Before they entered, one of the instructors stepped forward and addressed them.
"You guys should pick your Masters. They will lead and guide you, and in case of any situation, you can consult them. They will lead and guide you, so choose wisely."
The moment he said that, murmurs spread across the group.
It was clear this decision was important.
Then one of the instructors continued.
"Orelia is automatically one of them."
No one objected.
No one even dared to.
Her strength, her presence, and her reputation alone made the decision obvious.
Then came the next question.
"Would you like Sylvia to continue?"
There was a brief pause before voices rose.
"Yes!"
"Of course!"
"She should!"
The majority gave it to her without hesitation.
Sylvia smiled lightly, her calm and friendly nature already making her approachable.
Now it was left with the last person.
"How about we make that a male?" one of the instructors suggested.
There was silence again.
Everyone began looking around, thinking.
Lior stood quietly, his mind already working.
Ryan would be a good fit, he thought.
Strong. Reliable. Experienced.
But just as he turned slightly—
He froze.
The instructor was looking at him.
Not just the instructor.
Mike.
Jason.
Verick.
One by one, he realized they were all staring at him.
And just like that—
It was decided.
"You've got to be joking…" Lior muttered under his breath.
But the instructor didn't hesitate.
"Your Masters are Orelia, Sylvia… and Lior—as we all agreed."
A mixture of reactions spread across the group.
Some were surprised.
Some were curious.
Some simply accepted it.
Lior stood there, still processing what had just happened.
But there was no time to argue.
The groups were already being split.
They divided themselves under the three Masters.
The two instructors stepped forward.
"One of us will go with Lior, and the other will go with Sylvia."
As for Orelia's group—
The instructors made sure to add Ryan and Rain to her team.
A strategic decision.
One that balanced the strength among the groups.
And just like that—
The raid began.
They moved into different sections of the dungeon.
This was a dungeon that every year was cleared by new recruits.
But even so—
It was far from easy.
For days, they moved deeper.
Fighting.
Advancing.
Surviving.
Orelia led her group with seriousness and precision.
Every move calculated.
Every command sharp.
No room for mistakes.
Sylvia, on the other hand, led with calmness.
Friendly.
Understanding.
Her group cooperated easily, trusting her guidance without hesitation.
Then there was Lior.
He made everything… different.
He joked.
He laughed.
He made even the most tense situations feel lighter.
At first, it confused them.
Then—
They started enjoying it.
Even the instructor assigned to him couldn't help but smile at times.
They moved through raids shift by shift.
Resting when needed.
Fighting when required.
And somehow—
In the middle of a dungeon—
They found moments of peace.
They cooked.
Not just ordinary meals—
Tasty meals.
Lior took charge of most of it, turning whatever ingredients they found into something worth eating.
At some point, they even discovered a section of the dungeon that had flowing water—almost like an aquarium.
They used it to bathe.
To refresh themselves.
To feel human again.
And somehow—
They even found time to play board games.
Inside a dungeon.
It was absurd.
But it worked.
The instructor watched closely.
Observing.
Analyzing.
And slowly, a thought formed in his mind.
He may not be as strong as Orelia or Sylvia…
But in terms of leadership…
He might be better.
The way Lior treated his group—
It made them work harder.
Not out of fear.
Not out of pressure.
But because they wanted to.
And so, they progressed.
Clearing floor after floor.
By the looks of it—
Each group was almost done.
They found a spot to rest.
Prepared themselves.
And waited for the final push.
The following day came.
And with it—
The final stretch.
They moved forward.
Clearing everything in their path.
Until—
They reached the boss.
A Shadow Walker.
It was strong.
Very strong.
They fought it.
Again.
And again.
And again.
But no progress.
It was as if it knew every move they were about to make.
Every strike.
Every step.
Every plan.
All countered.
Lior stepped forward.
Enough.
This time—
He charged.
With all his speed.
And for the first time—
He was moving on par with it.
The Shadow Walker reacted instantly.
But Lior kept up.
He closed the distance.
Raised his blade.
Ready to slice—
Then suddenly—
He stopped.
Changed his mind.
And instead—
He grabbed the Shadow Walker tightly.
Holding it in place.
"Kim!" he shouted. "Give me everything you've got!"
There was hesitation.
Just for a moment.
Then—
A blast.
Massive.
Uncontrolled.
It engulfed both of them completely.
The entire area was swallowed by the explosion.
Then—
Silence.
Smoke filled the air.
Thick.
Blinding.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
"…Did he make it?" someone whispered.
Then—
Movement.
A figure stepped forward.
Slowly.
Through the smoke.
"He's alive!"
The shout broke the silence.
And just like that—
They erupted.
Cheers.
Relief.
Disbelief.
Lior stepped out.
Injured.
Exhausted.
But alive.
And victorious.
They rushed toward him.
Celebrating.
Finally—
They had done it.
But—
That moment didn't last.
"LOOK OUT!"
The instructor's voice cut through everything.
He rushed forward.
Pushing one of the cadets out of the way—
And took a heavy hit.
The impact sent him crashing down instantly.
Unmoving.
Everything stopped again.
Slowly—
They turned.
And what they saw—
Left them frozen.
90% of them were traumatized.
Standing before them—
Was a legendary dragon.
Kaiser.