Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Joining the Dungeon Raid
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(11)
Two weeks had passed.
In that time, the barbells had arrived, and the outlines of muscles began to take shape on Ethan's body.
A week ago, when a striking change appeared in Ethan's body over such a short period, many of the knights took notice.
The order thought it was thanks to the exercise routine I'd taught Ethan.
They started showing even more active interest in barbell training.
And now, everyone was completely immersed in modern-style workouts.
Especially the ones they called the "big three" exercises.
Meals had improved a great deal, too.
This wasn't really my doing—it seemed like everyone in the knight order had sent some kind of petition somewhere.
Asking for more meat, or failing that, at least more beans.
Were their bodies instinctively craving protein?
As a result, the amount of meat in their diet had increased.
And changes followed.
"We've perfectly conquered the entrance to the dungeon!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! It's thanks to your exercise method!"
Knight Captain Dana patted my shoulder with a joyful expression as she spoke.
The original story's tragic future had been altered.
In the original, they had failed to even conquer the entrance, leading to a dungeon break where the monsters inside spilled out into the world.
But with the knight order's strengthened forces, the support from the arriving elves, and Lexi's cooperation, they had successfully taken the entrance.
They still had a long way to go before reaching the depths, but the story was now heading in a completely different direction from the original.
Still, I was far from my real goal.
At first, it had seemed like an easy target.
Conquering Knight Captain Dana.
I could see her Fetish Wall, and it didn't seem all that difficult, so I figured I'd pull it off quickly.
But Knight Captain Dana was far too busy.
Mainly because of that dungeon.
Even after returning from the dungeon, unlike Cecil, she had no free time.
She was drawing up plans for the assault, requesting reinforcements, and checking supplies.
Once, when I'd suggested a massage, she hadn't seemed opposed, but she'd turned it down citing how busy she was.
With things like this, I had only one option left.
Conquer the dungeon.
I had to achieve that feat which even the original story had never accomplished if I wanted to free up Knight Captain Dana's time.
And fortunately, the knight order's current strength was several times greater than in the original.
Nutritious meals, efficient training routines, Ethan—who had grown strong enough to handle the workload of two people—and me and Lexi as additional combat assets.
And on top of that.
I had a new weapon that had arrived just last night.
It was a jungle dao in a familiar shape, but the materials used to forge it were legendary ones that couldn't exist in reality.
Mithril, adamantium, dragon fangs.
All three main ingredients were the kind only obtainable in a fantasy world.
And not only that—the craftsman who made it was a dwarf, a race straight out of legend.
It was so unbelievable that every time I looked at the weapon, I felt strange.
"..."
Well, I'd even gotten physical with an elf, another legendary race.
Remembering that even more unbelievable experience brought a hollow laugh to my lips.
"Um, Captain."
"Yes?"
The captain, who had been patting my shoulder with her small hand and praising my contributions, looked up at me, wondering why I was suddenly calling her.
I hesitated for a moment before making a proposal.
"Please let me and Ethan join this dungeon subjugation."
"...You two? No, it's not that I doubt you, but..."
The captain glanced away briefly.
Knight Captain Dana looked toward the training grounds.
Ethan was swinging his sword at a straw dummy, displaying skills that were hard to believe he'd gained in just two weeks.
But that was it.
Compared to the other knights, he still had some shortcomings, and above all, he lacked real combat experience.
For subjugating other monsters, maybe, but taking him into a dungeon would give her pause.
My thinking was different, though.
"I'll take responsibility."
"..."
To some, it might seem like favoritism toward my disciple, but I knew.
The only thing Ethan lacked right now was experience.
Experience fighting monsters, experience staking his life in battle.
Once he gained those, his growth rate would explode again.
He might even become as strong as Knight Captain Dana, the knight order's captain, in a matter of months instead of a year.
Then conquering the dungeon wouldn't be far off.
'...But that could be risky.'
What if I conquered Knight Captain Dana and she tried to get revenge?
I honestly wasn't sure if I could beat a powered-up Ethan.
Still, Ethan's growth was practically essential for conquering the dungeon.
"If you're that insistent... fine. Get your armor on and prepare. We're heading to the dungeon before lunch."
"Yes, ma'am."
Knight Captain Dana reluctantly nodded in approval.
I immediately ran over to Ethan on the training grounds and told him.
