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The next day.
Alzas Forest.
"Davian, this is the right place, isn't it? Where we took our entrance exam. Alzas Forest."
"Yeah."
"This is the forest teeming with monsters, right?"
"Right. That's why we take the entrance exam here every year. Thanks to that, the academy has a direct warp magic circle to this forest."
Samantha, straining as she bent her bow backward to string it, asked,
"Right! I was going to ask anyway. Is it okay to use the academy's warp magic circle for personal use like this? It's just a two-person team dungeon observation task for the dungeon exploration club."
"I got permission from the Head of the Magic Department."
"Huh? What? You got permission to use the warp magic circle from the Head of the Magic Department? When?"
"Early this morning."
Sirims Andrian, Head of the Magic Department.
To Davian, he was a kind teacher who would always meet him when he visited.
But to other academy students, he was a figure in such a high position that they could barely look at him.
The spiritual pillar of all magicians in Alcancia.
Samantha Codies, from the Archery Department, had only seen him a few times outside of official events.
"Amazing... Davian."
"If I had just said I was going on a dungeon observation trip that the club told me to do, he wouldn't have allowed me to use the magic circle so easily."
"Then?"
"I told him."
"What?"
"That I was going to destroy this dungeon."
Samantha, who was checking the bowstring by plucking it, looked at Davian with surprised eyes.
"You already told him?"
Davian nodded.
"And he still gave you permission?"
He nodded again.
"To do such a dangerous thing?"
He kept nodding.
"There was a condition, though."
"A condition? What is it?"
"To not let you get hurt."
"That's all for the condition?"
"Yeah."
"The Head of the Magic Department doesn't even think you'll get hurt doing this?"
He shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Wow, I guess I was thinking too casually about you, Davian. Well, you're not the Davian Naone I knew anymore. The best student in the history of Elton Academy. The future of Alcancia. A magical genius and a swordsmanship genius. Skills beyond the academy level. Already coveted by the royal family, the Magic Tower, the Royal Guard, and so on..."
"Stop it."
Samantha smiled.
"Should I? Anyway. You weren't even this good when we took the midterms together. You've become quite an amazing person in the meantime. It's a compliment, Davian Naone."
"But I still haven't gotten permission from Ariel-senpai. Actually, I didn't even ask. I knew she'd be against it."
"She probably would be against it. Right?"
"Yeah. So, Samantha, you just have to help me out. What did I tell you to say when we get back?"
"The core amplification was so imminent that there was nothing we could do."
"Good. If you say that, Ariel-senpai won't be able to do anything about it."
Davian and Samantha started moving towards the location marked on the map.
"But Davian. This Alzas Forest has always been famous for having a lot of monsters. Why don't the people living in this forest move away?"
"Then why don't the people living in other small cities all gather in the cleanest, biggest, and best-equipped capital?"
"Well, there are various reasons. Land, money, and other reasons... Ah!"
"There are various reasons for protecting one's livelihood."
"I see. I was too short-sighted."
Swish.
Davian flicked his hand once.
As if a gust of wind had risen.
Sharply dividing the space.
Kueeek!
It split the Great Goblin's torso in half.
Kwik!
Kuaek!
The goblins, having lost their leader in an instant, scattered in all directions in a panic.
And so, while arriving at the dungeon entrance.
Samantha didn't get a single chance to draw her bow.
Most of the monsters were too busy running away after being hit by attacks from a distance that they couldn't even respond to.
The ones with strong competitive spirits who charged at them were all dead before Samantha could even nock an arrow.
"You were amazing back then, too. You've really improved a lot, haven't you? Davian."
"I just tend to improve quickly. There it is. The dungeon entrance."
Davian entered the dungeon entrance without hesitation.
Dungeon E-67.
As soon as they entered the dungeon, the density of monsters was incomparable to that of Alzas Forest.
But Davian just kept walking forward without hesitation.
He advanced without stopping or slowing down his pace even once.
All the monsters that approached him were either split in half or roasted alive.
Swish!
Thwack!
Still, Samantha had a chance to draw her bow a little after entering the dungeon.
In fact, it seemed like she could just carry her bow on her back and follow Davian.
But she couldn't just do nothing.
After passing through a winding cave for a long time, they arrived in front of the boss room.
Davian grabbed the iron doorknob without hesitation.
"How do you know what's inside?"
"It doesn't matter what's there."
"Ah... Because it's an E-rank dungeon?"
Davian nodded.
"Then, would it not matter even if it was a D-rank dungeon?"
"Yeah. Same thing."
"C-rank?"
"Maybe?"
Samantha opened her mouth and shook her head.
"How strong have you become, Davian Naone."
Creak.
The huge iron door opened.
"It's quiet?"
Then.
Thump thump thump thump.
A rough sound of hooves echoed from the dark cave.
A familiar sound, although it had been a while.
"That's a familiar footstep. Isn't it, Samantha?"
"Yeah. It sounds like it. Could it be?"
The final boss of Dungeon E-67 revealed its massive body.
It was nearly 4 meters tall, and had a bull's head on its broad shoulders.
Samantha shouted.
"Minotaur!"
The final boss of the E-rank dungeon that they had encountered during the Dungeon Exploration midterm exam in the first semester of their first year.
They met again here.
Davian smiled.
"Shall we do it like we did back then? Samantha."
"Like back then?"
Thump thump thump thump.
The Minotaur, with an angry face, ran towards where Davian and Samantha were standing.
Davian stretched out both arms forward.
Kuaooo!
The enraged monster opened its mouth wide and roared.
