Early in the morning, the lights in Luca’s office were, unsurprisingly, already on.
“Lady Arlen. What brings you here so early in the morning?”
Luca, dressed neatly and sipping tea, showed no signs of surprise at my visit.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“No~ I’m pretty sure if I drank anything from a disgusting pervert like you, you'd put something weird in it.”
“Hmmm. I doubt you'd be able to drink most things anyway, my lady.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Luca motioned for me to sit on the sofa, while he took a seat opposite me.
“Now, to get back to the topic. What brings you here? Would you like me to leak some exam questions?”
“Do you really think someone as useless as you could even do that?”
“If I wanted to, I could. Most of the professors who set the exam questions are rookies. It's not that hard to get the questions from them—people with no real power or ability.”
Huh? Is it really possible? Can exam questions actually be leaked!?
For a moment, I was subconsciously tempted, but I quickly snapped myself out of it.
No, what’s more important to me right now isn’t the exam scores but the act of increasing my intelligence itself.
If it was only about the exam questions, I would have bet everything on Log, Grandpa Emong, and Dice God just like before! I wouldn’t need something like exam question leaks!
“Well, I guess someone like you wouldn’t need this kind of thing.”
Luca chuckled lightly, taking a sip of his tea while he waited for me to speak.
“Perverted professor. Be honest. Tell me, what is it that you're doing with your pathetic little tricks?”
I asked directly, rather than trying to beat around the bush. As soon as I did, Luca’s hand froze for a moment, still holding the teacup.
“...Aren’t you a bit too straightforward?”
“If I spoke to a dog with difficult words, it wouldn’t understand, right? That’s why I’m being considerate.”
I had thought about this since deciding to visit Luca. How should I draw words out of this slippery snake?
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that trying to act subtle would only make me trip myself up. I wasn’t talented in psychological battles like this.
So, I decided to just charge in. After all, no matter what I did, Luca couldn’t harm me, could he?
“Hmmm. I do have something I’m preparing right now,” Luca said, placing his teacup down, his eyes scanning me as he continued.
“But since it’s being prepared in conjunction with the Dungeon Studies professors, I’m afraid I can’t share the details.”
“What’s a loser like you have to do with them?”
“Despite how I may look, I’m a Combat Studies professor,” Luca replied, nonchalantly. “Given the events of last year, it’s not completely unrelated.”
Luca said he was simply helping with dungeon creation at the request of the Dungeon Studies professors, but I didn’t believe his words were entirely the truth.
It was obvious. He didn’t want me digging into this topic. This was his weakness.
“Perverted professor♡ Do you think I’m a complete fool in your petty little eyes?♡”
I didn’t give much thought to why this would be his weakness. After all, he would end up blabbing it out himself, so why should I care?
“A coward who runs away when faced with other talents♡,” I added, mentioning a past Luca didn’t want to recall. His shoulders flinched slightly.
“Someone too useless to trust his own wishes, always needing to rely on others♡.”
I could see the faint tension in his eyes.
“Someone who felt jealous of a friend who took care of him and cowardly ran away like a fool♡.”
There. Let’s see you talk now, Luca. What are you doing? What are your tricks? Who are you collaborating with?
“Why do you think you’re so great, trying to show off?♡”
Luca, despite hearing my taunting laughter, desperately tried to control his expression. If I considered what I had seen from others when facing me, it would be a feat of superhuman patience.
“Why aren’t you babbling like usual?♡ Did I strike a nerve and leave you speechless?♡”
But it was useless. Even a golem without emotions would still be drawn to my provocation, so what could Luca, who obviously had feelings, do?
“Maybe you’ve already sold your pride so long ago that you don’t even feel angry anymore♡. Ha ha ha♡ This is it!♡ If you’re a pathetic, perverted professor, this is what it must be!♡”
I could hear the sound of Luca’s leather gloves crumpling beneath the desk.
“Are you angry?♡ Do you want to hit me?♡ Want to shut this cocky brat’s mouth?♡”
“...My lady.”
“Dream about it♡ You’ll never do it in real life♡ Isn’t that right?♡ If it weren’t for me, your pathetic dream would stay a dream forever♡.”
At that moment, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. It wasn’t the sensation of fear or dread, but something more instinctual. Yes, if I had to describe it, I would call it a hunch.
“Why did you suddenly stop speaking?” Luca asked, with a smile still present on his face.
I thought about it while facing his smile. Just now, I had intentionally poked at Luca’s complex.
I intended to blow his mind by pointing out that no matter how much he struggled, the fact that he would always crawl beneath his friends would never change.
