Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
```html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Capable When She Tries
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Throughout our trek through the dungeon, the Mana Eye never deactivated. Thanks to it, we disarmed every trap and followed Lachesis's guidance, soon arriving at the entrance to the second floor.
Just as expected, the first floor was nothing but traps and a maze. Aren't we clearing this faster than Kim Tae-hyun?
"Already?"
I tilted my head up at the incredulous question. Praise me. That's an order.
"Wow. Isn't this the first time in Seong-hoon's life he's actually been useful to someone?"
I don't need that kind of praise. Give me something more like, "Amazing! Oh! As expected of Lee Seong-hoon!" Don't you have anything like that?
"What are you spacing out for? Let's head down quick. This might even be a record. I've never heard of anyone clearing the labyrinth this fast."
Yeah. Guess not. At Isia's urging, I fell back to the middle position and pushed Joo Seung-jun ahead. So what if he glared at me like he was annoyed?
From the second floor onward, real monsters start appearing. They're holograms, but since they can be hit with magic, it's best to stay cautious.
"Raphael."
"Yes, yes. Everyone, gather up."
At my call, Raphael bowed her head and clasped her hands together. As she assumed a prayer-like pose, light began to gather in her palms.
The incantation began with the first verse. But it didn't end there. Second verse, third. The grating praise for that damn god dragged on all the way to the fifth verse.
The light gathered in her hands grew larger, warmly enveloping us all. A gentle glow that wasn't blinding, one you wanted to bask in forever.
By the way, isn't five verses intermediate-level magic? As if answering my question, Isia looked shocked. Even Joo Seung-jun was too flustered to speak.
And then, a blue window popped up before my eyes, leaving me stunned too.
Magic 'Angel's Blessing' causes your stats to surge dramatically. Stamina (Lowest) → Stamina (Mid)
Strength (Lowest) → Strength (Mid)
Agility (Low) → Agility (High)
Mana Power unchanged.
My jaw dropped. My stats had jumped two whole levels? Stats have walls between them. Impassable barriers you can't leap over by level.
Going from lowest to low isn't easy. It takes grueling effort. Yet this magic had vaulted my stats two tiers in one go? Staring at Raphael in disbelief, I watched her finish her prayer and catch her breath. Her golden hair settled back into place.
"You."
"Yes?"
Raphael tilted her head at my trembling voice, but I didn't stop. I placed my hand on her head.
"You're capable when you try!!!"
For the first time since coming here, this girl who'd been zero help and only caused trouble actually seemed useful.
This magic was that impressive.
"Are you picking on me?"
As if. This was pure praise.
"My body's so light. What kind of magic is that? Seriously?!"
"For real. That buff magic is no joke. Where'd you learn something like this?"
"Oh, come on. Stop with the praise. It's embarrassing. Everyone in the world knows I'm capable—except Seong-hoon."
Raphael puffed up her chest at the praise from Isia and Joo Seung-jun, shooting me a glance. Isia especially seemed thrilled by the unfamiliar magic, but I silently descended the stairs to the second floor.
Honestly. One compliment and she's acting all high and mighty. She's not capable at all. Total troublemaker.
When I ignored her, Raphael pouted and exaggerated her steps, stretching her legs way out like she was begging for attention. I gritted my teeth and tuned her out.
It wasn't because I didn't want to praise her more. Or because her usual antics annoyed me.
Even when Raphael shoved her face in mine and whispered in my ear, "Seong-hoon, you can't live life like a total pushover," I forced myself to ignore it.
And we arrived at the second floor.
Raphael's bouncy steps, Isia's barrage of questions, Joo Seung-jun's goofing off—all vanished in an instant.
「GUOOOOOH!!」
It was because of the sudden skeleton that burst out. The kind people call a skeleton. A sword-wielding skeleton knight had been lying in ambush by the entrance.
But as expected of a hero candidate. Joo Seung-jun, who had been full of jokes just moments ago, parried the skeleton's attack and counterstruck.
In the instantly tense atmosphere, I eyed the two additional skeletons that popped out.
"Should we fall back?"
No plans for that. Joo Seung-jun blocked the ambush, so those two up front are mine. I gripped my scythe.
I didn't need to do much—just hold out until Isia finished her spell or Joo Seung-jun took down his skeleton. But I didn't want to.
The reason? I wanted to test out a combat tactic I'd thought of recently.
「GUOOOOOH!!」
"Whoa! Seong-hoon, they're coming your way!!"
I know. Quiet down. Leaving Raphael to freak out on her own, I raised my arm and opened my Inventory.
"No way! They're right in front of you—what are you doing?!"
So noisy. Seriously. I have a plan. Ignoring Raphael as she grabbed and shook my arm, I stared down the skeleton charging at me with sword in hand.
I heard Isia's worried voice from behind too, but it wouldn't take her long to realize it was unnecessary meddling.
「GUOOOH─?!」
The two skeletons charging aggressively tripped over each other right in front of me, as if on cue.
