episode_0223

Pit-

“…!!”

Suddenly, the light magic [Light] that illuminated the surroundings went out. Light’s illumination was made of fire mana, but it wasn’t physical flame. It doesn’t go out in the wind like a torch.

Therefore, the magic sphere losing its light and dissipating is due to magic. Yuri immediately sensed danger and lowered her body; a combat stance. Mana rising behind her coalesced in her hands, forming blue blades.

Swoosh-

“Unni, Unni—?!”

She quickly connected her comms to call Nari, anticipating an emergency. She needed to quickly report, assess the situation, and act accordingly. She could handle things alone, but she was leading a squad now. She needed help to take appropriate action.

“…”

However, the connection failed. Yuri immediately understood the reason. The magic sphere disappearing. The comms failing. It was all because the mana was disrupted.

She’d seen something similar before. Nari’s [Dispel] magic. A so-called anti-magic that disrupts mana and negates spells. She knew it was difficult to use unless one was highly skilled, as the incantation was quite complex. The opponent’s magical abilities were considerable.

Whizz-

Yuri quickly turned her head to look at her squad members.

“Emergency! We need to get out of here— ”

The moment she turned, something flew towards the back of her head. A mana-infused attack. It pierced through the wind barrier surrounding Delta Squad and rushed towards Yuri’s hair.

Clang—!

Thanks to her heightened senses, she could utilize her reflexes. Yuri quickly swung her dagger, deflecting the attack. It was a magic blade; it bounced off Yuri’s counterattack and embedded itself in the temple’s stone wall, then vanished.

Rustle-

She sensed movement in the darkness. Yuri slowly backed away, her back to her squad.

“I’m pulling out…!!”

They were perceptive. They already knew that if a fierce battle broke out here, they would only be obstacles. Trying to help rashly would only hinder Yuri.

Therefore, they would only flee. There was no time for leisurely analysis. Why an enemy, not a trap, existed within the temple of this treasure area was unimportant.

In any case, they would evacuate the temple.

Whoosh—!

Excluding Yuri, all of Delta Squad started running back the way they came. There was no hesitation. They could follow instructions without panic, whatever the situation. This was because they had all endured Nari’s harsh training.

However, at the same time, they had developed a sense of belonging and camaraderie. As the squad members put distance between themselves and Yuri, the wind barrier surrounding them also moved outwards. Yuri’s body was separated from the wind barrier that had ventilated the foul odor and protected their sense of smell.

“Kuh…!!”

The foul-smelling air inside the temple surged into Yuri’s nostrils. Her senses were already heightened in anticipation of an ambush. Even a normal smell would have been sensitive to her, but the stench now was several times more intense. A gnawing pain shot through her body making her head spin.

Thud-

Yuri stumbled and misstepped. She regained her balance quickly. For someone her size, her main tactic was unconventional surprise attacks using acrobatics. Her sense of balance was something she could maintain unconsciously.

But that was just Yuri. Seeing their squad leader stumble, Delta Squad couldn’t help but be shaken. Moreover, she was in a situation where she was trying to sacrifice herself for everyone. The boiling emotions intensified, and the squad members stopped, looking back at Yuri.

“Yurias-yang—!!” “Damn it, move the wind barrier! Quickly!”

The barrier is basically deployed with the mage as the center. Applying it to someone else is harder than it seems. Everyone vaguely knew this. However, even the mage squad member felt the need. They stopped near the entrance, trying to assist Yuri.

Yuri had no time to care about them. She needed to focus on the unsettling feeling inside. She didn’t know when the next attack would come.

Swoosh—

Immediately, a second magic blade flew in. Yuri again swung her dagger, deflecting it. The blade was swept up in the dagger’s trajectory and flew into the wall once more.

“Haah… haah…”

However, it was impossible to block without any cost. She was weakened by the intense stench. Even after just one swing, she had consumed a considerable amount of energy. Cold sweat trickled down her trembling legs.

“Kukuk… you seem quite tired.”

A voice emerged from the darkness. Yuri raised her dagger. But this time, instead of magic blades, cadets in academy uniforms walked out.

“Not goblins… why are you here, kuh-” “Looks like the smell is still awful, huh? Naturally. You didn’t explore the temple in order.”

Five of them. Armed with swords and staffs, all of them wore black cloaks. Even Yuri, who knew most of the first-year students’ faces, didn’t recognize them. It meant one thing. Upperclassmen.

The cadet at the center raised a cross-shaped necklace ornament. A faint light emanated from the magic stone embedded in the center wrapping around the entire group. From their appearance, seemingly unaffected by the stench, Yuri realized the nature of the cross.

“A magical artifact… is it?” “Indeed, you’re sharp. To explore the goblin shaman’s temple comfortably, this artifact is necessary. The ‘Luminous Cross,’ didn’t you know? It can be obtained from the treasure area on the opposite side.”

Yuri gulped. What Nari had diligently studied was the abilities of academy cadets. She focused on competition and gathered data, so there was little information about this exam itself.

