The Strategy

The training grounds in the afternoon were quiet. Most students, unsettled by the upcoming 'Dungeon Practical', had retreated to the library or study groups. I had claimed a corner of the empty training field and was swinging a wooden sword.

Whoosh! Swish!

"Haa, haa..."

It was pathetic. Possessing Roy's F-class body, my mind held perfect theory, but my flesh refused to obey. The tip of the sword kept trembling.

Seven days left.

In one week, the dungeon that had mutated to 'Unmeasurable' would open. Even with Adelia and Iris by my side, I needed enough skill to protect myself. At the very least, the stamina to run away.

Can I... survive with this?

Tap.

At that moment, someone lightly caught the tip of my wooden sword.

"Your form is a mess."

A familiar voice. I looked up to see Adelia standing there in training clothes. Instead of her usual uniform, the tight-fitting athletic wear revealed the curves of her body in stark detail. Her platinum hair sparkled brilliantly under the afternoon sun.

"Adelia? What brings you here?"

"I was passing by. Felt sorry watching an extra struggle alone."

Her tone was blunt, but her gaze lingered on my sweat-drenched face.

"Swinging like that, you'll get eaten by a slime before you even see a goblin. Hand it over."

"......You're going to teach me?"

"Yeah. It'd be annoying if you died in the dungeon."

Her face flushed slightly. She stepped behind me.

"First, fix your posture."

Her hands gripped my waist. Warm body heat seeped through the thin training clothes.

"Lower your hips more. Your center of gravity is too high."

She pressed closer against my back.

Soft.

A resilient, gentle sensation touched my back.

......!

Adelia's chest was pressing against me. I held my breath. My heart began pounding like mad.

"Now, swing in this position."

"......Uh, yeah."

My voice trembled.

Whoosh-!

"Good. Again."

She overlapped her hands with mine and swung the sword together, almost like a back hug.

"Match your breathing. One, two, three."

Our breaths aligned strangely well. The faint floral scent from her hair tickled my nose.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

"Heh, you're doing well."

Her voice whispered softly by my ear. Warm breath brushed past my earlobe. I couldn't tell if I was learning swordsmanship or dancing.

We trained like that for about an hour.

"Alright, that's enough for today."

Adelia pulled away. Her face was flushed, whether from the exercise or something else.

"Later. Clear your schedule for 8 PM."

".....Evening?"

"Yeah, meet me at the café. We need to talk about the dungeon."

"......Got it."

She turned sharply and left the training grounds. I stood there blankly, still gripping the wooden sword.

[Current Time: 18:00] [Location: Dormitory]

I returned to the dorm and headed for the bathroom. My whole body was drenched in sweat. I stepped under the shower.

Shhhhhh~!

The warm water eased the fatigue in my muscles.

Seven days... I need to prepare.

My mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of the dungeon. A dungeon mutated by unknown difficulty. An uncharted territory not even covered in the original novel. Could I survive?

I dried myself with a towel and stepped out of the bathroom.

Buzz— Buzz—

At that moment, an irritating sound came from the ventilation duct in the corner of the room. I opened my eyes to see five or six fingernail-sized insects flying around. They weren't ordinary mosquitoes. They were demonic beasts with red eyes and needle-sharp stingers.

......What the hell are those? Those bugs from back then?

Five or six of them charged at me fiercely.

Whirr!

I reflexively reached out my hand. There was no way I could catch them. It was just an instinctive defensive reaction.

Zap—!

A faint but distinct holy barrier spread from my fingertips.

Crack! Crack!

The insects slammed into the sacred barrier and were flung away. They fell to the floor, smoking as they burned.

......Sanctuary Deployment?

I stared blankly at my hand. This was Yuriel-senpai's power.

Yuriel... her faith is saving me.

A wry smile escaped me.

Can't bring myself to hate her.

That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠why I can't treat her coldly either.

The image of her face, licking my blood with manic delight a few days ago, surfaced in my mind. Those crazed eyes. But thanks to her, my life had been spared. Her twisted faith had, paradoxically, become the strongest shield protecting me.

I should thank her, our dear senpai.

I chuckled bitterly and filled a cup with water from the sink. It was murky.

When I touched it, a soft light emanated from the cup.

The water cleared, becoming as pure as holy water. I drank it down in gulps.

"Whew..."

I checked the clock. 19:30. The meeting time was approaching. I hurriedly changed clothes and headed out.

[Current Time: 20:00]

The Academy's only student café, 'Starlight's Rest', was quiet. A few students were studying in corners or chatting softly. Adelia was already waiting in the most secluded seat.

"You're here?"

"Yeah. Did you wait long?"

"No."

After sitting down, she went to the counter and brought back two cups of warm cocoa.

"Here. My treat."

"Thanks! I don't have money since I'm F-class."

She smirked.

"Whatever."

Adelia sat down but couldn't bring herself to get to the point right away. She fiddled with her cocoa cup, hesitating. Her eyes wavered uneasily.

