chapter_0121

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
121

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
121

Phoebe had previously tackled
dungeons several times with the Paladins of the Church.

To pass the Academy exams, one
had to know how to conquer dungeons. So, entering dungeons was a
necessity to learn.

It wasn’t dangerous.

She was a Saint of the Church
of Armadi, and those accompanying her were powerful individuals.

If one had to rank them, they
were as skilled as those who could lead an army, but they came to
challenge lower-level dungeons.

In truth, rather than saying
Phoebe challenged the dungeons, it would be more accurate to say she
experienced them.

Nevertheless, since her
instructors were exceptionally skilled, Phoebe learned the proper way
to conduct typical dungeon conquests.

In her understanding,
conquering a dungeon required precise caution.

A dungeon is an unknown space,
so one must move forward, considering all possibilities.

What kind of monster might
appear, and from where?

Is there a trap along this
path?

Is this the correct route?

Do we have enough stamina for
the next battle?

Indeed, conquering with sheer
overwhelming skill was a viable method, but usually, proceeding
cautiously was necessary, like crossing a frozen lake.

However, Lucy Allen’s approach
to dungeon conquests was different.

Her dungeon conquests were
like a scripted play.

On the stage of the dungeon,
Lucy Allen was the director, scriptwriter, and actor, creating a
performance.

This couldn’t truly be called
a dungeon conquest.

Everything happened according
to Lucy’s words. How could that be considered a challenge?

“Ten steps ahead, turn
the corner and face forward. Three trash orcs ahead. I’ll take the
lead, and as I knock them down, follow behind me.”

Despite the uncertainty of
whether there were monsters ahead, Lucy’s command went unquestioned
by anyone.

Phoebe felt the same.

And, indeed, as soon as they
turned the corner, three orcs awaited them.

Initially, when Phoebe entered
the dungeon, she doubted Lucy’s words.

No matter how exceptional
Lucy’s abilities might be, it seemed impossible to issue such precise
commands in a dungeon full of countless variables.

However, Lucy made the
impossible seem effortless.

At first, Phoebe thought it
was mere coincidence.

But when coincidence repeated
itself ten, twenty times, it turned into certainty.

Inside the dungeon, Lucy
appeared omniscient, as if blessed with a miracle from a god.

Having witnessed these
miracles multiple times, Phoebe couldn’t help but think:

‘Could this be what it means
to be Armadi’s Apostle?

Could someone blessed by
Armadi create such miracles?’

“Ugh!?”

Phoebe’s thoughts were
shattered as Lucy charged into the orcs.

Being carried on Lucy’s
shoulders, Phoebe had to endure the same impact that Lucy received.

After Lucy trampled over the
orcs lying on the ground and passed through, Phoebe, feeling queasy,
invoked a miracle to prevent motion sickness on herself.

Ugh.

Though she had no choice but
to be carried, it wasn’t entirely comfortable.

Of course, Phoebe thought it
was far better than running alongside Lady Allen.

Initially, Phoebe had refused
to be carried by Lucy.

No matter the circumstances,
Phoebe is a Saint.

Maintaining at least minimal
dignity and decorum, it was hard to accept being carried like baggage
on someone much smaller than herself.

Even Frey forewarned her.

“Are you sure you’ll be
okay? With your poor stamina, you’ll collapse halfway.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Despite her determination to
endure the physical strain, Phoebe had to admit she was arrogant
shortly after.

With her legs giving out and
her lungs burning painfully, unable to breathe properly, she kept
falling and hitting her head on the ground every three steps.
Eventually, she had to give in.

There are things in the world
that sheer willpower can’t overcome.

Thus, Phoebe swallowed her
pride and climbed onto Lucy’s shoulders, realising that Lucy had
been slowing down to accommodate her.

‘Ugh. Joy.

You must have known this would
happen, so why didn’t you tell me anything?

If you had warned me in
advance, I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself by lying sprawled on
the ground nor caused trouble.

Don’t tell me, Joy, you were
trying to play a trick on me?

If you simply forgot, I won’t
say anything, but if it was intentional, you’re going to get a
lecture!’

“More monsters.”

Regardless of Phoebe’s
resolve, Lucy’s steps did not falter, and their dungeon exploration
went smoothly.

10th floor.

20th floor.

30th floor.

40th floor.

50th floor.

60th floor.

As they ascended the floors,
the dungeon expanded in size, causing some delay, but that was it.
The party’s pace didn’t slow down at all.

Even while charging ahead at a
speed comparable to a warhorse, they were conserving their energy.

Meanwhile, Phoebe, who was
clinging to Lucy’s shoulders, was exhausted just from enduring the
constant jostling.

‘Is this what it looks like
when the two most exceptional talents of the continent are trained to
their absolute limits?

How on earth did Joy manage to
keep up with these people?

I understand now why Lady Kent
told me to stay strong before entering the dungeon. This is not a
level that ordinary people can withstand.’

Just before they reached the
boss room on the 70th floor, Lucy put Phoebe down and looked around.

