CHAPTER 56: CH 56: BREAK OUT- PART 1

Fenrir’s footsteps echoed through the crumbling school corridors as he sprinted toward the Dungeon Exploration Club.

The deeper he went, the clearer it became that the situation was far worse than he’d first assumed.

Claw marks raked the walls, lockers were torn apart, and the tile floors were cracked and gouged as though something huge had been dragging its limbs across them.

Several hallways were partially collapsed, chunks of ceiling hanging by a thread or already fallen to the ground.

The smell of blood, ash, and damp earth filled the air.

His system pinged again.

[Alert: Monster density in immediate vicinity rising. Estimated increase: 200% over last 10 minutes.]

Fenrir clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The dungeon had fully bled into the school now.

If he walked away, it wouldn’t be long before the entire building was overrun. It might even spread beyond the school if left unchecked.

’Guess I’m handling this.’

Fenrir muttered to himself and picked up his pace.

He turned a corner and arrived at the entrance to the Dungeon Exploration Club, only to find the hallway engulfed in chaos.

Dozens of monsters swarmed the open door—fangs, claws, and dark miasma swirling in a frenzy.

At the center of the storm stood Dain and Elaine, the former looking battle-ready while the latter was clearly flagging.

Fenrir narrowed his eyes as he watched Dain engage with the monsters.

It was subtle, but Fenrir could tell—Dain was holding back. His strikes were measured, his expression tight with something like guilt.

Elaine, meanwhile, was clearly struggling. Her movements were sloppy and her mana unstable.

Fenrir raised his gun and took aim.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three monsters fell immediately—heads exploding in bursts of black mist and ichor.

The noise cut through the chaos and caught both Dain and Elaine’s attention. Dain blinked, surprised, but Elaine scowled.

"I don’t need your—!"

She started, her voice sharp, but she didn’t finish.

A blur of movement—then a slash across her back. Elaine’s breath caught as she stumbled forward, eyes wide in shock and pain.

Blood sprayed into the air as she collapsed to her knees.

"Elaine!"

Dain shouted, rushing to her side.

Fenrir fired off another burst, hitting the creature that had struck her and sending it crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.

More monsters began to converge on their position, but Fenrir didn’t falter. He switched to rapid-fire mode and began clearing a path through the horde.

Dain pulled Elaine up, cradling her with one arm while she gritted her teeth through the pain.

"Help us get out of here!"

Dain shouted at Fenrir.

"Yeah, yeah."

Fenrir muttered, already moving ahead.

He tossed a smoke potion ahead to disorient the monsters further, then fired strategically—crippling limbs, dropping some, driving others back.

"Move!"

Fenrir barked, motioning for Dain and Elaine to follow him.

They didn’t hesitate.

Dain carried Elaine as best he could, and the three of them pushed through the chaos together, slowly making their way toward the exit of the dungeon exploration room.

With a final burst from his gun, Fenrir blasted part of the floor in front of the pursuing monsters, creating a temporary wall of molten tile and flame.

They reached the heavy double doors that marked the entrance and slammed them shut behind them.

Dain, breathing heavily, grabbed a piece of nearby furniture and jammed it against the handles.

Fenrir helped reinforce the barricade with a summoned mana construct—dense, crystalline, and strong enough to buy them time.

Silence fell for a moment. Only their harsh breaths and the distant sound of growling behind the door filled the space.

Elaine leaned heavily against the wall, her back bleeding but no longer gushing.

"I... didn’t ask for your help."

She muttered bitterly, avoiding Fenrir’s eyes.

Fenrir scoffed.

"And yet you would’ve died without it. You’re welcome."

Dain glanced between the two of them and gave a sigh.

"Thanks for the assist. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you didn’t show up. That gun of yours is something. How much did it cost to have such fire power?"

He said, likely assuming that the fire power belonged to the gun and not Fenrir. It suited Fenrir just fine, so he let this misunderstanding stand.

’It’s better if they think I don’t have much power. I don’t need any more eyes on me than I already have at this point.’

Fenrir looked at the closed door. He could feel the monsters gathering behind it—dozens, maybe more.

The dungeon had fully awakened, and now it was pouring its contents into their world.

"Hey, so what are we-"

Dain started to speak when Fenrir cut him off, his expression unreadable.

"What happened? That dungeon gate—did you open it?"

He asked.

Dain shook his head quickly.

"No. It was already cracked open when I got there. I don’t know how it happened."

"You sure this wasn’t a trap? Maybe someone wanted to let the monsters out. I’m sure this is not natural."

Fenrir pressed, eyes narrowing.

"I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. The monsters were already pouring out."

Dain said, frustration creeping into his voice.

Fenrir didn’t reply immediately, but his gaze lingered on Dain, clearly trying to judge whether he was lying.

Dain met the look head-on, but it was hard to tell if Fenrir was satisfied.

"I sent a signal for help. Someone from the guild or maybe the city watch should be arriving soon. We just have to hold out until then"

Dain added.

Fenrir’s system buzzed in warning again.

He turned and saw a fresh wave of monsters heading down the corridor toward them, eyes glowing, claws scraping the ground as they approached in eerie synchronization.

"More are coming."

Fenrir said flatly, already raising his gun.

Dain looked over his shoulder and paled. He stood up, his fists clenched at his sides, but he hesitated. His eyes flicked to Elaine, then to the monsters, then back again.

"I can’t leave you alone."

He muttered.

"You have to. She won’t make it if she stays here. Get her to safety. I’ll deal with this."

Fenrir said sharply.

Dain looked torn. He shifted his weight like he wanted to protest again, but Fenrir didn’t give him the chance. He shoved a glowing red potion into Dain’s arms.

"Give this to her. It’ll stabilize her until help arrives. Now go.""

Fenrir said.

For a second, it looked like Dain might argue again, but he caught the look in Fenrir’s eyes and relented.

Dain blinked down at the red potion in his hand, mouth slightly ajar.

He looked at the bottle again, then up at Fenrir as if trying to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

"This... this is the potion. The one everyone’s talking about. The one the Hunter Guilds are going crazy trying to replicate. Where did you even get this? Wait—are you Mr. ’X’?"

He said in disbelief.

Fenrir didn’t flinch. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly and replied.

"Don’t say useless things. I’m not interested in rumors. I bought it. End of story. Now get going or are you going to waste more time in here with me?"