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Chapter 24
Her unexpected question left me momentarily speechless.
“If you’re not joking and you’re really serious—shouldn’t you move forward using what you’re best at? Your greatest strength? But up until now you haven’t been using magic…”
Zwooooooosh!
Koooom!
A tentacle from the Virgas flew toward where we were standing, and we barely managed to dodge out of the way.
At the same time, Chelsea’s words continued.
“The only way to interpret that is that you’re doing it on purpose, right?”
With that, she twisted her lips and shot at me with a sharp, scathing tone.
“Kamon Bede is just playing around. Toying with the people around him, mocking and ridiculing them. Isn’t that it? Or are you going to blame someone else again?”
I couldn’t answer at all.
Magic. That damned magic!
‘Why the hell am I suffering like this right now…!’
Clatter!
Boom!
“You’ve always been like this, Kamon. That’s why I—”
“Fine! I can’t use magic!”
“What?”
Zwoooooooosh!
Koooom!
“That magic—I can’t use it. Even if I want to, right now I can’t!”
“……”
Chelsea stared at me, mouth hanging open at my sudden, shocking confession.
Then—
“Don’t make me laugh.”
“What?”
“Who would believe that kind of lie at this point?”
No, damn it!
It’s the truth. I’m not lying.
I can’t use magic.
Even if I want to, I really can’t!
“And besides, I already saw you use magic.”
“M–me? Use magic?”
When?
“Yeah. When we were running from the werewolf. You jumped from the bridge to the cliffside—that was Blink magic, wasn’t it?”
“What? No, that was—”
At that moment—
Zwoooooooosh!
The Virgas, annoyed at us dodging its tentacle strikes, let out a monstrous roar and unleashed a sonic attack.
“Ghhhk!”
“Damn it!”
We didn’t even have a chance to continue the argument. Both of us collapsed to our knees under the force of the sonic wave.
What, he can’t use magic?
Now that was beyond laughable.
And when Kamon froze up at my mention of him using magic…
‘Of course. Figures.’
My anger cooled into something colder, sharper.
‘Enough. No point in talking anymore. He’s hopeless…’
Zwoooooooosh!
“Urgh!”
Boom!
The next sonic blast made me lose my balance, and I toppled to the ground.
At the same time—
Shwish!
A tentacle was speeding straight toward me.
‘Ah…’
I instinctively knew there was no way to dodge this one.
‘Fine. Guess this is it.’
My mind, oddly calm, accepted it.
We couldn’t clear this dungeon anyway, and I couldn’t stand being near that bastard Kamon for another second.
Of course, this meant losing the highest score on the final dungeon exam.
‘And the top student title, too…’
But strangely, there was a feeling of relief.
So—
‘Let’s just end it here.’
I closed my eyes, bracing for the pain and disappointment of failure.
‘It’s fine, Chelsea. You did your best…’
Shwish—Clatter! Koooom!
“Grrraaaaagh!”
A violent crash rang out in front of me. I opened my eyes in shock.
And there he was.
“Kamon…?”
Kamon Bede had thrown himself in front of me, taking the tentacle strike with his body.
“Damn it! Son of a… That hurts like hell!”
His face had gone pale, lips trembling as he fought against the pain.
I could only stare at him blankly.
“God damn it, would you let me finish talking for once?!”
Kamon glared at me as he shouted.
“That back then—that wasn’t magic. It was a scroll. I can even show you the receipt later if you want!”
“What?”
“So I’m telling you, I really can’t use magic!”
‘I’m seriously going to die here. No, maybe that’d be easier…’
The pain from blocking Virgas’s attack with my body was indescribable.
Not just bruises—like my bones and organs had all been shaken and torn apart.
Why did it have to feel this damn real?
“Hhhaaah, shit. It hurts so bad.”
Flat on the ground, I muttered through gritted teeth, then glared at Chelsea.
Why the hell was she acting like this out of nowhere?!
I resented her, but I couldn’t bring it up.
Without Chelsea, we had no chance against this final boss.
That was why I shielded her.
“So please—just believe me this once. Or at least pretend to, can’t you?!”
My desperate plea spilled out.
“…Then what do you want me to do?”
“What?”
“You said I should listen. So what should I do?”
Her sudden change of heart startled me. I hurried to answer—
“Well, you…uh—”
Zwoooooooosh!
Shwish!
Another tentacle came crashing down, and Chelsea grabbed me up and rolled us out of its path.
Tap!
