episode_0093

“…! As expected, there’s something!”

Without even noticing the inexplicable presence behind me, I entered another room.

And as I expected, there was another artifact and the dungeon’s core.

I carefully laid down Ropel, who I had been carrying, onto the floor and approached the dungeon’s core.

The dungeon’s core was something glowing in the shape of a sphere, suspended in mid-air.

A vast amount of magic power was repeatedly being emitted from it and then absorbed.

The core merely serves as the dungeon’s energy source; if destroyed, it doesn’t completely vanish but is transferred to another dimension, only to cross over to this world one day and reactivate the dungeon.

“Hooahp..!”

As soon as I found it, I wrapped my hands in cloth and struck it.

Although it was a mass of magic power, it was strangely not hard at all, and in fact, felt soft to the touch.

Furthermore, it didn’t seem to have any particular physical properties, as it didn’t feel hot or cold at all when my hand touched it.

Like that, the core warped with a shattering sound and soon turned into dust, scattering..

“With this.. soon the magic power connection between this place and the academy will be restored..!”

This dungeon, with its core destroyed, will soon lose its magic power, and the other monsters that lost their power source will also turn to dust and vanish.

Also, the property of blocking external magic power that surrounded the dungeon will disappear, and it will reconnect with the academy.

This is enough for me and the other students, but not for Ropel.

As magic power flows from a single object, the core, to all locations in the dungeon. Just because the core is broken doesn’t mean the dungeon immediately loses power.

This means it will take some time for the circulating magic power to be completely depleted, proportional to the dungeon’s size.

For Ropel, for whom every second counts, this is indeed an unfortunate situation.

“Quick.. quick, what kind of artifact is there…!”

The other artifact that was in this room was floating in the air, shaped like a staff.

Like the dungeon’s core that was just destroyed, it was endlessly emitting magic power and light.

It was when I reached out my hand aimlessly, wondering how I should retrieve that object which was so high it was close to the ceiling.

Then, that object suddenly flew to my hand as if sticking to it.

The moment the staff was grasped in my hand, its information flowed into my mind.

Its name is [Perlegia], and the staff’s ability is… to amplify the owner’s magic power.

…Upon learning this, a sense of despair instantly enveloped my entire body.

Even if magic power is amplified through this artifact and healing magic is cast on Ropel, his body cannot recover due to the attack of the boss monster.

At first, only his arms were in an unrecoverable state due to the saliva, but soon the saliva spread throughout his body like a poison.

I knew this because when I tried to treat him with my limited magic power, other areas not directly affected by the saliva did not heal properly either.

Just as the hope I held was about to turn into despair, I realized it could turn back into hope.

Certainly, according to Ropel’s information, which I don’t know where it came from, the monster’s saliva blocks healing magic.

Yes, he specifically said ‘healing’ magic.

But what about other types of magic? That is still unknown.

I quickly rushed towards Ropel, who was lying collapsed.

And, tightly gripping the staff in my hand, I prepared to cast magic.

Soon, I felt an amount of magic power flowing through my bloodstream that was so vast I couldn’t believe I was capable of it.

First, I cast telekinetic magic to stop the blood gushing from his entire body, staunching the bleeding.

And I imbued magic power into his wounds, letting it circulate throughout his body to diagnose his condition.

As I closed my eyes and focused, his internal body structure became visible.

Indeed, that saliva had flowed along his blood vessels, spread throughout his body, and was blocking healing magic.

It possessed a blocking ability so robust that even casting advanced healing with amplified magic power would have no effect.

Following this, I tested magic powers with different properties to confirm the nature of that saliva.

“..What? A property that blocks healing itself..? Then potions are useless too..?

Maybe purification magic… it’s no use.. Is it because its rank is low..? Or…

..Since it’s inside Ropel’s body, I can’t use attack-type magic, but…”

When I tried precisely touching only the parts affected by the saliva with telekinetic magic, I realized that it couldn’t block this and was held.

Upon realizing this, hope surged within me that I could still save him.

Carefully, using telekinetic magic, I tried to push only the part corresponding to the saliva out of his blood vessels and extract it through the wounds.

“Kkeueu.. Ugh..!”

While focusing, I staggered from sudden dizziness, and the magic I was casting was released.

Blood vessels burst in my eyes, blood flowed from my nose, and my body wouldn’t obey as if having a seizure.

Fortunately, I immediately regained control and was able to maintain at least the hemostasis magic, but other magics like X-ray vision or the telekinetic magic targeting the saliva were released.

“Heok.. Heok.. Why..?”

This feeling was similar to the magic sickness felt when magic power is insufficient, but at a more severe level.

As I gripped the staff with that question in mind, information about it entered my head again.

