Chapter 84: Hey, You! You’re Finally Awake [R-18]

Ahead of the academy exchange event hosted by Seridwen, the indoor training ground, which had been packed with hundreds of students, began to empty. All but a hundred or so participants declared their withdrawal and left. Our Onahole Squad and a large number of confident prospects were among those who remained.

“Everyone, check your gear and make sure you’re not missing anything,” Yuuna said.

Half of the participating groups had already dived into Seridwen’s complex gravity wave. Now, it was our turn.

I strapped a bandolier over my academy uniform shirt and secured my loaded Glock 19 and Colt Python in their holsters.

“The shock from this dive will be stronger than usual.”

Hearing that, I decided to store my Benelli in my inventory, just in case I might lose it.

“Sang-hyeok. I brought the supplies.”

The supplies Hena had quickly fetched were Black Illusion Feathers, items that allowed one to escape the dungeon at any time.

[Black Illusion Feather]
[A crow feather that deceives the eyes of an outer god, allowing you to hide your body for a moment. Turns black upon use.]

It’s white?

It seemed a used feather turned black.

They’re handing out escape items, so this must be pretty dangerous.

Hena’s face was pale.

“Listen up, you two,” Yuuna said, turning to us before she jumped. “In a dungeon this large, there’s no guarantee your teammates will be right next to you when you dive.”

“For real?”

“Why are you telling us this now…” Hena was on the verge of tears. “I-I won’t do it without Sang-hyeok…!”

I grabbed the scruff of her neck as she tried to run away. Tears streamed down her face as she flailed her arms and legs.

“I don’t wanna…!”

“That’s why you have to keep a clear head,” Yuuna said. “As soon as you dive, survey your surroundings and focus only on finding your teammates.”

“Got it. I’ll find Hena first, no matter what.”

“I’ll look for Hena first, too.”

Hearing that, Hena stopped struggling.

“Sob… Sang-hyeok… you promise you’ll find me…?”

“If we’re lucky, we’ll land right next to each other. Don’t worry.”

This was the first I’d heard that we could be separated right from the start. Yuuna probably didn’t have much experience with dungeons of this scale, either. I could tell she was nervous.

“Alright… dive.”

Yuuna threw herself into the complex gravity wave.

When it was her turn, Hena clung to me tightly.

“Let’s… dive together… okay?”

“Hena, be brave. You’re strong, and your magic is at full power right now.”

“…”

I gently stroked her head.

For some reason, Seridwen was staring intently at the scene.

It’s no use being jealous, Professor. No student would be audacious enough to pat their professor’s head before a dungeon dive.

“Your magic is helpful for exploring dungeons. Yuuna said so too, right?”

“But without you two, the power to create footholds is useless…”

“That might be true if you stop there. But I doubt that’s all you’ll find at the highest place you can reach.”

“…The highest place…”

Hena was trembling with anxiety at the thought of being separated from me right from the start, but…

“I will definitely come find you.”

“…Okay!”

Having finally made up her mind, Hena entered the gravity wave.

Next, it was my turn.

Swoosh.

The first thing I felt was a wind slightly colder than usual.

“Urgh…”

So this is a proper dive shock…

It was hard to even lift my eyelids, like a patient fresh out of surgery.

First, a cold wind. Then, the sound of wagon wheels rolling over the ground slowly reached my ears.

Feeling the vibration of the wheels, I wondered if I was being transported somewhere.

Ugh… I’m being transported?

I strained, and my surroundings slowly came into focus.

I was sitting in the cargo bed of a wagon, descending a small hill in a forest blanketed by a cold spring mist. I could see the back of the person driving the wagon and the profile of another man riding with me.

It was cold.

A procession of four wagons, including ours, stretched out ahead.

My hands won’t move.

I’m tied up?

Just as I realized something was terribly wrong, a blond man whipped his head around to face me.

“Hey, you! You’re finally awake.”

I jumped.

“Tried to cross the border, right?”

Me?

“Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.”

This intro feels awfully familiar…

I glanced over at the so-called thief and saw an unconscious female academy student with her legs spread apart.

