CHAPTER 53: HE WHO READS BETWEEN THE LINES!

Group two!

The group two had already advanced through the tunnel.

The entrance they had passed through—Veilshroud Gate—had long disappeared from view behind a bend in the cliff wall.

The only thing ahead now was the unknown.

Forty-five students, most of them still inexperienced even though they were ranked, walked forward under the watchful eye of Professor Yulia.

Her sharp violet eyes scanned the path ahead, but she let the students take initiative—this was their trial, not hers.

Kael Ashford walked near the middle of the group, his sword was strapped to his back, eyes calmly reading the terrain.

His face couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but inside, he was fully alert.

Every turn, crack, and creepy silence in the dungeon reminded him exactly of what he had read in the novel before."

He had a personal mission—find the location of the Ancient Coin, a key item mentioned only briefly in the novel’s world lore.

(I should at least get the information about the ancient coin from here)

(I will diverge the things from here )

The path they were walking on, splits into two directions, like a "Y" shape.

So now, they have to choose which way to go.

From the left path, there was a faint humming sound. It wasn’t loud, but it was strange—a soft metallic buzzing, like old machinery still running deep underground.

Occasionally, distant echoes bounced down the tunnel, making it seem alive, as if something—or someone—was moving in the distance.

The right path was completely different. It was silent and still, with no sound at all. The air felt heavier. At the entrance stood two ancient, crumbling stone columns, half-buried in moss and dirt.

They looked like they once belonged to a temple or shrine, now lost to time.

The students exchanged nervous glances, unsure which path was safer—or more dangerous.

Then Professor Yulia stepped forward.

"This part of the trial is up to you," she said, looking at the group. ". i don’t give orders but you must make this decision as a team. Choose your path."

She stepped back, allowing the students to gather and discuss. For the first time, the weight of the mission fully rested on their shoulders.

Edwin stepped forward instantly.

"We go left. That hum—it’s a sign of a relic zone. Probably high mana density."

Several students murmured in agreement.

But Kael’s voice cut in calmly. "No. We take the right path."

Edwin blinked. "Excuse me?"

Even Edwin was confused about where to go.

Kael stepped forward, his eyes on the crumbling columns.

"The left path leads into a mana-draining field. I’ve seen similar ruins in historical manuals. Magic fails in those zones—and relics become inert. Your spells and artifacts won’t work."

Edwin frowned. "And how did you just happen to know that?"

Kael didn’t answer. He merely pointed at the stone columns.

"This path leads into ancient ruins. But it’s stable. If we’re careful, we can make it through."

Professor Yulia said nothing—her lips curled into a faint, interested smile.

There was a brief silence.

Then, Cecilia stepped beside Kael.

"I agree with whatever he says."

A few others nodded slowly.

With a scowl, Edwin relented. "Fine. But if something happens, it’s on you."

They stepped into the passage.

At first, it was uneventful. But after a few minutes, the atmosphere changed.

The students started to feel tired and heavy, like something was weighing them down.

Their magical energy, called mana, became slow and weak. Some students who used magic to sense things whispered that their powers weren’t working well—they felt dull and weak.

Even Kael felt a strange pressure in his chest, like the dungeon was trying to drain their strength.

"Mana-slow zone," whispered a mage behind him. "Our channels are clogged."

"I told you," Kael muttered.

It forced the group to rely on basics—torches for light, swords for defense, instincts for survival.

Then came the real problem.

As they went deeper, they entered a dark stone room. When the first student stepped on the cracked floor, glowing symbols briefly lit up, then went dark again.

Professor Yulia looked surprised and said it was strange that there was no danger.

But Kael felt very uneasy.

He knew this place from the book he had read before. In the novel, this room was where someone had accidentally touched the wrong spot and caused a curse.

This curse called angry spirits, maybe they were the guardians of the deity that were part of an old, forgotten group called the Forgotten Claw.

Kael warned the others, "Don’t touch anything."

A few students turned toward him.

"I’m serious," he added. "This place is warded. One wrong move and we trigger something none of us are ready for."

He spoke in a low voice.

Even Edwin, usually combative, looked unsure.

Professor Yulia, curiously silent until now, studied Kael with narrowed eyes, then said aloud, "No one touches the inscriptions. Keep moving."

As the group slowly walked through the tunnel, Kael stayed behind. He carefully looked at the walls, which were covered in old carvings and symbols from ancient Elaris.

In the center of the room, there was a dark, slanted stone tablet with a broken symbol on it.

Kael moved closer to take a better look.

He studied them briefly but didn’t touch them. The rest of the group passed through the chamber quietly.

Kael’s gaze lingered on a broken obsidian tablet partially buried under rubble.

Though the runes were too damaged to understand, something about the room made his instincts scream.

(This... this is where something dangerous happens in the novel.)

He remembered the scene—one of the side characters brushed against a pedestal and triggered a magical backlash that summoned cursed spirits, mistaking the group for enemies of the Forgotten Claw.

That careless moment had almost wiped out all the heroes..

"Don’t touch anything," Kael said.

Even Cecilia glanced back at him. "You alright?"

He nodded calmly. "Yeah. Just making sure nobody triggers dangerous things."

They continued forward, leaving the shadowy chamber behind.

The unease in Kael’s chest remained. He hadn’t found what he was looking for—but he had a feeling this dungeon held deeper secrets.