Dungeon dive II

After Amelia had encouraged her students, she began to lead them to the dungeon facility. The other students of the academy were not far behind, spotting such a sight truly showed the magnitude of the academy.

The teachers led the way, leaving no room for the students to murmur or dwindle around; the students followed in an orderly manner, helplessness visible on their faces. Though most wished not to engage in the dungeon dive, they still had no choice.

"I can't help but notice, Jackie, but why aren't you nervous? It's so unlike you," Allen questioned, a bit perplexed by Jackie's calmness.

"Well, I already knew about the raid, so I took time to study," Jackie replied with a smug expression. Upon hearing Jackie's reply, Allen couldn't help but sigh slightly. He had previously advised Jackie to abandon his nerdy hobbies, or else it might become too difficult for him to find a girlfriend.

Allen was about to reprimand Jackie for his nerdy hobbies but was forced to stop as they had arrived at the dungeon facility. Standing at a domineering height and spanning over hundreds of meters.

"So this is a dungeon facility, quite fascinating," he complemented, enhanced by the unique building structure of the dungeon facilities, buildings built around dungeons to house and prevent potential dungeon breaks.

Entering the facility, his gaze scanned across the expanse of the facility, with multiple guards and workers moving about along with other robotic machines running maintenance duties to ensure the facility was in check and there were no underlying problems.

Eventually, all the students of the academy arrived, and even they couldn't help but be agape at the structure before them. However, before they could become engrossed in its intricacy, they suddenly caught sight of a blue spinning spiral radiating otherworldly energy. The spiral was, of course, none other than the dungeon portal, better yet known as a dimensional fragment.

The dungeon gate was surrounded by different machines, showcasing a myriad of holographic and diagnostic technology, ensuring the dungeon remained stable at all costs.

After all, a dungeon break was a phenomenon that occurs when the dungeon is unable to maintain its structure, thereby resulting in destabilization, which inadvertently gives the monsters access to the outside world.

The students present began to contemplate their initial joy of awakening, but it was quickly shattered, replaced by fear of demise. This was a result of a tragedy which occurred a year back, a gruesome day for many.

On that fateful and joyful day, many of the students had just entered their first dungeon, but their initial joy was soon to be flipped over, resulting in the death of nearly fifty percent of the students. The dungeon master had gone on a killing spree, brutally hunting down students like prey. The academy had intervened as soon as possible, but before them, it was already too late.

With the leakage of the footage, the entire city became aware of the tragedy that had occurred. Many sobbed, parents grieved, sorrow radiated, as the cemeteries became filled with dismembered bodies of their children.

Now that the memories of the sorrowful day resurfaced, many couldn't help but rethink their initial joy of awakening a system. They had originally been excited when they gained a better physique and appearance, but now it seemed that awakening was a curse in the form of a blessing.

Meanwhile, as the students experienced a turmoil of emotions, Allen was unaware of the person stalking him; of course, it was none other than Jerrad. The moment he saw Allen, the rumors he had heard had finally been confirmed, despite his original disbelief.

Spotting Allen, he was instantly bombarded by a torrent of emotions. Hate spiraled, shock became apparent, and the superiority complex he had against Allen began to falter.

"Tch," he gritted his teeth in frustration. Allen had once again outshined him. Not only had Allen gotten his crush, Emma, back in the days, but now it seemed he had lost something else.

Originally he had accepted Allen's superiority to him in looks, but the margin was previously not so different. However, now the Allen he sighted was simply beyond the boundaries of good-looking.

It was almost like an incarnation of a god had descended, possessing the most handsome of faces and the most alluring of bodies, making jealousy spark in Jerrad's heart.

"You took Emma from me and now... yes, yes, of course! I have a higher-ranked system than him, so naturally, I am stronger; in the monthly tournaments, I will show you who is superior, just you wait," he thought derangedly, the effect of the ice-fire weeds he had previously smoked showing effect.

With these thoughts, his rage and hate for Allen reignited, as he subconsciously unveiled his killing intent, though it was mediocre at best. But Allen, who had previously resisted a platinum-ranked system holder's killing intent, was naturally unaffected by Jerrad's mediocre display.

Allen, currently in his own tumultuous thoughts, was unaware of the fool behind him; his gaze was only on one thing, and obviously, it was none other than Emma.

"Damn," Allen expressed, his gaze traveling along her body from head to toe, and almost immediately, he noticed the difference. Emma had become more beautiful; her already perfect body seemed to have been enhanced by leaps and bounds.

