chapter 55: Descent into the Dungeon & The Iron Witch's Gift

Chapter 17: Descent into the Dungeon & The Iron Witch's Gift

The academy's dungeon lay beneath the grand hall, a vast underground labyrinth stretching into the unknown. Carved into the earth over centuries, its walls pulsed with ancient energy, a mix of forbidden magic and the residual power of past challengers. Rin had heard of it before, though his interest in such trials was minimal. He had his own path to follow, one that led back to the Sky.

Still, for Ray, Champa, Selina, and Cherlotte, this was a trial of prestige, an opportunity to test their strength against the school's best.

Preparation for the Raid

The night before the raid, the squad gathered in their shared training hall. The air was thick with the scent of metal and sweat.

"I hear this dungeon's got shifting floors," Champa said, tightening the wraps around his knuckles. His broad frame was tense with anticipation. "Nothing like a good fight to wake up the bones."

Selina rolled her eyes. "You brute. You should be focusing on the strategy. These dungeon raids aren't just about brawling."

Charlotte was seated by the window, eyes trailing the moonlight. "They say an Iron Witch appears in the deepest level."

Ray, adjusting his gloves, scoffed. "An old ghost story to scare newbies. The real challenge is making it past the first two floors without being disqualified."

Their squad was among the five groups participating, each comprising top-tier students, handpicked by the academy's masters. The objective? To reach the Core Chamber first.

Meanwhile, Rin had remained quiet, studying a map in the corner. He had little interest in the trial but found himself mildly amused by their excitement.

"Don't die," he muttered as they left, earning a glare from Selina and a chuckle from Ray.

The dungeon's entrance was a massive steel gate embedded into the academy's underground. As it creaked open, the students stepped inside, greeted by a sudden drop in temperature. The first level was a maze, its walls shifting like clockwork gears, guided by an invisible mechanism.

"This place is alive," Ray murmured, his fingers tracing the cold stone.

"No—engineered," Charlotte corrected, eyes glimmering with curiosity. "The mechanisms respond to our movements. Every step we take alters the path."

Champa cracked his knuckles. "So we just keep moving forward."

But it wasn't that simple. As they advanced, mechanical constructs emerged from the walls, their bodies built of shifting metal and humming with stored energy.

Selina was the first to strike. A single step, a blur of motion, and her blade sliced through one of the constructs, only for the fragments to reassemble.

"They self-repair!" Ray shouted.

"Then we take out their core," Charlotte deduced, firing an electric bolt that disrupted the construct's energy flow. It collapsed, its pieces crumbling into dust.

As they fought through the level, Charlotte sensed something strange—a pull, as if something deeper in the dungeon was calling her.

The Iron Witch's Invitation

As the team cleared the first level, a soft hum echoed through the halls. Charlotte turned abruptly, feeling a shift in the air. The others had moved ahead, but she found herself alone.

A woman stood before her, clad in deep black robes laced with iron filaments. A wide-brimmed hat cast shadows over her sharp, knowing eyes. She held a delicate silver tray with a single slice of cake.

"Tea and sweets?" The woman smiled, offering the dessert.

Charlotte blinked. "Who…?"

"They call me the Iron Witch." The woman's voice was smooth, calculated. "And you, my dear, have potential."

A flick of her fingers, and the air around them shimmered. Behind her, an array unfolded—a vast, circular structure made of interlocking gears and glowing symbols.

Charlotte's breath caught. "This... This isn't magic, is it?"

The Iron Witch chuckled. "Not in the traditional sense."

She gestured to the array, its intricate design shifting like a mechanical clock. "This is an engineered construct, a perfect fusion of arcane principles and scientific precision. Each glyph acts as a conduit, directing energy through a matrix of predefined pathways. Unlike traditional magic, which relies on innate affinity, this system is built. Anyone with the right knowledge can wield it."

Charlotte stepped closer, mesmerized. "You're saying… this is learnable?"

The Iron Witch nodded. "And I intend to teach you."

Charlotte hesitated. Her squad was waiting, but something deep inside her knew—this was the path she was meant to take.

She reached for the cake. "I'm listening."

Meanwhile, in the Shadows…

As the raid continued, Rin wandered the academy's upper halls. He had chosen not to participate, but something about the dungeon's disturbance caught his attention.

Through a hidden passage, he descended, following an old corridor that led to an abandoned chamber. He had read about this place before—an unfinished sector of the academy, sealed long ago.

A gust of air brushed past him, and for the first time in a long while, Rin felt something unfamiliar.

An invitation.

Something—or someone—was calling him deeper into the dark.

And Rin never ignored an invitation.

To be continued…