Chapter 84
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Hey, You! You're Finally Awake
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ahead of the academy exchange match hosted by Seridwen,
The indoor training ground, packed with hundreds of people, saw everyone forfeit and leave except for the roughly hundred academy students who had declared their intent to participate.
Among those who remained were our Onahole Squad and a hefty contingent of promising stars brimming with confidence.
"Everyone, check that you haven't forgotten any gear."
Yuuna said.
Half the participating teams had already dived into Seridwen's composite gravity wave.
Now it was our turn.
I wrapped a bandolier over my academy uniform shirt and holstered the loaded Glock 19 and Colt Python.
"The dive shock will be bigger than usual."
Hearing that, Venelli opted to store hers in her inventory.
It was to prepare for the chance of losing it.
[Black Illusory Feather]
A crow feather that deceives the eyes of outer gods and hides your body for a moment. It turns black when used.
It's white?
The used feather apparently dyes black.
Handing out escape items like this means it's pretty dangerous, huh.
Hena's face was drained of color.
"Make sure you both get in safely."
Yuuna turned to us before leaping in.
"In a dungeon this massive, there's no guarantee your teammates will be right beside you when you dive."
"For real?"
"Why tell us now...?"
Hena was on the verge of tears.
"I-I don't wanna go without Sanghyeok...!"
I grabbed Hena by the scruff as she tried to bolt.
Tears streamed down her face as she flailed her limbs.
"Nooo...!"
"That's why you gotta keep your head on straight. The second you dive, scan your surroundings and focus on linking up with your team."
"Got it. I'll find you first thing, Hena."
"I'll find you first too, Hena."
Hena came back at those words.
"Sniff... Sanghyeok... you have to find me...?"
"If we're lucky, we'll land right next to each other. Don't worry."
I'd had no idea we could get separated right from the start.
Even Yuuna didn't have tons of experience with dungeons this size. She was showing signs of nerves.
"Alright then... dive."
Yuuna hurled herself into the gravity wave.
Next up was Hena, who clung to me tight.
"Dive... together... okay?"
"Hena, be brave. Your magic power's at full strength right now—you're super strong."
"......"
I stroked Hena's head gently.
For some reason, Seridwen was staring hard at the scene.
Jealousy won't help you, Professor.
No cheeky student strokes their professor's head before a dungeon dive.
"Your magic's a huge help for dungeon exploration. Yuuna said so herself, right?"
"But without you two, my power to make footholds is useless..."
"Sure, if you stop there. But the highest place you can reach won't just have that."
"......The highest place..."
Trembling with anxiety at the thought of us splitting up right away...
"I'll definitely come find you."
"...Yeah!"
With resolve, Hena plunged into the gravity wave.
My turn next.
Shiiiik.
The first sensation was a wind chillier than usual.
"Nngh..."
This was real dive shock...
Even lifting my eyelids felt like post-surgery agony.
Chilly wind first. Then, slowly, the rumble of cart wheels rolling over the ground reached my ears.
The vibration through the wheels meant I was being carted somewhere?
Ugh...
Getting hauled around?
I strained with all my might, and my surroundings gradually brightened.
A small hill in a forest shrouded in cold spring mist. I was sitting in a wagon bed, heading down it.
I could see the back of whoever was pulling the wagon, and the side profile of the man riding along with me.
It's cold.
Our wagon train stretched out to four carts long.
My hands won't move.
Tied with rope?
As I realized something was off, the blond man whipped around and said,
"Hey, you. You're finally awake."
I flinched.
"You were trying to cross the border, right?"
Me?
"You snuck into an imperial ambush just like that thief over there and us."
This felt like an intro I'd seen somewhere...
Turning toward the thief, there was an academy girl sprawled unconscious with her legs splayed.
Serena's friend, Sarika.
...Sky-blue panties.
"Nngh..."
Why was Sarika here? No, why was I stuck with the first-year squad?
Glancing beside me, there was Isolde too—the pink-haired big-boobed girl I'd shot shorts with before.
"Snap out of it, both of you."
I nudged Sarika across from me awake with my foot.
Blondie didn't react, thankfully.
The instant Sarika's eyes fluttered open, she slammed her legs shut and went wide-eyed.
"Calm down. Look at me."
I soothed her with a steady voice as she frantically scanned around in hyper-vigilance.
Perfectly understandable—she had no idea what might've happened while she was out.
"It's me. Serena oppa."
She gradually caught her breath and regained composure.
"...Sunbae-nim. What the hell is this place...?"
"I just woke up too."
No way I'd expected to start out tied up.
They hadn't taken my guns, but it was disorienting as hell. This was a first for a starting scenario.
Sarika clearly felt the same unease.
"Dunno the details, but it seems like we're under some kind of 'Rule'."
"A Rule?"
"He called you a thief."
"Me!? I didn't steal anything."
"But that's the role you got stuck with."
Isolde stirred awake.
"Nngmuh..."
Why was only Isolde gagged, though?
"Sol! Wake up!"
"Mmph!"
Isolde couldn't speak. We needed to bail fast.
This opening was like an old game I'd played...
Getting isekai'd into a game-within-a-game was wild.
If this was a standard Onahole Academy event, it was rootless as hell for a smut game.
"But who's this blond jerk?"
Why was a non-student in the dungeon?
"Direct appearances by outer gods are rare, and since he only reacts to set situations, he's gotta be an NPC."
Sarika said.
NPC was a familiar concept, so I got it right away, but
hearing it from an Onahole Academy heroine felt weird.