"Grab your armor and get ready. Starting today, we're going into the dungeon too."
"The dungeon... with Knight Captain Dana?"
"Yeah."
Ethan dashed to his room with the brightest expression he'd shown so far.
His excitement made me a little uneasy, but he'd be fine.
He's the protagonist, after all.
Even if he acts cocky, he'll step up when the crisis hits.
I headed to my own room, donned my armor, and swung my sword a few times to get a feel for its weight.
It was a bit heavy, but thanks to Martial Skill and my increased Stamina, it shouldn't be a problem in combat.
By the time I came back out, many knight order members were already lined up in two neat rows, waiting.
Knight Captain Dana stood at the front, with the elf Lexi right beside her.
Ethan and I naturally joined the line.
The other members, knowing Ethan's skills had risen sharply from his hard training, no longer bullied him.
Though the atmosphere still didn't fully accept him as a knight.
On the contrary, the knights were more interested in my weapon than in Ethan.
"That's an unusual shape."
"Isn't it too short?"
They eyed my jungle dao warily, noting it was shorter than a typical one-handed sword.
Being short meant I'd have to fight closer to the monsters, making it harder to land decisive blows, so their concern was understandable.
This would be my first time fighting monsters too, so I couldn't make any guarantees, but I was confident.
I'd already experienced the power of this jungle dao several times.
Once we exited the city, four wagons were waiting.
They weren't fancy carriages but sturdy cargo wagons like trucks.
The knights boarded them naturally.
Ethan and I followed suit, quick on the uptake.
The dungeon was a bit of a distance away, so we'd be riding these wagons for about thirty minutes.
Finally, terrain that looked just like what I'd seen in the original story came into view.
"This is..."
Ethan swallowed nervously.
I didn't show it, but my heart was pounding a little too.
The wagons stopped, and we disembarked in front of the massive cave called the dungeon.
It looked like just a normal cave entrance from outside, but the alien space visible inside made it clear this was a dungeon.
A space several times larger than the cave's exterior stretched out within.
Torches were conveniently placed at regular intervals along the walls, and unidentified wooden crates and jars were scattered throughout the interior.
"Let's go."
"Yes, ma'am."
Unlike Ethan and me, who were tense about entering this unknown space.
The knights, now accustomed to it, formed up and began marching at Knight Captain Dana's command.
We exchanged glances and followed behind.
The dungeon interior was more comfortable than I'd expected.
Which only made it feel more eerie.
If this were a normal cave, it should have been damp, and our footsteps should have echoed—but they didn't.
We walked for a while before the front suddenly halted with a sharp command.
"Battle stations. It's an orc."
At Knight Captain Dana's words, everyone drew their weapons in unison.
Ethan and I did the same.
"Just one. Ethan, Seonghan—want to take it?"
This was a test from Knight Captain Dana.
Ethan and I pushed through the knights without a word and took the front.
An orc.
Green-skinned, muscular body—especially its neck muscles, which were ridiculously thick, like an average adult's thigh.
Holding a wooden club, it spotted us and growled, lowering its center of gravity.
I was pretty big myself, but compared to the orc, I felt like three heads smaller.
Then I remembered something Lexi had said and glanced down at the orc's crotch.
...This part's similar, huh?
As I felt a strange sense of camaraderie as a fellow male, Ethan suddenly charged.
"Raaah!"
With a bold shout, Ethan rushed in and clashed his sword against the orc's massive wooden club.
Bang! The two weapons collided in midair with a thunderous crash.
Ethan's body was flung into the air, but he twisted skillfully even as he stumbled, regaining his balance midair and landing successfully.
"Nngh..."
His hands must have gone numb from the clash, as Ethan gripped them and let out a faint groan.
The orc turned its massive body toward Ethan and started closing in.
Seeing that, I moved without hesitation.
The orc's eyes widened as I appeared before it in an instant.
It raised its arm to counterattack, but it was too late.
Crunch!
My upraised jungle dao arced down, slicing the orc from chest to head in two.
It was even more powerful than I'd imagined.
I'd only infused it with a bit of Internal Energy, yet it cleaved all the way up to its head, which my height shouldn't have reached.
Thud!
The orc's huge body hit the ground with a resounding crash.
Everyone in the knight order except Ethan stared at me with mouths agape.