CHAPTER 54 —The unexpected encounter(4)
Seris's group had almost reached the cave.
The cave was massive and dimly lit.
Sunlight poured through a medium-sized opening high in the ceiling, forming a pale golden pillar that illuminated the darkness below.
Scattered across the cave floor—
Were monster bones.
Broken skulls.
Dried blood.
Rotting remains.
It looked less like a cave and more like a feeding ground abandoned after slaughter.
Seris glanced back while running.
Ashwin was still chasing them.
And behind him—
The students of Grand Aetherion continued rushing forward like a hunting pack.
"Tch."
Seris clicked his tongue irritably.
"Hey, Denin!"
The silver-haired boy running ahead turned slightly.
"What?!"
"Catch!"
Seris tossed the mysterious rune toward him.
Denin caught it mid-run.
His eyes briefly widened before he quickly stuffed it inside his coat.
Then he looked back again at the approaching students.
"Why the hell are they STILL following us!?"
"Complain later," Seris replied immediately.
"Let's get out first."
At the front—
Nitin suddenly kicked against the cave wall.
THUD—
Using the momentum, he parkoured upward across the rocky surface with frightening agility before grabbing the edge of the ceiling opening.
Sunlight poured over him.
"Move!" he shouted.
Junim immediately followed behind him, climbing the wall while muttering curses under his breath.
Denin quickly followed too.
Seris glanced upward at his companions escaping through the opening.
Then—
He looked back again.
Ashwin and the others were getting dangerously close.
'We need more time.'
Seris's eyes swept across the cave.
And then—
They landed on the monster remains scattered everywhere.
The bones.
The corpses.
The carcasses they themselves had killed days ago after first arriving on Rune Island.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Oh..."
He extended his hand forward.
Dark mana spiraled around his palm like black smoke.
The scattered bones suddenly trembled violently.
CRACK— CRACKKK—
The bones began dragging themselves together unnaturally.
Monster ribs fused.
Skulls connected.
Spines twisted together.
Within seconds—
A gigantic skeletal serpent formed in the middle of the cave.
Its hollow eye sockets burned with dim crimson light.
"Migl."
A small bat-like flame spirit suddenly appeared beside Seris.
Its tiny wings burned with dark orange fire.
The spirit opened its mouth—
FWOOOSH—
A stream of dark flames engulfed the skeletal serpent completely.
The moment the fire touched it—
ROOOAAARRR—
The flaming bone serpent came alive.
Its massive burning body coiled violently before lunging toward the cave entrance.
Seris smirked.
"Hah... good job, Migl."
"HEY SERIS!"
Denin's voice echoed from above.
Seris looked up.
Denin was leaning out from the ceiling opening while extending his hand downward.
"Hurry up!"
Seris grinned.
Then immediately began scaling the wall through rapid parkour movements.
STEP—
STEP—
STEP—
Meanwhile—
Outside the cave—
The pursuing students abruptly froze.
"...What the hell is that?!"
The gigantic flaming skeletal serpent guarded the entrance like a nightmare brought to life.
Its burning jaws opened wide while black smoke poured from its ribs.
Some students instinctively stepped back.
Others quickly raised their staffs.
The atmosphere turned chaotic.
Then suddenly—
TRRRAAANNGGG!!!
TTTRRUUUSSSHHHH—!!!
A deafening explosion echoed through the cave.
Seris instinctively turned his head.
His eyes widened.
The gigantic burning serpent—
Had been obliterated.
Its flaming bones now lay shattered across the ground like broken charcoal.
Ashwin slowly walked into the cave.
CRACK—
One of the serpent's skull fragments shattered beneath his boot.
Silver wind currents and faint blue sparks still danced around his wand.
"...Shit," Seris muttered.
He immediately climbed faster.
Above him—
Denin extended his hand further downward.
"Quickly, Seris!"
Ashwin's eyes sharpened.
'He's getting away.'
Without hesitation—
Ashwin raised his wand.
Silver wind spiraled around crackling blue thunder.
The surrounding mana pressure intensified instantly.
Seris saw the light gathering behind him.
His expression tightened.
Then—
He jumped.
His hand stretched upward toward Denin.
Denin reached downward.
Their fingers were inches away from touching—
But suddenly—
RUMMMBLLLLEEEE—
The sunlight vanished.
A gigantic slab of stone abruptly sealed the ceiling opening completely.
"...?"
Seris's pupils shrank.
Ashwin paused too.
For the first time—
Confusion crossed his face.
Then he slowly turned his head.
Standing slightly behind him—
Was a brown-skinned girl with short brown hair and sharp amber eyes.
Her staff remained extended toward the ceiling.
The stone sealing the opening still radiated mana.
A grin appeared on Ashwin's face.
"Good job, Marna."
The girl immediately frowned.
"Shut up, you Sanctum freak."
Ashwin laughed quietly.
"Hahaha..."
Meanwhile—
Seris had already begun falling back down.
But midway—
He twisted his body skillfully and landed smoothly on the cave floor.
THUD.
One knee bent.
One hand pressed against the ground.
"Huff... huff..."
He slowly lifted his head.
And froze.
At the cave entrance—
Several Grand Aetherion students stood staring at him.
Like predators cornering prey.
Seris slowly looked upward again toward the now-blocked exit hole.
Completely sealed.
No escape route left.
His jaw tightened.
"...Shit."
He slowly stood upright and pulled out his wand from his waist.
Dark mana flickered faintly around it.
The students ahead instinctively prepared themselves too.
Seris looked at the overwhelming number of opponents before him.
Then let out a dry laugh.
"...Looks like I'm fucked."
---
CHAPTER ENDS