Emma was currently rushing through the forest, towards the Dungeon.

Reinforcements had been sent to the Dungeon, but she couldn't ride a carriage.

Her mind was racing, desperate to see William as soon as she could.

The dungeon had presumably collapsed; that's why the screens had turned blank.

William had been driven into a corner. The monster was unfairly strong and not something that could be defeated alone. And surely not by someone who always relied on his sorcery during battle.

However, something changed.

He suddenly snapped. His powers surged and he chanted a spell that she had never seen before.

If something so terrifying as the Ape could feel fear to the point that it started to run away, then Emma could imagine what kind of presence he must have been radiating in that moment.

The others believed that he had unlocked his potential, but she knew better. William wasn't like any other sorcerer.

He had a side to him that nobody knew. He had something within him that William himself couldn't discern or identify.

And if Emma was guessing right, that being—the same entity who saved her back on Island Beta—must have surfaced upon sensing the danger.

Her feet moved without pause through the forest. She charged like the wind, desperate to see him…to ensure he was safe.

'Please…just be there.'

…

It took her half an hour to reach the dungeon location.

Vitori had given her a map of the dungeon, since it was located in a remote area, accessible only to school staff and Tower members.

There was a massive gate standing before her with a cross marked on it. She looked at the map, and there was indeed a gate mentioned.

Taking a deep breath, she folded the map and advanced forward.

Pressing her hand against the gate, she took a moment to recollect herself before finally pushing the doors.

It was heavy and locked from the inside, so she had to take a few steps back and charge with all her strength, her shoulder slamming against the wooden gate.

DHAK CRACK

The lock cracked and the gate tore open.

Emma was sent stumbling forward, barely stopping herself from falling as her eyes lifted…toward the rising smoke in the distance.

Her eyes stretched wide in shock as she saw several men hunting the monsters, capturing them.

Smoke was rising from beneath the surface—naturally, coming from the dungeon.

Her breath caught as she saw a few men being pulled out of the dungeon, their faces bloodied and bodies limp.

She took a few weak steps forward, her heartbeat slowing down and her mind turning numb.

The worst thought came to her mind, and she hated herself for even thinking about it.

Every step she took felt heavier than the last. Emma felt as if she was advancing toward her worst nightmare…a possibility that scared her more than death itself.

She stood near the source of the smoke.

Heavy slabs had covered the pit in the ground, completely burying what was inside.

Her eyes trembled as she fell to her knees.

"W-William…" she called out, her voice shaky.

"William." She said again, her voice louder this time.

Her hand reached out to lift a broken stone.

As she removed it, more stones appeared.

She removed another, and another—but as if the whole pit had been covered with broken fragments of stone and rock, it did not end at all.

The pit was filled with them.

"Come on, stay with me!"

She instantly shot her head up and looked at the man across from her, pumping the chest of a fallen soldier, trying to keep him alive.

She fell back, eyes brimming with tears.

The whole dungeon had been built underground…and it had collapsed because of that spell.

That one spell…

"No—I don't accept this." Wiping her eyes, she got up.

She was not just going to sit there and accept this.

She could not.

Jumping into the pit, she started removing the rocks one after another, throwing them aside as she continued to clear the pit.

Her hands scraped. Cuts appeared on her palms. The weight of the boulders strained her muscles.

But none of it stopped her.

"Emma, stop!" A voice came from the left, but it didn't stop her.

David ground his teeth and jumped into the pit, trying to pull her away.

"Don't touch me!" Emma lashed out, a swing of her arm sending the man stumbling back.

David helplessly called out, "It's futile. This pit is hundreds of feet deep. You can't dig him out."

"Says who?!" Emma asked, glaring at the man with utter rage and hatred, making David choke on his breath.

In that moment, he felt that if he said or made any hasty movement, Emma wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

Emma returned to her work, flipping fragments and removing the obstacles keeping her away from him.

He had promised to return safely. Yes, he couldn't keep himself away from harm, but he had to return to her.

She told him that whatever the situation…no matter how severely injured he was, he had to get back to her. That was their promise.

DHAK

A hand draped over her shoulder.

She gritted her teeth and shoved her elbow into the man's stomach.

"Leave me—"

"Agh…that hurts, Emma."

"...!!" Emma froze.

Her mind, body, and heart—everything turned still in that moment.

She stood there, believing her mind was playing tricks on her. That desperation was making her hear things.

But her heart forced her to turn.

And the sight nearly made her collapse.

Relief washed over her like a tide.

His face was covered in blood, nose dislocated, lower lip split, head smeared with thick red—but there was no denying it.

"W-Will…" she murmured, taking a baby step forward before stumbling as all her energy suddenly vanished.

William tried to hold her, but he was also too weak to properly keep himself together, let alone support two people.

They both fell to the ground, arms wrapped around each other.

Clinging to his chest, she held him as if she had been wandering in the cold for far too long and had finally found a small, flickering flame.

Her shoulders trembled as tears continued to pour from her eyes while she said, "I hate you, I swear to God…why…why do you always have to be so reckless, you dumb idiot?" Though she complained, relief was the only emotion he could sense in her voice.

Smiling fondly, the blond responded, "I get to see how much you care about me…that's why."

Emma scoffed, thumping her fist lightly against his chest. "Just for once…return to me in one piece. I don't like seeing you covered in blood every single time."

William sighed and softly replied, "I am sorry, Emma…truly, I am."

She sniffled. "You better be."

What began with one-sided dominance ended with a near-death experience.

Well, one thing was for sure.

The word that someone had caused the collapse of a dungeon would reach every corner of the world.

And when that happens…

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