The Author's POV

*Achoo!* *Achoo!* *Achoo!*

Yo, what's up with me today?

Is it really true that I'm immune to the flu?

I mean, I've been sneezing too many times lately. It's not even funny anymore.

In the end, I let it go as I had more pressing issues to take care of. Wiping my nose, I headed deeper into the dungeon.

As I headed deeper into the dungeon, I refrained from running.

Honestly, I was pretty much walking.

Currently, the armband on my arm had a large [79] displayed on it. After killing a few more goblins I pretty much hit my goal.

Since I've accomplished what I had set my mind to from the very beginning, the rest wasn't a priority. I didn't need to get a good time as I've already secured a high score for this examination.

Funnily enough, I think that even though I was walking, I was currently one of the fastest students.

I mean, on multiple occasions I've seen students pass me...but after a short bit, I would eventually surpass them as they would always be held back by goblins.

This happened so many times, that I estimated that I was pretty much one of the fastest people present.

Perhaps walking was the most efficient method...I mean, just let the students who were in a rush handle all of the goblins in your stead.

At this point, rather than this being an exam, it was just me having a leisurely stroll.

-Clank! -Clank!

"H-elp!"

As I was walking, I soon saw a student in distress. Squinting my eyes, I soon spotted him fighting multiple goblins at once.

'Two regular goblins and a goblin knight?'

Getting a better look at his situation, I soon spotted him being surrounded by two regular goblins and a goblin that was wearing a knight armor. A goblin knight

...yeah.

The further I went into the dungeon, the more variations of goblins I spotted. I saw a goblin mage on multiple occasions, a goblin knight, a goblin fighter...just why did there have to be so many types of goblins.

...okay, this was my fault on my end, as I was too lazy to come up with different monsters, but still...past me, couldn't you have been a little bit more original?

*Sigh*

In the end, I could only sigh at how unoriginal I was at times. To have considered this novel a masterpiece...I don't know what I was on at that time.

Either way, looking at the student who was desperately looking at me, I raised my hands and innocently said

"...Don't look at me, just having a leisurely stroll here."

I mean, his intentions were obvious.

Use me as cannon fodder for him to get rid of the goblins or transfer them to me. This way he could reap all of the benefits whilst I struggle to deal with the goblins.

...like the professor said, never trust someone inside of dungeons.

I've learned this lesson the hard way.

"Wh-at, help, I'm in danger here! H-ow can you let a fellow student fail? A-fter this we can work together"

Nodding my head seriously, I solemnly looked at the student before me and reassured him.

"You're going to be fine, the school won't let you die, so just hold on tight okay? You know what, I'll do you one better. Once I get out, I'll share your struggles with one of the professors, maybe he'll help you then okay?"

-Clank! -Clank!

"W-ait, no, help!"

Like that, I waved at the student and left. No matter how much he screamed, I just ignored him.

...honestly, his plan would've worked if I had a hero complex, but I didn't. Moreover, it really didn't take a genius to figure out his intentions.

Just the way he was positioning his body made his intentions obvious. If you were really in trouble, you wouldn't be facing the goblins at an angle, but you would be directly confronting them from the front. Moreover, the fact that his clothes were still without a single scratch made it obvious that this was a trap.

"Y-ou yo-u, I won't forget this"

Shaking my head, I couldn't help but say

"Yeah, yeah, that's what every third-rate villain says! Get an original quote for once!"

Soon after I said that the students' not so PG curses reverberated throughout the area I was in.

I didn't really care though, I was pretty much already near the exit of the dungeon.

...

-Spurt! -Spurt! -Spurt!

In a different dungeon, the figure of silhouette quickly moving through the narrow paths of the dungeon could be seen.

Occasionally, as the figure passed by the monsters present in the dungeon, without stopping, he would directly hack towards them and kill them precisely in one blow.

He was swift and decisive.

His every sword strike flowed like water, smoothly and seemingly with no lag in between each movement.

What was especially striking about the figure, were his two blood-red eyes that shone under the dark cave-like environment.

...he looked like the apex predator of the dungeon.

Ruthless. Whenever he passed, devastation would be left in his wake.

"Dammit, how is he so strong!"

A few meters away from Kevin, following behind him, three students wearing red-colored uniforms couldn't help but curse out loud as they saw the numerous monster carcasses by the side of the cave.

They ranged from goblins to kobolds and many other monsters that weren't present in the lower-end dungeons.

