I watched with wide eyes as the shadowy wolf-creature repeatedly lunged at the disheveled group hiding in the corner of the cavern, its jaws crackling with electricity.

  Looking closer, I quickly realized they must have been a group of apprentices because although their long robes were covered in blood and grime, they had a distinct green undertone to them.

  Faced with the monster's relentless onslaught, the students tried to scatter. One man rolled to the side, barely avoiding the wolf's sharp fangs by raising an earth wall just in time.

  The beast slammed into it with a resounding boom that made the whole cavern shudder, and I couldn't help but take a few steps back. 'What is this crap...' I blinked in exasperation. It seemed we barely escaped one dire peril only to jump straight into another.

  One part of me wanted to simply abandon the trapped students to their fate and use the opportunity to escape when the monster was preoccupied with them. But then I paused, realizing this wouldn't necessarily be the best course of action.

  Even if I disregarded the obligatory strength in numbers and all, there was at least one other tangible benefit in rescuing them.

  They looked like they were on an expedition, which meant they must have a map of the place or at least know the way back to the Loading Bay. Not to mention, this could also be the perfect opportunity to push Gil over the edge and finally awaken his magic.

  That's why I hurriedly turned over and signaled to my frightened-looking roommate to take cover and wait while I tried to figure out the best way to make our entrance without alerting the monster of our presence.

  While this was going on, the student's situation seemed to be quickly deteriorating. I could see that one member of their party was already lying motionlessly on the ground, and the rest didn't look much better for wear.

  Right then, as if to confirm my suspicion, I could hear a young woman's voice shouting in desperation. "Lucien! We can't keep this up for much longer!"

  "I know!" The man who previously cast the earthwall shouted back. He then looked up with a grim expression before giving a resolute nod. "Elise! Take Reinold and Therese and make a run for it! I'll keep it occupied for as long as I can!"

  Another resounding boom shook the cavern as the monster finally broke through the improvised barrier of earth standing in its way and was getting ready to, at last, devour the pesky prey that so brazenly intruded upon its territory.

  "We can't just leave you here to die!" The woman, Elise, screamed with panic in her eyes.

  "You don't have a choice! It's either that or we all die! Besides, Reinold needs to see a healer, so stop nagging and go!" Lucien replied angrily, right before summoning another earth wall to stall the towering abomination for a few more precious moments.

  'Now would be a good time...' I thought, seeing that both the monster and the students' sights were locked onto each other and not paying us any attention.

  "Gil," I whispered urgently. "This is your chance!"

  He looked at me like I'd gone mad. "Are you crazy? That thing will tear us apart!"

  "It's now or never," I hissed, grabbing his arm. "Focus on your survival instincts; let them fuel your magic."

  "My survival instincts are telling me to drop everything and run!" Gil replied, his eyes widening in panic, but I didn't give him any time for further protests.

  Employing my superior strength, I unceremoniously dragged him forward before pushing him toward the rampaging abomination.

  Gil staggered forward before plopping down on his butt, looking like he would faint any moment.

  Sensing a presence behind it, the towering wolf instantly turned its giant body around and uttered a threatening growl.

  I could hear some shouts coming from the group of young mages, who were also alerted of our presence, but I paid them no attention.

  'Now let's see what happens...' I thought, curiously watching what would happen next.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  I knew that I could most likely take it out on my own just fine, but there was still a long way ahead of us, so having an extra pair of hands capable of casting spells wouldn't hurt.

  That's why I was willing to take on a bit of extra risk with the promise of great return if it worked.

  The monster's eyes locked on Gil with a predatory focus, who sat frozen in terror. Then, its massive jaws parted, electricity crackling between the razor-sharp teeth. Time seemed to slow as the beast lunged forward.

  "No!" Gil screamed, throwing his hands up instinctively.

  For a split second, nothing happened. But then, a sudden crack split the cavern's floor in half, followed the next moment by a thunder-like sound.

  A jagged fissure split the stone floor, spreading rapidly toward the shadow wolf. The beast's hind legs slipped into the newly formed crevice, throwing it off balance. It snarled in fury, electricity arcing wildly from its body as it struggled to pull itself free. 'Wow! Interesting...'

  Gil blinked in shock, staring at his hands. "I...I did it?"

