Chapter: 314
The phrase “0th Floor” really seems to get on my nerves.
Arthur just wants to punch someone. Joy grumbles about whether it was necessary. Frey pouts and calls it evil.
As for Phoebe… well, she didn’t react at all.
Not that it’s surprising. Phoebe thinks anything she does has some meaning, and she’s not going to get mad just because the dungeon got a little longer.
“I’m so happy to be able to strategize longer in the dungeon created by Young Lady,” even if she said that, it wouldn’t have been surprising.
By now, everyone knows it; the phrase “0th Floor” was a deliberately annoying ploy.
They’ve already cleared the first four rooms, so it would have been fine to say “fifth room” or “1st Floor.” But why go out of their way to list it as “0th Floor”?
Of course, to annoy everyone!
If it feels like all the hardships I’ve faced so far are meaningless, who wouldn’t get mad?
Now, as they strategize through the dungeon, realizing that all the dilemmas they faced weren’t in vain, they’re bound to feel as much joy as they felt anger.
Hehehe. Just imagining that scene brings a smile to my face.
I almost regret not being able to see that moment with my own two eyes.
[Hey, Young Lady.]
As I was happily returning to the dormitory having achieved my goal, Grandpa suddenly called out to me.
“Yes?”
[Did you really think I was going to give you a proper hit?]
“With the Third Prince, right? Yes, I did think about it.”
Anyway, even if Arthur really went all out to slug me, it wouldn’t hurt that much.
I could spare that much for the sake of receiving a review.
In the end, with the stage set, Arthur got scared, and the chance for a proper hit vanished.
I’m not someone who holds grudges very easily, but it’s not like I’d retaliate over something so minor.
Just how evil does Arthur see me in his head?
Hah.
When I tilted my head in confusion over that, Grandpa let out a sigh that said he was frustrated.
[Hey, you. Before you act, get into the habit of considering the consequences of your actions.]
“…Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Did I do something wrong?
No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t seem like I did anything problematic!
Oh, wait… could it be about that?
“Grandpa. I don’t think I’ll get hurt even if Arthur hits me.”
It’s true he’s gotten stronger, but it’s still not enough to hurt me.
Even if Arthur surrounds himself with aura, as long as I block it with Divine, I don’t think I’d take any damage, right?
Instead, I might have to worry about Arthur ending up with an injury!
[That’s not the point!… Hah. Fine. There’s nothing wrong with you, really. If we’re pointing fingers, this is probably Benedict's fault.]
Benedict’s fault? What do you mean?
I couldn’t understand Grandpa’s words and tilted my head in confusion, but he didn’t answer me at all.
“Grandpa! Treating me like a mere kid is super annoying, you know?!”
You don’t think a kid like me needs to know about this, but for someone in my position, it’s really bothersome!
I ended up getting irritated at Grandpa’s tone, which tried to hide his true feelings.
[Because you are a kid, I treat you like one.]
“What? Where do I look like a kid?!”
[Right. Both inside and out, you’re still a kid. What else would you be? The Young Lady of Allen? Oh, wait, that sounds pretty good.]
Sure, I might look like a kid on the outside, but I’m not on the inside! Use the correct words when you speak nicely!
If you don’t, I won’t stay quiet either!
[See? You get all worked up so easily, that's why I call you a kid.]
Bam!
The day after Ruel provoked Lucy, lamenting his past actions, Arthur’s group breaking through the fourth room seems to have sparked something. Those at the forefront began breaking through the fourth room one by one in their own ways.
Among various cases, the most absurd was the second prince’s party from Ruvi, who ended up team-killing by failing to control their strength while trying to break a wall.
Seeing this, Professor Jessel of Dungeon Studies began to worry if these guys could really graduate, but it probably wasn’t significant information.
After clearing the fourth room, they headed down the stairs to the basement and realized just how different the 1st Floor dungeon was compared to the previous rooms.
The previous rooms measured skills in understanding gimmicks, but the dungeon was different.
It tested the ability to navigate through the paths inside the dungeon.
The ability to face countless monsters lurking within.
Additionally, the ability to deal with many traps set in the dungeon.
The mansion’s underground dungeon wasn’t just about understanding gimmicks, it was a place to test their dungeon strategy skills as well.
Normally, such a change would only benefit the upperclassmen parties.
The upperclassmen have much better foundations than the lower classes due to their duel experiences.
However, in the case of this final exam, it wasn’t that simple.
As they progressed in grade, the difficulty of dungeon strategizing skyrocketed, causing everyone to rant about how hellish the dungeons were.
The level of complaints about how penalties were too harsh based on grade spread among those attempting the dungeon studies exam.
What fueled this discussion was Arthur’s group clearing the 1st Floor.
It became a point of contention whether it was strange for a first-year to break the record, overtaking numerous notable names in the leading group.
“Isn’t it absurd that even the Second Prince and the Ruvi Second Prince are struggling on the 1st Floor while the first years are clearing it?”
“No matter how excellent the party members are, still…”
“Lady Allen is also a first-year. They probably gave her an edge.”
“Just like that, the conclusion seems predetermined.”
