Hello, students. This year's exams have been quite interesting, to say the least. Now, it's time for your final exam—a Dungeon Boss Raid.
"You will be placed into groups of ten and sent into dungeons ranging from E-rank to C-rank. You will be scored based on your time efficiency, teamwork, and strategy."
Maximus looked over the gathered students.
"I wish you all good luck. Let the final exam begin!"
Ayuma's team consisted of Gao, Bertram, Sevi, Cynthia—a priest—Gavan, a mage, Aki, Ignant a blitzer swordsmaster and a zone trapper , Tecno the android, and Benny, a monkey beastkin hybrid.
Their team was teleported directly into a D-rank dungeon.
The moment they arrived, their feet sank slightly into murky swamp water.
They were surrounded.
Lizardmen emerged from the fog and vegetation in every direction, weapons drawn and eyes locked onto the students.
Cynthia and Gavan immediately reacted.
Together, the priest and mage erected a two-layered barrier around the entire group.
"We need to discuss our strategy and formation—" Ayuma began.
Tecno immediately cut him off.
"Who are you to order us around, loser?"
Bertram stepped forward.
"I know from experience that Ayuma would make a great leader, but I—"
Ayuma stopped him.
"No. Let him speak."
Ayuma turned toward Tecno.
"What do you think, Tecno?"
Tecno stared at him.
For nearly sixty seconds, the group deliberated. Arguments were made, positions were discussed, and eventually, everyone agreed on a formation.
Ayuma raised his hand.
"Cynthia. Gavan. Prepare to drop the barrier on three. Ready?"
"Ready!" everyone answered.
"ONE!"
Weapons were drawn.
"TWO!"
Magic surged throughout the formation.
"THREE!"
The barriers dropped.
The battle began.
"GAO! BENNY! CROWD CONTROL!" Ayuma shouted.
The two immediately rushed forward.
"CYNTHIA! GAVAN! CROWD SEPARATION!"
"YES, SIR!" they responded simultaneously.
Gavan slammed his staff into the ground.
"ARCTIC DIVIDE!"
Massive walls of ice erupted from the swamp, splitting the surrounding lizardman army into isolated groups and preventing them from overwhelming the students with their superior numbers.
Ayuma glanced toward Tecno.
"Tecno! How much time do you need?!"
"Fully loaded!"
"Everyone, split formation in three… two… ONE!"
The entire group scattered.
The lizardmen suddenly found themselves staring directly at Tecno.
His weapons were fully charged.
Energy screamed through his mechanical body as his cannons reached maximum output.
"BLITZ FIRE CANNON!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
A colossal blast ripped across the swamp.
The attack eviscerated the majority of the lizardmen caught within its path.
Silence briefly fell over the battlefield.
Ayuma lowered his arm.
"All right, guys! Clean up the stragglers and grab whatever you need. We're going deeper into the nest. The mini-boss should be ahead."
The others quickly followed his instructions.
Tecno remained silent.
He stared at Ayuma from a distance.
His strategy actually worked.
His mechanical hands tightened.
Someone with no powers is leading us…
The thought irritated him more than he wanted to admit.
How infuriating.
Then—
RUMMMMMBLE!!!
The entire swamp shook.
Everyone stopped.
Gao's senses immediately flared.
His eyes widened.
"Hey, guys…"
He slowly turned toward the darkness deeper within the swamp.
"Something's coming."
BOOOOOOM!
Water exploded upward.
A massive figure emerged.
"URRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
A deafening roar shook the dungeon.
A notification appeared before the students.
MINI-BOSS: SEVIUS, THE LIZARD KINGThe enormous Lizard King towered over them, wielding a massive, jagged blade.
Tecno analyzed it first.
"Blind."
His targeting systems immediately locked onto the creature.
He fired.
"Wait!" Ayuma shouted.
Too late.
The Lizard King's head snapped toward the sound.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Its enormous blade moved with terrifying precision, swatting Tecno's bullets out of the air.