  "Sure you did; now let me take care of the rest…"I swiftly interjected, smiling proudly.

  Of course, I wouldn't let Gil die like that, even if he couldn't pull it off. I already had a potent fireball prepared behind my back, ready to haul it at the monster at a moment's notice. And, since the purpose of this exercise was now completed, I promptly did.

  After all, it would be a shame to waste so much essence. So, the next moment, a blinding flash erupted in the middle of the spacious cavern as the roaring ball of flames struck the wolf's flank, sending it reeling backward with a pained howl.

  It was fortunate that Gil turned out to have an affinity for the Earth element as it directly countered the shadowy monster's abilities.

  Well, either fire or earth would work just fine. Earth could ground the electricity running through its fur while the fire would tear apart the darkness that formed its body like my own fireball did a moment ago.

  The group of mages over at the other side, although looking worse for wear with many cuts and burns marring their exhausted bodies, rallied quickly, taking advantage of the monster's momentary distraction to join the assault.

  With the shadowy wolf besieged from every side, I seized my chance. Channeling my essence, I summoned a torrent of flames, engulfing the creature in a roaring inferno. Its unearthly howl echoed through the chamber as the fire seared its shadowy form.

  Then, with a final, ear-splitting shriek, the great monster exploded into a swirling torrent of darkness before dissipating into nothingness.

  As the last specks of the shadowy wolf faded away, I slumped against a nearby crystal formation, the exhaustion of the past few hours of unhinged craziness finally catching up with me.

  The sudden silence that followed was deafening. Gil sat nearby, still staring at his hands in disbelief. "I can't believe I actually did that," I could hear him muttering with a mix of awe and disbelief in his voice.

  Before I could respond, the small group of apprentices cautiously approached us, suspicion reflecting in their eyes. My previous performance must have made quite an impression on them since they didn't dare to drop their guard even a little bit.

  "By the gods! Who are you two, and how did you end up in this damn maze?" the stout youngster - Lucien, in the front demanded. It seemed he was their presumed leader.

  'Well, that's actually a pretty good question... I'm wondering how I got down here myself.' I chuckled inwardly but didn't let it show. Instead, I straightened up, trying to project an air of confidence despite my growing fatigue.

  "Be greeted, honourable seniors. I'm Darian, and this is Gil. As you can see, we're novices from the Tower, and as for what we're doing here..." I glanced at Gil and shrugged. "Let's just say we took an unexpected detour after being chased by a swarm of crawlers."

  "Were you part of the expedition, too? But wait! I've never seen you before, and you look too young for that. Are you perhaps a first-year?" The young woman, Elise, jumped in.

  "Yes, we are, and no, we weren't part of any expedition. As I was saying, we were on a simple supply run in the basement when the crawlers breached the wall, swarming the place, and as we were trying to escape their maws, we somehow ended up down here."

  "What?! Did they make it up all the way to the basement? We encountered them during our ascent from the sixth floor and were barely able to make it out alive, only to end up in this damn place. To think such a calamity would strike the academy at this time..." Lucien said, shaking his head in exasperation.

  "So that means we are on the fifth floor?" I asked, perking up at the mention of floors.

  "Yes, at least we think so..." Elise said before adding in a lively voice. "Anyway, thanks for the timely rescue; without your wonderful spellwork, we would be all dead by now. With a talent like that, you must be from an esteemed family, aren't you?

  "My family is far from an esteemed one; I could only thank the gods for my talent," I replied, quickly trying to rectify the misunderstanding.

  "Oh my! How humble you are. What a fresh sight these days..." Elise giggled joyfully, the previous dire peril all but forgotten.

  "You can exchange compliments to your heart's desire when we find our way back to the surface; until then, keep it to yourself." Lucien sighed, motioning that we should go before the noise from the recent clash lured in more monsters.

  I nodded, more than happy to finally be able to leave this wretched place behind. But then I paused, looking over my shoulder at a specific spot in the distance where I noticed a distinct glint.

  Making my way over, I couldn't help but smile because when the shadowy wolf disappeared, it left behind a shimmering essence gem, which I then gingerly picked up. It was almost entirely black, with a hint of purple at its edges. 'Nice! I'll be taking that...'