Chapter 8

Contrary to my inner anxieties, it really was no different than an outing.

The dungeon we went to was an abandoned mine dungeon near the Academy. It had already been completely mined out and closed down, but when the gate opened, a boss settled in, turning the entire abandoned mine into a dungeon.

If the dungeon’s boss wasn’t periodically killed and the monsters dealt with, their numbers would grow indiscriminately and they would raid civilian homes.

In fact, the dungeon’s existence was revealed because a spider-type monster, after engaging in cannibalism among its own kind, discovered and attacked a civilian home.

‘In many ways, it’s a tough world to live in.’

A hodgepodge of gates and dungeons. I didn’t know whose idea it was, but I wanted to smack them on the head.

It might be good for a game system, but it was a world that was difficult for humans to live in in many ways!

“It’s… not as bad as I thought.”

At the sight of Laurel moving forward smoothly, Lucian let out a sigh as if greatly relieved.

Seeing that, however, Laurel threw a punch and burst out laughing.

“Why? Did you think I was dragging you to a dangerous place? No matter how reckless I am, I’m not like that~”

“That’s not it, but….”

In the first place, it was a ‘dungeon outing’ that the system itself had certified. I didn’t know what variables Lucian’s joining would bring, but at least the dungeon itself would be safe.

“There’s no need for us to even step in.”

With pure physical strength, she was crushing spiders whose durability was top-notch, not even getting scratched by a sword.

It was truly a spectacular sight. Even Lucian, who had been gripping the Holy Sword so hard his palms were sweating, visibly relaxed.

“Unexplored areas have their own thrill. I’ll take you there sometime.”

“No, I’m fine with that.”

I’ll politely decline.

At the firm refusal, Laurel burst out laughing again. Her clear laughter, like jade beads, echoed throughout the abandoned mine.

“Theo is quite cute, too.”

Where on earth am I cute─

The moment I heard a peok! sound as a spider was crushed, my complaint vanished.

Right, in Laurel’s eyes, even that spider could look cute. If Laurel says it’s cute, it’s cute. Yup, that’s right.

“You can’t get hurt. Make sure to wear your cloak. The cloaks given to Academy students have a protection magic cast on them.”

Laurel once again turned a spider attacking from the left into a pulp.

“It blocks most impacts, has warming magic, and a lot of other miscellaneous functions, so it’s an important supply item that gets you in trouble if you lose it.”

Laurel lightly added that even if you found it again, the very fact that you lost it was grounds for disciplinary action, so I should manage it carefully. Lucian fiddled with the hem of his cloak as if he found it fascinating.

“It’s best if nothing dangerous happens, but you never know what will happen in a dungeon. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

To think Laurel would say something like that. For some reason… she seemed like a very dependable senior, and it felt strange.

In truth, something else was more important.

“Don’t say such ominous things.”

Words become seeds, and a single remark like that from Laurel would become a flag that piles up. Saying something like that would only add plausibility to the ridiculous story the writer writes as they please!

“Aren’t you worrying too much? It’s just a common dungeon that’s been managed for nearly 30 years.”

The problem was that incidents and accidents never ceased. And I was especially anxious because I was next to the protagonist.

“I’ll protect you no matter what happens.”

Whether he knew my feelings or not, Lucian carefully patted my shoulder.

Those are the scariest words in the world!

For a protagonist who had yet to awaken, the words ‘I’ll protect you’ were synonymous with ‘I’ll never be able to protect you.’ Am I going to die like the NPC who appeared as Student 1?

“I’ll protect my own body.”

More than anything, I refused to become a nuisance character who only caused trouble for the protagonist.

“If you say so, I can’t help it.”

Was it just my imagination that Lucian looked strangely gloomy?

I don’t understand his train of thought. He’s not a sensitive middle schooler going through puberty.

Keu-eung, I wiped the sweat seeping from the back of my neck with my palm.

“Since I’m a mage anyway, I’ll take the rear. You take the front. That works, right?”

“Alright!”

It wasn’t much different from saying I’d use him as a meat shield, so why on earth was he so happy?

Well, he may be a soft sweet potato now, but someday he’ll at least become a dried sweet potato.

Ah, of course, I had not a shred of expectation that the protagonist would escape his sweet potato-ness. Don’t underestimate the sweet potato power of a sweet potato protagonist who will go down in the history of the gaming world.

Laurel, who had been leisurely dealing with the spiders, must have overheard our conversation, as she let out a sound of admiration.

“You’ve gotten quite close already, haven’t you? I mean, in the first year, making friends is the most important thing! All the friends I’m close with now, I made in my first year!”

Why does deciding on front and rear guard positions lead to a comment about getting closer, Senior?

However, I couldn’t voice my complaint. The other person was a magical girl (physical) who could crush spiders that even a grown man couldn’t beat with her fists.

“No need to be nervous. In the first place, by the time you guys have to step in, I’d already be on the verge of death, and there’s no way you could deal with a guy strong enough to kill me!”

A sense of leisure emanated from her as she brushed the spider’s blue blood off the back of her hand.

To be able to say such pessimistic words so cheerfully must be another talent.

In any case, if something like that happened, I would be the one to die, and Laurel would be next.

