Chapter 35
Joshua assigned each student an area to cover.
They scattered in different directions.
After everyone was gone, he took out the snowflake crystal.
'I wanted to avoid this if possible.'
A battle with a boss monster.
If I fail, I die.
To survive long in the game, it was best to avoid combat with boss-level enemies.
I did not think it was the right time yet, but it was unavoidable.
The monster possessed what I wanted.
'I have no choice but to try.'
Joshua went in search of Professor Gordon.
Finding him was not difficult.
I just needed to head towards the strongest mana within the laboratory.
After passing through several corridors, I encountered the opponent I was looking for.
"Grrrrr."
My eyes met those of the zombified professor.
If I did not have [Steady Nerves], I would have peed my pants right there.
He was slowly approaching.
I must not avoid him.
I need to hit him with all 6 snowflake crystals I possess to put him in a 'frozen' state.
If even one misses, there will be no second chance.
"Uwaaah!"
Professor Gordon screamed.
His mana reacted to his voice, creating several fireballs in the air.
7th rank Fireball spell.
Now, those would be poured down upon me.
I gathered mana in my hand and deployed [Shield].
Boom!
The fireball summoned by the professor easily shattered my shield.
'It is difficult to block his attack with my current level.'
Joshua thrust his shield forward.
A shield imbued with flames.
This was one of the methods I had prepared for this laboratory raid.
I could not handle a professor-level opponent with my current magic.
"Come."
Professor Gordon threw flames as if he understood my words.
The shield blocked the flames.
The cloak I was wearing shed the sparks.
Despite that, some part of my body stung as if it had been burned.
It hurt.
Was it said that burns were the most terrible pain a human could feel?
[Patience] supported my mind.
In this fight, the role of [Patience] was more important than any other personality trait.
'Whether I collapse or not is entirely up to you.'
[Patience] was excited.
Normally, I relied heavily on [Cool] and [Clever].
But at this moment.
[Patience] held my lifeline.
[Stamina increases.]
[Stamina increases.]
[Acquired Trait - Fire Resistance (Low).]
While enduring the flames,
My body gradually grows in response.
Should I be happy about this?
This pain was not part of the plan.
Endure it.
I must endure it.
If I still have lingering attachments to the world, I will do my best while I am alive.
And I will put an end to this game that I have never been able to clear.
"Grrrrr."
After a burst of flames, Professor Gordon's movements subsided.
It was an after-effect of using mana.
Without delay, I threw the 2 snowflake crystal vials I was holding.
The vials collided with the zombie and exploded.
Intense cold enveloped the passage.
The zombie noticeably slowed down.
'Repeat this process.'
Professor Gordon smashed the frozen parts.
He did not rush forward like other ordinary zombies.
The instinct of a beast.
When facing prey.
He instinctively judged how best to fight.
He intended to burn me with magic.
Does this zombie prefer cooked prey over fresh, living prey?
In any case, it was an opportunity for me.
"It is a battle of patience. But you chose the wrong opponent. Because there is a guy with the best perseverance residing in my head right now."
The zombie did not care.
I did not care what he was thinking either.
The shield that was absorbing the flames was suddenly shattered.
The cloak was pierced with holes everywhere.
"Kiaaak!"
Professor Gordon screamed.
The prey was resisting.
It was an awkward and unfamiliar situation for him, the predator.
He started losing his sanity like any other zombie.
He drooled, his body slackened, and he rushed towards me.
A scene from a horror movie that I had seen many times but never adapted to.
I used [Flash] to steal the zombie's sight.
The blinded zombie stumbled forward.
'It’s hot.'
The flames covering the professor's body.
Just standing nearby felt like all my sweat glands were exploding.
Fighting off dizziness, I threw the snowflake crystals.
"Uwaaaak!"
The zombie struggled.
He slammed the ground.
Then flames shot up from the floor and clung to me.
I could not shake them off.
The only thing I could rely on was the mana contained in the shield.
The shield absorbed the flames.
However, enchanted items had limits.
As time passed, the translucent metal gradually turned redder.
My left hand suffered from intense heat, as if it would melt just from holding the shield.
Crack!
The shield cracked.
The shield was strained beyond necessity from absorbing flames several times.
I had to hurry.
The cloak I was wearing would not be able to withstand Professor Gordon's attack.
'Two more left.'
I counted the remaining snowflake crystals.
Should I put distance between us?
