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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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“Amy, are you sure you’re alright?”
“I think I caught a cold… I’ll be fine after some sleep…”
River’s worried voice came from outside the door. The cold was a lie, but I wasn’t feeling well. My face burned. My room was a mess, the red coat and pistols scattered across the bed. The encounter with Atlas, or perhaps the turmoil in my mind manifesting physically, had left me with a mild fever and a headache.
“…I’ll come back later.”
Her footsteps faded. Was she going to see Atlas? I didn’t want to leave my room today. I’d see him if I went to class… I didn’t know how to face him. He was a demon now, no longer human. A corrupted soul, a monster wearing a human mask.
Could I kill him?
I couldn’t treat him normally. But I didn’t want to openly confront him either. River and the others didn’t know. I had considered telling the professors, but my companion had warned me against it. They weren’t prepared, and it would only cause more casualties. He said I had to deal with it.
“Why… Atlas…?”
I told you. You wouldn’t be able to handle him once he became a demon… Damn it! We can’t deal with a demon during the dungeon exercise…
His voice echoed in my mind, amplifying my headache, making me nauseous.
“Should I have… done it sooner…?”
He had been right. Atlas had become a demon. I didn’t know what to do. He would try to kill me, now that I knew his secret. But I couldn’t leave the Academy. I had to graduate, help my family, and according to my companion, I had a role to play in the upcoming… incident.
But… I already lost…
I had failed to prevent the demon summoning, failed to stop Atlas. He would unleash a demon during the dungeon exercise, just as my companion had predicted. He had toyed with me, easily overpowering me. I had escaped with the hourglass, but he was too strong. I didn’t know what to do.
It’s alright. You survived. If you survived, you can still win. We’ll prepare differently.
His words were meant to comfort me, but I just wanted silence. Survival didn’t feel like victory. The most vivid memory from that day in my territory was the blinding light. I didn’t want to remember anything else. I had been captured, a sacrifice. The other children were already dead. I was next. They dragged me to the altar, my body strapped down, the flash of a blade, the black-robed figures chanting, the demon leering from above. And then, the hand holding the blade was severed. A knight, clad in black armor, wielding a brilliant sword, a beacon of light in the darkness. The shining sword was the only clear image in my drug-induced haze.
I woke up in my mansion, the nightmare over. But the scars remained. All the children were dead. The parents wept. Many left the territory. Our small, lively community became a ghost town. I was the only child left, utterly alone.
This is… an unexpected variable…
Those were his first words to me.
The demonic influence is strong… But you survived. You lived to see another day.
I’m here to help you.
What do you think of demons?
“…They’re scary.”
Hmm… I see… But you will kill them.
He sounded disappointed.
You can stop them. You can prevent them from harming others.
“Why… me?”
If you don’t, more people will die.
“More people…?”
Your parents… the others who survived… they will all die. If you don’t fight.
“…Can’t someone else… do it?”
Did they come to save your friends when they were being sacrificed?
“…One did.”
But your friends still died.
“…”
Trust me. I’m your ally. I understand you.
I didn’t want to fight demons, but I had no choice. I was no longer free to choose.
He showed me death, the faces of those who would die at the hands of demons. He guided me, forcing me to witness their deaths.
You could have saved them.
As if their deaths were my fault. He also provided valuable information in exchange for my cooperation: the location of a dungeon filled with mithril, enough to pay off our family’s debts, the arrival of a skilled administrator to help manage our territory. He always made the right choices, choices that seemed questionable at first, but ultimately proved beneficial. I was becoming increasingly reliant on his guidance.
You will be the Devil Slayer.
And so, I began hunting demons.
I couldn’t find Amy. She hadn’t left her room, only traces of her presence remained. But I wasn’t worried. If she was truly the Devil Slayer, she wouldn’t leave the Academy. Fate would lead her to the dungeon.
The day of the dungeon exploration exercise arrived. The dungeon wasn’t in the deep forest, but on a small hill, easily accessible by a well-maintained path. The students, arriving at the entrance, were surprised.
“This is a dungeon?”