It was Serena’s friend, Sarika.

…Her panties were light blue.

“Uungh…”

Why is Sarika here? No, why am I stuck with a first-year squad?

Looking to my side, I saw Isolde, the busty, pink-haired girl I’d filmed a short with before.

“Wake up, you two.”

I nudged Sarika, who was sitting across from me, with my foot. Thankfully, the blond man didn’t react.

The moment Sarika’s eyes opened, she snapped her spread legs shut and stared with wide eyes.

“Calm down. Look at me,” I said in a soothing voice as she scanned her surroundings with extreme wariness. It was a natural reaction, not knowing what might have happened while she was unconscious.

“It’s me. Serena’s brother.”

She gradually caught her breath and regained her composure.

“…Seonbaenim. Where in the world are we…?”

“I just woke up, too.”

I never imagined we’d start out tied up. My guns hadn’t been confiscated, but this was still deeply unsettling. I’d never had a start like this before. Sarika was clearly just as bewildered.

“I don’t know the details, but it seems we’re being forced to follow a certain ‘Rule’.”

“A Rule?”

“That guy over there called you a thief.”

“What!? I didn’t steal anything.”

“But it seems you’ve been assigned that role.”

Isolde’s eyes fluttered open.

“Mmphh…”

Why is only Isolde gagged?

“Sol! Wake up!”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Isolde couldn’t speak. We had to get out of here, fast.

This intro is just like that game I played a long time ago…

To be transmigrated into a game within a game—how absurd. If this was a standard event in Onahole Academy, it was just as nonsensical as you’d expect from a trashy eroge.

“But who’s this blond guy?” Why is someone who isn’t a student in this dungeon?

“It’s rare for an outer god to appear in person,” Sarika said. “And since he only reacts to specific triggers, he’s probably an NPC.”

NPC was a familiar concept, so I understood immediately, but hearing those words from the mouth of an Onahole Academy heroine felt strange.

From my perspective as someone transmigrated into a game, you all are basically realistic NPCs to me.

I’ll mull that over later when I have time.

For now, just as Sarika said, it was hard to see this NPC, who only responded to specific triggers, as a real person.

“…If things continue like this, the ‘thief’ will be the first one in danger.”

“What?!”

“If this scenario is what I think it is, we’re on our way to an execution block along with the leader of the rebellion.”

“The rebel leader? Who could that be…”

“Isolde.”

Am I the protagonist here, too? The original game wasn’t an eroge, but given that I was surrounded by pretty, busty female students, you could have told me this was an eroge loaded with a ton of shady mods and I wouldn’t have been surprised!

Just then, staying out of the driver’s line of sight, Sarika scooted over to sit next to me.

“Sarika?”

“Seonbaenim. There’s a small knife sheathed on my lower back.”

“You want me to use it to cut the ropes?”

“Yes. The NPC won’t react anyway.”

I fumbled around her lower back with my bound hands.

“A little lower… more…”

Grope, grope.

“That’s… my butt.”

“…Sorry.”

The wagon was shaking a lot…

“It’s fine. This is an emergency…”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Isolde had been trying to say something for a while now.

“Just a second. I’ll untie her, then I’ll get to you.”

Shnk!

I pulled the dagger free, straining so hard that red welts formed on my wrists.

“Please cut my ropes with it.”

“Okay… Ah—!”

Clatter!

The wagon gave a sudden lurch, and I dropped the dagger. It flew out of the cart, hit the ground, and tumbled away into the distance…

“…”

“You can curse me out, Sarika.”

I was being a complete troll right from the start of the dungeon.

“I have another one… on my thigh.”

“Your thigh…?”

Sarika turned to face forward, revealing her inner thigh. She looked away, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Th-this time… please succeed…”

“You can count on me.”

The longer her panties were exposed, the redder Sarika’s cheeks became.

I pulled another dagger from the sheath on her thigh.

“I think it would be better to cut your ropes first, Seonbaenim.”

“Got it.”

Worried I might drop the dagger again, Sarika told me to free myself first.