They tumbled and struggled to get up, tangling even more with grotesque clattering sounds.
This was Lachesis's power. The cheat ability to slightly twist a target's fate. She'd twisted the skeletons' fate to make them trip. Gotta give her something tasty later.
Taking the spirit beast cat's words in one ear and out the other, I thought about pulling out the Rebar from my Inventory.
And just like that, steel beams rained down exactly where I'd envisioned—right on top of the two skeletons.
Thud─
A heavy thud echoed as multiple steel beams crashed down. I recalled the beams into my Inventory and waited for the dust from the impact to settle. What remained was... unrecognizable mush.
Whoa. Gross.
"Whoa. That's no joke. Eww..."
I nodded at Raphael, who shared my sentiment.
And in that moment, one realization hit me. Wait... am I actually strong?
Gulp─
Isia swallowed dryly and dispersed the magic she'd been preparing.
She felt the mana, condensed in her hands, flowing through the spell formula into the magic circle, vanish away.
There was one reason. The man in front of her had mercilessly crushed the skeletons.
In less than 30 seconds. The moment she'd converted mana to magic power, deployed the spell formula to manifest her magic, and opened her mouth to incant...
He'd taken down the skeletons.
Even Joo Seung-jun, who prided himself on being in the 400s ranking, was still wrestling with one skeleton. Yet this rank 1028 guy had instantly obliterated two.
'Does this make any sense?'
It didn't. How could a guy like that be ranked 1028th (dead last)? System error? But nothing like that happened at Justitia.
And the power he'd just used to one-shot the skeletons wasn't even the power he'd used against her in their spar.
'Did he go easy on me?'
Against her? The thought crossed her mind briefly, but seeing the power he'd unleashed, it made sense. If she'd been under those steel beams, would she have come out unscathed?
No. He'd matched her level.
Isia felt cold sweat trickling down. The plan she'd poured most of her recent days into—~Escape from Lee Seong-hoon Maid Plan~—had just crumbled to dust before her eyes.
She could almost picture it waving goodbye as it sank into the ocean, which made her chest tighten.
'How do you even beat someone like that?'
And he was versatile too.
Trap detection and pathfinding on the first floor. Composure in the face of heavy drinking.
The epitome of a hero's ideal candidate. The most suited to become a hero.
'His abilities. Just his abilities.'
His personality was trash, but in terms of raw talent, he matched the hero world's ideal more than any candidate she'd seen.
'He's still human, though.'
He had to have a weakness. No one who nullified magic, dropped steel from the sky, or fought with physical skill was invincible.
Just stay as his maid a tiny bit longer. Just a little while to find that weakness. Then she could escape. This humiliating position, her fallen status as heir...
She'd endure until the day she could stab him in the back. With that resolve, Isia looked ahead.
And there...
Thud─ thud─ thud─
Was a man relentlessly hunting skeletons with explosive sounds.
"Eww. Experience points or something popping up? Level up too?"
"Nah. Did you play games next to that guy or what?"
"Sometimes? He'd drag me over 'cause he didn't wanna play alone and force me."
He bantered so casually with a stunning blonde beauty that any woman would fall for.
Isia left Joo Seung-jun still struggling with his skeleton and hurried after the man charging ahead.
Training was over. The second floor kept spawning monsters, so smashing them with steel beams got us straight to the next floor.
The next floor was a pushover too. Just one core and one guardian monster. Steel beams wouldn't cut it, so Isia's magic blasted it away.
She seemed more compliant than before, which made me cock my head. Then a window appeared: [Isia Submission – 100000P].
Beats me, so I shoved it aside. What was that about? I didn't do anything special.
For the record, Joo Seung-jun only made it down from the second floor after everything was done.
He whined about being left behind, but he seemed to think I'd smashed the monsters with Isia's magic.
Is the guy low on brains too?
Anyway, long story short.
"Team Lee Seong-hoon. Congratulations on taking first place in this first practical training."
We got first. Wow. Even with thorough prep from prior knowledge, this has to be my talent.
I hadn't expected this. Aiming for third at best, but Inventory + steel beams was OP. Second and third floors had similar clear times, but blazing through the first-floor maze made the difference.
You're the best cat, Lachesis.
I stroked the yawning cat, then took the paper from Shingi-ha. Ah, this is the dungeon experience application form.
First practical done. Semester's started, and now events start popping off around Kim Tae-hyun for real.
I've prepped too. Inventory combat's viable now, and Lachesis is tamed.
One thing left. Hamper his growth as much as possible.
That's why this dungeon experience matters. The growth-type weapon that follows Kim Tae-hyun's every step, evolving at key moments—the one from the hidden stage here.
I'm snatching it. Why? Straight hit to his growth.
Heh heh. Look forward to it, God!
Buzzing with excitement, I headed to the podium base.
"That guy's hyped again."
Pretend I didn't hear Raphael's mutter. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let it slide—just this once.
```