While Elian was beginning to panic, the students with him were not concerned in the slightest.
Trevor's group marveled at the maze of passages and pathways in front of them. A spiraling tower climbed up to the ceiling. It was bone white and had a lot of holes, as if made out of coral. Every "cave" like the one they were on had a bridge that connected to this tower.
"Wow! That looks really cool! Guys, let's take a picture!"
As the others tried to pose in front of the majestic structure, Elian noticed the color of the portal in front of him.
It's red. Not pink. The dungeon's boss is still alive, he thought.
Elian felt his body tense up at the realization. Unlike the ones with him, he had no powers to speak of. If he wasn't careful, he might really die here.
Once again, he felt the coin in his pocket. His fingers traced the gouges and reminded him of his promise. It helped him calm down—just a little.
The dungeon portal had two states. Two colors. The menacing red and a gentle pink. One meant danger, and the other safety.
"Alright, enough pictures. Let's scout around. Time for an adventure. Just stick behind me, everyone. I'll keep you safe," Trevor boasted confidently.
"Trevor, wait," Elian tried to object.
"What now, defect? I'm Rank B. Stronger than a failure like you will ever hope to be. I come from a family of Breakers. But you? What are you? Who are you? You aren't even fit to carry my crap, you defect!"
"That's…"
Losing patience, Trevor shoved Elian aside as he growled, "Get out of my way. Unlike you, I was born to fight monsters."
Ignoring Elian, the group exited the tunnel and began to walk towards the tower using the connected bridge. From the other side, an imposing figure came into view.
It was a large red ant, the size of a car.
Large compound eyes scanned the path as its antenna flicked, as if tasting the air. Mandibles that looked like giant scythes opened and closed as it walked toward them.
Seeing the situation, Trevor could only chuckle derisively.
"A red worker ant? And just one? Watch me butcher this monster. I killed even a soldier ant! Those were as big as a bus! So long as it's just ants, they cannot beat me!"
Paling at what he heard, Elian rushed up to Trevor and grabbed his arm as he pleaded.
"Trevor, stop this! Killing one ant is not the problem! It's the swarm that comes after!"
But his warning fell on deaf ears. Trevor pushed him aside and ran toward the worker ant.
"What do you know?! You're a defect! If you kill them fast enough, the swarm is not an issue. Just shut up and wait here. The rest of you, follow me!"
The other students cheered at Trevor's bravado as he charged forward. Like mindless fanatics, they chased after him. Blue energy swirled around Trevor's body. Then it concentrated on his fist. With practiced movements, Trevor slammed his foot down and threw a powerful fist toward the ant's head.
Trevor's punch landed with a loud crack. The air itself seemed to ripple as the force of mana devastated the ant's skull. A wave of gore followed, splattering unidentifiable fluids across the ground. Only a small fragment of its head remained connected to the body.
Despite hating Trevor's guts, Elian couldn't help but feel awe and envy at his achievement. It was as if Trevor jumped out of the stories Elian's mother used to read to him—the ones about the heroes of the first generation.
A bitter feeling entered Elian's heart. Memories of his hardship flashed in his mind. Nights spent buried in books and lectures. Years of training spent, all to get even just a little bit stronger. Yet every sacrifice paled in front of Talents. Heavy elevated Trevor to a stage Elian could never reach.
It's unfair.
That short sentence gnawed at the young boy's mind. Elian clenched his jaw so hard he began to taste blood. He wanted nothing more than to beat the living crap out of Trevor.
But regardless of how unfair it was, one always had to face reality. Trevor was their most powerful member at the moment. And right now, surviving was more important than his emotions.
"OHHHH!" "Amazing!" "WOW!"
"Did you all see that? I killed it in one hit! Quick, someone take a picture!"
Trevor, proud of his achievement, put up airs as he tried to immortalize the moment. Afterwards, he shoved Elian toward the corpse with furrowed brows.
"Get the monster core, defect. It's what I brought you for."
Elian could only stare at the disgusting soup flowing out of the ant's corpse. Salvaging loot from monster corpses was the role of porters in dungeon parties. A thankless job with the lowest pay.
