Chapter 108
Chapter 108
Chapter 108
EP26 - Betting Table, "Competitive Dungeon" (2)
However, these patches were merely game elements. Just small motivational factors.
To put it metaphorically, I am the team owner and they are professional gamers. It’s like saying if they train hard today, I’ll buy them jjajangmyeon, or even tangsuyuk. How important could that be?
For us, aiming to be the continent’s greatest assassination squad, it’s a trivial mechanism.
So, I decided it was time to get to the main point.
“You’ll likely receive a call from the department today or tomorrow. Then, we will be deployed for our first real mission.”
“What kind of real mission is it?”
“We are entering the 「Dungeon of Escalating Competition」.”
The students’ expressions stiffened as they understood the meaning.
Here, 「Escalating Competition↑」 is a metaphor for competition, endless rivalry, and desperate progress towards survival. A star symbolizing the very structure that requires crushing opponents to ascend.
「Dungeon of Escalating Competition」
And this is a [Stigma Dungeon] that measures records.
What’s peculiar is that the dungeon one can climb is determined by age.
For example, I, being in my thirties, can only access the server for the thirties.
Head Priestess Angela, in her eighties, will enter the server for the eighties, and the Shaman Dean, who is just over a hundred years old, will enter the server for the hundreds.
This structure was created because a warrior’s strength is greatly influenced by age.
The results of the climb are converted into time and scores, which can be made public or kept hidden.
And currently, all members of Dante’s Assassination Squad are nineteen years old. Since eighteen is the age of adulthood, they are all just past their eighteenth birthdays last year, but none have had their birthday yet. However, Kendrake’s birthday is next month.
“A maximum of four people can enter as a party, but if even one of them is not a teenager, none of them can enter.”
This means that if even one of these guys has their birthday pass, they cannot enter the teenage server together.
Of course, they could enter by abandoning Kendrake, but since four is the basic unit, it’s a structure that incurs significant losses.
“So, I intend to use this opportunity to set our score in that dungeon and measure your levels.”
The guys nodded.
Furthermore, since the 「Dungeon of Escalating Competition」 is a major indicator of a person’s capabilities, it was also a golden opportunity to announce the potential of Dante’s Assassination Squad to the continent on the 「Betting Table」.
If the empire were a casino, I would want an invitation to the VIP room from the start.
“We’ll start with simple training.”
“Yes!”
After that, we began basic assassin training. Running. Climbing walls. Throwing Skill. Stealth. Evasion. For about two hours. The training concluded only after everyone was drenched in sweat.
Afterward, we headed to the Hidden Dragon Hall to wash up and await the department’s call.
“Ugh.”
“No, you idiot. Try again. An!”
“Ugh… Eun…”
“Nyeong!”
“Neu… Neu-eong….”
“Annyeong!”
“Ugh.”
“No, you fucking bastard! Why is it almost working but not quite?!”
While Balmung was conducting socialization training for Kendrake, Elise and Gray were discussing the dungeon.
Just as we thought it was time for the call to come, the main gate opened, and the Princess entered.
“Professor. Please see me for a moment.”
Sensing an unusual atmosphere, the assassination squad glanced at me. I gathered my [Crystal Ball], which I had put away, and followed Rebecca.
As I did, I probed the thoughts of Reim, the Guardian’s Shadow Unit.
【 Reim: ‘Please, Princess, reduce your anxiety.’ 】
【 Reim: ‘Something feels dangerous.’ 】
The Princess seemed to be feeling anxious. After probing her thoughts a bit further, I grasped the general situation.
And indeed, the Princess’s excitement level was quite high. Her fingers trembled, a mix of anger and anxiety.
“Professor.”
As soon as we arrived in the room, Rebecca turned to me abruptly.
“Let’s write a contract. Us.”
“A contract?”
“Yes. As a [Stigma Contract].”
Rebecca presented something. The content was to formalize the previously discussed agreement by imbuing it with a [Magical Covenant].
“You will give me one hundred million Hica. I will pledge to do my best to prevent the abrogation of our accord.”
