A shudder ran down Celestina's spine as she watched four identical figures, clad in knight armor, emerge from the black holes.
They looked just like the Dark King chained to the throne, but there was a crucial difference.
Unlike the original, these clones were not bound by chains, nor seated upon an obsidian throne.
Each one gripped a silver sword, their crimson eyes gleaming with malevolence as they stared at the group.
'They're all Grade 2 monsters...!?'
Celestina's thoughts raced in disbelief.
Each clone held the same mana core level as the Dark King itself.
The realization hit her hard—how were they supposed to fight four Grade 2 monsters at the same time, on the first floor no less?
And that was without even considering the original Dark King, still seated on his throne.
With him in the mix...
Celestina had no idea what other abilities the true Dark King might be hiding.
'At least it seems like he won't leave his seat...'
As long as he stayed put, maybe—just maybe—the battle wouldn't be impossible.
Still, it felt like the dungeon was punishing them for their relatively easy journey so far.
Which, in a way, it was.
"...Anyone who isn't an awakened should stay back for this fight," Celestina ordered, her voice calm but commanding.
None of the cadets argued.
They weren't foolish enough to think they could stand against a floor boss of this level.
One by one, they stepped back, leaving only a handful standing:
Lumine, Yelena, Vergil, and three other cadets.
Celestina glanced at each of them, their eyes locked on the Dark King's clones.
'Six against four—five, counting the original... but,'
her gaze shifted to Azriel, standing next to Jasmine and the instructors. He hadn't moved an inch.
A flicker of disappointment passed through her.
He trusted her to handle this, and she wasn't about to let herself—or anyone else—down.
Suddenly, a radiant silver light enveloped Celestina, the glow matching the shimmer of her hair.
As the brilliance intensified, a magnificent suit of armor materialized over her academy clothes.
Beautiful silver engravings adorned every inch of the gleaming gunmetal armor, hugging her form perfectly.
The divine aura it projected made her seem almost otherworldly.
The other cadets gaped at her transformation.
"Seriously, she looks like a different person."
Despite their praise, Celestina felt a bit self-conscious but maintained a stoic expression.
'It fits perfectly, as always,' she thought, admiring her soul armor.
Excitement bubbled within her; opportunities to use her soul armor had been scarce, but now? Now, she could wear it with pride.
She couldn't help feeling relieved—it would've been awful if the armor had looked ugly.
After all, no matter what, she still cared about her appearance.
"I really need to get one of those myself."
"I wish I were a princess too," came Lumine and Yelena's voices, breaking her focus.
Celestina's lips twitched at their banter.
It was almost like they had forgotten about the Dark Kings before them—but of course, they hadn't.
They were simply waiting.
"So, are we going, or what, Princess?"
Vergil's blunt voice cut through the air.
He didn't even glance at her, his gaze fixed on the floor bosses.
Though he had apologized the day before, thanks to Azriel, it was clear he still didn't care much.
His eyes held a look of sheer boredom.
'Right... he's always been crazy.'
Celestina thought, remembering how Vergil had never shied away from fighting void creatures alone, streaming his battles online for the world to see.
Taking a deep breath, she focused on the four Dark Kings.
The moment Celestina spoke, a gust of wind swept through the room, sending her hair and that of the other cadets flying.
A loud crash reverberated through the boss room, echoing off the walls.
Her eyes widened in shock at the sight in the center of the platform—Lumine, standing with one of the Dark King's clones limp in his grip.
With a powerful squeeze, he crushed its neck, shattering the clone's armor in an instant.
The entire creature dissolved into a thick, dark liquid, splattering across Lumine's hands, feet, and the floor.
Lumine's face twisted in disgust.
"Why do I always have to get filthy?"
Yelena, standing beside Celestina, stared blankly at Lumine, while Vergil clicked his tongue before charging toward the remaining Dark King clones.
'How is he already this strong?'
Celestina wondered, but there was no time to dwell on Lumine's strength.
Another black hole appeared, and with it, another Dark King clone stepped out.
Her expression hardened at the sight.
'...Don't tell me they'll keep spawning until the real one is defeated.'
She couldn't help but question how much mana it would take for the Dark King to run out—shouldn't he have already?
Celestina didn't hesitate. She bent her knees and with a powerful kick, launched herself at one of the Dark King's clones, her silver sword gleaming in her grip.
Her blade met the clone's with a jarring clash, the impact sending a shock through her arm, numbing it.
She gritted her teeth, muscles trembling under the force.
The thought flashed in her mind.
The clone moved with inhuman speed, swinging its blade in a wide horizontal arc.
Celestina ducked just in time, her own sword thrusting forward in retaliation.
It was fast, but not fast enough.
The clone sidestepped, her strike barely missing its chest by the breath of a second.
The ground beneath the clone cracked as it brought its sword down with monstrous force, the air itself seeming to tremble.
Celestina's face tightened, her instincts screaming as the blade bore down toward her.
In a desperate move, she threw her left hand forward, a brilliant white glow bursting from her palm.
The light blinded the clone, or so she thought.
It moved as if the flash meant nothing, its sword already descending toward her head.
A green arrow, humming with energy, sliced through the air and collided with the clone's sword.
The force knocked it off balance, sending it stumbling back.
Celestina's heart raced as she turned, her eyes locking with Yelena's.
Her ally stood poised, bow drawn, another arrow of glowing green mana forming around the string.
Yelena gave her a sharp nod.
"She can shape her mana..."
Celestina realized in awe, but there was no time for thoughts.
The clone lunged at her once more.
This time, Celestina was ready.
She rolled to the side, her silver blade flashing in the dim light as she struck.
The sword cleaved into the clone's side with devastating precision, sending it crashing to the ground.
Armor shards exploded in every direction, revealing only blackness—an endless void where a body should have been.
A pit of darkness, seething and unnatural.
Celestina wasted no breath.
She drove her sword deep into the gap in its armor.
The clone shuddered before dissolving into a swirling pool of dark liquid, just like the one Lumine had slain moments before.