How could he be Greg Sass?!

"Wh-what?! H-he's Greg!?"

At the name Sylvia blurted out, Evan, Leonard, and Lia, who had only just been pulled back from the brink of death, froze in unison as though struck by lightning.

They instinctively glanced at one another, each finding the same question and intense doubt in the others' eyes.

How was that possible?

Greg Sass?

Was he the Greg Sass they knew?

The former duke's son who, ever since enrollment, had been notorious for his arrogance, stupidity, mediocre magical talent, and reliance on his family background to throw his weight around?

The former noble whose level had still languished around LV10 even after he entered his second year, who had even been publicly expelled from his family and reduced to a complete laughingstock?

Could someone like that really be the mysterious, masked powerhouse before them, who controlled strange wooden strips to easily restrain three vicious monsters and had descended like a divine warrior to save them from certain doom?

Absolutely not!

It had to be someone with the same name, or that pink-haired girl had mistaken him for someone else!

Evan and Leonard immediately reached that conclusion.

This had to be some powerful, low-profile senior who happened to be named Greg, or... simply a lone adventurer using an alias.

Yet Lia, the only girl among the three, kept her gaze firmly fixed on the masked, blond figure after her initial shock passed.

Her heart involuntarily began pounding.

That hair... that shade of gold...

Greg's looks might have had a limited effect on protagonist-level characters like Victoria and Lilith.

But for a background character like Lia, they held an attraction that could not be underestimated-one that could even be called lethal.

She still clearly remembered catching a distant glimpse of that blond boy at the freshman entrance ceremony, the subject of countless conversations, dazzling as the blazing sun.

That breathtaking moment had left her feeling, for a long time afterward, that she would probably never find a man more handsome, more... eye-catching than him.

Now, although the mask covered half his face, the exposed, perfectly sculpted jawline, his tall, slender build, and that shoulder-length blond hair, still dazzling even in the dim light, like flowing molten gold... quickly overlapped with the distant, breathtaking figure in her memory, matching perfectly.

Yes... that hair, that build... his demeanor seemed completely different, but, but it was definitely him!

Greg Sass!

Lia's breathing quickened slightly, and her cheeks grew warm.

She had confirmed the masked man's identity almost immediately.

This sudden realization left her even more bewildered than being chased by monsters moments earlier.

That supposedly worthless Greg Sass actually possessed such immense, well-hidden strength?

Why was he here?

And why had he saved them?

Questions circled through her mind, but she had no answers.

Meanwhile, the moment Greg heard Sylvia call him "Senior Greg," his face fell beneath his mask.

While the other two were still doubtful, he wanted to rush over and cover Sylvia's mouth, or simply deny everything and argue in a low voice, "No, I'm not Greg. You've got the wrong person."

But reality gave him no chance.

"Roar!!"

"Hiss-raaah!"

"Waaagh!"

Although a substantial weakening effect had been applied to the three monsters bound by the wooden strips, slowing their movements and diminishing their strength, they were still apex predators in this deep region. Their ferocity remained, and they would never simply wait to die.

After a brief moment of shock and struggle, they unleashed their respective racial skills almost simultaneously, attempting to force their way out of the restraints.

The Spineback Lizard's scales flared outward. Thick, dark red fluid seeped from the bases of its bone spines, its powerful corrosive properties burning through the wooden strips around it with a sizzling hiss. At the same time, it lashed its tail against the ground, using the leverage to twist its body wildly.

The Mossrock Golem let out a muffled roar. Its gray-white stone skin abruptly hardened with a grating sound like rocks scraping together. Under the immense force and friction against its stone skin, fine cracks began appearing in the wooden strips binding it.

The Shadow Devourer let out a shriek, the edges of its body blurring as though it were about to merge into the shadows again, attempting to escape its physical restraints by turning intangible.

Crack!

With several faint snaps, the tough wooden strips were either corroded through, torn apart by brute force, or left with nothing to restrain as the monsters unleashed their power.

The three monsters broke free almost simultaneously, though the weakening debuff on them made their movements noticeably less swift and ferocious than at full strength.

But their rage and bloodlust upon escaping instantly redirected their attention to Greg, the closest and most threatening target.

"Senior Greg, watch out!"

Sylvia cried out and immediately began casting, her movements smoother and faster than before.

Pure white light flashed repeatedly, settling over Greg one spell after another.

Now enhanced, Greg immediately slid diagonally backward, narrowly avoiding a jet of dark green venom that the Spineback Lizard spat straight at him, reeking sharply of acid.

The venom struck the ground, instantly eating a small, white-smoking pit into the thick layer of humus.

"Tch." Greg's gaze sharpened.

With the other three present, he absolutely could not use dark magic.

If his identity as the Goddess of Night's emissary were exposed, who knew how much trouble it would bring... that ran completely counter to his original intention of keeping a low profile and staying alive.

Besides, dark magic consumed a staggering amount of mana.

Given his current level and mana reserves, he had already expended quite a lot in the previous battles.

He still had to face the boss guarding the deepest part of the first floor, and he needed to preserve enough mana for that difficult fight.

Fortunately, although these three monsters were relatively high-level, there were only three of them. Unlike the earlier goblin horde, they could not swarm him.

With Sylvia supporting him, victory was not entirely out of reach.

"Then bring it on."

Greg lowered his center of gravity slightly and took a fighting stance. Behind his mask, his gaze calmly swept across the three differently shaped monsters. He felt little tension; instead, there was a strange sense of familiarity.

"This may be your first time meeting me, but it's not my first time seeing you."