Chapter 229: Chapter 229 Resolved.
Ryuu, who is the one close to the hole, blankly stares toward a brand new scene that is filled with lush green and tall trees that block his vision; a rustling and the cool wind that entered their cave give them a sense of realism of what had transpired upon them.
Serafina stepped forward and stood in the mouth of the cave only to find herself in the same situation as Ryuu, dumbfounded by what had happened to them.
"Where is this?"
With a curiosity that plagues her mind, Serafina lightly puts her leg outside the cave, but soon, her leg trembles due to the terror of the surrounding atmosphere. She jerked her leg inside as she could still feel the chilling pressure that stung her skin, still lingering on it.
"Senior Sera, how was it?".
Hina, who wanted to know what was happening, approached Serafina, who seemed out of breath, just to see the outside.
"I don't know, we are probably still inside the dungeon, but this is…".
"...This might be an advanced area inside the dungeon".
Ryuu, who observed the situation silently, gave a calm deduction of what had happened to them.
"Advance Area?!".
Hina and the other members who have knowledge about the dungeon stood still in shock. Advance Area was a completely different world or, to be precise, an isolated world created by the dungeon's unknown power. Had. Usually, this area was filled with extreme geography, weather, and, most of all, Strong Monsters that roamed freely.
The situation turned much more grave because they were just a bunch of students who only had a grasp of an image of this place and had zero experience in this place.
"No way!".
"What should we do?".
"?!".
Many of the members of Team B couldn't understand or did not want to accept the fact that they had heard. Their bodies started to tremble. Some of them even lost strength in their feet and flopped down on the ground with hollow eyes.
"This is because of you!".
"Eh?".
"If you did not touch that Treasure box, this wouldn't be happening".
"Ah, I-I was…".
"Shut up, because of you, we are all gonna die here because of you…".
"Stop!".
Ryuu, who couldn't bear the tense atmosphere any longer, decided to lend a hand to the first-year students who already lost all hope for life seeing her expression. The other females also began to see her with hatred-filled eyes, except for Serafina, who lost interest in them, to begin with, beside her Hina and Xiao Lian, who had already regrouped beside Serafina while in deep thought.
Leon, who stood in one of the corners, silently stared at the outside world while his body trembled. His mind starts to replicate the memories he had from his childhood when he lost someone important to him inside the Advance Area in the dungeon. "What should I do? Hm?".
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hina, who discussed something with Xiao Lian and Serafina, and then she nodded to convince the other two. Then, to his horror, he saw Hina step outside the cave, making his face pale, and the trembling in his body intensified.
With a gapped mouth, Leon tried to reach out toward her, but his body was stiff, unmoving like a statue. "Someone, please stop her".
Hina, who is subjected to the pressure, closes her eyes while sighing, and she begins to recall something much worse than this. All of a sudden, she chuckled to herself, which made the other members see her in a weird way.
"How was it, Hina?".
"I can handle it just fine".
"...I see".
"...".
Serafina and Xiao Lian stared at Hina's figure, who stood tall, even in the presence of the pressure that blocked their advance in the area.
Xiao Lian, who stared at her back, coincidently saw Hina's side glance, and from that glance alone, she understood what Hina was about to say. "I wonder if you can handle it?". She unconsciously tightened her fists and exhaled the breath she was holding. Slowly, she lifted her left leg and stepped into the outside world, sending a chill that pierced her spine.
However, she once again turned to look at Hina, who stood tall, undeterred by the chilling pressure, "Get rid of your uncertainty, get rid of your fear, and get rid of your own demon!". Xiao Lian muttered those words to strengthen her mental state and took another step to stand beside Hina.
"Hee, not bad Silver hair".
"...Yeah, you also, good job handling his pressure".
"Well, I have seen much worse with Soma".
"?!".
Xiao Lian, who heard Hina's boasting, began to cast her gaze lower, feeling unfair for what she had, and it piqued her interest to know more about him.
"…Care to share it with me?".
Hina, who was suddenly asked, raised her brows and then turned her head to Xiao Lian. It was faint, but Hina could trace a bit of flush on her cheeks and curious eyes, wanting to know more about Soma. Hina began to see her reflection from Xiao Lian, which made her lips parted in joy. "Ehehe, So you too, huh".
