Episode 533. Fake Dungeon (5)

Thump. Thump.

The steady, echoing vibrations filled the space.

The ominous mana and the murderous intent of the monsters filling the interior placed an immense burden on the non-combatants with their lower fighting capabilities.

“Are you alright? Slowly open your eyes and take deep breaths.”

“Hii, hiiik….”

Moon Surin soothed the people as she checked on the non-combatants. Normally, this would be the job of Baek Ahyoung, the medical team lead, but in the current situation, she was a crucial asset. It’s not good to let your guard down.

“Where were you, Cafe Owner?”

“I was near the Academy’s main gate.”

“Hmm….”

The Academy’s main gate and the Student Council room were quite far apart. Yet, the Cafe Owner and Moon Surin were in the same space.

‘If location isn’t the standard, then what is?’

Even though Im Sol and Baek Ahyoung, who were together at the end, got caught in the dungeon, not a single member of the Student Council who was in the Student Council room was visible. Moon Surin swallowed her disappointment at the lack of information.

‘There are probably many other people inside this dungeon besides us.’

This dungeon had many mysteries. But what was certain was that there would be many others besides the people here. And those people would also be facing those monsters.

Thump-. Thump-.

That ominous sound hitting their ears, and in many ways, it was an ominous dungeon.

Moon Surin raised her mana while taking care of the non-combatants.

“We have to save the others.”

The lives of countless people were at stake. As the Student Council President, she had to stop the terror that had occurred at the Academy. Moon Surin approached the women who were conversing with each other.

“So… what is at the center?”

“The source of that sound is the dungeon’s center. I don’t know if Hoyeon is there, but something suspicious is definitely there.”

“Rebecca-ssi speaks as if you know this dungeon well.”

“Ah, ahaha…. You’re one to talk, Im Sol Mage-nim.”

Rebecca gave an awkward smile as she looked at Irene and Im Sol. She had helped design the fake dungeon’s magic circle. Although she didn’t know the details because Lee Hoyeon had kept them hidden, she knew that this dungeon had a center. However, there was no need to reveal all the information.

Just then, Moon Surin, having finished caring for the non-combatants, approached.

“Have you all introduced yourselves? I apologize. I had to protect the non-combatants.”

“Ah, Student Council President-nim, you’ve come at just the right time. We were just discussing how to proceed.”

Irene greeted the approaching Student Council President and moved closer. In a situation like this, having a focal point other than herself was reassuring.

“I think we need to go to other areas of the dungeon. If everyone from the Academy was abducted, there must be places without combat personnel.”

“Ah… that’s a good idea, but there’s a more likely method.”

“Student Council President. This is Rebecca.”

Moon Surin nodded as she looked at the red-haired beauty introduced by Irene and Im Sol.

“Nice to meet you, Student Council President-nim.”

“Likewise, Rebecca-ssi.”

Although it wasn’t their first time meeting, Moon Surin didn’t nitpick. Rebecca greeted Moon Surin and began explaining about the dungeon’s center.

“Before entering the dungeon, I saw Hoyeon controlling the magic circle.”

“…Hoyeon? Does that mean Hoyeon created this large-scale dungeon?”

“No. It seemed like Hoyeon was swept up in the magic circle too.”

Rebecca calmly continued her explanation. They needed to find Lee Hoyeon, who knew the escape method, and it was highly likely he was where the thumping sound was coming from. Moon Surin had also heard the strange noise from earlier, so she could quickly finish her explanation. However, since Rebecca hadn’t explained everything, Moon Surin tilted her head.

“I understand we need to find Hoyeon. But can you find the center where the sound is coming from, Rebecca-ssi?”

“Rebecca-ssi is proficient in barrier magic. I’ll vouch for her skills.”

“If Professor Im Sol vouches for her, that’s fine… but there are many non-combatants here. It will take considerable time to escort all of them.”

With more people, travel time naturally increases, and to safely escort non-combatants, combat personnel must be deployed without any gaps. This inevitably leads to various problems.

Rebecca paused thoughtfully at Moon Surin’s words before speaking.

