episode_0116

-I apologize for what I said earlier.

Vivian said, looking down at Vera.

There was no emotion whatsoever in the cynical voice and gaze.

That’s why it contrasted even more with the flustered appearance just now.

Apart from Vera’s eyes shaking as if she was scared.

“Vivian! Vivian!”

“This is a wizard! This is the cutie that got it right!”

“Vivian sister-!”

The onlookers who were looking at mirror number 1 were in a festive mood.

“Wow, what is that magic… ? It’s worth killing King Slime in one go… .”

“But didn’t you hear the sound of casting?”

“Is that important now?!”

Marie next to me poked my side with her elbow.

“Oh~ Ian~”

“What is that obnoxious reaction.”

“Do you think Vivian really likes it?”

“… … .”

I didn’t answer and looked at the screen again.

Meanwhile, Kati was swinging her tail wildly.

-ah… .

Vera let out a low moan.

It wasn’t just Vivian.

Helena next to her also looked angry and had fierce eyes.

Lucia looked down at Vera with a disdainful sneer.

-I’m sorry, I’m sorry… .

As Vera bowed her head, her companions also bowed.

-That’s not it.

Helena shook her head.

-You should apologize to Ian, not us.

Applause broke out among the onlookers.

“Oh~”

Marie giggled next to me again.

Mercy nodded and said.

“Mmmmm. Helena is right.”

I don’t know how I became the center of that scene.

I feel a bit embarrassed for some reason… .

-ah… .

Vera felt awkward having to apologize to someone who wasn’t even in front of her.

me too.

I feel like I’m voyeurizing someone talking behind my back and then apologizing without me.

However, Vera must also know that her image is being communicated to the outside world.

Vera bowed her head to my group and apologized to me.

-Ian. My thoughts were short and I made a fuss. sorry… .

“… … .”

-You shouldn’t forget to go out and apologize to yourself.

Lucia said as if warning.

Eventually, Vivian must have dispelled the magic, and the ice wall blocking the escape collapsed.

Vivian didn’t even bother to give permission to go.

I left them to go on their own.

-Well, then, that’s enough… .

Vera woke up shakily, then trembled and disappeared beyond the forest with the group.

Helena glared at them until the end.

When they finally disappeared, Vivian took a deep breath.

-Huh… . I’m glad it worked out well… .”

-Thanks to Vivian!

-Ne? I didn’t do anything… .

You built a wall out of ice and then did nothing?

-I can’t speak well, and I can’t even speak… .

I heard that the reason I put so much pressure on you with short words was because I couldn’t get the words out.

What… .

-Rather than me! I felt reassured because Lucia spoke leisurely and well.

-Umm… . Honestly, I don’t think I did anything. It was an event of skill, and the two of you made it spectacular.

A warm atmosphere was created as we shared achievements with each other.

I’m glad that they won’t have a falling out.

I would be satisfied if we could get along without fighting and subtly keeping each other in check like the old first party did.

Good laughter spread among the onlookers.

Somehow, it was a satisfying smile, as if seeing cute animals getting along well with each other.

Now that they had kicked out the uninvited guests, they set up a temporary base again and discussed the direction of their search.

*

After a brief discussion, it was time to take a short break from the search.

Vivian, who was resting against a tree, suddenly exhaled as if she were breathing.

-I miss Ian.

-Hehe!

Helena, who was drinking water, blurted out comically.

-Yes, yes… ?!

-Ne? Oh, is it okay for me to say something like this? Because people will be watching… . lol.

Vivian scratched her head as if she was embarrassed.

It seemed as if a fan club had suddenly formed that had fallen in love with Vivian’s fierce charm, and all the sharp eyes were focused on her.

“Ian, you’re in big trouble now.”

Marie was fussing next to me again.

“You should be careful on the road at night.”

Lucia’s voice came out after my self-deprecating joke.

-What do you think? Our manager says he misses us.

Aren’t you kidding me?

I know you can hear me.

You probably know that I’m watching.

-Yes, that’s right! I would like to see it in that sense too!

Helena hastily agreed.

Lucia also nodded.

-That’s right. How should I say it feels empty? If you think about it, just because you go into the dungeon with Ian doesn’t mean he’ll fight for you, right? When we were doing well, there were times when we just followed and watched without saying a word. I don’t think I thought much of it at the time… .