"Hey, Extra."

"Yeah?"

"I... called you because I have something to say."

Her gaze turned serious.

"The dungeon talk is important too, but... there's something I need to say first."

She took a deep breath.

"I... actually..."

Her lips parted.

"Regre..."

But no sound came out. It was as if an invisible hand had clamped down on her vocal cords.

"Regre... k... ugh!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"......!"

She clutched her throat in agony, trying to speak. It seemed like she couldn't breathe. Her face turned bright red in an instant, veins bulging.

"Adelia! Are you okay?!"

"Puh...!"

She gasped for breath. Physiological tears welled in her eyes.

"Haa... Seriously... I can't say it... so annoying..."

She spoke with difficulty. Clenching her fists in frustration and helplessness, I handed her some water and said quietly,

"Don't push yourself."

"But... I really wanted to tell you. Who I am."

"I know."

I looked her straight in the eye.

"I already know what you're trying to say."

"......Huh?"

Adelia stared at me blankly.

"You... said you saw me in a dream, right?"

"Yeah."

I nodded slowly.

"The 999 timelines you experienced in your dreams... I felt them all too."

"......!"

Adelia's eyes shook as if struck by an earthquake. Her hands trembled.

"Ah... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ah..."

Transparent tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't sadness. It was salvation.

"Ah... I'm so glad."

She placed her hand over mine. Warm body heat.

"Really... I'm so glad. That you know. That I'm not the only one who remembers... that I'm not alone."

She gripped my hand tightly. Her nails dug in.

"You..."

Her tear-filled eyes shone as they looked at me.

"You're mine."

"......"

"Extra."

Her voice lowered.

"I'll risk my life to protect you. So... don't look at anyone else."

Her gaze changed. It wasn't simple affection.

......!

A chill ran down my spine. She was smiling. But that gaze was filled with a terrifying will that would never let me go. A chaos of madness, obsession, and love.

"Never..."

A soft whisper.

"I'll never let you go."

Silence fell. Instead of fear, I gripped her hand back just as tightly.

"......Me too."

"I'll protect you, Adelia."

"......"

Adelia looked at me with a surprised expression, then buried her flushed face.

"Idiot..."

A small voice. But the corners of her mouth curved up prettily.

We shared warmth in silence for a while. Once our emotions had settled somewhat, I spoke first.

"Alright, the emotional talk is over."

My expression hardened.

"We need to prepare to survive. Let's talk about the dungeon."

Adelia wiped her tears and nodded. Her gaze sharpened back into that of a hero.

"Yeah. In the original history..."

She started to speak but hesitated again. The system's restriction.

I sighed and spoke for her.

"Imperial Year 1247, April 10th."

Adelia's eyes widened.

"An accident caused by an unknown mana surge. Two B-class cadets and three C-class cadets died."

"......And now I'll be included too, I guess."

"......"

Adelia looked at me with surprised eyes. A grateful expression.

"But... it feels different this time."

"......?"

"The difficulty seems higher. In seven days... it'll definitely change. Much more dangerous."

Adelia stared at me in surprise.

"How did you know?"

"Just... my 'gut feeling'."

I couldn't say more. The world's corrective force and the system warning messages.

"......Okay."

Adelia nodded.

"If it's your feeling, I'll believe it. We need to prepare. Do you know the trap locations?"

"......Yeah. I saw them in a previous... cycle."

"But if the difficulty rises, the traps will change too. Still, the general structure?"

"First floor is goblin hordes. Second floor has lots of traps. Third floor is the boss room."

We put our heads together and devised a strategy. Quietly, secretly. A conspiratorial meeting between two people who shared a secret.

Outside the café window.

A blond young man passing by in the darkness stopped. It was the crown prince. Through the window, he could see Adelia and Roy holding hands. His eyes narrowed.

......That man.

He smiled coldly and walked away.

Inside the café, another seat.

A purple-haired female student hiding her face behind a book. Scarlet. She was observing the two from behind her book.

Sis getting close with someone like that...

First time seeing this?

She licked her lips.

Interesting.

The strategy meeting ended.

"Then..."

Adelia started to stand but stopped.

"Extra. Do you have time right now?"

"Why?"

"There's something I want to show you."

She spoke seriously.

"The basement of the old school building."

We headed to the dilapidated old school building on the outskirts of campus. Overgrown with weeds and exuding a desolate aura, it was an abandoned structure. Only moonlight filtered through the broken windows, illuminating the hallway.

"Here."

Adelia pointed to the stairs leading underground.

Creak—

The old wooden stairs screamed. At the end of the basement hallway stood a firmly closed, rusty iron door.

"In a previous... cycle... I found something here. I couldn't say anything because of the restrictions."

Adelia placed her hand on the door.

Hum—!

The magic circle engraved on the iron door glowed red.

Zap!

Red sparks flew, repelling her.

"......As expected."

She brushed off her hand with a bitter smile.

