Chapter: 422
As soon as the academy dungeon opened, Arthur dashed inside to assess the atmosphere.
The dungeon theme was quite similar to other typical dungeons in different areas.
Contrary to rumors claiming it would be harder than ever, it felt surprisingly ordinary.
It seemed others who entered with him felt the same, as they surveyed their surroundings with slight confusion.
“They said it would be the worst dungeon in academy history, but it’s not much different from what we saw last year.”
“Don’t be too quick to judge, Joy. You might trip over your own feet.”
“I’m not being careless! Our opponent here isn’t the dungeon; it’s Lady Alrn!”
Recently, the group, having accepted a wager after Lucy Alrn’s provocation, began strategizing to win against her.
The word ‘carelessness’ couldn’t even exist here. They had involuntarily participated in Lucy’s outrageous antics, so how could they let their guard down?
It was also true they had numerical superiority, and while Lucy Alrn was subject to certain restrictions, that difference could easily turn against them in the face of her abilities.
Knowing this, the four of them continued to ascend with relentless determination.
Their pace was incomparably faster than when they raided the academy dungeon together the previous year.
Back then, reaching the hundredth floor felt like a miracle; now, they breezed through 20 floors in less than three hours.
The major factor contributing to their success was obviously Arthur’s improved leadership.
While he had some knowledge about dungeon raiding last year, he couldn’t call himself an expert.
As royalty, he was restricted in learning anything beyond the commonly known theories.
But not anymore! After reading and re-reading the dungeon strategy book Lucy had given him, he could practically recite it from memory, rivaling even skilled mercenaries in tactical prowess.
Adding to their momentum was Joy by his side.
Like Arthur, Joy had perfectly memorized the book Lucy provided, applying its contents to their dungeon strategy in her own way.
She connected the spells she could utilize with their strategies, allowing her to swiftly navigate the dungeon and disarm various traps lurking within.
With her skills, anyone worthy of raiding the dungeon would want her on their team.
When Arthur and Joy’s capabilities combined, progressing through the dungeon became exceedingly smooth.
Moreover, their experience training with the Alrn Knight Order prepared them for relentless pushes.
Whereas they used to take breaks after some progress, the group now moved for three hours without showing signs of fatigue.
Given the extensive training they had from the Alrn Knights, this level of endurance hardly registered as strenuous.
The proficiency of each individual had also vastly improved.
The bosses appearing on floors 10 and 20 crumbled in under a minute—who could possibly criticize their skills?
After five hours of ceaseless advancement, they finally paused upon reaching the 40th floor.
Just as they had done before, they easily defeated the boss of the 40th floor and opened the door leading to the next level, revealing the 31st floor’s scenery.
“…What the heck?”
The first thought that crossed Arthur’s mind as he took in the scene was a reminder from Jackal Burrow before entering the dungeon.
“Prince, this dungeon is inspired heavily by the one created by Lady Alrn. It certainly won’t be a straightforward path to victory.”
He was right. Arthur let out a hollow laugh as he turned his head back.
“Joy, do you think something feels off?”
“…I might need to analyze it again while going back.”
“What about the Saintess?”
“I apologize, but I haven’t noticed anything.”
“Hmm, this is troubling.”
It was a relief if there was some hint between floors 30 and 40.
But if a clue existed below that, things could become troublesome.
Tsk. Standing still won’t provide answers; I guess I should get moving.
“What about me? Not gonna ask?”
As Arthur frowned in thought, Fray popped up beside him. He sighed at her unnecessary antics.
“Is there really a need? You were too busy swinging your sword to care about anything.”
“Tch. Fine, I won’t say a word then.”
“…Did you discover something?”
“Really, no need to ask!”
“Ugh, dammit. My bad; I was a bit sharp with my words. Can you please share what you found?”
With a swift concession of pride, Arthur lowered his head as Fray bobbed her head and finally spoke.
“I didn’t find anything.”
“…Fray Kent!!!”
“Oh, Prince, could you keep it down? I’m trying to concentrate, and your noisy antics aren’t helping.”
“Is this my fault?! You started it, Fray Kent!”
“Ah, looking again shows there’s something odd here. Let’s move!”
