Isolde's intervention had calmed the immediate storm, but Nameless's collar had never stopped emitting a faint, warning glow since that day.
Three months had passed. Three months of averted gazes, whispered conspiracies behind marble pillars, and exhausting training sessions with Elara. Nameless still hadn't recovered his memory, but he had learned one thing: his power responded only to instinct.
"Come on, Nameless! Smile a bit! We're going on an excursion!" Leo exclaimed, adjusting his backpack.
Despite his healed bruises, Leo had remained loyal. Beside them, Princess Isolde walked in silence, her mere presence keeping the other students at a distance.
"This isn't an excursion, Leo," she said coldly. "It's an E-Rank Dungeon. Even if these are the weakest monsters, the darkness and confinement can drive any novice mad."
At the entrance of the gaping cave that served as a portal to the dungeon, Prince Alaric was waiting with his group. His two-handed sword had been replaced by a new blade, even more massive than the last. As his eyes met Nameless's, he flashed a predatory smile.
"Try not to crush us with gravity this time, monster," Alaric called out. "In a dungeon, if you lose control, no one will come to save you. Accidents happen so quickly underground..."
The Immersion
The class descended into the damp galleries. The air was heavy with the smell of mold and stagnant magic. The first monsters appeared: Goblins—small, fast, and endowed with skin as hard as granite.
"Defense formation!" Professor Kaelen ordered.
It was time for the test. The students had to prove their utility. Nameless, with his daggers and imposing gloves, stood in the back. He felt the shadow stirring behind him. This dungeon wasn't "normal." There was something deep within these galleries, something calling to his power—a vibration that only he seemed to perceive.
As the fighting began, Isolde moved closer to him, her ice magic creating small crystals in the air. "Nameless, listen to me. Ignore Alaric. There are presences in this dungeon that shouldn't be in an E-Rank. Stay close to me."
Suddenly, a scream rang out from the front of the column. The cave walls began to tremble, and it wasn't due to any student's magic. The conspiracies Isolde had overheard were starting to bear fruit: someone had sabotaged the dungeon to trap the class... or to force Nameless to reveal himself once and for all.