"I don't mind, but later".
"Mm, thank you".
"Are the two of you alright?".
Serafina seemed a bit worried about her juniors, who suddenly got muted while withstanding the pressure that was weighing them down.
"Yeah, senior Sera, we are fine".
"I'm fine".
"I'm glad".
Hearing the two of them, Serafina shed huge relief in her heart as she began to be amazed by the mentality of these two girls; she began to chuckle to herself as she also began to imagine the figure of the boy who was always picking on her. "He is such a sinful boy to influence these two girls. …I wonder if he would do it to me? ".
"Miss Serafina, we should think of a solution".
"...I have been thinking about it, Hina or Xiao Lian, what do you guys have in this situation?".
"Me?".
Because of Serafina's sudden question, Hina and Xiao Lian turned their back simultaneously and faced the other members, who were still afraid of stepping outside.
"Yeah, I want to hear your opinion about our next plan?".
Hina, who was being asked by Serafina, gulped her saliva for the other members who had quarrelled earlier and had gathered under Ryuu's back, looking at her in expectation.
She turned her gaze to the side, seeing Xiao Lian, who finally relaxed her expression after getting used to the pressure. Unconsciously, she covers her mouth while submerged in deep thinking.
Serafina and Xiao Lian, who witnessed that, opened their eyes wide in shock, knowing whose habit it was.
"Mm, I think we should proceed and search for a way to ascend to the upper floor".
The other members who heard that stiffened their bodies as they couldn't comprehend what Hina was saying. One of the female seniors began to knit her brows because the pretentious act Hina had shown triggered her anger.
"Ha? Are you stupid? If you want to die that much, then don't include us. You are the one who should go alone and search for help, then save us".
"She is right. Just a first-year dare to act cocky just because Miss Serafina asked you".
"That's right. You should go alone and ask for help from the teacher".
Serafina, who heard the girls throwing their unreasonable anger at Hina, knit her brows as she turned her head, trying to demolish them.
"You guys, that is enough…".
"Okay, then, I will not force you guys to come, and I don't have any spare energy to protect you guys along the way either. It was better to move with a small group and find a way home, well I don't know how long it will take for that to happen, though…".
With a cold and low tone, Hina spoke her thoughts and made them mute their chatty mouth.
"...Enjoy your stay, everyone. Are you coming with me, silver hair?".
Xiao Lian without answering Hina's question. She summoned the blue spear in her hand, and at the same time, Hina parted her lips and summoned her Green Katana in hand; then, they nodded toward each other for a last confirmation before turning their back and leaving the other behind.
"Wait, don't act rashly, Junior Akabane and Junior Xiao Lian".
Ryuu, who panicked, hurriedly spoke his words, but that didn't make the two girls stop in their advance, which made the other members' hatred soar.
"Hina, Xiao Lian, answer me this, please!".
"What is it, Senior Sera?".
After hearing Serafina's impatient tone, Hina and Xiao Lian stopped in their place and slightly turned their body back.
"Why do you suggest that we should move forward? Is it also a good option that we stay here and wait for help?".
"But, how long? How long will the rescue team come to pick us up? Did they know that we are in the deepest part of the dungeon?...".
"...".
"But Junior Akabane, you know that this place is out of our reach even for me, the strongest in this group".
Hina, who heard Ryuu's aloof tone, felt displeased as she knit her brows in disgust. She sighed to wash away her complaint and opened her mouth.
"...Yeah, I know that. We were stranded in this place filled with dangers that we had never experienced, and the most important thing was that there was no food for us to survive. I don't want to let my fate rot away in this place, waiting for an uncertain future rather than dying. I prefer to grasp my future and move forward then crawl back to the upper floor myself, and I said it again…".
"We won't force you guys to follow us".
Xiao Lian finished what Hina had started, which made Hina glance to her side before chuckling.
Serafina, who saw her Junior acting bravery even in this situation, reminded her of his figure, someone who she considered dear but had already passed away, "Hehe, you guys are really something. No wonder, Soma is smitten by you guys".
"Okay, Hina, show me the way!".