The Graduation Ceremony Was Cruel (5)

And in an instant, the change came.

Poof!

"Eek! Wh-what the—!?"

Even with a monster standing right in front of us, our eyes stayed glued to Park Seeun, blown wide open. Her outfit had changed.

A dark green beret, and a women's dress uniform unlike anything the monster before us was wearing — honestly, Park Seeun looked like a painting. A tall, slender girl in that uniform could have been the model on a military recruitment poster.

Hell, if you slapped a photo of her on a university campus, half the kids who still had baby fat on their cheeks would be drooling their way straight into enlistment.

"Wh-what is this!?"

It wasn't some magical girl transformation sequence, but her clothes had changed out of nowhere, and while Park Seeun stood there flustered — the boss monster jabbed a finger at her and opened its mouth.

"Fall in! Fall into formation, recruit!"

Huh? F-formation...!?

"R-recruit? I don't even have a reason to enli— Aaaagh!"

Park Seeun tried to argue through her panic, then suddenly locked up completely. No, literally. She froze solid and couldn't move a muscle. Shock and a giant question mark were written all over her face.

Oh, for fuck's sake! It actually meant that kind of "formation"? What a disgustingly vile skill!

"Damn it, recruit! Fall into formation!"

But that bastard was just barking about formation and not actually attacking?

Perfect. Now's my chance! Iron Sword Punch! Iron Sword Punch!

Whoosh!

Nice, that landed clean! Shame the damage is a little low. Guess level really is level, huh?

"Gaaargh! Y-you bastard...!"

"Silence."

I wasn't about to give him an opening to spout nonsense and trigger another skill.

I swung the iron sword again with a heavy whoosh. But the boss scrambled backward and barely slipped past my attack. Damn it!

"You little shit... You think I've only eaten military chow for a day or two!? Keep this up and I'll exercise my right to self-defense, you bastard!"

"You talk too much."

"Oh yeah!?"

I reset my stance and launched forward, ready to cut him down.

But then... huh? What the hell did that bastard just pull from his coat!? Don't tell me—

"Eat this!"

Was this boss seriously drawing a handgun right now!?

BANG!

"Kh!"

I twisted my body sideways at the last second, aborting my forward charge. Agility 18 did its job. I managed to roll clear before the muzzle even spat fire.

But a handgun? Are you kidding me!? This is a fantasy world! A fantaasyyyy! You sons of bitches!

If you're going to be an undead monster from a fantasy setting, shoot arrows and cast magic! What kind of ROTC officer walks around campus packing a—

He's shooting again. Aaagh!

Bang, BANG!

"Guh...!"

"Hey, you little shit! How are you dodging so well!?"

Fuck, barely dodging is all I can manage.

The second he lined up a shot, I just threw my body sideways on pure instinct. Real fantasy of me, huh. Who the hell dodges bullets!?

"You bas— Aaaargh!"

Thwip-thwip-thwip! Whooosh!

Just as he tried to aim at me again, arrows and flames slammed into him at once. Ah — Sora and Mina's combo from when we took down the troll! So that's why both of them had gone quiet for a second!

And... I felt it too. This was the opening.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

I sprinted straight in—

I unleashed the Warrior skill without a second thought.

Slash, slash!

"Guh-haaack! I-I still haven't... like a water ghost... enlisted those clueless little... bastards yet...!"

This skull-faced bastard trying to ruin someone's life...! Everyone's life is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠already completely fucked, thank you very much!

"Orabeoni, move!"

"O-Oppa! Sideways!"

Ah. So you two are taking the finish?

CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE!

Fwoooosh!

Lightning dropped from the sky. At the same time, six arrows streaked through the air in an instant.

Naturally, they scored direct hits on the ROTC officer still reeling from my heavy blow.

"Gyaaaaaaaagh! I-I just wanted to be discharged alreadyyyyyy!!"

With that thoroughly undignified death cry—

—the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ROTC officer crumbled to ash without ever realizing his dream of discharge.

Whew. The guy sure knew how to catch people off guard, but he wasn't exactly a tough opponent. Felt more like fighting a regular monster, honestly — Sora and Mina's combo finished him off.

That handgun, though. Completely blindsided me. Thank god I'd dumped points into Agility 18. I just kept throwing myself sideways the second that muzzle swung my way. If I'd taken a hit... the damage would've gone way beyond just losing HP.

"Th-this was a Hidden Boss? Whoever designed this dungeon really half-assed the— made a complete mess of it."

Han Sora muttered heatedly, unable to contain her frustration. Even so, she kept glancing at me and carefully choosing her words, which was honestly adorable. Even through a hardcore gamer's eyes, this slapdash boss fight hadn't sat well with her.

Slapdash was right. Normally Sora and Mina's attacks could harass a boss but almost never land real damage — yet this guy just ate nearly everything they threw at him. And the damage actually stuck.

"...Still. If I had to fight him again, I could do it as many times as needed, Sora."

"H-huh...? What?"