All the while, a town surrounded by stone walls was drawing closer.

Ah, damn it.

“Um, I don’t really understand what’s happening,” Sarika said. “Why is Isolde the rebel leader? Why are we being taken to an execution?”

I spoke as I sawed through my ropes. “It’s normal not to understand. We’ve been thrown into a nonsensical situation. It seems we’ve each been assigned a role.”

“Am I a thief?”

“You’re a thief.”

“I’ve gained a lockpicking skill.”

“That’s because you’re a thief.”

“Me, a thief…” Sarika mumbled.

What a cute junior.

“What about you, Seonbaenim?”

“Me? My role hasn’t been decided yet.”

[A new quest has been generated.]
[Rebel Army or Imperial Army]
[Choose your faction.]

See? I have to choose.

“If I choose the Imperial Army, I’ll probably end up acting separately from you guys. If I decide to join you, we’ll escape together.”

“Does that mean you might not be on our side, Seonbaenim?”

“Something like that, I guess.”

Come to think of it, how am I supposed to clear this dungeon? Isn’t capturing the rebel leader and handing her over the fastest way?

“Look! It’s General Dihrit!” someone shouted.

The man standing proudly at the town entrance was none other than my F-class classmate who had a particular hatred for me: Dihrit Ade.

The Imperial soldier driving our wagon yelled, “General Dihrit! The executioner has arrived!”

Executioner…

From my seat in the wagon, my eyes met Dihrit’s.

He smirked as if he understood everything.

Damn it! I’d rather die than side with the Empire!

“Proceed,” Dihrit commanded. “Lock down the entire town. The criminals could try to escape at any moment.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ah, the ropes are off!

The moment my hands were free, my eyes met Sarika’s. She flinched and shrank back.

“…Seonbaenim?” she asked, looking at me anxiously. “I trusted you with the knife because you’re Serena’s brother…”

“…And how did you know which side I’d choose?”

“P-please don’t do this…”

I leaned toward her.

Slice!

I cut the ropes on her wrists.

[Cooperated with Sarika. Contribution Pt +3]

“Shh.”

“…” Sarika nodded.

“Let’s pretend we’re still tied up for now.”

“Okay.”

“I just decided to side with you guys, so you can trust me.”

“…Does that mean you weren’t on our side before?”

“I just confirmed that an annoying bastard is on the enemy team. Now you can trust me.”

Sarika and I pretended to still be bound as I carefully approached Isolde. The moment I removed her gag, she started to whine.

“Sang-hyeok-seonbae, that whole scene was perfect YouTube content… Why didn’t you untie me first?”

What content? The part where I was groping Sarika’s body trying to find a way to escape?

This girl wasn’t right in the head. You couldn’t even use a smartphone inside a dungeon.

Tiring…♬

…What the hell? It was working?

“How are you using your smartphone?”

The moment her hands were free, Isolde started setting up a live stream.

“This? I embedded it with Magical Beast Steel.”

…

…Among all of Serena’s friends, this one seemed especially weird.

“We’re at the execution ground. Get ready to get off.”

Isolde struck a selfie pose and made a V-sign.

“Aah, aah. Everyone, can you hear meee~?”

Her tone was completely different. To put on such a cutesy voice without even blinking!

“It’s your idol, Sol! And today’s content is~~”

“Hey, I said we’re at the execution ground…”

Undaunted, Sol recited her entire opening line.

“‘Participating in the Exchange Event with My Friend’s D-Rank Brother’~! It’s totally hopeless~~.”

“…”

Sarika shot me a guilty look.

“Sol… doesn’t mean any harm by it…”

“…Yeah.”

“Even if you’re D-rank… I-I think you’re more helpful than having no one at all!”

…Her kind attempt at consolation stabbed me even deeper.

In any case, the wagons pulled up one by one to the execution ground, where an executioner stood waiting, holding a brutally large poleaxe.

“Get out, in order!”

“Get out, in orderrr~!” Isolde chirped, mimicking the guard.

…Waiting for us at the execution ground were the twin sisters we had seen before entering the dungeon.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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