Chapter 39 – Competition for Talent

Episode 39 – Competition for talent

On a sunny morning with warm sunlight, I was facing a dense forest in front of me.

“Well, what we need to do here is find the flag. The more flags you collect, the more prizes you can get, so work hard. Then let’s start!”

[Waaaaa!]

The moment the starting signal was given, the students ran out all at once with loud cheers, shaking the surrounding earth.

I stood there numbly, and only moved after the commotion had died down.

‘It was 11 o’clock from the entrance, right?’

What I’m looking for is not a flag.

Something much more valuable than that is the dungeon where the artifact is hidden. More precisely, the possessed people who gather to conquer the dungeon.

The artifacts on this mountain were popular because they were quite useful not only in battle but also in real life.

A normal possessor would want to get it even if it meant risking conflict.

‘I might be able to uncover the identity of that bald swordsman and flame wizard.’

So, you need to settle down as quickly as possible.

I headed up the hill overlooking the abandoned well leading to the dungeon, carefully checking to see if anyone was heading in the same direction.

Wear a robe, wear a mask, cover your face, and lie down in a visible place.

Now all you have to do is wait quietly.

‘I wish there were more women…’

It’s not just because I’m a woman, it takes a woman to use a rape declaration.

After diligently researching the mechanism, I found out that, unfortunately, rape declarations also react to men, but I had no intention of doing so.

I also want the artifacts that can be found here, so in order to get them, I have to activate the Rape Declaration and overwhelm the possessors.

While I was waiting with various thoughts, a person appeared from the slope over there.

‘It’s a man.’

The man, whose entire body was covered in robes, was holding a sword. His face is also covered with some kind of cloth, so not a single hair of his head is visible.

He looked around warily and jumped into the abandoned well as if he were flying.

Even at first glance, his physical abilities appear to be extraordinary.

‘Is that person a bald prosecutor?’

Since I don’t know how many possessors there are, I can’t be sure even if I see some similarities.

While I was thinking about it, I pushed my curiosity to a corner and continued to look down.

After a while, another person appears.

‘No, it’s a man this time too.’

Like the person who had just passed by, the man, wearing a robe, was equally wary of his surroundings and went into the abandoned well, whimpering.

Looking at his low physical ability, he seems to be a wizard.

There is growing speculation that the two who entered the dungeon are a swordsman and a fire wizard who somehow collided in the underground waterway.

And after that, there were no more visitors for 30 minutes.

I slowly got up.

“Is it the end of two people? No, maybe three?”

In the case of Pernia, who was seen in the secret passage, she can hide her appearance perfectly, so we cannot rule out the possibility that she entered secretly.

If the prediction is correct, I was a little less worried because it could be used in a rape declaration if necessary.

I came down from the hill and headed to the abandoned well.

The well had been left unattended for a long time and had dried up, leaving not a drop of water to be found.

I jumped down carefully, found a long passage on one side, and headed towards it.

The passage led to an underground cave.

Little by little, the air becomes moist and the space expands, welcoming you with uneven floors and stalactites forming here and there.

I moved forward for a long time.

‘Now it’s time to reach our destination…’

We have already passed by numerous corpses. It was a huge spider monster that lived in an underground cave.

Most of them were cut with swords, but a significant amount were burned by fire.

Probably, as soon as the fire wizard saw the corpse of the monster that had been cut to death by a sword, he remembered what had happened in the underground tunnel and ran after it in a panic.

As expected, I was able to witness the battle when I reached the huge cavity where the artifact was located.

“Burn it down!”

Pugh!

The fireball that leaves the fire wizard’s hand and attacks the swordsman.

Although it had less firepower than the Uni, it had enough power to require instant cremation if it was hit with its bare body.

Of course, if it doesn’t fit, there is no meaning.

“I will definitely kill you!”

The swordsman, who flew out of his body and escaped the explosion range, did a somersault and landed, spewing out murderous energy and slashing his arm with his sword.

The blood flowing from the long wound was absorbed into the sword, adding to its elegance.

But the prosecutor did not stop there.

He cut repeatedly his body and absorbed the blood into his sword.

Then, the sword began to emit more and more brilliant energy, and the swordsman’s entire body muscles swelled to the fullest, giving him even greater strength than usual.