“Chelsea, you…”
“Talk fast. Before I change my mind.”
“A–alright!”
Shwish!
A tentacle grazed over her shoulder as we dodged again.
“Urgh, put me down first!”
Clatter!
Thud!
Without hesitation, she dropped me hard to the floor.
“Damn it…”
“You said put you down.”
“Forget it. Listen, Chelsea—pay close attention now.”
There was a way to beat Virgas without equipment or items.
Of course…
‘It’s the one thing I swore I wouldn’t do…’
It was the last resort.
“Stick close behind me and approach its eye. I’ll be paralyzed by its gaze, so when we get close enough, stab its eyeball with your sword.”
“What?”
“Take out that eye, and it’s just another monster. Nothing more.”
Simple, but certain.
The catch was—
‘It won’t just hurt. It’ll be unbearable.’
Even just one hit earlier had been agonizing.
If I took several in a row, I might not just fail—I might collapse entirely.
“Stay close behind me. Don’t meet its eye.”
“……”
“Chelsea, got it?”
“Yeah, got it.”
“Good. Then keep up, and don’t you dare look it in the eye.”
“I’ll handle that. Just don’t collapse halfway.”
“Fine. Here we go.”
We rushed toward Virgas.
Clatter, rumble.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
The monster shrieked—
Zwoooooooosh!
And whipped its countless tentacles wildly at us.
“Careful!”
Shwish!
“Don’t look ahead, just follow my back!”
I shouted as I dodged narrowly.
“Then dodge better! That was close!”
“…I saw it, okay?”
“Hah, sure you did.”
Another tentacle came from my blind spot toward my head.
“Duck!”
Shwish!
Chelsea’s urgent cry made me twist aside just in time.
“What’s that? You ‘saw it,’ huh?”
“Ugh, shut up! Just focus. Don’t look forward!”
Clatter, rumble.
Tap-tap-tap!
Despite our bickering, we steadily drew closer to Virgas’s eye.
But the closer we got—
“Don’t slow down. Your steps are…lagging!”
“M–my body’s freezing up. Damn it!”
“Use a paralysis cure spell—no, I’ll push you. Hang in there!”
Chelsea shoved my rigid body forward.
But that left me unable to dodge.
‘Damn it, guess I’ll have to take it…’
Shwish—Thwack!
“Ghhkkk!”
God, the pain.
Why the hell did I agree to this?!
“You okay—”
“Urrghh… Shut up! Just keep pushing!”
I had to endure.
Better this than being expelled from the academy…
No. No way.
This pain wasn’t worth it. Expulsion sounded better.
I wanted to quit.
“Uhh—”
What? My tongue’s paralyzed too?!
Shit, I can’t talk!
‘Damn it, I never should’ve agreed to this.’
Regret burned as I staggered forward, tears in my eyes.
‘Never again. I’ll never do this again!’
But before I could finish the thought—
Shwish—Thump!
“Arrghhh!”
Shwish—Smash!
“Ghhkk!”
The blows blurred my vision, and the world went dark.
“…Kamon!”
Huh?
Clatter, stomp!
What—
Did I black out?
…I somehow wasn’t eliminated.
If not for Chelsea’s voice, I’d have collapsed completely.
Regaining awareness, I realized—
We were finally close to Virgas.
“H–hey, Ch–Chelsea. W–we’re close…enough, right?”
Schring.
I couldn’t speak properly with my tongue stiff, but she understood.
“Yeah. This is good enough.”
“Y–yeah, jussht…make sssure you…finish it.”
Then—
Tap, tap.
Chelsea put a hand on my shoulder for the first time.
“…?”
What was that?
Her voice followed.
“Then I’m going.”
No problem. Just—please succeed.
If I went through all this and didn’t get top marks—I’d rather die.
So please!
“Chelsea!”
“…?”
“Do it in one…shot. I can’t…take two…!”
“What? Ha.”
She laughed softly and shook her head.
“I can’t do it twice either.”
Tap-tap-tap!
Then—
The world slowed to a crawl.
Chelsea lunged, her blade aiming for the enormous, revolting eye of Virgas.
Zwoooooooosh!
Tentacles lashed toward her, using my paralyzed body as cover.
But—
Pshhhhk!
Her sword struck first.
Psshhhhh—!
“Grrrrraaaaaaaaahhhh!”
Time snapped back. Her blade pierced through the monster’s eye, bursting out the other side.
Clatter. Thud!
And with that, I completely lost consciousness.
