The Graduation Ceremony Was Cruel (4)
Hello, hello! To all you survivors out there grinding away at your dungeons today! Your one and only friend, the Administrator, speaking! Waaah, clap clap clap!
Aaaaaaargh! I didn't even cover my ears. Son of a biiiiitch!
Not that covering them would have done a damn thing...!
"Kyaaak!"
"W-what the hell was that all of a... huh?"
"Th-this voice is really... wait?"
"No way...!?"
The others had clearly heard it too — each of them reacted with their own brand of pain-laced shock. And in the same instant, everyone froze as if they'd just witnessed something impossible.
I was no different from the rest of my party. What the hell is this!
"Th-this is... what on earth?"
Why did the whole world suddenly lose its color, like someone dumped a bucket of gray paint over everything? It's like those movie or game scenes where time freezes!
And... why the hell did this bastard Administrator just pop out of nowhere! Nearly gave me a damn heart attack!
Alright, alright, dungeon-clearing survivors? Things looking a little weird around you? Don't worry! Using this Administrator's special privileges, I've stopped time! I stopped time! From this moment on, I won't end the time freeze until I've delivered some very important news... oopsie, this isn't the time for Earth-based parodies, is it? Hahahaha! For reference, this announcement can only be heard by survivors currently clearing dungeons! I completely understand how moved you must feel to receive such a special privilege. Of course I do!
Understand, my ass! Sitting there spouting bullshit, you psychopathic mass-murdering piece of shit!
But... stopping time...? For real?
I was already living in an unreal world, but watching something even more unreal actually take shape left me utterly dumbfounded — like someone had scooped my chest hollow. And this wasn't a simple time stop, either. The people who could hear this voice could still move... a kind of partial time freeze?
The moment I grasped that this Administrator bastard had actually pulled off a power that complex and overwhelming... a chill of fear toward the unknown ran straight down my spine.
That Administrator bastard... dragging him down might be close to impossible. The premonition was terrifying.
Anyway, why did I suddenly freeze time while you were all busy and stressed out clearing dungeons? Well... to celebrate someone's achievement, of course! As far as I know, pretty much every survivor currently clearing a dungeon has somehow managed to take down the first boss. Right? Right!
Asking and answering your own damn questions!
But... hang on. This bastard always does this, but he's dropping a lot of subtle hints. Meaning a considerable number of survivors have somehow gotten past the first boss — and more importantly, right this second, rivals... no, survivors clearing dungeons all over the world are out there in droves!
How. Ev. Er! Up until this very moment, not a single person — not one — has cleared the second boss! Ah, what about dungeons with only one boss, you ask? Those don't exist. What kind of question is that! Hahaha! Anyway, until now, nobody had ever cleared the second boss... but just now, someone has. Everyone!
Now that's genuinely good news. In this whole wide world, the ones who broke through the second boss... that means we're the first? We pulled some seriously dirty tricks getting here, but... anyway, we're first. That's what he's saying, right?
The party that cleared the second boss is none other than! You're probably familiar with this name. The very same person who defeated a Field Boss for the first time in the world. Yes — Jeong Hoon and his four party members. Everyone, please give them a round of applause. Waaah, clap clap clap!
There he goes again with that meaningless clapping. And he just leaked someone's personal info again!
You son of a bitch! Just hand over the damn rewards! That's the whole reason you're pulling this crap!
Now then, if the Administrator has gone this far out of his way, Jeong Hoon must be expecting quite the spectacular reward, right? I believe so! And so, I've prepared a considerable reward. However... I intend to give you a reward that's a bit more 'dungeon-like' than what you're imagining!
What? Dungeon... like?
The moment I tilted my head at that strange phrasing, a change came over the frozen world.
In the performance hall — more precisely, behind the wrecked choir section — two doors suddenly appeared. Truly, out of nowhere.
"O-oh my god!"
"In a world that's turned completely gray..."
"Doors that still have color... just appeared out of nowhere!"
"What on earth is this...!?"
My women each reacted differently, and my own mouth fell open on its own.
Two doors had materialized with absolutely zero warning. Right behind the building where we'd defeated the first boss monster, they simply opened as if they'd always been waiting to reveal themselves.
To Jeong Hoon, who achieved a first-clear accomplishment in the dungeon, I present you with a choice! Allow me to explain simply!
⊳ Left Door: Complete the dungeon here and now. You will receive gold and experience equal to the number of boss monsters defeated so far, plus new items! However, you will never be able to enter this dungeon again. Keep that in mind!
⊳ Right Door: A path to an extremely powerful final boss opens, along with a chance to encounter a Hidden Boss. Of course, if you defeat them all, you will receive gold and experience totaling your entire dungeon progress, plus new items! Nat.ur.al.ly, the rewards will be far greater and more extraordinary than the left door — that much I promise!
