The Academy’s Guide to Useless Students – Chapter 19

19.

I’m probably going to die today.

Isn’t this what they call ‘karma’?

Or maybe it’s a consequence from my past life.

Either way, I’m going to die.

I really don’t want to…

I stole a glance at the man accompanying me.

That carefree face is incredibly annoying.

If you’re going to die, do it alone.

You must have thought of me as a mere companion. You probably felt justified treating me like a bug when you got tied up…

Ugh, pathetic man!

This is so unfair!

If I’m going to die like this, I wish I had squandered all the money from the vault on my way here. My nose tingled and tears misted my eyes.

Drip. Tears slid down my cheeks.

I still don’t want to die! Waaaaa!

“Lady Anastasia, we have arrived.”

“Alright, just kill me. Ready… snort!”

Something entered my mouth.

That thin, long thing burrowed into my mouth. Finally, a bitter, thick liquid slid down my throat.

“Cough! …What is… cough!”

Tears, snot, and even drool were streaming down.

Yuto collected the vial while busy checking his equipment.

“This is a stimulant. I thought you might need it, Lady Anastasia.”

“A stimulant…? Isn’t that expensive?”

“Yes, I’ll charge it to you.”

“Ugh.”

“Now prepare yourself. From here on, you’ll need to stay sharp.”

That face of his.

That good-for-nothing face is even more infuriating.

We’re standing right in front of a grave.

How can he be so relaxed?

Is he completely unaware of the danger…?

I can’t believe it.

Here we are, heading into Pandora’s Labyrinth together…

Yikes.

Yuto drew his sword and took the lead.

It’s not like this dungeon serves as a separate dimensional ‘disaster.’ Dungeons are usually linear, with one entrance, one boss, and one treasure. They are commonly categorized into “Incursions” and “Guerillas.”

Incursions involve directly entering a dungeon to take down the owner. Guerillas deal with monsters bursting forth from dimensional rifts. Both types are known for high difficulty and significant casualties, which are obvious calamities.

And now we are about to face a maze-like dungeon made from the remnants of these continent-spanning calamities. While it’s less dangerous than the previously mentioned incursions and guerillas, it’s no place to stroll through casually.

There’s no predetermined boss.

And treasures aren’t limited.

It’s a wild land devoid of any regularity. Therefore, an unknown fear lurked ahead.

I now have to step into such a place…

With this complete stranger.

“Are, are we really going in?”

“…”

“Fine, I get it. Step aside.”

Yuto pulled out the stimulant without a word, and I firmly refused. If I took it, I’d end up being wide awake while the monsters would have me for dinner.

“Oh, my fate…”

I looked at the buckler in my hand.

This shabby shield is my only means of protection. Is this man really in his right mind?

Maybe it would be better to run away. Even if it meant exposing my identity…

In the end, dying is the same either way…

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

“Yes… I’m coming!”

With every step, darkness enveloped my vision. If I could fortuitously encounter a strong party, I’d have no complaints. I prayed to Veritas with the utmost sincerity – more than any prayer I’d ever uttered before. It was then that Yuto stopped in his tracks.

“Something’s coming.”

“Eh? What is it?—Eek!”

Ssssss!

A swarm of ant-like monsters with antennae came rushing toward us. Grossness aside, they were enormous. Those are not bugs. They’re beasts.

“Ughh!”

“Lady Anastasia, please refrain from making noise. They are sensitive to sound.”

“They’re already swarming in! What do you mean be quiet? I’m about to get eaten!”

Ssssss.

“With those numbers, we have a chance.”

“What? You mean we can actually defeat those?”

“I may look like this, but I’m an honor student.”

What does that even mean? The cliché is that the bookworm always flops in real-life situations!

No way. At this rate, I’ll end up as bug snacks.

It’s crazy!

But just as he said, the first ant’s head was swiftly severed.

What a clean job. That strike almost took my breath away.

“Wow! You really are strong, Yuto!”

“Ah, sorry. I missed one.”

“Eh?”

Crack! The massive ant barreled past Yuto, charging directly at me, mouth wide open.

Oh wow. Shit.

I’m going to die.

“L-light!”

Flash!

A brilliant light blinded the ant’s vision. The only things I could do were cast a mid-level healing spell and emit light. I concluded that I wouldn’t survive like this.

“Aaaahhh!”

Without looking back, I ran for my life.

I sprinted desperately to escape.

“They’re gone.”