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
It barely resembled a dungeon. The entrance, usually a dark, ominous opening, was reinforced with steel beams, the walls and floor smooth and polished concrete. Inside, the usual dimly lit corridors were brightly illuminated by magical lights, support pillars ensuring structural integrity. The monster spawning areas retained the rough, uneven terrain, a nod to the dungeon aesthetic. The deadly traps were replaced with harmless, easily identifiable puzzles.
It was more like an elaborate escape room.
Dungeons weren’t meant to be tamed. They were living organisms, centered around the boss, constantly spawning monsters, consuming intruders. The Headmaster, by sealing the boss room, had essentially neutered the dungeon, turning it into a harmless exhibit.
Knowing the dungeon was completely safe, the students were excited, treating it like a field trip.
“Finally, a chance to use this axe!”
“That’s a weapon?”
“I’ll cleave those monsters in two, just like chopping wood. Just you wait.”
They joked and boasted, polishing their weapons. A graduate had even tried to turn the dungeon into a tourist attraction. It failed, bankrupting him in the process.
“I’ll go in first.”
“Good luck…!”
I slipped past Andy and entered the dungeon, unnoticed by the other students, who were being assigned to their groups. I had discussed it with Andy beforehand.
‘I’ll check the dungeon for any remaining cultists or other threats. Any objections?’
‘None at all. Take your time.’
I had to ensure everyone’s safety. Even a neutralized dungeon could be dangerous. The boss might be sealed, but it could still influence the dungeon’s structure. According to my memories, the Devil’s Church had created a hidden chamber within the dungeon, where they performed the summoning ritual, using the trapped students as sacrifices.
That wouldn’t happen this time.
First, most of the cultists were dead. Second, any survivors hiding in the chamber would be dead soon.
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An hour later, I emerged from the dungeon. Outside, the professors and the students who had finished early were chatting. I was covered in blood, but nobody seemed to notice. The goblins inside the dungeon also had red blood, and many students had bloodstains on their weapons and clothes.
“Hey, Atlas…”
Andy approached, eager for a report.
“Senior, are all the students inside?”
“About half of them are… How did it go?”
“There were four survivors. I dealt with them.”
The hidden chamber existed, just as described in the novel. I disarmed the traps, eliminated the cultists, searched for any other hidden participants, and checked for any delayed activation rituals, like the one in the cave. The boss room was securely sealed. Everything was safe.
“Are you sure it’s safe now?”
“There’s only one potential threat.”
“What’s that?”
“Someone foolish enough to open the boss room. But you said the Headmaster sealed it himself.”
“Right… then it should be fine.”
The crowd before the dungeon entrance grew larger. I didn’t see River yet. She was probably still exploring. I hadn’t seen Amy inside either. Was she really avoiding me? The absence of the two most important players made me uneasy. Had I missed something? No, the dungeon was safe… or so I thought.
“…I’ll go back inside.”
Something felt wrong.
“Now? It’s almost over… Thanks to you, everything went smoothly…”
“Don’t jinx it!”
The moment he said that, the ground shook violently.
“Whoa! What’s happening?!”
“Earthquake!”
The reinforced dungeon held, but a surge of demonic energy erupted from within.
Demonic energy?! A summoning?!
The entrance was sealed by rising rocks. The students panicked.
“Get the other professors! Evacuate the students! Woodville, take charge!”
“Y-yes! Everyone, maintain your composure! Let’s head back down!”
Andy quickly organized the evacuation. The fewer witnesses, the better. I raised my sword, bringing it down with all my might.
-Clang!
The blade bounced off the rocks. It was an unenhanced swing, but I had used a special technique. Ordinary rock should have shattered, but these… I tightened my grip. How did they survive? Like cockroaches, they kept coming back. I confirmed all the students were gone, only Andy and I remained.
“What… what are you going to do…?”
“Get through this. There are people inside.”
I channeled mana into my sword, activating Aura Blade. Mana surged around the steel blade.
-Crack!
The rocks blocking the entrance disintegrated. It wasn’t a clean cut.
-Fizzle…
My steel longsword, reduced to ashes, crumbled in my hand, leaving only the hilt. Andy stared at the hilt, sweating. The dungeon, attempting to reseal the entrance, began summoning more rocks. I had to get inside.
“Senior, what are you waiting for? We have to save the students!”
“R-right…!”
I grabbed him and pulled him back into the dungeon.
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