Oh, ohhh! Choosing left means it ends here? We don't have to keep suffering through this hell? The part about never coming back once you leave is pretty damn concerning, though.
Then what's the right one?
So basically, left is the easy path and right is the hard, complicated one. That it?
I'll give you exactly one minute — one minute! Stand in front of the door you want and I'll open it. Then just proceed as normal! Well, going through the left one is basically the same as leaving. Ha. Ha. Ha. See you in one minute! Poof!
Aargh! Even the 'poof' pisses me off!
Anyway, which path to choose was decided in an instant. My gamer instincts and... Lawful Good were both screaming at me to pick the right door, after all.
But I couldn't decide this alone, could I? Everyone was probably exhausted, so they'd pick left. Then I'd have no choice but to follow.
"O-oh, I think going right would be better!"
"I'm with you... even if it makes me nervous."
"Hmm... I think choosing the right is the wiser move."
"As someone who already got gear out of this, bailing here would kind of sting my conscience. And since everyone else agrees... I'll go right too?"
...Huh? What? Looking at this, they're all right-wingers... no, seriously? They're going right? Deliberately picking the hard, difficult path?
"Are you certain?"
I asked just to be sure, and Kim Seyeon answered with a gentle smile.
"Jeong Hoon. We didn't come to this dungeon just to sightsee. We're here to clear it, grow stronger, get good equipment, and then defeat the powerful monster ruling Gangbuk. If we quit here, our growth will only be half-finished... and we might never obtain the gear we need to take down that mighty Vampire Lord. More than anything, the Administrator said it himself. If we walk through the left door, we can never return to this dungeon."
"...Kim Seyeon. Even if a formidable enemy appears ahead, do you believe we can overcome it?"
"Of course. You're right here beside us, Jeong Hoon."
As she spoke, she rested her hand on my chest — which was probably a little sweaty from fighting monsters — and looked straight into my eyes.
At that, I felt a sudden urge toward Kim Seyeon, as if a succubus had enchanted me. Something swelled up fast and overwhelming inside me.
Ah. I'm just moved by that unwavering trust. I am NOT horny. I know how to separate public and private! There's no way I'd get hard here!
"...I shall give it my all."
"I truly place my complete faith in you alone, Jeong Hoon. Please."
Kim Seyeon said it with an even deeper smile... and all I could think was that a smile truly suited a beautiful woman.
"Th-that's right. Oppa! As long as you're here... no matter what shows up, we can take it down! W-we'll do our best too!"
"I agree with Sora unnie. Hoonie oppa, let's do this!"
"You heard them, Orabeoni? All these women chose this path because they believe in you and follow you... so you'll choose it too, won't you?"
Ha. Seriously.
It's only been one month and five days since the apocalypse hit.
And just like that, I've become a man looked up to by four women... no, by dozens of women beyond them. The feeling is so fresh it almost brings tears to my eyes.
"...My thanks."
At times like this, Lawful Good's poker-face maintenance is genuinely something to be grateful for. Truly.
Standing before the right door, the gray light around us gradually melted away, and the world reclaimed its original colors.
Creeeak...!
The door opened. We stepped toward the unknown world beyond the threshold...
Or rather, we were about to — but there was something we had to do first.
"It would be wise to check the boss monster's drop items before we proceed."
"Ah, right. There was that."
"Wow, what is it, what is it!"
We approached the boss monster, whose head had been thoroughly pulverized but whose torso was still mostly intact.
Sure enough, something glittering rested atop the body. A red necktie shaped like a ribbon was gleaming. What's this? An accessory you wear around the neck?
I picked it up without hesitation, and an item info window slid into view.
◈ Description: A necktie favored by Samuel Kim, an outstanding vocal professor and baritone who traveled between Europe and Korea. When equipped, your voice becomes exceptionally pleasant!
...What the actual fuck. What is this garbage! What? Your voice gets better? What the hell does that even mean! Unlike the stuff we got after beating that TA bastard earlier, there's no stat boost or anything... nothing?
Just in case, I tried equipping it. Then I opened the system.
...No change at all! No notification, nothing! Giving us this completely worthless piece of trash. Ugh, I want to spit on it, goddamn it!
"W-why are you making that face, oppa?"
Han Sora carefully asked, having caught my twisted expression. This... she'd better see it for herself.
"...See it with your own eyes."
"Ah, th-thank y— wait, what is this!"
I handed her the drop item necktie without any hesitation. Han Sora took it on reflex, her face full of anticipation — only for it to crumple as she let out a cry of pure horror.
Everyone else's reactions were exactly the same.
