CHAPTER 56: I SET THE TRAP?

Professor Yulia again marked the tick of the names on her paper and she said to leave the dungeon.

This is where Kael began to think.

(In the original novel, the assassin struck when the student leaves the dungeon. It was a surprise attack. Casualties were avoided because the professors interfered in time. But .. I am the only one who knows.)

(From the four assassins, I should at least deal with the last one myself. I don’t have the strength to face him directly—I’m no Rank 1 like Edwin. But that doesn’t mean I’m helpless.)

He glanced at Edwin and Cecilia, who were returning from the dungeon.

(That means... Tonight... it will happen tonight)

Kael stood up.

As the others walks towards the exit point of the dungeon—talking, resting, or checking their gear—he quietly stepped away, making sure no one noticed.

"Where are you going?" Cecilia asked, rising from a nearby rock.

He gave a calm smile. "Toilet. I won’t be long."

She gave a brief nod and walked away.

Kael didn’t waste any time.

He slipped into the shadows near the outer wall of the cave, staying close to the edge so he wouldn’t draw attention.

He knew exactly where he was going.

(There’s a side tunnel nearby... the assassin will use that to sneak in.)

The assassins would try to take a hidden path to attack the students just before they reached the dungeon trial exit point.

And this time, he planned to stop one of them.

He moved quickly through the side of the chamber until he reached a small crack in the stone wall—barely visible unless you knew it was there.

Behind it, a narrow tunnel stretched forward. The ceiling was low, and Kael had to duck slightly as he entered.

The walls were rough and old, covered in moss and crumbled stone. Dust clung to the air.

(This is the path.)

(This passage will lead behind the main chamber. It was how the assassin had snuck in last time.)

He kept going, step by step, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for anything.

The tunnel curved and twisted, and the deeper he went, the colder it became. The sounds of the group behind him faded, replaced by silence—an eerie, heavy kind of silence.

Kael slowed his pace, reaching a small clearing at the end of the tunnel. It was just big enough to hide a person.

He crouched low behind a pile of rocks, eyes fixed on the dark entrance of the tunnel.

This is it... those assassins would pass through here.

(If the novel is right... they’ll appear soon.)

Kael took a deep breath and waited, muscles felt tense and mind stood sharp.

Kael moved quietly and quickly. He didn’t have much time.

Using whatever he could find—vines, a rope from his pack, and nearby stones—he started building a trap.

His hands moved with calm focus, even though his mind was alert and on edge. Every movement was quiet, careful not to make noise that could echo in the tunnel.

He climbed up a small ledge just above the tunnel’s entrance. From that height, he could see the narrow path below where someone would walk through.

It was the perfect place to set up a surprise attack.

On top of the ledge, Kael spotted a heavy boulder—large enough to knock someone out if it fell at the right moment.

He rolled it carefully across the stone until it sat right above the path. But instead of letting it fall, he balanced it at the edge, using a single stick wedged under the front of the rock to hold it in place.

Next, he tied a thin cord from that stick and stretched it across the path, about waist height.

The cord was hard to see unless someone was looking for it. It blended with the tunnel shadows.

"When someone walks through and touches this cord...means i have to stretch manually to which target I want to" Kael thought, "...the stick will snap, and the boulder will fall."

He tugged the rope gently to test it. The stick wobbled, and the boulder shifted slightly. Just enough.

"It’s not perfect," Kael muttered to himself, "but if they walk straight in... it’ll work."

Then he climbed back down and moved deeper into the tunnel.

A few steps ahead, he went there leaving a small open space behind it. It was just big enough for Kael to hide without being seen.

He crouched behind the pillar, holding his breath for a moment.

The trap was ready.

Now all he had to do... was to wait.

Time has passed!

Ten minutes!

Twenty minutes!

He didn’t return to the group. He waited in silence.

Then—

Kael waited silently in the shadows, completely still, his eyes fixed on the tunnel below. The area was quiet—so quiet that even the tiniest sound could be heard clearly.

Then, he heard it.

A soft rustle, like fabric brushing against stone.

Footsteps followed—they were going carefully, not rushed or loud. Whoever it was knew how to move quietly, without making much noise.

From the tunnel, a person slowly appeared.

Those persons wore tight black clothing, blending into the darkness. It was clear they didn’t want to be seen. Their movements were smooth and quiet, almost like a shadow walking.

At their side, a dagger hung, the blades were very sharp and deadly.

Kael recognized the appearance instantly.

(It’s them. The assassin from the novel. They are coming—just like I remembered.)

The assassins moved forward, staying close to the wall.

Kael didn’t move.

He breathed slowly.

Then—it happened.

The three assassins moved swiftly ahead, disappearing into the shadows of the tunnel. Kael’s heart raced as he waited, doubting the novel’s warning—he thought it had to be wrong.

But then, from the darkness, the fourth figure appeared, cautious and silent.

Kael held his breath as the last assassin approached.

Carefully, Kael stretched a thin cord across the tunnel floor. It was so fine, so nearly invisible in the dim light, there was no way the assassin could spot it.

Stepped.

The assassin’s foot struck the cord when he pulled the cord carefully.

Snap!

The cord tightened instantly, pulling sharply on the stick above.

The trap was triggered.

SNAP.