Ayuma's eyes widened.
"It can track sound!"
The Lizard King charged directly toward the source of the gunfire.
"MOVE!"
BOOM!
Its jagged blade crashed through the group's barrier.
Their formation shattered instantly.
"Damn it!" Ayuma shouted.
The impact sent everyone flying.
Tecno recovered first.
He raised his weapons.
"I have another shot!"
Before he could fire—
The Lizard King flicked its arm.
Dozens of poisonous needles tore through the air.
Tecno's targeting systems screamed warnings.
He fired rapidly, shooting several needles out of the air.
But there were too many.
One slipped through.
Then another.
Then five more.
The poisonous needles slammed into Tecno, knocking him from the tree he had positioned himself in.
"TECNO!"
Ayuma immediately turned.
"Gao! Cover him!"
"You got it, boss!"
Gao rushed forward and unleashed a thunderous growl.
"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAH!!!"
The Lizard King immediately turned toward him.
Exactly as Ayuma wanted.
Ayuma looked around at his battered teammates.
Their formation had been destroyed.
Tecno was down.
Several members were injured.
And the Lizard King had barely been scratched.
Ayuma clenched his fists.
"Guys…"
Everyone looked toward him.
"We might not pass this."
Silence.
"But our only shot is if we work together."
One by one, everyone stood.
"Agreed."
Their voices quickly became one.
"AGREED!"
Ayuma smiled.
"Good."
His eyes shifted toward Benny.
"Benny…"
The monkey beastkin grinned.
Ayuma raised his hand.
"Formation Delta."
Benny rested his staff across his shoulders.
"It's about time."
Ayuma immediately began issuing orders.
"Gavan! Cynthia! Use a stealth barrier and heal Tecno!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Benny! Gao! Bertram!"
Ayuma pointed toward the Lizard King.
"Let's do this!"
Benny slammed his staff into the swamp.
"FA RUPA—FALSE BODY DIVISION TECHNIQUE!"
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
Clones appeared everywhere.
Dozens of Bennys surrounded the Lizard King.
They jumped between trees.
Splashed through the water.
Banged their staffs against rocks.
Shouted.
Laughed.
Whistled.
Every clone produced a different sound.
The blind Lizard King froze.
Its head snapped from one direction to another.
"RAAAAAAAAGH!"
It began attacking wildly.
SLASH!
One clone disappeared.
SLASH!
Another vanished.
BOOM!
Its sword destroyed a tree.
But the sounds kept coming.
The Lizard King became increasingly enraged.
"NOW, GAO!" Ayuma shouted.
Gao exploded forward.
He closed the distance and unleashed a ferocious flurry of punches.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The final strike sent the massive Lizard King stumbling backward into the swamp.
Benny leapt into the air.
"My turn!"
He threw his staff skyward.
"GOLDEN RAIN!"
The staff multiplied.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
Each staff expanded until it reached nearly fifty feet in length.
Benny pointed downward.
"DROP!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
One hundred enormous staffs crashed down upon the Lizard King.
The swamp erupted.
Mud and water exploded hundreds of feet into the air.
For several seconds, nobody could see anything.
Then—
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!"
A monstrous roar erupted from beneath the debris.
Ayuma's expression changed.
A notification appeared.
WARNINGSEVIUS, THE LIZARD KING — BERSERK MODEDANGER DIFFICULTY INCREASED"Everyone, stay on your feet!" Ayuma shouted. "Be aware of your surroundings!"
The staffs exploded outward.
The Lizard King emerged.
Its body was battered.
Blood poured from its wounds.
But its strength had increased dramatically.
It charged.
Gao barely avoided the first slash.
Bertram moved from the opposite side.
Benny's clones continued creating noise.
Cynthia and Gavan maintained their support.
Ayuma watched everything.
Every movement.
Every attack.
Every reaction.
Then he saw it.
An opening.
