Chapter 44
However, Luna's smile did not last long.
The black ants let loose intentionally by the instructors.
Luna dodged their legs and attacked from the side, but she failed to behead them with a single blow.
"Damn!"
The wounded black ant went berserk, and only after the other children swarmed and beat it could they finally finish it off.
"Not being able to handle even one properly..."
Luna's eyes darkened.
She could have killed it with [One Flash], but that's an secret sword technique.
It means it doesn't help her improve her own skills.
"Keke, you did well enough. Others aim for the neck only after cutting off the legs."
"But still, at this rate..."
When could she ever complete her revenge with skills not even good enough to beat her peers?
It was natural for Luna to feel disappointed in herself, given how distant her goal seemed.
"Keke, don't worry. Luna, you will become strong soon."
"Trying to console me, huh? Well, thanks anyway."
"It's not just consolation. The Lester family's swordsmanship is beyond your imagination."
"Hmph! I know that! Our family's swordsmanship is the best on the continent. Well, I just lack proficiency now..."
No, Luna doesn't understand the true power of this swordsmanship.
No one in her family has ever shown its real strength.
"Damn... why am I so weak..."
Luna's anxiety was palpable to me. 'A sharp cat usually, now trembling like an abandoned one...'
For Luna, I quietly whisper a secret that only I know.
"Keke, Luna. Don't worry. The real Lester family swordsmanship can even cut the moon."
"The moon?"
"Yes, that's right."
Luna stared at me blankly.
Then she blurted out a single phrase.
"What nonsense... Are you out of your mind?"
Luna twirled her index finger around the side of her head.
The look of someone seeing a madman was a bonus.
I couldn't help but feel wronged.
Really, truly.
Capable of cutting the moon...
* * *
"We've arrived. We'll rest here for 10 minutes."
After walking for about an hour, we reached a vast square.
More precisely, a high-ceilinged cavern. The peculiar thing was...
"Wow... look at that."
"Crazy. Why are there so many holes in the wall?"
"Don't tell me all those are pathways?"
The walls had countless holes, too many to count.
Moreover, they all plunged into darkness.
A sign of their depth, beyond the reach of sight.
"Ugh, creepy..."
These holes surrounded us.
It was inevitable for hair to stand on end.
The eerie howls coming from the holes turned the children's faces pale.
Of course, Caron, the killing machine, had no sympathy.
"From now on, move in the groups we arranged earlier. There are numbers above the holes, so each group can proceed."
This place was an anthill.
Fitting for an anthill inhabited by ants, there were dozens of paths.
"Which group are we in again?"
"Keke, we're in Group 3."
Eight students per group, with an instructor assigned to each.
I checked the names with [Information Window], but none were particularly memorable.
Beings I had never seen in the game. In other words, extras.
"Hi everyone. I'm 'Ron', your instructor for Group 3. I'm an alumnus, so feel free to speak casually."
I didn't remember the instructor's name either.
A group full of extras, just perfect for a death trap.
'Well, no one dies in this dungeon anyway.'
It was the first major event and attack event where the main characters first come together.
No one died when this event ended.
'It's an episode guaranteed to be safe.'
Even intentional trolling would lead to the same result.
The last survivor of the party right before death.
Caron suddenly appeared and dispatched the remaining ant with a single blow.
Not catching even one ant meant a loss of experience and rewards, needless to say.
The harsh words and penalty points from Caron only served to infuriate the veterans even more.
'They tried everything to make a fool of Caron, but...'
It was the same even in special situations.
Caron would always appear, shattering everything and saving the students.
Anyway, there's no need to worry, even in a group filled only with extras.
After all, we have Caron, the killing machine, behind us.
"Oh, time's up. Let's go in. Is the formation ready?"
"Yes, we've simply divided into front, middle, and rear guards."
Three in the front, two in the middle, and three in the rear.
Luna and I were in the middle.
"Not bad. As you all know, I will only intervene when it's dangerous. So, be as careful as you can."
It was during our walk along the path.
One of the children in the rear guard asked.
"There were so many holes in the plaza... Isn't that dangerous?"
"It was dangerous at first. But now it's safe. More than 80% are blocked."
"Can't the ants just unblock them?"
"Ha-ha, that hasn't happened so far. Even if it does, it'll be just one or two places. We can easily block those."
"But what if all the holes get unblocked?"
"Hmm~ Then, of course, it would be dangerous. But that's unlikely. The ants aren't that intelligent, are they?"
"I see. Oh, can I take a bit of an ant leg? I want to show off to my parents this weekend."
"Well, as long as it's small enough to fit in your pocket, it's fine."
"Then I'll take some too. I'll give it as a gift when I confess!"
"Uh, you might end up just being good friends?"
Ha-ha-ha.
The pleasant laughter of the children and the instructor resonated.
Of course, I was in a state of disbelief after hearing their conversation.
'What? The holes aren't unblocked? The ants aren't intelligent? Showing off to parents? Confessing?'
