While Bastion was busy shattering the record for the Initiation Dungeon…
Far away on the battlefield at Ironwall Outpost, Warren, the general in shining golden armor, stood vigil, eyes fixed on the chaotic rift in the distance, ready for any sudden assault from the Abyss Army.
But just then, Warren raised an eyebrow, catching the attention of his lieutenant nearby. As one of the original record holders for the dungeon, a notification appeared in his vision showing that his record had been broken.
"Someone actually broke our old record?" Warren murmured to himself. "And we were already at Level 7 before attempting it as a team back then. Isn't today just the first day after the high school job-transfer ceremony?"
"Someone single-handedly cleared Initiation Dungeon on the first day?" He grinned. "This guy Bastion... interesting."
The lieutenant, noticing Warren's reaction, asked, "General Warren, is something wrong?"
A smile crossed Warren's face. "Nothing. Just noticed that we've got an impressive new talent rising among the ranks. We'll need to fight even harder—to give them a future worth fighting for."
At that moment, a surge of energy rippled from the rift, and swarms of Abyss creatures began spilling out.
Warren's expression sharpened as he raised his weapon high.
"All human warriors, form ranks and prepare for battle! Enter Legion Mode!"
"Exterminate these vermin!"
Behind him, tens of thousands of powerful human warriors, each in their own battle formation, echoed his cry.
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
Arrows and elemental attacks filled the air as Warren led the charge, charging into the Abyss creatures, his battle spirit surging sky-high.
---
Meanwhile…
At the entrance to the Initiation Dungeon, a steady stream of students appeared in a blue glow, many emerging looking haggard and defeated. Each wore the look of someone who had seen their dreams dashed—having imagined battle to be a glorious adventure, only to be shocked by the blood, pain, and very real danger of facing monsters.
Principal Michael stood nearby, growing increasingly anxious.
"It's been hours. Why hasn't Bastion come out yet?" he muttered. "Could something have happened to him? But even if something went wrong, the emergency charm should have kicked in by now…"
Just then, the blue vortex of the dungeon flickered again, and a group of staff members rushed forward with healing potions and medical supplies at the ready.
Michael's face tensed as the blue light brightened and resolved into a group of four students. At the head was Ryan, looking weak and shaky, his skin tinged faintly purple and dotted with damage indicators, his body trembling from ongoing poison damage. The tank in their party showed similar symptoms, though Elena and the support mage fared a bit better, though they wore expressions of frustration rather than pain.
An experienced staff member assessed them quickly, announcing, "They've been attacked by Swamp Toads!"
"Quick, cast Purification!"
A staff member wielding a staff lifted it, releasing two orbs of white light that enveloped Ryan and the tank. The purple hue slowly faded from their faces, and Ryan's breathing stabilized.
Michael's brows knitted together as he approached. "What happened? Why do you all look so bedraggled?"
The group turned, a bit startled to see the principal himself, but Elena shot a frosty glance at Ryan. "It was him. He thought that, since we'd all reached Level 4, we could take on the Swamp Toads!"
"He insisted that their alert range was small, that we should move in closer to avoid wasting our skills. Then he got ambushed by a whole swarm of them. If it weren't for Lee's quick reaction, blocking some of the poison, he might've been killed outright."
"We realized we had to retreat and activated the emergency charm, but now we're on cooldown and can't re-enter the dungeon today."
Her voice dripped with anger, while the other two remained silent but looked equally unhappy.
Given their progress, reaching Level 4 in eight hours was commendable, among the best for the day. With careful management, they could have stayed in the dungeon much longer, but Ryan's recklessness had cost them an entire day.
Principal Michael's face darkened as he listened. All his hopes of achieving honorary principal status rested on Ryan's team—Ryan's remarkable job-transfer phenomenon had promised great things. Now, it seemed, he'd fallen short.
Ryan, looking down, muttered, "This… this isn't all on me. The guide said Swamp Toads only have a three-meter alert range. How was I supposed to know one would be hidden in the swamp?"
Seeing his teammates' annoyed looks, he backpedaled, trying to reassure them. "Look, it's just a day's cooldown. With our leveling speed, we'll make it up fast."
Elena shot him a venomous glare, clearly wanting to change teammates. But strong players were hard to come by now, and, infuriatingly, Ryan was still a better choice than anyone else available.
Michael took a breath and tried to calm them. "The situation is what it is now, so let's not dwell on it. Use this time to recharge. When the cooldown is up, focus on your strategy, and don't rush."
Elena sighed inwardly, resigned to this disappointing outcome.
Just then, the blue vortex rippled once again.
A lone figure appeared with a small Fire Fox perched on his shoulder.
Seeing the Fire Fox and recognizing him as a Beast Summoner, the staff immediately moved in with concern. "Are you all right, student? Any injuries?"
"Uh… I'm fine," Bastion replied, a bit confused.
After a brief check confirming he was unhurt, a staff member asked gently, "Did you decide to leave the dungeon early? If you're thinking of switching to a non-combat role, we have a form you'll need to sign."
Both Principal Michael and Ryan looked relieved to see Bastion—Michael because Bastion was unharmed, and Ryan because, it seemed, someone else had failed even worse than he had.
Ryan couldn't resist sneering. "A Fire Fox Beast Summoner? Of course he quit halfway. Lucky I didn't end up in his party, or we'd all be a laughingstock."
Bastion, unaware of Ryan's taunt, was simply baffled by the staff's assumption.
With a shrug, he replied, "Isn't it possible… that I just completed the dungeon?"