Chapter 44

The dungeon is like a sophisticated living organism.

Inside, it consumes corpses and uses lost souls as materials to birth new life.

“The dungeon not only consumes corpses but also precious metals and equipment, transforming them into rare tools. Treasures that lure humans.”

The types of treasures varied beyond gold. There were unique magic tools that humanity couldn’t create, or jewels crafted solely for aesthetics with no functional purpose.

“It’s a cunning hunter. Even knowing the danger, it makes it impossible to resist.”

“Hersel, could you tone down the scare tactics? It’s dampening the mood…”

The dungeon was an intelligent entity that understood human psychology.

Though this particular dungeon no longer produces treasures thanks to Rockefeller’s intervention, it still wasn’t satisfied with the donation-entry students. To feast on the high-quality nutrients of the third test examinees, it began using its Watchers more aggressively, who were supposed to guard the treasures.

“Limberton, I’m not trying to scare you unnecessarily. The Watcher up ahead is genuinely that dangerous.”

“Well, can’t we just take another route?”

“I wish it were that simple.”

I paused mid-sentence, staring blankly.

– It’s the second day. Some have started reaching the mid-zone.

Rockefeller’s annoying announcements continued.

– This is the final notice. Don’t think all units can escape through the same exit. There are seventy exits, and you can only escape through the one matching the number on your token.

If you had the number 7 token, you had to escape through exit 7.

In my case, my path was changed to 44, so I wasn’t sure if the exit number changed too, but…

– Keys needed for escape are hidden in the mid-zone. Find them.

The key for path 44 was unfortunately hidden in the corridor where the Watcher resided.

Given how Rockefeller had altered the path to mess with me, it was likely he manipulated the key so that only the corridor’s key would open my designated exit.

He would love to see me struggle against the Watcher.

– And don’t give up even if a team member dies. The test ends when you open the door matching your unit’s number, regardless of the leader’s fate.

That’s all.

“Did you hear that?”

Limberton nodded, then slumped his shoulders, speaking in a dejected voice while looking at the first corpse he had seen here.

“Is it really okay to go this far just for a test?”

Limberton was clearly frightened.

He clutched his arms, trying not to show it, but his hands trembled.

He must be having all sorts of thoughts.

These examinees are mostly nobles’ children; aren’t they afraid of such harsh treatment? What grand purpose necessitates this?

However, there was a valid reason behind it.

For various tangled reasons, the Empire allowed it, and those aware of the truth had enough reason to keep silent.

“If I had known, I would’ve listened to my mother and taken over the family business…”

He would understand the reason in due time, so I didn’t bother explaining now.

I could only say this much:

“Even knowing this, there are those who still apply.”

“What?”

“How many years has Frost Heart been around? Do you really think they can completely hide a test like this?”

No matter how much the Empire and the Academy tried to keep it secure, it was nearly impossible to silence everyone.

Yet people still came every year because…

“Graduating from here grants privileges incomparable to the other four academies. Some families reveal the truth to their children and train them specifically for this. Most, like you, apply without knowing, but some come to test their own limits.” Р

I placed a hand on Limberton’s shoulder and asked,

“Now you know. Limberton, which side are you on? Will you continue to whine and stay undecided, or will you decide to act?”

Limberton looked pensive.

I turned my gaze to the now somewhat calm woman.

“What unit are you?”

“31.”

“Then head straight from here, turn left at the corner. The key is there. From there, walk until you see the exit.”

The woman widened her eyes.

“I’m not doing it. I won’t go…”

I looked at the corpse of the man with his lower half severed and spoke somberly.

“Is that so? Do as you wish. But know this: if you stay here, you’ll regret it. In many ways.”

She seemed about to say something but then closed her mouth.

Whether she heeds the advice is her choice.

I turned to Limberton and Aslay.

“We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go.”

The woman, enraged, shouted,

“You keep acting like you know everything, but do you even know what’s up ahead? You’ll die in minutes! Don’t come crying to me!”

“The thing up ahead, it’s a skeletal lizard, right?”

I cut her off with a smirk, and her expression shifted to one of confusion.

“Does my credibility increase now?”

With that, I stepped into the Watcher’s territory.

***

Upon reaching the mid-zone, the corridor-like path disappeared, revealing an open hall.

To get there, we had to cross a stone bridge suspended over a dizzying chasm. The sight made Limberton gulp.

“If we get attacked here, we’d be dead without a fight.”

There’s a way.

The method to cross the bridge safely without being attacked by the Watcher was simple.

Hide in the darkness.

“Limberton, I’m turning off the lights now. Tell me when your eyes adjust.”

I extinguished the torch and tied the team in a line with a rope from my backpack.

Naturally, Limberton was at the front.

“Damn it, why am I in the front…”

“You have decent night vision, don’t you?”

After his eyes adjusted, Limberton cautiously began to move forward.

The rope transmitted his trembling fear.

We crossed the bridge, and just then, Limberton whispered,

“…There’s something up ahead. Ugh, it’s eating a corpse. Ugh!”

“Quietly head to the right. There should be a series of openings like ant holes. Go to the fifth one.”

We walked as silently as possible.

Occasionally, we heard crunching sounds, but we ignored them and entered the fifth hole.

“Limberton, do you see a small box?”

“Yeah, there’s one on the altar. But how did you—never mind. It must be your hunch again.”

“Glad you understand.”

Limberton handed me the box.

Inside, I found a key marked as number 7 but covered with the number 44.

“We found it. Limberton, you hold onto it.”

“Am I just a pack mule?”

Limberton carefully took the key, and at that moment, blue flames flickered from the torches on the walls.

Whoosh!

The creature must have finished its meal.

