
That was why so-called "dragon knights" only existed in fairy tales.
Reality was crueler.
The battle erupted instantly.
Both sides clashed, and chaos swallowed the battlefield whole.
At first, the defenders slaughtered the monsters one-sidedly—but numbers soon showed their worth. The monster tide pressed forward relentlessly, forcing the defensive line back inch by inch.
Rio fought at the far rear.
He swung his sword casually, almost lazily, cutting down any monster that strayed too close. His movements were precise, efficient, and completely devoid of excitement.
He intentionally avoided the center of the battlefield.
It wasn't fear.
It was prudence.
Unlike the so-called "named characters" charging at the front, Rio knew one simple truth—
He wasn't protected by heavenly luck.
I can kill B-rank monsters easily, he thought.
But Ms. Anna is fighting A-rank monsters up there.
A single stray attack from one of them would erase me instantly.
Fade and the others could gamble their lives on destiny.
Rio couldn't.
I'll save my energy for the retreat.
With his decision made, he continued cutting down monsters at the edge of the battlefield—never overcommitting, never drawing attention.
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the ground.
Rio's gaze snapped toward the source.
So this is why…
In the novel, he'd wondered why an S-rank like Ms. Anna had been forced to retreat by mere A-rank monsters.
Seeing it firsthand, the answer was obvious.
The S-rank gate was still spewing monsters endlessly—and among them were dozens of A-rank creatures.
Even an S-rank couldn't handle that many alone.
And Ms. Anna was a mage, not a frontline warrior.
She was being assaulted by at least forty A-rank monsters at once.
This won't last long.
As if to prove his thought right, even more A-rank monsters were forcibly expelled from the gate—almost as if something on the other side was pushing them out.
Perhaps an S-rank monster was commanding them.
If they succeeded in holding this territory long enough, the dungeon gate could upgrade, allowing even stronger monsters to pass through.
Just like in the novel…
Ms. Anna's expression hardened.
She immediately ordered the evacuation of nearby civilians.
The defensive line began to fall back.
The monsters surged forward.
The battlefield tilted decisively against the defenders.
When Ms. Anna withdrew, the A-rank monsters she'd been holding back redirected their attention to the frontline awakeners.
The result was catastrophic.
Several awakeners were annihilated instantly.
A few unlucky students didn't even have time to scream.
"Retreat to the ship!" Ms. Anna shouted.
Panic spread.
Some students escaped.
Others didn't.
Those swallowed by the monster tide were left behind.
No one waited for them.
Even Ms. Anna turned away, her jaw clenched.
They were already dead.
This—this—was why Rio had avoided the frontlines.
Charging forward was easy.
Retreating was where people died.
Those at the front were always the first to be hunted—trapped like rats, torn apart by monsters savoring their terror.
Just as Rio turned to retreat, a memory surfaced.
He stopped.
His eyes scanned the chaos.
Then he spotted her.
Lia.
She was stumbling backward, panic written all over her face. Her breathing was ragged, her steps unsteady.
She was exhausted—barely able to move.
I can't die here…
I'll get out… I have to…
She tried to encourage herself, but her body refused to obey.
I shouldn't have rushed to the front just to compete with Kira… damn it…
Then—
A massive lion-type monster burst through the chaos.
A B-rank.
It lunged straight at her.
In her condition, defending herself was impossible.
The monster raised its claw and swung.
—
And stopped.
Time seemed to freeze.
The monster remained suspended for a single heartbeat—then collapsed.
Its body split apart cleanly, sliced into perfect segments, like meat prepared by a master chef.
A B-rank monster—reduced to neatly cut flesh in an instant.
A familiar voice followed.
"Need some help, Tsundere-chan?"
Rio stood there, grinning.
Lia felt an overwhelming urge to punch him.
Then everything went black.
As she collapsed, Rio caught her effortlessly and lifted her onto his back.
Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the Stormwalker.
As he ran, memories from the novel surfaced.
In his previous life, Lia had been described as extraordinarily beautiful—before her face was destroyed.
During this very battle, she charged to the front, competing with Kira. The two had even made a bet over who would kill more monsters.
Being a battle maniac, Lia had unleashed her strongest skill immediately, draining her mana far too quickly.
She hadn't been able to retreat.
A lion-type monster had caught her.
It didn't kill her.
It played with her.
For two days.
Its claws shredded her face again and again, leaving scars beyond repair. The pain was so severe she couldn't even activate the healing potions in her spatial ring.
By the time Ms. Anna rescued her—using her authority as an S-rank—it was already too late.
Healing potions in this world had a fatal flaw.
They only worked within a limited timeframe.
Lia survived.
But her face was ruined.
Her spirit shattered.
She became fearful, depressed—and her obsession with Kira twisted into hatred.
Eventually, she betrayed Fade's party to an SSS-rank dungeon boss, seeking protection.
She was killed instead.
A tragic end.
But that future won't happen now.
Rio tightened his grip.
Since he'd saved her, that path was severed.
It wasn't a calculated move.
He simply acted.
After an hour of nonstop sprinting, Rio reached the Stormwalker and boarded immediately.
The deck was filled with injured students being treated by healers.
He carried Lia to an empty bed in the medical room.
After examination, the healer nodded.
"She's fine. Just unconscious."
Relief washed over him.
Rio carried her to his room and laid her down carefully.
Only then did he realize—
His heart was racing.
The feeling confused him.
As an orphan—twice over—he'd never experienced anything like this.
Why am I so fired up…?
Am I really… falling for her?