Silence.

That was what came first.

Uncomfortable, overwhelming silence that sank into the depths of the minds of everyone who was witnessing what the fallen ones saw.

Then, once silence was all worn out… the next thing that came was horror.

Within the darkness of the Royal Dungeon, the fallen heroes could only helplessly watch as an overwhelming shadow stood before them.

The silhouette of a massive monstrosity that radiated nothing but sheer malevolence.

This would be the first time they were encountering such a thing.

And from the looks of it… it was fated to be their last.

*******

[Several Days Earlier]

A few days had passed since the entire incident with Adonis.

Everyone was initially horrified and perplexed by what they saw, but after Adonis collapsed before them—barely breathing as he explained the situation—they could all understand better.

It seemed one of their own—Adam Sanchez—had plotted to kill Adonis.

His Skill responded in automatic self-defense and killed Adam before even the Hero could tell what was happening.

As Adonis described what had happened, it felt like he was sleep-walking.

The sensation felt unreal.

Of course, none of these explanations that were given took away the weight of a classmate's death.

It was still a tragedy.

However, learning that Adam was going to kill Adonis, and that Adonis wasn't in control of his actions, was enough to change the reactions of everyone.

The look of horror they gave Adonis soon faded, and the uncomfortably image of their beheaded classmate eventually took on a different flavor.

"He deserved it, didn't he?"

"What was he after? Why would he attack Adonis?"

"Maybe he was working for the enemy…"

These were the words that now went around the lips and ears of the classmates.

Before long, Adam was seen as no more than a scapegoat, and Adonis was praised as the martyr.

And now… three days later… so much had changed.

********

"So, what now, Rey?"

Noah and Rey sat in the latter's room. There was only one reason why these two would meet like this.

It was to discuss business.

"We've not been able to sell Monster Cores for three days now. Ever since A… that incident."

Among the students, there were still a few who found it difficult to properly articulate what happened that night.

Noah Sherlock was one of them.

"Since Adam was killed by Adonis? Say it as it is, Noah."

This sharp response came from none other than Rey.

He had a calm expression on his face, almost as if none of this fazed him in the slightest.

His dull black eyes seemed to be staring at something invisible far away as he casually addressed the very incident that shook their entire group.

"D-don't say it like that, Rey! Someone died, you know?" Noah snapped, a bead of sweat trickling down his cheek as he uttered those words without realizing it.

His eyes widened the moment he realized what he had done. Rey's sharp gaze now rested on him, instantly prompting him to take a few steps back.

"S-sorry… for raising my voice…" He whispered.

"It's fine. I understand what you're saying, Noah, but we can't allow ourselves to be bogged down by something like this…"

From Rey's perspective, Adam had been nothing more than a stranger to him.

He was also a stranger to Noah.

There was no need to let his demise affect the relevant areas of their lives.

"It's unfortunate that his death has affected business in some ways…"

The entire Royal Estate was in lockdown, and they had even activated the Grand Barrier—a protective dome of energy that encased the entire Estate in hard light.

It was a more powerful and sophisticated version of what was used for the Royal Dungeon Site.

The students were monitored 24/7, and they were meant to be accounted for at all times.

Thanks to that, Rey and Noah could not continue business as usual.

A few students protested that this was ridiculous, but Grandmaster Conrad and the rest of the Council personally pleaded for everyone's understanding.

"It's just for a few days…" They had promised.

The reason for their sudden and extreme reactions to the event wasn't too difficult to see.

An Otherworlder was dead.

Otherworlders were the Nation's only chance at facing the Dragons, and they had just lost one valuable asset.

That realization was enough to make them waste valuable resources to keep their barrier up and running while breaching the liberty of the very champions they had previously sucked up to.

Desperation was a dangerous thing—especially when met with a sense of danger.

The United Human Alliance didn't want to lose any more of the remaining twenty-eight, so they were trying their best to do damage control.

They were also going to be extremely thorough to make sure nothing like this ever repeated itself.

"It's a mess, isn't it? All of this is just… haaa… but I can't complain too much." Rey's monotone broke the tense silence that existed between him and Noah.

"After all, thanks to this incident, I'm finally free from my charges."

With Adam dead and confirmed to be a malefactor, it only went to prove that Rey had been falsely accused all along.

Once Adonis provided testimony about the presence of an enchanted dagger with Adam, and also the proof of the Stealth Necklace that he wore, it was clear that Adam had broken the rules.

The possibility of him obtaining an enchanted item to bypass the Truthseeker was also brought to light.

After searching Adam's room, they found the very device that he had used to get away with lying.

They even found money hidden there.

All of these elements went to show that Adam had been pulling the strings and lying about a lot of things, all so he could reach Adonis.

Rey had only been one of his victims.

"Now that I'm no longer under house arrest, I can move more freely. Unfortunately, that freedom is useless for now."

As long as the barrier was still in place, Rey and his classmates were stuck in the Royal Estate.

However, Rey didn't appear upset about this in the slightest.

"They can only maintain all this for so long…" He told Noah, his expression that showed how confident he was in his grand scheme.

"Sooner or later… they'll let us out."

Rey's smile began to creep wider as he closed his lips.

'And that's when I'll have my chance!'

*

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