While they began discussing the terrible failure experienced by the cleared 1st Floor group, voices began slowly creeping up.
But it was Cecil’s party that quelled those voices.
The Cecil party, which pursued Arthur’s party at a terrifying speed, reclaimed the lead by being the first to clear the 2nd Floor.
“Funny. Don’t blame the dungeon for your lacking skills.”
As they praised their amazing achievement by standing at the forefront despite penalties, the term “younger class discrimination” began to fade.
Moreover, the fact that most of those in the lead were second and third years quelled the ongoing disputes.
Among them, only Arthur’s party and Avery’s party were fervently competing.
All other first-years hardly even reached the 0th Floor, let alone claiming the lead.
“Are they just that excellent?”
This perspective was accepted as the major viewpoint, and those lamenting class discrimination were treated as fools. Thus, the artificially created turmoil completely faded away.
Besides this, another event occurred among those taking the Dungeon Studies exam.
“Uwaaaah! Seriously!”
“I feel like I need a hit! I need a lecture!”
“This is exactly why I didn’t want hints!”
“Lucy Allen!”
After seeing the second handout hint, those who felt wronged began banding together to seek revenge against Lucy Allen.
Gathering under the goal of showing what for to Lucy Allen, who must have written the hints for the exam’s grades, they eagerly shared their dungeon strategies, striving hard to see the dungeon through to the end.
Even though some faced disqualification due to cheating, that insanity showed just how massive their fury was.
And just like that, passing through the third day of finals and into the fourth, many began to drop out of the lead competition.
For most, it was a problem of stamina.
They had to bulldoze through the dungeon while preparing for other final exams over three grueling days.
What they thought would end in one or two days dragged on for over three days, and those on the verge of exhaustion had no choice but to abandon the competition.
One representative case was Avery’s party.
This party had stood out among the upperclassmen with commendable scores, earning them a reputation as one of first years’ prides, but ultimately, they only reached these heights by depending on Toby’s strength.
It was inevitable that this party lacked both skill and stamina to keep pace with the lead group, and in the end, Avery Lumley declared she couldn’t live like this anymore, choosing to rest, thus eliminating them from the competition.
Many others also dropped out for their reasons, and by the end of the fourth day, it was widely accepted that the first successful party to clear this dungeon would emerge from one of these three parties.
The top parties of each grade that had drawn attention from the beginning.
First year Arthur’s party.
Second year Cecil’s party.
Third year Kurten’s party.
While many had given up, these contenders were fiercely competing, repeatedly swapping the lead back and forth, even breaking through the 4th Floor before the end of the fourth day, snatching away hope from most candidates.
On the fifth day of the Academy’s final exam.
As the point approached where there were only three days left until the finals ended, people’s attitudes toward the Dungeon Studies exam noticeably divided into three.
“There’s no way we can reach the end, let’s just avoid failing.”
“I’m too busy with other exams; I can’t waste my time here any longer.”
“Ugh. Kid, I’m just giving up!”
Those opting to disregard the dungeon entirely after strategizing enough to avoid failing.
“Still, we’ve worked hard up till now. We should at least see it to the end.”
“I can’t let Lucy Allen laugh at me.”
“How many floors do we need to reach to place in the top tier?”
Whether from regret for the effort already expended, the desire to show Lucy a lesson, or aiming for high grades, those determined to clear the dungeon maintained their grip.
“Lucy Allen, that b*tch. Has she even tried to clear this dungeon?”
“Would she? She probably just made it hard to mess with people and is sitting back laughing.”
“I doubt she even did any crafting.”
“Hah. Just a year ago she was just a brat.”
“Ugh, this is so messed up.”
“Why do I have to fail because of that b*tch?”
“She only gave us hints that are terrible as hers!”
Despite everything, those who threw themselves wholly into the Dungeon Studies exam were pushed aside and became part of the losers.
While their finals hit the floor and they could grab no rewards for the first clear, they had already reached a point where they couldn’t avoid failure by any means.
If someone were to hear their stories, they might ask if it was wrong to make such foolish choices, but there was no room for such self-reflection among these similarly foolish groups.
Wasn’t that enough?
Perhaps because the foolish thought combined with more foolishness, they began to think even more dumbly, plotting idiotic schemes without a brake.
“Hey. How about we add humiliation for Lucy Allen on top of this?”
“How?”
“Since she made the dungeon, let’s tell her to clear it.”
“…That b*tch is at least good at dungeon cleaving.”
“Dummy, haven’t you seen the three parties leading struggle to clear the 5th Floor all day? They are clearly not going to make it easy.”
“True. It’s indeed amazing that those from that party have not cleared it yet.”
“What if they aren’t even prepared for the rewards?”
“If that’s the case, she really is a b*tch.”
“Who cares? We’ll see. As long as we follow the proper procedures, it wouldn’t hurt us, right?”
“Right. If she clears it, fine. If she can’t? That’s huge!”
The fools who believed Lucy Allen had ruined their chances made plans to humiliate her with their stiff brains.
And that plan was certainly something that Lucy Allen herself would be more than happy to receive.
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