Chapter 290 A Costly Mistake
All the assaulters were ready to begin their counterattack.
With the window that Justin opened for them, and the other minor traps and debuffs like Eric's [Blindness], they were set to go.
Then—
"KRIIIIIIIIIKKKKK!!!"
—The most unexpected occurred.
~SWIIIISHHH!~
One of the centipedes wiggled its way through the strings and rushed towards Justin in a bid to devour him.
Perhaps even crush him.
"Justin, no!" Swiftly leaving his own position in the formation, Clark rushed towards his friend.
Shockwaves radiated as a result of his impulsive action, causing others to shift ever so slightly from their formation.
Justin, who was too distracted in his celebration, did not notice anything off until Clark called out his name.
Once he opened his eyes wide, he noticed the centipede which lunged at him with dangerous precision.
It's disgustingly black body was about to crash on him when Clark charged towards it and knocked it away.
~BOOOOOM!~
The knockback effect caused the centipede to wriggle and try to gain its footing.
Clark rushed towards it before it could recover and sent it a flurry of punches while burning it with his Heat Vision.
"JUST! STAY! DOWN!" He screamed, finally dispatching the Centipede with a powerful strike involving a clasped fist descending on the wounded Centipede's head.
Yes, he was able to defeat that single Centipede.
However, thanks to his disturbance, the restrained Centipedes not only woke from their slumbering states, but they grew erratic and wriggled out of their restraints as well.
With Justin too startled to tighten the hood of his strings, they successfully escaped their constraints and charged at Clark all at once.
"Clark!"
"Look out!"
Clark's classmates rushed through the wall of massive insects, but even they could not make it in time.
It would seem as though all hope was left, when—
"Dissipate."
—All of the Centipedes suddenly turned into dust.
Their sandy remains fell to the ground, instantly eliminating the danger that would have ended the life of one Otherworlder.
Perhaps even two, if Justin was counted.
The only reason they were able to survive was due to the masked man who appeared before the kneeling Clark and glared at him with his crimson eyes.
Despite the threat being extinguished, a powerful pressure still filled the room.
It screamed of more danger than the swarm of Centipedes could ever generate.
And all of it stemmed from Ralyks.
"Why did you break formation?" He asked, glaring at Clark.
His tone was calm, but the undertone clearly displayed his dissatisfaction with the boy's action.
He waited patiently for Clark's reason.
"Justin was in danger. I couldn't just watch while he—!"
"I would have saved him. I'm here, remember?"
Ralyks had given his word that none of the Otherworlders would die as long as he was around.
So far, he had managed to keep his word true.
The mere fact that he easily destroyed all the Monsters that were giving them so much trouble meant they really weren't anything to him in the slightest.
Surely, he would have helped Justin even without Clark's impulsive action.
Clark should have recognized that too.
But—
"I-I'm sorry, but… I just can't sit by and watch someone get hurt right in front of me. Not… not anymore…"
Clark's face fell, becoming slightly downcast.
Ralyks still looked at him with his cold, crimson eyes. No mercy or compassion could be found in his gaze, and this continued for a few moments.
"Sir Ralyks, maybe—"
Ralyks instantly held up his finger the moment Adonis spoke up, instantly shutting up the Hero.
No one dared say anything afterwards. They only gulped and watched in anxiety as Ralyks looked down on the boy.
"By doing so, you would have put the rest in greater danger. Is that truly a better alternative?"
Clark couldn't answer the question. He just looked away and stared at the ground.
"What would you have had me do? Just watch my friend die…?" He murmured.
Ralyks would have saved Justin for sure, but at that moment, nothing of the sort registered in Clark's mind.
He simply wanted to save his friend.
"The desire to protect is indeed an important aspect in being a hero."
As soon as Ralyks admitted this, Clark beamed and looked at the Dark Adventurer with bright eyes.
"Exactly! I just—!"
"BUT, there are no heroes in a Dungeon. There is only the predator and the prey. The hunter and the hunted. The Adventurer… and the Monster."
Ralyks narrowed his eyes as he stared at Clark's trembling facade.
"You will do well to remember this, boy. In here, your desire to destroy must exceed the will to protect."
Destroying the Monsters, eliminating the enemies, and growing stronger while doing so… that was what mattered most in the Dungeon.
The primary reason one had to protect their teammate in a Dungeon wasn't due to some altruistic reasons or selfless action, but simply because the chances of survival would reduce if said teammate died.
You protect your ally in a Dungeon because your survival hinges on it.
Because you can kill more Monsters by working together.
"It's a cold and dark world down here, kid. You'll do well to remember that."
"I think that's enough." Justin stepped forward, his voice quivering as he did so.
He looked nervous as he stood up to Ralyks, but his gaze went to Clark, who was already crying.
"I think he gets it already."
Sobs escaped the macho Clark's lips, and tears flowed down his eyes.
It seemed Ralyks' words had completely broken him.
"Very well. We'll be taking a small break here, so relax a little while I do some scouting."
Ralyks stared at Justin for a few seconds, causing the boy to tremble a little.
"I won't fault you for your carelessness. Mistakes happen in the Dungeon, especially with newbies like yourselves."
