CHAPTER 59: CH 59: RUN TO SAFETY- PART 2

Fenrir’s lungs burned as he ran through the crumbling school corridors, the sound of boots and laughter echoing dangerously behind him.

He dared a quick glance over his shoulder—Betty Rose was gaining fast and Nigel, her hulking partner, was only a few strides behind.

They both looked like the shadows of death that wanted to engulf Fenrir.

If they caught him now, he had no doubt things would turn ugly.

"Time to even the odds."

Fenrir muttered under his breath.

Without slowing his pace, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a smoke potion.

He uncorked it and hurled it behind him, the vial shattering on the ground in a burst of thick, dark vapor.

The hallway instantly filled with dense smoke, cutting off the pair’s line of sight. He heard a sudden curse from Nigel.

"Damn it, Betty! He’s getting away again!"

"You’re the one who told me to stick to the plan! But this is way more fun, don’t you think?"

Betty’s voice rang out, filled with amusement rather than concern.

"You’re going to screw this up!"

Fenrir didn’t bother listening to the rest. He picked up speed, weaving through debris and cracked walls as he headed straight toward the Dungeon Exploration Club’s room.

’The gate. Get to the gate. ’

That was his only thought.

That, and trying not to get stabbed by a lunatic with scissors.

As he ran, he brought up the system interface and quickly scanned the profiles of the two maniacs chasing him.

[Name: Betty Rose

Class: A-Class Criminal

Threat Level: High

Known Abilities: Unknown

Note: Dangerous and unpredictable.]

[Name: Nigel Fern

Class: S-Class Criminal

Threat Level: Extremely High

Known Abilities: Physical Enhancement, Barrier-type Skills.]

Fenrir’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"What the hell! Betty was listed as C-Class before! How the hell did it jump to A?"

He hissed.

Fenrir grit his teeth in frustration.

"Stupid system... I knew it was fake. I knew, and I still let it slide."

He cursed under his breath, blaming himself for not digging deeper.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed something was off about Betty, but he’d brushed it aside. That decision was clearly coming back to bite him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the familiar door of the Dungeon Exploration Club came into view.

He could sense multiple strong presences beyond it—experts, professionals, probably the special forces. Relief flooded through him.

Without wasting a second, he pushed the door open and stumbled inside.

The room was filled with seasoned hunters clad in reinforced gear, weapons at the ready.

They had set up a temporary perimeter around the still-open dungeon gate, analyzing it with various tools and magical devices.

All eyes snapped to Fenrir as he burst in, panting and wide-eyed.

"The hell—?"

"Who is this kid?"

"Get back! It’s dangerous in here!"

Several of them raised their weapons out of pure reflex, startled by his sudden appearance.

Fenrir raised his hands.

"I’m not here to fight! I’m in danger out there—there are two criminals chasing me. One of them is S-Class!"

There was a beat of silence as the hunters processed his words. But instead of panicking, most of them just shared skeptical looks.

"Great. A kid ran in to hide from monsters. Look, just stay back and don’t get in the way, alright?"

One of them muttered.

Fenrir clenched his jaw. They didn’t believe him.

They probably thought he was just some panicked student trying to seek refuge in the safest-looking place—the one with all the elite hunters.

"I’m serious. They’re not normal enemies. The girl—Betty—she’s an A-class criminal pretending to be a student, and her partner, Nigel Fern, is listed as S-Class. They’re both headed here."

He insisted, stepping forward,

"Kid, we’re handling a dungeon gate. You’re not the first scared student to run in screaming about monsters. Just stay behind the barrier and keep your head down."

Another hunter said in a patronizing tone.

Fenrir opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself. There was no point.

They wouldn’t listen until they saw the threat for themselves. Still, being around professionals was better than being alone against two deranged criminals.

He exhaled sharply and moved to the back of the room.

He leaned against a wall, eyes still fixed on the door, mind racing. Betty and Nigel would be here soon. And when they came, they wouldn’t be walking—they’d be ready to kill.

Fenrir muttered under his breath.

"Better hope these guys are as good as they look."

It didn’t take long for the expert hunters to close the unstable dungeon gate.

With coordinated movements and practiced efficiency, they shut down the portal, sealing off the chaos that had spilled into the school.

As the humming from the gate ceased and the magical field dispersed, the tension in the room lessened—though only slightly.

With the gate secured, several of the armed experts turned their attention to Fenrir.

The one who seemed to be in charge, a tall man with a scar across his face and a greatsword strapped to his back, stepped forward.

"You. What are you doing in this school? Were you involved in opening this gate? Now that we gave time, why don’t we clear the situation among us?"

He said gruffly, pointing at Fenrir.

Fenrir raised both hands calmly.

"No. I just got caught up in this mess. My teacher asked me to stay behind after class to discuss something, and before I knew it, monsters started pouring in. you can check the records if you want to about this."

The man narrowed his eyes.

"Doesn’t this sound too convenient?"

Another hunter crossed his arms.

"And you just happened to run straight into a group of elite hunters without so much as a scratch?"

Fenrir shrugged.

"Lucky, I guess."

They didn’t look convinced. Their eyes scanned him with scrutiny, and one of them looked ready to activate a truth-checking skill, but just then—

BANG!

A loud crash echoed down the hallway, followed by fast-approaching footsteps and a familiar voice.

"I’m telling you not to do anything stupid!"

Nigel barked.

"Too late. I’ve been good long enough. Time to reap my reward."

Came Betty’s chipper reply.

The experts tensed immediately.

Several raised their weapons and formed a loose perimeter near the entrance. Fenrir stepped back, heart pounding. He already knew who was coming.

Then the door slammed open.

Betty stood there, one hand on her hip and the other holding those ominous scissors, a grin playing on her lips.

Behind her, Nigel looked exasperated, but ready for battle.

For a split second, no one moved—until someone near the back of the room gasped.

"That’s—That’s Betty Rose!"

Another voice joined, louder this time.

"Betty Rose, the wanted criminal! She’s on the Federation’s high-alert list!"

Murmurs rippled through the group of experts.

"Then that must be Nigel Fern with her!"

"The S-Class rogue?!"

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Weapons were drawn, skills were activated, and the earlier suspicion directed at Fenrir disappeared completely.

Now, the real threats had arrived. The hunters’ gazes locked onto Betty and Nigel, every movement sharp and wary.

One of them muttered.

"So they’re the ones behind this mess."

Fenrir didn’t correct them. He was just glad they were finally paying attention.