Cybernetic Evolution System

Moments later, two more students emerged from the dungeon.

They dropped the injured students' bodies beside them and then quickly walked away, vanishing into the crowd.

James and the others looked at the severely injured students before them, then glanced at each other. In an instant, it was as though they had communicated silently and figured out what to do next.

"Rodrick and I will go in and check the situation. Tiana, Selina and Vandel, you three should take them to the hospital and inform the Instructor Council about this," James said, his voice filled with concern for the injured students.

"Hey, you're not our leader, so we don't have to follow your orders. Selina and I will go check the scene, while you three take them to the hospital and notify the Council," one of the men snapped.

His name is Vandel. A scar ran across his bald head and stopped over his right eyelid.

Vandel looked at James with a sneer.

As Dungeon Service Nurses, their job wasn't only to ensure the well-being of students in the dungeon but also to handle anything that threatened it.

However, compared to caring for students, slaying powerful magical beasts or creatures brought greater recognition from the higher-ups, which accelerated promotions and improved their reputations among Awakeners.

In this world, eradicating magical beasts or anything that threatened humanity was the top priority. Everything else was supplementary.

That didn't mean they could overlook student health; many victims were descendants or heirs of prestigious families, and if anything happened to them without a satisfactory explanation, their heads would be the first to roll.

Before James could respond, Vandel dispelled the mana barrier that had isolated them from the outside world and strode toward the dungeon.

The two of them carried two swords hanging at both sides of their waist and a large shield strapped to their backs, one red and the other white.

But before they could take a step forward, James blocked their path.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to stop us from entering the dungeon to investigate what happened to these students? Perhaps you know something and are keeping it a secret… I'm warning you, reveal any information you have about this incident immediately, or don't blame me for what I'll do," Vandel said, narrowing his eyes at James.

James's lips twitched in annoyance.

He looked around and saw students observing them intently; some had already taken out their smartphones and were recording the ongoing scene.

He glanced at Tiana. Seeing the subtle look in her eyes, he sighed in defeat and stepped out of the way.

Vandel snorted. "Hmph! Since you don't know anything about what has transpired, you should admit them to the hospital as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll have only yourself to blame if anything happens to them.

"Come on, kid, let's go. Lead the way. I'll do my best to protect you from those monsters, so you don't need to be afraid," Vandel added with a grin as he turned to Ezekiel.

Rather than wasting time searching for the location of the battle, it was far better to be led there by someone who already knew the way.

Ezekiel nodded, pretending as though he hadn't witnessed what had just transpired.

He had been looking for a way to get back into the dungeon without drawing too much attention, and this was the perfect opportunity.

"Follow me," he said calmly.

He walked ahead of them.

Vandel and Selina followed behind.

The crowd of students parted for them, with their smartphone cameras flashing all around as they made their way toward the dungeon.

Ezekiel squinted his eyes tiredly from the bright beams of light.

Although this could also serve as a chance to skyrocket his popularity to the point where the Governing Council would be forced to take notice and punish Ivory properly, he just hoped they wouldn't start spreading strange rumours about what had happened.

Meanwhile, Vandel couldn't help but grin foolishly at the scene.

After this, the higher-ups might commend his group, raise their salaries or provide better equipment for their future tasks. They might even become popular and receive invitations from various prestigious households for their skills.

This was one of the reasons they had taken this job as Dungeon Service Nurses.

For now, all he needed to focus on was how to handle these magical beasts. He had heard of a beast capable of releasing such toxic flames and gas, residing at the edge of Zone Two.

However, even though that section had been sealed due to various issues, there was a chance that the magical beasts terrorising the dungeon might have slipped out from the sealed area.

Vandel wasn't the only one with that suspicion; the others had shared the same thought during their last assignment to eliminate the Second Rank Lesser Beast and Third Rank Sacred Beasts, but this incident seemed to confirm it.