This was something I had subtly brushed aside before. I had a feeling it would come to this someday. But the terms of the covenant were quite severe.
“Yes. Whichever side breaks it, dies.”
It was extreme.
“Do you refuse? If so, we can pretend this never happened.”
“No, I accept.”
“……”
It was a choice to completely remove Rebecca from the Hidden Dragon Hall, or from my vicinity.
My ‘influence as Dante, the supervising professor,’ was still quite weak. If Rebecca applied pressure, I could be easily pushed out. Therefore, I needed to deepen our connection a bit more.
It was fine. The subject of the contract was 「Eternity∞」, and I knew how to safely dissolve contracts related to this star.
As this star symbolizes eternity and infinity, it had a blind spot that was difficult for humans to intuitively perceive.
< The contract of 「Eternity∞」 has been concluded. >
As soon as I pressed my blood onto it, Rebecca’s breathing began to calm down gradually.
I pondered for a moment.
Was this an opportunity?
A chance to wag my tail?
For now, I decided to listen quietly.
“Did something bad happen?”
“……”
“You don’t look well. Your breathing is also rough.”
Rebecca averted her gaze slightly. With her usual expressionless face.
“I’d rather not say.”
The Princess put up a wall. Just as I keep putting up a wall with Adele.
…Actually, I’m not that curious either.
Rebecca demanding a contract from me meant she still didn’t trust me. That would hinder my betrayal plan.
To betray her when and where I want, I need to know her a little better.
The one who is at a disadvantage must entice. So, as I was contemplating how to wag my tail today.
Jiiiing, the [Crystal Ball] on my wrist vibrated.
It was from an unknown number, so I answered.
-
Professor Dante. The Empire’s Stigma Dungeon Administration has accepted it!
It was Boogie Boogie, Shaman’s assistant.
I didn’t know it was his personal number.
“Understood.”
It was then. Rebecca, having overheard the phone call, sharply turned her head and looked at me.
“Dungeon?”
-
Yes? Ah, who are you with there right now…
“Ah, it’s nothing much-”
“Wait a moment. Stigma Dungeon?”
-
Professor?
“Boogie Boogie, I’ll call you later.”
I hung up the phone. Rebecca asked.
“What did I just hear? The Empire’s Stigma Dungeon Administration?”
She sounded slightly excited.
It wasn’t that I was trying to hide it from Rebecca, but…
I wished she hadn’t known.
“Yes.”
“Could it be the 「Dungeon of Escalating Competition」?”
“Precisely.”
“……”
At that, Rebecca’s expression turned grim. It was rare for her. Even her brow furrowed.
She was already displeased with the gradual opening of the Empire.
If the 「Dungeon of Escalating Competition」 yielded good results, talk about Dante’s Assassination Squad would spread widely.
The Empire and the world would become more curious. About Hiaka’s assassins.
In other words, it was another step that would hinder Rebecca’s goals.
“Don’t send them.”
Rebecca said resolutely.
“Don’t send them?”
“Yes. Don’t send them.”
“……”
“Why aren’t you answering? I said don’t send them! You can’t send them! Professor, you know what kind of people they are!”
Her language became urgent, and Rebecca bit her lower lip, controlling her breathing.
“…My children are geniuses rarely seen in history. They will undoubtedly rank within the top two digits.”
For reference, the history of the Dungeon of Escalating Competition spans over 400 years.
And the number of registered warriors exceeds millions.
Rebecca was confident they would achieve a two-digit rank among them.
And my thoughts were the same.
“……”
“……”
As the enraged Rebecca gasped for breath, I withheld my answer for the moment.
Suddenly, I became curious.
That is, regardless of whether this happened or not, why Rebecca was so angry. That was what puzzled me.
“Rebecca, what is the basis for the claim that Hiaka will gradually become a vassal state of the Empire once it opens?”
“Professor, don’t you know? How Hattengrad, that mongrel, became an empire?”
“I know that, but I don’t quite understand why you are so emotional.”
