Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
In the early morning, the square in front of the Imperial Royal Magic Academy’s main teleportation array was still shrouded in a morning mist that had yet to fully dissipate.
Ian arrived right on time, still wearing the Phantom Star Mask that concealed his features.
Upon arrival, Ian noticed that Amivy was already there.
She wore a set of light silver-trimmed leather armor that offered significant defensive power, and a longsword that looked anything but cheap hung at her waist.
Standing beside her were Sherivelle and Otillia, both equally prepared.
Sherivelle had traded her usual ornate dresses for a set of pale purple magic robes designed for ease of movement.
Her new, shoulder-length white hair gave her a peculiar, witch-like aura.
Otillia wore a set of ice-blue, tight-fitting exploration gear that accentuated her tall, slender figure, topped with a light mage cloak bearing the Filimon Family crest.
Her expression was cold, radiating a natural chill that gave off a haughty, “stay away” vibe.
Ian looked at the two of them, noted their expensive equipment, and realized he had nothing.
His only storage box had been pilfered from the old woman, and it was currently packed with necessities prepared for the Third Correction Mission.
The mission regarding the Evil Dragon, Delina Nidhogg, looked like it would be a long one, so he had to be fully prepared.
It would be quite a joke if he died of hunger on the 100th floor.
“Everyone is here. Let’s head out.”
Seeing that the final person had arrived, Amivy tossed a mana core into the array’s eye and activated the teleportation circle.
The teleportation array lit up, and spatial fluctuations enveloped the four of them.
After a brief moment of dizziness, they found themselves in the middle of a noisy camp brimming with the scent of adventure.
This was the entrance camp for the Abyss Corridor Dungeon.
Adventurers of all stripes, merchants, and supply officers bustled about, making the area incredibly loud.
In the distance, a massive, deep cavern entrance was clearly visible—the entrance to the Abyss Corridor.
Amivy presented the Academy’s commission credentials and quickly handled the entry permits and basic supply collection.
The four of them didn’t linger.
Under countless gazes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, or awe, they walked straight toward that dark, deep entrance.
As they entered the Dungeon, the light dimmed abruptly.
The air turned damp and cold, smelling of moss, minerals, and an indescribable scent of age.
Luminescent moss and magic crystals embedded in the walls provided weak, flickering illumination.
The passages were winding and branched out frequently.
The map could only provide a general direction; true exploration relied on experience and judgment.
For a party as “luxurious” as this one, the first dozen levels posed almost no pressure.
Common Demonic Creatures like slimes, goblins, and cave bats were helpless before Amivy’s blade and Otillia’s Ice Spikes.
Sherivelle utilized her Spatial Perception to provide early warnings for traps or ambushes at the end of branching paths.
Since this Dungeon exploration served the personal goals of the two girls as well, the three-woman team cooperated reasonably well under the motivation of a “common goal.”
Meanwhile, Ian spent most of his time slacking off at the rear of the group.
As the saying went, if you didn’t slack off at work, you weren’t really working.
It wasn’t time for him to step in yet.
As they delved deeper and approached Level 20, the strength and variety of the Demonic Creatures began to increase significantly.
Petrifying Lizards, Shadow Stalkers, and large venomous spiders began to appear.
The battles required more coordination and tactics.
As the primary attacker, the pressure on Amivy increased.
Otillia’s Ice Magic became vital for battlefield control and restriction, and Sherivelle’s early warnings became even more useful.
Ian was still slacking.
After reaching Level 30, the environment grew even more treacherous.
Individuals with elemental attacks or special abilities began to appear among the Demonic Creatures.
The terrain became more complex, featuring poison swamps, rockfall zones, and even unstable mana currents.
Amivy finally began to feel the strain.
The pace of combat quickened noticeably, and a few shallow scratches appeared on her armor.
Otillia’s Mana consumption increased, leaving her face slightly pale.
Sherivelle, in addition to her warnings, occasionally had to join the fray to lighten Otillia’s burden.
Ian still hadn’t moved, but he knew he couldn’t just coast along anymore.
Otherwise, if someone actually got hurt and delayed the schedule, he wouldn’t be able to explain it to the King or the old woman.
Starting from Level 35, Ian stepped in.
However, he mostly focused on protecting the two weaker female leads.
As for Amivy, she was the protagonist.
A protagonist had to endure hardships; as they say, the greater the pressure, the more one grows.
Only by taking hits would the protagonist truly mature, so Ian simply watched Amivy’s performance in silence.
By the time they reached Level 40, the Mana permeating the air carried a trace of violent energy.
Demonic Creatures with strength comparable to a 4th Rank High Archmage began to appear, and those with Rank 3 strength often attacked in swarms.
This forced Ian to join the battlefield properly, or Amivy might have collapsed from exhaustion.
From Level 40 onward, he participated in almost every battle, forming an effective triangular coordination with Amivy and Otillia.
Currently, the creatures at Level 40 weren’t overwhelmingly pressured for the four of them, but they certainly slowed their pace.
Thanks to this, Otillia and Sherivelle, who had transitioned into logistics and support roles, had more time to investigate the ruins below Level 40.
The four of them continued in a stop-and-go fashion.
Finally, after arduously clearing out a nest of Petrifying Giant Ants on Level 45, the silver, pocket-watch-like detection tool Otillia always carried emitted a faint but persistent hum.
An ancient needle on the dial pointed toward a narrow crevice half-hidden by rubble deep within the nest.
Otillia’s ice-blue eyes suddenly lit up, and she exchanged a look with Sherivelle.
Sherivelle nodded slightly.
A silver light flashed at her fingertips as a subtle spatial fluctuation swept across the crevice.
Her perception gave her the feedback she needed, and her red lips parted slightly.
“No recent human magic traces!”
Amivy, who was resting, looked up at the news.
“Did you two find something?”
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Otillia maintained her cold tone as she pointed toward the crevice.
“Your Highness, my detection tool sensed that there might be an undiscovered ancient ruin space behind this gap.”
Amivy walked over and looked at the dark crevice.
She cast a detection spell inside and found that it was indeed an undiscovered ruin space, just as Otillia had said.
However, a place undiscovered by others meant there was treasure, but it also contained unknown dangers.
Amivy looked at Ian.
“Excellency Caerslana, what is your opinion?”
Ian’s lips twitched under his mask.
‘What opinion could I possibly have? If the protagonist’s party finds a hidden dungeon, can I even stop them from going?’
“I shall defer to your judgment, Highness.”
Since he couldn’t stop them anyway, he might as well follow Amivy’s lead.
Even though Ian knew that what lay ahead was absolute hell!