“As proud graduates of the 99th class, we pledge to go out into the world and live a life of continuous dedication, never bringing shame upon ourselves—”
Bryden, the original protagonist who had achieved the highest overall scores in the Academy’s 99th class, stood at the podium as the representative of the graduates and read aloud the oath.
Even as the graduation ceremony proceeded, I couldn’t take my eyes off Lenis, Elfin, and Ravi.
I had managed to have a conversation with Ravi, but it wasn’t particularly meaningful, and I didn’t even get the chance to exchange words with Lenis or Elfin.
Considering their low spirits, if someone like me approached them now, they might even lash out.
Once this graduation ceremony is over, everyone will return to their respective homes.
And once that happens, the events following the original novel… or rather, the events in the game, will be set into motion, beyond my ability to interfere.
According to the setting, about three years from now, a war will break out across the entire continent as the Empire reveals its ambitions.
That war will last for several years, and the game Holy Crusader Bryden NX takes place five years from now.
If the war begins, it will already be too late, meaning I have about three years left.
But if I spend those three years simply training on my own and leave everyone else to their fate, the story will proceed as originally written anyway.
Not that I even want to dignify that mess by calling it a “canon.”
First, I need to narrow down my options to a future where I have more room to maneuver…
Even after the graduation ceremony ended, I racked my brain, recalling the various branching paths in Holy Crusader Bryden NX.
After running through countless infuriating possibilities, one stood out as the most viable.
“I need to become a mercenary.”
No matter how I looked at it, the easiest way to be present whenever and wherever trouble arises was to become a mercenary.
If I joined a knightly order, I wouldn’t be able to leave without permission.
And if I tried to manipulate the world from within politics or business, I lacked the necessary knowledge of this world.
After all, I wasn’t a native of this place—I was merely an outsider who had only encountered it through a novel and a game.
If I wanted to move freely and resolve issues with brute force, a mercenary was the only real option.
And as luck would have it, there was one place that would be a perfect foothold for me.
“The Black Shadow Mercenaries.”
As mercenaries, they were sometimes the most troublesome enemies and, in certain routes, valuable allies.
Most often, they were encountered as adversaries—working in the shadows under the orders of their clients, orchestrating various incidents.
In routes where they were enemies, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the majority of problems stemmed from them.
If I could keep the Black Shadow Mercenaries in check and prevent them from causing trouble, I could significantly reduce the number of disastrous future scenarios.
Ideally, I would position myself in a way that allowed me to take control of them.
But for that, I needed strength…
The problem was that, according to the setting, Alvis was a completely ruined noble from a fallen house.
His parents had already run off somewhere and cut off all contact, and he had been kicked out of his family’s castle, left to live as a vagabond.
The only thing I owned was a small, shabby house—barely enough to put a roof over my head.
Compared to the cozy dormitory at the Academy, which was at least 10 pyeong (about 33 square meters), this place was a filthy, reeking room I refused to even compare.
I had no servants, no attendants, no sword or magic tutors—everything I needed to do, I had to figure out on my own.
This was just way too harsh, wasn’t it?
“Shouldn’t that damn fate or whatever finally start giving me something useful by now?!”
Frustrated by the sudden nosedive in my quality of life post-graduation, I shouted my grievances aloud.
And then, once again, letters appeared before my eyes.
“The One Who Resists Fate” possesses enough power to change destiny, but every choice they make is constantly tested.
“The One Who Resists Fate” is born with the qualities of a leader and has an exceptionally high amount of mana.
“The One Who Resists Fate” has the ability to perceive the truth. However, this ability can only be used three times per day. ◀
“The One Who Resists Fate” starts off very weak in their base state, but they possess the talent to wield both sword and magic.
As they acquire skills, they can use them with at least twice the normal efficiency.
The methods to acquire these skills vary, and “The One Who Resists Fate” must find them on their own. ◀
Oh. I should have yelled sooner.
It’s not just annoying penalties that keep making me double over in pain at the slightest inconvenience—there are actually some decent advantages, too.
Being able to discern truth from lies three times a day? That was definitely tempting.
When I talked to Ravi on graduation day, the conversation didn’t contain anything that needed verification, so the ability hadn’t activated.
That’s why I hadn’t noticed it before.
And based on what it says, I’m a typical late-bloomer character.
There were no such descriptions in the original Alvis’s settings, so this ability must have appeared because I became him.
“Weak now, but growing stronger as I acquire skills… Since there’s no one to teach me, I’ll have to find a way on my own. Maybe I should hit up a dungeon or something.”
