Endless Extraction in a Game-Like World-Chapter 48: Extracting the Poison Application Talent! The Initiation of the Double Dungeon

Chapter 48: Extracting the Poison Application Talent! The Initiation of the Double Dungeon

"Someone is following me."

Caelus frowned, coming to a halt before the Dungeon Zone’s barrier. Two men in heavy black coats and sunglasses lingered near the rear of the toll queue, making a sloppy attempt at blending in. He wouldn’t have noticed them normally, but they weren’t even bothering to cover their tracks properly.

’Who are they? What do they want with me?’

"Hey kid, you entering or just window shopping?" the guard grunted, scowling at the backed-up line.

Instead of stating his purpose, Caelus had just been standing there lost in thought.

"Ah, yes. I’m heading in," Caelus nodded, snapping back to reality.

He tapped his phone against the scanner to transfer the twenty Origin Credits. His real-life bank balance was running dangerously low. He needed to create a Loader Chip soon and convert some of the Origin Credits he’d earned in the Domain into real-world currency.

While the guard processed his entry, he checked his stats.

[Name: Caelus Kross]

[Race: Chaos Perception Dragon (Locked)]

[Class: Ender]

[Profession: Blacksmith (Tier 1: Iron I) (0/25,000 EXP)]

[Aspect: Chaos Perception Eyes (Mythical, 1-Star)]

[Talent: Endless Extraction (SSS-Rank), Body Enhancement (D-Rank), Dexterity (C-Rank), Fire Manipulation (D-Rank), Lightning Domain (Lower B-Rank), Charge (D-Rank), Weapon Light Barrage (D-Rank), Shadow Hand (D-Rank), Projection Frame (Upper A-Rank), First Generation: Spark Ignition (C-Rank), Tremor Authority (Middle B-Rank)]

[HP: 110/110]

[CA: 100/100]

[Rank: Iron I]

[Level: 7 (1,234/1,600)]

[Combat Score: 50.75]

[Affinity: E-Rank]

[Origin Credits: 4,631]

[Reputation: 20]

[Title: Rookie Emperor (Passive Skill), Town Leader of Server 513]

[Skill: Fireball (Common, 1-Star), Blood Manipulation (Common, 1-Star), Compressed Lightning Shot (Rare, 1-Star), Lightning Step (Common, 1-Star), Weapon Manifestation (Common, 1-Star), Tremor (Rare, 1-Star), Thunderclap (Rare, 1-Star), Stream (Epic)]

[Profession Skills: Flash Forge (Tier 1: Iron I), Herb Gatherer (Tier 1: Iron I)]

he swiftly made his way into the heavily guarded Dungeon Zone.

The area buzzed with activity. Multiple dimensional fissures glowed in a spectrum of colors, white, blue, and red gates. Floating directly above his current sector was a digitalized holographic sign reading: Iron I Area.

He didn’t need to walk far before spotting his designated group near a swirling Blue Gate.

Kevin, Julian, Ren, Lara, and Lena were gathered together. A silver-haired student, Roland Parker, stood with an arrogant grin. In the center of the group was Sylvia, wearing a calm smile as she listened to a brown-haired girl, Nia chatter away.

"Oh? Caelus?" Roland’s smile widened into a mocking sneer the second he noticed him. "I never expected you to show your face here. Who let the dead weight in?"

Caelus glanced at him. Roland. He was the leader of Brad’s and Lena’s gang.

"It certainly wasn’t me," Lara crossed her arms. "Why is someone like him even allowed past the toll?"

"Great. Another one to carry, I need more energy drink." Julian muttered, not even looking up from his phone.

The brown-haired girl, whom Caelus didn’t recognize, eyed him up and down with obvious judgment.

"I just heard a rather interesting rumor, Caelus," Roland continued, taking a step forward. He possessed a Low A-Rank talent called Telekinesis, giving him absolute control over objects within a ten-meter radius, and he carried himself like royalty because of it. "Is it true? Are you getting officially expelled from Fortis-01 High?"

Sylvia’s glowing red eyes turned freezing cold when she heard this.

"It’s not finalized yet. But it’s possible," Caelus replied casually, his voice completely devoid of fear.

The others stared at him in disbelief. Expulsion was basically a death sentence for a young Awakened, yet he sounded like he was discussing the weather.

"Then what exactly are you doing here?" Roland laughed. "This expedition is strictly for the elite students of Fortis-01 High. You have absolutely no place among us."

"Who decided that?" Sylvia’s voice cut through the air, dropping the temperature by several degrees.

Everyone turned toward her.

"I invited Caelus," she stated. "Besides, guild rules don’t explicitly require a plus-one to be a registered student."

"Miss Sylvia, surely you’re joking," Roland frowned, his smugness faltering. "You invited this weakling?"

Out of everyone in the academy, Sylvia associating with the class loser was the last thing they expected.

"I did. Is there a problem?" Sylvia asked as a smile forming on her lips. "Getting expelled from a mere school changes nothing."

