The sound of swords tearing through the air can be heard every second. All of them are my constructions, constantly trying to pierce my defenses made of electrical currents. Without a companion, I can only resort to fighting against myself.

  When my mana drops too low to continue, I decide to stop and take a break. Sitting on the sand, I choose to observe my last day in this place for a bit: the crystal-clear water and the tiny island with a single palm tree in the middle.

  In the end, I focused solely on training my new skill with electricity and continuing to improve my control over gravity magic. I feel a bit afraid to try improving the electrical pseudo Law; my cube is still somewhat weak to this day. No cracks have appeared yet, but they will if I keep forcing it.

  I feel quite happy with the progress of my abilities. Now the electric shield forms as quickly as my other skills, and I no longer need to strain myself to shape it manually. The power and number of lightning bolts dancing around me are also incomparable to how they were several weeks ago.

  At this point, my Joyeuse, carrying enough power to injure a basic Ruby, can be stopped to a certain degree. They aren’t completely destroyed or paralyzed; they’re simply struck hard enough to give me time to dodge them or even let them hit me without piercing my armor.

  I can even feel the skill mutating. It’s not something as drastic as what happened with my movement skill; it’s simply being reshaped. I hope I don’t receive a notification about a new skill anytime soon—I don’t think my cube could handle another Rank IV skill right now.

  Gravity Surge has also gained a couple of levels. My fear of seeing it stagnate at level ten disappeared when I received the last notification a few days ago. Right now, I’m a completely different person from when I entered the Hero’s Dungeon in Skyblue River City. Now I truly feel confident that I can fight against any Ruby-rank opponent.

  I observe how my body has changed over these three months… well, you could call them three years. My hair has grown until it almost reaches my navel; my height has changed—I should be around 1.82 or 1.83 meters now. My body has gained quite a bit of volume during this time. Although I look a bit slimmer, I’m still a body full of fiber and very little fat.

  It gives me a slight headache trying to come up with a logical explanation for this dungeon-prison. Not only that, it’s hard to recognize myself because I’ve changed so much physically in just three weeks. Everyone will be in for a huge surprise. On the bright side, I’ve become more handsome—or at least I think so. My childish features have sharpened, though I still resemble my mother.

  I spend the next few hours sitting and resting, simply playing with mana and Imra, creating random constructions, destroying them, and then building something different. It’s a very practical exercise to relax. I’d go crazy if I did nothing for so many hours. Have I become crazier? All these months I slept only three to four hours a day; the rest of the time was training and tending to my needs.

  “I should relax a bit when I get back…” I’m close to finishing my first semester at the academy. I’ll take advantage of these days to let my body rest and return home fully healed. Thinking about school, I’ve certainly missed many classes. I don’t care much as a student, but I do as a teacher. My students trust me, and I’ve abandoned them for several weeks.

  I feel the space-type mana shift from one moment to the next, a sensation I’ve experienced many times in my life. I stop weaving and calmly wait for the next few seconds. This spatial mana means only one thing: I’m about to be teleported.

  “At last, it’s time to return.” Those were my final words before everything around me turned black and I vanished from this prison.

  Point of view of ???:

  “Sir… have we received a response from the kingdom?” A young man with brown hair standing before me looks deeply worried. His fearful eyes make me feel terribly sad and guilty.

  “Yes.” My affirmative answer slightly changes his expression; I can see hope. “They’ll arrive in approximately three days…” My voice trails off, and my eyes grow gloomy. It’s not just me—everyone gathered around me looks defeated, sad, or hopeless after hearing this.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “We won’t survive. If we’re lucky, we’ll make it to tomorrow.” My old comrade-in-arms slams reality down like a hammer on the table. The white hair at his temples and the baldness at the top of his head show the years haven’t passed in vain, yet he still carries his longsword at his side, proof of his days as a dungeon diver.

  “I know. We must do everything we can today.” I let out a sigh, feeling my soul leave my body. “It was our mistake to trust the count. We already had some idea of his personality, and yet we still decided to follow protocol.” Everyone in the room smiles bitterly. Most of those present are dressed for battle, and only three of them are under fifty years old.

  I can’t help but regret following those damned protocols. The damned count ruling our region is a useless bastard, nowhere near as strong or prestigious as his father once was. If we had informed the kingdom directly, we could’ve avoided this disastrous situation.