Ralyks looked at everyone else and addressed them all.
"That is why I am here. To prevent you from dying whenever you make a mistake."
Then, he looked at Clark for the last time.
"So you do your job… and let me do mine."
Chapter 291 Group Conversation
Just as Ralyks told the team, he left them alone so he could patrol the area.
As a result, all nine Otherworlders—as well as Alicia's Rabbit—were left in the well-lit cave.
For a few moments, there was silence in the place.
No one said a word.
Rey looked around and saw the gloomy faces of everyone around him. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
'I didn't think things would get as intense as this.'
To be honest, he already knew all of this would happen since it was orchestrated by Ater.
"I'm really sorry, guys. I thought, for sure, that tied them up good. I didn't think any of them would escape like that…"
Justin was the one who broke the silence with his apology.
Adonis was the first to respond with the comforting words: "We all make mistakes."
Then, others said similar stuff. Things like;
"It's fine. As long as no one got hurt."
"That was a close call. Glad you're fine."
"It's as Sir Ralyks said… mistakes are inevitable."
Most people had their expressions darkened the moment his name was mentioned, and it was for an obvious reason.
Rey watched all of this, and while he nodded in agreement with everything that was being said, his thoughts flowed in a completely different direction.
'Ater purposely cut the strings at specific areas so that the Centipede could escape. He must have known Clark would do what he did, and everything else played out right as he wanted it to…'
In all honesty, Rey didn't completely get the full scope of Ater's plan, since he had requested for it to be simplified for him to understand.
Still, he knew the major gist of it.
'His goal here is to cause some tension. That sort of thing exposes some things about people…'
For example, it revealed the kind of person Clark was, and even broke him down into a crybaby.
Someone like Justin, who was usually all fun and jokes, actually stood up to Ralyks when even Adonis couldn't say a word.
Justin's current expression was also nothing like how he usually acted.
This time, he seemed a lot more brooding.
'He acts childish most of the time, but he's really effective in his role. The reason he didn't bother with [Perception], and even deactivated his [Stealth] is probably because he knew he did his job well.'
Ater managed to gaslight Justin, as well as everyone else in the room, to believe a false scenario that he made up.
'I shouldn't disrupt the flow and simply see how this ends.'
"I'm also really sorry, everyone." At this point, Clark was already recovered from his little outburst, so he spoke up.
"I shouldn't have left the formation like that. I disrupted… ruined everything."
Rey couldn't help but feel bad for Clark. Based on his Alignment and additional information, it was clear that the guy simply wanted to help.
That was all he wanted…
'He has a Hero Complex. If Adonis didn't snag that Hero Class, I'm sure Clark would have done so.'
Ater must have figured all of this out, even without [Absolute Appraisal], and created a scenario that would force Clark to act.
It was a pretty intelligent move.
'But it's also coldhearted. I'm beginning to regret going down this route.'
His initial thought was to simply use his [Absolute Mental Control] to pry everything he wanted out of his classmates, but that seemed extremely unethical and a breach of their privacy.
As a result, he decided to organically orchestrate a scenario that would help him learn more about them.
Unfortunately for him, Ater came up with this.
'This feels just as unethical. But, it's already started, so there's no point in stopping now.' Rey's thoughts trailed as he stared at Clark.
"I was never able to do much to help those around me back home, so… when I got to this world and received these powers, I just…" He stopped and sighed.
Everyone could get where he was coming from.
This world, despite its dangers, had given them an opportunity that didn't exist in normal reality.
They were special—having powers that many could only dream of.
With those powers, it seemed Clark thought he could finally help the people around him.
'Is that why he chose the classic superhero build? I guess it all makes sense now.' Rey smiled to himself.
"I understand where you're coming from, Clark. I'm right here with you." Adonis smiled, touching Clark on the shoulder.
He had his usual heroic expression on, one that won over anyone who gazed upon it.
Even Rey felt he wasn't immune to it.
"You don't have to deal with this alone, you know? Just as you want to help us, we want to help you too."
"Thanks, man."
Clark and Adonis hugged, and out of nowhere, Justin began to clap and cheer.
'What the—?' Rey thought it was weird as hell, but somehow, everyone began to follow Justin's lead.
They all clapped and cheered for the emotional display that could best be described as cringe.
With everyone smiling and cheering, Rey also ensured he was doing his best not to be left out. He stole a glance at Alicia and found her eyes to be moist.
'Now I feel bad for not being in the moment.'
Rey wondered if the situation would have been any different if he didn't know anything beforehand.
He still couldn't imagine being moved.
The only one who didn't seem to be concerned by what was going on was Snow. She was simply looking at everything with a blank face, and Rey suddenly began to feel a sense of camaraderie with the Beast.
He didn't consider the possibility that perhaps everyone was normal and he had become more Beast-like than he realized.
He simply went with the flow and cheered.
'I guess this is what Ater meant by all of this being beneficial for everyone.'
If that was the case, then he had no complaints.
~FWOOSH!~
A sudden darkness swirled at the center of the group, and Ralyks appeared before them.
The claps and cheers instantly died down, and a sense of dread immediately took over.
