Chapter 42

“No way! This is a dungeon? It must be all stage props, right? The academy is really something.”Limberton was trembling, caught in denial. To snap him out of it, I rummaged through the box on the floor. It contained weapons like swords and shields, as well as three days’ worth of dried rations. “Limberton, this sword is real. This isn’t a play. If monsters appear, you’ll need to protect yourself with this.” After putting on my light armor, I grabbed a large shield and handed it to the robed man. He nodded in acceptance. Next, I picked up a bow and quiver and handed them to Limberton, who grimaced. “What? A bow and arrow? That’s not cool. I’m supposed to be a knight; give me a sword.” Not a surprising reaction. In this world, knights don’t favor bows and arrows, often looking down on those who use them, calling them hunters. Aura often deflects arrows, and some can even cut them down or repel them before they hit. But Limberton’s only path was as an archer. [Limberton Bel Delsi] • Blessing Blessing of the Wind Hermit Don’t ask about me. I am no one. Accuracy is enhanced by the wind. • Traits ◇ Sharpshooter ◇ ◇ Hawk’s Eye ◇ Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His blessings and traits were tailored for archery, so there was no escaping it. His destiny was already set. “Don’t be foolish. This is a matter of life and death. Use what you’re skilled with.” “…What? How do you know I’m good with a bow?” “Just take it and be quiet.” Fortunately, I chose the most comfortable number, 7. With these guys, who are above average compared to normal people, we could easily pass the third exam in first place. “But why is that big guy only holding a shield? Shouldn’t he have a weapon too?” “Well…” When I offered him a sword, the robed man shook his head. “He says he’s fine.” I strapped a longsword to my waist and handed Limberton three backpacks filled with essential supplies. “Can you carry all these?” “These are heavy. Am I supposed to carry them all alone?” “If it’s too much, give one to that guy.” “And you?” “I’ll lead from the front and light the way. I need to stay agile, so I have to keep my load light. He’ll cover the rear. You just need to assist from the center; you won’t have to move much.” � Limberton nodded, looking a bit puzzled. I picked up a torch from the wall and stepped into the dark corridor. Seeing a thin, translucent thread reflecting ahead of my shins, I stopped. “Hold up.” If triggered, spears would shoot out from both walls. “Limberton. You saw this too, right?” “Huh? Oh, yeah, I saw it.” “This is a trap. With your good eyes, report anything suspicious immediately. Now, carefully pass through without touching it.” I felt uneasy and narrowed my eyes. Was there always a trap made of thread at the beginning? As I advanced cautiously, Limberton suddenly shouted from behind. “Wait! There’s a woman lying ahead!” Impressive. Despite only the shoulder of her armor being visible in the light, he correctly identified her gender. It must be the ‘Hawk’s Eye’ trait. A woman, really? “Limberton…” I was about to tell him who she was but decided to stay silent. It would be better to teach him a lesson in vigilance. Limberton approached her cautiously, with me following close behind. The woman was unconscious, bleeding from her head. “Miss, are you alright?” As Limberton extended his hand, her mouth split into a long, sticky grin, revealing rows of sharp teeth. “Ssssss!” I grabbed Limberton by the scruff and yanked him back. “Wham!” He tumbled to the ground as I pointed at the monstrous figure with a cross-shaped mouth full of fangs. It was a mirror demon, a creature that mimics human appearance to prey on the unwary. “Does that still look like a lady to you?” “H-holy!” Thump-thump-thump-thump! The mirror demon lunged at us. Following Donatan’s lead, I thrust my sword into its open mouth. Schlick! The blade pierced through to the back of its head, and blood and brain matter oozed down the blade. The demon’s feeble struggles ended with a short scream. “Limberton, be wary of anyone you encounter here.” “Y-yeah, I will… Since they might be monsters like this…” “No, even if they look human, be suspicious and cautious.” Limberton blinked in confusion. I went back to the demon’s original position and picked up a blue coin from the floor. “You know these coins are worth points, right?” “…Of course.” “Then do you think the professors will count coins taken by force?” Understanding dawned on Limberton’s face. “But wouldn’t that be wrong? If