Ludwig desperately ran.
Even while running, he calmly analyzed the situation.
‘Is it even possible to deal with that Arch Lich by joining forces with those remaining in the open field?’
He briefly considered the possibility, but immediately shook his head.
It was impossible.
Even if those who entered the dungeon came out and joined them, it would be impossible.
From the start, the opponent was on a different level than ordinary 5-star monsters.
‘This must be the master of this tomb.’
And that master is walking around outside his domain, the dungeon, so freely?
This meant only one thing.
He was confident enough in his skills to roam outside the dungeon.
The outside of the tomb was his backyard, and everyone who entered was merely prey in the palm of his hand, a reflection of his absolute confidence.
‘The fight is not even a contest from the beginning.’
Having reached a conclusion, Ludwig shouted without hesitation as soon as he arrived at the open field.
“I’m getting out of here!”
His sudden declaration drew the gazes of everyone waiting for him.
Astrid, a female knight of the Orbis Empire, grabbed his arm and urgently asked.
“What’s wrong, Ludwig! What did you see to suddenly back out like this?”
But Ludwig shook her hand off. His usual arrogance was nowhere to be seen.
His voice was filled with genuine warning and anxiety.
“It’s an Arch Lich. And it’s an unimaginable monster that roams freely outside the dungeon. This isn’t exploration, it’s suicide. If you want to die by ignoring my warning, do as you please. But I’ll pass.”
He left quickly without looking back after saying what he had to say.
Those left behind were engulfed in shock and fear, staring blankly in the direction Ludwig had disappeared.
Astrid looked towards Dambi and Rills with a troubled expression. She wanted to ask for advice on the current situation.
But Dambi wasn’t there.
“Where is Dambi-nim…?”
“Ah, he went to survey the surrounding terrain for a moment. He’ll be back soon.”
Rills replied calmly.
But Astrid tilted her head.
‘The report says an Arch Lich is nearby, why would he suddenly…?’
Her preoccupation made her miss a crucial detail. Rills’s eyes weren’t smiling.
***
Meanwhile, Ludwig was hurrying through the forest, muttering curses.
‘I should never have come here in the first place!’
If he had known about the Arch Lich, he would never have come here.
What was the use of him being a genius in magic?
An Arch Lich is an undead mage.
A monster that might have lived for hundreds, even thousands of years, solely studying magic.
How could one possibly face a mage who has lived for such a long time?
Therefore, it was the right decision to withdraw immediately.
‘This is probably for the best.’
If he hadn’t gone out for reconnaissance, he wouldn’t even have known about the Arch Lich.
Entering the dungeon unknowingly?
‘That’s truly terrifying.’
Just thinking about it made him shiver.
But at that moment.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
A figure appeared, blocking Ludwig’s path.
It was Dambi.
Ludwig irritably shouted at Dambi, who suddenly appeared.
“Get out of the way! I don’t have time to chat with you!”
He had to escape this place as soon as possible.
He didn’t have time for leisurely conversations with other adventurers.
But the next moment, his expression hardened.
Thinking about it, something was strange.
Didn’t he leave the open field first? Then how was Dambi blocking his path?
And anticipating that he would come this way?
“……”
All the pieces began to fall into place in Ludwig’s mind.
The unusual generosity of the Sail Empire. The Pathfinder adventurer with Diamond rank. And now, this impossible situation before him.
He slowly raised his staff.
His eyes were now filled not with fear, but with caution.
“Who… are you?”
His voice was as cold as ice.
“I thought it was strange from the start. This was all a trap set by you, the Sail Empire.”
Hearing that, Dambi finally took off his mask of pretense.
The expression of a kind adventurer disappeared. Instead, the cool and cruel smile of a predator facing its prey emerged.
Dambi drew his sword without a sound instead of replying.
“……”
That silence proved that Ludwig’s guess was correct, more than any answer.
Ludwig didn’t ask any more questions.
His mind had already reached a conclusion. The enemy before him was not someone with whom conversation was possible.
“Die!”
Ludwig made the first move.
He swung his staff, creating dozens of powerful wind blades.
“Gale Cutter!”
The wind blades, flying at high speed, attacked Dambi from all directions.
If Dambi had been an ordinary adventurer, his body would have been torn to shreds on the spot from this magic.
But Dambi didn’t dodge.
He just stood there, holding his sword.
‘As expected, he can’t dodge!’
At the moment Ludwig’s eyes shone with hope, Dambi’s body moved.
No, rather than moving, it seemed to scatter like a heat haze.
The wind blades only cut his afterimages, failing to touch his body.
“……!”
As Ludwig, shocked, tried to create distance again, Dambi had already appeared right in front of him.
A speed that the human eye could not follow.
“I-Impossible…!”
Ludwig hastily cast a defensive spell.
“Air Wall!”
A compressed wall of air blocked the space between him and Dambi.
But Dambi didn’t even try to break through the wall. He lightly tapped the wall at one point with the tip of his sword.
