episode_0039

On a bright morning, with warm sunlight pouring down, I stood before a lush forest.

“Alright, what we need to do here is find flags. The more flags you collect, the more various prizes you can get, so work hard! Then, start!”

Cheers erupted!

The moment the starting signal dropped, students surged forward all at once with fierce cheers, shaking the ground around them.

I stood idly among them, only moving after the commotion had somewhat subsided.

‘It was at the 11 o’clock direction from the entrance, right?’

What I was looking for wasn’t flags.

It was something far more valuable: a dungeon where an artifact was hidden. More precisely, the Possessors gathering to clear that dungeon.

The artifact in this mountain was quite popular, being useful not only in combat but also in daily life.

So much so that an ordinary Possessor would want to obtain it, even if it meant risking a confrontation.

‘I might be able to uncover the identities of that bald Swordsman and the Flame Mage.’

Therefore, I needed to secure a spot as quickly as possible.

Carefully checking who else was heading in the same direction, I headed up a hill that overlooked the abandoned well leading to the dungeon.

Donning a robe and a mask to conceal my appearance, I lay prone in a well-hidden spot.

Now, all I had to do was wait quietly.

‘I hope there are many women….’

It wasn’t just because I was fond of women. I needed women to use Declaration of Rape.

After diligently researching the mechanism, I regretfully discovered that Declaration of Rape also reacted to men, but I had no intention of doing so.

The artifact obtainable here was something I coveted as well, so to get my hands on it, I would have to activate Declaration of Rape and overwhelm the Possessors.

As I waited, pondering various thoughts, a person appeared from the slope yonder.

‘It’s a man.’

The man, his entire body wrapped in a robe, held a sword. His face was also covered with some kind of cloth, not a single strand of hair visible.

He looked around cautiously, then leaped into the abandoned well as if flying.

His physical abilities seemed extraordinary at a glance.

‘Is that the bald Swordsman?’

I didn’t know how many Possessors there were, so even if there were some similarities, I couldn’t be certain.

Pondering, I pushed my curiosity aside and continued to observe below.

A moment later, another person appeared.

‘No, it’s a man again.’

The man, his robe pulled low like the one who had just passed, also cautiously scanned his surroundings, then struggled into the abandoned well.

Seeing his low physical ability, he was likely a Mage.

It weighed heavily on the speculation that the two who entered the dungeon were the Swordsman and Flame Mage who clashed in the underground waterway.

And after that, for 30 minutes, there were no more visitors.

I slowly rose to my feet.

“Is it just two? Or perhaps three?”

In Pernia’s case, whom I saw in the secret passage, since she could perfectly conceal herself, the possibility of her having secretly entered couldn’t be ruled out.

If my guess was correct, I could use her for Declaration of Rape if push came to shove, so I was a little less worried.

I descended the hill and headed towards the abandoned well.

The well had been neglected for a long time, dried up so much that not a single drop of water could be found.

Carefully, I jumped down and discovered a long passage extending from one side, and advanced through it.

The passage led to an underground cave.

The air gradually grew humid, and as the space expanded, an uneven floor and stalactites formed here and there greeted me.

I continued to advance for a long time.

‘It should be about time to reach the destination….’

I had already passed numerous corpses. They were gigantic spider monsters that lived in the underground cave.

Most of them had been cut by a sword, but a considerable number had also been burned to ashes.

The Flame Mage probably, as soon as he saw the monster corpses killed by a sword, recalled the incident in the underground waterway and frantically chased after him.

Just as expected, when I reached the massive cavern where the artifact was located, I witnessed a battle.

“Burn to ashes!”

Boom!

With the Flame Mage’s roar, a fireball left his hand and engulfed the Swordsman.

Although its firepower was weaker than Uni’s, if it hit someone bare, it possessed enough power to instantly cremate them.

Of course, it was meaningless if it didn’t hit.

“I will definitely kill you!”

The Swordsman, having thrown himself out of the explosion’s range, landed after a mid-air flip, then radiated murderous intent as he cut his arm with his sword.

The blood flowing from the long wound was absorbed directly into the sword, making it even keener.

But the Swordsman didn’t stop there.

Repeatedly, he inflicted wounds on his own body, allowing the sword to absorb the blood.

As he did so, the sword began to emit an even more brilliant sharpness, and the Swordsman’s entire body of muscles swelled considerably, granting him even greater power than usual.

It was a common characteristic of professions often seen in games.

‘It feels like a Berserker.’

The fact that he grew stronger the more damage he took was exactly alike.

“Burn forth!”

Meanwhile, the Flame Mage cast another spell and unleashed it upon the Swordsman.

Dozens of fireballs rained down.

“This is nothing!”

The Swordsman showed not an inch of retreat in front of them. Relying on a single sword, he kicked off the ground and broke through the fireballs.

His explosively increased physical abilities and sharpened sword cleanly cut through all of them.

However, it wasn’t without any damage; one of the fireballs grazed the Swordsman’s cheek, burning away the cloth that covered his face.

Beyond the burning cloth, a smooth, hairless scalp and facial features were revealed.

‘He really was the bald Swordsman!’

Furthermore, that face had quite distinctive features, so there would likely be no mistaking him for anyone else.

Just as I was secretly exulting.

Squish!

A very faint sound reached my ears, like someone stepping into a puddle.

Following the source of the sound, I confirmed it was the direction of the altar where the artifact was hidden.

‘It’s Pernia.’

They say old habits die hard. It seemed she was trying to steal again.