"NOW!"
The group moved simultaneously.
The Lizard King lunged—
But the team intercepted it.
Together, they seized the creature and used its momentum against it.
The enormous Lizard King was lifted from the ground.
"THROW HIM!"
With their combined strength, they hurled the monster high into the air.
Ayuma looked toward the others.
"Everyone!"
Magic surged.
Weapons activated.
Natural abilities awakened.
Every member of the team poured their available power into a single location beneath the falling monster.
Their combined abilities formed an enormous spike.
The Lizard King began falling.
Faster.
Faster.
FASTER.
It roared and swung helplessly through the air.
Ayuma pointed toward the spike.
"NOW!!!"
SHHHHHHKKKK!!!
The Lizard King crashed directly onto it.
The spike tore through the monster.
Its body went still.
Silence returned to the swamp.
Everyone stared.
A notification appeared.
MINI-BOSS DEFEATEDSEVIUS, THE LIZARD KING — SLAINFor several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Benny raised his staff.
"WE DID IT!"
"WE DID IT!" the others shouted.
Even Tecno, still recovering from the poison, looked toward the defeated monster.
Then another notification appeared before the entire party.
DUNGEON EXAM NOTICEMini-Boss Cleared
Team Performance Recorded
Rest Period Granted: 2 Hours
Upon completion of the rest period, your team will proceed to the Final Boss.
The cheering slowly stopped.
Ayuma stared deeper into the dungeon.
They had defeated the Lizard King.
But that creature had only been the mini-boss.
Whatever waited for them at the end of the dungeon would be far worse. Half way into the groups 2 hour break in the control room error error dungeon Rank anomaly D d d?*% d ra B rank dungeon boss confirmed resuming exam Heaaster Raigon someone get the systems back online the children are in danger but sir the systems are responding we're locked out
Ayuma and his team and they here a large growl Ayuma everyone get up something's not right
Roaarrrrr b rank minor flame dragon final boss
Ohhhhhh shit.
Hello, students. This year's exams have been quite interesting, to say the least. Now, it's time for your final exam—a Dungeon Boss Raid.
"You will be placed into groups of ten and sent into dungeons ranging from E-rank to C-rank. You will be scored based on your time efficiency, teamwork, and strategy."
Maximus looked over the gathered students.
"I wish you all good luck. Let the final exam begin!"
Ayuma's team consisted of Gao, Bertram, Sevi, Cynthia—a priest—Gavan, a mage, Aki, Ignant a blitzer swordsmaster and a zone trapper , Tecno the android, and Benny, a monkey beastkin hybrid.
Their team was teleported directly into a D-rank dungeon.
The moment they arrived, their feet sank slightly into murky swamp water.
They were surrounded.
Lizardmen emerged from the fog and vegetation in every direction, weapons drawn and eyes locked onto the students.
Cynthia and Gavan immediately reacted.
Together, the priest and mage erected a two-layered barrier around the entire group.
"We need to discuss our strategy and formation—" Ayuma began.
Tecno immediately cut him off.
"Who are you to order us around, loser?"
Bertram stepped forward.
"I know from experience that Ayuma would make a great leader, but I—"
Ayuma stopped him.
"No. Let him speak."
Ayuma turned toward Tecno.
"What do you think, Tecno?"
Tecno stared at him.
For nearly sixty seconds, the group deliberated. Arguments were made, positions were discussed, and eventually, everyone agreed on a formation.
Ayuma raised his hand.
"Cynthia. Gavan. Prepare to drop the barrier on three. Ready?"
"Ready!" everyone answered.
"ONE!"
Weapons were drawn.
"TWO!"
Magic surged throughout the formation.
"THREE!"
The barriers dropped.
The battle began.
"GAO! BENNY! CROWD CONTROL!" Ayuma shouted.
The two immediately rushed forward.
"CYNTHIA! GAVAN! CROWD SEPARATION!"
"YES, SIR!" they responded simultaneously.
