chapter 13
Dungeon Exploration
Kugugung
“There really is a dungeon….”
Amidst the city’s alleys, following Vissus, they arrived at the entrance of the dungeon.
As they entered, Sophia murmured.
It was a dungeon they hadn’t seen in the previous chapter.
In the first place, Vissus had never entered the dungeon near the academy in the previous chapter.
But how does Vissus know about this dungeon?
Sophia recalled the princess she met a few days ago.
… That girl seemed to have memories of Vissus too.
Is she in the same situation as me?
If the princess also spent the previous chapter with Vissus and Vissus saw those memories through dreams, then this dungeon. They might have explored it together.
Vissus’s unknown past.
And being there with that girl.
It doesn’t sit well with me.
But if I were to be in this place where we were together, not her….
That might please me.
Sophia smiled a chilling smile.
Vissus had only entered the dungeon based on knowledge from a novel, but Sophia, who didn’t know that, mistakenly thought she had discovered it in a future where she was with the princess.
“…Dungeon.”
The dungeon hidden in an alley near the academy.
In general, it is impossible for a first-year student who has just entered the academy to know of their existence.
No matter how much they may love their prince.
That means the knowledge they gained in a dream with another woman, right?
Even if they had dreamed of a savage woman from that republic, the prince did not dream of a heavenly dream with her.
Yesterday’s dream was related to that woman, so they thought they would surely dream of something related to themselves today!
Perhaps they would go to another woman without even thinking about the bond they had with themselves.
Artoria became anxious.
Secretaryus was nervous for a different reason than the two women.
It was their first real battle.
They had never experienced a real battle before.
No matter how Artoria and Sophia were by their side, they couldn’t prevent the tension from building up, even though they knew there was no danger to their personal safety.
This dungeon was created by a brilliant scholar from the Academy.
There were no traps, but hostile defenses like golems were present because it was created by a gloomy magician.
It was dangerous, but it was an opportunity to gain practical experience.
And the reward for reaching the end was something they desperately needed at the moment.
Uung.
“Intruder. Eliminate.”
As the three of them advanced a little, a huge pile of rocks blocked their path.
“It’s a golem.”
“It’s a golem.”
A highly skilled golem, meticulously crafted to the point of being capable of inflicting significant damage on anything below a certain level, yet the two women spoke calmly.
“Beersus. First, let me…”
“Can I try once?”
Swoosh.
Beersus drew her sword and stepped forward.
“I just want to test my strength. Will you help me if I’m in danger?”
“…Yes.”
Beersus, who completely relied on me. She’s so adorable.
This is really hard to bear.
Beersus couldn’t even guess what Sophie was thinking.
Iron Golem.
It doesn’t take damage from attacks below a certain level.
It’s a formidable enemy with the ability to recover from continuous damage unless its core is destroyed.
With my current abilities, how far can I go?
Beersus recalled herself as the hero she saw in her dreams.
That tremendous power that could change the course of the battlefield with a single blow.
If the hypothesis that I have inherited that power is correct…
It means I can also cause such a commotion.
Whoosh.
Magic flowed through Beersus’ sword.
The sword gleamed vividly,
A testament to reaching the realm of a Sword Expert.
“Let’s go!”
Kwoong
“Recovery impossible… Emergency system… deactivated.”
The broken golem’s body collapsed as it was.
Srrung
Watching that sight, Bierce put the sword back into its scabbard.
Bierce recalled the sensations during the battle with the golem.
A body that moved on its own without conscious thought.
Dodging the golem’s attacks and cutting off its limbs with the sword, following the optimal path.
And it didn’t even take a minute to destroy the core.
They called it muscle memory.
It felt as if the body was calculating the optimal path it could take and moving on its own accord.
…Am I stronger than I thought?
With this level of power, couldn’t I clear this place on my own without Artoria and Sophia’s help?
Bierce, who had completely lost confidence due to consecutive defeats after coming to this world.
It was the first time they had tasted a proper victory (they couldn’t appreciate it during the duel with Navarre due to being intoxicated), and it was this victory that started to bring back their confidence.
Clap clap clap
When Bierce turned around at the sound of applause, two women were approaching them.
“It was a magnificent swordsmanship, Vissus. It feels like I’m seeing the prime of you. Soon, you’ll be able to regain the power from the previous chapter.”
“It was like watching you, Your Highness, leading angels and defeating demons! I think I’m falling in love! …Well, I’m already in love, hehehe.”
“Great. Let’s keep going straight!”
Filled with excitement from the compliments of the two women, Vissus moved forward confidently.
After passing through a long passage, a massive chamber appeared.
“I never knew such a space was hidden behind the alleyways.”
“It’s more like an underground city than a dungeon.”
To be precise, there is a background setting that after the owner of the dungeon went insane, they created a city underground to compete with the academy city on the surface. But there’s no need to explain it in detail.
It’s difficult to explain how they found out.
The three companions continued to walk through the chamber.
At the opposite side of the chamber was a massive door.
In front of it was a switch with a size that a child could pull.
“This switch is probably the device to move to the next area.”
Though Vissus already knew all the mechanisms of this dungeon, he approached the switch pretending to make a reasonable inference.
Kwoong
As Vissus pulled the switch, the sound of gears turning filled the air.
And the massive door in front slowly opened.
Thud, thud, thud
But at the same time, dozens of golems fell from the ceiling of the chamber.
“Activate annihilation mode.”
The golems opened their eyes wide and stared at the three companions.
“For now, everyone stay still.”
A trial of desire and patience.
Like most dungeon creators, the madman who created this dungeon was quite twisted.
He wanted to test those who attempted to conquer this dungeon.
If the door opened and the golems appeared, would the conquerors rush into the room?
What the creator wanted was for the group to join forces and fight against the golems.
If someone abandoned their comrades and fled into the room, the golems waiting inside would tear the traitor apart.
On the other hand, if they fought against the golems with their comrades, the golems would stop attacking them after a while.
In the novel “Eclipse,” it was also used as a device to strengthen the bond among the protagonist’s group.
Although the golems would stop attacking if they fought against them, there was still a certain risk involved in enduring until that time, so I brought Artoria and Sophia.
With the two of them, enduring until that time wouldn’t be a problem.
“The door behind us is a trap. It’s meant to lure us into running away from the golems.”
“As expected. Dungeons have tested people in this way before.”
“It was strange that the golems only appeared after the door opened. It was a trap.”
“We’ll fight.”
“I agree.”
“Good to hear.”
“Initiating extermination.”
As the golems charged forward, the battle began.
A moment later,
“Sys, sys, sys, sys, system….”
“Unable to be restored….”
The remains of dozens of golems, completely destroyed, were scattered in all directions.
They were so heavily damaged that it was difficult to recognize their original forms, with only two golems remaining, albeit not in perfect condition.
The golems, which should have remained stationary and intact, were all shattered.
“It feels refreshing to stretch my body after a long time.”
“That was fun.”
Bisus just stared blankly at the two women.
What’s that?
I thought I had become stronger….
Sophia, swinging her sword vigorously, wiped out the golems.
Arthuria, unleashing divine magic, brought forth the day of judgment.
It felt like watching the final battle in a fantasy movie.
…Maybe it’s better to just cling to them, whether it’s destruction or whatever.
Bisus, whose confidence had disappeared once again.