Lucia’s voice, which had been speaking calmly, became fainter as it went on.

She immediately looked down at the floor and spoke with a faint sigh.

-I realize today that that alone was very reassuring.

… Why is this so embarrassing?

If anyone hears it, they’ll think I’m about to die.

I’m alive and well, and I’m watching right now… .

Silence fell between the group for a moment.

There was silence and noise at the same time here.

Anyway, it’s not a very good situation for me.

I feel like I’m going to be stabbed by the gaze.

“You really need to be careful on the night road, right?”

Even Marie muttered quite seriously.

“… Haha.”

Still, whatever.

Thank you.

I wonder if there was anyone other than Mercy and Katy who said this… .

Lucia suddenly grinned.

-Ian Are you feeling embarrassed while listening to this? Yes? Or are you happy? both?

“Keuhum!”

-… ah! Come to think of it, Ian must be listening to this too!

Vivian mumbled belatedly.

You realize that now?

Vivian’s face, revealed in the video mirror, turned red in an instant.

-Ugh… . It’s so scary… .

-Sister, do you know that now?

-Well, that’s… . Just what… . I don’t know… .

-Surely Helena too?

Instead of answering, Helena neatly put on the helmet she had taken off and took the lead.

-Your break is over! We have to move quickly!

My voice was seriously shaking.

Helena must have forgotten too.

Lucia followed, laughing as if it was absurd.

Vivian got up and followed along.

Lucia made fun of Vivian and Helena, who were embarrassed, and the three began searching again.

*

The time is midnight.

It’s been quite a while since the exam started.

Perhaps that’s why the onlookers weren’t as enthusiastic about each action as before.

There was still exclamation every time I encountered a monster, and cheers still erupted every time I defeated it.

It was less than in the beginning.

The number of people actually increased.

Originally, there were the most people in front of mirror number 1, but the number has now increased.

There is a lot to see here.

Needless to say, Vivian’s magic is gorgeous.

Helena’s protection has a size and resilience that has never been experienced before, and Lucia’s fierce technique is also formidable.

When party number 3 announced that they were giving up, more than half of the people who dispersed came in front of mirror number 1, so I was worried that the people in the back row would be able to see clearly.

For reference, party number 3 is Vera’s party.

It seems that Vera’s injury after being thrown away by Helena earlier was the cause of the show’s withdrawal.

anyway.

My party was constantly moving.

I didn’t get too tired because I managed my physical strength by appropriately repeating movement and rest.

Although I encountered monsters here and there, they never posed a threat.

No monster could penetrate Helena’s defenses, nor could it withstand Vivian’s firepower and Lucia’s precise attacks.

Although it was easy without any crises, it could not be viewed as a positive thing.

‘Because it’s meaningless if you can’t kill the key boss monster.’

From C-level dungeons onwards, the quality of boss monsters is formidable.

Rather than encountering any monsters, it is most efficient to encounter only boss monsters and kill them in a haphazard manner.

If you encounter a boss monster after losing stamina, it’s a big deal.

‘It seems like I’m not lacking in stamina yet… . The test started today. There is no guarantee that it will continue to be as stable as it is today.’

While continuing those thoughts.

“When you’re eating, just focus on what you’re eating. Don’t do anything else.”

Marie let out a nervous sigh.

Me, Mercy, and Kati were eating with Marie and the warriors she brought.

We’re not the only ones eating.

There were quite a few onlookers who had prepared a meal so as not to leave.

And while Marie’s warriors were eating food, they were constantly looking at the video mirror, thinking about something or taking notes.

“Then what are you going to do if you pretend?”

Mari’s warriors were probably unaware of her feelings, so they smiled awkwardly and picked up their spoons again.

Among them, Rachel muttered.

“Helen… . amazing… . You’ve grown incredibly… .”

Rachel was constantly amazed by Helena’s growth.

Helena’s change seemed surprising as they had been close friends even before they were at MacDerlin Abbey.

but.

No matter how talented Helena was, she never really showed her skills due to various factors, including Salome.

It’s hard to believe that he has grown so much in just a few months.

“Does this level have to be achieved to pass the official exam? .”

Marie wasn’t just focused on eating either.

She, too, is probably envisioning a future where her heroes will one day take on the formal exam.

“Passage has not been confirmed yet.”

“A. You are very humble.”

That was half true.