According to my plan, Anastasia fled on her own. There’s no way I, the one who cleared the Incursion of Nozai, would fall to ‘Parasite Subspecies’ like the Ironback Ant. I intentionally let one ant slip by to guide her escape.

“Crack!”

“Be quiet! This is where it gets important.”

Ssssss!

I finished off the work quickly and collected the spoils from the Ironback Ants. The path she escaped into was a tunnel thick with darkness. Finding the ‘target’ amidst the sprawling tunnels would be a challenging task. However, if I had brought the right conditions, it would change the scenario.

“Did I make a mistake bringing a priest?”

That ‘thing’ would surely reveal itself once it found a priest who was alone. Anastasia was bait for just that purpose.

“She likely hasn’t fled far.”

Given her pathetic stats.

If I leisurely chased after her, I’d catch up soon enough. I just needed to hunt a few ants along the way.

“But maybe I’ll have to use Hell of No Intervals this time?”

It’s not because ‘that thing’ is strong. If we compare pure combat power, Nozai had the overwhelming advantage. The reason I must use Hell of No Intervals was for a different purpose.

“Crack!”

“Cr—crack…”

So engrossed in the extermination, I charged in without any hesitation, and before I knew it, they were beginning to avoid me. Even their straight antennae curled up like puppy tails.

“Sorry, but it’s an extermination for you, ant friends.”

Having come this far, I have to maximize my efforts.

I channeled magic into my sword.

When the limit of magic accumulation is reached, the attribute is manifested, allowing me to implement Ether accordingly. However, I wouldn’t unleash the attributes yet, for I lacked something that could withstand such a display.

“Not yet, anyway.”

Once I recovered ‘Nozai,’ I could freely wield the attribute Ether. I continued to polish my sword while looking forward to that moment.

Ssssss!

The blue-hued slash shattered the ants’ limbs. They no longer looked like meat. There was no way to pack any more into my bag at this point.

“I guess I should be satisfied with this much.”

Maybe I should wait a bit longer?

As I expanded my magic perception, I sensed an overwhelming hostility beyond the corner.

That’s it.

In Pandora’s Labyrinth, there wouldn’t be any other heavyweight aside from that one. I leaped around the corner to find a nest filled with what looked like the eggs of Ironback Ants.

Inside, a grotesque monster, with dozens of long legs, twisted its body as it played with its prey.

A centipede monster that emanated an acidity strong enough to melt rocks and ores, with various minerals embedded into its sturdy shell.

Black Stone Centipede

It lives by consuming the black stones deeply immersed in Pandora’s Labyrinth. Other metals become impurities and crystallize on its shell, resulting in such a grotesque form.

“Fortunately, you’re still alive.”

“Yuto! Please… Please save me!”

Though the promised sequence was cumbersome, I couldn’t allow my precious source of magic to meet a sad end. That’s a connection I could definitely exploit in the future.

“Ssss.”

The Black Stone Centipede seemed to enjoy having prey roll in. Too bad for it, it would never defeat me.

“Consider yourself fortunate.”

It’s a sight too good for a mid- or low-tier monster to witness.

Hell of No Intervals

—Fwoosh!

A powerful inferno engulfed the nest. A beautiful flame seemed to consume the centipede without my notice. A fine, long vortex ceaselessly drilled up through its nest. An unending wave of fire.

My makeshift sword had long melted away. Just with one spark, everything was reduced to ash.

My sword as well.

The gargantuan body of the Black Stone Centipede too.

All that remained were piles of ash.

“Wh—? What’s this? Is this a dream? Hehe. Am I already dead? Waaah, shit.”

Slap. Slap. Slap.

Anastasia, unable to believe what she just witnessed, began slapping her cheeks repeatedly. The mental shock seemed significant.

Drip.

Aah, shit, blood.

This isn’t just some usual powerful skill. Soon, the horde will arrive.

As long as I can manage to keep my confidence, it shouldn’t be a problem.

It was time to gather rewards. The reason I used Hell of No Intervals on such a creature was to extract the ‘special mineral’ hidden within its body.

The flames of Hell of No Intervals could incinerate all but the most resilient materials. Everything it consumed, from the black stones to every kind of processed mineral, would be burned to cinders. Yet within them sat the only metallic anomaly that couldn’t melt away.

That was my goal.

‘Here it is.’

An SSS-grade metal that nothing in this world could surpass in hardness.

The ‘Dark Stone’ placed right before my eyes was such a monster-grade material. More so, the sword I would restore with it would hold the key to gain overwhelming superiority against the middle-tier shadow I’d face later on.