However, my instinct suddenly stopped me from continuing. I knew I had to stop before crossing the line.
“My lady?”
I tried to suppress the excitement I felt from the Mesugaki Skill, but Luca’s hidden hand beneath the desk caught my attention. That was the first thing that struck me as odd.
It wasn’t just his hand—there were several strange things around Luca—but what stood out most was his hand, hidden beneath his desk and wearing leather gloves. It was as if there was a sworn oath hidden there.
The sudden rush of nausea made me think of the settings I had seen on the monitor during the alchemist dungeon raid.
The oath-breakers were despised by even the trash of the underworld.
At first, I had thought it was just a tradition or custom, but now, I realized it might have more substance.
“Boring.”
Frowning, I abruptly stood up from my seat and turned my back to Luca’s office, leaving quickly.
I started walking aimlessly until the warning sensation that had settled all over my body began to fade.
“Gasp. Haah.”
After I had moved far enough from Luca’s office building, I leaned against a wall, struggling to catch my breath.
<Lucy. Are you okay?>
‘...For now.’
What was that feeling earlier?
It was completely different from anything I had ever felt before.
It was something more...
Perhaps...
Suddenly, something came to mind, and I opened the log function to scroll up.
I wanted to check what had happened while I was sleeping last night—more specifically, what had happened while I was rolling around with Grandpa during the training function.
[The God of Martial Arts grants you a blessing.]
[The God of Martial Arts looks at you with a hint of displeasure.]
Crisis detection.
Last night, the God of Martial Arts had granted me his blessing without me realizing it, as though he wanted to keep his involvement hidden.
I could guess why the God of Martial Arts had changed his attitude so suddenly.
Gansu. That fool. I had asked for skills, not to stir up resentment from other gods!
This is why hermits who live in libraries end up useless!
If I meet him again, I’ll make sure to tease him until he’s bawling in anger, I thought, wiping my face to shake off my frustration.
‘Grandpa. Did I feel hostility from Luca just now?’
<If you had, I would have spoken to you.>
‘...Huh?’
<He was certainly angry, but despite his emotions, he was assessing you.>
I had thought there was only one reason for my sense of crisis, but Grandpa’s response contradicted my assumption.
I didn’t think Grandpa would make such a mistake.
Then what was it? Why did I feel danger from Luca?
Feeling my mind growing foggy, I let out a deep sigh and decided to ask the Chaman for help.
[Suspicion.]
The blue spear that appeared before me described the situation in one simple word.
Luca had suspected that I had figured out what he had done.
As his suspicion turned to certainty, he was trying to make a move before I did.
And that move was likely something beyond what I could handle. The notification sound and the blue spear that appeared before me confirmed my guess.
[Luca’s Trial.]
[He wanted to be a star, but fell to the ground. Now, he is willing to make any sacrifice to carve his mark in another star. Prove that you shine brighter than his plan.]
[Reward: ???]
[Failure: GAME OVER.]
...Ha. Damn it. Normally, I would complain about why the useless god didn’t explain this in advance, but I couldn’t do that this time.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
The useless god had already given me a signal that Luca would be up to something shady.
Even though I saw that and didn’t take it seriously, it was my fault.
Grinding my teeth, I punched the wall, then wiped the messages from my log.
What else could I do? I had done something stupid.
With a deep breath, I started walking again.
Luca had said he was cooperating in creating dungeons.
Whether that was a lie or not, if he was up to something, targeting that area would be the most straightforward.
As time passed while talking to Luca, I saw other students walking around the academy, most likely fretting over the upcoming midterms.
As I observed them, I suddenly wondered: Was Luca really willing to risk his life just for me?
If that crazy guy had truly planned something at the cost of his life, it wouldn’t be just for me.
I clenched my teeth and arrived at my intended destination.
The location where the academy’s exam dungeons were created. A place that would later become the site of many students’ despair during the exam period.
I stepped in and took a position near the wall, activating the [History Check] skill.
[?@$입@%!%!5건]
The text that appeared was unreadable, seemingly altered by some intervention.
Considering that only gods could counter another god’s powers...
Ha. Damn. No wonder followers of the Void kept showing up here at all hours.
Luca, this madman, is involved in this too.
Stopping the [History Check], a wave of dizziness hit me.
Weak and staggering, I barely managed to steady myself by gripping the wall.
If he’s going to go this far, I’ve got a plan of my own.
Luca. You bastard.
The stage you’ve prepared will become your nightmare.
I’ll make sure of it.