chapter 26
26. Infinite Dungeon
infinite dungeon.
PVE content prepared for users who have cleared the game.
Read at NovelNext.com
Monsters stronger than the final boss of the game, the Demon King, appear from the 100th floor, and it is not even known how many levels are at the end of such a theme.
It was content that raked users’ money to the limit.
‘Why already?’
In fact, users insulted the infinite dungeon that appeared first in the game.
Would it make sense for a dungeon with an unknown depth to appear in the basement of the academy?
This is the developer’s excuse.
[This is the content planned from the beginning.]
That must have been true, how would you expect it?
‘… … I think I’m f*cked.’
As I said before, the Infinite Dungeon is a magical dungeon where monsters stronger than the Demon King pop out from only 100 floors.
It is so deep that it is impossible to know where the bottom is in such a subject.
The highest record recorded by users was 283 floors.
Even that, a wonderful record achieved by combining all kinds of deceptive summons, and getting the highest stats for each level up and growing with the strongest summons.
For people in another world who couldn’t even level up, this dungeon was nothing short of a pit of disaster.
“… … Why are you telling me that?”
“Well, I actually asked the teachers to investigate… All the teachers were unable to enter through the entrance.”
“yes? what is that… … .”
But even as he spoke, he began to guess to some extent.
Infinite Dungeon is content prepared for users who have cleared the game, and even that, NPCs who can get help are limited.
In a way, it would be natural for unqualified teachers to not be able to enter the dungeon.
“—So, I want you to investigate instead.”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t there a second or third year?”
Why are you yourself? There doesn’t seem to be any reason to come right down to you.
But the principal looked at me with a look that seemed to have no choice but to do so.
“Of course, I also recommended it to my 2nd and 3rd year cadets.”
“But?”
“Everyone refused.”
“… … Even at the principal’s request?”
“I am asking you to enter a space where your life may be in danger.”
The principal drank the tea with a bitter expression on his face.
“What is in it, no one knows.”
“… … How did you measure the depth?”
“How was it possible to grasp the depth with the power of magic… … I have no idea what’s in it.”
“It’s magic.”
Then there was something like that. Magic. You have to learn it for the rest of your life, but it’s not as good as a one-star summons, but it’s a skill that can help you in real life.
I chewed on a sweet cookie and asked the principal.
“What if I say no?”
“I’ll ask the other first-year students, but… … Maybe everyone will refuse. Who would do what the chief refused?”
“If so… … .”
“We’ll have to live unaware of the great dark secrets that lurk beneath the academy.”
There was silence for a moment. I had no intention of rejecting it.
But I just didn’t want to accept it.
After all, no one can enter this dungeon except me.
The principal wants to either eliminate the dungeon altogether or uncover its secret.
“If I were to go in, what could you do for me?”
As he spoke with a smirk, a smile appeared on the principal’s face.
“Anything… … I can’t say I can’t do anything that goes against the rules of the academy, and I can’t even ask you to maintain your grades.”
“then?”
“The only thing the Academy can do is… … The practical reward for third graders is the highest. I’ll give you my personal reward.”
“It’s a personal reward, so can I have a meal with the principal?”
“Do you want that?”
The principal, who was able to compensate for only one meal of rice, asked without any surprise. After all, if I had told Stella like this, my face would have turned red as the color of my hair. I felt the age of an adult.
“Let me decide who will enter the dungeon.”
“As long as you get the other person’s consent.”
In the end, I agreed with the principal and promised to enter the dungeon.
The appointment day was this weekend.
* * *
Naturally, the discovery of a huge pupil in the basement of the academy was a secret that only the cadets could share.
The students who refused to carry out their mission were under the spell of secrecy, so it was impossible for even the duke’s daughter to know about the dungeon’s existence.
“… … A dungeon?”
“okay.”
So, it was only natural for Stella Iritz to question Ian’s words.
“Why is it in the academy?”
“I’m going to investigate it.”
“Why are you talking to me?”
“Because it’s dangerous to be alone.”
Suddenly, Ian started shivering as he drank the cocoa that Nelia had brewed naturally. Look at that unlucky face, it was a face that seemed like a hundred years of love.
But it was definitely something that was appealing.
What a dungeon was, it was a nest made by a demon or demon.
As it turns out, for a summoner, there is nothing more honorable than defeating the demons.
“What is the reward?”
“compensation?”
“okay. You wouldn’t have said that you would do such a dangerous thing for free, did you?”
However, Stella did not meekly accept the story.
Who would you like to move for free for this kind of work?
When Ian heard those words, he remembered the promise he had received from the principal.
“They say they give the practice rewards that third graders receive.”
“That penny?”
“It’s a penny, so I don’t know how much you get.”
“About a million credits for each one-star summoner practice… … We’re three stars, so maybe ten million. It’s a penny.”
Ian listened to her and calculated how much ten million credits would be. Like a dark game, credits had a value similar to yen in the game.
So, if you convert 10 million credits to KRW, it means about 100 million… … .
‘Is that a penny?’