Monsters that can be dealt with by multiple people working together, our group takes out almost one by one.

‘But what about the boss monster… .’

Is it possible to catch it with just the cooperation of the three?

Or, should we cooperate with another party?

It was difficult to be sure.

-Ugh… . The atmosphere here is somehow strange… .

Vivian shivered and muttered as if she felt cold.

The group climbed a small hill.

There was no criticism around.

Even though Vivian’s light magic illuminated the surroundings, there was only an endless field.

‘That’s… .’

-It’s an eerie place… .

Helena had similar feelings to Vivian.

-There’s nothing to see, so move quickly… .

The moment Lucia speaks.

-bang!

A lightning bolt exploded on the floor.

That was the magic fired by the ‘automatic interception magic’ summoned from Vivian’s artifact.

This is the magical entity that Vivian calls ‘Cloud’ these days.

-uh?

The fact that the cloud reacted meant that there was an enemy on the floor.

just as expected.

Something white shot out from under the ground, piercing the lawn.

It was a hand.

A human hand, but without skin or flesh.

“Bone?”

Someone muttered.

Sigh! Sigh! With a sound, hand bones erupted from all directions.

The thing that touched the ground and exposed itself was a bone without any skin.

‘Skeleton.’

The skeleton that appeared was crudely armed.

With a sword, spear, shield, etc.

The eyes of the black, empty skull stared directly at the group.

-Hey!

Vivian shuddered as if that sight was unpleasant.

The group was immediately surrounded.

The skeleton troops rushed in all at once, making an unpleasant noise of bones clashing with each other.

-Everyone gather around me!

Helena shouted, and Vivian and Lucia quickly joined Helena’s side.

Hemispherical protection completely surrounded the group.

-thud!

Skeletons charging in from all directions, wielding weapons, pounded on the protective guard.

Unable to overcome the rebound, several skeletons disintegrated and flew out in all directions.

-Let’s do this first and then… .

I tried to watch, but the C-class dungeon wasn’t that easy.

-bang!

Vivian’s cloud fired a lightning bolt on the floor again.

The skeleton’s hand, which tried to reach out from there, became charred and shattered.

-Do you think we should get out first?

Lucia said, holding her halberd.

-All right.

-Vivian unnie clears the way.

-yes! I’ll give it a try!

Around the time when several skeletons that had knocked on the protection once retreated again.

Immediately after the protection was lifted, Gureum’s lightning bolt intercepted a nearby skeleton.

Vivian continuously cast Flame Strikes toward an area with a low density of skeletons.

Lucia and Helena stood behind Vivian on the other side.

“Ohhh!”

Onlookers frowned and cheered as the dazzling flames filled the screen.

‘But it won’t be easy.’

There was a skeleton that withstood Vivian’s Flame Strike.

Vivian projected the next spell without stopping.

A lightning bolt falls vertically from above the skeleton’s head.

And, at the end of the procession, an ice spear sweeps horizontally.

The two magic crosses one side of the siege.

‘… ‘Is it a little easy?’

I slightly corrected my thoughts.

-It’s sorted!

With Vivian’s shout, the group ran in the direction of the breached siege.

Even while they were running away, Cloud continued to fire magic, but the direction was mainly below the ground.

After escaping the siege, Vivian said as she looked at the group of skeletons running towards her.

-Why is he like this… ?

-Isn’t there something down here?

Helena pointed out.

In fact, nothing came out, but Cloud fired magic at the ground.

-I think it’s worth checking.

Lucia agreed.

-Then let’s organize it quickly!

Vivian shouted boldly.

After escaping the siege, it was easy to clear out the group of skeletons.

As Vivian’s magic barrage swept through, Lucia moved nimbly among them to finish the attack.

Helena protected Vivian in the center, and when the number was reduced, she and Lucia finished off the skeletons with scorching fire and mace.

“Wow… . Why does it fit so well together? How many years do you think we’ve been together?”

Marie admired from the side.

Onlookers were also continually amazed by the flexible coordination of the three.

-I confirmed that everything was finished.

Lucia said as she cut off the spine of the last skeleton with her halberd.

-Then now… .

The group moved to the place where the skeleton had sprung up and started digging.

Since Gooreum did not calm down, Vivian temporarily deactivated the artifact.

How much was dug?

There was a deep cave leading down.