From my perspective as the isekai'd guy, you all might as well be real NPCs too.
I'll mull that over later when I've got time.
For now, like Sarika said, it was hard to see an NPC that only triggered on specific conditions as a real person.
"...Stay like this, and the thief's in danger first."
"Huh?!"
"If this scenario plays out like I think, we're heading to the execution grounds with the rebel leader."
"Rebel leader? Who the—"
"Isolde."
Was I the protagonist here too?
It wasn't a smut game originally, but with busty pretty girls around me, it could've been modded to hell with suspect hentai stuff!
That's when Sarika scooted next to me, hidden from the imperial soldier driving the cart.
"Sarika?"
"Sunbae-nim. There's a small knife tucked at my waist."
"You want me to cut you free?"
"Yeah. NPCs won't react anyway."
I groped along Sarika's lower back.
"Lower down. More..."
Squish squish.
"Th-that's my butt..."
"...Sorry."
The cart was rattling a bit...
"It's fine. Emergency situation and all..."
"Mmph!"
Isolde had been trying to say something.
"Hold on. I'll free her first, then you."
Shink!
I yanked the dagger out with enough force to leave a red mark on my wrist.
"Cut my ropes with that."
"Right... Ah—!"
Thud!
The cart jolted suddenly, and I dropped the dagger.
It flew out of the cart, tumbling away across the ground...
"......"
"You can curse me out, Sarika."
Trolled hard right from dungeon start.
"There's another one on my thigh."
"Your thigh...?"
Sarika turned around, exposing the inside of her thigh.
She shyly looked away.
"Th-this time... please get it right..."
"Trust me."
The longer her panties were exposed, the redder Sarika's cheeks got.
I drew the second dagger from the sheath on her thigh.
"You should cut your ropes first, sunbae-nim."
"Got it."
She was worried I'd drop it, so she prioritized mine.
Meanwhile, a village walled with stone ramparts was drawing near.
Ah, damn it.
"I-I don't get the situation. Why is Isolde the rebel leader? Why are we headed to the execution grounds?"
I said as I sawed at my ropes.
"You're not supposed to. They shoved us into this nonsense on purpose. And we each got roles in the mess."
"Am I the thief?"
"Thief."
"I got a lockpicking skill."
"'Cause you're the thief."
Sarika grumbled, 'Me, a thief...'
Cute kouhai.
"What about you, sunbae-nim?"
"Me? Still undecided."
[Rebel Army or Imperial Army]
⏰ Choose your faction
See? I have to pick.
"If I go imperial, I'll split off from you guys. Stick with you, and we escape together."
"You might not be on our side?"
"Pretty much?"
Thinking about it,
how the hell do you clear this dungeon?
Turning in the rebel leader seems quickest.
"Look! It's General Dihirit!"
Someone shouted then.
Standing brazenly at the village entrance was F-Class classmate Dihirit Ade, who especially hated my guts.
The imperial soldier driving yelled,
"General Dihirit! The executioner has arrived!"
"Execution... er..."
Still in the cart, my eyes met Dihirit's.
He smirked like he'd figured it all out.
Damn it!
No way in hell I'm picking empire, even if it kills me!
"Proceed. Seal off the whole village perimeter. These criminals might bolt anytime."
"Yes, sir!"
Ah, ropes cut!
The moment my hands were free, my eyes locked with bound Sarika's.
She flinched and shrank back.
"...Sunbae-nim?"
My kouhai gazed at me anxiously.
"I trusted you and gave you the knife 'cause you're Serena oppa..."
"...You assumed which side I'd pick?"
"D-don't do this..."
I sidled up to my kouhai.
Slash!
I cut Sarika's wrist ropes.
[Cooperated with Sarika. Contribution Pt +3]
"Shh."
"......"
Sarika nodded.
"For now, pretend you're still tied."
"Okay."
"Just now, I decided to side with you guys. You can trust me."
"...So before that, you weren't?"
"I spotted that prick on the enemy side. Now you can trust me."
I decided to play tied up with Sarika,
and cautiously approached Isolde.
The second I undid her gag, Isolde whined.
"Sanghyeok sunbae. That was prime YouTube bait earlier... Why didn't you free me first?"
"What bait?"
Groping Sarika while eyeing escape routes?
This girl's off her rocker too. Phones don't even work in dungeons anyway.
Ding~ ♬
...What? It works?
"How're you using your smartphone?"
Isolde started prepping a livestream the instant her hands were free.
"This? I slotted in a magic beast core."
......
...Of Serena's friends, this one's especially weird.
"Execution grounds soon. Get ready to bail."
Isolde struck a selfie V-sign pose.
"Ah~ ah~. Everyone, can you hear me~?"
Her voice pitch was totally different...
Not changing her expression at all for that baby talk!
"Your idol, Sol here! Today's content~~."
"Hey, execution grounds, remember...?"
Stubborn as ever, Sol powered through her intro spiel.
"'D-Rank Girl Joins Exchange Match with Cool Oppa Friend'~ Total despair vibes~~."
"......"
Sarika glanced at me awkwardly.
"Sol doesn't mean any harm... probably..."
"...Yeah."
"I'm D-Rank... but... b-better than nothing, right?!"
...Her sweet consolation stabbed even deeper.
Anyway, the wagons parked one by one at the execution grounds, where an executioner loomed with a brutal axe-spear.
"Disembark in order!"
"Disembark in oooorder~!"
...Waiting for us at the execution grounds were the twin sisters we'd seen before entering the dungeon.