that’s allowed, people might fight over coins. I doubt the exam allows that.” “The professor only said coins count as points. He didn’t care about their source.” Other teams would soon realize this too. By now, they’d have dealt with the initial monsters and traps and found their first coins. As if on cue, Rockefeller’s voice echoed. -Oh, I forgot to mention the rewards. Those with high scores will live in the finest dorms and have a good academy life. Don’t think of coins as mere points. This was why the third exam was crucial. -They are the only currency accepted within the academy. For food, clothes, or anything else, no other money will be recognized. -And if you don’t want to start with nothing, you must gather your initial funds here. -Lastly, the coins have no names engraved on them. That should be enough motivation. Good luck. Rockefeller blatantly raised the dungeon’s difficulty by emphasizing that the origin of the coins didn’t matter. “That sly bastard…” I hoped it would end there. Given that we encountered a mirror demon right away, we were actually in the hardest starting point, number 44, not the easiest, number 7. That bastard must have swapped the maps. As the head of the entrance exam, he had the authority to do so. “That damn guy.” His attitude towards me had been unsettling since the second exam. For some reason, he seemed determined to make things as difficult as possible for me, hoping I’d beg for mercy. But that wouldn’t happen. I’d show him. I’d thrive in this dungeon. *** A dungeon is like a living organism. It can be tamed and communicated with. All it needs is regular feeding, and in return, you get rewards. Rockefeller handed an orb reflecting a dead examinee’s corpse to the professor beside him. “I want to check the status of the donation admissions.” “Y-yes, sir.” The professor, trembling, handed over an orb containing the gruesome scene. Rockefeller smiled as he looked at the donation admissions’ status. “Well, it seems some of them are overindulging.” Most of the delinquents were bloodied and lifeless. The survivors were fighting desperately, pulling out monsters’ eyes with their bare hands or strangling them with their arms while biting off their ears. “Those five will survive.” They had been dragged into the dungeon without weapons, serving as its fodder. In return, Rockefeller had swapped the paths of the easiest, number 7, and the hardest, number 44. “Hmph…” Rockefeller smirked as he looked at the orb closest to him, labeled 7. “You picked the best token, but it’s meaningless in your hands.” Besides tending to the dungeon, breaking in rebellious soldiers was one of his favorite pastimes. However, the scene he expected to see from orb 7 wasn’t there. Instead, it annoyed him. While other teams were struggling and looking miserable, Hersel’s group appeared clean and relaxed. They even seemed to be enjoying themselves. “Do they think this dungeon is a playground?” “…They’re killing the monsters with traps.” Rockefeller almost slammed his fist on the table but restrained himself. “Let them enjoy it while they can. The path to hell awaits.” *** A minotaur charged at us. I instructed Limberton. “See that thread we left alone? Cut it with your arrow.” “Why me again?” Ping! The arrow hit the thread, triggering spears to shoot out from both walls. “Grrrahh!” The minotaur died instantly. Thanks to knowing the layout of path 44, we rarely encountered monsters. We’d sometimes wrap poisonous traps in a backpack and throw it at monsters or push them into spiked pits hidden down slippery slopes. For fun, we’d leave jerky to make monsters fight each other and watch from afar. Despite the relentless walking, Limberton panted and grumbled. “Huff! Huff! You said you’d lead and that mobility was key, but I’m doing all the work!” “Don’t be ignorant. The fact that we’re proceeding without major issues means everyone is doing their part.” I pointed ahead at the slowing Limberton. “Just a bit further, and we’ll reach a safe zone. We’ll rest there, so hang in a little longer.” Even dungeons have blind spots—areas where its influence doesn’t reach. “How do you know the path so well? You even know where the monsters are.” “…Call it intuition.” Limberton shot me a suspicious glance and whispered. “Why hasn’t that big guy spoken since the beginning? Is he mute or something?” “Could be.” I glanced at the robed man trailing us silently. He continued to follow without a word. After walking a bit further, we arrived at a place covered in