Chapter 286: Second Week [2]

Chapter 285

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Episode 75 - Second Week [2]

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Tap! Tap!

The sound of my footsteps echoed continuously.

On top of that, the drops of water falling from the ceiling mixed with the sound of my footsteps, creating an echo that reverberated throughout the corridor.

Walking leisurely, I let out a yawn, and after walking for about three hours, I finally stopped in a corner of the corridor, in front of a statue.

The first floor wasn’t very large compared to the other 99 floors of the Labyrinth.

You could say it was something of a prologue or tutorial for the cadets. Something along those lines.

"Ah."

I let out a sigh as I sat down on the floor and leaned my back against the statue.

Then, I extended my senses to cover a radius of one hundred kilometers.

Information about the corridors, hidden rooms, monsters, and even the fights between cadets appeared in my mind through my senses.

It was like having a live broadcast of everything happening throughout the Labyrinth.

’Mhm, looks like they’re fighting over the right to hunt a monster.’

The first floor was filled with Class 1 to Class 4 monsters. They weren’t a problem for the cadets.

Especially for the second-years.

Of course, the floors that followed, all the way to the ninth, also housed monsters of similar levels. However, the farther one progressed, the greater the number of Class 3 and Class 4 monsters became, while the Class 1 and Class 2 monsters gradually decreased.

The boss monster on the tenth floor was Class 5 and was accompanied by several Class 4 monsters.

"Aah, well, it’s time to go."

My next destination was the second floor.

There were far too few Class 4 monsters on the first floor.

On the other hand, their numbers increased considerably on the second floor.

That was why it didn’t take long for my senses to locate the "Gate" leading to the second floor.

"Spatial Movement."

The surroundings around me changed in the blink of an eye.

I appeared in front of a massive arched doorway. It was made of stone, with hieroglyphs and various drawings carved into its surface.

I walked up to the door and placed my palm against it. Then, I channeled Mana into it, and suddenly, the door began to open.

Creak!

The sound of stone grinding under the weight of the enormous door echoed loudly through the long, spacious corridor behind me.

Just then...

"That is the door to the second floor."

"Come on, hurry before the others get here."

Before they could reach me, I had already crossed the doorway.

Then, as if I had been teleported to an entirely different place...

"....."

An intense cold enveloped my entire body.

Of course, it wasn’t enough to freeze me, but for the cadets, it was an entirely different story.

Crunch!

The snow beneath my feet, the freezing air, and the blizzard...

The second floor was a completely frozen world.

Walking with my hands in my pockets, I extended my senses and quickly located a pack of monsters.

They were a species of bird standing about twenty meters tall.

A row of eyes stretched across their heads. They had around six wings, while the rest of their bodies were covered in bones and protrusions that emitted a strong, unpleasant odor.

’Ugh, this thing smells like it’s been dead for days.’

One of the enormous birds was devouring the remains of a humanoid monster.

It appeared to be a subspecies of the Titan race.

"It’s a Class 4 monster."

Without needing to draw my sword, I simply thought about it, and in that instant, a Sword Intent crossed the distance in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

The snow split in half, as did the bird-like monster’s body.

Then, a robotic voice echoed in my mind.

「You have killed a Class 4 Corruption, +40 Points」

The voice came from a type of magic known as Record Magic.

It had been created specifically for the Academic Exchange.

In any case, the monster’s body fell to the ground, kicking up an enormous cloud of snow.

And perhaps because of the monster’s death, several of its kind suddenly appeared in the sky.

Each one was slightly different, but they were all Class 4 monsters.

’Mhm, let’s see... There are eighteen in total. Well, that’s enough for me.’

Even with my hands in my pockets, I simply raised my head and "looked" at the eighteen Class 4 monsters.

Then...

Boom!

The sound of bones and flesh being sliced apart echoed throughout the snow-covered wasteland.

A rain of blood fell onto the ground, melting the snow as it went, followed by the remains of the monsters’ bodies.

Boom!

As they crashed down, the numerous bodies kicked up a veil of snow that rose into the air.

I let out a sigh as the robotic voice continued to echo in my mind.

’I’ll only go as far as the fifteenth floor now. I’ll stop there.’

I had already obtained the number of Points I intended to get.