“It’s not close. We’ll have to walk for at least over an hour.”

“Hmm…. Still, I think we need to take them with us. Those monsters aren’t attacking now, but we don’t know when they might change their stance.”

“…Yeah. We can’t abandon people. Should I stay behind?”

“What good would it do for you, Ahyoung-ah, to stay? You might as well stay with me.”

“But what if we split up and there’s a dungeon boss in the center?”

“Yes. Splitting our forces doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

Rebecca and Moon Surin.

Im Sol and Baek Ahyoung.

Irene and Scarlet, too.

These women, experienced in emergencies, quickly organized a plan. Then Liliana, who had been observing the situation next to Nam Daeun, blinked and pointed a finger at the monsters.

“Why don’t we just kill all of them? We seem much stronger.”

“…Do we?”

Irene turned her head to assess their side’s strength. Not to mention Im Sol and Rebecca, Irene and Scarlet, there were also Alice, Moon Surin, the Lucy-Lumi twins, and Nam Daeun. Even Liliana and the famous Saintess were here. The combat power of the people gathered here might even be stronger than the Korean branch of the Iris Guild. The problem was that they weren’t familiar with the dungeon itself; they could easily crush those monsters over there.

“Student Council President. Shall we clean up those monsters first? Whatever choice we make, that seems like a good start.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Even if they decided to escort everyone, they had no intention of leaving those monsters alone. Moon Surin nodded and drew up her mana.

*

Kwaduduk- Kwajik-.

The horrifying sounds of monsters’ bodies tearing and bones breaking could be heard. A monster caught by Moon Surin’s mana was slammed into the floor repeatedly.

Thump.

After the giant one that held out until the end fell, the battle was temporarily concluded.

“Lu, Lumi. I’m scared….”

“It’s okay. Your fire arrows were cool too, Lucy…!”

“Ugh. Lumi’s shield was strong too. Thanks to you, I survived.”

Lucy and Lumi trembled, holding onto each other. While the adults were making plans, the twins, who had been sticking close to Nam Daeun, were flustered by the talk of hunting monsters, but quickly regained their composure and burned with fighting spirit. But that was short-lived. As soon as the fight began, Lucy quickly became frightened watching the people start slaughtering the monsters.

“Our side was scarier than the monsters.”

“Actually, me too… I did put up a shield, but everyone was barely injured.”

“…It’s strange.”

The highlight among them was, of course, Moon Surin. Lucy and Lumi shivered, thinking of the Student Council President who was throwing monsters around at the very front.

“Student Council President… is incredibly strong.”

“Thank you. It’s a shame I’m not used to this place yet. Rebecca-ssi seems quite familiar with it.”

Rebecca was inwardly surprised watching Moon Surin’s skills. She had thought Nam Daeun was the strongest among the cadets after Lee Hoyeon, but she never expected such talent to exist.

“I’ve been training since long ago. I’ll go set up a barrier now.”

“…Are you sure it’s okay to leave them? It still seems better to take them along.”

“Don’t worry too much. The barrier Rebecca-ssi sets up is strong enough that those monsters couldn’t break it even if they pounded on it for hours.”

“Hmm. If Professor Im Sol acknowledged it, she must be an amazing mage.”

Moon Surin knew well about Im Sol’s pride in magic. If she acknowledged it, it meant she was an incredible mage, yet Moon Surin had no information about her.

‘Should I ask slowly while we move?’

Her identity. And about Lee Hoyeon. Moon Surin licked her lips as she watched Rebecca’s retreating back.

*

Jiiing-

Rebecca scattered her mana, searching for the path. Behind her, women followed in a line, and this too was exactly as Lee Hoyeon had drawn. Of course, there were women not included in the original plan, but this happened because all the heroines’ mana had been inputted just in case.

“Rebecca-ssi, you’re truly amazing. Your speed in deciphering the magic circle is extraordinary.”

“Ahaha… seeing Hoyeon tamper with the magic circle helped.”

“What was Hoyeon thinking when he created this kind of magic circle?”