Fortunately, he remembered that the academy had provided them with an encyclopedia containing detailed information about every magical beast within the Magical Swordsmen Dungeon.

That resource had always been invaluable for identifying weaknesses and planning their approach.

Nonetheless, he knew better than to get careless.

Not too long ago, one of their teammates, along with several other members from different Classes' Dungeon Service Nurses, had been gravely injured after the previous tasks.

He might crave fame and profit, but who didn't?

Anything that could increase his strength as an Awakener while still aligning with his code of conduct was a plan worth pursuing.

His partner thought the same way; otherwise, she wouldn't have followed him without question.

Soon, they arrived at the teleportation platform and were transported back into the dungeon.

***

Twenty minutes later..

After dashing through the dense jungle and into the rocky region without stopping, they finally arrived at their destination.

Vandel lowered Ezekiel from his shoulders.

Ezekiel landed on his feet, crouching momentarily to calm his dizzy head. The speed at which they had travelled was so incredible that everything around him had turned into a blur.

He wasn't even sure he could have kept up, even with 'Sky Dash'.

Ezekiel realised that was to be expected.

They were Rank Two Magical Swordsmen. If he could easily match their speed, then they might as well be frauds.

"Is this the place?" Vandel asked, drawing one of his swords.

He removed his shield from his back, gripping both firmly.

Vandel frowned deeply as his gaze swept across the scorched forest and blackened rocks in the area.

The devastation suggested a fierce battle, though it still didn't fully match the scale he had imagined based on Ezekiel's earlier explanation.

His teammate, Selina, also unsheathed her sword and raised her shield, scanning the surroundings cautiously so they wouldn't be caught off guard.

"This is only the outer battlefield," Ezekiel said, standing up and pointing into the distance. "The real fight took place over there."

Vandel gave a brief nod.

Ezekiel led them forward.

When they arrived, both Vandel and Selina froze in astonishment at the destruction before them.

The earth was smashed open, forming what appeared to be a bottomless pit, although it was only a few dozen meters deep.

The surrounding terrain was scorched black, with jagged, spiderweb-like cracks branching outward across the ground, some plunging deep below and stretching far into the distance, as if a meteor had struck the earth.

Even the rocky hills and distant trees beyond the immediate impact zone endured the marks of the devastation.

It was clear that a fierce battle had taken place here.

"Do you sense anything?" Vandel asked, glancing at Selina.

Selina shook her head and replied, "No. I can't sense anything alive. There's only the faint lingering trace of one magical beast's aura. I suspect that's the Mantle Golden Crown Beast, but that's it."

"I don't sense anything else here. Regardless, judging by the battlefield, it's obvious that two powerful magical beasts fought here."

She cast a subtle glance toward Ezekiel.

Ezekiel caught it immediately. Having grown up in the Zahara Clan, he had learned to read these types of silent cues intrinsically.

"Great," Vandel muttered. "That means a Second Rank Lesser Flaming River Deer Beast was definitely here, likely battling the Second Rank Lesser Mantle Golden Crown Beast. Otherwise, there's no way it could've hidden its magical signature after such an intense fight."

He grinned slightly. "As for who won, or if it ended in a draw, but looking at the current situation, that's hard to tell. We'll have to spread out and search for clues. This'll turn into a game of cat and mouse with that Flaming River Deer Beast… but this time, we're ready for them."

He turned toward Ezekiel.

"Before that, you should head back to the Dungeon Hall and send a message to the other Dungeon Service Nurses. Tell them to seal the dungeon and prepare reinforcements. Do you understand?" His tone was calm as he was careful not to offend Ezekiel, given the refined demeanour he carried, which he assumed was characteristic of a noble descendant.

.....

A/N: Second Rank Lesser Mantle Golden Crown Beast, or Rank Two Mantle Golden Crown Lesser Beast, can be used interchangeably. The same goes for the other magical beasts or creatures.

I'll pick one so it won't be confusing for your guys.