Uneven World
The dungeon's interior unfolded before my eyes, utterly unlike the outside world.
Dark and damp, the cave walls glistened with moisture as I took in the scene for a moment.
My focus snapped back to the voice behind me.
"......Here?"
"A dungeon."
I stepped forward with familiar ease. Aspilia followed right after, her boots echoing softly as she scanned the surroundings.
The sudden shift in scenery would have bewildered anyone, yet Aspilia showed not the slightest trace of surprise. Her expression remained as blank and stoic as always—possibly because she simply lacked one in the first place.
In response to her question, I gave a curt answer and began scouting the area.
"......East."
The dungeon entrance was singular, but player spawn points numbered four: east, west, south, and north.
Difficulty fluctuated slightly depending on the random spawn point, so identifying the correct one immediately upon entering was crucial.
No distant water sounds reached us, and the cave's uniform shape pointed to the east spawn.
'......Last time it was the north.'
The difference in difficulty hadn't been immense, and with Aspilia here, it wouldn't matter much either way.
Still, the north spawn had been slightly easier, while east could prove trickier if we lacked the right tactics.
'But even that would only mean mildly challenging, not impossible.'
Recalling the east spawn's dangers, I tapped the floor with my toes and slowly advanced deeper into the cave.
"Come on, let's go."
Addressing Aspilia, who was still taking in her surroundings, she nodded in agreement and fell in behind me.
"Just in case, don't charge ahead of me."
"Got it."
"Inside a dungeon, follow my instructions without question. If you think they're unfair, you can refuse, but otherwise."
"Got it."
I issued calm orders, and Aspilia accepted them obediently, as expected from someone with dungeon experience.
This much was standard for any dungeon. No reason to worry.
Yet I couldn't afford to let my guard down, even for a moment.
While walking and conversing with Aspilia, I maintained sharp awareness of our surroundings.
Rolling small pebbles in my palm, I tossed one with each discovery, testing for traps.
"Any questions?"
"......What?"
"How do you spot traps?"
Eyes fixed ahead, I scratched my head and pondered briefly.
Aspilia's curiosity about me stemmed from wanting to help.
I could detect dungeon traps because I'd known the methods from my first playthrough.
But I couldn't reveal that. I had to explain the first blessing I'd received upon character creation.
Discussing it wasn't a big deal; I'd planned to anyway.
The only question was whether she'd still offer help afterward.
Her curiosity would be satisfied.
'......Though I know she's not that type.'
No harm in telling her.
After a moment's hesitation, I made my decision and answered.
"Mana sensing."
"......Mana sensing?"
"I can read the flow of mana. That's the truth you've been curious about."
Before entering the game, when setting up my character, I'd chosen two blessings.
Normally only one was allowed, but the Curse of Equivalent Exchange let me take a second.
The first was Time's Blessing—the crucial one that let me retry from the start after failure.
In other words, Regression.
The second was Mana's Blessing.
I possessed genius-level talent in mana.
It wasn't about magical aptitude; it had nothing to do with actual spellcasting power.
'This one is important.'
Among my high-level stats, it ranked near the top by my own multi-playthrough judgment.
Mana filled everything in this world. The ability to sense it gave a clear advantage.
I couldn't say that outright, so I'd called it Mana Sensing, the power certain beings here possessed.
"Um... So that's it. Mystery solved."
Mana Sensing was rare, yet Aspilia showed no shock.
It was uncommon but not unheard of.
She nodded without expression.
Smiling wryly, I began tossing the pebbles again.
Throwing small stones didn't disarm every hidden trap.
It only scattered the mana inside them.
Simple in theory, yet it demanded real skill if you lacked experience.
I'd done it effortlessly thanks to last time's experience.
'Still, the world's really unfair.'
Aspilia hadn't given my skill any deeper thought.
She acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
High-born nobles like her entered dungeons often since childhood, so it wasn't special.
'......Someone who died trying to learn it.'
This wasn't something you could achieve just because you had Mana's Blessing and could easily handle mana.
In my first playthrough, I risked my life for every hidden piece.
One of the skills I'd naturally acquired was this exact method— the essence of experience turned into ability.
But nobles like Aspilia never needed that suffering.
When tackling a dungeon, they always had plenty of resources and people in a safe environment.
I didn't envy her for it. I knew resentment would only sour me.
"From now on, monsters will start appearing."
"......Yeah, got it."
The early stages of any dungeon were packed with traps.
A filter for those who knew nothing.
The east spawn was especially trap-heavy, making blind entry deadly.
But thanks to game knowledge, I'd learned to clear most traps and enter safely.
Now it was time to face the monsters inside.
The cave was spacious, so Aspilia nodded, unslung her massive double-edged axe, and lowered her stance slightly.
'......Damn, that's intimidating.'
The usually expressionless eyes of Aspilia had sunk low.
Holding the axe and wearing a cold expression, she looked terrifying.
A chill ran down my spine. I shook my head and silently began disarming traps.
It felt reassuring to fight alongside a team member.
With that kind of spirit, monsters would tremble at the sight alone.
This dungeon might actually be easier than expected.
'......No.'
After learning of its existence, I'd cleared it dozens of times.
No room for error, but caution was still wise.
"......Monsters ahead."
I gripped my resolve and kept working on the traps until a faint mana signature reached me from the front.
Aspilia spoke up at the same time.
She'd sensed the monsters too.
Even with my abilities restricted, spotting creatures at a distance... her detection skill was surprisingly sharp.
Of course, I was a little... no, a lot surprised.
'Someone with this kind of talent, yet hasn't grown much beyond it. Truly impressive.'
Indeed.
If I had possessed that much talent, clearing the game would have been easier.
Players relied on level-ups through blessings and status windows, plus growth via quests.
Heroines were born with blessings and growth paths already laid out.
Of course, my chosen path meant enduring limits with sword and fire.
"Two of them, I think."
"Yeah."
Seeing the superior talent of these heroines left me unsure whether to smile or cry. I nodded.
This time, I was determined to guide these two onto the right path and bring them to their maximum potential.
I discarded the pebbles and drew my waist sword.
"I'll take the left side."
"......Yeah, I'll handle the right."
The double-edged axe had an incredibly wide arc, so close-combat fighters like me would only get in the way.
Instead of coordinating a pincer, we'd each claim a side beforehand.
I nodded and turned my gaze forward.
'......No need for pincer attacks at all with this level of strength.'
"No traps."
"Yeah."
Confirming there were no missed traps, Aspilia nodded and kicked the ground first.
I exhaled deeply and lightly pushed off to start running.
The moment my feet left the floor, the two monsters ahead turned their heads toward us.
'What a surprise.'
The most common monster, and one of the weakest right after goblins.
Found in every early dungeon, with no real pattern—just easy prey.
I identified the enemy and raised my sword.
'Perfect warm-up.'
"Kong...!!"
I launched into the air and landed right in front of the goblin, bringing my sword down.
At the same time, the goblin noticed me and Aspilia. It let out a long, hostile cry.
But.
'Too late!'
I sliced the goblin's body in two with one swift cut.
Narrowing my eyes, I muttered.
This... was more than I thought.
'The body feels light?'
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