Chapter 15
The Scat Mouse zigzagged toward . As it leaped at my face, I dodged sideways, slashing with the dagger.
[Screech!]
It drowned in the sewage with a dying cry.
Then.
I turned and sprinted. Rounding a short corner, a figure with a drawn bow awaited.
Spotting , the figure flinched, the arrow tip wavering. The arrow fired—not intentionally, but as if startled into releasing the string.
Know-It-All (Lv 1) analyzes the bow’s aim.
Wild Instinct (Lv 1) predicts the evasion path for the enemy’s attack.
Movent (Lv 2) actively assists evasion movents.
I dodged the arrow fired at close range with path prediction.
But my clothes tore, and the robe was pierced. My side was ripped open, though no wound was visible.
‘Failed to fully evade?’
A first.
Even with their aim thrown off by surprise, it was this close. Their skill was better than expected.
The first was just a partial failure, but the second might be a complete miss.
‘Hm?’
But the archer, not nocking another arrow, began retreating. Intentional or not, it was my chance.
I charged recklessly, tackling the archer.
“Eek!”
‘A woman!’
I might have the edge in strength!
I restrained both her arms and seized the bow.
“Give it back!”
“…?”
The voice sounded familiar. I pulled off the figure’s hood.
‘…Elisha von Tresha Harmadun.’
Realizing her identity was exposed, Elisha grimaced. Her ears reddened, perhaps from the humiliation of being restrained by the man she despised.
“Let go, Cadet Martin.”
So, she was tailing knowingly. I’d worn a robe to hide my identity since leaving ho, so she hadn’t spotted midway. Soone must’ve been watching my house.
“Why should I trust you and let go?”
“I won’t attack.”
“And the tailing?”
“….”
Elisha tried to wrench her arms free. I could’ve let go, but I had no obligation to.
“Ugh! Rude…!”
“That’s sothing the one being tailed should say.”
“How can I ignore your suspicious actions, knowing what you might do?”
“….”
I had no coback. Martin’s past actions spoke for themselves.
Silently, I released her arms and stood, resuming my path.
“Where are you going?”
“….”
I didn’t have ti for tedious explanations. I needed to get back before Lilac’s breakfast went cold.
When I didn’t answer, Elisha blatantly followed.
“….”
“….”
As we moved, another Scat Mouse appeared.
“Kyaa!”
I clamped a hand over Elisha’s scream and sliced the rat in two with the dagger. I turned from the discarded corpse to her.
“Don’t get in my way, Cadet.”
“….”
Elisha’s face flushed red.
Sheathing the dagger, I headed to the next point. Several Scat Mice appeared, but I cut them down easily and reached my destination.
[No Entry]
“….”
I stepped over the carelessly strung safety tape.
“Cadet Martin, it’s a restricted area. Can’t you see?”
“If I couldn’t, I’d have tripped.”
“….”
“If the botherso tailing stops, I’d appreciate it. Wait here or go back, your choice.”
“…It’s not tailing, it’s surveillance.”
It didn’t take long for the haughty noblewoman to scream as she crossed over.
“A d-dungeon…! Why’s a Ti Chaos Dungeon here?!”
I stepped in front of the stunned Elisha.
“I’m going to deal with it, Cadet Elisha.”
“How… how did you know? Even the four ducal families don’t know there’s a Ti Chaos Dungeon in an abandoned civilian wastewater plant!”
The civilian wastewater plant once managed the Empire’s water quality, but nationalization turned it into a state project.
Private operations were shut down, and the state took over…
“Abandoned buildings like this sotis beco hideouts for Ti Chaos Dungeons.”
“You… should’ve contacted the Humanity Preservation Agency.”
An organization of elite agents preventing human extinction from disasters. Not dedicated to Ti Chaos Dungeons, but they handled potential catastrophe reports.
“Would they believe ? Find one noble in the Empire who trusts .”
“….”
Elisha, the ducal family’s daughter, fell silent. She’d played a major role in socially burying Martin.
She knew better than anyone how deeply that wedge was driven.
“Why co through the sewers?”
“You saw. It’s a restricted area. I was avoiding active security systems above ground.”
“Hah! Even so, why sneak through the sewers? If the sewer guards catch you, at the very least…”
Click. I checked the chamber’s ammo. All equipnt was ready.
