Chapter 10: Trapped

After the arduous battle, the remnants of the weary class trudged forward, exiting the dungeon with dwindling supplies of potions and food. Despite being an F-rank dungeon with low-level monsters, the lingering dangers began to manifest, casting a shadow over the group.

"Is everyone else holding out okay?" Akira inquired, turning his head towards the entire class trailing behind him.

The aftermath of the battle was evident – worn-out bodies, tattered armor, and ruined clothing. Even Risa, though doing well, showed signs of fatigue.

"Is something wrong, Risa?" Akira asked with genuine concern, noticing her weariness.

"I'm fine; I just need to recover my mana, that's all," Risa reassured him.

Realization dawned on Akira as he pondered the concept of mana. "Oh, that's right, I forgot mana existed. So you guys must have exerted over 50% of your mana, right?" he questioned.

Risa elaborated, "Well, F-rank mage casters have only 200 mana. Our spells take around 10 mana each, healing spells cost around 20 mana, and runic knights use about 15 mana for their defensive spells. But it depends on what spells you use, to be fair."

Curious about Risa's mana usage, Akira pressed on, "So how much mana did you use?"

"I used about 5 healing spells, so I've used 100 mana already. But since we're out of combat, I regenerate about 1 mana every 5 seconds, unfortunately," Risa explained with a somewhat awkward smile.

Observing his comrades, Akira realized that everyone had likely drained their mana during the prolonged battle. "I see… I forgot I haven't been using mana at all… because I've been purely using my physical strength, not my mana," he reflected.

"But that lightning spell, did I use mana? Or was that just purely a weird source of power I unleashed?" Akira wondered about the mysterious surge of power he experienced during the fight.

Risa noticed Akira's contemplative state and inquired, "Something bothering you?"

Akira snapped back, "Oh, I'm fine, just thinking about what I did back in the fight."

"Someone mentioned you used an Augmentation spell, apparently, which is rare? Honestly, I'm not sure myself, but he did mention it was an Augmentation spell," Risa explained.

"Augmentation spells?" Akira mused.

"Yeah, it's apparently different from regular spells. He said that you increased your strength with magic and that you didn't change or cast a regular spell like everyone else," Risa clarified.

"I'm not sure about anything else, but maybe you could ask the professors after we get out!" Risa suggested, her smile brightening the mood.

After minutes of walking, the class glimpsed light emanating from the entrance of the cave.

"Is that the way out?" Akira questioned, eyeing the shimmering light promising freedom.

"Yeah, it is! It has to be!" one enthusiastic classmate exclaimed, rushing towards the light.

Suddenly, the cave trembled, and chaos ensued. Hordes of monsters surged from behind, prompting Akira to make a quick decision.

"Risa! Get everyone out of here. I'll stall for time!" Akira declared, unsheathing his rapier and positioning himself to protect the fleeing class.

"Everyone! Get out of here now!" Akira shouted, thrusting his rapier towards the incoming goblins. The class started their escape as Akira single-handedly confronted the horde.

"The cave's about to collapse, Akira!" Risa shouted from the entrance, waiting anxiously for him.

However, Akira found himself surrounded, unable to break free. The cave shook violently, and monsters cornered him from every direction.

"Come on, Akira! Let's go!" Risa urged, realizing he was trapped.

But the cave entrance collapsed, leaving only a massive boulder in its wake. Darkness enveloped them once more, and Akira found himself cornered by enemies.

"I guess this is how I die, huh..." Akira pondered, a snake biting his right arm. Despite his efforts, he was backed into a wall, facing an overwhelming number of enemies.

"I'm not worth saving! But he can die as a hero who saved almost an entire class!" one of the runic knights argued, dragging Risa away from the entrance.

"NO, STOP IT!" Risa cried, struggling against the boy's grasp.

Within moments, the cave entrance collapsed entirely, sealing Akira inside. He fought valiantly, but eventually succumbed to the onslaught, worn out and heavily injured.

As hope seemed lost, the floor of the cave broke again, and Akira, along with the monsters, fell through a massive deep hole.

To Be Continued...