No, Professor Gordon's range was wider than I thought.
The flames would pursue me no matter where I escaped to.
There were few remaining options.
And [Steady Nerves] tempted me in the most dangerous direction.
Head-on.
There was no time to hesitate.
Without time to even think of a strategy.
My body rushed fearlessly in the direction it instinctively recalled.
I knew this because I have failed so many times in this world.
Nothing was gained without sacrifice.
The same was true for victory.
"Graaagh!"
The zombie threw its body at me.
Just for a brief moment.
My body moved in the opposite direction of what I had intended.
The fear of dying covered and consumed my thoughts.
[Cool] soothed me, urging me to regain my composure.
Inspired by that encouragement, I held onto my wavering mind.
Snowflake crystals were held in both my hands, and I threw them at the zombie's head and body respectively.
When the crystals left my fingertips, my vision blurred.
The air felt as if coldness and heat coexisted.
Just breathing was painful, as if my lungs would burst.
"Huff, huff!"
I gasped roughly.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself on the floor, after having fallen disgracefully.
I quickly lifted my head to check the result.
Professor Gordon was......
[You successfully hunted the boss of Gordon's Laboratory.]
[15 Coins are acquired.]
[The doctrine of the Loner God has been executed.]
[5 additional Coins are acquired.]
[Total Coins: 80]
Dead.
The status window was the proof.
His whole body was frozen, and parts of his body were shattered.
20 Coins.
It was the highest reward I had received for anything I had done in this world so far.
"It was not this intense even when I fought the Knights."
I want to rest.
I feel like closing my eyes right now.
[Cool] stimulated my head, asking if I was complaining.
Damn it.
That diligent bastard.
"Yes, you are right."
I stood up from my spot.
As the professor's body crumbled, the belongings he carried fell to the floor.
Among them was the key to the safe.
I regulated my breathing and read the surrounding presence.
The children were dealing with the stragglers.
"It is a shame they couldn’t see it."
Joshua returned to the control room.
In the silent space where no one remained, I alone inserted the key into the safe.
[You have successfully opened Gordon's Laboratory Safe.]
[20 Coins are acquired.]
[Total Coins: 100]
The Coins are quite lucrative.
100 Coins was a tremendous amount at the beginning of the game.
It allowed for the enhancement of Originality.
And the purchase of items.
However, this was merely a bonus to the rewards obtained from this laboratory raid.
My true objective was,
"This."
Gordon's Laboratory had recently been conducting research on cultivating a certain wild flower.
Mana Herb.
A rare herb that commanded a high price among alchemists.
Depending on how it was combined, it could be used to create reagents and potions.
I smiled, which was unlike me.
Because I had already thought about how to utilize this Mana Herb.
* * *
Luizella filled the sack Joshua had given her with necessary supplies.
Water and food.
For her, who was familiar with the laboratory's structure, it was as easy as eating a pie.
'Wouldn't it be better to take this and run away alone?'
The boy named Joshua.
His comrades' trust in that boy was remarkable.
Even to Luizella, his leadership was not that of a teenager.
'But that is not enough of a reason to defeat the professor, is it?'
She wanted to choose reality rather than trusting a boy she had just met.
That was no ordinary monster.
It was driven by the madness of appetite and knew no fear.
Despite that, the strength it possessed when alive remained.
It was impossible for students.
"......I have no other choice. I must save myself too."
She tossed a quiet apology into the passage where no one was visible and ran towards the entrance.
And she opened the door.
"Uwaaaaagh!"
Luizella screamed.
The entrance was full of monsters.
They were the ones that had gathered because of the commotion inside.
Rotting, dry hands were flailing right in front of her.
She tried to close the door again.
"Please, close."
The monsters squeezed their bodies through the gap.
It was impossible by strength alone.
So, she recalled the spell circle in her mind.
All the staff in this laboratory were Fire Attribute mages.
'No, I can’t remember it at all!'
She couldn’t calculate it.
How was she supposed to use magic in this situation?
The monsters' cracked and slimy voices.
The force knocking on the door.
Above all, the fear of being eaten by them.
'How did those kids even get here!'
While Luizella was struggling alone.
Someone rushed from the front.
It was the boy named Talleon.
He swiftly cut off the monsters' arms with the sword he was holding.
And then he helped push the door closed.
Clang!
"......Thank you."
She expressed her gratitude.
Talleon looked down at her with a cold expression.
