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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Honestly, I was so flustered that I didn’t even know what I was saying right now, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t entirely illogical.
Yes, I was, in fact, their savior who rescued them from the high-ranked monster, and my purpose for coming here was to test Lilac, so I used myself, rendered unconscious, to provoke him.
…What kind of nonsense was this?
I felt a little dizzy.
Originally, I was planning to pretend to be surprised if Lilac awakened any other talent, saying something like, “You were hiding this power…!?”, and then escape, but since Fusion suddenly wore off, it was impossible to fight anymore.
Ah, this was why test runs were important.
I shouldn’t jump into the real thing without practice from now on.
-You’re reflecting, at least. Honestly, I underestimated them a bit, their individual skills were better than I expected, so I used up a lot of energy.
I wanted to argue with him, but what was the point of arguing with Sun Wukong now?
Escaping this situation was more important.
I had something prepared, so escaping was something I could do at any time, but the problem lay elsewhere.
If I was attacked now, I wouldn’t be able to go on a rampage like before, I wouldn’t even be able to resist, so it seemed like a good choice to shift towards gaining their favor.
Think positive.
Yes, even though I spouted nonsense, the situation now wasn’t so bad.
No, it was rather good.
“Are you telling us to believe that?”
Of course, that was assuming other people would believe me.
Ah, honestly, even I wouldn’t believe it, lol.
[Hmm, is there a reason not to believe me?]
Professor Cathy’s expression crumpled instantly at my question.
Yes, honestly, it was ridiculous. There were plenty of reasons not to believe me.
A man wearing a horned oni mask and a tailcoat, who was on a rampage just moments ago, suddenly saying, “Ta-da, I’m actually the savior who rescued your precious friend.” Who would believe that?
Even our Lilac was looking at me suspiciously.
It was a long shot, wasn’t it?
But I had a brilliant move to turn this situation around.
[Then why don’t you ask the person who woke up?]
That’s right. Since I was both the perpetrator and the victim, it was natural for me to reach a settlement.
Some of their gazes shifted from me to the other me.
Please, other me…!
Of course…! Other me…!
The clone, stopping its coughing, looked around with a dazed expression and made eye contact with me.
“So-hyun, is everything that man said true?”
Professor Cathy, who had approached the other me faster than anyone, asked.
“What? Ah, yes, it’s true. He appeared and saved me when I was in danger. And after that, I remember hearing a voice telling me to sleep if I was in pain…”
As my other me winced and clutched his head as if in pain, the surprised professor patted my shoulder, telling him it was okay.
I felt a little bad for taking advantage of her kindness though…?
[Hmm, can I assume that your suspicions have been cleared? I don’t mind fighting some more, but the Great One doesn’t want you gone just yet. He only asked me to test you.]
“…Thank you for protecting our group. But we can’t just let you go.”
[Oh? Why?]
Now that my words were confirmed to be true, the disgust and anger in their eyes had lessened considerably, but they still didn’t seem to intend to let me go.
“Since you said you belong to some organization and your purpose was to test our cadets, you’ll have to reveal who’s behind you.”
Yes, this was bound to happen.
Hmm, I needed to reach a settlement at a reasonable point.
What kind of excuse could I use that wouldn’t provoke them but also wouldn’t ruin my character?
[You speak as if you’re in a position to offer goodwill, Professor. I don’t think that’s something those who were being unilaterally defeated by me just moments ago should be saying.]
Oh no, this is bad. Why did I provoke them in this situation?
Was this mask really cursed…?
-I’m telling you, I don’t sense any sinister energy in it. This is just your true nature…
If it was a curse that even Sun Wukong couldn’t sense, then it must be a serious curse.
-Well, I’ll let it slide this time since this is partly my fault.
[Remember this. I’m the one showing you mercy. You’re only alive because the Great One hasn’t decided what to do with you yet, and you shouldn’t forget that your group is safe because I showed you goodwill.]
Tension filled the air.
I had managed to smooth things over up to this point.
Now I just had to set the mood and escape, but I didn’t know how to end this convincingly.
“Can I ask one thing?”
It was Lilac who broke the suffocating standoff.
He seemed to have calmed down a bit after confirming that I was alive, and he was speaking formally again.
“What do you mean by testing me?”
Good, Lilac. Thank you. Thanks to you, it seemed like I could end this convincingly…!
[Literally. You don’t look that impressive to me, but the Great One is wary of you. He said that although you’re weak now, you might grow someday and become an obstacle.]