"Th-this fucking... I almost swore out loud! For real!"
"Whether choosing the right door was a misfortune or a blessing..."
"In a way, there might not have been another option, Orabeoni? If we'd gone left, who knows what kind of dirty trick they might have pulled on us? Like making the experience and gold rewards ridiculously, ridiculously stingy."
Yun Mina's grumbling felt so plausible that a chill ran down my spine for a second.
More importantly... who do we even give this to?
"I shall store it in the bag for now."
"Yes, let's do that... wait a moment. Samuel... Kim?"
Just as Kim Seyeon took the item from me to put it in the bag — she was our designated pack mule — she tilted her head after reading the description.
Hmm? Samuel Kim... that was the boss's name, wasn't it?
"Is the name familiar to you?"
"It feels a little... familiar... no. It must be a coincidence. It's really nothing."
Kim Seyeon tilted her head for a moment, muttered that it couldn't be, and asked us to just move on. Hmm, what was that about?
Anyway, having acquired the godawful boss drop item, our party walked through the right door as agreed. After less than a minute of walking down a somewhat dark corridor, we were already outside.
And then...
"That place definitely looks like a building where a final boss would reside."
It was a location whose design radiated far more old-world grandeur than any of the other buildings. Or rather — the front of the building would have properly displayed that grandeur.
The reason I say "would have" is because we were looking at the rear of the building. Following the corridor outside, we'd arrived behind the most aged-looking yet symbolically significant structure we'd seen so far.
If this was a university-themed dungeon, it wouldn't be wrong to call this place the university headquarters.
And true to being the rear rather than the front, it was desolate with almost no one around. No — it looked closer to the back of a modern building. An alley-like space, complete with ventilation fans and pipes...
Huh? There's someone over there? A skeleton, obviously, but... wait. What's that?
"Aargh, goddamn it... why the hell did I say I'd go to the military so easily... falling for that bullshit bait and ending up doing this crap, fuck...!"
Cigarette smoke was rising into the sky. I knew because that skeleton was puffing away on a cigarette. Being the rear of the building, it probably wasn't a problem.
"A s-skeleton smoking?"
"I know I have to accept it as reality since it's happening right in front of us, but... it's pretty fantastical. My common sense has been getting shattered way too often lately."
"But Jeong Hoon... that outfit looks a little unusual, doesn't it?"
"Oh? Orabeoni, if my memory isn't wrong... that's...?"
Yeah, I know. I know why you're asking me after looking at that skeleton's clothes.
You want to say it looks like a military uniform, right? I know. Except it's closer to a dress uniform than combat fatigues.
Specifically, the kind worn by those fools who applied for university ROTC, got accepted, and chose a path almost as wrong as going to graduate school.
Good lord, how does someone end up making a choice that bad...?
Why am I standing here feeling pity like I'm watching some random university ROTC cadet walk by? I myself completely wrecked my own college life... is that why I couldn't get a job?
Aigoo, thinking about my miserable pre-apocalypse life just made my mood sink. Can't have that.
"I shall count to three. Prepare yourselves."
I carefully lowered my body and whispered to my companions. Han Sora and Yun Mina already had their bow ready and magic primed to fire.
Alright then... let's see what this thing is.
Huh? Is this guy the Hidden Boss? For a Hidden Boss, he's just hanging out in the field? And he's alone, grumbling and smoking?
Ah, maybe he's tucked away here because he's 'Hidden'? But... why isn't any notification popping up? No pattern-related hints?
"Three, two, one...!"
Anyway, I counted down as planned, and from several dozen meters away, an arrow and a burst of flame shot toward the Hidden Boss.
"Huh? Aaaaaaargh! What the hell is this!"
Completely unguarded, the Hidden Boss took the full force of those ranged attacks.
...What? This time there's no aggro-bait notification about entering a boss fight or anything!?
Level:45
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The damage went through? Why did it go through!? This guy is level 45!
"Y-you bastards, what the hell! You look like freshmen! I oughta draft your asses right now, huh!?"
He got hit out of nowhere but snapped back to his senses instantly. A boss is a boss, after all. So, should I swing my iron sword right now too?
Warning, warning! 'ROTC Officer Candidate Jeon Seungwon' is activating the skill 'Forced Enlistment'!
Damn it! I hesitated and now... wait, what?
Wh-wh-wh-wh-what the hell!? Enlistment? Enlist!?
A skill that forces re-enlistment!? What kind of heaven-defying, earth-outraging monster bastard is this!?
The target of 'Forced Enlistment' is... Park Seeun!
But the target wasn't me.
"H-huh? M-me?"
Park Seeun, who had been holding the rear, looked bewildered as she saw the notification.
And in an instant, the change began.