Sora tilted her head at my answer, looking puzzled.

Instead of explaining further, I pulled something from the dead ROTC officer's remains and held it up.

Boots. Military boots, specifically. A rather handsome pair of black leather officer's boots.

Honestly, I was practically drooling. I wanted these for myself.

"W-woooow...! Th-this is totally... the ultimate Rogue item! Ah, wait — Brave Saga Online doesn't even have a Rogue class..."

Hardcore gamer Han Sora instantly clocked the item's true value.

"If your movement speed goes up... whoa, that's insane. But... tears of blood? Why would anyone cry blood over getting boots this good?"

Park Seeun's pure admiration and innocent question made me feel like I was the one crying blood on the inside.

Anyway. The owner of this item was already decided.

"Here, Seeun. These would suit you."

"H-huh? M-me?"

Park Seeun tilted her head and pointed at herself.

Who else? Han Sora was an Archer, so she already had Agility bonuses, and as a ranged DPS alongside Yun Mina she barely needed to move from the back line. Kim Seyeon was a healer — same deal.

That left only Park Seeun, our melee DPS who actually had to move around a lot.

But Seeun seemed to think it over for a moment, then shook her head.

"No, Hoon Oppa. You should use these. At least for now."

"Hm? Why's that?"

"Umm, well... all I can say is I've got a feeling... Help me out here, Seyeon Unnie!"

Why was this girl suddenly refusing and making a fuss? When an adult(?) hands you something, you just say thank you and take it, come on...

Why am I having such old-man-boomer thoughts? Ah, this must be the Lawful Good influence talking! (It's not.)

"Hehehe. Jeong Hoon-ssi. Seeun turned it down because she figured that strategically, this item — these boots — would help the party far more if you wore them. You're the one who moves the most on the front line, after all. And if we add even more speed to your feet, wouldn't that be even better?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

"More importantly, we're standing right in front of the final boss now, aren't we? It'll be inside this building that looks like a university headquarters. And we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have absolutely no idea what kind of attacks that final boss monster will throw at us. If you take a hit from it head-on... what happens to the rest of us? To cut down even a little of that risk, of course it's better for you to hold onto a good item like this. Seeun thought the same thing. Right, Seeun?"

"Ah, yes. Yes! That's right! Probably...?"

...When they come at me with that much persuasion, I don't really have a comeback.

But I had my own stubborn streak too.

"I'll wear them for now. Only until this dungeon is over, though."

"Understood, Jeong Hoon-ssi."

"Yes, Hoon Oppa!"

Kim Seyeon let out a small laugh, as if she'd expected nothing less. Park Seeun simply nodded with pure sincerity.

Alright. Everything's sorted... in a rather slapdash way, but still...

Time to go.

Into that building where the final boss supposedly was — or so we guessed.

...Through the back door, looking thoroughly undignified.

Creeeak...

I genuinely felt like we'd turned into a pack of petty thieves.

We slipped through the back door like rats into a building whose interior layout was convincingly university-headquarters-like.

Tip-toe, tip-toe...

We kept our footsteps as quiet as possible and scanned our surroundings. True to its old-building aesthetic, the interior was pretty cramped — three people standing side by side would nearly fill the hallway.

And yet... there were a ton of doors and rooms — actual numbered offices — which felt weirdly realistic, but... where the hell were we supposed to go?

And why had the notifications that blared every time a boss showed up suddenly gone dead silent? I had no idea what criteria they used for handing out hints.

When we find the boss? How were we supposed to find anything in this huge building packed with rooms? Who was the boss even supposed to be?

"M-maybe..."

Among our party, still standing around clueless about which way to go, Han Sora carefully spoke up again. Was this the moment the hardcore gamer mindset would shine?

"Th-this dungeon is themed around a university, right? A-and every boss monster we've fought so far has been... connected to a university somehow."

That was true. The TA, the Vocal Music Professor, and now the ROTC Officer. All ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of them fit a university setting.

Wait. Then... don't tell me...

"Meaning the one who could be called the head of this university — the Dean — is likely the final boss. Is that it, Sora?"

Kim Seyeon seemed to have reached the same conclusion. At her question, Han Sora carefully nodded.

"Y-yes... Other than that person... no, that monster, I don't think there's any other final boss."

"Th-then... where is this final boss... I mean, the Dean? I figure he'd be in the university headquarters, but where exactly...?"

"Over here?"

In answer to Park Seeun's question, Yun Mina called the party over and pointed.

A massive board hung on the wall. No — it was a building directory.

On the top floor, the fifth, there were only two rooms. One was labeled Grand Auditorium... and the other bore the name Dean's Office.

"Destination confirmed. Let's go."

Without hesitation, our party climbed the stairs.

Remarkably, even the way up was silent. No monsters came charging at us.

...Why is it this quiet? The paths to the first and second bosses were crawling with them... Just what kind of nightmarish pattern is the final boss planning to pull that they'd clear the road like this?

"Hm?"

