Azriel knew this moment was inevitable.
He knew it, but knowing didn't make it any easier.
This would likely be one of the most hated moments of his life as he stared at the edge of the cliff, jaw clenched.
If only Solomon hadn't walked in that day when he was alone in his room.
He might have tested how high he could jump without dying.
"Always ruining my mood, no matter where that stupid clown is..."
Azriel blamed Solomon.
His fists tightened, then loosened, over and over as he tried to steady his breathing, calming himself little by little.
His face grew unreadable.
It wasn't ideal to let anyone see his distress, not right now.
Well, except for one person who already knew...
...and seemed to enjoy it.
"The gods really are cruel..."
He then glanced at Celestina, standing with some cadets—Lumine and Yelena—deep in discussion about their next move.
The second floor was nothing like the first.
It wasn't a maze that felt like walking through mirrors.
There would be no lucky floor shifts to help them this time.
Azriel approached, his presence halting their conversation as they turned to face him.
A wry smile crept onto Azriel's face as he stopped in front of them.
There were faces he didn't recognize, but a few he did, like Cadet Kanae.
It seemed Celestina had decided to take others' advice before making any further moves on this floor.
"So... what's the plan?"
Azriel asked, his eyes locking onto Celestina, who returned his gaze with a blank expression.
"The plan? Are you asking because you're finally going to help?"
Lumine, standing beside Celestina, narrowed his eyes at Azriel.
'Hmm? Is he angry at me...?'
Azriel sensed a trace of irritation in Lumine's voice.
No doubt it was because of the quest he'd received from the system.
Lumine must have been on edge this entire time.
'I wonder if he still has the same quest...'
Azriel sighed, meeting Lumine's eyes.
"Do you need my help?"
Lumine furrowed his brow at the question.
Lumine hesitated, momentarily lost for words.
Lumine wanted reassurance—Azriel's help would ease his mind, knowing the other cadets would be safer during the void dungeon.
But even without the quest, Lumine cared deeply for the others.
His mind just wasn't focused right now, too distracted by suspicion and doubt.
Azriel thought, watching Lumine struggle to speak.
"That... you know, killing void creatures."
Azriel raised an eyebrow.
"You need my help for that? I'm a greedy person, you know. If I stick around, I'll just be held back, and I'm not interested in splitting mana cores this time."
Not that it was even possible.
His skill, [Core Reaper], ensured that the moment he killed a void creature, he absorbed the mana cores instantly—no need to extract them from their bodies.
No one else knew about this, just as they hadn't known it was Azriel who was responsible for the empty mana cores on the first floor.
It was a ridiculous skill, on par with an [Unique Skill], much like his [Void Mind].
But neither were his true [Unique Skill].
Azriel had something far more special.
"If I were to help, it'd make things too easy. Some would try to use me as their personal mana core supplier while doing nothing. People can die here, with or without my help. It'll either make them stronger if they survive, or pathetic if they don't because they hid behind me or you."
Lumine fell silent, knowing Azriel was right.
The gap between Azriel and the other first years wasn't small.
The same could be said for Lumine, whose strength was becoming more apparent to the others.
Slowly, some had begun to rely on him, treating him as another potential leader—someone to use for gaining mana cores.
Of course, those same cadets wouldn't act until they were confident or had enough support, which wasn't coming anytime soon, especially after Celestina's performance against the Dark King.
Azriel turned his attention to the group before returning his gaze to Celestina, who still wore an unreadable expression.
"So, am I allowed to know what plan you've come up with?"
After a moment, Celestina nodded.
"Of course. We were planning to share it with the others later."
She stepped toward the cliff's edge, overlooking the black desert.
Azriel hesitated for a second, then followed her, standing at her side.
The others watched them in silence before eventually leaving.
"It's quite high, isn't it?"
Of course, it was high—and Azriel was terrified of heights.
Not that Celestina knew, nor did he plan to let anyone else find out.
Jasmine had been an exception, one he regretted.
"They say the black desert shouldn't be on the second floor... it's too unbalanced for such an early floor."
Azriel pressed his lips together.
"Whoever designed this dungeon clearly wasn't sober."
Celestina smiled faintly.
"Yes, definitely drunk."
The void dungeon was a place of chaotic phenomena—floor shifts, unbalanced challenges, and inexplicable dangers.
It was confusing and complex, a place where anyone could die at any moment.
The deeper you went, the more certain that death became.
"We're planning to send a scout down first to map out what we're dealing with."
Azriel's eyes opened slightly.
"And who's the scout?"
It was a dangerous task—whoever went would be descending into the unknown, risking death.
"Me," Celestina said.
"Since I proposed the plan and I'm the leader, it only makes sense. But Lumine's been strangely insistent that he should go instead."
Azriel nodded, understanding. Lumine's reasons might have been different, but as the second-ranked first-year, he was the best choice.
"So, is he going down now?"
Celestina shook her head.
"No. Then Yelena offered, saying she was better suited for the task. We've been arguing about it ever since, until you showed up."
Yelena was another excellent choice—few could match her instincts and senses among the first years.
"Haa... at least no one wants to go back yet."
Celestina sounded exhausted as they both stared down at the black desert.
Occasionally, the wind rustled.
If someone wanted to leave, they could.
The slightly elevated platform where the Dark King's throne had been housed a small black hole now.
Stepping into it would send them back outside the throne room's gate, though they'd have to find their way out of the dungeon afterward.
Azriel stood silently beside her, knowing he wasn't the only one scared.
Anyone would be, standing this high up, knowing they'd have to descend into danger soon enough.
After a few moments, Azriel broke the silence.
Celestina snapped her head toward him.
"What... no, but why?"
"Consider it my way of thanking you for letting me tag along without doing anything on the first floor."
Celestina blinked, then shook her head.
"No, but a lot of others didn't do much either. There was barely anything for most of us to do."
Traveling with a group of cadets meant not everyone got their fair share of action.
Still, Azriel shook his head.
"They followed you with the intent of doing whatever you said. I didn't. I'm still not, by the way. So consider this my payment for letting me follow you around without doing much on this floor as well."
Celestina pursed her lips before speaking.
"Fine. I accept your proposal. I'll tell the others, and you'll leave tomorr—"
Azriel cut her off, and she looked at him in surprise.
"You and the others who fought the dark king are still tired and haven't recovered your mana. Rest here while I go now. It'll only take a day, enough time for everyone to recover."
"It's fine. I'm doing this on my own volition. Oh, and tell my dear sister that if she follows me, I'll tell Mom about her special collection."
Celestina looked puzzled, trying to process his words.
"Special collection? What collection?"
"You can ask her that."
"...make sure you don't die and run if needed."
There was no point in dying a foolish death.
Azriel nodded his head.
He was probably one of the fastest here, so escaping was something he could definitely, and would definitely, do if the need arose.
"I will, thanks. Now go and get some sleep. Tell the same to Lumine and Yelena."
He would have said to tell the same to Vergil, but the guy was already asleep right next to the slightly elevated platform.
Celestina hesitated but eventually nodded, wishing him luck before turning to leave.
The instructors were busy with other cadets, while Jasmine seemed occupied as well.
The three instructors weren't following their own rules about staying out of the cadets' minds, which made Azriel chuckle.
He sighed, turning his gaze back to the cliff and gritting his teeth.
"Why does it have to be so high..."
Azriel was starting to wish he could punch whoever had designed this floor.
'It's going to take an hour or two to get down there... probably more.'
Without wasting any time, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching.
And then, he started to climb down the cliff—dangerously.