The main scenario of Holy Crusader Bryden NX revolved around wars and battles between nations and factions.
However, securing resources and character growth was primarily done through dungeons.
The problem was, dungeons were frustrating as hell—brutally annoying to clear, the rewards were trash, and yet skipping them meant stalling character progression, which forced players to grind them anyway.
Even thinking about it again pisses me off.
What a shitty game.
But back then, the dungeon mechanics were what they were.
Now, I actually needed to make use of them.
No matter how much I hated that damn game, my love for its predecessor was enough to push me to the very end.
I had thoroughly explored every part of it, which meant I knew the locations of all the dungeons.
Luckily, the Academy had gifted me a basic supply sword as a graduation present.
And even more fortunately, the weakest Level 1 dungeon in Holy Crusader Bryden NX wasn’t too far from here.
If I hesitated too long, the world might start moving according to this damned game’s cursed scenario. I had to act fast.
After gathering a small amount of travel funds, I immediately set out for the dungeon.
Since my stomach pain hadn’t returned, I figured my decision wasn’t wrong—at least for now.
Spending a bit of my limited money, I rented a carriage to take me to the mountain path where the dungeon was located.
From there, I walked deeper into the forest.
Before long, I began to see wooden fences lined with spears and crude totems standing among the trees.
The weakest dungeon—a Goblin Camp.
I had never fought with a sword before, yet strangely, as soon as I gripped it, the weapon felt eerily familiar in my hands.
Even if the person had changed, did the body still remember?
The moment I stepped past the spear-lined fences, letters appeared before my eyes.
▶ Entering Level 1 Dungeon: Goblin Camp.
▶ You may exit through the dungeon gate at any time while not in combat, but re-entry will require a 24-hour cooldown.
▶ You may encounter others who have entered the dungeon before you.
Various connections can be formed here, and at times, these interactions may lead to rare rewards. ◀
Yeah, none of this was new to me.
The only difference was the 24-hour entry cooldown.
I wasn’t planning on coming back here repeatedly anyway.
As long as I defeated the final boss and got the skill book, I’d have no reason to return, so the 24-hour cooldown didn’t really matter.
But why is the level marked as “???”? That’s unsettling.
Dungeons look completely different on the inside compared to how they appear from the outside, so the moment you step in, extreme caution is necessary.
From the outside, there’s no way to tell what monsters are lurking within.
But the second the area transitions into a dungeon, it’s common for monsters to flood the place.
If you’re unlucky, you might enter thinking it’s safe, only to get ambushed at the entrance and sent straight to the afterlife.
…
Thinking about it again pisses me off.
What a trash game.
Thankfully, this Goblin Camp Dungeon wasn’t one of those where monsters swarmed you the moment you stepped inside.
“If the layout is the same as I remember… there should be an entrance to an underground burrow around here.”
I searched every corner of the camp, looking for the goblins’ underground passage.
Outside the camp, there were still-lit campfires, a bubbling pot of what looked like some disgusting fish soup, empty weapon racks, and goblin-sized gear scattered around.
The place showed clear signs of recent activity—
“Huh?”
That’s when I felt something off and stopped in my tracks.
Yeah, this dungeon carried a strong sense of habitation—too much, even.
It was obvious that up until just moments ago, someone had been cooking, maintaining weapons, and going about their daily routines.
So why wasn’t there a single monster in sight?
A wave of unease crept over me as I slowly drew my sword.
For a dungeon like this, where goblins were supposed to be everywhere, their complete absence wasn’t a good sign.
If things went south, I’d have to forget about the skill book and run for my life.
Moving as quietly as possible, I cautiously made my way toward the underground passage—
Rustle—
“!!!”
“!!!”
Someone appeared from around the corner of the underground tunnel wall.
Startled, I instinctively swung my sword, and the other person, just as startled, lunged toward me at the same time.
And then—
We saw each other’s faces.
“Huh?!”
“W-Woahhh!”
Surprised, we both tried to pull back at the last second, but our bodies tangled together, and we tumbled to the ground.
I ended up flat on my back, while the other person landed on top of me.
They stared at me with wide, baffled eyes before blurting out,
“A-Alvis…? What are you doing here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you.”
A rabbit-eared girl, with an adorable, innocent face that contrasted with her violently disproportionate chest.
I thought it’d be at least half a year before I saw her again.
But barely a few days after graduation—
I ran into Ravi inside a dungeon.
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