“Right? That’s a question for me too.”

The magic circle they saw was incredibly intricate. If Rebecca hadn’t participated directly, they would never have found the way.

‘What worries were eating away at the baby’s father?’

Rebecca felt a sense of responsibility, as if she hadn’t been a proper supportive wife. Just then, Moon Surin’s words struck a chord with Rebecca’s concerns.

“So, about that, what’s your relationship with Hoyeon, Rebecca-ssi? Your way of addressing him is very familiar.”

Moon Surin continued, observing Rebecca’s expression. Rebecca, pausing her mana search for a moment, couldn’t answer easily. Lee Hoyeon wasn’t here now, but this was precisely the time to support her husband. Rebecca naturally changed the subject.

“Um… it’s a topic difficult to explain in words.”

“…Then what about Professor Im Sol?”

“Mine is similar.”

Im Sol was also in a somewhat similar position to Rebecca. Since Lee Hoyeon was the only one who would accept her, she didn’t want to stir up trouble.

“….”

What were these women trying to say? She wanted to grab Rebecca and pry information about Lee Hoyeon out of her, but this was an emergency. Moon Surin soon turned her head to look at Baek Ahyoung.

“Saintess-nim. Before we got caught in the dungeon, you seemed furious after seeing Hoyeon’s personal protection request form….”

“Of course, that’s because… Hoyeon is close to me, so I was worried.”

“Please don’t hold back, tell me in more detail.”

Baek Ahyoung also pondered how to answer Moon Surin’s words. She wanted to act out, calling them all vixens messing with ‘my hubby’, but she knew she’d just be treated like a crazy bitch if she did that now.

“… .”

In the end, Baek Ahyoung also fell silent.

“You guys are so cute. Wanna be friends with me?”

While Moon Surin, feeling frustrated, continued to probe the women, Liliana was teasing the seemingly easy targets, Lucy and Lumi. The large breasts attached to their small frames were a mystery even to a succubus.

“P-Pleased to meet you….”

“Lumi. She’s a stranger. Hide behind me.”

“I’m not that kind of weirdo! Daeun-ah. Please vouch for me.”

“Lucy, Lumi. She’s nicer than she looks. You can call her Liliana-ssi.”

“If Daeun-ah says so… I’m Lucy.”

“I’m Lumi.”

“Okay, okay. I like cute kids. But ‘nicer than she looks’? I look pretty nice, don’t I?”

“That’s not true, Liliana-nim.”

The women walked through the dungeon, chatting amongst themselves. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much conversation about Lee Hoyeon, because, contrary to his expectations, the dungeon was filled with people surprisingly tolerant of his harem.

Thump- Thump-

The sound and vibration grew closer. Alice, standing at the rear of the formation, frowned.

“…It’s definitely getting closer.”

“Right. The sound and vibration are getting stronger.”

An unpleasant mana seeped deep into their bodies. Their bodies felt heavy, and their mana seemed sluggish. The discomfort made her want a refreshing shower, but that wasn’t why Alice frowned.

“Aren’t you surprised, Unnie? Every woman here is related to Lee Hoyeon.”

“I know, right? Does he have five bodies or something?”

“He’s just a crazy playboy. Aren’t you annoyed, Unnie?”

“If Alice is annoyed, then I’m annoyed too.”

Irene didn’t care how much of a playboy Lee Hoyeon was. What was more important to her was getting out of this dungeon quickly and enjoying their week-long retreat.

“Haa….”

Alice thought while guarding the rear of the formation.

‘Still, it seems like it’s only as many as I thought.’

Surely there won’t be any more. She had grasped all of Lee Hoyeon’s relationships. The only thing she hadn’t figured out was Lee Hoyeon’s home, so there were no more women to hide. Alice inwardly admired her own abilities. And then, the thought crossed her mind that perhaps she herself was the craziest one, feeling relieved after facing reality.

‘Dating a crazy playboy makes me think all sorts of ridiculous things.’

Alice shook her head vigorously to clear her mind of useless thoughts and quickened her pace.