Chapter: 490
Leading the followers of the Evil God into the hidden chambers of the laboratory, Luca furrowed his brow at the scene before him.
When I last visited, it was a dreary place, so why has it transformed into a corridor worthy of a noble’s mansion?
It feels strange to think that the Young Lady Alrn had something to do with this.
I don’t know how she was in the past, but the recent Young Lady is far from vain.
Even during the academy’s holidays, she didn’t wear expensive clothes; she stuck with her uniform as usual. She’s too lazy to even decorate her own room, so there’s no way she’d prepare something like this for a personal hobby.
So, what gives? Why did the Young Lady Alrn go through the trouble of creating something like this?
If she went out of her way to do something, it could only be for one reason.
“Dungeon.”
Recalling how serious Lucy Alrn had been about dungeons during last year’s finals, Luca was sure his intuition was right.
It wouldn’t be like Lucy Alrn to dedicate herself unless it were about a dungeon.
This is problematic. If the Young Lady Alrn is directly involved, it must be a tricky place.
I can’t just wander in; who knows what might happen? The good news is that no matter how noble she is, there would be limits to creating a dungeon without the academy’s support.
Just like when they created the academy dungeon, it couldn’t be too rigid. In a way, that works out in my favor.
If I were to smash her carefully crafted work as I move toward her, she’d definitely feel that’s a crisis.
Good! If I can pressure her, then I’ll gladly do so.
“Let’s go.”
*
As I shared the view of the corridor through Adri’s black magic, I felt bewildered watching Luca effortlessly demolishing traps.
It’s true that I had to compromise due to limits on time and resources, but is he seriously breaking stuff that easily?
For instance, those skeletons waiting to ambush are merely distractions.
I had planned to activate the traps while their attention was on the ambush to create chaos and then utilize the undead to cause a ruckus.
However, Luca first sensed and eliminated the ambush skeletons before they could do anything, and he also swiftly took out the traps.
We tried to use the skeletons for an attack, but it didn’t yield any significant results.
The fake wall Luca was demolishing now was the same. I added a few tricks to ensure that even if they realized it was a fake wall, it wouldn’t be easy to break down, yet he nonchalantly smashed through it.
Things were just too easy all around.
What’s going on? This is really strange.
Luca’s become more capable than he was in the game.
He was already talented (albeit a bit insane), but this is a whole different level!
This brat must’ve stumbled upon some variables by getting involved with me.
‘How bizarre. There’s no way the dungeon crafted with such effort by the Young Lady would be this lackluster.’
Hearing Luca’s muttering, I felt the thread of rationality snap and redirected my gaze toward Adri.
“Hey, you old hag. What do you think about what that perverted professor said?”
– …Um, well. That is…
“A little piglet on the ground squealing like a pig, suddenly talking. Isn’t that odd?”
Hahaha!
Is this what I’ve designed?
That little punk really…
“Hand over what I gave you. Right now.”
– Y-yes! Here it is!
Snatching the paper from Adri, I revised my plan based on what Luca and the void followers had just shown.
First of all, it’ll be tough to intimidate them with physical force using Adri’s powers.
The entire barrier is now in the hands of the void, and their strength has increased even more than I had predicted.
In such a case, I should switch gears. Fortunately, Adri is a necromancer skilled in black magic, so this should be totally feasible.
Using their easy dismantling of prior traps, I could play a psychological game. Given how Luca treats them like tools, I could twist the psychology once more.
“Old hag. You can do this, right?”
– …I think I can, but this is too…
“Lonely old hag. Have you been living alone for so long that you can’t read the room? I only want one answer from you. You understand that, right?”
If it’s Adri I know, she’d definitely grumble about it, but strangely, she nodded and hastily relayed commands to the undead she controls.
What’s this? Why is she suddenly acting like this? Is she sensing some sort of crisis?
While I was pondering this, Frey poked me in the side.
“Why? You foolish swordsman.”
“Just now, Lucy was genuinely scary.”
“…Huh?”
“Really. Really. Really scary.”
“Uh-huh?”
*
Having leaped over the trivial traps in the corridor, Luca pressed on while tilting his head in confusion.
This is bizarre. It looks like a place the Young Lady had meticulously prepared, so why is it so easy?
There’s no way she would create a dungeon this lackluster!
Although it’s somewhat tricky, it’s far too ordinary for something she would have made.
If the Young Lady Alrn were truly the way I know her, she wouldn’t create this kind of dungeon.
This is strange. Am I missing something? Doubting if he was falling into some trap, Luca instinctively drew his dagger and swung it.
