I cleared a dungeon of an unexpected level in a completely unexpected place with a single, unexpected click.
As the dark spirit, which looked as if it were made of black smoke, disappeared, the blood-written symbols that had filled the deepest part of the goblin camp’s underground cave also vanished.
The corpse of the dead Goblin King rapidly decomposed until only bare bones remained.
Ravi, who had witnessed everything, was dumbfounded and asked me,
“What was that just now…? Alvis, did you take it down? What did you do?”
Of course, I had no idea.
But if I honestly answered, “I don’t know,” my connection with Ravi wouldn’t go any further than this, would it?
Through our conversation at the graduation ceremony, I had already confirmed that maintaining a relationship with Ravi in some way could change the future.
So if I wanted to continue this connection with Ravi here as well…
“The creature has been eradicated. It seems the entire dungeon was part of a ritual of blood and curses. The Goblin King was the sacrifice. What you defeated must have been the remnants.”
“I did think their numbers seemed oddly low… But Alvis, how did you know that? And how did you defeat that strange black thing?”
“Just because I fooled around at the academy, does that mean you think I’m an idiot? You should at least leave open the possibility that I might know something you don’t.”
I chose to bluff.
To be honest, I didn’t have a clue about what just happened either.
But by acting as if I had knowledge, I could ensure that Ravi would seek me out when something happened in the future.
“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that… Sorry.”
“For now, let’s check this out first. Wait here for a moment.”
Since I had completed the dungeon, I had to claim my reward.
I carefully placed my hand on the skeletal remains of the Goblin King.
As if expecting something to happen, Ravi hurriedly called out to me from behind.
“Ah, Alvis! That’s dangerous!”
“It’s fine.”
Ravi wouldn’t have noticed, but the moment the dark spirit vanished, I clearly saw the dungeon-clear message appear.
Once that message appears, the dungeon is guaranteed to be safe for at least a few hours.
The moment I touched the Goblin King’s remains, the bones crumbled completely into dust and disappeared.
In their place, a lavishly glowing treasure chest appeared, along with a tattered book floating gently above it.
“Ravi, I’ll be taking this book. You don’t have any objections, do you?”
She nodded.
Ravi’s eyes showed a hint of greed, but she accepted it without protest.
Next was the treasure chest.
When I placed my hand on it, the chest opened on its own, revealing a hoard of luxurious equipment befitting a level 70 dungeon.
▶ Acquired A-rank armor: Mithril Plate.
▶ Acquired A-rank weapon: Soft Adamantium Spear.
In addition to various pieces of equipment, there were also plenty of goblin-related materials that could normally be obtained from a goblin camp.
And among them was one peculiar item I had never seen before.
▶ Acquired Fragment of Revealed Curse #2.
“A sinister fragment that can only be touched by those who resist fate. Across the world, fragments of curses planted by someone exist. By recovering and destroying these fragments, which spread negative influences, one may create a situation where they can defy their predetermined fate.”
As I held the sharp black shard in my hand, its glow gradually faded, and cracks began to form on its surface.
When I gripped it tightly, it crumbled away like a fragile cookie.
▶ Destroyed Fragment of Revealed Curse #2.
▶ Gained the power of Dantalion’s Blood-Drinking Minion.
Resistance to bleeding and curses has increased, and your attacks now cause stronger bleeding effects on enemies.
The fragment quickly turned to dust and vanished, but I didn’t feel any noticeable change in my body.
There were still plenty of weapons and treasures left in the chest, and many of them would undoubtedly be useful to me…
But I knew there was a way to make even better use of them for what lay ahead.
“Ravi.”
“Yes?”
“Take everything in here.”
I stepped aside, revealing the contents of the treasure chest.
Ravi’s eyes widened in shock, and her ears perked up.
“A-All of this…? Alvis, you’re not taking anything? You’re the one who defeated that strange thing earlier…”
“Yeah. Thanks to you, I was able to get here pretty safely. Besides, how much would the Carat Duchy’s situation improve if I just took the goblin junk? The things in here are pretty good. There’s mithril, and even though it’s a bit soft, there’s adamantium too. This should be of meaningful help, don’t you think?”
