Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey

-Khuala! -Khuaka! -Khuaka!

Like a tsunami, green-like creatures of shorter-than-human stature with flat and long hooked noses, bat-like ears, and malevolent expressions with twisted smiles appeared from every corner of the cave.

"W-hat's that?"

"Are those globins?"

"Hi"

Surprised by the unexpected development, the students at the front immediately stopped running and huddled up together.

With their backs against each other, they each raised their weapons and nervously looked towards their surroundings. Goblins appeared en masse everywhere they looked.

"W-what do we do?"

"I-i don't know"

Despite goblins being the most common monsters inside of dungeons, they were still dangerous creatures.

With their excellent sense of smell, hearing, and tendency to hunt in groups, many aspiring heroes fell because of them

…lest needed to be said about students who had no experience of being inside of dungeons.

"We-re surround-died"

Staring at the numerous goblins blocking their paths, one of the students couldn't help but say as his voice shook.

"S-something is wrong. How can there possibly be so many goblins inside of a ranked dungeon? W-we're all going to die!"

He wasn't the only one who thought of it that way, as almost everyone at the front shook in fear.

When the unit test was held we had to face goblins at that time too but compared to that goblin the number of current goblins went insense.

I mean, although it was dark, the number of goblins before them counted to at least a thousand. How were they supposed to fight with that many goblins?

"Step aside, you are all acting like a simp. You guys shouldn't join the academy when you are this simp." A cold voice sounded in a dark cave as Elera stepped forward with Silver-Ice cooler reaper in her hand.

Her silver blue hair was tied in a ponytail as she gazed at the go line in front of us.

For a moment, I stopped my action and gazed at her, this was the best opportunity to see her in action.

I knew her capability but I didn't have a chance to see her fight myself.

'Let's see what she can do.'

Leaning backwards, Elera adjusted her position and proceeded to throw the reaper in her hand.

-Swoooosh!

Like a bolt of lightning, the reaper traveled through the sea of goblins leaving behind a red trail of flames…

-Kacha!

Boom!

Soon after, an explosion reverberated across the whole dungeon. The cave shook, and debris and dust flew everywhere.

As the debris cleared up, the students couldn't help but be stunned by what they saw.

"W-what?"

"Huh?"

The sea of goblins that was before them was no longer visible, and what replaced it was a single goblin wearing a mage mantle with an orb in its hand.

…well that's how it was supposed to look like.

Currently, its body was lifelessly sitting on the hard ground with a spear imbued on top of its head.

Is that a goblin mage?"

What?"

"So it was all an illusion?"

-Swoosh!

The reaper that Elera threw earlier came back to her, after carefully looking at it I saw that steel chains were connected to the handle of the reaper.

-Tak!

Reaper attached itself back to its handle and Elera stood amidst the aftermath of her attack, her demeanour calm and composed as she surveyed the now-empty cavern. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her Silver-Ice cooler reaper back to her hand, the steel chains rattling softly as it returned to its rightful place.

The other students stared at her in awe and disbelief, their fear and uncertainty momentarily forgotten in the face of her incredible display of power. It was clear that Elera was no ordinary student, but a skilled and formidable warrior in her own right.

"Wow... That was amazing," one of the students muttered, breaking the stunned silence that had fallen over the group.

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it," another added, his voice filled with admiration.

Elera simply nodded in acknowledgement, her expression unreadable as she sheathed her reaper and turned to face the group.

"I don't have time to waste," she said, her voice firm and decisive. "I need to keep moving forward."

Her words snapped the other students out of their reverie, and they quickly gathered their wits and weapons, ready to follow her lead. Despite their initial fear and uncertainty, they knew that they could trust in Elera's strength and guidance to see them through the challenges ahead.

Now students were not feeling any fear at all, they seemed rather relaxed.

Now with a new sense of determination, students glance at Goblin Mage and soon understand what is happening.

They fell under the goblin illusion spell, if not for Elera who knows how many casualties have happened by now?

Walking ahead of everyone, with the most gentle smile Elera could muster, looking back at the students at the front she said

"Next time you're scared, don't block the paths for others. You're honestly a nuisance, so please either die or move out of the way. Thank you very much"

With that, without looking back, Elera picked up her spear and dashed deeper into the cave.

Standing at the back, looking at Elera's disappearing figure, I nodded my head repeatedly.

