CHAPTER 55: CH 55: THE OPPORTUNITY- PART 2

Fenrir emerged in the center of his private dungeon, the familiar earthy scent of mana-infused soil and fresh herbs greeting him like an old friend.

The air was warm and tranquil, infused with the soft rustling of leaves and the faint splashes of water from a distance.

He looked around and was immediately met with the sight of his hamster familiars in action.

Dozens of them moved in a coordinated pattern—some carried watering cans almost as big as themselves, others plucked fully grown herbs with practiced ease, while a few organized the harvested ingredients into neat little piles beside the herb beds.

When they noticed Fenrir’s arrival, they immediately dropped what they were doing and scurried over to him.

Within seconds, they lined up in front of him, backs straight, little eyes gleaming with expectation.

Fenrir raised an eyebrow.

"What’s this? A greeting committee?"

The hamsters puffed out their chests, their tiny paws behind their backs, awaiting his words.

Fenrir couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

"Fine. You’ve done well. The place looks amazing."

The hamsters squeaked in triumph, a small chorus of cheers echoing across the field.

They began jumping in place, spinning in circles, and giving each other high-fives with tiny paws.

But just as they started to celebrate, a loud stomp shook the ground.

Fenrir turned toward the source to see Nedrax, the dragon-turned-familiar, glaring at the hamsters with narrowed eyes.

The tiny but temperamental dragon stomped again and puffed up his chest.

"I was the one who taught them how to farm! They’d be chasing butterflies if I hadn’t whipped them into shape!"

Nedrax declared, tail flicking in irritation.

Fenrir gave him a flat look.

"Right, right. You’re the genius behind the agricultural revolution in my dungeon."

Nedrax blinked, then gave a satisfied huff.

"Exactly."

Fenrir relented with a sigh.

"Fine, you’ve done well too."

That was enough to send the little dragon into a self-satisfied spiral. He floated upward, wings flapping gently, as he gave his own imaginary victory speech.

Shaking his head, Fenrir walked toward the equipment he had set up in one corner of the dungeon—a simple but effective brewing station.

With the herbs now fully stocked and high quality thanks to the enriched soil and mana, he decided to make use of them.

He pulled out a few selected ingredients, brewed a batch of strength potions, and poured them into small containers specifically designed for his familiars.

The hamsters gathered around eagerly.

One by one, they sipped the potions, their fur fluffing up from the energy surge.

Fenrir opened the system and scanned their stats.

"...It really worked. Their strength stat increased. Not by much, but noticeably."

He muttered.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"In my last life, there were theories—some hidden away in obscure forums—that potions could strengthen beasts or familiars with the right compatibility... but no one ever confirmed it."

One of the hamsters flexed its little arms and squeaked.

"I feel amazing! Like I could lift ten acorns at once!"

"Twenty!" shouted another.

"We might even unlock new skills at this rate!"

Added a third.

Fenrir crossed his arms, pleased.

"Then keep farming. I’ll make more if your stats keep improving."

The hamster squad immediately returned to work with renewed motivation, moving with more speed and power than before.

Even Nedrax, now done basking in praise, hovered nearby and began directing some of the younger hamsters with a smug grin.

Fenrir stayed a while longer, watching the process unfold.

The harmony and productivity of his little ecosystem filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction.

The herbs grew faster, the harvest was cleaner, and the hamsters moved like a well-oiled machine.

But he couldn’t linger forever.

"Good work, all of you. I’ll be back soon. Keep it up."

Fenrir finally said.

The hamsters saluted, and Nedrax offered a lazy wave of his tail.

With that, Fenrir activated his system and prepared to leave the dungeon.

As the teleport gate formed around him, he gave one last glance at the thriving mini-farm behind him.

’It’s coming together. Slowly, but surely.’

He thought.

______

Fenrir reappeared in the dimly lit school corridor where he’d opened the portal to his dungeon, only for his system to buzz violently the moment he materialized.

[Alert: Hostile entities approaching. Proximity: 40 meters.]

His eyes narrowed.

’Monsters? Here?’

That was the last thing he expected to see in the middle of a supposedly secure school building.

"Damn it,"

He muttered, already moving to a defensive position behind a reinforced support pillar. His hand reached for his gun, fingers already glowing with mana.

There was no time to hesitate. Whatever was going on, he’d need to clean it up fast.

The first monster rounded the corner—a canine-like creature with obsidian skin and glowing red eyes.

Behind it came more of its kind, crawling out like shadows dripping from the ceiling. The moment they caught his scent, they charged.

Fenrir raised his hand.

[Volcanic Surge]

A wave of heat exploded down the corridor, magma-like energy searing the air as it burst forward in a straight line.

The monsters didn’t stand a chance—those closest to the impact were immediately vaporized, and those farther back were caught in the shockwave, turned into charred husks by the heat and pressure.

As the fire faded, the lingering smoke revealed the extent of the damage.

The corridor walls were blackened and cracked, lockers had melted in places, and scorch marks licked up toward the ceiling like the aftermath of a bomb.

Fenrir winced.

"Okay... that’s going to be hard to explain."

He immediately activated the system again.

[Command: Delete all nearby surveillance footage.]

[Executing.]

A brief pause followed before the system confirmed success.

[All school security cameras within 100 meters: Wiped.]

With that handled, Fenrir turned and bolted.

His boots echoed against the tile as he moved swiftly through the now-silent hallway, the scent of scorched metal and sulfur trailing behind him.

He didn’t stop running until he reached an empty stairwell and took a moment to breathe.

’What the hell is going on? ’

He opened the system map and requested an analysis of the school layout.

The system pulsed again, then highlighted one building in a sharp red hue—the Dungeon Exploration Club’s facility.

That was all the confirmation he needed.

"They broke a gate. Someone either messed with a dungeon gate or let one go wild. The damn thing’s leaking monsters now."

Fenrir muttered, eyes narrowing.

It was a rare but dangerous occurrence.

Dungeon gates, especially unstable ones, could shatter under pressure or poor management, tearing a rift between the real world and the dungeon itself.

Normally, such occurrences were locked down by school protocol, but if the Dungeon Exploration Club was already defunct after Betty’s accident, that would mean no official oversight.

’So why the hell was someone inside?’

His thoughts immediately flashed to Dain and Elaine. He’d just seen them sneaking into that building. Had they done something stupid?

Fenrir frowned.

’No... it didn’t feel like sabotage. More like desperation. Elaine did say she needed money fast. Maybe they were trying to raid a sealed gate for loot.’

If so, they may have triggered a collapse or trap in the process.

Fenrir sighed deeply.

"Idiots."

He brought up the system map again, zooming in on the Dungeon Exploration Club building. Red dots flared up across the area—at least twenty monsters still roaming free.

Thankfully, none of them had made it outside the building yet.