My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 153: First Act 23: Into the Climax 6

"Stars…...?" In a cute and sleepy voice, Bella murmured as her eyes fluttered open, greeted by a myriad of shiny and twinkling lights adorning the dark ceiling above her.

Rattle! Rattle! Her makeshift bed shook and vibrated with each explosion and clash reverberating through her surroundings. Rubbing her eyes, Bella squinted to get a clearer view of the mysterious spectacle before her.

'Glowing crystals….? Oh, that's right, we were supposed to take an exam in the dungeon' she mumbled to herself, slowly rising from her cozy blanket.

As Bella emerged from her slumber, she was met with an unexpectedly tiresome scene.

Glancing around, she realized that she was perched on the edge of a small cliff, overlooking a circular arena below.

The ground trembled beneath her, and she could hear the echoes of blades clashing and sparks flying through the air.

Focusing her gaze on the source of the commotion, Bella spotted a group of students rallying together against a colossal skeleton standing over three meters tall.

The skeletal figure brandished a menacing halberd, its glowing red eyes seething with anger as it relentlessly attacked the dozens of students attempting to overwhelm it.

"Kana, Emmanuel, Fire!!!" The urgent command echoed through the air, prompting quick responses from the party members.

"Y-yes!" "Got it!" they chorused, their voices carrying a blend of determination and readiness. Shouts reverberated from all directions as their party leader skillfully outmaneuvered and baited the skeletal monster, creating a synchronized assault that showcased their well-honed teamwork.

'Well…... their teamwork is pretty good—' Bella thought, observing the dynamic coordination among the various students fighting.

Although some members seemed to be struggling, it appeared to be only a matter of time before they would triumph over the predictable attack patterns of the skeletal monster.

Bella looked behind her and saw that there was a giant whole and the familiar stair case going down below

But….

"Where am I?" Blinking, she looked around and realized that she was still in the cart, but her party members were nowhere to be seen. A sense of disorientation set in as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

Slowly rising to her feet, Bella spotted a piece of paper lying nearby. Picking it up, she was taken aback by the unexpected message scrawled across it.

<Bella, if you're seeing this, please note that we're currently on the lower floors below. You can follow us or stay there if you want. Although we would have liked to bring you along, considering the abundance of magic stones we've collected so far is getting in the way, we all decided to leave it down there with you on the fifth floor. We are all sorry for doing this without asking for your permission, but please protect our loot while we're away.>

From: Aria

A mix of confusion and concern clouded Bella's expression as she processed the contents of the note. It seemed her party had made a decision without consulting her, leaving her alone on the fifth floor with the responsibility of safeguarding their valuable loot.

And to the side of the cart were a bunch of bags, filled to the brim with magic stones.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise at the sheer amount of magical energy emanating from the glittering stones.

The weight of the bags hinted at the tremendous effort her party had put into gathering them.

Despite her initial shock, Bella paid it no mind, remembering who her party members were.

As the sounds of battle continued in the background, Bella couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

'But still…...leaving me alone like this..." she mused, a subtle hurt lingering in her heart. It was a feeling she couldn't quite place, an unexpected pang of loneliness.

However, she quickly rationalized that her companions had likely made this decision out of consideration for her well-being, trusting in her strength and respecting her need for rest.

Bella puffed her cheeks.

She was really annoyed...

....

GROAGHHHH!!!!!

A monstrous serpent roared, its snake-like form coiling with menace. Four venomous fangs, each as large as spears, glistened ominously in the dark.

The creature's roar unleashed a horde of smaller snakes that slithered across the ground, a relentless wave of serpentine menace.

Kssss!!!!

Thousands of snakes shot forward like projectiles, their collective target a young man caught in their deadly trajectory.

In the midst of the chaos, a sudden vertical white line materialized, followed by another, then diagonals joined in rapid succession.

Hundreds of these white lines filled the air in a single breathtaking instant, turning the world momentarily blindingly white.

As swiftly as it appeared, the cascade of white lines left a field of destruction, reducing the multitude of snakes to a thousand pieces.

Click….! The satisfying click of a blade returning to its scabbard echoed through the aftermath. Tristan, the young man at the center of the whirlwind, swiftly got into position.

The air was charged with tension as a gigantic blue serpent, undeterred by the earlier onslaught, rushed toward him with furious determination.

Boom! The colossal snake crashed into the wall as Tristan leaped into the air, seamlessly turning to face his adversary.

As he landed, Tristan channeled his mana, a vibrant blue aura enveloping his body.

Focusing the energy into his hands and extending it to his sword, he slashed downward with incredible force.

The world turned white once again as the blade cut through the air, leaving behind a brilliant streak.

Clank…!

The echoing sound of metal meeting resistance reverberated in the cavernous space.

Tristan's confident smirk faded as he realized the shiny blue scales of the serpent remained unscathed, showcasing an almost impervious defense.

Clicking his tongue in frustration, Tristan prepared for the next round.

