The hallway stretched ahead, silent except for the measured echo of their footsteps against polished stone.

Afternoon light filtered through tall windows, casting long shadows across the floor.

Taryn walked half a step behind Aldwin, his hands clasped behind his back, expression caught between awe and disbelief.

"It's unbelievable," he said finally, breaking the silence. "Right, Professor? A first-year clearing a C-rank dungeon. All by himself."

Aldwin hummed noncommittally, his pace steady and unhurried.

But there was something in his expression, not quite a smile, but close. A subtle softening around his eyes.

Taryn continued, warming to the topic. "I mean, C-rank dungeons are designed for second-years. Full parties of five minimum, usually six for safety margin. Which require a tank—"

"I'm aware of standard protocols," Aldwin interrupted mildly.

"Right. Sorry." Taryn rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just... what Jin did is considered basically impossible."

Aldwin's lips twitched.

I was right about him, he thought with quiet satisfaction. The kid's something else.

They turned a corner, passing a group of students who immediately straightened and pressed themselves against the wall in deference. Aldwin barely noticed them.

"What about the reports?" he asked without breaking stride.

Taryn's expression sobered immediately. "Still investigating. The survey teams are re-examining their initial assessments, trying to determine how they missed the true classification."

They walked in silence for a moment.

"What about Jin?" Taryn asked carefully. "What do we do about... this situation?"

"We keep it quiet."

Taryn blinked. "Sir?"

"Keep it a secret," Aldwin clarified, his tone leaving no room for argument. "From the other students. From the general faculty. This information stays contained to those who already know."

"But," Taryn gestured helplessly. "The Valor Medal? That's a public commendation. It's awarded in front of the entire Academy. Students will ask questions."

Aldwin stopped walking, turning to face Taryn directly.

"The Valor Medal is awarded for exceptional performance in the face of significant danger," he said, his voice measured and deliberate. "We'll say exactly that. Jin Raith cleared a solo dungeon examination under extreme circumstances. Demonstrated remarkable survival skills. Achieved what most first-years cannot."

"But not that it was C-rank," Taryn finished, understanding dawning.

"Correct. There's no need to reveal the dungeon's true classification. Not yet." Aldwin resumed walking. "The last thing that boy needs is the attention that would come from everyone knowing he soloed a C-rank at level eleven. He'd become a spectacle. Every instructor would be watching his every move."

Taryn looked disappointed, his shoulders slumping slightly. What a waste, he thought. The story alone would be legendary. The underdog student, ranked near the bottom, achieving the impossible. It's the kind of tale that inspires people. The kind of attention that could change everything for Jin.

But he understood Aldwin's reasoning, even if he didn't entirely agree with it.

"Understood, sir," he said quietly.

They rounded another corner and stopped in front of a heavy oak door. Aldwin produced a key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

Inside, the office was exactly what you'd expect from a career military instructor.

Functional, organized, and without a single unnecessary decoration.

A large wooden desk dominated the center, its surface clear except for neat stacks of paperwork held down by stone weights.

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with manuals, dungeon classifications, historical records, and combat theory texts. A weapons rack in the corner held practice blades in various states of wear.

The only personal touch was a single framed commendation on the wall, some military honor from decades past, the text too faded to read clearly from a distance.

Aldwin moved to his desk and began lighting the lamps mounted on the walls. Warm light pushed back the shadows, making the space feel less austere.

He settled into his chair with a quiet grunt.

Taryn remained standing near the door, uncertain whether he'd been dismissed.

Before either could speak, a sharp knock echoed through the office.

"Enter," Aldwin called.

The door opened immediately. A younger man stepped inside, one of the administrative staff.

He approached Aldwin's desk quickly, pulled out several papers bound with red string, and set them down without a word.

"The final assessment?" Aldwin asked.

"Yes, sir. Just came through. Three teams confirmed." The man's expression was carefully neutral. "Will there be anything else?"

"No. Dismissed."

The administrator left as quickly as he'd arrived, closing the door behind him.

Aldwin picked up the papers, breaking the red string seal with practiced efficiency. He began reading, his expression unreadable.

Then, slowly, his lips curved into a grin.

Taryn straightened immediately. "Sir? What is it?"

