Khal and Merlin continued to search for the dungeon, encountering a few strong monsters along the way, but nothing remotely as strong as the earth golem.
“We there yet?” Khal asked, his tone exhausted.
“That’s the seventh time you’ve asked in the past ten minutes and every time i tell you the same thing. No, we are not there yet.” Merlin replied.
I’m getting quite restless. We’ve been in the plains for a few hours now but still can’t find it, and though we’re obtaining a few points from killing monsters, it’s not enough since the others are just eliminating students, which yields far more points.





1. Araon Dragul [52488]
2. Rose Dragul [38320]
3. Merek Stormvale [28274]
4. Ragan Hellstien [26330]
5. Night Xiao [24638]
6. Darwin [22740]
7. Serine Azoul [20426]
8. Poison Master [20685]
9. Martial God [19225]
10. Saint Mike [18148]
11. Jiang Ashborn [16924]
…





I’m barely even in the top ten now… Why are so many of these aliases so corny?
“Wait, i think i found something.” Merlin stopped in her tracks, staring intently at the map.
Khal walked over to her, looking over her shoulder at the map.
“What is it?”
Merlin studied the map closely, pulling it up to her face and tilting it for a better look.
“I think… We’re standing above the dungeon.”
They both looked down, staring at the ground beneath them. The ground was seemingly no different from the rest of the grassy plain.
"I want to try something, so back up a little." Khal, extending his arm infront of Merlin.
Merlin got out the way, standing a few feet away from Khal.
Khal pulled his fist back with a serious expression, his veins bulging, aiming at the ground.
BOOM!
His fist slammed into the ground, shattering the earth and sending rubble flying in all directions.
Khal raised his hand, blood dripping from his knuckles.





Pain Resist+1
Muscle Strength+1





“There’s something hard down there. Real hard.”
Beneath the rubble, a flat blue stone lay untouched, imbedded deeper in the ground, not a scratch on it from Khal’s blow.
“Let’s remove the rubble and—”
A bright green light shone from the corner of Khal’s eye. Khal turned his head to see merlin using an ability on his wound.
The light faded and so did Khal’s wound. Merlin stood back, looking up at Khal.
“You were saying?”
Khal pulled back his arm, shifting his gaze back to the ground.
“I was saying we should remove the rubble and see what the rock beneath it is.

 If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
After a few minutes of digging up all the soil, the rock could fully be seen, it’s octagon shape stretching roughly 20 ft round, a sleek line passing right through it.
Khal stood over it, rubbing his chin, lost in thought.
“What is it? do you know what it is?” Merlin asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“If im not wrong, this should be bedrock.”
When the earth's surface expanded over two millennia ago, many new resources were found and many old had changed drastically; bedrock was one of them. Just a small piece of it would take atleast a level 80 expert to excavate it. Why would the breachers association use such a huge slab to block the entrance of a C-class rift?
Merlin clenched her fist, her hands trembling, her expression bleak.
“If what you said is true and this is bedrock, then there is no way we're getting in?”
Khal shoved his hands into his hoodie’s pockets, turning around and walking away.
“Yeah, with our current power, it would be like trying to break open an iron lock with a toothpick.”
Merlin turned to Khal, reaching her hand out, a worried look on her face.
“Just wait a second, maybe—
SKREEEE!
A loud scratching sound came from the slab of bedrock.
Khal and Merlin quickly turned towards it to see what was happening.
Unbothered by either of them, slowly but surely, it was opening as.
Khal walked back towards it, merlin waiting until he passed her before following suit.
BOOM!
It stopped, leaving behind a massive octagon-shaped hole.
Khaled stopped before it, Merlin bouncing in his back at his sudden stop. He leaned over, looking into the hole.
The sides were filled with torches, lighting up the entrance of the dungeon. But even so, the bottom could not be seen from how deep it was.
We did nothing to it but it just opened… its as if someone is inviting us in.
“I don’t think we should go down there. Whatever opened up the entrance, i doubt has any good intentions.”
Merlin came from behind him, standing at the edge of the entrance.
“I’m going down there.”
Khal stared at her with an annoyed expression.
“Why would you want to go down there, knowing you would be in danger?”
Merlin kept staring into the dungeon, biting her lip.
FWOOSH!
She jumped down into the dungeon.
Slap, Khal slammed his hand onto his face, letting out an exasperated sigh.
“Down we go, i guess.”
Khal placed his hands into his hoodie’s pockets.
FWOOSH!
Jumping into the dungeon.
 

 
Merlin floated down into the dungeon, landing on her feet. Before her was a narrower path of gray brick walls and sleek red floors, torches hanging from the walls, brightening the path ahead.
Merlin heard noises above her and quickly looked to see what it was. She saw something falling towards her; before she could make it out, she quickly lifted her hands.
FLOAT[⾶]
Before whatever it was could hit her, the skill stopped it right above her.
It was Khal, floating above her with his usual nonchalant gaze.
“Can you put me down?”
Merlin, visibly frustrated, placed him onto the ground.
“Are you insane? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming? And how did you even know i didn’t.”
Khal turned to the dungeon's second entrance, avoiding merlin’s gaze.
“One at a time.”
“Firstly, yes and yes, i am. Secondly, i never had any intention of hoping you would catch me; i was just fine. Lastly, as your teammate, im not going to let you explore a dangerous dungeon by yourself.”
Besides, you probably know about some sort of treasure's location; i just want to rob you… I'm, of course, not going to tell you that.
Merlin held her head down, tugging her staff close to her chest, her expression dropping to sadness.
Khal walked off deeper into the dungeon, stopping and turning towards merlin.
“Hey, are you coming? I don’t have all day.”
Merlin looked up, a slight smile tugging at her lips.
“Yeah, im coming.”
She ran up towards him, Khal turning around, continuing on into the dungeon.
 

 
Meanwhile, back at the secret realm’s operating room, the entire area was in panic.
“SIR, THAT’S ANOTHER STUDENT DEAD!”
An official shouted; the screen before him flickered red.
The other officials were also in panic, the entire room filled with arguments.
Principal lou (principal of Ravenmoor Academy) stood up from his seat, his face filled with anger as he stared at the screen infront of him, the names of students disappearing one by one.
“Students from every school are being eliminated but why are they dying instead of being teleported out?”
One of the officials ran up to him in panic, two sheets of papers in hand.
“Sir, after running multiple binary searches on the secret realms program, we’ve found a loophole that is making the system’s safeguarding mechanism not be able to stop an attack it deems strong enough to kill said person instantly.”
Principal lou grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him off the ground, his expression filled with rage.
“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!?”
“You idiots had one job and you're telling me you messed that up and at the cost of our students lives!”
The official, visibly scared, shook his head in disagreement.
“This wasn’t us, sir; someone imbedded a virus into the program, and at the moment it just keeps getting worse; at this point it won’t be long before the safeguard is destroyed all together!”
FWOOSH–BOOM!
Lou threw him into the screen, shattering it and knocking him out instantly.
The room fell silent, the officials looking back at lou, fear in their gazes.
“Someone get in touch with the principals of the other schools!” Lou yelled, the officials quickly scattering out the room.
“Um, principal lou, for some reason, three students that weren’t killed or eliminated suddenly left the secret realm.” An official, still sitting, staring at his computer.
“I have no time to worry about a few students when hundreds have already died.”
Lou walked off, exiting the room, his gaze filled with rage.
“Someone find me Charles.”