“…Then wouldn’t it be more advantageous for you to eliminate me while I’m still weak?”
The others looked at Lilac with surprised faces, but I laughed as if I had heard something funny and then looked at Lilac.
[Yes, you’re not entirely wrong. If you’re truly worthy of being His adversary, that would be the easier and safer path. But you see, what would be the point of that?]
“…What?”
I struck a pose, placed Black Shadow on my hand, and poured ‘all’ of my remaining innate qi into it.
[What would be the point of taking such a safe and easy path?]
Black Shadow awakened into the Dragon’s Shadow, and the brilliant darkness that erupted began to devour all the surrounding light and mana.
[He will one day become the sole rule and center of this world. Nothing can stand in His way, and if something does, He will surely crush it and prove Himself.]
As I lost all of my innate qi, dizziness washed over me, and my body began to rapidly collapse.
Unbearable pain surged through me, and my body trembled with primal fear.
[If you are truly His adversary, become stronger. Become stronger than anyone else and become the hope of the world. He will crush even the smallest, last hope you hold and overcome all trials.]
The moment the darkness, devouring the last embers of my life, became a curtain and stole all the light from the world…
-Remaining life force has dropped to minimum. Nearby transferable target detected. Forced exchange between clone and main body will commence.
‘My’ vision shifted.
All I could see was a deep and brilliant darkness. Taking advantage of the darkness, I opened my subspace ring and the relics were all sucked in.
When the curtain disappeared and my vision cleared, the villain in the sinister mask had already vanished.
We had survived against a powerful enemy.
…This was the perfect crime, right? No one knew, right…?
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“So-hyun, are you really okay?”
Lilac and the others approached me.
No, I think I’m dying.
I had lost all my innate qi except for the little bit I left in the clone.
I would gradually recover thanks to my Resurrection trait, but the experience of dying and being forcibly transferred to my clone wasn’t pleasant.
The sensation of losing all my innate qi transcended mere pain or discomfort. It was something difficult to describe.
I had used my innate qi almost to its limit before, but this was the first time I had completely used it all up, and it was a sensation I never wanted to experience again.
Shit. I’m never doing this again.
But I couldn’t express this feeling honestly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Of course, no one would believe me even if I said I was fine.
Despite saying I was fine, I was showered with pitiful gazes.
I thought I would never get used to those lukewarm gazes, but I was getting used to it after experiencing it so many times.
The moment I tried to get up, Professor Cathy rushed over like lightning and grabbed my right arm, and my sister, arriving a beat later, grabbed my left arm.
I understood that they were trying to support me, but if both my arms were grabbed, how was I supposed to get up?
“So-hyun, don’t get up so suddenly. What if you get dizzy and collapse…!”
Professor, I understand that you’re worried, but you know the others are watching, right?
“Yes, So-hyun, listen to Professor Cathy.”
No, why are you like this too, sister? I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but this is really scary.
I looked at Kang Ha-ni and Lilac for help, and they came over and grabbed a leg each.
…What is this? Why are all my limbs being held? Did they all figure out about my villain act, and were planning to pull me apart and torture me?
Then who was going to rip my head off? Kim Ga-eul? Or Yoo-na?
“…Cadets, let him go. This instructor will protect Cadet Kang So-hyun in case of any unforeseen danger.”
…Professor? I’m really fine.
“No, it’s better for Professor Cathy to be free to act in case of an emergency, so I’ll carry him.”
Lilac, I understand you’re being kind, but the professor’s expression looks terrible because of what you said.
“No, the monsters here are resistant to slashing attacks, so I’ll carry him instead.”
Ha-ni, it’s touching that you’re doing this even though you don’t like physical contact with guys, but you really can’t do this, you know.
What if I accidentally touch somewhere I shouldn’t?
Guys, more importantly, can’t you just let me walk on my own two feet?
I looked around for someone to help me, but Kim Ga-eul, who was hesitating awkwardly, seemed unreliable, and the other seniors didn’t seem to understand what was going on.
There were so many people here, how could there be no one to help me?
The moment I lightly despaired, a warm light enveloped my body.
A healing spell.
“Huh, Yoo-na?”
Lilac looked at Yoo-na in surprise.
That was right.
It was the pink chihuahua, Yoo-na, who had cast the healing magic on me.
Actually, I was dizzy because I had lost almost all my innate qi, so the healing magic didn’t have much of an effect, but just by looking at her expression, I could tell that Yoo-na hadn’t used the healing spell to actually heal me.