“But… you were the one who defeated them. That book too, of course, should belong to you…”
“I know the state of your country. Shouldn’t the one who needs it more take it? And I live alone in a tiny, collapsing room—I don’t even have a place to put all this stuff.”
As I spoke, I walked behind Ravi, grabbed her backpack, flipped it upside down, and dumped out all the junk inside.
“There, let’s get rid of all this useless stuff.”
“Ah—!”
“Now, let’s pack it up with these luxurious items instead.”
Dragging her backpack to the treasure chest, I stuffed it full of valuable items.
Ravi looked at me with a deeply moved expression.
Then, I grabbed the large sack the goblins had used and packed the remaining treasures into it.
By the end, we had almost everything from the chest.
“Hmm, there’s still a few things left inside. We’ll have to carry them in our pockets. Ravi, how long will it take to get back to the Carat Duchy from here?”
“Huh? Are you planning to come to my country?”
“Do you expect to carry all this alone? You’d be an easy target for bandits.”
“But I walked all the way here on foot, so I don’t have a carriage or anything for the return trip… I’ll be fine since I’m from the Bunny Tribe, but it’ll be hard for you, Alvis.”
“What do you take me for? I may not look like it, but I graduated from the academy after completing all three years of training. You think I can’t handle this?”
Ravi stared at me for a moment before suddenly letting out a small laugh.
“…What’s so funny?”
“Oh, it’s just… I was feeling anxious, but now I realize how silly I was for worrying when you don’t seem concerned at all.”
After composing herself, Ravi gave me a deep bow.
“Thank you so much, Alvis. And… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“Yes. To be honest, for the past three years, I thought you were an idiot with nothing in your head, only interested in pestering me, Selena, Lenis, and Elfin. I even secretly enjoyed watching you get beaten by Bryden and wondered why the academy hadn’t expelled you yet.”
Ravi’s blunt honesty hit like an arrow straight through my chest. It wasn’t even my fault, but I almost felt hurt.
“Hey, when you say things like that, you’re supposed to at least sugarcoat it a little.”
“But I was wrong. If I had known you were this kind and thoughtful, I wouldn’t have judged you so quickly. Making assumptions about someone after only a few encounters over three years… I still have a lot to learn.”
No, actually… you probably weren’t wrong about me.
I swallowed those words and finally reached out for the battered book still floating above the treasure chest—the final reward of this dungeon clear.
▶ “Those who resist fate” can use “Eyes of Truth” when completing certain secret dungeons to reveal the true value of a skill book.
Would you like to use “Eyes of Truth” on the skill book obtained from the Level 70 secret dungeon, Goblin Camp Drenched in Blood and Curses? 2/34
…! Yes, use it!
▶ Swordsmanship Manual Volume 4 has transformed into Secret Tome of Radiance Volume 4.
A warm sensation spread from my eyes again.
The tattered, ancient-looking book suddenly transformed into a pristine, elegant green tome.
The moment my hand touched it, the book vanished as if it were being absorbed into my body.
This time, I felt the change within me.
▶ Acquired Secret Tome of Radiance Volume 4. You can now use Light Saber, a fusion technique of intermediate swordsmanship and radiant magic.
A vast amount of knowledge flowed into my mind as if the book had always been a part of me.
Even without opening the book, I understood its contents as if I had known them from the beginning.
I instinctively grasped how to execute the techniques within, how to control mana to use them, and exactly how much energy was required.
And I realized something else—this technique was considered theoretically impossible and was known to be incredibly powerful.
Even in Crusader Bryden NX, a game based on this world, executing such a technique was systemically blocked.
But now, following the book’s guidance, I could do something that wasn’t even possible in the game.
At that moment, I had a gut feeling.
I could change their fates.
The tragic destinies faced by the defeated heroines of Loveholic—the same ones who suffered in Crusader Bryden NX…
I could save them.
I would save them.
To be continued…