The only one in this world who was certain not to die was Lucian. Because he was the protagonist of this world, the hero who would save the world, the one who would become the Hero.

Compared to the protagonist’s heavy, heavy life, my life would be a single line explaining the protagonist’s sorrow, just about that much.

To be honest, I wasn’t too keen on that. No, it was a bit unpleasant. Though it was not something I could show.

* * *

After walking for a long time, just as my legs were starting to ache, we arrived in front of the gate where the boss would soon respawn.

“I’ll be back after finishing this up quickly.”

“Do we not have to go in together?”

“It’s a boss I can handle alone anyway. I’ve been taking it on solo with ease since my second year.”

Laurel, who was warming up by stretching lightly, moved into the gate without hesitation.

The dungeon, which had been glowing orange as if to announce the boss’s appearance, turned red as soon as Laurel went inside.

“Are you sure we don’t need to help her?”

“If we followed her in, we’d just be a hindrance.”

If the boss targeted us, Laurel would have to protect us, and then her attacks would be disrupted.

“Still….”

Anxiety tinged Lucian’s voice as he trailed off. Was it the protagonist’s premonition, or something like that?

A red gate means complete isolation from the world. It was safe to say one was trapped in a completely different world.

Until the gate is closed by dealing with the boss, one cannot know what is happening inside the gate, nor can one interfere.

Perhaps, my skill was an exception.

What the system allowed me was a mere thirteen characters. It wasn’t generous, but it wasn’t insufficient either. That much was enough.

I smirked, one corner of my mouth lifting, and used the I Am the Writer skill.

Parchment and a quill pen appeared before my eyes, and I glanced at Lucian. There was no particular stir or surprise.

Perhaps because it was a skill derived from the system, it seemed that this too was only visible to my eyes.

「I shall peek inside the gate」

As I finished the sentence, the vision in my left eye blurred for a moment. In that instant, what I saw clearly was Laurel dealing with the boss with ease.

Laurel, so relaxed she even seemed to be enjoying herself, was truly overwhelming the boss, which was dozens of times larger than her own body.

“The Senior is fine.”

“You saw inside the gate?”

“For now─”

This is really quite useful. Though I was already a bit dizzy.

“Lucian, this is a trick no one else can use, so it’s our little secret, okay?”

This was something even my father couldn’t do.

If it was revealed that a worthless mage like me could do such a thing, the world would be in an uproar.

They would ask how it was possible, and I wouldn’t be able to explain.

In this world, there were gods and demons. Which meant, the Inquisitors, who would be sorely missed if they were absent from the medieval era, also existed. One misstep and it would be perfect for being branded a heretic and killed.

A world setting where landmines that kill people are buried wherever you go, is this difficulty for real?

“I’ll keep it a secret even if it kills me.”

“…Thanks.”

The words that he didn’t need to go that far didn’t quite come out. In any case, if word got out, my life would be in danger too.

Hmm, my nose wasn’t bleeding, but seeing the rampaging Laurel with one eye and Lucian with the other was distracting.

Just then, with a kung─ a vibration as if a giant spider-type monster had collapsed, the boss hunt was over.

Now the dungeon outing is over.

Tiring!

+++

<Sudden Quest> [Completed]

Laurel has defeated the boss.

The power of the magical girl (physical) was mighty.

-Reward : EXP 500

+++

Nice!

The sudden quest was also completed properly.

I don’t know if I leveled up, but I’ll have to check after I get out of the dungeon.

Right, now I should deactivate the Writer skill. I was getting dizzy from the distraction.

In that moment─ my heart sank.

It was an intense sensation that could never be mistaken.

Just like when I first experienced the end, the blood in my entire body surged backward, threatening to seize my whole body and shake it violently at any moment.

“Theo?”

At that moment, the dungeon itself shook.

A sound like the world was wailing struck my eardrums. It was truly a lamentations.

Ignoring my furiously pounding heart, I closed my right eye. It was to focus entirely on the situation inside the gate.

The first thing I saw was Laurel’s bewildered face. On Laurel’s face, which had always been confident and composed… for the first time, something called fear was present.

Laurel, who seemed to be muttering a curse under her breath, clenched her fist.

On her hand was something like a boxer’s gauntlet, the origin of which was unknown.

It was something I hadn’t seen when she was fighting the boss.

But both Laurel and I, who was watching this situation, instinctively realized that any action was nothing more than a futile struggle.

Kiiiiiiiik─

At the chilling sound, like scraping a steel plate with fingernails, I even forgot to breathe.

This was an overwhelming and instinctive fear that all living beings would have.

《There are flies.》

The low whisper struck my heart violently.

“Keo-heok!!!”

Ulk-keok, I felt something surging up from inside me. Without swallowing the fishy-smelling substance, I spat it out as it was.

At the same time, when I opened my closed right eye, I saw my cloak, stained with the red blood I had vomited.

“Ah.”

My vision is completely red. Red blood trickles from my eyes.

At that moment, the familiar tiring notification sound was heard.

The pure white system, tinged red by my blood-red vision, seemed to be mocking me.

+++

<Sudden Quest>

Death has descended before your eyes.

Survive from death.

-Reward : ???

-Failure : Death

+++

This is insane.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep