The Administrator Steps Down
I arrived at room 505. Inside the utterly ordinary, empty lecture hall, Elena sat alone. She greeted us in full armor, radiating such an overwhelming presence that I hesitated, unable to step closer.
“You’re here?”
Elena’s tone wavered between formal and casual. She usually spoke politely to newbies. Except when she was alone with me. Everyone else got the polite treatment. She was especially respectful toward Yu Dahui.
“Should I call you Lady Elena…?”
“No, there’s no need to speak formally. Dahui, you’re Princess Elisha’s benefactor, after all.”
From the way Elena treated her, I could see exactly how precious Elisha was. Her attitude toward Yu Dahui wasn’t much different from how one would treat a VIP. The look she gave me, however, was the complete opposite. I wondered if it was acceptable to display such open hostility. Honestly, I wished she’d come at me even harder.
Creak—.
The door opened. Three elves stood outside the lecture hall.
“Commander Elena!”
“Princess.”
Elisha had opened the door. Behind her were Eloin and Elbaren. They must have rested well; their faces looked fresh and glowing. That, combined with the natural beauty all elves possessed, made them quite the sight.
Elena confirmed Elisha’s presence and rose from her seat.
“Everyone’s here.”
The five of us had agreed to form a single team. More precisely, we were joining Elena’s guild. Our average level hovered in the mid-to-low range. Even that felt generous. In terms of actual combat ability, we were bottom-tier. The three elves were the only reason we avoided being absolute trash.
Once we left the First Floor Academy and reached First City, plenty of bastards would obsess over racial superiority. Two humans and three elves was a heavy combination to carry. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it the worst possible party setup.
Why? Because every party weaker than us had already died. That made us the worst by default.
That’s not what matters to me.
I needed to focus on the second floor, not the first. The first floor was at least on solid ground. The second floor required crossing an ocean. If I could secure the hidden pieces on this floor, I’d hold the advantage on the next one regardless of race. It meant I could smash the backs of all those idle idiots.
That was my goal now—figuring out how to guide them there without raising suspicion. My head ached from all the calculations. I’d probably need to regress several times. If the starting point remained unchanged, my heart would shatter again and again.
“And I’m coming too.”
“What?”
Elena spoke while manipulating the system. The shocking declaration slipped out of me before I could stop it.
“Why? Don’t you need to protect the Academy?”
“…The Academy? None of that matters. To me, Princess Elisha comes first.”
I understood. If a knight didn’t protect her princess, who would? Remembering the humiliation Elisha suffered on the zero floor, Elena’s overprotectiveness made sense. In any round where Yu Dahui didn’t intervene, Elisha’s fate was rape and death. There was no guarantee the same wouldn’t happen on the first floor.
Admin rights have been transferred.
‘Elena Trigard (8★)’ ▶ ‘Boldex (6★)’
Still, I never expected her to actually give it up. She was the Academy administrator—a position recognized by the system that could even lead to becoming king.
“I’ve already made all the arrangements. I will follow Princess Elisha from now on.”
The authority to transfer. An 8-star player like Elena Trigard. It made sense why the top-floor conquest teams kept courting her. At 8-star, she ranked among the top ten fingers even while the climb remained stalled on the seventh floor.
Fuck.
But Boldex as the new Academy administrator? What the hell kind of dogshit situation was this?
If that Boldex bastard takes over, the Academy’s going to be completely ruined.
He was the same bastard who once ordered a battle royale by plucking ants. Newbies wouldn’t stand a chance. Since nothing like this ever happened in the novel, I had no idea how to react. It meant there was simply no precedent for Elena relinquishing her admin position.
When Yu Dahui tried to break through the eighth floor, only then did Elena finally abandon the Academy and ascend. But here she was, throwing away her admin rights without hesitation. All for Princess Elisha.
“Guild members can graduate the Academy under the guild master’s authority. It means there’s no reason to stay here.”
Elena spoke as if it were nothing important.
“Princess Elisha, the knowledge taught at the Academy is the absolute basics. You could learn it in a week just by traveling with me, and I can teach you far more than that.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If you wish to create memories here, you may stay, but I don’t recommend it. Hunting monsters outside will allow you to grow much faster.”
No matter how hard you trained at the Academy, it was easier than swinging a sword in the real world. Even if Elena dragged her away by force, no one could complain, yet she still asked for Elisha’s opinion once more. Watching their proper master-servant dynamic made my cock and balls tremble with envy. I wanted subordinates like that too!
“Hmm, what do you think, Dahui? Is it okay to leave?”
“I don’t mind. It seems better than staying here.”
“Then let’s go out! Commander Elena, we want to graduate the Academy and head outside.”
What could I even say? It looked like Yu Dahui stood at the very top of the food chain.
“…I thought you might say that, so I already processed the graduation papers.”
Elena must have sensed the same thing; she spoke while fidgeting. Then who was at the absolute bottom of this food chain? I glanced sideways at Eloin and Elbaren.
Because those two are here.
It wasn’t me. Below me were Elena, Eloin, and Elbaren.
Third place.
Not bad. I could aim for first if I wanted, but that wasn’t my style. A comfortable middle position suited me just fine.
We followed Elena out of the Academy. Along the way, countless players asked about her decision over and over. Each time, Elena answered them honestly.
“The person I serve has moved on. Of course I must follow her.”
The players could only nod while looking at Elisha. No matter how much they preferred Elena over Boldex, they couldn’t deny her decision or throw a tantrum. Elena’s time belonged only to herself.