"I don't have any tools nor a bag," Elian stated.
"Tsk, penniless bastard. Here. Steal anything and you're dead."
"…"
Handing over a hunting knife and a small mana bag, Trevor left Elian and continued his hunt. Along with Trevor, the other students all similarly killed ant after ant with minimal effort. All while their porter did the dirty work. Elian, unable to stop himself, looked on with envy as he worked.
Even the girls can kill the ants. Sigh, enough moping. At least I already know how to disassemble these bastards.
Elian's fingers moved nimbly as he carved through the ant's shell. He already memorized the weak points, making him on par with professionals. Only no one really cared about the abilities of porters.
As he worked quietly, Elian felt a soft breeze pass his body. It carried with it a pungent smell of vinegar. Elian couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust. The scent wafted through the elaborate tunnels due to the effects of the breeze. It prompted him to stand up, his senses suddenly alert.
"Vinegar? CRAP! THE ALARM!"
It was only then that Elian noticed. It wasn't a single loud, deafening roar, but more a chorus of unsettling whispers—as if thousands of people suddenly all started to talk in hushed tones.
KEKEKEKEKEKE
If earlier the dungeon sounded like insects laughing, now it sounded as if they were arguing. The sounds alone began to unsettle the students, but then, one by one, they began to emerge. From the walls, from the passages above. Although still far away, they approached.
From every conceivable direction, footfalls by the dozens erupted. Closer and closer they came. And the students felt it. In the confined space of the tunnels, the vast difference from just mere minutes ago was jarring.
Trevor and his group trembled at what they saw. Red ants began to exit all the holes from both the tower and the caves along the walls. Within seconds, tens or maybe even hundreds came forward.
"…"
Even the mighty Trevor swallowed nervously from the sheer numbers of the ants that suddenly appeared. The high everyone felt from seeing the ant die was suddenly replaced by terror.
As if the very ground moved, the large coral-like structure turned red from the sheer number of ants moving about. Low growls resounded from not just in front but from every direction. As everyone froze from panic, Elian tried to wake the group up.
He clapped his hands and shouted at the top of his voice.
"EVERYONE! FOCUS! There is no time! We need to run! Ant hives are subterranean, meaning the most heavily defended areas are those deeper. We should make our way up as fast as possible! NOW! There has to be an exit up top for them to hunt! We can survive! Follow me!"
At Elian's frantic yells, the rest of the students woke up from their stupor. But none of them followed Elian. They instead looked toward Trevor. One of them commented out of worry.
"Trevor…"
"I know. I'll do it."
Then Trevor appeared beside Elian and grabbed him by the neck. Elian's legs buckled under Trevor's grip as he lifted him, and for the briefest second, Trevor's face twisted in something between pity and disgust.
"You can keep the knife and the bag, defect. But I am going to need you to do something for me. You see, another thing I learned about Red Ants. They get frenzied by human blood."
The insane declaration caused Elian's stomach to churn. Immediately after, he felt a sharp pain in his left thigh, accompanied by the sound of metal piercing flesh.
"Ahhh!!!!!"
Amidst Elian's screams, Trevor then threw him off the bridge.
"Sorry, Defect. You always wanted to be a hero, right? I'll send some money to your parents."
As Elian fell helplessly, Trevor led the students and fought toward one of the passages.
So this is it. After everything… this is how I die?
He felt the wind rush past him, his body numb as his mind screamed in pain. He was alone. Everything he struggled and sacrificed for—it equated to nothing. In this world, only talent mattered. Elian wept bitterly at the realization.
In Elian's stupor, his parents' faces flickered before his eyes.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I couldn't be the son you wanted..."
But when all hope seemed lost, an enchanting voice entered his ears.
"Little boy, stop being so dramatic. It is too soon to despair."
"W-What? Who are you?" Elian stammered.
"Listen to my every word if you want to survive! Do you understand?"
Elian grew confused and doubtful, but as he had no other option, he decided to take a chance. The boy wiped his tears and answered.
"Whoever you are, save me, and I will follow you forever."
"Well said!"the mysterious voice cheered.