As they ran, trying their best to follow Kevin, one of the red-clothed youths couldn't help but say out loud

"Dammit! If we don't succeed in making him fail, we won't be able to get into the [Blood supremacy] faction. Let's pick up the pace!"

It was true.

The three youths that were following Kevin, were right now trying to accomplish a mission they had been assigned moments before entering the dungeon.

...Prior to entering the dungeon, they had been approached by several members of the [Blood supremacy] faction.

One of the top factions of the academy.

The reason they approached them was to offer them a chance to enter their faction. As long as they completed the task they had been assigned, they would be allowed into the faction.

Back then, after hearing what their tasks consisted of, they immediately agreed. To them, it wasn't something that was actually that hard.

'Stop Kevin from passing'

If they managed to succeed in making Kevin fail, they would be granted access to the [Blood supremacy] faction, which would bestow great honor upon their families.

Enticed by the offer, the three youth's tried their best to make things difficult for Kevin...however, they had severely underestimated how strong Kevin was.

As they ran, glancing towards the youth that just spoke, another youth couldn't help but shout back

"We're already doing our best here!"

"Then how in the world are we still slower than him despite the fact that he is fighting monsters too!"

"Dammit, I don't know!"

Listening to the two youths conversing, the last youth remained silent. After a while, he slowed down his pace and stopped.

"Let's stop..."

Noticing the youth's odd behavior, the two other youth's slowed down their pace and turned towards him.

"huh? What's going on Marcus?"

Glancing at the two youth's before him, after hesitating for a bit, the youth called Marcus spoke

"G-guys, let's just give up"

Opening their eyes wide, the two youths couldn't help but find their voices raise a few pitches.

"What! why!?"

Noticing the surprised expression of his two comrades, Marcus clenched his fist and said.

"I-if we can barely catch up, how are we supposed to prevent him from passing the exam?...he's a monster. I don't think joining [Blood supremacy] would outweigh the cost of offending someone like him..."

"like him?"

"Someone who is bound to reach S rank...no, SS rank"

"..."

"..."

Finished with what he was saying, silence prevailed in the surroundings.

The two youths couldn't find any words to rebuke Marcus with. They too felt that what he said had some merit.

Although they wanted to refute Marcus's statement with all their might, they couldn't. Especially not after witnessing firsthand how powerful Kevin was.

Kevin, with his talent, was bound to reach the S or SS rank.

It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when...

"No!"

Clenching his fists, one of the youth's shouted

"We're already committed, we can't give up now"

Glancing towards Leo, the other youth, Karl, shook his head and stopped moving. Lowering his head in defeat, he said

"...no, Leo, Marcus is right. There's no point in going through this trouble to offend a potential SS ranked hero just to join a faction that might not even take us seriously...It's not worth it"

"What! Not you too Karl!"

Lowering his head, the other youth named Karl, apologetically said

"...Sorry"

Staring at both Karl and Marcus for a few seconds, Leo, the last youth, clicked his tongue and turned around

"Tsk, you both are a bunch of cowards"

Pointing at both Karl and Marcus, Leo said

"I'll report this back to the higher-ups...About the fact that you both pussied out at the last moment. Kiss your chances of joining [Blood supremacy] goodbye"

Without waiting for them to respond, Leo stormed off deeper into the dungeon.

...

"Fuuuuck!"

Cursing out loud, Leo clenched his jaws and fists hard.

How did he end up being paired up with two pussies.

What was so great about Kevin? Although yes, he agreed with them with the fact that he was bound to reach SS rank in the future...nothing was set in stone.

What if he died? Wouldn't they have just lost an opportunity to join a faction that would help them in the future? For what? a dead person?

Moreover, they were all <D> ranked. There shouldn't be that much of a difference between them.

"Bunch of cowards"

Moving forward, glancing downwards, he saw a pile of goblins carcasses on the ground.

-Kacha!

-Pu!

Kicking the goblin to the side, Leo couldn't help but spit at the goblin corpse and curse out loud.

"Fucking goblin"

-Khueeeka! -Khueeeka! -Khueeeka!

"Huh?"

Moments after he did that, multiple enraged sounds reverberated throughout the whole dungeon. The ground shook.

"W-what's going on?"

Moments after, in the distance, what met his sight almost caused him to have a heart attack. It was a sea of goblins with red eyes madly sprinting in his direction. Seemingly lost in rage.

"W-why ar-re there so m-many goblins!?"

Taking a step back, Leo opened his eyes wide. Soon after, he sprinted backward with all his might.

"Sh-it, help!"