Suddenly, my body stopped mid-climb. A sound was grating against my ears.

"...!...!"

It was the sound of a speech. We were on the fourth floor. Just a few more steps and we'd reach the fifth — the top floor.

Which meant that sound was someone giving a speech up on the fifth floor.

And normally, a speech implies... an audience.

Just as that startling truth was about to fully register—

...Just handing out the perfect hint at the perfect time, huh. You administrator bastards!

We reached the fifth floor. On either side of a fairly wide corridor hung signs reading "Dean's Office" and "Grand Auditorium." The left side had several doors; the right side had only one.

"I'll take a look first."

As the one with Stealth, I stepped forward. Carefully, I cracked open the large center door just a fraction.

"—and so, in order to convert even more lives into undead, your academic achievement will play a significant role, which is why—"

Insane nonsense blasted through a speaker into my ears. And the moment I took in the auditorium's layout, my heart sank.

Far ahead, an undead monster stood on the podium speaking into a microphone. Its attire was rather old-fashioned — almost certainly the final boss, the university Dean. And surrounding that speech-giving Dean, countless undead monsters sat in the seats or leaned against the walls, listening intently.

In other words, we'd have to fight through every single seat in the Grand Auditorium before we could even reach the boss. Or those throngs of students were all part of the Dean's attack patterns. Either way, hell was about to unfold.

The silver lining... most of them didn't have "(Dungeon)" tagged next to their names. Which meant...

"I've surveyed the interior. Given the situation..."

I carefully laid out the plan that had formed in my mind, and Kim Seyeon nodded, indicating she found my reasoning sound.

"That works. More precisely — Jeong Hoon-ssi breaks through the center to reach the final boss while the rest of us first—"

"W-wait a second... do we really need to do it that... way?"

Once again, Han Sora's counterargument cut through us — the fire of a hardcore gamer's soul clearly rekindled.

"Sora, what do you mean?"

Huh. I feel like we've been in this situation before. Back then, Sora had also offered what seemed like complete nonsense... no, actually some pretty useful advice that opened a path for us.

"W-well... the only one who can actually defeat the final boss is... I-I mean... the only one who can even deal damage to it is... Jeong Hoon Oppa, right? A-and the only one who can properly handle melee combat or tanking is Oppa too. R-right?"

"Uh, yeah... that's true, Sora Unnie."

Park Seeun agreed in a rather awkward voice. There was a bitter edge to it — she'd probably realized her own contributions had been the weakest in this dungeon.

"Th-then...! Wouldn't it be better to set things up so Oppa can ignore all the trash mobs... I-I mean, the small fry... and focus entirely on the f-final boss? O-Oppa still has quite a few... quite a few spells left he can use. R-right, Oppa?"

"You're correct, Sora."

Since entering the dungeon, the spells I'd used were exactly: Slow, Magic Arrow twice, and Illusory Clone once. The spells I still hadn't used...

Sleep ×1

Shattered Mind ×1

Flame Arrow ×1

Mage Armor ×1

Lightning ×1

That was the list. I still had five useful spells remaining. It was a genuine stroke of luck that I hadn't wasted any of them on that ROTC officer whatever-his-name-was. The mind-affecting ones probably wouldn't work on a boss anyway.

"Th-then...! Oppa saves all those spells... uses his Rogue skills... and while we pull aggro up front, he quickly loops around behind the boss for a b-backstab! Then dumps every spell he's been saving and k-kills him... I-I mean, defeats him. Wouldn't that work?"

"Hmm, it's not a bad idea, but..."

"However, Sora-sunbae?"

Kim Seyeon looked like she was seriously mulling it over. Beside her, Yun Mina shot her hand straight up and boldly fired off a counterpoint.

"Last time Oppa tried the exact same thing on that singing boss — Samuel Kim, was it? — and it failed, remember? Some notification popped up saying he hadn't entered the boss fight yet, or whatever. Won't the same thing happen this time?"

"Th-that's why... w-we step up and pull the aggro! F-force the boss fight to start... and th-then only Jeong Hoon Oppa loops around back... swish! A-and if that still doesn't work... I'll shoot arrows and force the aggro myself if I have to!"

If I had to pick an MVP for this dungeon run...

I would choose Han Sora without a moment's hesitation.

Sure, she'd pulled one troll move earlier, but failing to credit her for crafting a solid strategy from a pure gamer's perspective would be nothing short of a sin.

"I agree."

"Well, if Jeong Hoon-ssi says so... then... it seems someone among us just got a much heavier responsibility. That would be me and..."

Kim Seyeon carefully turned her gaze toward Park Seeun. Seeun realized the weight of her role and looked considerably tense.

But she quickly steeled herself and nodded.

"I-I'm... the main tank for the home base, huh. I-it's fine. That's been my role from the start! Th-there are a lot of enemies, but... n-no! I-I'll do my best! I'll protect everyone with my life!"

Y-yeah. You don't have to copy Sora's speech patterns too, Seeun...