"You were trying to run away."
Talleon pointed his sword at Luizella's neck.
"W-Wait."
"Every group has rules. And there is an act that should never be tolerated in any group."
"I am sorry, I was not thinking clearly."
"This is not a problem that can be resolved with an apology. If I had not come here, zombies would have flooded inside, and we could have been devastated by an unexpected enemy."
Talleon held the sword close, as if he would cut her at any moment.
Luizella trembled.
The boy's killing intent was genuine.
It was hard to believe that a 16-year-old was so mentally disciplined.
"You are not really thinking of cutting me, are you?"
"Do you think I can’t cut you?"
"No, you would totally do it. But think about it. Is the experience of murdering a person not too harsh for you, at 16?"
"Stop trying to persuade me. I learned how to survive from Sir Joshua."
"Please forgive me. L-Look at that!"
Luizella gestured towards the sack.
"I filled the sack as that boy instructed."
Talleon checked the sack with a side glance, while still pointing the sword.
The inside of the sack was quite full.
"Sir Joshua will decide what to do with you."
"A-Alright. But what if he does not come back?"
"Does not come back, you say?"
"That is because you have not met the professor who turned into a monster. That guy is not someone a student can handle!"
"You might not know it, but there was nothing that man did that was something a student could handle. All of it was unbelievable."
Luizella felt like she was going crazy from the frustration.
Now she had to place her hope in something close to impossible.
Idiot, fool, rigid brat!
Think realistically!
She inwardly condemned Talleon.
"You don’t need to be so frustrated. After all, there are only 30 seconds left."
"30 seconds?"
"Because Sir Joshua said it would be finished in 5 minutes."
"Ha! You actually believe that?"
"Of course."
"Alright, let us see. We will soon know whose words are correct—"
Luizella could not continue her sentence.
30 seconds had not elapsed.
About 15 seconds remained.
But Joshua appeared, leaving the promised time remaining.
He was with the other two students.
"I don’t think I told you to wait at the entrance."
Joshua glared at Luizella.
She could not meet his eyes and only lowered her head.
"Sir Joshua, what happened here is—"
"It’s fine. Just by seeing you draw your sword and the scratch on her neck, I can guess what happened."
Joshua sighed.
People will do anything to survive.
The fact that she was caught trying to escape was not even surprising.
"You...... what did you do to Professor Gordon?"
Joshua presented a rectangular kit.
"T-That’s! Mana Herb seeds successfully preserved! The fact that you have them means..."
Luizella was speechless.
It was an event completely outside her comprehension.
Even if he had become a monster, the opponent was a professor.
"It seems you somehow managed to fill the sack I requested."
Joshua lifted the sack next to her.
"Ahh, yeah. How is it?"
"And you were trying to run away alone with this."
"W-Well, there were circumstances here, so......"
"No need for excuses."
"P-Please, spare my life. I am sorry for doubting you."
"I will. Instead, I will take the share that I was planning to give you."
Luizella sobbed and agreed to it.
"But why did you fail?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean, trying to escape."
"The entrance was littered with monsters. I was going to break through with magic, but the spell circle would not complete."
"I see."
Joshua slowly headed towards the entrance.
All sorts of debuffs seemed to have diminished her abilities.
I was different.
My calculation of how many zombies were beyond the door would not be wrong.
I took out the Ring of Thunder and put it on my finger.
"T-That is the Ring of Thunder, a ring containing a 6th rank lightning spell."
"You know it well."
"Were you a Lightning Attribute user?"
"No, it is not my attribute."
"You idiot! What do you plan to do using an item that is not your attribute? And it is 6th grade at that. It is not within your calculation capabilities!"
She was not wrong.
Trying to use a 6th Grade item that was not my own attribute.
If I failed, it would not end with just losing my hand.
"Don’t worry about me and get ready to run. The same goes for you guys."
The other children slowly backed away.
Luizella, who was hesitating, inevitably followed them.
Now it was time to summon the lightning.
[Clever] spun my head.
Craaack!
Current flowed from my outstretched right hand, taking the form of a long snake.
The calculation of the spell circle proceeded smoothly.
Tania and Luizella, the mages, trembled at the sight.
The two aspiring knights were also amazed.
Even they, who were unfamiliar with magic, could not help but marvel at the lightning Joshua had summoned.
"Alright, it is time to return."
The snake of lightning engulfed the entrance and surged forward.