"My mana is too high, so I can't enter. This barrier only allows 'the weak' inside."

She looked at me.

"You try going in, Roy. Since you're F-class... it should be possible."

"Alone?"

"Yeah. I'll wait outside. I can't tell you what's inside... because of the restrictions."

"Got it. Be careful."

I swallowed hard and grabbed the doorknob.

Click.

The door opened without any resistance.

Inside, on a small altar, lay a dagger glowing with silver light. It emitted a mysterious radiance, free of even a speck of dust.

[??? 's Dagger]

As if entranced, I picked up the dagger.

Zzt—!

......This is it!

It fit perfectly in my hand. As if it had always been mine.

Whoosh—

I swung it lightly. The air sliced sharply.

At that moment.

Zzt—!

Hum—

Light emanating from my body spread throughout my entire system through my veins. The pain and pleasure of blocked mana circuits being cleared rushed in simultaneously.

My body grew hot. Power flowing through my veins. It felt like the shackles of F-class had loosened a little.

E-class...

I've gotten stronger.

I stepped outside.

"Did you find it?"

Adelia approached and asked.

"Yeah."

I showed her the dagger.

"......!"

Her eyes widened.

"This... I saw it in a previous cycle. So it really was here."

"With this... I might be able to survive the dungeon."

We looked at each other and smiled. It felt like seeing a light of hope in the darkness.

"Let's go. It's late."

We headed toward the dorms.

"Thanks for today."

We reached the front of the dorm but couldn't bring ourselves to part.

"......Yeah."

Adelia started to turn away but stopped.

"Extra."

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow... it's the weekend, right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go outside."

"Outside?"

"Outside the Academy."

She said,

"There's one more thing I need to get. Something I found before... it's dangerous to go alone, so we need to go together."

Would a hero have something dangerous? I wasn't sure if this was a date invitation, but there was no reason to refuse.

"Got it."

"Tomorrow morning at 8. At the main gate."

"......Okay."

Silence. She took a step closer.

"Oh, Extra."

Her hand rose and gripped my chin. A warm touch. But there was strength in it.

"In the dungeon..."

Her red eyes sank.

"Don't stick close to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠other women."

"......?"

"Whether it's Iris or anyone else."

Closer.

"Your side... is my place. Got it?"

"......Yeah."

Cold sweat broke out. Her eyes weren't smiling. Cold, sunken red pupils.

"If..."

She smiled, only lifting the corners of her mouth.

"If you die trying to save another woman or something."

The hand gripping my chin tightened as if to crush it.

"Regre... ugh, I can't say it... you know? What I'll do with my own hands?"

She stared eerily at my arms and legs.

"......"

A chill ran down my spine. It wasn't a joke. This was a warning.

"Pfft, just kidding~"

Suddenly, she let go and smiled brightly.

"See you tomorrow! Don't be late!"

Whoosh.

She waved and disappeared toward the girls' dormitory. I muttered blankly as I watched her retreating figure.

That just now... wasn't a joke, was it?

My body trembled.

Ugh... terrifying...

Back in my room, I locked the window and drew the curtains. I placed the dagger beside my bed. A faint silver light flowed from it.

Today... a lot has changed.

Lying in bed, I opened the system window.

Zzt—

E-class...

It went up more than I thought.

Below the system window, there was a small section labeled [Faith].

......Faith?

Yuriel's is the highest. As expected, the blood thing... was that really that effective?

Adelia reached 10% today.

Iris still hasn't.

What happens when the number goes up?

I closed the system window.

Tomorrow I'm going out with Adelia...

She said we'd find another artifact.

Let's prepare. Starting tomorrow, six days left.

Fatigue washed over me. I slowly closed my eyes.

How long had I been asleep?

Knock knock knock—

In my drowsy state, I heard someone knocking on the door.

"......?"

The clock showed it was past midnight.

"It's me, Adelia."

A familiar voice came from outside the door.

"Open the door, Roy. It's urgent."

......Adelia?

At this hour?

I got out of bed in a half-asleep state.

"Just a sec..."

Without any suspicion, I grabbed the doorknob. And opened the door slightly.

Hesitate.

My hand stopped in midair.

......Wait.

Roy?

Adelia always called me 'Extra'. She had only said my name once, unconsciously, this morning. Normally, she would have said, "Hey, Extra, open the door."

......Something's wrong.

But it was already too late. In the moment I hesitated, the slightly open door was forcefully flung open from outside.

Creak—

A silhouette stood in the darkness of the hallway. Long platinum hair. Red eyes. It was Adelia's appearance.

But.

She slowly raised her head.

"Hello, Roy~"

Her mouth was grotesquely torn all the way to her ears. A demonic smile on Adelia's beautiful face.

At that moment, a nauseating feeling washed over me.

Zzt—!

......!

What the hell?!

The fake Adelia giggled and raised her hand. Her nails had grown long like blades.

"Aww, you opened the door... too late, didn't you?"

Crunch!

Her claws lunged toward my throat.