GROAGHHH….!!!!

The echoing roar of the serpent reverberated through the cavern as the monstrous creature, unfazed by the earlier encounter, unleashed another guttural bellow.

With a fierce determination, the snake abruptly dove into the ground, disappearing from view.

The earth quivered beneath Tristan's feet as he landed, his expression contorting with annoyance.

As the vibrations from the serpent's retreat settled, Tristan wasted no time.

His well-practiced muscles moved with fluid precision as he seamlessly transitioned into a martial stance.

The air crackled with anticipation as he prepared for the inevitable resurgence of the colossal snake.

His focus intensified, honing in on the subtlest vibrations in the ground, ready to react with lightning-fast reflexes.

'How did senior Evadne kill this thing in one go last year?'

...

"Looks like everyone is playing their roles," I remarked, my gaze fixed on the giant screen monitoring nearly every student in the expansive facility.

The hum of activity filled the room as various scenes unfolded; each student engaged in their designated tasks.

"You're here." Principal Victoria turned her attention toward me as I slowly approached. A young boy with golden eyes, standing next to her, chimed in.

"You're late, boss." Despite encountering him numerous times, the disbelief lingered in my mind that a god, casually present in the mortal world, could traverse realms without repercussions.

Though it was merely an incarnation body, the fact that he was an actual god, playfully wielding his divinity while floating in the air, seemed to defy the very balance of the world. Truly a trickster god.

His divinity is practically deceiving the world.

"Yeah, Euphemia was sticking to me like a magnet all throughout the day," I replied to Loki, stretching my hands slightly. The truth was evident; Euphemia, with her boundless enthusiasm, had practically whisked me away to explore and shop throughout the bustling commercial district. The prospect of a less crowded environment seemed to excite her, turning our day into an impromptu shopping spree.

Even though I had merely suggested tagging along, Euphemia took the liberty to practically force me into joining her little excursion by locking her hands with mine. Despite the initial surprise and slight resistance, she radiated such genuine happiness that I decided to simply let it be.

As we strolled towards the vast array of screens suspended in the air, I approached Principal Victoria. "Principal, can you enlarge that monitor, please?"

"Sure," she responded, and with a swift motion, the screen I had requested expanded. The real-time situation of Aria and the others unfolded before me.

"They're camping?" I remarked, a sense of amusement coloring my tone.

"Haha, well... They pretty much finished the exam already, and it seems they're just waiting for the school's quest announcement" Loki casually explained. His nonchalant demeanor belied the excitement brewing within the screen.

'Well, that's a bit of a surprise?'

I had known that Aria, Alex, Elena, and Bella were teaming up last week, but the speed of their progress was astonishing.

They were the only group on the screen with a distinctive green outline, indicating that they had already surpassed the 5,000-quota points needed to pass the exam.

While the students still needed to deliver the acquired magic stones back to the surface, the school's monitoring process allowed them to count and estimate the total number of points in real-time.

"I see, but why did they go to the 6th floor?" I asked.

"Who knows?" said Loki. "It was that pink-haired lady who suggested it."

Pink hair? I looked at the screen again and saw a hooded figure.

Although she had a graying hood covering her face and hair, the tips of pink hair could still be seen.

'The first princess? Why was she partying with them? I thought their last party member was Leslie. What happened?'

But they're waiting for the quests huh…. I can't say it's a bad choice but wouldn't it be better to wait in the upper floors?

As the quests unfolded, they were not just standard challenges but rather additional tasks, either extra assignments or consolation prizes announced by the school through the use of scattered communication stones and crystals within the dungeon. The students seemed to be eagerly awaiting these announcements, anticipating opportunities to earn extra scores and showcase their skills.

"By the way, boss, did you try the mask yet?" Loki inquired, his golden eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Yeah," I replied, recalling the divine mask Loki had personally gifted me.

Delving into my bag, I retrieved the mask, a finely crafted piece imbued with magical properties.

It held the extraordinary ability to alter my face, shape, and body structure according to my preferences.

"It's pretty good"

I hope Tristan won't hate me too much when we meet later...

"Where is our protagonist?" I asked, curious about the whereabouts of the key character in our unfolding saga.

Principal Victoria swiftly adjusted another screen, causing it to pop up and enlarge, revealing Tristan in the midst of a difficult situation.

He was tending to his right hand and shoulder, a large hole pierced through them.

Despite his evident pain, a golden aura enveloped his body, gradually healing his wounds.

"What happened to him?"

"He fought one of the four bosses of this dungeon and had a hard time" Victoria explained, her eyes fixed on the screen displaying Tristan's struggle.

"Tristan had a hard time?" I echoed in surprise. Knowing Adrian's prowess and ability to effortlessly handle challenges within the dungeon, the sight of Tristan facing significant difficulty was genuinely unexpected.

"Well, he had a formidable opponent this time. Nadrika, a magical serpent immune to sword-based attacks"

'There was a boss like that?'