Gavan slammed his staff into the ground.
"ARCTIC DIVIDE!"
Massive walls of ice erupted from the swamp, splitting the surrounding lizardman army into isolated groups and preventing them from overwhelming the students with their superior numbers.
Ayuma glanced toward Tecno.
"Tecno! How much time do you need?!"
"Fully loaded!"
"Everyone, split formation in three… two… ONE!"
The entire group scattered.
The lizardmen suddenly found themselves staring directly at Tecno.
His weapons were fully charged.
Energy screamed through his mechanical body as his cannons reached maximum output.
"BLITZ FIRE CANNON!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
A colossal blast ripped across the swamp.
The attack eviscerated the majority of the lizardmen caught within its path.
Silence briefly fell over the battlefield.
Ayuma lowered his arm.
"All right, guys! Clean up the stragglers and grab whatever you need. We're going deeper into the nest. The mini-boss should be ahead."
The others quickly followed his instructions.
Tecno remained silent.
He stared at Ayuma from a distance.
His strategy actually worked.
His mechanical hands tightened.
Someone with no powers is leading us…
The thought irritated him more than he wanted to admit.
How infuriating.
Then—
RUMMMMMBLE!!!
The entire swamp shook.
Everyone stopped.
Gao's senses immediately flared.
His eyes widened.
"Hey, guys…"
He slowly turned toward the darkness deeper within the swamp.
"Something's coming."
BOOOOOOM!
Water exploded upward.
A massive figure emerged.
"URRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
A deafening roar shook the dungeon.
A notification appeared before the students.
MINI-BOSS: SEVIUS, THE LIZARD KINGThe enormous Lizard King towered over them, wielding a massive, jagged blade.
Tecno analyzed it first.
"Blind."
His targeting systems immediately locked onto the creature.
He fired.
"Wait!" Ayuma shouted.
Too late.
The Lizard King's head snapped toward the sound.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Its enormous blade moved with terrifying precision, swatting Tecno's bullets out of the air.
Ayuma's eyes widened.
"It can track sound!"
The Lizard King charged directly toward the source of the gunfire.
"MOVE!"
BOOM!
Its jagged blade crashed through the group's barrier.
Their formation shattered instantly.
"Damn it!" Ayuma shouted.
The impact sent everyone flying.
Tecno recovered first.
He raised his weapons.
"I have another shot!"
Before he could fire—
The Lizard King flicked its arm.
Dozens of poisonous needles tore through the air.
Tecno's targeting systems screamed warnings.
He fired rapidly, shooting several needles out of the air.
But there were too many.
One slipped through.
Then another.
Then five more.
The poisonous needles slammed into Tecno, knocking him from the tree he had positioned himself in.
"TECNO!"
Ayuma immediately turned.
"Gao! Cover him!"
"You got it, boss!"
Gao rushed forward and unleashed a thunderous growl.
"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAH!!!"
The Lizard King immediately turned toward him.
Exactly as Ayuma wanted.
Ayuma looked around at his battered teammates.
Their formation had been destroyed.
Tecno was down.
Several members were injured.
And the Lizard King had barely been scratched.
Ayuma clenched his fists.
"Guys…"
Everyone looked toward him.
"We might not pass this."
Silence.
"But our only shot is if we work together."
One by one, everyone stood.
"Agreed."
Their voices quickly became one.
"AGREED!"
Ayuma smiled.
"Good."
His eyes shifted toward Benny.
"Benny…"
The monkey beastkin grinned.
Ayuma raised his hand.
"Formation Delta."
Benny rested his staff across his shoulders.
"It's about time."
Ayuma immediately began issuing orders.
"Gavan! Cynthia! Use a stealth barrier and heal Tecno!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Benny! Gao! Bertram!"
Ayuma pointed toward the Lizard King.
"Let's do this!"
Benny slammed his staff into the swamp.