  A week ago, a distant and unknown dungeon overflowed. We barely managed to hold out thanks to the city’s defenses, the sacrifice of several soldiers, and the help of some kind adventurers who happened to pass through the city.

  Unfortunately, everything went to hell when a Grade-4 monster appeared, leading the weaker ones. It caught us off guard, and many defenders died in that attack. Thanks to the sacrifice of our strongest soldier and the arm of an adventurer, we forced it to retreat.

  The problem is that by now, that minotaur-type monster should have fully recovered from its injuries. Monsters possess incredible regeneration, and this type is known for its powerful vitality.

  Our dire situation has forced us to take up arms once more. All of us veterans have decided to unite and try to defend against today’s attack, but we all know the truth… we don’t stand the slightest chance against that minotaur. We’ll be slaughtered to the last man.

  Most of the women and children have already been sent to a nearby town. We’ve decided to buy as much time as possible here and pray the kingdom’s reinforcements arrive as soon as they can. At the very least, we hope to delay the attack on the other town.

  Only a few brave teenagers and mothers worried about their children have chosen to stay. They prefer to fight to the death to gain as much time as possible and save their families.

  The tense air in the room could be cut with a knife. I feel deeply sorry for my second-in-command, the man who should inherit my position as village chief. He’s not a fighter, yet he’s chosen to stay and fight. I observe the thin, small young man with bulging eyes trembling slightly, his leg constantly shaking from nerves.

  We hear the city’s alarm sound. That means only one thing: the monsters have returned.

  Everyone’s expressions darken even further. Even I can’t help but wish for a miracle to save these brave warriors and veterans. I stand up quickly and head toward the small wall a few meters away, everyone in the office following me without hesitation.

  I look into the eyes of all those gathered. Many are afraid, others have already accepted death, but they all share one thing: an intense fire burns in their eyes. No one will surrender easily.

  How I wish I could sacrifice my life to save the rest. Why has everything become so complicated? I touch my white hair and let out a sigh, trying to calm myself. It’s an old habit that helps me relax.

  The monsters are visible a few dozen meters away. The damned minotaur stands at the front, leading other Grade-3 monsters. I can’t help cursing my bad luck. Why aren’t my friend and I at our peak? We’re both Ruby-rank, but right now we can only contain it for a short time before falling.

  The cursed leader monster raises its massive axe while other monsters at its sides fire spells at the walls. We respond in kind, stopping most of them. Only a few hit the wall, but thankfully it doesn’t break or crack. Fate hates us. Why did a leader monster appear among them? If it had been another Grade-4 monster, we might’ve had a sliver of hope.

  The minotaur lets out a disgusting laugh that makes my bones tremble. Immediately after, I see an enormous cone-shaped spell of stone forming at an absurd speed, fortified by black mana—death affinity.

  The massive spell only takes seconds to become powerful enough to destroy the city gate. Although we try to destroy it with spells, none of us specialize in long-range combat, and the mages are only Sapphire-rank. They can’t do much.

  “Everyone, retreat.” My danger-sensing skill screams wildly. No one hesitates; everyone immediately begins to fall back as the spell flies toward the gate.

  The massive doors hold for a moment before shattering, the spell continuing forward with reduced power. I dash out to intercept it. My lifelong friend Oslas appears at my side, running with his greatsword while I wield my spear. About ten meters from the spell, both of us look up at the sky.

  A powerful mana descends from above. Immediately after, something falls at tremendous speed and destroys the spell, saving us. The surrounding area fractures, forming a massive crater, and the air grows colder as powerful ice mana floods the area.

  A small smile forms as I see a young man with long reddish hair. The minotaur’s spell has been completely destroyed, and this person stands unharmed. “Thank you…” I can only whisper those words. It seems my prayers have been answered.

  “You’re welcome.” The young man turns, his violet eyes shining. “Sit back and watch the show. I’ll take care of everything.” As soon as he finishes speaking, a terrifying pressure descends upon the entire area. It doesn’t affect us directly, but I can feel the strength behind that ability—and a powerful thirst for blood.

  “We’re saved…” I watch as all the Grade-3 monsters drop to their knees, and even the minotaur struggles. As long as I live, I’ll never forget this moment—or those violet eyes.