Aldwin looked up, and for a moment, Taryn saw something in his expression that looked almost like relief.

"It wasn't a dual-natured dungeon," Aldwin said, setting the papers down.

Taryn's brow furrowed. "Sir?"

"The Blackwood Crypt." Aldwin tapped the report with one finger. "The final assessment confirms it. It wasn't a dungeon with two separate natures, or a masked dungeon hiding its true classification."

"Then what was it?"

Aldwin's grin widened. "It was always just a simple, low-rank undead dungeon. E-rank. Exactly what the initial surveys said."

Taryn's eyes widened. "What?"

"Until halfway through." Aldwin's finger moved to a different section of the report. "The assessment teams traced the energy signatures. For the first two and a half hours of Jin's examination, the dungeon maintained stable E-rank classification."

He paused, his jaw tightening.

"Then something changed."

Taryn leaned forward. "Changed how?"

"At approximately the two-hour-thirty-minute mark, right around when Jin would have been entering the lower levels, the dungeon's core experienced a sudden surge in necrotic energy." Aldwin turned the report so Taryn could see the mana signature graph. "Here. See this spike?"

The graph showed a relatively stable line, then a dramatic vertical surge that jumped from low readings to nearly off the chart.

"The core began pulling ambient death energy from the surrounding area. Concentrating it. The dungeon didn't hide its true nature; it genuinely wasn't C-rank when Jin entered. It became C-rank while he was inside."

"But that's," Taryn gestured helplessly. "Dungeons don't just evolve mid-clear. That's not how they work."

"No, it's not." Aldwin's expression darkened. "Which is why three separate assessment teams spent the last three days investigating. Their conclusion is in the report."

"What conclusion?"

Aldwin was quiet for a moment, his finger tapping against the desk in a slow, rhythmic pattern.

"The dungeon core was artificially stimulated," he said finally. "Someone, or something, triggered the surge deliberately. Fed the core additional necrotic energy from an external source, forcing it to evolve beyond its natural classification."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence.

Taryn's face went pale. "You mean someone tried to kill him. They waited until he was inside and then—"

"We don't know that for certain," Aldwin cut him off sharply. "The report offers multiple theories. It could have been deliberate sabotage targeting Jin specifically. It could have been opportunistic, someone noticed a student had entered and decided to make the dungeon more dangerous for their own reasons. Or..." he paused, "It could have been a reaction to Jin himself."

"What do you mean?"

Aldwin leaned back in his chair.

"The assessment teams stated that Jin's use of his abilities throughout the dungeon also might have been interpreted by the core as a threat. Some dungeon cores have defensive protocols, if they detect someone tampering with their structure, they respond by increasing difficulty."

Taryn absorbed this, his expression troubled. "So either someone tried to murder him, or the dungeon itself tried to kill him because he was too good at surviving it."

"Essentially."

"That's..." Taryn ran a hand through his hair. "That's insane. Either scenario is insane."

"Yes." Aldwin's voice was flat. "Which is why this information absolutely cannot leave this room. If word gets out that the dungeon was deliberately sabotaged, it would cause panic. Parents pulling students out. Investigations that could take months. The entire practical examination system would be called into question."

He locked the report in his desk drawer, the key disappearing into his pocket.

"The official story remains the same. Jin Raith cleared a challenging solo examination under difficult circumstances. He demonstrated exceptional skill and received a Valor Medal for his performance. That's what goes in the records. That's what students will be told."

Taryn nodded slowly and left, closing the door behind him.

Alone in his office, Aldwin allowed himself one more satisfied smile before returning to his work.

The kid did well. Really well.

The oil lamps flickered quietly, casting shifting shadows across the walls.

Outside, the Academy continued its normal rhythm, students attending classes, instructors giving lectures, the endless cycle of learning and growth.

-----x-------

[Chapter End:]

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[A/N:]

Yo guys, I hope you're doing well. What I wanted to say is that thanks for all your support till now and reading this far.

And also, sorry for low updates, as I was having some irl stuff and couldn't write much...

But I'll try, come back again uploading 2 a day.

That's it for now. Bye.

And don't forget to leave comments of what you like and what you don't. So I can improve next time...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.