It stretches gently and looks like you can walk down it.

I was embarrassed when I saw that.

‘… Are you looking for this already?’

Skeleton.

Among them, ‘underground skeletons’ live beneath the ground.

When an enemy passes over the residence, they come out in a surprise attack, surround it, and hunt it.

In most cases, they are surrounded and do not survive.

Even if they escape the siege, they do not want to go back.

Even if you go back and sort out the skeletons, it’s hard to guess what’s under the ground.

The ground where the skeleton protrudes will be restored quickly.

However, my group found it right away.

‘Thanks to that cloud that kept attacking the floor… .’

The guild estimated that the exam would take one to two days.

However, in less than half a day, my group found the way to the ‘boss monster’ of this dungeon.

-This place… .

– Since it’s obviously suspicious, I should go in, right?

While I was dumbfounded.

The group agreed to enter the cave.

***

“Hmm… .”

Vivian continued to moan as she went down the dark cave.

There were no enemies, but it was a terrible place.

It was possible to walk down the gentle path, but there were drag marks on the ground.

That’s not all.

There were imprints of human hand bones left on the walls and ceiling of the cave.

Although her intense light magic was shining, it was so dark that it was difficult to see the depth beyond where the light could not reach.

It was a little colder than outside, and the air was heavy because it was underground.

Wasn’t he even surrounded by skeleton soldiers before he came in?

It was the perfect environment for all kinds of scary imaginations to come to mind.

“Ghosts, there won’t be any ghosts, right… ?”

Vivian asked.

Lucia, who was walking behind me, responded calmly.

“Well. Is there really such a thing? I’ve never heard of any monsters being ghosts.”

Helena, who walked at the front with a shield in front, spoke confidently.

“Don’t worry! If a ghost appears, I will make you a Buddha!”

“Ugh… .”

It made him feel ashamed to think that someone outside would be seeing his timid appearance.

What should I do if I become a warrior and am this timid?

It’s something that might get you scolded.

‘Ian will be watching too…’ . Still, Ian wouldn’t say anything.’

When I thought of Ian watching me, my mind calmed down.

Then at some point.

-Chi profit… . Chi profit… .

A sound as if the floor was being scraped was heard from ahead.

All three stopped at the same time.

Helena tightened her grip on the shield held out in front of her.

“What do you mean… ?”

“It seems like something is coming… .”

Lucia quickly checked behind her.

“There is nothing behind it.”

-Jump, jerk.

I also started to hear footsteps.

Eventually, something appeared from the darkness in front of Helena.

A skeleton walking with a sword and shield.

And, there was another bizarre skeleton attached to the ceiling, crawling along the floor with its thin hand bones.

The rattling jawbone made it look like a skeleton was laughing.

“Hiyaaaagh-!”

Vivian let out a loud scream.

“Calm down! If Vivian uses magic, the cave may collapse!”

Helena took a step ahead.

“I will handle it myself!”

“Yes… . Be careful!”

Instead of Helena, Lucia stayed close to Vivian and guarded her surroundings.

Helena, holding up a shield, calmly identified her opponent.

The skeleton standing on two legs is a warrior holding a sword and shield.

And that thing stuck flat on the ceiling has no weapon in its hands.

‘But you can’t let down your guard.’

Helena recalled what Ian once said.

-When confronting an enemy, the enemy is trying to figure out you as much as you are trying to figure out the enemy.

She recalled Ian’s voice every battle.

Just as a believer reflects on the gospel.

Helena was a bit different from Vivian and Lucia.

Those two were geniuses born with intuition, and they just ‘knew it’ and did it well.

No matter what, Helena couldn’t do that.

At first, I was uneasy about it.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to satisfy Ian.

But, it’s different now.

I realized that it wasn’t a talent gap.

It’s just that Helena responds to the situation differently than them.

‘I must thoroughly base what I learned from Ian.’

Now, he liked that trait about himself.

Because I was able to listen to and focus on Ian’s voice more than anyone else.

Like a believer who focuses on an oracle.

-The battle is not simply a power struggle. In essence, it is close to a ‘fight of numbers’.

Helena turned off the protection and waited calmly.

The lower part of the skeleton attached to the ceiling burst open.

From within the black darkness, something white suddenly jumped out.

-Park!

It was a bone that bounced off Helena’s shield.

‘Spine?’