“Thank you for everything, Lady Elena!”
“You worked so hard!”
Several players waited in front of the portal leading out of the Academy. They had come to say their farewells. Most were instructor players who lived within the Academy. The endless influx of newbies restricted their freedom. Knowing they might never see her again, they had carved out precious time to come.
Elena offered short greetings and waved. Now that she had relinquished her position as System Admin, she would never return to the Academy. Even if she did, her seat would no longer exist.
We stepped onto the portal and left the Academy behind.
Outside was a vast forest. A single narrow dirt path cut through it like a lonely scar. The towering trees completely blocked the sunlight, and the darkness looming in the distance churned as if ready to swallow us whole.
“Creepy as hell.”
It was fucking terrifying. Who knew pure nature without a single monster could feel this ominous?
A question suddenly occurred to me. Wouldn’t everyone recognize Elena, the former Academy admin?
“But if we just leave like this, won’t people recognize you?”
“…I can conceal myself with mana manipulation, so please don’t worry about it.”
Elena brushed off my concern as if it were unnecessary. I awkwardly scratched my head and backed off.
This was now our true starting point. Joining a guild meant graduating from the Academy. Whether through an accelerated early graduation or the normal route, stepping outside meant the same thing.
“I’ll provide suitable equipment. It will be less dangerous if you wear these.”
Elena pulled countless pieces of gear from her inventory. Most were 2-star, matching our own rank. Players couldn’t equip anything rated higher than their star level. The System forbade it.
I picked up a sword and shield, then slipped on the breastplate.
Old Iron Sword (2★)
Faded Shield (2★)
Crude Breastplate (2★)
There were plenty of other minor pieces, but I figured anything more would be excessive. The breastplate was already damn uncomfortable. If I covered my head and lower body too, I’d probably suffocate and die. It made more sense to focus on defense skills or powerful artifacts instead.
“Is that really enough? Kim Jinwoo, if you don’t want to die, you should be safer. At least wear a helmet.”
“……”
Yu Dahui was wrapped head to toe in clanking iron plates. The sight was almost comical. I wanted to say something, but—
“That will actually be more uncomfortable. It severely restricts your movement.”
“Ah… I see.”
“It’s better to dodge attacks you can avoid. Taking slow but heavy blows with your body is a loss, isn’t it?”
Elena perfectly voiced what I had been thinking. Her eyes were incredibly gentle, like a senior giving kind advice to a newbie. If I had said the same thing, she probably would have looked at me like an idiot and forced me to strip the armor off.
Thud!
Yu Dahui set down the heavy plates one by one. The way she gradually grew lighter was strangely erotic.
“Is this level okay?”
“…Yes. It seems Kim Jinwoo should at least wear a helmet to be safe.”
Yu Dahui equipped both breastplate and helmet. Covering the lower body with plates was only worthwhile for professional tanks. For poorly adapted newbies like us, it was a massive detriment.
“I won’t wear a helmet.”
“…Do as you wish.”
Elena didn’t press the issue. She probably didn’t care whether I lived or died. If anything, she might even prefer me dead. She already carried my seed in her womb. The moment she became pregnant, I would become nothing more than an obstacle.
Ssssssh—.
A strong wind blew through. We hadn’t even entered the forest path yet.
“Princess Elisha.”
“What is it, Commander Elena?”
“Although I followed you out, I don’t intend to take the lead.”
Elena gazed at Elisha with eyes full of concern.
“This place—the Tower of Struggle—is incredibly dangerous. You never know when or where enemies might strike. Precisely because of that, you cannot simply receive protection. You must become strong enough to protect yourself without needing anyone’s help. To achieve that, you cannot rely on me.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Elisha nodded while meeting Elena’s eyes. It was a spirited nod, contrasted by the merciless bouncing of her chest. Eloin stealthily moved to my side, grabbed my forearm with a crushing grip, and whispered.
“You bastard, where exactly are your eyes looking?”
“At the princess’s breasts.”
“This son of a—!”
“I’m the friend of your princess’s benefactor. Watch your behavior.”
I whispered back in the same quiet tone, making sure the women slightly farther away couldn’t hear. Eloin’s fist trembled. Elena was glaring at me too. It seemed only she had caught my words among the women.
Well, so what?
Elena struggled to suppress her rising fury and spoke.
“I will help if the situation becomes truly dangerous, but otherwise I won’t lift a single finger. Please move while assuming I am not here, Princess Elisha.”
“Understood. Still, it seems the feeling of reassurance comes before anxiety, and I can’t help that.”
“……”
“Commander Elena…”
Whatever moved her so deeply, Elena wiped the corner of her eye. Her eyes had turned bright red. Moisture had crept into Elisha’s voice as well. I couldn’t keep up with these emotional elf bitches. I just kept picking my nose. It was itchy.
Once she had somewhat regained her composure, Elena looked over our group.
“Dahui, Princess Elisha, Kim Jinwoo, Eloin, and Elbaren. You are now all members of this party. We must climb the Tower together.”
“Oh!”
“…I will provide support from the rear. From now on, you will move on your own. You may follow available information or trust your instincts. Simply advance in whatever direction you choose.”
With those words, we put our heads together and began discussing our next move. The conclusion was simple.
“Let’s go that way. There’s already a path.”
The existence of a dirt path through the mountains meant countless players had already traveled it. There was no reason to avoid it.
We set off along the dirt path. Elena followed our decision without uttering a single word of complaint.