Esther and Draven hadn't expected that they would encounter another one so soon, and one that was no less than a Rank Two Lesser Beast.

"SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US!!"

Several loud cries for help resonated three the air.

"There's someone there," Esther's eyes widened in realisation.

She noticed the raging purple flames on the ground beside the cave, spreading across the area.

"Return to the Dungeon Hall quickly and report the appearance of a Rank Two Lesser Beast to the Dungeon Nurses," Esther turned to Draven and said.

"And what are you going to be doing then?" Draven asked, swallowing as he watched her pull out her sword from its sheath.

The blade resembled obsidian, shimmering like glass under the night sky. On the centre cross-guard was a transparent rose, also resembling being made of glass.

The sword's beauty seemed more striking beneath the night sky.

"Didn't you hear those cries for help? There may be students who have been attacked by the beast. I'm going to try my best to see if I can rescue them. I don't need to face the beast head-on," Esther responded, gritting her teeth.

Draven clicked his tongue. "Even if you don't want to fight it, do you think it will simply let you go without taking you head-on?" he replied.

"Since you're staying behind to rescue whoever it is that's been foolish enough to have attracted a rank two lesser beast, then I'll also stay behind and help you rescue them. I still need to surpass you and become the strongest Magical Swordsman in the First-Year, so there's no way I'll be going to watch you take such risks alone before then," Draven said, drawing his blade.

Unlike Esther's enchanting blade, his was a simple sword that looked no different from an ordinary iron blade, except for the detailed carvings on the sword.

The sword brightened with a golden hue the moment he unsheathed it and unleashed his mana into it.

"I'm not sure I can die even if I want to. My clan will certainly not allow it. So you don't have to worry about such an issue," Esther responded with a smirk.

"You just need to worry about whether you can keep up, and not be the one to get caught."

Her voice resonated behind her as she dashed toward the nearest smaller boulder, using it as a platform to leap toward the direction of the beast.

Draven didn't respond.

He grinned arrogantly and chased after her from behind.

As they neared the cave, they caught sight of the students and saw their condition.

Three students were sprawled on the ground, charred.

One of them was dead, his upper body missing. Blood trickled down his corpse, but was quickly eroded by the blazing purple flames surrounding them.

Esther and Draven exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

They increased their speed.

At that moment, the students also caught sight of them.

"HELP US!!" The cries of help resounded once more.

"Damn it!" Esther looked up and saw that the golden-winged beast had also noticed their arrival.

"Let's split up," she said.

Draven nodded.

Without wasting a moment, both of them dashed in different directions, hoping that the beast would follow one of them while the other rescued the students.

Their plan worked.

"ROOAARR!"

The golden-winged winged beast chased after Esther.

Draven arrived before the injured students.

He quickly extinguished the flames by casting a basic wind spell.

He frowned as he saw their open wounds covered in purple patches.

A foul stench emanated from them, pervading the air.

Still, he knelt before them with his sword in his grasp and asked, "How do you feel?"

The two young men gazed at Draven with hopeful eyes.

"I feel... terrible... It feels as though my insides are burning... I think the flames might be poisonous," Salin responded, his voice filled with despair.

'Poison,' Draven's frown deepened.

The toxicity of magical beasts varied based on their strength.

The stronger they were, the more powerful their poison became, and the harder it would be to get rid of, especially if the victim was of a lower Rank or weak. The only exception was beasts with special bloodlines.

For an individual like himself, it was hard to tell if the golden-winged beast had a special bloodline, but considering that the two students, who appeared to be mid-stage Rank One Magical Swordsmen, hadn't yet died from the poison, it meant two things.

One, it didn't possess a special bloodline.

Two, the golden-winged beast had controlled the toxicity to play with them and, at the same time, draw out any other individuals in the area.

Regardless of which was more plausible, he understood one thing.

They needed to get out of the dungeon as quickly as they could.

"Can you stand up?" Draven asked solemnly.

They quickly shook their heads.

"Okay. I'll try my best to help, but you must cooperate if you want to survive," Draven said, sheathing his blade.

He took out three long wraps of cloth from his storage ring.

He covered the body that was missing half a torso first and stored it in his storage bag, before wrapping the other two with the sheets and carrying them over his shoulders.

As he leapt down to the nearest rock, he looked back and saw Esther, who was running away from the winged beast as it spewed poisonous, purple flames at her .

Esther caught sight of them.

They exchanged glances, nodding at each other.

Draven dashed into the forest.

Meanwhile, Esther dashed across the jagged rocks.

The golden-winged beasts sent violent gusts of wind through the area, which nearly threw her off balance.

But Esther anchored her feet to the stone and steadied herself.

Sensing the growing intensity of the previous flames the golden-winged had unleashed against her, Esther understood she would be unable to dodge the beast's next attack.

She halted, turned around, and swung her blade at the golden-winged beast above her.

Shattered Sky Glass-Lightning Sacred Art: Flash!

Her sword strike, infused with the power of the sacred art, flashed across the night sky, transforming into countless shards of glass suspended around the magical beast.

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