She stepped forward and firmly wrapped her arms around Caelus’s right arm. "My friend is strong. He’ll be perfectly fine without the academy."

For a split second, the Dungeon Zone might as well have been entirely silent. The group froze, completely paralyzed by the intimate display.

Kevin’s handsome face contorted into something ugly and desperate.

Lara’s previous sneer was entirely wiped away as it was replaced by shock. She looked between Sylvia’s clinging arms and Caelus’s indifferent face as if her brain couldn’t process the glitch in reality.

Even Ren, who had been leaning quietly against a nearby pillar, abruptly stood up straight. His eyes narrowed sharply, analyzing the scene with disbelief. The untouchable Ice Queen of Fortis-01 High was practically throwing herself at an E-Rank trash?

It defied all logic.

Roland’s eyes flashed with a dark, hateful light seeing this.

Lena shifted uncomfortably. She glanced at Caelus, then slowly turned her gaze toward Roland.

’Those two thugs outside... why haven’t they disposed of him yet?’ she thought frantically. She caught Roland’s eye and gave a nearly imperceptible, anxious nod.

"Right. Well," Kevin forced a strained laugh, desperately trying to break the suffocating tension. "We should stop wasting time and enter the dungeon. Unfortunate things happen, Caelus. Such is life."

He gestured toward the swirling Blue Gate. "Miss Sylvia? Would you like to enter first?" He tried his hardest to ignore the fact that she was still holding onto Caelus.

"No, go ahead. I’ll enter with Caelus," she dismissed him without a second glance. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Swallowing their pride, the rest of the group filed into the portal one by one, leaving the two of them alone.

"What exactly happened, Caelus?" Sylvia’s icy demeanor melted into genuine worry the second they were alone.

Caelus quickly recounted the rigged sparring incident with Brad and Teacher Aron.

Sylvia’s expression hardened into a mask of pure fury. But just as quickly, she smoothed it over with a warm, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry. You won’t get expelled. I’ll personally make sure of it."

"And if you do," she added, her tone utterly final, "I’ll formally leave Fortis-01 High as well."

"What?" Caelus blinked, genuinely baffled. "You know you don’t have to go that far, right?"

Sometimes he didn’t know how to handle her. Her devotion was so intense it bordered on obsessive, yet... It wasn’t a bad feeling. In a world bent on crushing him, having someone fiercely in his corner was a welcome change.

"Come on. Let’s go." Sylvia beamed, dragging him toward the glowing Blue Gate.

---

"You stupid bitch. Why is that fucking bastard Caelus not dead yet? Didn’t your dad say he will send some people?" Roland punched the rocky wall of the dungeon with a heavy thud.

Standing in front of him was Lena, who was looking back at him with a highly complicated expression.

"Stop calling me a bitch. I am a woman with high standards," Lena said..

"Hm? Did you forget about all the parties and karaokes that we used to undertake before awakening? If not a bitch, what exactly should I call you?"

"I am completely past all that. I... I genuinely like Kevin now," Lena spoke softly, looking away. "I do not want to speak about those things from the past."

Roland clicked his tongue and slicked his silver hair back hearing this.

"Whatever. It looks like we spawned inside a maze-type dungeon. We should definitely use this chaotic opportunity to eliminate him permanently."

’He knows too much about what we did back then. The truth must not get out no matter what, he didn’t die las time, but this time, i’ll make sure he’s dead.’ Roland thought coldly.

He had heard from brad what had went through in the stadium. There must not be any mishaps.

"Yes," Lena agreed quietly. "But once this business is over, we will stop talking to each other completely."

"Do whatever you want. I do not want anything to do with a cheap woman like you anyway," Roland said with a sneer.

---

"Well... this is highly surprising." Caelus looked around in deep bewilderment. He was currently standing completely alone inside a dark, maze-like cavern.

"Where did Sylvia go?"

Dungeons in general were not that massive. Hence, if he simply navigated his way out of this immediate area, he should be able to meet up with the rest of the group.

Just then, glowing red eyes lit up in the pitch-black darkness. A massive creature lunged directly at his face.

"Hm?" Caelus tilted his head slightly and casually performed a simple punching motion.

However, the exact instant his fist moved, a terrifying shockwave of pure force erupted from his knuckles and violently swept away the creature that had pounced on him.

[System: You have successfully killed a Common Nine-Legged Spider (Level 10).]

[System: You have obtained +29 Iron EXP, 10 Origin Credits.]

He swiftly stepped forward and utilized his extraction ability on the crushed spider carcass.

[System: Extraction Successful.]

[System: You have successfully obtained the E-Rank Talent: Poison Application.]

[Poison Application: Apply a toxic coating to your bare limbs or equipped weapon to deal DoT (Damage over Time) poison damage.]

At the same time, a new message appeared.

[System: You’ve met the condition. Double Dungeon will now be initiated.]

[System: Please head to the double dungeon for the completion of the quest.]