Now, I only needed to reach the floor where I would stay.

I turned around to leave, but just then...

"......"

"How impressive. That’s called Sword Intent, right?"

Standing in front of me was none other than my new stalker.

Very’Daal glanced over my shoulder at the remains of the monsters.

Then, she shifted her gaze back to me, her expression filled with curiosity.

"Mhm, why are you hiding your true strength? That’s very suspicious."

"......."

"You’re not going to answer."

She broke into a wide grin from ear to ear. However, I simply said nothing.

"So you won’t answer me. Well, what can I do?"

"Aah."

I let out a sigh before finally saying something.

"Aren’t you getting tired of this childish game?"

"A childish game?"

Very’Daal tilted her head curiously upon hearing my words.

For my part, I nodded without offering any explanation and simply said:

"You won’t get anything out of me, so just do what you came here to do with the cadets from your Academy."

Very’Daal kept her arms behind her back with a smile on her face, but her expression changed shortly afterward, taking on a thoughtful look.

It was as if she was genuinely considering my words.

However, she quickly shook her head.

"Mhm, no, that’s not possible. Although the Academic Exchange interests me, it’s just a secondary matter now."

"......."

"You’ve caught my attention, and that’s why I want you to be mine. I’ll take as much time as necessary during these two weeks until I make you completely mine."

"......"

My expression didn’t change in the slightest on the outside.

However, internally...

’Ugh, she’s already giving me a headache.’

For an entire week, this crazy woman had been constantly looking for me.

Whenever she approached me, she would start spouting nonsense about all the benefits I’d receive if I simply submitted to her.

And things like that.

’I should make it clear to her... No, it won’t work. She seems like the type of person who would keep insisting even on the verge of death.’

For some reason, her obsession with me only grew stronger with each passing day.

"And if you fail to achieve your goal of getting me, what will you do?"

The question genuinely piqued my curiosity.

What would someone like Very’Daal do if she didn’t get what she wanted?

Would she try to kill me or something, like a psychopath? Would she resort to traps, manipulation, or some kind of scheme?

Very’Daal silently observed me for a few seconds before answering.

"If I can’t do it, then I’ll simply have to give up."

".......!?"

’Give up? Just like that.’

I narrowed my eyes and "looked" at her emotions.

However, I couldn’t detect anything particularly different.

’She’s either lying or telling the truth.’

Very’Daal’s emotions were impossible to read.

That was because excitement and obsession were always present, with nothing else that could be clearly distinguished.

Therefore, I couldn’t read her thoughts.

"You weren’t expecting that answer, were you?"

Very’Daal spoke as if she were enjoying my confusion.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected that answer at all, but...

"What do you mean? Then, was that a lie?"

Very’Daal deliberately revealed her fangs before answering:

"Of course it was a lie. Even if I fail to get you, I’ll try every time I meet you."

"That means you’ll never give up."

She winked at me and nodded.

"Exactly. Remember what I told you. I always get what I want, even if it takes me a long time to achieve it."

"......."

An incredulous expression appeared on my face.

I was speechless, but by observing her emotions, I discovered that she actually wasn’t lying at all.

Her emotions simply grew stronger, becoming more and more excited at the thought of never giving up on me.

’Damn it, don’t tell me she’ll even chase me in death.’

The thought sounded absurd, but what if she really did follow me even after death?

’Still, my ’self’ from Regression 9999 must have encountered Very’Daal, right?’

Then I wondered what my ’self’ from Regression 9999 had done until the day of his death.

’I should ask Lumina...’

"......!"

For some reason, I suddenly felt a strange chill run down my spine.

Then, I turned my head and "looked" behind me.

"......!"

Someone completely unexpected had appeared just as I thought of her.

At that moment, Very’Daal noticed her as well and said:

"Oh, well, if it isn’t the supposedly greatest talent in history, Miss Lumina Moonlight."

"........"

Lumina glanced at me briefly before shifting her gaze toward Very’Daal.

Suddenly, her expression changed, filling with anger.

The disbelief and shock only grew stronger at that moment.

’Wait, did she really get angry because of Very’Daal’s provocation, or is it because of something else?’

I had no idea.

However, for some reason, the cold around me only continued to intensify.