The Battle for the Hidden Treasure
The warm sunlight poured down on a bright, clear morning as I stood before a lush, dense forest.
“Alright, what we need to do here is find the flags. The more flags you collect, the more various prizes you can earn, so give it your all! Then… start!”
[Waaaaaaaaah!]
The moment the starting signal rang out, the students burst forward with a thunderous cheer, shaking the ground beneath them. I stood there indifferently among the chaos, only moving once the commotion had died down a bit.
Eleven o’clock from the entrance, right?
What I was looking for wasn’t the flags. It was something far more valuable—an artifact hidden inside a dungeon. More precisely, the transmigrators who would gather to clear that dungeon.
The artifact in these mountains was useful not only in combat but in everyday life as well, which made it quite popular. Popular enough that most transmigrators would want it even if it meant risking a clash.
This might be my chance to uncover the identities of that bald swordsman and the flame mage.
So I needed to secure my position as quickly as possible. I carefully checked to see if anyone else was heading in the same direction, then made my way to a hill that offered a clear view of the abandoned well leading into the dungeon.
I put on a robe and a mask to conceal my features, then lay flat in a highly visible spot. Now all I had to do was wait quietly.
It’d be nice if there were a lot of women…
It wasn’t just because I was a pervert. To use my Rape Declaration, I needed women. After thoroughly studying the mechanics, I’d discovered—to my great disappointment—that it worked on men too, but I had no intention of going there.
The artifact available here was one I coveted as well, so to claim it, I would need to activate Rape Declaration and overwhelm the other transmigrators.
While I waited, lost in various thoughts, a figure appeared on the slope in the distance.
It’s a man.
The man, wrapped head to toe in a robe, carried a single sword. His face was also completely covered with some kind of cloth, not a single strand of hair visible. He glanced around warily before leaping straight into the abandoned well.
Just from that glance, his physical ability clearly wasn’t ordinary.
Is that the bald swordsman?
Since I didn’t know how many transmigrators there were, even seeing a few common traits wasn’t enough to be certain. I pushed my curiosity into a corner and continued watching below.
A short while later, another person appeared.
Again, a man.
Like the one before, this man wore his robe pulled low over his head. He too scanned the surroundings cautiously before squeezing into the well with some effort. His lower physical ability suggested he was likely a mage.
The fact that both who entered the dungeon matched the swordsman and flame mage who had clashed in the underground waterway added weight to my theory.
And after that, for the next thirty minutes, no more visitors appeared.
I slowly rose to my feet.
“Just two? Or maybe three?”
In Pernia’s case, I’d seen her perfectly conceal herself in the secret passage, so I couldn’t rule out the possibility that she had slipped in unnoticed. If my guess was right, I’d have someone to use Rape Declaration on in an emergency, which eased my worries a little.
I descended the hill and headed for the abandoned well. The well had been left neglected for so long that it was bone-dry, not a single drop of water to be found. I carefully jumped down and discovered a long passage leading off to one side, which I followed.
The passage led into an underground cave. The air gradually grew damp, the space widened, and the uneven floor and stalactites hanging everywhere welcomed me. I pressed onward for quite some time.
I should be reaching the destination soon…
I had already passed countless corpses. They belonged to the giant spider monsters that lived in the underground cave. Most had been cut down by a sword, but a significant number were burned to a crisp. The flame mage must have seen the sword-sliced monster corpses and immediately recalled the underground waterway incident, chasing after the swordsman in a panic.
Just as I expected, when I reached the massive cavern where the artifact was located, I witnessed a battle in progress.
“Burn to ashes!”
Boooom!
With the flame mage’s shout, a fireball shot from his hand and engulfed the swordsman. Though its power was weaker than Yuni’s, it was strong enough that taking it head-on would require an instant cremation.
Of course, that only mattered if it actually hit.
“I will definitely kill you!”
The swordsman hurled himself out of the explosion radius, flipped through the air, and landed. Bloodlust radiating from him, he slashed his own arm with his sword. The blood flowing from the long wound was absorbed into the blade, sharpening its edge even further.
But the swordsman didn’t stop there. He repeatedly cut his own body, feeding more blood into the sword. The blade began emitting an increasingly brilliant aura, and the swordsman’s entire body swelled with muscle, granting him far greater power than usual.
It was a characteristic of a class I’d seen often in the game.
Like a berserker.
The way he grew stronger the more damage he took was exactly the same.
“Ignite!”
In the meantime, the flame mage cast another spell and hurled it at the swordsman. Dozens of flaming bullets rained down.
“Something like this!”
The swordsman didn’t retreat an inch. Relying on a single sword, he kicked off the ground and charged straight through the flames. His explosively enhanced physical ability and razor-sharp blade sliced through everything cleanly.
But he couldn’t escape all damage. One of the flaming bullets grazed the swordsman’s cheek, setting the cloth covering his face ablaze.
Beyond the burning fabric, a perfectly smooth, hairless scalp and distinctive features were revealed.
It really was the bald swordsman!
Moreover, that face had quite a unique look. I doubted I’d ever mistake him for anyone else.
Just as I was inwardly cheering—
Splash!
A very faint sound, like someone stepping on a puddle, reached my ears. Following the source, I confirmed it came from the direction of the altar where the artifact was hidden.
It’s Pernia.
Once a thief, always a thief—she was apparently trying to steal it again. I gave the flame mage one last regretful glance, decided I’d gathered enough information for now, and turned away from the cavern entrance.
There was no secret passage anyway, so if she wanted to leave with the artifact, she’d have to come out through the abandoned well.
I returned to the hill, lay down again, and waited for Pernia to show herself. Less than three minutes later, she emerged from the well, humming a cheerful tune.
“Ahaha! You idiots. The artifact is mine now!”
Her smiling face was slightly pale. Proof that her mana was completely drained. She must have overexerted herself by staying in stealth the entire time inside the cave.
Lucky me.
If Pernia had been able to use stealth, I might have missed her completely. This was perfect.
Before she could run, I quickly jumped down from the hill and blocked her path.
“Stop.”
“E-eek! Y-you…!”
“Hand over the artifact.”
Upon reuniting with the man who had raped her, Pernia looked momentarily flustered. Then her face flushed bright red at my shameless demand.
“You rotten bastard. You’re going to take the thing I worked so hard to get? You think I’m just going to let you?”
“……”
“This time I’m really going to kill you. I won’t hold back.”
Pernia slowly drew her dagger. Her sharp eyes, burning with the desire for revenge, scanned my entire body for vital points.
I fell into brief thought.
Can I win without using Rape Declaration?
I didn’t know how much Pernia had grown since then, but I had become quite strong too. If she was still at the same level as before, I had more than enough chance of victory.
Just as the tension peaked—
“Eat this and fuck off, you son of a bitch!”
Pernia, who had looked ready to charge at any moment, threw the transparent gloves at me and bolted in the opposite direction. Caught off guard, I couldn’t even think to chase her and simply stared blankly at her retreating figure.
“What the…?”
To be honest, I had hoped she would hand it over quietly, but I never thought she actually would. I never expected to obtain the artifact so easily. It seemed the experience of having both holes opened at once had left quite the trauma on Pernia. I felt a little sorry.
Still, it feels great!
I grinned as I picked up the transparent gloves from the ground and brushed them off. These were called Arachne’s Gloves. Made from the thread of the ancient demonic beast Arachne, they boasted incredible durability and mana conductivity. They perfectly fused with the wearer’s skin, providing a fit so comfortable it was almost imperceptible.
Just from a casual touch, I could tell there was almost no sensation at all. I immediately put on the Arachne’s Gloves.
I slipped my hands into the openings and pulled. They slid on as smoothly as if oiled, then melted into my skin and vanished the moment I let go. I repeated the process with the other hand, then clenched and unclenched my fists.
“Oh… this is amazing.”
No matter how hard I pinched or twisted my skin, the gloves absorbed every impact. There wasn’t the slightest pain. I wouldn’t even need gauntlets anymore.
“Alright. Shall we run a quick test?”
If the performance of Arachne’s Gloves ended at this level, transmigrators wouldn’t have risked gathering here. I activated the skill built into the gloves—Infinite Thread.
Infinite Thread
Shhhhhk—
When I poured mana into them, a single transparent thread shot out from my fingertip. I couldn’t see it with my eyes, but I could sense it through a newly expanded perception, as if I had grown a tail. It wasn’t fully familiar yet, but the transparent thread moved exactly as I willed.
Moreover, I could change its properties at will. It could become sticky and adhesive, then instantly switch to a sharp cutting force the moment I infused killing intent. When I wrapped it around a tree and pulled, the thread returned without any resistance. The cut surface was perfectly clean.
Just as I’d seen in the game, Infinite Thread possessed incredible durability and cutting power.
“This will be useful.”
In truth, it was far beyond merely useful. It was good enough to become one of my main skills. But what actually caught my attention more was another feature.
Infinite Thread could accumulate the force applied to it and then release it all at once. Although there was a limit, it allowed me to unleash a single strike with power far beyond my current level.
Various other applications came to mind. Satisfied, I nodded and returned to the top of the hill. The other two were still inside.
It’s about time they came out.
Whether one of them died or fled, enough time had passed for the fight to be decided. As if to prove my thought correct, the flame mage soon burst out of the well, covered in cuts and scratches.
“Damn it! That persistent psycho bastard!”
He spat irritably on the dirt ground and hurriedly left the area. I had considered chasing him, but decided to stay put just in case. I had heard his voice and remembered his build. If I looked among the flame mages, I should be able to figure out his identity soon enough.
Right now, confirming whether the bald swordsman was still alive was more urgent.
If the flame mage killed him, he would have gained a new unique skill just like I did.
I waited patiently, and a short while later, the bald swordsman emerged. His body was scorched in several places.
“Fuck. That sly little shit. He dares to set me on fire and run? Next time I’ll definitely kill him. I’ll skin his entire scalp.”
He ground his teeth audibly, spitting out hatred as he recalled the flame mage. Then he suddenly tilted his head.
“But who the hell was it? The bastard who got to the dungeon first and took the artifact. Don’t tell me there’s another one besides me and that guy in the first-year class? I need to be careful.”
This incident had raised everyone’s vigilance another level. It was good fortune that I had learned their identities, but it was bad luck that the other transmigrators had begun considering new possibilities.
What should I do about the transmigrators?
I watched the bald swordsman disappear into the distance, pondering the road ahead.