A Strange Response

"Ms.Selena, do you know anything about the Anti Magic Society?"

"...What?"

She remained calm, but there remained a flicker of anxiousness in her eyes.

It was the very first time, I have seen her like that.

However, she quickly returned to her usual gentle smiling face.

Maybe this is the topic I should go with.

"Anti magic society, have you ever heard of that, Ms.Selena?", I asked again with greater emphasis this time.

Selena's fingers twitched slightly. It was subtle—almost imperceptible—but I caught it.

She had definitely heard of them.

This was unexpected even for me.

That's because, at the current timeline, they don't even exist to begin with.

Anti Magic Society.

An underground militant group, opposing the widespread use of magic for war and other destructive purposes.

Their only belief is that magic is to be used for the benefit of living beings, not for their destruction.

Unlike their name, they don't completely oppose the use of magic, but to use them in a more refined way for the betterment of everyone.

Sounds like a noble goal, right?

But, there is a catch.

In the story, they were often referred to as hypocrites, because those who stands in their way, more than often they are killed, with magic nonetheless.

"It's for the greater good", they always said.

However as I said, this society doesn't exist till now.

It's to be created in the near future.

The thing I find strange is in the story, the revelation of such a society was way after Selena's death.

And from her response, it is clear that she knows something about it.

It's unexpected but I can use it to my advantage if I investigate this matter a bit more.

"Never really heard of them, why do you ask?", she responded in a normal tone.

"It's nothing much, just heard about them from an article.", I said casually.

If she knows about them, then this statement would definitely raise curiosity within her.

And that was my intention to begin with.

"Is that so? Well, there are many groups following different ideologies, but I don't believe I've come across one with such a name before," Selena said, her voice as smooth as ever.

Her words were carefully chosen.

She wasn't outright denying the possibility of their existence—only that she hadn't encountered them personally.

Well, I am sure that the seed has been shown here, and that's enough for now.

"Well then,I think I should take my leave", I said indicating I am returning to the dorms.

"Wait, you are not going take any book from the War Records?", she asked.

Oops, I totally forgot about that.

".....Can you recommend me one, about unique techniques used in the First Great War?", I asked maintaining my diplomatic tone.

"In that case, I would recommend The Lost Stratagems of the First Great War," Selena said, turning to one of the shelves.

She traced her fingers across the spines of several books before pulling one out.

"This covers some of the more unconventional tactics used during the war, particularly those that were erased from public records due to their controversial nature."

She handed the book to me with a composed expression, but there was something about the way she watched me—measuring, calculating.

"Thank you, Ms. Selena," I said, taking the book and offering a polite nod. "I'll be sure to read it carefully."

She smiled. "Good. History holds many secrets, after all."

I turned and made my way toward the exit, but just as I stepped through the threshold, I faintly heard something.

"Asshole."

It was a quiet mumble, barely audible, but I caught it.

I didn't stop, didn't turn around.

I simply continued walking, pretending as if I hadn't heard a thing.

Selena Aurelius was many things—brilliant, cunning, unpredictable.

And now, she was irritated.

That meant I had done something right.

With the book tucked under my arm, I left the library, my mind already working through the next steps.

Whatever Selena knew about the Anti Magic Society, I would find out in due time.

***

In the meantime, there was something strange happening inside the dungeon, where the previous exploration class was held for the first years and where Lucian got severely injured after trying to revive a powerful dead monster.

After the dungeon had been cleared weeks ago, it was deemed safe for exploration.

But soon, explorers started vanishing without a trace.

No corpses, no signs of battle—just empty silence.

Whispers spread throughout the city, and soon, the dungeon earned its infamous title: The Dungeon of the Ghost.

Local authorities could no longer ignore the disappearances.

In response, they dispatched a team of four knights from the local administration, fully equipped and trained to handle any potential threats.

---

As the knights descended into the dungeon, their footsteps echoed through the abandoned halls.

Their leader, Sir Aldric, raised a gauntleted hand, signaling the group to halt.

"Stay alert," he ordered, his deep voice cutting through the gloom. "Something doesn't feel right."

Beside him, Seraphina, the group's mage, furrowed her brows.

She extended a hand, feeling the unnatural energy that lingered in the air.

"This dungeon… it's wrong. The mana flow is completely distorted. It's as if the space itself is fractured."

"Then we proceed with caution," Aldric said firmly.

"We find out what's going on here, and if anything unnatural remains, we destroy it."

As they ventured deeper, the oppressive silence thickened.

The further they went, the more it felt as though they were being watched.

Then, without warning, a distant wail echoed through the dungeon, sending an unnatural shiver down their spines.

Aldric tightened his grip on his sword.

Then another knight subordinate to Sir Aldric, raised his voice.

"Sir Aldric, don't you find it strange?"

"What?", Aldric replied in confusion.

"Even though we have come this far into this dungeon, there is not a single corpse of either a human or at least an animal."

The knight was right—there should have been something.

Even if the vanished explorers had been taken, there would be signs of a struggle, discarded weapons, torn fabric—anything. But the dungeon was eerily pristine.

Seraphina pressed her palm against the cold stone wall, closing her eyes as she channeled a detection spell.

A pulse of mana rippled through the air, vanishing into the darkness ahead.

Her expression darkened.

"There are traces of life," she murmured. "But they're… unstable. Scattered."

Aldric turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Seraphina hesitated before answering. "It's as if they are neither dead nor alive. Their presence flickers, like shadows caught between worlds."

A shiver ran through the knights.

The thought of beings existing in a state of limbo was deeply unsettling.

Then, they heard it.

The knights froze as a faint voice echoed through the dungeon's darkness.

"Help… someone… please…"

It was weak, barely above a whisper, yet it carried an eerie resonance that sent chills down their spines.

The voice seemed to come from deeper within, past the crumbling stone corridors where no light reached.

Sir Aldric exchanged glances with his team.

Seraphina's face was grim, her fingers tightening around her staff.

The others—Gareth and Lionel—gripped their weapons, their expressions wary.

"Stay close," Aldric commanded in a low voice. "We move in formation. No one strays."

They pressed forward, their footsteps measured, each step swallowed by the overwhelming silence.

The deeper they went, the stronger the unnatural pressure became, as if the air itself resisted their presence.

Then, the voice came again, clearer this time.

"Please… don't leave me here…"

Seraphina sucked in a breath. "This isn't right."

Aldric nodded. "Agreed. Be ready for anything."

They rounded a corner and found themselves in a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in shadows.

At the center, barely illuminated by their flickering torches, knelt a lone figure—a man clad in tattered explorer's garb.

His head hung low, his arms limp at his sides.

Blood stained his clothing, yet there were no visible wounds.

It was as if the very air around him was draining him of life.

Aldric stepped forward cautiously. "Who are you?"

The man's head jerked upward, revealing hollow eyes filled with swirling darkness.

His lips twisted into an unnatural grin.

"You came," he whispered.

A wave of unnatural energy exploded outward.

The torches flickered violently before being extinguished, plunging the knights into absolute darkness.

The air turned ice-cold, and the oppressive silence was shattered by guttural whispers from all around them.

Then, a chilling realization dawned on them.

The missing explorers weren't gone.

They were here.

And they were watching.

The knights barely had time to react before the shadows lunged.

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A/N :

Please comment down your thoughts on the story so far, if anyone's reading.

Next chapter : Deviation 0.0000001%

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