Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: How to Save Erina Esnatia
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'Seeing it for real for the first time had me worried, but this is recognizable enough.'
Recalling the descriptions from Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy, I could identify the trap locations and their setups.
To satisfy the conditions for this dungeon to transform into the [Temple of Fate], we had to reach the test's destination.
'Test time limit is a maximum of three hours.'
Once the limit passed, we'd have to exit the dungeon regardless of whether we'd arrived or not.
'I could force my way to the end if I wanted.'
But Erina Esnatia would never accept that.
Without her, clearing the [Temple of Fate] solo was impossible.
The average time to explore the [Training Dungeon] was two hours.
That was round trip, so factoring in traps, it usually took about an hour and a half one way.
In other words, time was plenty.
'If things were normal, that is.'
Sin So-ah, the professor, had prepared traps to test me.
I didn't know exactly how, but rushing through as fast as possible was the smart move.
To do that, it made sense for me—the one who could spot the traps—to take the lead.
"I'll take point."
Erina Esnatia looked at me a bit flustered at my words, then soon sneered.
"KIMCHI! Wrong. Shield me leads. Basic thing think!"
"I can spot dungeon traps to some extent. Having me up front..."
"NO! Me better than YOU even."
Given Erina Esnatia's personality, she'd have no reason to hate a guy taking the lead.
'Guess the affection from that floor wipe wasn't enough.'
Besides, she'd grown up with elite training from a hunter family, so it wasn't entirely wrong.
From her perspective, I was just a hindrance.
And she was a frontline fighter using a shield as her main weapon.
A so-called 'tank'...
Erina lifted her chin slightly as she stared at me.
"Plus, not even 1% desire protected by weakling YOU!"
Fine.
I didn't want to waste time, but if she was this set on it, no choice.
Didn't seem like talking would change her mind anyway.
In cases like this, best to let her experience it firsthand.
After getting hit by a few traps, she'd come around on her own.
If she really spotted and dodged them well, that was fine too.
"Got it. You lead."
"As expected KIMCHI! Gives up easy."
Erina Esnatia elegantly covered her mouth with her hand as she sneered.
'What do you want from me...'
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!"
Arrows and a barrage of rocks flying straight at her in an instant.
'If those were real, Erina would've died ten times over by now.'
She'd already triggered four traps just getting here.
"Shall I take over, miss?"
"Shut up kimchi..."
Panting hard but still stubborn.
Of course, these were training traps—no real threat to life.
Didn't mean they didn't hurt, though.
'Not like I'm the one getting hit anyway.'
Erina Esnatia caught her breath raggedly and said,
"Traps hurt like bitch!"
"If real, you wouldn't be of this world anymore."
"Kimchi SHUT UP! No quit in my dictionary!"
"?"
I had no idea what dictionary she bought, but if it lacked [quit], it was defective.
Buy a new one, you brat.
My thoughts must've slipped out, because she glared at me and snapped,
"Why YOU keep butting in!!"
With Erina Esnatia insisting on leading, we were a bit delayed, but we should still arrive on time.
'Points'll tank from all the trap-stepping fun, though.'
Didn't matter.
We were about to get stranded by a dungeon anomaly anyway.
No way to score that.
"No time! GO!!"
With that, Erina Esnatia took the lead again.
I wished she'd finally drop the stubbornness and switch positions.
That's when something caught my eye in the direction she was heading.
'Trap.'
On the dark cave floor, amid ordinary rock fragments, a crystal of slightly different color sparkled.
Matched the novel's description so far.
Sin So-ah wouldn't have bluffed to me about it.
'But there's something extra.'
Not knowing what made it unsettling; I couldn't relax.
Everything up till now—trap spots, mechanisms, appearances—had matched the novel perfectly.
Step on that crystal, and the floor would give way, trapping us in the cave's center.
Anything but a time delay was bad.
Had to warn her about this one.
"Trap up ahead."
"Hah! KIMCHI saw what me miss? Nothing front."
No, you'd missed every single one so far.
"YOU! See. Nothing he--"
Erina Esnatia stepped confidently onto the crystal-embedded floor.
"Wait...!"
Crack-
The trap activated with a dull thud, just like in the novel.
Except this time, a massive boulder was falling from above too.
Swoosh-
In that split second,
I yanked her back from behind.
Thud-
Pulled off balance, Erina Esnatia tumbled backward.
"WHAT!! KIMCHI, what doing..."
She turned to glare at me, opening her mouth to complain.
"Above."
Boom-
A deep pit formed where Erina had stepped, and the sound of a huge boulder crashing down echoed loudly.
"What..."
Seeing it, Erina Esnatia's mouth hung open, speechless.
"Told you it was dangerous."
"Ah... Trap... Th-thank you."
Only then did she look at me with a dazed expression and respond.
Thank you, huh.
At least she said it.
Erina steadied her ragged breathing from the shock and said,
"This K-Academy TEST...?"
"Pretty much."
I answered her question flatly.
Flatly.
This was the world's top-tier K-Hunter Academy's HARD mode TEST, after all.
No way.
Are you insane?
A student almost died just now!
Sure, hunter academy students were licensed hunters, even if students.
Deaths during practicals happened steadily.
But still.
This was a professor-installed trap.
Why try to kill for real?
'...Is this the special treatment Sin So-ah mentioned?'
Eh, no way she meant to actually kill.
There must've been safeties.
Just cranked the difficulty to test me.
Thanks to it, Erina Esnatia was sweating cold bullets, looking a bit spooked.
"If you're scared, I can switch now."
"N-nonsense! Who scared?!"
No, you totally are.
"Don't care, but next time might not save you. Buried here with me before meeting your fated one."
"SHIT! W-WITH YOU?!"
"Buried alive. Rocks crunch from above, then soil slowly pours in. Tunnel fills with dust, not air..."
"O-OK! OK!"
Erina Esnatia freaked out.
"Now I lead, no complaints?"
"Y-yes, KIMCHI. Becoming kimchi buried with YOU? Pass."
"Good call."
She trudged back, muttering,
"K-TEST... too scary."
Hope she doesn't get PTSD from anything K- prefixed.
Troublesome as a K-warrior.
That's when something appeared behind Erina Esnatia.
"Behind!"
Clang-!
At my shout, she swung her shield back, producing a clear, crisp ring.
'Reaction speed's on another level.'
"KIMCHI!! Enemy!"
Grrrrr-
From the darkness behind her, an E-rank monster [Black Fang]'s eyes flashed as it emerged.
'About time one showed.'
We'd been lucky not encountering any till now.
Hyena-like appearance.
Formed packs, they were very strong.
'Just two, though.'
I could handle that solo.
Erina Esnatia had already stepped forward, shield raised.
"[Holy Shield]!"
At Erina Esnatia's shout, her surroundings lit up brightly.
One of her skills.
A top-tier tanking skill forming powerful protection around the area.
One reason I'd brought her.
'How's this holy knight genre anyway.'
"KIMCHI, now see me shine!"
Obviously, E-rank scrubs like Black Fangs were no match for Erina Esnatia.
'Dozens maybe a fight, but two? Easy.'
After a long trek, the end of the long passage finally came into view.
"We're here."
We'd exited the narrow cave tunnel into a moderately spacious area.
Just a blank wall ahead.
This was the test's final destination.
Now we just had to operate our watches here and head back the way we came.
"Ha... Should've come with strong cool man..."
"Cave date with kimchi's nice. Got here fast thanks to me."
Erina trailed off awkwardly.
"Well, for KIMCHI pretty good unexpected. Admit that..."
Definitely. Once I took point, knowing the traps let us speed through.
"Now authenticate BACK! Separate from YOU!"
Erina Esnatia cheered.
'Nope.'
From here on, [Temple of Fate].
Time to together.
Let's get stranded.