It's hard to stack clichés like this.
And all of them leading towards death, no less.
What kind of extra group is this?
'It's all because of these guys.'
It wasn't the game developers' trick, but these guys piling up clichés like mad that escalated the situation.
'The Anthill Plaza Attack Incident.'
Contrary to the instructor's expectation, the ants diligently worked to create pathways, and most of the blocked holes were about to be reopened.
The moment the main characters, returning to the plaza, tried to rest, the ants launched their attack.
In the game, it's the first battle after the tutorial and the battle where the main characters become aware of each other.
And at the same time.
'It's the battle where I can level up like crazy.'
A.k.a. power-leveling.
I also planned to complete the quest of killing 100 monsters.
There were a few minor issues, but it would all work out.
'The biggest problem is getting rid of the stalker...'
I glanced to the side.
Stalker... no, Luna was continuously on guard around her.
Her tension was at its peak.
Being the kind person I am, I decided to ease Luna's tension.
"Luna."
"What?"
"If you divide an ant into three parts, what do you get?"
"Do you think I'm stupid? It's the head, chest, and abdomen."
Luna chuckled at the absurdity of my question.
Firmly, I replied to her.
"No, it dies. If you divide an ant into three, it dies."
"..."
Kekeke.
I thought it was a great display of wit and humor, even if I say so myself.
Did my consideration work?
Luna, who had been staring at me, cracked a slight smile.
"Zero, do you know what happens when a person bites another person?"
Oh, is she trying to ease my tension now?
Such a considerate Luna.
I felt like crying, seeing the growth of my daughter(?).
But I've never heard such a riddle before.
"Keke, do they become zombies?"
"No, when a person bites another person, they die."
"Huh? What kind of answer is that..."
The children gradually moved away from my side.
Instructor Ron also kept his distance.
Why is everyone distancing themselves?
Ah.
I saw Luna opening her mouth wide, making threatening gestures.
That's when I realized the meaning of the quiz Luna posed.
"You don't think so? Then let's test it. Right?"
"Please, don't come any closer, Luna."
"Don't be nervous. I'm just trying to give you the right answer."
Luna slowly approached, a smile filling her face.
Shortly after.
My screams echoed throughout the cavern.
* * *
After a minor accident of being playfully bitten by the wild beast Luna.
We continued along the path and soon reached our destination.
"Collect the wooden tag over there. Then we're done and can head back."
Instructor Ron pointed to one side of the wall.
A small wooden tag hung there, engraved with 'Group 3'.
"What? It's over already? That was less than I expected."
"Right. And no one got hurt."
"Did we get them all?"
Hmm, uttering the ultimate cliché leading to death.
I've lost count of how many times this has happened.
As the saying goes, clichés are science, and as we let our guard down, numerous monsters hidden...
- didn't attack us.
It's amazing these guys are still alive after uttering such problem-invoking clichés.
They're really lucky.
'Well, the attack will start once we return to the plaza, anyway.'
The so-called Anthill Plaza Attack Incident.
Even now, they must be gathering for the ambush.
"I didn't expect low-tier monsters to be this weak. We could easily take on mid-tier monsters, right?"
"What are you talking about? You were shaking until their legs fell off before you even fought."
"Hey, I was just waiting for the right opportunity! Dozens of these guys are no problem!"
"I'll confess to her when we get back."
Even in this situation, they're still diligently building clichés. Truly amazing extras.
If we all survive this without casualties, I might actually start respecting Caron.
"We're here. Good job, everyone."
We soon returned to the plaza.
The walls of the cavern, with countless holes.
It still gives me the creeps to see it.
Soon, ants will pour out of there like rain.
"Oh, quite a lot have returned. This batch seems quite skilled."
I surveyed the surroundings. About 70% of the people seemed to have returned.
The attack wasn't far off.
At the same time, it meant the moment for rapid leveling up was approaching.
'Three things to do now.'
First, find a secret passage.
Second, escape the notice of Caron and others.
And lastly.
'Shake off the stalker... no, Luna.'
"What are you thinking about?"
"...Keke, nothing at all?"
"You seem suspicious..."
Luna tilted her head, her usually clueless self suddenly showing sharp intuition.
Typical of a stalker.
"Luna, aren't you thirsty? Shall I get you something?"
"No? I don't need it."
"I'm quite thirsty. I'll be right back."
"Let's go together. I'm thirsty too."
"...?"
Did I miss something in the conversation?
Just a couple of lines ago, she said she didn't need it.
"I need to go to the restroom for a bit."
"You said you were getting water."
"Keke, I think I need to go before that. Would you like to come and see?"
Luna frowned.
She seemed hesitant to follow me to the restroom.
"...You have 60 seconds. Run there and back."
Only 60 seconds?
It would have been quite a problem if I really needed to use the restroom.
Despite appearances, I am a person of great stature(?).
Of course, I'm talking about height.
I blended in among the children and slowly made my way towards the wall.
Then I began feeling around the wall.
--TL Notes--
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