"Break is over. Time to advance."
*
*Chapter 292 Splitting Up
"You will all be splitting up now."
The sudden announcement caused an uproar among the Otherworlders, but Ralyks explained the reasons behind his decision.
"The Centipedes have burrowed several tunnel-like openings throughout this Floor, and as a result of this, the path ahead separates into multiple corridors."
'That's a lie.' Rey smiled internally as he silently watched Ater.
Rey knew he was lying due to their Bond, but from a normal standpoint he could see how the story could sound convincing.
In the first place, Ralyks had no motive to lie to any of the Otherworlders, so they were predisposed to believing everything he said.
Also, since he was stronger, smarter, and more experienced than all of them, they had to take him at his word.
Plus, he mixed in certain truths with lies.
It was already obvious that they all ate up the lies he fed them, and that allowed him to proceed without much need to explain himself.
"Considering their numbers, and how they'll drastically reduce if they're isolated per corridor, it's safer to take them out one corridor at a time." He continued, crafting a scenario out of lies.
"But, if we all attack one corridor at a time, the process will be slower. The goal of today is to conquer three Floors, so we have to hurry."
And so, the plan was to split the entire group into three.
"There are a total of five corridors. I'll take two of them, and I'll leave the remaining three to you. Don't worry, I'll summon guardians to protect you, just in case."
Everyone shivered the moment he said that. They already knew what he meant by 'guardians.'
He was talking about his Undead Summons.
No one could complain, though. In the end, his method was the fastest way to clear the Floor. The sooner they cleared the Floor, the faster they could advance even deeper and complete their mission.
Sure, they would lose some EXP to Ralyks, but it was already part of the deal he made with the Royal Council.
It was all fair.
"Now then… for the team matchups."
The first team consisted of Eric, Clark, and Justin.
They couldn't have been more perfectly matched, considering how close the three of them were.
Everyone knew them to be inseparable for the most part.
The second team had Belle, Alicia, and Trisha as teammates.
It wasn't strange to see all the girls centered in a single group, but there were no complaints from anyone. It was just strange, considering the fact that they were from totally different social circles.
As for the final team, it consisted of Rey, Adonis, and Billy.
Adonis' smile, Billy's awkward silence, and Rey's unassuming expression, showed this team to be the most balanced of the bunch.
"Now then… Come Forth."
Once again, just like last time, Ralyks—or rather, Ater—summoned ten Undead creatures.
He assigned one per group, and he told the other two to take on the remaining two corridors while he would supervise everything.
The last five were going to pick up Monster Cores and mine whatever they could—just like the previous day.
With everything set, the teams advanced and prepared for their time apart from everyone else.
Strangely enough, despite the chills running down their bodies as a result of the Undead that served as their escorts, they didn't feel any sense of dread at all.
They simply kept moving forward.
********
[Moments Later]
"… And that's why I chose the Assassin Class!"
Eric and Clark began to laugh as they walked down the eerily large corridor.
There were many tunnels that led in and out of the corridor, and while the three boys were initially very cautious when they started their journeys, they eventually lowered their guard.
Justin still had his [Perception] Skill active, and the other two were passively looking out for an enemy, but for the most part, they were just talking.
When Eric mentioned how they were supposed to be on proper lookout, Justin pointed to their Undead guardian—a Skeleton who wore full-plated dark armor—and said the guy would definitely protect them.
"Besides, even if we screw up… it's totally normal, right? Sir Ralyks will surely protect us!"
This easygoing comment made the other two boys laugh, but also ease up.
Before long, they became invested in their conversation.
They broached topics that no one really tried to discuss after arriving in H'Trae.
"Hey, do you guys miss your life on Earth sometimes?"
The one who asked this was, surprisingly, Justin.
He no longer had his playful smile on, but instead he wore a slight grimace.
"The truth is… I have a girl back home. I've liked her since we were kids, and we only started dating a month before the whole Summoning happened."
Justin's clenched fists and the way he narrowed his eyes in pain showed just how serious everything he said was.
"I try to be all laughs and jokes to forget about it, but sometimes… I want to go back. I want to go back so badly, guys."
Sure, it was cool to have powers and be on a quest to save the world.
But Justin just wanted to see the ones he cared about again, and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to.
"I just… I can't even start thinking about my single dad and everyone else I left back home. Is it the same for you guys? Am I the only one who feels this way?"
Justin looked at the two who walked alongside him. Their lips were shut in silence, and Eric especially had a guilty expression on his face.
"Sorry for bumming you guys like this. Sometimes, it just gets too much, you know?"
Justin rubbed his eyes despite hardly any tears coming out. He must have held them in pretty well.
"Forget about it, haha! I just—"
"I don't want to go back." Eric's voice echoed within the corridor.
It sounded almost confrontational, the exact opposite of Justin's earlier words.
"Earth… and my life there, I've already thrown all of those away."
Both Justin and Clark looked at Eric with surprise, watching as he tilted his glasses and looked away into the distance.
"This world of Magic feels more like home to me than Earth ever did." Leaking out a small smile, he turned to the two.
"Sorry, Justin. But I don't have anyone back home like you do."
*
*
*