“Joy Partran! Are you ignoring me too?!”
*
The next day, I arrived at the academy dungeon entrance and wondered how far the other students had gone.
Why are my friends still stuck around floor 80? It shouldn’t be that tough for them, especially in a second-year dungeon!
Others are in the same boat.
Even the second prince’s party halted around floor 60, and Jackal’s group hadn’t crossed floor 50. Other promising candidates I knew were also stuck around the middle.
…Could it be that the academy dungeon has changed because of me? Did my dungeon inspire the professors to create a better one?
Having heard rumors from Erin, who worked alongside other associates in the academy, I chuckled at the thought that it might actually be true.
If the professors made a dungeon completely different from the game, then all the knowledge I had in my head would be useless.
I wouldn’t be able to speedrun as I previously thought.
But what’s the issue there?
A new dungeon has emerged.
A dungeon I know nothing about.
A dungeon created with great effort by the academy’s professors.
Right in front of my eyes!
Feeling exhilarated about diving into a freshly made dungeon, I stepped inside.
However, what I found waiting for me was, contrary to my expectations, an ordinary dungeon landscape.
A place that looked like it could pop up anywhere.
The monsters emerging in the dungeon were nothing special either.
Confronted by the unimpressive monster commonly found on the first floor, I watched as it promptly recognized its manners after getting hit by my mace, tilting my head in confusion.
This was strange. For something inspired by my dungeon, it lacks a lot of innovation.
[Lucy, consider this. Among those entering, there will be newbies as well. What if it’s too difficult right from the start?]
‘…That’s a fair point.’
If that’s the case, it might mean there’s nothing much in the early stages.
As I rapidly traversed the dungeon, I realized my grandfather’s words rang true.
Until I broke through the 30th floor, nothing particularly exciting came up.
A dungeon created based on the typical rules present in academy dungeons only provided me with disappointment.
However, upon arriving on the 31st floor and wandering around, I started to feel a hint of excitement.
Inside the 31st floor, there were plenty of things that a typical dungeon wouldn’t require.
The academy’s dungeon was designed by the professors, meant to be completed with graduate students serving as test subjects.
Naturally, when creating it, they had to focus on efficiency, just as I did when I built mine.
Yet here on this level, far too many unnecessary elements appeared that wouldn’t usually be included unless deliberately added.
The barriers were strategically placed to be non-obvious so that someone who wasn’t mindful might overlook them.
Hmm. Based on these clues, it might be wiser to assume there are paths beneath the apparent facade.
Cheerfully advancing with a spring in my step, I encountered a wall blocking my path.
To someone unaware, this wall would signify getting lost, but not for me.
It even had markers showing how to break it—why would I miss that?
Bam!
As I struck it lightly with my mace, the wall crumbled down, revealing a far different looming structure than the cave-like dungeon of before, now a grand temple, prompting me to grin.
Whoa! They really put a lot of thought into this!
When I made my dungeons, the graduate students cried their eyes out about this approach.
Considering the chaos the academy faced with personnel issues, just how much effort had they had to invest to create something like this?
No wonder they didn’t notice the Evil God’s followers mingling among them; poor souls.
At the very least, I guess it’s fortunate they weren’t lost to the void while being imprisoned somewhere.
I wonder, were they scared while imprisoned or were they relieved to finally catch some rest?
That’s something I’m genuinely curious about.
Once I finish exploring the dungeon, I’ll have to swing by and ask them.
With those thoughts in mind, I proceeded towards the next floor while observing the academy professors’ meticulous craftsmanship and decided I would have to keep roaming this dungeon throughout the week.
Could they really have cared this much?
This could make tackling it worthwhile.
I should definitely try optimizing things later. By rolling with my friends, I’m bound to set some amazing records.
[Lucy.]
Bouncing around taking in the sights, my grandfather called out to me with an amused chuckle.
‘What is it?’
[Didn’t you forget that you’re competing in the dungeon raid, right?]
‘…Ah, that’s right.’
Thinking about it, I should’ve been speedrunning right now, not later.
I got so caught up in the excitement of the new dungeon that I momentarily forgot.
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