As expected, when Nakrard returned to the vicinity of the Academy after operating elsewhere for some time, he found that all the dungeons he had marked had disappeared, and he couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
What in the world is this?
Not only were they left alone, but they were hidden under Tariki’s power—how could anyone have found and cleared them?
It’s possible that one could have been discovered by chance.
But to clear nearly a dozen dungeons?
There was no need to wonder who the culprit was.
The one who cleared the dungeons left their mark, almost as if mocking Nakrard.
Armathi’s apostle.
That damnable god must have given you some kind of revelation, huh?
I should have killed you that day.
I let my emotions get the better of me, thinking I could toy with you, and ended up paying dearly for it.
Grinding his teeth, Nakrard exhaled deeply.
This is troublesome.
This throws my entire plan off course.
I intended to recruit a foolish girl, use her desires to sow chaos in the Academy.
When the Academy’s magic was shaken by the dungeon's rampage, I planned to spread Tariki’s power throughout the chaos. But now...
Nakrard ran a hand over his face.
Is my arrogance going to cause a setback in fulfilling the god’s will?
I want to atone for my mistakes with my life immediately, but I can’t do that right now.
Even if I did, it wouldn’t change reality.
Even though the plan has veered off course, I must find another way to fulfill Tariki’s desires.
That is the duty of an apostle.
I can offer my life later.
If I had more time, I could have come up with another solution, but there’s no time left.
“I shouldn’t have left my position.”
What’s the point of spreading Tariki’s glory if I fail to fulfill his will?
As Nakrard bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, contemplating his next move, a voice called out.
‘Child.’
A voice that flowed from the shadows, curling around his mind.
Nakrard recognized this voice.
Of course, Nakrard knew this voice.
“Ah, Lord Tariki.”
The apostle of the evil god immediately knelt, offering his worship.
Tears streamed down his face at the merciful voice of the god, despite his own failures.
‘Do not worry. Our master has prepared for everything.’
“Ah...”
‘The power they have bestowed will now reach you as well.’
<Can you even call this studying? You’re just flipping through the pages.>
‘My blessings remember everything, so there’s no problem.’
<Child, studying is not just about getting high grades...>
Having become skilled at tuning out Grandpa’s nagging, I hummed absentmindedly while my eyes skimmed through the text.
Hmm! As expected, I don’t get it!
I’ve thought this before, but trying to learn something when you have no foundation or basic knowledge is ridiculously hard.
If I really want to study, I should probably start with the books meant for 7 or 8-year-olds.
I can’t keep sleeping through classes forever, so maybe I should at least pretend to study sometime.
As I flipped through the pages with that thought, I soon closed the book and stretched.
I’ve saved all the exam content in the log, so I’ll just scroll through it right before the test.
Huuuuh. Maybe I should take a day off after the exams.
I’ve been living so frantically, clearing dungeons left and right.
I’ve been clearing three dungeons a day just to have a little free time later.
And I didn’t just stay in the back to direct things for experience—at some point, I jumped into the fights myself to increase my skill level.
That hard work has paid off in many ways.
I’ve surpassed my level goal and reached 25.
I’ve picked up various useful items, so my purse is fuller.
And through the process of experiencing real combat, I’ve significantly improved my proficiency with the mace and shield.
To the point where Grandpa said I could now hold my own against most knights.
Of course, the knights of the Allen family are not included in “most.”
Grandpa said the ones who train there are all exceptional, beyond my current capabilities.
He told me it would take a lot more training before I could stand on equal footing with them.
When I spar with Karl, I can still feel that he’s holding back, so it’s unlikely that the other knights would be any different.
Anyway, my growth rate right now is insane.
Even by game standards, it’s fast.
It must be thanks to all the grueling training I did at the Allen estate before I entered the Academy.
At this point, I might even be able to beat some of the stronger seniors in the second year.
No matter how I think about it, this is all thanks to the petty evil god.
It’s because they kept throwing obstacles my way that I was able to grow so quickly.
I wonder what that petty evil god is thinking, watching their attempts to sabotage me actually make me stronger.
“Lady Allen!”
The sound of a girl’s voice accompanied by a knock at the door made me turn my head.
Who could it be at this late hour? Everyone should be asleep by now.
Even if it weren’t late, there shouldn’t be anyone visiting my dorm.
Could it be someone playing a prank?
Curious, I stood up and opened the door to find Vissy standing there.
“My lady!”
‘What’s the matter?’
“What is it, Vissy?”
“Please help me! You’re the only one I can rely on!”