Judging by her gentle smile, she had given me an excuse.
Yes, this was mutual benefit.
I had been building up my favorability with her, and now I was actually receiving help from Yoo-na.
“That was effective. Thanks.”
Although it didn’t have much of an effect, after receiving the healing magic, I moved my body around a bit, and everyone seemed reluctantly convinced.
Yoo-na…! Thank you…!
“…I think it’s over now, right?”
The moment one of the seniors said that, the atmosphere among the protected civilians instantly brightened.
The end meant that they could go home, and since there were no casualties, it was natural for them to relax.
“No, it’s not over yet.”
But it wasn’t over yet. There was one important thing left.
“Huh?”
I smiled at the surprised people.
“The reward room. This is a dungeon, after all.”
The biggest reason I didn’t stop this incident was because of the reward, so I couldn’t just leave now.
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Basically, those who cleared a dungeon could decide how to handle the rewards.
Well, in the case of special dungeons managed by the state, they might not be able to claim the rights to the rewards, but that was a very special case, and this wasn’t a state-owned dungeon anyway.
The Rose Alchemist.
The treasure vault, filled with treasures created by the otherworldly great figure who dedicated his entire life to them, was so dazzling that it was an understatement to simply call it magnificent.
“Wow…”
Usually, an alchemist’s hidden room brought to mind the image of a dusty workshop, but the Rose Alchemist was a bit of a clean freak and an eccentric fellow, so his vault, which was also his workshop, was kept neat and tidy.
Not only were there various beautiful ornaments, but the reagents and experimental tools were also neatly organized, to the point where it was hard to believe it was an alchemist’s workshop.
“There don’t seem to be any special traps or hidden boss monsters.”
Professor Cathy, after checking the surroundings, signaled to the others that it was safe to enter.
Well, there weren’t any dangerous items here.
The Rose Alchemist was a poor fellow who went crazy due to an accident in his later years, but he liked humans.
Most people were captivated by the dazzling decorations, but the main characters were, as expected, different, as they were each searching for items they needed.
Lilac was looking at a sword and shield decorated with white roses on the wall, and Yoo-na was looking at a tiara with a rose vine design that seemed to be a set with them.
I felt a sense of accomplishment seeing them interested in the items I was subtly planning to give them.
Lilac was good, but his equipment was a bit lacking until he found his true weapon, and Yoo-na had good compatibility with that tiara, so currently they had found the items that suited them.
My sister and Professor Cathy were looking at the reagents while being wary of their surroundings, perhaps looking for any useful potions since they often engaged in physical combat.
“…How about this, sister?”
“Not bad. It seems good for one’s health.”
“This one looks good too.”
…You’re planning to use those yourselves, right?
Ha-ni looked around without much interest, but she then found an otherworldly sword technique book and showed some interest, and finally, Kim Ga-eul…
“Wow, this decoration is so pretty…”
She was just looking at the fancy decorations with the other seniors.
Yes, that’s our Ga-eul.
Me?
Since I knew where the item I wanted was being kept, I pretended to look around and approached my target.
There were three things I was aiming for here.
First, the fortuitous encounter that would fix my body.
Second, the Philosopher’s Stone that I needed to entice Professor Park Ah-ram.
And the last one was a bit unusual, but they were all gathered in one place.
“…Found it.”
The deepest part.
The thing the Rose Alchemist had tried to hide by diverting the intruders’ attention with other flashy items, even to the point of using his lover’s relics as a distraction.
The real treasures of this dungeon would be behind this.
I pushed the bookshelf and opened the shabby door that appeared, and a smile naturally formed on my face.
A beautiful woman floating in a transparent crystal-like glass tube, and the treasures that flanked her on both sides.
-Who… are you?
She, who seemed unconscious, spoke to me.
“Hello. Nice to meet you.”
Nice to meet you…
My Villain Comrade Candidate No. 3.
“I’m a villain.”
A small human in a flask. A homunculus.
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T/N – Lol, the way the MC ended the villain scene was great. What a set-up! Chuni MC really is the best.
Also, I wonder how this opportunity will “fix” his body? After all, it’s not really sick or damaged, it’s just weak due to his talent. Maybe it’s a super soldier serum or something. I’m also super curious about the capabilities of the homunculus…
If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
Damn, the author really got a genderbent dwarf in the flask. I wonder if she’ll eventually be called Mother 😂