Dazed among the sprawled women and smeared with semen, I muttered to myself.
“So this is what they mean by ‘there’s no business in a gang-up’…” 1
The plan was perfect.
I didn’t expect Iris and Faye to rush in as soon as I sent Carla and Elisha away.
For information, after knocking out Iris and Faye again, I had to deal with Carla and Elisha, who had come to their senses.
Even I felt overwhelmed as they attacked in pairs, like in a wheel battle. 2
Fortunately, the other four reached their limit at just the right moment.
When you think about it, it was only natural.
Though less efficient than a knight’s aura, a magician’s mana still had beneficial effects on the body just by possessing it.It reduced minor illnesses, improved overall stamina, and prevented weight gain, among other things.
Therefore, if congenital magical power affected the size of an object, then the amount of mana influenced one’s vitality….
Excluding Faye, all the other women had a considerable amount of mana.
Faye, being a dwarf hybrid, just had good stamina.
…They all survived thanks to their inferior views.
“Anyway, is this really okay?”
Originally, I planned to explore a dungeon on a day trip today and return to the academy early the next morning.
But looking at the current state, it seemed we were all unlikely to get up before lunch.
I was tired and needed to close my eyes for a bit, too.
“There’s no choice then.”
Just sleep well and do a speed run for a change.
“Eh? You’re going to the dungeon?”
Carla blinked her ruby-colored eyes in surprise.
“Yeah. There’s a place nearby that’s suitable for a day trip. Let’s quickly conquer it with Iris and Senior Faye.”
“Uh… I’m not trying to defy your orders, but… are you sure this is okay? We just woke up and had lunch.”
“That’s right, Yandel. You should have told us earlier about this. A dungeon isn’t a place to visit casually; how can we go so suddenly?”
“I’ve never heard of a dungeon near the academy before. If so, it means it’s an undiscovered dungeon. Entering it unprepared is practically suicide.”
“Umm… I agree with the others. More importantly… I’m not a combat alchemist. You haven’t forgotten, right?”
The four unanimously opposed.
All their points were valid.
In a normal situation.
“It’s fine. It’s a labyrinth-type dungeon, so it’ll be quick if we know the way. There won’t be much fighting.”
“That makes it even more dangerous, Master. If we enter the wrong way, we could be trapped in the labyrinth for days… Wait, what? Maybe…?”
Carla, trying to persuade me, opened her mouth wide.
As I casually put my finger inside, her tongue reflexively wrapped around it.
Wet and soft sensation.
I played with Carla’s tongue and nodded.
“I already know the way. We’ll encounter some monsters along the way, but it won’t be too difficult. Mostly lower-tier Fishermen.”
Fishermen. Bipedal fish-like creatures were among the most common of the underwater monsters.
They had a certain level of intelligence, handling various tools and traps, and living in groups, which made them tricky.
However, their physical abilities were generally lower, so they were easy to kill as long as one wasn’t careless.
How do I put it? They were like goblins living in water?
Generally, they were an easy species, but sometimes, unusually strong individuals would appear due to their large numbers.
At least, no such named ones appear in this dungeon.
It was an undiscovered dungeon, so there was no need to worry about unexpected variables.
The women, having heard the rest of my explanation, nodded reluctantly.
“If it’s mostly lower-tier Fishermen… It does seem safe.”
“Yes, yes. It’s perfect for testing the artifacts Master created.”
“But still, please tell us a bit earlier next time. You gave us quite a scare.”
“Exactly, exactly. I thought you had lost your mind for a moment!”
I felt the difference in perception in such a situation.
To me, a dungeon wasn’t a place to risk my life. It was obviously a place to conquer.
Of course, I must be cautious of unexpected factors. I was already hit from behind in a practice dungeon.
But this was only about being cautious around cult leaders, not about considering dungeons dangerous.
Because I had memorized every dungeon’s structure, monsters, and tactics in H&A.
How many people would be afraid when they knew they’d win?
But others weren’t the same.
Scratching my head awkwardly, I opened my mouth.
“Sorry. I’ll explain in detail how we’ll conquer it now.”
I explained everything—the dungeon’s location, its simple structure, the types of traps, rooms with and without monsters, and how to get to the dungeon’s core.
Only after telling them everything did we leave the mansion.
Rahim City was a city that naturally formed as people flocked to the academy.
This meant that while the academy itself was planned, Rahim City wasn’t.
As it expanded haphazardly, there were some abandoned or forgotten areas, and the place we were headed to was one of them.