Help you?
I was puzzled by the sudden outburst without any explanation, and Vissy quickly blurted out her story.
Here’s what she said.
Tonight.
She was talking to the ghost in the haunted mansion when suddenly the ghost hid her inside a wardrobe.
Then, shortly after, a figure painted in black barged into the mansion.
The ghost, who had never shown such strange power before, fought against the black figure but was ultimately defeated. The black figure then embedded a purple-tinged stone into the unconscious ghost’s chest.
“As soon as the stone was embedded in Adri’s chest, a dungeon entrance appeared there. Adri disappeared without a trace. She must have been sucked into that dungeon!”
As I listened to Vissy’s explanation, only one thought crossed my mind.
Why is this happening so soon?
A dungeon forming around the haunted mansion’s ghost is an event that also occurs in the Soul Academy game.
As I mentioned before, the one responsible for creating dungeons in this world is the petty evil god.
The god who leads other evil gods and spreads chaos throughout the world by creating dungeons.
This is Agra’s unique power, but it’s also a power that can be shared with other evil gods.
The problem is that the other evil gods who receive this power cannot create dungeons just anywhere like Agra can.
They are weaker than Agra, so they need something to act as a catalyst for the dungeon.
Something with enough power or history to serve as the foundation.
In this case, the ghost in the haunted mansion is a perfect anchor.
It has a deep history from having stayed there for so long, and it harbors enough resentment to have become a lingering spirit.
But the point at which a dungeon forms around the ghost is supposed to be in the second year at the Academy.
It’s supposed to happen a year from now when Agra’s seal weakens further.
Why is it happening now?
“Please help, Lady Allen. I beg you. Please rescue Adri from the dungeon. I’ll do anything you ask. Please.”
Watching Vissy, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face, I couldn’t help but sigh.
No amount of thinking about why this event occurred early will change what’s already happened.
The real question is something else.
Should I help Vissy?
Or should I refuse her plea?
If Vissy had simply asked me to clear a regular dungeon, I would have nodded without hesitation.
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I could just take Karl and Alsatian with me, storm in, and wreck everything, just like any other dungeon.
But dungeons created by evil gods other than Agra have different characteristics.
Solo clear.
You have to enter and clear the dungeon alone.
It means I would have to handle everything that happens inside by myself.
Even if something completely unexpected happens and I end up dying.
Why not just send Karl instead?
I’d love to, but it’s impossible.
Whether Karl is afraid of ghosts or not, there’s a bigger problem.
The theme of that dungeon is undead.
Just like when I faced the necromancer before, the monsters in there are completely immune to physical attacks.
If Karl went in alone, he’d be toyed with by the ghosts, and clearing the dungeon would be impossible.
Maybe I could do it, now that I can imbue my mace with divinity.
Sigh.
I know exactly what kind of dungeon is formed around the ghost.
I know what monsters will appear, what the layout is, and how to clear the boss.
Difficulty?
With my current state, I can definitely clear it.
The dungeon is tricky for two reasons.
One, physical attacks can’t harm the monsters inside.
And two, the curses and debuffs used by the undead are a real pain, but I can deal with both.
And now that I’ve eased some of the ghost’s resentment by giving it a ribbon, I’m confident I can manage.
Still, I hesitate for one reason alone.
I don’t know what could happen inside.
I can’t predict what that petty, twisted evil god Agra might do.
Look, he’s already triggered something that wasn’t supposed to happen just because he’s pissed off.
He’s probably waiting for me to enter alone so he can jump at the chance to kill me.
Logically, the right thing to do is to refuse.
Right now, this request is like asking whether the ghost will disappear or if I’ll be dragged down with it.
No matter how pitiful the girl in front of me looks, it would be wiser to coldly turn her down.
“Lady Allen!”
I know.
I know, but...
Sigh.
Damn it.
I can’t bring myself to say no.
Since this isn’t a dungeon, there’s only one person who could send me a message.
That useless god.
[Quest: Save the Ghost!] [Save the ghost that has become the anchor of the dungeon!] [Reward: Dungeon Escape Ticket (Pre-issued)] [Failure Penalty: None]
Huh?
What? A dungeon escape ticket?
Is this what I think it is?
Ha.
Hahaha.
...
Useless god, did you know?
I’ve been your apostle for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve actually thought you might be a real god.
If only you were like this all the time, Armathi.
So you’re saying I should go if I want to save her?
Fine, I’ll go.
“Let’s go, Vissy.”
“Let’s go, Vissy.”