At that moment, the sturdy air barrier that Ludwig had erected burst like a balloon pricked by a needle.
“Cough!”
Ludwig staggered, his magic reversing course.
He realized that this fight was going to be a one-sided massacre.
‘There’s no other way!’
He squeezed out all his remaining mana and began his final struggle.
Spheres of fire.
Spears of ice.
Chains of lightning.
All the offensive magic he could wield rained down on Dambi like a storm.
But Dambi walked calmly through the storm of magic.
There was no wasted movement in his actions.
He deflected the incoming fireballs with his sword, changing their trajectory, and lightly dodged the ice spears by tilting his body. The lightning chains targeting his feet were easily ignored with a single step.
His movements were relaxed and perfect, as if he could read the trajectory of all attacks.
Ludwig fell into despair.
To the being before him, all his talent and knowledge seemed like child’s play.
Finally, Dambi closed the distance to him.
Ludwig raised his staff one last time to resist, but all he saw was a silver streak flashing past his eyes.
*Swoosh-*
He felt no pain.
Only the sensation of something cold passing through his chest.
Dambi was already standing behind him, wiping blood from his sword.
“……”
Ludwig slowly lowered his head.
A thin, clear red line across his chest.
Blood droplets began to appear along that line.
His strength drained away.
His staff slipped from his grasp.
“Kuh… cough…”
He knelt, looking at Dambi’s indifferent back, who wasn’t even looking down at him.
Ludwig, the genius mage.
His end was truly futile.
***
“……”
Dambi bowed towards the dead Ludwig.
It wasn’t a gesture of mourning for the deceased mage.
His hand reached for the magic staff.
Of course, Dambi wouldn’t use it. He used a sword as his main weapon.
*Clack.*
Necros, who had revealed himself, looked at Dambi with affectionate eyes.
But Dambi intended to give this magic staff to Rills.
So, Dambi passed by Necros.
*Clack?*
Necros could only watch Dambi’s retreating back.
*Clack…*
Necros reached out with a dejected expression.
Then, a skeleton hiding behind a tree quickly ran over.
And handed him a notebook and a fountain pen.
*Clack clack.*
The feel of the notebook and fountain pen after a long time.
Necros was back to work as an inspector.
– Dambi. Failed to perform his role as a Pathfinder to the best of his ability. Did not enter the dungeon. This is a penalty offense.
As he was writing his inspection results in the notebook, Dambi returned.
Thinking about it, what would happen if he gave the staff to Rills now?
The magic staff belonged to Ludwig.
But then, he appears holding Ludwig’s staff after Ludwig suddenly left?
It was easy to be suspected.
And Ludwig was quite a popular adventurer.
He didn’t want to cause any future misunderstandings by carrying Ludwig’s staff.
“……”
Dambi silently handed the magic staff to Necros and turned away again.
*Clack.*
Necros’s hands moved busily.
– However, this can be considered prudent. It is better to be prudent than to mess things up. This is a reason for praise.
***
Where the Wyvern’s flames had swept through, only a terrible silence remained.
The air was filled with the foul smell of burning flesh and the acrid smoke of melting metal.
The knights of the Kalrn Empire, who had been so imposing just moments ago, lay scorched black on the ground.
“Kuh… *cough*…”
From within the ashes, a man groaned and pushed himself up.
It was Norte, the Knight Captain of the Kalrn Empire.
“Did it… leave?”
He surveyed his surroundings.
Fortunately, the Wyvern was gone.
Although his armor was half melted, he miraculously survived thanks to the power of his Aura.
However, the burning pain all over his body elicited groans.
“Ugh!”
He staggered and looked around.
The Wyvern was gone, but his loyal knights who had followed him were all charred corpses.
“This… this cursed dungeon!”
He used his sword as a crutch and stood up, leaning on the wall.
Honor, treasure, nothing had any meaning anymore.
His sole thought was to survive and report the true nature of the Sail Empire, which had set this terrible trap, to his home country.
“I will definitely, definitely get out of here!”
Norte stumbled towards the corridor they had entered.
But when he reached the entrance of the corridor, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
The passage they had clearly entered had vanished without a trace, blocked by a cold stone wall!
“Wh-what! The path…”
Norte desperately knocked on the wall and fumbled with his hands.
But it was just a solid wall.
Panicked, he ran in another direction. However, other paths were either dead ends or led back to this site of terrible slaughter after a roundabout journey.
“This can’t be! The exit, there’s no exit anywhere!”
How much time had passed.
The dungeon was plunged into darkness, with not a single ray of light.
His stamina was depleted, and his hope vanished.
He finally slumped onto the floor.
Just then.
A sound like interlocking gears could be heard from the wall he was leaning against.
And the floor where he was sitting suddenly gave way without any warning.
“……!”
The sensation of his body tilting into the void.
Ludwig, left with no time to even scream, began to fall into the suddenly opened pit below.