From the point of view of Ian, who is still living on a living cost of 0 won, it sounded like nothing but the deception of a high-ranking aristocrat.
Who lives on only the academy welfare without a single penny, 100 million?
“… … Why is that a penny?”
“Well, if you were a nobleman, that amount of money… … no?”
“uh.”
“… … Maybe that’s enough?”
Stella blushed, saying she didn’t know there would be so much money.
Hell, Stella didn’t even know how much money 10 million credits was, because he didn’t spend it himself.
I thought it was just because my dad made hundreds of millions to billions every time he went to the battlefield.
“Anyway, didn’t you say anything else other than money?”
“You said the principal would reward you personally.”
“What?”
“date.”
“… … date?”
Hearing those words, Stella’s expression hardened.
You mean the damn old virgin cheated on a student without knowing my age?
Did Ian just accept it as good?
“The principal… … Did you say that?”
“yes. They said that if it’s okay for a meal, I’ll eat it anytime.”
“If one meal is ok… … ? It sounds like you suggested it first.”
“Because I suggested it first.”
It was then that Stella realized the truth of the incident and fell into silence.
Incontinence began to creep into the girl’s heart. But you can’t openly tease it.
She smiled softly and spoke.
“Then I will do that too.”
“yes?”
“I want to go to the principal’s dinner with you too.”
“Is that okay?”
“of course.”
Ian did not understand why Stella was reacting like this, but he could not find any reason to refuse to come to the party just by cuddling him at a meal, so he agreed.
“Well, it’s this weekend. Clear your schedule.”
“Aren’t you going to eat dinner without me?”
“I haven’t even made an appointment yet.”
He said that and left the dormitory. After seeing Ian off, Nelia immediately returned to Stella’s side and looked at her empty glass and talked.
“Can I have another drink?”
“… done.”
“Ian-sama, you don’t really know the heart of a woman.”
“… … Noisy. Don’t say anything strange to Ian.”
“Is that weird? What are you talking about?”
As she said that, Nelly covered her lips and burst into laughter.
Stella, seeing this, went into my room with a fever and jumped into the bed.
For some reason, I couldn’t stand the rage.
* * *
After breaking up with Stella, I went to see Noah and Siira.
Fortunately, neither of them turned down my invitation.
Noah blindly accepted without hearing anything just because it was my suggestion, and Shira showed great interest in an interesting place called the underground dungeon.
So the party of four was completed, and I submitted the members to the principal.
“Um, no problem.”
Seeing the front line made up of only three-star summoners, the principal nodded and immediately accepted him.
And it was the weekend.
“You are in school uniform today.”
“… … So what’s your outfit?”
“what?”
I glanced up and down Stella’s outfit.
A light blue dress that reached her knees, and a cardigan over her shoulders.
It looked like they were going on a picnic, not a dungeon.
However, she crossed her arms and began to rhyme.
“Because aristocrats have to be dignified everywhere?”
“No one sees.”
“Other kids are watching!”
Fortunately, Stella was the only one who wore it that way.
Noah came wearing the gym uniforms provided by the school, and arrived in casual clothes that are easy to work with.
The two looked at Stella’s outfit and stiffened slightly, but didn’t point out her outfit.
“Have you all arrived?”
When I took the three of them to the place we had promised in advance, the principal who was waiting at the entrance appeared.
The headteacher stopped when she saw Stella’s outfit, but didn’t interfere enough to pay special attention to the students’ outfits.
I just stopped talking to everyone.
“… … Everyone knows what I’m here for today, right?”
“”Yes.””
“Yeah, you know… No matter what happened on the inside, I can’t help you from outside. If your life is in danger, throw it all away and run away. got it?”
When the principal said that, the children nodded their heads with firm expressions. I knew that there was nothing threatening to go inside, so I only had a slightly hardened expression on my face.
“Then, please.”
As soon as those words were finished, we entered the huge cave.
The moment we took one step, the air around us completely changed and enveloped us.
“… … Salamander?”
“Oh, why are you here?”
“The giant statue… … .”
“—Master, did you call?”
And the moment he entered the dungeon, the summoned beasts were summoned at will and appeared.
That was proof that there was going to be a battle soon, and monsters actually started appearing in front of them.
─Cheap, squish.
Beyond the invisible darkness, more than a dozen eye lights flashed.
With the sound of crying in our ears, we realized that there was a rat on the other side.
“mouse?”
Stella realized this and told the salamander to spit fire.
Upon hearing the command, the Salamander spewed out flames that lit up the surroundings, revealing dozens of giant mice hiding in the darkness.
“Ugh-!”
When Stella saw a rat so huge that even a human could chew it lightly, she let out a light scream like a girl who saw something disgusting, and immediately ordered the Salamander to burn everything.
Wow-!
The Salamander radiated flames, and the flames that would melt even steel melted dozens of giant rats in an instant.
“… … What is it, isn’t it?”
Seeing the giant rat melted away in an instant, Stella sighed in relief.
And at the same time, I was checking Anna’s status window.
‘It’s coming too.’
infinite dungeon.
In other words, it was a dungeon where you could get infinite experience.