Chapter 28

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 28

Chapter Title: Elective ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Course (7)

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The golem made by the chairman collapsed with a thunderous roar,

and a translucent window announcing the achievement clear floated pleasantly before my eyes.

I was thrilled for only a moment at the achievement that boosted my Strength stat by a full 10,

then stepped back into the maze to clear the remaining one.

As soon as I re-entered the maze,

I dodged the traps that seemed to greet me as if they'd been waiting, and headed toward the exit.

The clear condition for the other achievement was to be the first to clear this basic dungeon.

However, instead of sprinting at full speed, I maintained a moderate pace to break through the maze.

It wasn't that I was confident no one else could clear this maze.

The exit to the basic dungeon maze prepared by the chairman had a clue: the clearer the magical residue guiding the way as you approached.

So, any cadets who could manipulate mana by now

had probably already figured it out and were breaking through the maze.

But since this basic dungeon wasn't just a maze,

there was no need to waste stamina charging through it at full throttle.

With that in mind, I was navigating the maze at a leisurely pace when...

The magical residue had grown strong enough to feel even without mana manipulation,

and a faint light signaling the end of the long maze began to appear.

'Arrived...'

Beyond that faint light, the magical residue and complex maze walls faded away, replaced by a wide passage with several torches embedded in the walls.

It was better than the maze,

but still a dark, dilapidated ruin of a corridor.

As soon as I stepped into that passage,

a girl with sky-blue hair that clashed with the atmosphere was standing there, blankly staring down the corridor.

'She's already here, as expected...'

"Isabel, you've already made it this far."

I called out to Isabel, who had broken through the maze first as expected of a mage, my voice full of delight.

Isabel Helm

The first pioneer to enter the passage after clearing the maze—

she turned her head toward me upon hearing my voice.

"Aden, you're late."

Once she confirmed who I was, she greeted me with a faint smile tinged with delight.

"Yeah, I thought I'd be the first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one here."

"Me too. I figured you'd somehow already reached the end."

As she finished speaking, Isabel's eyes held the same competitive fire she'd shown Libia during the entrance exam.

Then, with a provocative smile, she spoke.

"So, does that mean I win this time?"

"We haven't cleared the dungeon yet... Isn't that jumping the gun a bit?"

I replied to Isabel while loosening up my body with mana.

At my side, Isabel responded in kind, wrapping her body in mana as she prepared to charge through the dungeon.

The basic dungeon prepared by the chairman.

The second chapter after the maze was where magical beasts started swarming, giving it a real dungeon feel,

but since it only featured monsters scaled for early-admission cadets, it was the easiest part for us now.

With that thought, I drew my sword and got ready to charge forward at maximum speed.

Normally, there'd be no need to compete—we could just proceed steadily...

'But I have to win.'

With an achievement granting stats on the line, plus her taunt,

I had neither reason nor leisure to hold back.

Boom—

Once preparations were complete, I kicked off the ground and surged forward,

my body crossing the passage in an instant thanks to mana-infused strength.

Combined with the boosted Strength from the previous achievement, my speed was incredible,

and Isabel matched it by riding the wind with her magic.

Kieeeek—

As we blazed through the passage in a flash,

green magical beasts screeched from ahead, blocking our path.

Goblins.

The weakest of magical beasts, tutorial-level fodder.

Ferocious spells and mana-charged swords swung toward those frail creatures.

""Get out of the way.""

Boom—

The sword and spells, swung merely to clear the annoying obstruction, exploded the goblins on contact without resistance.

And nothing changed after that.

Goblins, werewolves, and orcs alike

all burst apart from a single sword strike or spell, unable to impede our advance through the passage.

'She's fast...'

More impressive than the entrant-level magical beasts was Isabel keeping pace with me right beside, crossing the passage at near-equal speed.

I'd expected a clear lead on my end, but she was catching up impressively.

'Genius is genius, huh...'

As expected of the Magic Tower Lord's disciple, her growth was extraordinary.

"Stop right there...!"

Of course, her mana was depleting rapidly to maintain that speed,

and there was a definite gap in our velocities,

so the distance was gradually widening—but still, her performance was remarkable.

After racing through the passage for a while like that,

a door signaling the end appeared at the edge of my vision.

A massive door made of weathered stone.

As I came to a halt before it,

Isabel's voice soon followed from behind.

"Is this the end?"

"Who knows? Guess we'll find out when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we open it."

I answered while channeling mana into my sword and advancing.

"Wait! There's a trap—"

As I swung toward the door, Isabel's warning came from behind,

but my blade reached the door without resistance—

Boom—

and it soon crumbled with a roar.

"Isabel, what'd you just say?"

I asked her about her interrupted words while gazing at the collapsed door,

but

"Aden, your personality's starting to resemble Libia's..."

her response was strangely baffling.

'Libia's? Mine?'

At least by my standards, it was hard to see any similarities between Libia and me—

"Me...?"

As I voiced that doubt toward her,

she glanced at me briefly, shook her head as if it was nothing, and spoke.

"It's nothing... More importantly, is this really the end?"

Isabel peered beyond the ruined door,

where, unlike the prior dark ruins,

a vast white space stretched out with wide plains.

"We'll know once we go see."

Of course, I knew there was one final trap beyond this door,

but I stepped through without telling Isabel.

Seeing me emerge unscathed, she finally stepped forward with relief.

The moment Isabel's feet fully entered the plains,

her body collapsed without resistance.

At the same time, the translucent window popped up beside me.

The status abnormality nullification from Defying Heaven and the second achievement clear notification appeared simultaneously.

Thrilled at gaining a total of 16 stats from this class,

I looked at Isabel, now lying asleep on the plains, and continued my thoughts.

'Just because I'm fine doesn't mean everyone is...'

Who could she blame...?

The problem was her complacency, assuming she was safe because I, with my possession perks and opportunities, emerged unscathed.

Of course, I could have warned her since I stepped in first,

but the world of competition is ruthless.

There was no need to tip off the one who'd taunted me first.

'It's not particularly dangerous anyway...'

Had it been a real dungeon with lethal threats, I would have warned her about the trap...

But this wasn't some dangerous mental assault or status effect like in a true dungeon.

It was just a simple sleep trap that wore off with time.

Normally, Isabel would have bolstered her resistance with mana and avoided falling so easily,

but the fatigue from expending so much mana to match my speed in our race,

combined with her careless assumption from seeing me stand unharmed, left her defenseless.

'Leaving her like this feels a bit much...'

Having bulldozed through the final sleep trap with Defying Heaven, I was about to head to the end of the basic dungeon,

but even in a basic dungeon, it was still a dungeon—and seeing Isabel lying there asleep without resistance tugged at me.

'Guess I'll carry her...'

My conscience wouldn't let me just leave her, so

I hoisted Isabel over my shoulder and started toward the end of the basic dungeon.

It might seem inconsiderate,

but with no one around to see, I kept going when...

The familiar figures of two people came into view in the distance...?

'Two... people...?'

The sudden question froze my steps.

There should only have been one person, Robel, at the end of this basic dungeon,

yet another figure: purple hair and eyes,

even the horns on her head.

The unmistakable chairman—why was she here?

Before I could ponder,

they noticed me too, and Robel awkwardly waved with an embarrassed expression.

And in that instant—

"Hello, Aden."

The chairman appeared before me in a flash, and amid my shock,

cold sweat dripped as her overwhelming killing intent filled me with dread.

"Don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we have some things to talk about...?"

'Uh...'

Something had definitely gone wrong.