I quickly untied the ropes and reached for my weapon, shouting,

“Prepare for battle!”

Then I called Aslay’s name and pointed ahead.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Aslay.”

I didn’t understand his words, but seeing him advance with his shield, I knew he got my meaning.

Following him, Limberton and I exited the hole where we found the key.

As soon as we stepped out, a long, bony tail slammed into Aslay’s shield.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the shield grated against the tail. The force was enough to push the boulder-like Aslay back.

The skeletal lizard’s blue eyes flared, and Limberton gasped.

“Eek!”

Even lying flat, it was a massive three-meter-long skeleton.

A black heart beat within its ribcage.

It looked like a dragon made of bones, but it was smaller than a real one.

It was merely a replica of a bone dragon, one of the highest-tier monsters created by the dungeon.

“A d-dragon?”

“Don’t be so scared. It doesn’t even have wings. It’s just a crude fake.”

However, its power was close to that of a real bone dragon.

No current playable character at the academy could defeat it.

Well, there was one, but my number got switched with theirs…

“Hersel, what do we do now?”

Crack!

Watching Aslay’s shield get shredded like paper, I replied to Limberton’s question.

“What else? We run.”

I patted Aslay’s back, pointing to the escape route.

He seemed to understand and nodded.

Just as the Watcher began to spew blue flames from its mouth, I shouted,

“Now! Run!”

Aslay and Limberton sprinted.

Meanwhile, I stood still, adjusting the gloves my landlady had gifted me.

[Gloves Blessed by Mana]

● Attribute Series: Blessing.

[Master craftsman Horutu made them, and alchemist Hailey imbued them with attributes.]

[Increases mana capacity by 10%.]

[Increases spell accuracy by 10%.]

[Greatly enhances the durability of items held.]

[Allows spells to be inscribed on the gloves.]

“Hersel! Why aren’t you coming?”

“I’ll buy us some time, so run with all your might.”

I spoke confidently, though my heart was pounding with fear.

The Watcher’s attack wasn’t a laser breath like a monster bird’s but more like a flamethrower, covering a wide area.

‘One-second invincibility’ wouldn’t save me from the blue flames.

But that was in the past.

I activated the spell inscribed on my gloves and aimed at the Watcher.

Then I recalled my conversation with Carmelo.

-Telekinesis and healing magic have been established, so why isn’t there a lightweight spell? Isn’t that developed too?

-It was discovered by accident. More research is needed to understand its principles and effects.

-Hmm, it just seems to make things lighter. What more is there to study?

Carmelo had demonstrated by inscribing a fire magic spell with telekinesis.

-I’ll show you one of the phenomena. If you lighten the flame elements gathered around the fire like this…

When he cast the lightweight spell on the staff he had levitated with telekinesis, the room filled with flames in an instant.

-It ignites immediately and burns brightly. Though the flames last shorter, they burn stronger than usual.

I didn’t fully understand if the lightweight spell amplified volatility, but I had thought it was a good way to overcome the ‘one-second invincibility’ flaw with area attacks like flames and inscribed it on my gloves.

I cast the lightweight spell on the flame elements gathering in the Watcher’s mouth.

Whoosh!

The blue flames intensified, engulfing the Watcher’s head.

Without looking back, I sprinted towards Limberton and Aslay, who were crossing the stone bridge.

Just as they reached two-thirds of the bridge, a streak of blue fire streaked towards them, making my heart sink.

Whoosh—

The Watcher, with flames in its mouth, dove from above, slamming into the bridge.

Bang!

The bridge collapsed with a thud, and the Watcher fell into the abyss but didn’t die—merely disappeared from view.

Aslay and Limberton, who had reached the other side, turned and looked at me.

“Hersel…”

This was just another unpredictable twist in my life.

I always managed to overcome such situations.

So I will this time too.

“It’s fine. I survived the bird monster. So wait for me over there.”

I turned my gaze from Limberton to the abyss.

Sure enough, blue eyes glowed.

The Watcher was climbing up the wall, but I had a plan, so I chuckled.

“Ha.”

There was no need to cross that broken bridge.

There were many paths to the exit.

With the key in hand, all I had to do was retrace my steps and find another way.

“Goodbye. See you later.”

But misfortune struck again.

The Watcher, instead of climbing, leaped into the air and hurled itself at the opposite bridge.

I could only watch helplessly as my last hope crumbled.

Bang!

The final bridge shattered, and I reflexively let out a sigh.

“Ah.”

***

Damn it.

Limberton gritted his teeth and ran.

‘I don’t believe those rumors.’

People believed he survived the bird monster’s breath, but Limberton didn’t.

Hersel was just a weakling who relied on power to harass women and crack bad jokes.

“Pant, pant…”

Limberton stopped before the 70 holes branching out like an ant nest.

People were shouting their numbers, indicating they were indeed the exits.

“This is exit 27. Does anyone know where exit 3 is?”

“Exit 3 is here.”

“Don’t lie. That was already checked.”

“What? 27? You’re the liar!”

No one was trying to steal coins here, but the competition continued.

The faster the escape, the higher the score?

Teams were playing mind games to delay each other’s escape.

…No one here will help that guy.

Let alone a regular person, and definitely not Hersel.

Limberton pondered and then his eyes sparkled.

He grabbed the coin-filled pouch and looked at Aslay.

Aslay nodded.

“Whew!”

Limberton took a deep breath and shouted as loud as he could.

He didn’t care about the coins. Helping Hersel wasn’t out of affection.

He just didn’t want to owe anything to such a scoundrel.

“I have a job! If you’re interested, come over! The pay is generous!”

People started gathering, including a man holding the number 44 token.