“Sloppy Swordsman. Are
you alright?”

‘Finally!

Are we actually going to take
a break?’

Although she hadn’t said
anything to avoid being a burden, Phoebe was on the verge of
collapsing from exhaustion.

More than anyone present,
Phoebe was desperately yearning for a rest.

Phoebe swallowed hard and
glanced at Frey’s expression.

Frey seemed to be
contemplating something, which was peculiar.

‘What are you thinking
about?

You should just suggest we
take a break.

Even if Lady Allen and Lady
Kent have extraordinary stamina, they are still first-year students
at the Academy.

No matter how much they know
about the dungeon, running without rest will inevitably lead to
accidents. So we must rest. Absolutely!’

“I’m fine. Absolutely
perfectly fine.”

But what came out of Frey’s
mouth was completely opposite to what Phoebe expected.

‘Fine?

How can you be fine after
sprinting all the way up to the 70th floor!

You’re out of breath right
now.

What if you make a mistake
when we face the boss on the 70th floor?

Of course, all the previous
bosses were easily defeated thanks to Lady Allen’s thorough
preparations, but this time might be different.

There must be a reason Lady
Allen suggests resting!’

While Phoebe tried to convey
her thoughts through her eyes to Frey, she met Lucy’s gaze and
blushed, lowering her eyes.

“Alright, let’s keep
going.”

With Lucy’s words, Phoebe
resigned herself and used a motion sickness spell once more.

It was just a temporary
measure, but without it, she couldn’t hold on.

‘I wish the boss on the 70th
floor were incredibly difficult and tough.

That would force us to rest,
even if it’s temporary.’

But Phoebe’s hope didn’t come
true this time either.

“Intruders must be
eliminated.”

As soon as they entered the
boss room, the boss launched a massive spell, but it was blocked by a
scroll Lucy used.

Then, Lucy used another
scroll, which activated the boss’s massive spell and blew off the
boss’s head.

The entire process took only
about a minute.

It was far too short a time
for Phoebe’s exhausted body to recover.

Leaving the boss’s crumpled
body on the floor behind them, Lucy stood in front of Phoebe.

Phoebe, having given up on
everything, climbed onto Lucy’s shoulders without hesitation.

Half a day had passed since we
entered the dungeon, and we were now standing in front of the door to
the 100th floor of the Academy Dungeon.

Ideally, I would have liked to
proceed with the attack immediately, but we couldn’t due to Phoebe’s
poor condition.

Her divine magic is essential
for a successful attack on the 100th floor.

If she entered in her current
state, barely able to speak and hanging on like a corpse, we couldn’t
predict what might happen.

Since there’s still time
before the Academy Dungeon closes, maybe we should rest a bit.

I stopped and lowered Phoebe
from my shoulders. The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs
gave out, and she collapsed.

It was fascinating to see the
Saint so dishevelled, something never seen in the game.

In Soul Academy, she was
always a character exuding dignity befitting a Saint.

Well, even Saints are human.
If they’re tired, there’s nothing they can do.

I shifted my gaze from Phoebe
to look at Frey. She was quite exhausted but not so much that she
couldn’t move.

Training with me had
significantly improved Frey’s stamina.

Initially, she had to take
multiple breaks due to lack of stamina, but now she could grit her
teeth and keep up till the end.

Thanks to her, our dungeon
attack speed was incredibly fast, even with Phoebe in the party.

Unfortunately, Phoebe, who
hadn’t had a single proper rest, was nearing her limit. But what can
we do?

It was a given the moment she
nodded in agreement to join us.

If she didn’t want such an
extreme experience, she should have refused from the start.

Should I have informed her in
advance?

It’s not like it’s regulated
by law.

I did nothing wrong. If you
had an issue with it, you should have researched it yourself.

And you know what? For all the
hardships, I reward accordingly.

You’re being gifted the
title of the first conqueror of the Academy Dungeon.

It’s actually quite an honour.

In the game, reputation and
acclaim went up significantly because of that.

Plus, there’s the reward for
being the first conqueror, so it’s more than enough compensation for
an exhausting day.

It might be tough now, but
looking back, you’ll think, “Ah, Lady Allen had it all
planned.” You’ll be grateful.

While we were resting in
silence, Phoebe, who was sprawled out, adjusted her position with a
flushed face.

Looks like she’s finally
come to her senses.

She still needs more time to
recover her strength, but it seems she can at least have a
conversation now.

‘Phoebe.’

“Sloppy Saint.”

“…Neh?!”

Phoebe, startled and biting
her tongue while trying to respond, made me involuntarily chuckle.

I’m starting to understand
why the [Mesugaki] Skill refers to her as the Sloppy Saint.

Sometimes, she really shows
her sloppy side.

‘Don’t worry. I’m not
asking you to move, just listen.’

“Were you scared I’d
tell you to move? Hehe. You’re really sloppy. Don’t worry. It’s not
that kind of thing. Just sit still and listen.”

This time, Phoebe’s role is
important.

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