It used to be a facility where all of Rahim City’s sewage flowed, but now it was an unused drain, purified magically.
At the end of the old entrance, a small, filthy pond was our destination today.
“There should be a dungeon entrance at the bottom here.”
“Ugh… It smells worse than when I heard about it. Are you sure there’s really a dungeon in there?”
“As far as I know, yes.”
“Don’t be too disgusted, my student. Unexplored dungeons are usually like this, aren’t they?”
“That’s true, but… I can’t help but feel a psychological repulsion.”
Elisha grumbled, but Iris was right.
If it were in an obvious place, it would have been conquered already or strictly guarded.
Like the basement of the Gef Auction House or the deep forest where the practice dungeon was.
They remained undiscovered dungeons because they were places no one usually visited.
Elisha, holding her nose, looked pitiful, so Faye rummaged through her bag and pulled out a bottle containing a grey potion.
“Elisha, do you want to try this? If you apply it under your nose, it temporarily numbs your sense of smell.”
“Oh? Thank you, Faye.”
I stopped Elisha, who was about to happily open the potion bottle.
“Wait, Senior Faye. Is this the type that numbs the nose with a strong mint scent?”
“Uh? Yes. It’s the most common type. It’s very easy to make, too.”
“That won’t work. You know, right, Senior Faye? The characteristics of Fisherman-type monsters.”
“Well, I did learn the basics in the Magic Department… Ah!”
Startled, Faye quickly put the potion bottle away.
For a good reason—one of the characteristics of Fisherman-type monsters was their sensitive vision and smell.
Having evolved to see and smell in water, a scent strong enough to numb a human nose would attract Fishermen from far away.
It was the same in H&A and was taught at the academy.
Having Iris around meant it wouldn’t be dangerous if they came, but… there was no need to attract more enemies than necessary.
Moreover, today’s objective included testing the invisibility feature of the robe Iris made. If the smell was too strong, we couldn’t properly test it.
Faye, being from the Magic Department, probably didn’t think that far.
“The smell is terrible, but the inside of the dungeon won’t be as bad, so it’s better to endure it.”
“Ugh… I thought if I limited the range of the numbing agent to the nose, it could work… but I can’t make it with the simple kit I have now…”
Faye continued with a dejected face.
“Sorry, Junior. I brought this for use here…”
“Eh? What do you mean, Senior Faye?”
“???”
“???”
Faye and I looked at each other, tilting our heads left and right in confusion.
“Um… Wasn’t I brought along for creating necessary items on the spot in the dungeon?”
“Really? If that were the case, I would have mentioned the needed items beforehand.”
No matter how lightly I was taking this dungeon, I wouldn’t forget the preparations.
“Then why did you bring me along, Junior…?”
“To fully exploit this dungeon, we need an exceptional alchemist. And the reward we will get for clearing the dungeon is also necessary for Senior Faye.”
Faye definitely had the potential to create the Philosopher’s Stone as an alchemist.
But it wasn’t something that would happen just by leaving it be.
This applied to all characters in H&A.
Think about it. Could students just over 20 years old, no matter how talented, save the world?
What about the academy graduates who were currently active?
Even with exceptional talent, to blossom in a short time, one must utilize the rewards from dungeons well.
Dungeon rewards, in any form, were fragments of the divine authority of good gods.
Gathering these rewards would raise one’s level, eventually surpassing human limitations.
Of course, they couldn’t be collected haphazardly. A proper build needed to be planned.
In this sense, the reward from this dungeon was essential for alchemists.
It was so crucial that secret rooms found along the way couldn’t be opened without sufficient alchemy skills.
This dungeon was practically made for alchemists.
The low level of monsters was probably for that reason.
When it was a game, I thought it was the developers’ intention… but now I understand.
It wasn’t the developers but the intention of the God who created this dungeon.
“Do you get it? This dungeon conquest is essentially for Senior Faye. Well, we’ll also get some benefits from it.”
“J-Junior…”
Faye’s black eyes twinkled, seemingly moved.
“Hehe. It’s too early to be moved. We haven’t even entered yet, right? Carla, you know how to use the Air Pocket magic?”
“Of course. I’ll prepare it now, Master.”
ED/N: This implies that such a scenario is not about personal advantage, profit, or individual desires being prioritized. Instead, it highlights the communal aspect of the experience, where personal agendas or selfish pursuits are set aside in favor of shared pleasure and mutual participation. ️
ED/N: A "wheel battle" is a military tactic where part of an army moves in a curve, like turning a wheel, to attack the enemy from the side or to move into a better position. ️
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