As I faced the oncoming throngs of undead, it became clear just how powerful I’d grown.
The curses they hurled at me in an attempt to slow me down were either completely ineffective or, at most, barely scratched the surface before being obliterated by the power of divinity.
From there, they lunged at me, desperate to land a blow, but none of them could leave a mark.
Their movements were sloppy, as they weren’t trained for combat.
Why would I fear attacks that couldn’t even scratch the shield crafted by dwarves?
Once I cleared out yet another room filled with the undead, I took a deep breath and instinctively shook off my mace.
What filled me after each battle was a strange sense of exhilaration, something beyond the simple buff effects of my Mesugaki skills—something I couldn’t quite put into words.
The reason I had fought so hard to get stronger was simple: survival.
I believed that if I didn’t pass the entrance exam for the Academy, I would die.
And after passing, I kept training relentlessly, knowing that if I didn’t grow stronger, I could become just another casualty in Agra’s twisted games.
But despite all my efforts, I rarely had time to appreciate the strength I had gained.
My opponents were always far stronger than me, so anytime I felt even a tinge of pride, reality quickly knocked me back down. Like playing whack-a-mole, with my head constantly being hammered into the ground.
The moment I thought, maybe I’m getting stronger, something or someone was always there to shatter that thought immediately.
Based purely on stats, I know I’m considered strong. But after being beaten, broken, and defeated so many times, all I felt was weakness.
Yet here, in this dungeon, smashing in the skulls of undead with my mace, I could finally feel my strength.
Even though the match-up was in my favor, this dungeon wasn’t supposed to be tackled until the second year of the Academy.
And here I was, just a first-year, taking my midterm.
If I had fought normally, I would’ve been torn apart the moment I stepped foot inside.
But those knights couldn’t even scratch me.
And it wasn’t just the knights—nothing in this cursed mansion could inflict any serious damage on me.
Right now, I was undeniably strong.
The world might keep throwing curveballs at me, making it hard to appreciate my power, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t formidable.
Wait... so does any of this even matter?
Lost in thought, I stepped into the corridor, noticing how the mansion had changed.
The destruction I’d wrought was spreading through the house, starting from the room I just cleared.
Ornaments were shattered, the decor ripped apart, blood—presumably human—splattered across the floors and walls.
Wind gusted in through broken windows, rattling the chandelier overhead.
Ignoring the eerie noise that echoed through the halls, I opened yet another intact door.
At this rate, I feel like I’m becoming the demolition crew for this place.
And it wasn’t like I was going around smashing things on purpose.
I kept heading upward.
I wrecked what was once a dining hall where a family likely shared warm meals.
I smashed the head of a lady ghost who had probably once lounged in a room filled with jewelry and fine clothes.
I defeated a butler who blocked my path to the top floor.
I turned the once lord of this mansion, who had guarded his office, into ashes.
With each encounter, the mansion’s state deteriorated further.
What had once been a well-kept house, ready to welcome guests, was now a ruin because of one uninvited intruder—me.
「It’s starting to look more and more like the mansion we saw from the outside.」
I had reached the top floor.
The final untouched room in this wreck of a mansion: Adri’s bedroom.
When I threw open the door, there she was, seated on the bed, legs crossed, just as she had greeted me when I first arrived.
“Who... are you?”
The first thing out of her mouth, spoken in a cold, detached tone.
“Why does everything crumble in your wake? How can you interfere in my mansion, which should be under my control?”
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёwebnovel.com.
“I’m the Apostle of the Great, Almighty Trash God♡.”
I spat out the words of power with all the mockery I could muster.
What? Is there a problem with a god’s apostle performing miracles?
If you don’t like it, feel free to file a complaint with my Trash God by prayer. Though, good luck getting a response—he barely even talks to me, the lazy bum.
As Adri furrowed her brows, I kept going.
“So, what do you think you know?”
“Let’s see... maybe a bit more than a shut-in ghost like you?♡ Obviously♡.”
Did she even realize how many times I had conquered this mansion?
While she remained clueless, I had defeated her hundreds of times.
Hell, I’d even taken her down bare-handed before, without a single piece of equipment.
So, what could I possibly not know about this mansion?
I answered with a grin, but it wasn’t the answer Adri wanted, as her scowl deepened, and she slowly rose from the bed.
“I see. If you won’t answer willingly, I’ll just force it out of you.”
With that, she lifted her hand, and I was suddenly flung into the air, ejected from the room.
I didn’t have time to regain my balance.
As soon as I hit the ground, the floor tilted, sending me tumbling like a ball down the hallway. Sliding like I was on a massive playground slide, I was dumped unceremoniously in front of the main entrance again.