…I see.. As expected, this staff wasn’t an artifact that amplifies magic power for free.

Its principle was to forcefully extract magic power by pushing the body to its limits.

Indeed, no artifact, no matter what, could create something out of nothing, so perhaps this is a natural price.

“…But.. I can’t give up..!”

But what does that matter.

Already, this man before me pushed his body to its limits for me.

He didn’t stop even as his arms were broken, his foot was twisted, and his waist was pierced.

What could I not do for him, given that.

Forcing myself to clear my dizzying mind, I focused my consciousness again.

To reduce the burden of using magic power directed at his internal body, I just need to shorten the distance the magic has to travel.

In other words, I needed to get physically closer to him.

“..Ropel.. Excuse me..”

Although my face flushed slightly, I couldn’t hesitate.

Layering myself right over his body, I moved towards his face.

And, pressing my lips together, I infused my magic power.

Soon, the magic power spread throughout his entire body, seeping into the wounds and gripping the saliva.

Pulling it towards the wounds, extracting that poison-like substance, his blood gradually began to purify.

“Eueup.. Eup…!”

Again, a feeling of unpleasantness began to creep in, along with a sensation like my brain was melting.

If my focus wavers even slightly, the magic casting will immediately stop.

I must save him.

Not even the slightest mistake can be allowed.

This… this kind of pain is nothing…!

…I felt the sensation of the lips pressed together.

It was a soft touch I had never felt before.

That feeling should only be felt on the lips, but strangely, my whole body felt warm and cozy.

Following this, I extended my tongue towards the inside of his mouth.

With the tip of my tongue, I tasted the metallic bitterness along with the inside of his mouth.

Little by little.. little by little.. as I felt the inside of his mouth, the pain tormenting my mind no longer seemed to matter.

I was able to focus on the magic again without caring about anything else.

And soon, the process of purifying his blood gradually came to an end.

“Eup.. Pha-ha…! Fi.. Finally..!”

I realized that all of the monster’s saliva had been extracted from his body and purified!

Therefore, I also quickly cast healing magic targeting his entire body.

But..

“Good.. N.. Now if I just cast healing magic… Keuk…!”

With a feeling like something snapped in my head, I collapsed right there.

It wasn’t a matter of pain or anything like that, my body itself was refusing to move.

Now, my body wouldn’t obey as if it could no longer tolerate any more burden.

“N.. No.. It’s.. all.. finished.. yet…!

Only the.. last step.. remains…!”

Along with the academy’s magic, which enveloped Ropel’s and my bodies, my vision blurred.

. . .

“Ro.. Ropel.. What.. What happened…!”

I was trembling, wrapped in a blanket, at the test site where the dungeon conquest test had begun and the portal leading to the dungeon was created.

The academy tried to conceal the incident, fearing it might create anxiety after another incident erupted following the terror attack at the entrance ceremony in the same year,

but they couldn’t stop the rumors from spreading like wildfire due to the students who hadn’t returned long after the test end time.

The dungeon’s rank suddenly rose. The connection with the dungeon was cut off.

And critically, the students who left for the dungeon did not return.

Because of this, the test site ultimately became a camp filled with people waiting for the participants.

Knowing that Ropel, my first and only friend in my life, was also taking this test, I finished the test being held by the Alchemy Department in less than 5 minutes and rushed here immediately.

And until he returned safely, I had been waiting until now, three days later, with various types of potions just in case, tucked away in my pocket.

“Pl.. Please.. Be safe, Ropel…”

Trapped for three days in a dungeon, furthermore, one suspected to be at least C-rank, an advanced dungeon.

This was enough information to quickly turn this place where people gathered into an atmosphere of a funeral home.

Those who were devastated, hoping to at least recover a body, those like me who hadn’t given up hope yet, and those who were expressing their emotions by getting angry.

They were all waiting endlessly for their friends or children.

“Come.. out.. Keok.. it’s.. don.. Heoeop.. Heok.. Keuk. Keo-eok.. Heok..!”

A staff member, unable to catch his breath, ran towards the camp.

He seemed to want to shout something, but it was impossible to understand him.

However, it was enough to attract the attention of the many people gathered at this camp.

Even if it was any kind of news.

“Everyone, come out of the test site! Heok.. Heok.. Connection with the dungeon has succeeded!

Students will be transferred here soon, so accidents might occur.. Keo-heok.. Keo-heok.. so please come out quickly!”

Students are coming here.

At that shout, people uniformly moved, clearing the places where they had just been.

Immediately after, a person appeared and fell just above the test site.

It was a man with messy, curly black hair, covered in blood from head to toe.

Seeing him, my legs moved reflexively.

Because that face was too familiar.

“Ro.. Ropel…!!!!”