Saliva dripped down from its large mouth.
However.
Despite its enraged expression and roar.
The Minotaur could no longer come forward.
Its angry leg muscles twitched as it tried to move forward.
But it was stuck in place.
It was Davian's telekinetic magic.
"Now, like back then, pierce its forehead."
"Are you sure you want me to do it?"
"Yeah. You did it back then too."
Samantha nodded and picked up her bow.
The elegant Reflex Bow was aimed at the Minotaur.
After nocking an arrow.
She poured her inner energy into the arrow tip.
Whoosh.
The arrow tip glowed blue.
Click.
The fully drawn bowstring seemed to make a taut sound.
Thwack.
Along with the cheerful sound of the bowstring being released.
Swish!
The arrow split the space.
The Minotaur could only watch the arrow flying straight towards it, unable to move.
Thwack!
The arrow hit the Minotaur's forehead.
A moment later.
Flash!
The arrow pierced the Minotaur's head and flew out the back.
It wasn't just Davian who had improved.
"Amazing, Samantha."
"I've been working hard for a year too... I can even coat the arrow tips with aura now. But it's nothing compared to you, Davian."
"No, it's amazing. To pierce through the head of a Minotaur."
Ting.
=====
-By defeating the final boss of the E-rank dungeon, a new event is opened.
[Event: E-rank Dungeon Core Destruction]
-Endure until the dungeon completely disappears after destroying the dungeon core.
-Reward: Mana points are accumulated each time you defeat the rushing monsters.
-Caution: Accompanied by powerful monster waves.
-Accept: Y / N
=====
An event that appears every time you defeat the final boss of the dungeon.
An opportunity to gather a large amount of mana points.
He rolled his eyes to the left and selected Y for whether to accept.
Davian went straight through the boss room to the core room.
Creak.
The huge iron door opened and the dungeon core floating in the center was visible.
"From now on, stay close behind me, Samantha."
"Yes! I understand, Davian."
Swish.
As Davian lightly flicked his hand.
Sharp wind elemental magic split the dungeon core.
Whoosh.
The space that was the wall instantly moved far away, becoming an empty space filled with only darkness.
Front, back, above, below.
Dark, infinite space was created as they were pushed away one by one into the distance.
He heard Samantha's tense breathing from behind.
"Hoo. It's still hard to get used to, even though it's the second time."
"There's nothing to be nervous about, Samantha. I'll take care of everything."
"Yes, I understand, Davian."
Krrr.
The sound of wolves growling was heard from beyond the darkness.
If it's a wolf that will appear in the E-rank dungeon monster wave.
'Gray wolves.'
Flash.
Flames sprang up in Davian's hands.
The only person who will see this scene is Samantha Codies.
There's no need to save mana by being humble.
There's no need to throw himself into the monster horde just to keep others from interfering.
Goo.
As he poured in mana, the flames grew bigger and hotter.
Krrr.
Towards the gray wolf pack hesitating at the sight of the huge flames.
Kuaaaa!
He shot a huge pillar of fire.
Ting.
=====
[E-rank Monster Wave Begins]
-Defeat Gray Wolf: +0.015K Mana Points (x2)
-Defeat Gray Wolf: +0.015K Mana Points (x2)
-Defeat Gray Wolf: +0.015K Mana Points (x2)
.
.
.
=====
Shaaa.
A cool spring breeze tickled Davian and Samantha's hair.
"I guess it's all over, Davian."
"Yeah. It's over."
=====
[E-rank Monster Wave Ends]
-Cumulative Reward: 18K Mana Points (x2)
=====
Until you break the dungeon core and take all the monster waves, you can't know how many mana points you can get.
Even dungeons of the same rank have different types of monsters and the number of waves varies.
36K Mana Points.
'Not bad for an E-rank.'
Davian checked his point status for the first time in a while.
'Point Status.'
=====
[Mana Points: 266K]
-Magic Power: 512K
-Inner Power: 270K
-Outer Power: 116K
-Points Remaining Until Absorption of the Archmage's Heart: 836K
=====
The points remaining until the absorption of the archmage's heart, which had been a four-digit number, had somehow decreased to 836K.
The total mana points obtained since becoming a second-year student is 266K.
'Not much left.'
The Archmage's Heart.
You can get 1,024K of magic power at once.
'If only I could do that.'
I'm confident even if guys like Odin Nasar come at me.
This time.
I must graduate.
"Let's go back, Samantha."
"Yes, Davian. You've worked hard. Amazing. You protected the villagers all by yourself."
That evening.
Davian's dormitory.
As usual on Sunday, all of his friends were gathered at Davian's dormitory.
Ding-dong.
"Who is it?"
"I'll go check."
Bellus trotted to the front door and opened it, then froze stiffly.
"G, Glacier-nim!"
"Oh, hello. Cute little spirit magician. Your name was Bellus, right?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Why do you freeze up so much when you see me? Is it because I'm an ice spirit?"
He threw out a joke.
Bellus's face turned white.
"N, no! It's absolutely not like that!"
Glacier laughed and tapped Bellus on the shoulder.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
To Bellus, whose spirit sensitivity had been maximized by awakening, Glacier's presence was overwhelming.
He was proud of himself for still standing upright.
On the other hand.
"Glacier, you're here?"
Davian, still sitting on the sofa, just turned his head and greeted him casually.
"Yeah. Is Mons here?"
"Upstairs."
Glacier lifted the box he was holding.
"Ta-da. I brought a gift for Mons. Hey, Bellus. Can you go get Mons and bring him down?"
"Yes!"
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