I grimaced from the impact and forced myself to stand, looking up to see Adri at the top of the stairs.
“I’ll punish you, you audacious little thief, for trying to steal my mansion.”
As she spoke, all the doors in the mansion flung open, and out came a variety of objects—everything from brooms and dusters to cursed spellbooks, enchanted swords, and even staves that summoned the undead.
Watching the poltergeist-like scene unfold, I couldn’t help but smile.
This was the first phase of the fight with Adri.
I had to dodge the endless barrage of flying objects, make my way to the top floor, and deal enough damage to her.
The first time I encountered this pattern, it was a nightmare.
The second you let your guard down, something would hit you, and you’d be stun-locked, left vulnerable to a chain of attacks that would lead to instant death.
But that was back then. Now? This wouldn’t even be a warm-up for me.
The attacks followed a set pattern.
For example, the broom would smack you to stun you, then a sword would strike your legs, followed by a spellbook launching a curse at the exact spot.
The coding was clearly designed to screw over the player, but once you memorized the sequence, it was a different story.
I could already see where to dodge.
“What the...?”
「Hoh. You’ve got good reflexes.」
I dodged the first attack and sprinted forward as praise echoed around me.
But they didn’t know—this wasn’t about reflexes.
I wasn’t reacting to the attacks. I already knew where they were coming from and how to avoid them. It was all muscle memory.
“Damn it! Why aren’t you getting hit?!”
Adri was getting frustrated as I deftly dodged her attacks.
What could I say?
She was up against me.
“Are you even trying to hit me?♡ For real?♡ Or are you just playing around?♡”
“Shut up!”
“If I’m annoying, why don’t you come shut me up, huh?♡ Oh wait, you can’t because you’re just a pathetic shut-in ghost!♡”
I scaled the stairs to the second floor, then vaulted over the railings to the third.
Without a scratch, I reached Adri’s location.
Panicking, she began gathering objects around her in defense, but it was just another one of her tired, predictable patterns.
I dodged the incoming barrage and brought my mace down hard on Adri’s pale, ghostly face, imbued with divine power.
“Kghhh!”
That had to hurt.
After all, I had honed my mace skills with one goal in mind: smashing Nakrard’s skull.
Even as Adri writhed in pain and tried desperately to push me away, it was futile.
She might be a boss, but she was still a mage-type.
There was no way her physical prowess could compare to that of a holy knight who had trained relentlessly to strengthen her body.
I kept swinging.
Again and again.
If she weren’t a ghost, I’m pretty sure her skull would’ve shattered by now.
And then, a shockwave erupted from her, centered on where I had been bashing her.
I had anticipated this, so I tried to brace myself, but it was no use.
Some force pried my feet from the ground, and I was thrown from the fourth floor back down to the first.
I rolled as I hit the ground, then quickly stood up, glaring upward.
“You bitch!”
Adri, clutching her head, stumbled as she got back up. Her voice was laced with venom as she waved her hand.
In an instant, more undead, all identical to her, began appearing throughout the mansion, and the objects that had momentarily dropped to the floor floated back into the air.
“I’ll kill you.”
Her voice echoed from the mouths of countless Adri clones throughout the mansion. It had always been creepy in the game, but seeing it in real life was downright horrifying.
Memories of old nightmares came flooding back.
Back then, I didn’t know how to tell the real Adri from the fakes. I just went around blindly attacking everything, only to end up getting overwhelmed by the flying objects and dying repeatedly.
I don’t even remember how many attempts it took to beat her. It was at least a few hours’ worth of tries.
But now, I know exactly how to distinguish the real one from the fakes.
Effortlessly blocking a sword aimed at me, I glanced around the room.
Lucky me.
Starting from the first floor made things a whole lot easier.
Spotting the real Adri, I dashed forward. She tried to retreat in a panic, but it was far too late.
You knew from the start you wouldn’t be able to stop me, Adri.
As soon as my mace slammed into Adri’s head, all the undead and floating objects vanished, disappearing like a popped bubble.
And then, not long after, more Adri clones reappeared.
“Can you find me again this time?”
“You think I can’t?♡ Seriously?♡”
“Don’t get cocky.”
“Isn’t the real one in front of the painting in the reception room on the second floor?♡ Come on, say I’m wrong♡.”
Sorry, Adri, but the moment I figured out your first location, your fate was sealed.
I’ve memorized every spot you respawn in.
You’re one of the boss monsters in Soul Academy, after all.
And unless you’re suddenly stronger than me—strong enough to crush me by sheer force—no matter what you do, you won’t escape my grasp.
So how about you just give up already?
I mean, I’d prefer not to take this exam running on zero sleep.