“…I’m saying you’re too reckless. How can you handle a Ti Chaos Dungeon alone… Cadet, are you listening?”
The space ahead distorted, like a puzzle sloppily pieced together by a toddler. Noise flickered. The darkness-dominated space was undoubtedly dangerous.
I charged in without hesitation.
“Hey, you! Stop!”
I ignored her cleanly.
My vision went black montarily.
‘Hm.’
Blinking, I saw faint shapes in the dark.
Wild Instinct (Lv 1) assists your vision.
My sight cleared. It was a cave with slimy walls, heavy with moisture. Testing the floor, it was no ordinary slickness.
‘Movent will handle it.’
I moved forward cautiously. Splashing sounds didn’t matter. The issue was avoiding ‘large vibrations’ from falling.
‘Straight to the boss room?’
It was a small, recently ford dungeon. Perfect timing.
Entering the vast boss room, I first noticed squirming, viscous liquid creatures.
They were hard to miss. Hundreds of slis clung to the walls, ceiling, and floor.
‘Good. They haven’t fused yet.’
Slis rge when enough gather, growing endlessly until noticed and defeated. But Ti Chaos Dungeons could go undetected, allowing infinite growth.
Finding it early ant quicker extermination. I aid my rifle, but…
‘…What’s that?’
Sothing odd caught my eye. Amid the clustered slis, an artificial barrier faintly glimred.
‘Who’s there?’
Ti Chaos Dungeons recreate past events. It wouldn’t be strange if this was a reckless adventurer’s tomb.
But since this dungeon was never found by the protagonist and exploded, the artificial barrier was an unknown setting that bothered .
Wild Instinct (Lv 1) detected a tailing presence.
I frowned. The sa alert as when I noticed Elisha earlier. This reckless woman must’ve followed into the Ti Chaos Dungeon.
Turning to wait, Elisha soon appeared, cautiously stepping on the slippery floor. She seed startled to see waiting but resud walking… Thud! She fell on her rear.
“….”
“….”
Both Elisha, who fell, and I, watching, froze.
‘Damn it.’
I glanced at the boss room. The writhing slis stopped, like a paused video.
Slis, without eyes, nose, or mouth, seed to stare at us.
‘Caught.’
Hundreds of slis began crawling toward us.
I aid at the lead sli and fired. Scattershot hit, bursting three at once. Reload, fire.
Elisha, scrambling up, apologized.
“S-Sorry, Cadet. I didn’t an…”
She slipped and fell again.
Good grief, the protagonist’s group and ducal family mber was utterly useless.
‘No Movent skill.’
Worse, she twisted her ankle. She wouldn’t walk for a bit.
Good lord, what a burden.
“Don’t get up. Sit and shoot arrows!”
The slis, now fully aware, sped up. The slick, humid environnt was perfect for them.
“Eek…!”
Elisha, startled, tried to nock an arrow, but her sli-covered hands made it nearly impossible.
“Ugh, why… why won’t it work…!”
‘Looks like I’ll have to do everything.’
Gripping the rifle, I checked the ammo pouch. It was doable. Plenty of ammo. No need for precise aim—just shoot, and it’d hit with how many there were.
Bang! Fire, reload, fire. Reload, fire. Reload, fire.
In monts, I killed ten slis, but ten tis that number still slid toward us.
‘Retreat for now.’
Fortunately, the cave was long. Hit-and-run tactics could handle it. I fired scattershot at the front slis and shouted:
“Cadet, fall back to secure range.”
“….”
“…Cadet Elisha?”
“….”
Sighing, I turned. She was trembling, clutching her bow without wiping the sli, her unfocused eyes staring at .
‘Panic?’
In the novel, Elisha, despite her haughty deanor, had trauma from losing her brother to a monster. Her noble pride usually suppressed it, but not in this situation.
I rushed over and lifted her. She snapped back to reality.
“Eek! C-Cadet! Let go!”
“Can’t you read the situation?! Shoot arrows!”
“Ugh…!”
Finally, she fired an arrow. Despite being carried, her skill shone. The arrow hit the ground, exploding like a grenade, scattering fragnts.
“Good job, noblewoman. Keep it up.”
“Y-You dare…!”
I didn’t expect “You saved !” but was glad she didn’t say, “How dare you touch a noblewoman!”
Setting her down, I drew my rifle and opened fire.
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