I looked regretfully at the Flame Mage, but thinking this was enough harvest, I abandoned my lingering thoughts and turned back towards the entrance.

There was no secret passage anyway, so to get out with the artifact, one had to go through the abandoned well.

Returning to the hill, I lay prone there, waiting for Pernia to appear.

And in less than three minutes, Pernia emerged from the abandoned well, humming a tune.

“Ahahaha! You fools. I’m taking the artifact!”

Her smiling face was slightly pale.

It was evidence that her mana was depleted.

She must have been pushing herself using stealth continuously throughout her time in the cave.

‘Lucky me.’

If Pernia had been able to use stealth, I might have foolishly missed her, so it was a good thing.

Before she could escape, I swiftly leaped down from the hill and blocked her path.

“Stop.”

“Uh, wha-! You, you are!”

“Hand over the artifact.”

Pernia, reunited with the one who had raped her, seemed flustered for a moment, then her face flushed red at the audacious demand.

“You rotten bastard. You’re trying to take what I painstakingly brought again? Do you think I’ll just let you?”

“……”

“This time, I’ll really kill you. I won’t let you get away with this.”

Pernia slowly drew her dagger.

As if vowing revenge, her sharp eyes scanned my entire body for vital points.

I fell into thought for a moment.

‘Can I win without using Declaration of Rape?’

I didn’t know how much Pernia had grown, but I had also become quite strong, so if she was at the same level as before, I had a good chance of winning.

Just as the tension was building.

“Take this and get lost! You motherfucker!”

Pernia, who had seemed about to charge at any moment, threw down a transparent glove and ran off in the opposite direction.

Flustered, I couldn’t even think of chasing her, and just stared blankly at her retreating back.

“What the—?”

Honestly, I had hoped she would hand it over willingly, but I thought there was no chance, so I was surprised to get the artifact so easily.

It seemed the experience of having both holes opened at once was quite a trauma for Pernia.

I felt a little sorry.

‘But I still feel good!’

Grinning, I picked up the transparent glove that had fallen to the ground and brushed it off.

Its name was Arachne’s Gloves.

Made from the threads of Arachne, an ancient magical beast, it boasted incredible durability and mana conductivity, and integrated perfectly with the user’s skin, providing a wearing experience with not a hint of discomfort.

Indeed, when I casually touched it, there was no distinct sensation, enough to make me doubt my eyes.

I immediately put on Arachne’s Gloves.

As I inserted my hand into the opening and pulled, it slid in smoothly as if lubricated, and the moment I let go, it vanished as if melting into my skin.

Having gone through the same process with the other hand, I clenched and unclenched my fists.

“Oh… this is incredible.”

Even when I grabbed and fiercely pinched my skin, the gloves absorbed all impact, and there was no pain whatsoever.

It seems I won’t need separate gauntlets.

“Good. Shall I give it a quick test?”

If Arachne’s Gloves’ performance simply ended there, the Possessors wouldn’t have gathered, risking danger.

I used the skill embedded in the gloves: Infinite Thread.

Swish—

As I injected mana, a single transparent thread shot out from my fingertip.

This wasn’t visible to my eyes either; I could only perceive it with a newly expanded sense, as if a tail had grown.

Though I wasn’t used to it yet, the transparent thread moved this way and that according to my will. Moreover, it continuously changed its properties whenever I wished.

It possessed a sticky adhesive quality, but the moment I revealed murderous intent, it exhibited sharp cutting power.

When I subtly wrapped it around a tree and pulled, the thread returned without the slightest resistance.

The cut surface was perfectly clean.

Just as I had seen in games, Infinite Thread possessed immense durability and cutting power.

“It’ll be useful.”

In fact, it wasn’t just useful; it was good enough to be used as a main skill.

But I was actually paying more attention to another characteristic. Namely, the Infinite Thread had the ability to accumulate and release applied loads.

Although its limit was set, for a single strike, I could now unleash power far exceeding my current level.

Numerous other uses also came to mind.

Nodding contentedly, I returned to the top of the hill.

Because the other two were still inside.

‘It feels like it’s about time for them to come out.’

Whether one of them died or fled, enough time had passed for a decisive outcome.

As if my thoughts weren’t mistaken, shortly after, from the abandoned well, the Flame Mage, covered in scratches here and there, burst out.

“Damn it! That persistent psycho bastard!”

He spat irritably onto the dirt ground, then hastily departed.

I had considered chasing him, but thinking ‘just in case,’ I held my position.

Anyway, I had heard his voice and remembered his build, so I would be able to deduce his identity quickly if I looked among the Flame Mages.

For now, it was more urgent to confirm if the bald Swordsman was alive.

‘If the Flame Mage killed him, he would have obtained a new unique skill like me.’

As I waited patiently, a moment later, the bald Swordsman appeared.

He looked scorched in various places.

“Damn, that cunning bastard. How dare he set a fire and run away? Next time, I’ll definitely kill him. I’ll peel off his entire scalp.”

As if recalling the Flame Mage, he gnashed his teeth and spat out his hatred.

Then he tilted his head again.

“But who the hell was it? The bastard who came to the dungeon before me and took the artifact. Could it be that there are others in the first year besides me and that guy? I need to be careful.”

Through this incident, everyone’s caution had evolved further. It was a boon that I was able to learn their identities, but it was a misfortune that other Possessors had conceived of new possibilities.

‘What should I do about the Possessors?’

I gazed at the disappearing bald Swordsman and pondered what to do next.