moss and flowers. “…This is the safe zone?” “You know dungeons are alive, right? This is its stomach. It eats intruders like us and turns them into monsters to kill more intruders, thus nourishing itself.” Limberton, eyes wide with surprise, nodded as if hearing this for the first time. “But it even digests bones, so if moss is left, it means its stomach doesn’t reach here. Get it?” “I didn’t expect you to know so much…” The fact that Limberton didn’t know was odd. As a knight candidate, he should be aware of this. It was a topic on the knighthood department’s written exam. How did he pass? “Alright, let’s eat.” I emptied the backpack of its dried food, water, and bread. “Wait, aren’t we supposed to ration this for three days? You’re eating it all now?” Well, partly because I wanted to show Rockefeller we were having a picnic, and partly because the difficulty would spike later, making it grueling. I swallowed my words and responded casually, squinting. “For some reason, I have a feeling it’s best to replenish our energy now. We’ll face unavoidable enemies ahead.” “…Are you some kind of prophet?” “It’s the leader’s decision. Just eat.” Although a bit hesitant, Limberton took a big bite of the bread. The robed man, not liking the bread, chewed on jerky from afar. Everyone had a hearty appetite, and the first day’s rations were gone quickly. “Man, I’m so full I might not be able to move properly.” An hour passed since the meal. Occasional sounds of battle and screams echoed in the dungeon, but I ignored them and focused on my reading. Unable to bear it, Limberton spoke up. “Resting is fine, but aren’t we too relaxed? We only have a few coins, and others probably have a bunch by now. We should do something.” At this point, our situation was ideal. Skilled playable characters would be hunting monsters fiercely, their eyes burning with determination. However, we, traversing path 44, needed to conserve energy. “Don’t worry about that.” We’d collect plenty of coins. “Limberton, do you know?” “Know what?” “Life is all about the big score.” I checked my pocket watch. It was time to make a move, so I stood up. “Wait here for 15 minutes.” “What? Where are you going?” “To multiply our funds.” Each team entered through their designated entrances and advanced toward the exit. Eventually, paths narrowed, and teams would inevitably cross each other’s way—a prime spot for those with bad intentions to ambush. I walked down a clean corridor cleared of traps and monsters by earlier teams. Then, I encountered a group blocking the way. “Are you alone? Did your teammates die?” “Well, hand over your coins if you want to live.” There were three in front and two behind—five in total. “I have just a few coins. You’d be better off robbing a beggar.” I crossed my staff and sword, gripping both handles. I recognized one of the faces and blinked. He also recognized me and scowled. “Hersel…” His nose was bandaged, and several of his teeth were missing, leaving gaps. “Nice to see you again, Rendal.” Oh, right. In the original scenario, you encounter Lethe members here. No wonder he looked familiar—I’d seen him here before. Upon hearing my name, the Lethe thugs began to panic. “Wait, if he’s Hersel…” “Isn’t he our president?” “You idiots! I told you he quit!” This was getting amusing, so I shook my head. “No, I didn’t quit.” Rendal shouted in frustration. “He broke my nose and says he didn’t quit! Kill him! He’s not one of us anymore!” “No, you hurt yourself tripping, remember?” The four men glanced at each other, confused. Now was the time to drive in the wedge. I activated my ‘Noble Blood Embers’ to the maximum, speaking in a dignified tone. “Beat him up.” “Wh-who should we believe?” One of them wavered, so I approached menacingly. “Will you trust this guy or me, your president? Decide.” One thug grabbed Rendal by the collar. “Of course, we should trust the president!” “No, you idiot! I told you he quit!” “Don’t be ridiculous, Rendal. I never believed that nonsense. Bite down hard!” One thug’s fist started it, and the rest joined in, stomping on Rendal. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Even as Rendal was beaten, he glared at me with tears of resentment, making Donatan exclaim in horror. -There must be a demon in your lineage. ‘It’s all strategy. We subdued one without lifting a finger.’ Rendal foamed at the mouth and passed out. The four men approached me obsequiously, likely hoping for a reward. I grinned and drew my staff and sword. “Actually, I did quit.”