Meanwhile, the enemies before her were upperclassmen. Having experienced the Class Opposition War several times, they didn’t need to fight other parties. They already knew the strategy for the exam.

“So… do you have any business with me? I also have something to find here— you see…!”

Her breathing was ragged, proof that Yuri was pushing herself hard. The upperclassman’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Business? Yes! You were too blatant. You ignored the unspoken rule of freely showcasing abilities and sharing points, you see.” “You deliberately… set this trap?” “We even went to the trouble of releasing the temple’s barrier and overlaying our own. We need to recoup our investment… cooperate. Kukuk…”

Slurp-

The upperclassman’s gaze turned sinister. He smacked his lips greedily, exuding an intimidating aura. They likely weren’t only after points. Yuri instinctively felt it.

The flow of mana was disrupted. The broadcast feed monitoring the dungeon from the outside might have been cut off. Even if they couldn’t go too far, sexual harassment would be easy enough.

“But before that… let’s eliminate the obstacles—!!”

The cadet in the rear raised his staff in accordance with the signal. Mana gathered around him. Yuri immediately realized it was a magical incantation. She immediately raised water mana to form a protective barrier around herself.

“…!!”

But the staff was aimed slightly higher than Yuri. The earlier words, “eliminate obstacles.” Yuri realized her mistake. That magic wasn’t targeting her.

She quickly turned her head. Her squad members were still at the temple entrance.

‘I told them to evacuate—!!’

But she couldn’t rebuke them. She was relieved in a way. They stayed because they were worried about her; she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself, even if her reason disagreed with her emotion.

“Run away—!!”

Yuri shouted to the people chanting magic, raising their mana. They must have been intending to cast some kind of magic buff. As soon as they heard Yuri’s voice, they chose to retreat.

However, it was too late. The magic projectile launched by the upperclassmen party hit the temple ceiling, right above Delta Squad. With a tremendous roar and explosion, a section of the ceiling collapsed. Stone fragments rained down like hail.

Whoosh—!

Yuri kicked off the ground and leaped, exerting all her strength. At the same time, she raised her mana. The incantation she used was a water protective barrier. She extended her palms, creating a wide barrier.

[Aqua Protection]—!

The wall of water filled the temple corridor and surged forward like a wave. Delta Squad, whose escape seemed perilous, was pushed away by Yuri’s barrier, narrowly escaping the falling debris.

Pit-

“Kuh—”

However, Yuri was also caught in it. A sharp stone fell, piercing near her shin. A sharp, burning pain spread through her left leg.

Rumble rumble—

The temple entrance completely collapsed. Rocks firmly blocked the entrance. Yuri used the collapsed rocks to pull herself up slowly. The pain in her left leg still surged through her body.

“One more should be enough. You must have earned close to a thousand points, right? Half of that is 500… hmm, it’s still a good deal.”

The group of upperclassmen approached slowly. Their eyes were intense even in the darkness—the eyes of sinister beasts. Seeing those eyes, Yuri suddenly remembered the past.

“Huu…” “You can relax. We’ll take care of you, kukuk…”

The heir of Carlsen Marquis. The shameless person who tried to take her maid in front of Princess Narita, believing only in his power. Even if Princess Narita’s reputation and power had fallen, she is still a princess of a country. There are proper etiquette and lines not to be crossed.

The upperclassmen had similar faces.

“You know? Having power lets you do anything.” “…What are you suddenly talking about?”

Yuri patted the dust off her skirt. Whether the cadets tilted their heads or not, she continued speaking.

“Wealth, power, political power… there are many invisible powers in this world. However, things invisible always need proof.”

“Right, invisible power is the best! If we’d attacked normally, we would’ve lost to you right away. That’s why we cultivated invisible power. As a result, we brought a strong power like you to her knees—!!”

Yuri quietly closed her eyes.

Power, power. Memories flickered. Overwhelming power, the merciless violence before which one could only become helpless. The prime example that came to mind was the memory of almost being violated by the Carlsen Marquis.

However, Yuri didn’t consider that memory to be bad. It was a lesson. She learned firsthand that there are various kinds of power in the world. Furthermore, at the end of it, she was able to confess her true feelings to Her Highness and received her love in return.

Yuri rummaged in her bosom and took out a small bead.

“No, in this world, visible power is all that matters. Wealth, power, political power… and even information power. Before death, none of it has any value.” “What does that…”

Exceptions exist everywhere, but she asserted it now. Only survival! Only the power that allows one to survive is true power.

“If something can’t be solved with power… then it’s a lack of power.”

The small bead in her hand. Yuri held it lovingly. She could feel the wriggling white mana. It was a spirit pill made by condensing Nari’s ether.

Gulp-

She swallowed the spirit pill whole. It was quite thick, but it wasn’t a problem. Yuri’s throat had been trained to accept even Nari’s penis.

‘Unni’s energy… Unni’s strength…!’

Yuri recalled it again.

The day she was stripped naked in front of power and wealth. The overwhelming power of Princess Narita that tore apart all the darkness before her.