"FA RUPA—FALSE BODY DIVISION TECHNIQUE!"
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
Clones appeared everywhere.
Dozens of Bennys surrounded the Lizard King.
They jumped between trees.
Splashed through the water.
Banged their staffs against rocks.
Shouted.
Laughed.
Whistled.
Every clone produced a different sound.
The blind Lizard King froze.
Its head snapped from one direction to another.
"RAAAAAAAAGH!"
It began attacking wildly.
SLASH!
One clone disappeared.
SLASH!
Another vanished.
BOOM!
Its sword destroyed a tree.
But the sounds kept coming.
The Lizard King became increasingly enraged.
"NOW, GAO!" Ayuma shouted.
Gao exploded forward.
He closed the distance and unleashed a ferocious flurry of punches.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The final strike sent the massive Lizard King stumbling backward into the swamp.
Benny leapt into the air.
"My turn!"
He threw his staff skyward.
"GOLDEN RAIN!"
The staff multiplied.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
Each staff expanded until it reached nearly fifty feet in length.
Benny pointed downward.
"DROP!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
One hundred enormous staffs crashed down upon the Lizard King.
The swamp erupted.
Mud and water exploded hundreds of feet into the air.
For several seconds, nobody could see anything.
Then—
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!"
A monstrous roar erupted from beneath the debris.
Ayuma's expression changed.
A notification appeared.
WARNINGSEVIUS, THE LIZARD KING — BERSERK MODEDANGER DIFFICULTY INCREASED"Everyone, stay on your feet!" Ayuma shouted. "Be aware of your surroundings!"
The staffs exploded outward.
The Lizard King emerged.
Its body was battered.
Blood poured from its wounds.
But its strength had increased dramatically.
It charged.
Gao barely avoided the first slash.
Bertram moved from the opposite side.
Benny's clones continued creating noise.
Cynthia and Gavan maintained their support.
Ayuma watched everything.
Every movement.
Every attack.
Every reaction.
Then he saw it.
An opening.
"NOW!"
The group moved simultaneously.
The Lizard King lunged—
But the team intercepted it.
Together, they seized the creature and used its momentum against it.
The enormous Lizard King was lifted from the ground.
"THROW HIM!"
With their combined strength, they hurled the monster high into the air.
Ayuma looked toward the others.
"Everyone!"
Magic surged.
Weapons activated.
Natural abilities awakened.
Every member of the team poured their available power into a single location beneath the falling monster.
Their combined abilities formed an enormous spike.
The Lizard King began falling.
Faster.
Faster.
FASTER.
It roared and swung helplessly through the air.
Ayuma pointed toward the spike.
"NOW!!!"
SHHHHHHKKKK!!!
The Lizard King crashed directly onto it.
The spike tore through the monster.
Its body went still.
Silence returned to the swamp.
Everyone stared.
A notification appeared.
MINI-BOSS DEFEATEDSEVIUS, THE LIZARD KING — SLAINFor several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Benny raised his staff.
"WE DID IT!"
"WE DID IT!" the others shouted.
Even Tecno, still recovering from the poison, looked toward the defeated monster.
Then another notification appeared before the entire party.
DUNGEON EXAM NOTICEMini-Boss Cleared
Team Performance Recorded
Rest Period Granted: 2 Hours
Upon completion of the rest period, your team will proceed to the Final Boss.
The cheering slowly stopped.
Ayuma stared deeper into the dungeon.
They had defeated the Lizard King.
But that creature had only been the mini-boss.
Whatever waited for them at the end of the dungeon would be far worse. Half way into the groups 2 hour break in the control room error error dungeon Rank anomaly D d d?*% d ra B rank dungeon boss confirmed resuming exam Heaaster Raigon someone get the systems back online the children are in danger but sir the systems are responding we're locked out
Ayuma and his team and they here a large growl Ayuma everyone get up something's not right
Roaarrrrr b rank minor flame dragon final boss
Ohhhhhh shit.