By the time Helena finished figuring it out, a skeleton holding a sword rushed towards her, and the skeleton on the ceiling opened its mouth again.

The vertebrae fired again.

This time it wasn’t one.

It was bigger, sharper, and harder than before.

‘come!’

Only then did Helena spread her protection widely.

-Paba Park!

The vertebrae that hit the guard bounced in all directions.

As it happened, one of them pierced the face of a skeleton hanging on the ceiling.

The guy from the ceiling fell.

Without waiting, Helena rushed forward and struck down the sword of the swordsman skeleton with her shield.

At the same time as the arm bone was ripped out, her mace cut off her waist.

-Bagagak!

He crushed the fallen skeleton’s neck by stomping on it, and crushed the skeleton’s head that had fallen from the ceiling with the mace.

-Quick!

“Whew… . Done!”

Vivian and Lucia approached and looked down at the skeleton that had fallen from the ceiling.

“What did you fire from your mouth… ?”

“It was a vertebra.”

“Spine… . He uses an unusual ability.”

It was something that made me nervous.

The monsters I’ve faced so far haven’t been like this.

There was no swarm surrounding them.

They were not particularly armed with human tools.

He didn’t harbor any strange abilities.

‘This is a C-level dungeon, the danger you must overcome to become an official warrior… .’

The three once again raised their tension due to the new level of difficulty.

Let’s even go into “.”

I couldn’t back down.

At Lucia’s words, the three entered deeper into the cave again.

*

“Ugh… .”

Vivian’s complexion turned white.

What appeared at the end of the cave was a huge cavity.

The space itself was familiar as I had seen it in previous dungeons.

However, it was a scene I could not get used to.

There were remains everywhere.

It was difficult to estimate how many there were.

This place, with mismatched bones strewn about, seemed like a field of skeletons.

But that is not the only reason why this scenery is eerie.

They looked up at the source of the sense of discomfort that was weighing down this entire space.

The cylindrical platform, which was supposed to rise only after all the monsters had been killed, was already soaring high.

And in its place.

“… … .”

A skeleton was sitting.

A large skeleton, like that of a giant, sitting on the platform was hugging the magic stone as if it were a precious baby.

“What the hell is this… .”

Helena stuttered.

The giant skeleton stared at the visitor.

Eventually, it raised one hand.

He held the magic stone in one hand, and with the other hand, he moved slowly but dazzlingly, as if his fingers were dancing.

The thin, bony bones were bent along the joints.

There was a golden ring on that hand.

It was shining under Vivian’s light and left a golden afterimage in the air.

-Just, tap… .

Skeletons scattered freely on the floor began to find their mates and form bodies.

“Wow… !”

An army of skeletons was being created to fill the cavity.

“First, gather behind me!”

Helena hastily prepared defense.

When the skeleton army finally stood up.

“… … .”

The skeleton sitting on the platform slowly extended his index finger and pointed at the three.

-Ta-dad-dad!

The skeleton army rushed at once.

*

“What should I do… .”

“Can you handle it with just those three?”

“No way-!”

Meanwhile. Outside, there was chaos due to the giant skeleton and its army that appeared out of nowhere.

There were some people who were excited, but there were many more who were worried.

Ian was also a little nervous.

‘I managed my stamina well, but I ended up finding the boss monster without even taking a proper rest.’

It’s a good thing I found it in less than a day when it should have taken two days.

It was difficult to feel at ease.

‘We’ve reached the dividing point between C-class dungeons and lower ones.’

The monsters that appear in F to D grade dungeons are irrational.

It’s very simple and straightforward.

‘So King Slime, who divides and controls slimes, is a very unique guy.’

However, from C-class dungeons, rational monsters appear.

They know how to think, judge, and when they fail, step back and reconsider the situation.

This means that it is an enemy equipped with reason and strategy.

Sometimes, there is a commander entity that commands them all.

That was the case in this dungeon.

Ian glared at the giant skeleton sitting on the platform.

‘Skeleton leader, mage type. How well will you do? .’

Although he was a little nervous, Ian knew it was his turn.

It’s not like they didn’t train for situations like this.

This is just a feeling similar to that of a parent sending a child they have lived with their whole life to school for the first time.

‘… It’s not my child, but it’s probably similar.’

The skeleton army, shadowed by Vivian’s light magic, flocked towards Ian’s warriors.