Meaning she had obviously become more curvy, busty, and more endowed; she now seemed more like an angel than human. It was enough to make any man gulp in temptation, but Allen was naturally not any man; his resistance was already beyond bounds.

Amidst his appreciation of her beauty, his feelings wavered a bit, his previous appreciation of her body dwindling as new thoughts emerged.

"Emma," he muttered silently, remembering the fun and happy moments they had together. The days they spent sitting around in the park, going to different restaurants, going shopping almost weekly. And the day they both finally shared their first kiss. It all played back like a vivid movie, putting a saddened smile on his face.

Emma, who had been anxious yet confident in surviving in the dungeon, suddenly felt a stare on her. She was unable to explain the sudden paranormal senses she had gained ever since she had awakened. Now she was able to feel the presence of those who gazed at her, about to ignore just like any other.

She stopped, suddenly feeling familiarity; she felt it, yet she wasn't able to explain why. Curiously, she turned in the direction she had felt the gaze, and her gaze met with someone unexpectedly.

"Allen?" she questioned internally. She gazed back at Allen with apparent bewilderment. Spotting him, she immediately took notice of his change in physical appearance, and now it seemed the rumors she was unwilling to believe were indeed true after all seeing was believing.

Allen, noticing her gaze, smirked playfully in return. Emma, sighting Allen's smirk, blushed internally; however, her cold face still held strong, unmoved by Allen's charming smile.

"Is there still a possibility for there to be an 'us'?" Emma thought depressingly. She knew she still had feelings for Allen, but she knew she couldn't engage in any form of relationship with him, having Allen's life already threatened and with her choice to protect him, she could only reluctantly dump him.

She felt terrible; she knew she had broken his heart, but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for them to get together. But now she saw the task as abysmally impossible. If only she knew it was easier than she thought.

With her heart saddened, she felt a pang of pain which caused her to hold her hand to her chest. She was about to continue to contemplate possibilities, but a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

"Students of Tempest Haven Academy, I welcome you all to your first-ever dungeon raid," Headmaster Dracyl announced loudly, gaining attention from all the students.

"I know most of you are worried and scared, but know that only with harsh conditions can one truly unlock their potential," he stated, sensing the students' worry.

However, he knew he couldn't linger much on their opinions. After all, it was a decision made to develop potential combatants needed for the possible and potential survival of the human race.

"The rules you have to follow are not complex: you cannot kill or attack other participants in any way, shape, or form. Going against this will result in harsh punishments, which I hope you do not go against," he finished his words, trailing over the silent students.

Just when the speech had finished, multiple people dressed in tactical outfits entered carrying weapon crates in their hands. The weapon crates had futuristic designs to them, enough to make anyone curious. The crates were immediately placed on the ground before a button was tapped, revealing the watches inside them.

"Those of the combat-type systems are to choose their watches in this section; the mage types are to choose from this section," the vice-headmaster Lauren instructed, taking the place of Headmaster Dracyl who had once again gone to bury himself in paperwork.

Allen and Jackie separated, each choosing their respective watches. Allen grabbed one of the watches and suddenly remembered where he had seen it. It was a gadget that had just been crafted and declared on the Internet.

The watch had been crafted using the principle of the dungeons which allowed the expansion of space, giving more room for storage. The discovery of this led to technological advancement, granting favorable leaps.

"These watches will monitor your total points; you can also form teams of any size, but remember, the more people there are, the fewer experience points you receive," she warned.

The students quickly gathered, forming teams, with the largest groups consisting of iron-ranked system holders who feared to fight alone. But at least now they would have more people to sacrifice.

"Jackie, wanna join us?" a tanned skin student asked, gesturing at the team of five students behind him. He glanced at Allen, only to snort and give a disdainful look. It was apparent that it was jealousy, but Jackie would not stand for such a reaction towards his friend.

"Thanks, but no," he replied with a hardened gaze. With just that alone, the student immediately got the idea of Jackie's refusal, not pursuing further, he walked away.

"Have fun dying with your friend," the student muttered before walking off with the other students who had put on the basic tactic armors made of amid fiber, which provided mediocre but sustainable protection.

"Jackie, you ready for this?" Allen questioned, glancing at Jackie who returned it with a firm gaze.

"Always have, always will," Jackie replied with certainty, cracking his fingers, ready to combat the monsters within the dungeon.

"Begin!" With that, the dungeon raid officially began, with multiple teams dashing into the portal, letting out a battle cry while charging in with their weapons. However, Allen and Jackie remained lax, walking into the dungeon with a hardened gaze as they tightened their grip.

"This is it...