…ah, that's Elera for you

Yup…yup…yup

Spitting venomous words with the most gentle face possible…only Elera could pull it off.

"Let's go"

"Follow her"

Watching Elera leave, some of the students woke up from their daze and immediately followed from behind her.

"Huuuu…"

Glancing at some of the students that followed Elera's footsteps, taking a deep breath I too started moving.

"Astral Dash," I muttered to myself as I activated my movement art.

Like a bolt of lightning, I shot myself forward, the speed was too much and soon enough I surpassed the other students that were in front of me.

"W-What was that?"

"I don't know but whoever he was fast...Like very fast."

As I dashed ahead with incredible speed, leaving the other students in my wake, I focused on keeping my pace steady and my senses sharp. The adrenaline coursing through my veins fueled my determination to keep pushing forward, to stay one step ahead of whatever challenges lay ahead.

The cavern stretched out before me, its dark and winding passageways twisting and turning like a labyrinth of shadows. But I was undeterred, my resolve unshakable as I forged ahead with single-minded determination.

With each step I took, I felt a surge of energy coursing through my body, propelling me forward with unstoppable force. The echoes of my footsteps reverberated off the walls of the cave, a constant reminder of the journey that lay ahead.

As I raced deeper into the darkness, my senses heightened, alert for any signs of danger that might lurk around the next corner. The air grew colder, the atmosphere thick with tension as I pressed onward, my heart pounding in my chest with anticipation.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, my dash came to an abrupt halt as I reached a fork in the cavern. Glancing left and right, I weighed my options carefully, my mind racing with possibilities as I tried to decide which path to take.

With a moment of hesitation, I finally made my choice and dashed down the left-hand tunnel, my footsteps echoing loudly in the empty silence of the cave. As I raced forward, my senses on high alert, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, that unseen eyes were following my every move from the shadows.

...And in few moments later my sense was proven right.

-Khuala! -Khuaka! -Khuaka!

A five to Six go line appears in front of me out of nowhere, without giving me a chance to dodge they attacked me from all sides.

However, I was ready for something like this. After all the training that I went under Yato was for these moments.

"[Shadow Control:- Shadow Binding.]" I shouted and activated my Shadow Binding.

As my [Shadow Control: Shadow Binding] skill activated, tendrils of darkness extended from my own shadow, wrapping around six goblins, and immobilizing them.

They started to struggle but it was no use, This skill was a <B> rank skill. Even if they tried their all might they would not be able to get out of this.

Now let's end this.

["Sword Art: Celestial Parry - Grade 3- second movement-Luminous Riposte"]

I shouted as I activated my sword art.

As I executed the second movement of my sword art, Luminous Riposte, with precision and speed, my blade shimmered with a celestial glow as it sliced through the air, aiming directly at the exposed areas of the immobilized goblins.

With a swift and fluid motion, I struck each goblin with precise accuracy, delivering a series of devastating blows that left them incapacitated and writhing in pain. The celestial energy infused within my sword enhanced the power of each strike, ensuring that no goblin could withstand the force of my attack.

One by one, the immobilized goblins fell to the ground, defeated by the combination of my shadow binding and celestial swordsmanship. Their twisted forms lay motionless on the cave floor, a testament to the effectiveness of my training under Yato's guidance.

With the immediate threat neutralized, I took a moment to catch my breath and assess the situation. The cavern was eerily quiet now, the echoes of battle fading into the darkness as I stood amidst the aftermath of my victory.

But there was no time to dwell on my success. I knew that more challenges lay ahead, and I needed to stay focused and alert if I wanted to navigate the treacherous depths of the dungeon and emerge victorious.

With renewed determination, I continued forward, my senses sharp and my sword at the ready. Each step brought me closer to my ultimate goal, and I was prepared to face whatever obstacles stood in my way.

As I pressed onward into the unknown, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation coursing through my veins. The journey ahead would be perilous, but I was ready to face it head-on, armed with my skills, my determination, and the unwavering support of my allies.

With every challenge overcome, I grew stronger, more confident in my abilities and more determined than ever to prove myself in the eyes of my mentor, my comrades, and myself.

And so, with a steadfast resolve and a heart full of courage, I plunged deeper into the darkness, ready to face whatever trials and tribulations awaited me in the depths of the dungeon.