“It’s happening right now! As soon as an talent like Head Professor Kain appeared, the Imperial family formed a team to make Kain an Imperial citizen! Don’t you understand this?”
“Even so, it’s not enough to justify vassalization.”
So, I suspected.
That there was something more.
“Is it perhaps because of the ‘hunch’ you mentioned?”
It couldn’t be. Even if it were, Rebecca didn’t seem like the type to rely on such a feeling.
“What answer do you want from me? What does it matter if it’s a hunch or not?”
“Rebecca.”
“First of all, you are the one who decided to push the children into the 「Dungeon of Escalating Competition」 without prior consultation. If their names are all exposed, do you think the Empire will just stand by? If Agion decides to kidnap Elise tomorrow, do you think we have a way to stop them?”
I do. Because I can stop Agion⁺₊⋆.
In any case, Rebecca was evading the answer.
As a seasoned player, only one possibility came to mind.
“Calm your excitement.”
“……”
“Also, I have one more question.”
I hesitated for a moment. The ‘name of this star’ should generally not be uttered. But now was clearly the time to ask.
“Have you, by any chance, dabbled in the 「Gambling of Fortune and Misfortune □」?”
Immediately after speaking, I checked the [Script].
【 Dante: “Have you, by any chance, dabbled in the 「Gambling of Fortune and Misfortune ⚃」 due to a curse?” 】
Ah. Fortunately, the dice number was 4. Moderately good fortune. If the number had been 1, it would have been Great Misfortune, and I could have been in grave danger today.
「Gambling of Fortune and Misfortune □」 is a star symbolizing luck, misfortune, and gambling. Only the player sees their fortune upon uttering its name. The reason for this gimmick is that it is on bad terms with the player’s guardian star, 「Systematicity⧉」.
Like water and fire, or light⁺₊⋆ and darkness⚉.
「Systematicity⧉」, which tries to systemize everything in the world deterministically, and 「Gambling of Fortune and Misfortune □」, which views everything in the world as a gamble of uncertainty, had a conflict in their symbolism.
Anyway, returning to reality.
“……”
The malevolence disappeared from Rebecca’s expression.
She remained silent, however.
Was this a silent affirmation? Or…
“Yes.”
At that moment, she admitted it.
“I did. Gambling.”
Then, she crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
As if daring me to do something about it if I had done it.
I have no interest in a power struggle with a child.
However, my mind turned cold.
“The premise of the gamble is ‘whether the department will open,’ I presume.”
“That’s right. The period is 3 years.”
“……”
Three years.
Coincidentally.
Three years later is the graduation ceremony of the Hidden Dragon Academy, and the start of the Demon King War.
In other words, this was a [Hell Difficulty] mechanism intentionally sculpted to ruin the 「Betting Table」.
‘So that’s how it was.’
I now understood the situation completely.
I had previously calculated the souls Rebecca had accumulated through Ran.
An estimated value of about 5,000.
Enough to use a 90th-tier curse once.
Rebecca had bet all of it on the 「Gambling of Fortune and Misfortune □」.
Three years is a considerably long time, and the department’s opening is a very certain event, so the odds are estimated to be between 5x and 10x.
At the lowest, if successful, it would become 25,000 souls with a 5x multiplier.
If she fails, she loses it all.
“……I see.”
I closed my eyes.
Now I understood why Rebecca was raging as if having a seizure.
Because she was about to lose the souls she had accumulated over many years.
“Do you want to know more?”
“…More?”
“You are digging into my flaws right now. Do you want to know more? How much more of a piece of trash I am.”
Her breathing had regained its composure, but her emotions did not seem to have followed suit.
“……”
However, there’s a limit to what one can tolerate. It was becoming impossible to communicate.
“Princess Rebecca.”
I had been gaining Rebecca’s favor until now.
But that did not mean she could expect me to indulge her childish tantrums.
“Can I ask you for one favor?”
“Speak.”
I looked directly into Rebecca’s eyes and said.
“Stop being so insolent.”