The undead emerging from beyond the wall swung their weapons, only to be blocked by Luca’s dagger.
– Hehehe.
As laughter seeped into his ears, more undead began to reveal themselves from beyond the wall.
A maid, a servant, one dressed as a noble, and a knight in armor. These figures emerged, holding onto the resentment of their painful deaths as they flickered into view and disappeared.
– People.
– What brings them here?
– There’s a foul stench.
– It’s a disgusting smell. Perhaps they had much to say while they were alive.
The dead babbled incessantly, filling the corridor with their voices.
Another wave of undead. Not suited for those who receive the love of the gods.
…No, they’re different from the ones we encountered before.
Unlike the undead that attacked us earlier, these ones have a solid form.
“Things that should disappear.”
“I’ll share in the blessings of the void.”
While Luca contemplated, one of the followers of the void swung their weapon.
An attack infused with the power of the void tore through the undead, reducing their existence to nothing.
Seeing this scene, Luca couldn’t help but click his tongue.
Impatient. Have they not noticed the changes?
In a place connected to black magic, they should be observing carefully, knowing some trap might await them.
Well, either way, it doesn’t matter. If they willingly volunteer to become subjects of experimentation, who am I to stop them?
“You’re weak!”
Despite having seen their comrade torn apart before their eyes, the undead let out deeper laughter instead of fear.
– Are they scared?
– Are they afraid of dying?
– Ooh-hoo.
– Afraid to serve the void and then go to it?
“Those pathetic undead are crossing the line!”
As the followers of the void huffed and swung their weapons at the wall, Luca calculated the strength the undead possessed while pretending to attack.
Those aren’t just simple fodder. Had they been merely driven by vengeance, they would have already lost their reason and lunged at us.
The fact that they’re just nudging us signifies they have enough power to be controlled.
No matter how he thought about it, touching the undead would yield no good results.
I’ll just maintain a facade of appropriate defense and observe the situation.
“Damn! These little rat bastards keep… geez!”
In the midst of a minor scuffle, one follower was injured by the undead. The injury appeared minor, nothing more than a scratch.
A small wound that would leave no mark after healing in time.
Yet, that follower grinned proudly, having taken out one of the undead at the cost of their own injury.
“I’ll send you back where you belong!”
It didn’t take long for the battle to reach its conclusion. As more than half the undead vanished, their remnants began to retreat.
“This was a bit annoying compared to before, but not a big deal.”
“Even with some effort, this is all they could muster. Truly pathetic.”
“What can one expect from those worshipping a rotting god?”
It was insane that a noble lady would join forces with a necromancer, but to think they would come prepared with a level this pitiful.
The void’s followers, who didn’t know much about Lucy Alrn, assumed she had been cornered.
“Professor Luca! Quickly lead the way! We’ll eliminate the obstacles and offer sacrifices to the void!”
Encouraged by their excitement about the potential for victory, Luca pondered warning them but simply nodded instead.
The undead’s assaults continued.
These should be filled with resentment toward the world, and yet they intermittently leaped out to attack, sustaining some damage before retreating again.
The followers of the void bore numerous trivial injuries, yet they didn’t care one bit about them.
Having worked for the god they worshipped while narrowly escaping death countless times, how could such petty wounds halt their steps?
Through all of this, Luca began to sense an increasing unease.
Am I worrying too much?
No. But it’s the Young Lady Alrn we’re talking about.
She must have something planned.
“Tera? Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Turning at the voice from behind, Luca spotted the void follower named Tera, frozen with blank, pale eyes, muttering incomprehensible language while swinging her weapon at her teammate.
“Hey! You!”
Instead of being perplexed, Luca let out a sigh of relief.
The various traps I set along the road are distractions.
Similarly, the skeletons that rushed at us were not just happening randomly.
By making them feel like nothing, they lulled us into a false sense of security. Thus, those minor injuries inflicted by the undead feel like they’ll amount to nothing.
But that’s the catch. Through those trivial wounds, something is now seeping in.
I don’t know exactly what it is, nor do I want to find out.
There’s no need to know.
As I brushed past the bewildered ones and stood before the unhinged individual, Luca swung his dagger and severed its neck before turning his body back.
“Let’s keep moving. Watch out not to get hurt.”
“Y-you!”
“Is something wrong?”
But even this feels too dull for a trap. Young Lady Alrn.
The talent I know from you isn’t this lackluster.
How can I make you desperate?
Indeed.
Threatening those related to you may be the way to go!
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