This is a characteristic of jobs that are often seen in games.

‘I feel like a Berserker.’

They are very similar in that the more damage they take, the stronger they become.

“Burn up!”

Meanwhile, the fire wizard cast another spell and fired it at the swordsman.

Dozens of fire bombs rain down.

“That’s it!”

The prosecutor did not back down even an inch in front of him. Relying on a single sword, he kicks the ground and breaks through the flame bullets.

His explosively increased physical ability and sharpened sword cut them all down cleanly.

However, no harm could be done, so one of the flame bullets grazed the swordsman’s cheek and set the cloth covering her face on fire.

Beyond the burning cloth, a smooth scalp and facial features without a single hair are revealed.

‘As expected, he was a bald swordsman!’

Moreover, that face is quite unique, so I don’t think it will be confused with other people.

A time of joy.

A snap!

In my ear, there was a sound like trampling on a very small puddle of water.

I followed the epicenter and confirmed that the artifact was in the direction of the hidden altar.

‘It’s Pernia.’

It seems like once you get into a habit, you can’t get over it, so you’re going to steal again.

I looked at the fire wizard wistfully, but thinking that this was enough, I gave up my regrets and turned my back and headed toward the entrance.

There is no secret passage anyway, so you have to go through the abandoned well to get out with the artifact.

When I returned to the hill again, I lay down there and waited for Pernia to appear.

And not even three minutes later, Pernia came out of her abandoned well, humming to herself.

“Ahaha! Idiots. “I take the artifact!”

Her smiling face turned slightly white.

This is evidence that mana is depleted.

I guess I was overdoing it because I kept using stealth the entire time I was in the cave.

‘You’re lucky.’

If Pernia had been able to use stealth, she could have missed for nothing, but she did well.

I quickly jumped off the hill and blocked her path before running away.

“Stop.”

“Uh, uh! You, you!”

“Give me the artifact.”

Pernia, who was reunited with the person who raped her, seemed embarrassed for a moment, but her face turned red at his shameless request for her.

“You bastard. Are you going to take what I worked so hard to bring again? Do you think I’ll just leave it alone?”

“…”

“I will kill you this time. “Don’t leave me alone.”

Pernia slowly drew out her dagger.

The sharp eyes scan every vital part of her body as if they are going to seek revenge.

I was troubled for a moment.

‘Can we win without using the rape declaration?’

I don’t know how much Pernia has grown so far, but I’ve also become quite strong, so if she’s at the same level as before, she has a good chance of winning.

That time when the tension rises.

“Eat this and leave! Fuck you, you bastard!”

Pernia, who seemed ready to pounce on her, threw away her transparent gloves and ran in the opposite direction.

I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even think about chasing after him and just stared blankly at my back as it walked away.

“What?”

To be honest, I hoped he would hand it over, but I thought there was no hope, but I never thought I would get my hands on the artifact so easily.

I guess the experience of having both holes opened at once was quite a trauma for Pernia.

I feel a little sorry.

‘Still, it feels good!’

I grinned and picked up the transparent gloves that had fallen on the floor and shook them off.

The name of this is Arachne’s Gloves.

Made from the thread of Arachne, an ancient witch, it boasts tremendous durability and mana conductivity, and perfectly integrates with the user’s skin to provide a comfortable fit without the slightest discomfort.

When I touched it roughly, it didn’t feel like anything that made me doubt my eyes.

I immediately put on Arachne’s gloves.

When you put your hand in the hole and pull it, it goes in as if you were applying some kind of oil, and as soon as you let go, it disappears as if it melts into your skin.

After going through the same process on the other side, I clenched my fists.

“Oh… It’s amazing.”

Even if you grab the flesh and pinch it, the gloves absorb all the shock, so there is no pain at all.

I don’t think I need a separate gauntlet for this.

“Good. Then, shall we do a simple test?”

If the performance of Arachne’s armor had simply stopped at this level, the possessed would not have taken the risk and gathered.

I tried using the skill built into the gloves, Infinite Thread.

Sussssseu─

When magical energy was injected, a transparent thread came out from the finger.

This is not something I can see with my eyes; I can only feel it with a newly expanded sense, as if a tail has sprouted.

I’m not used to it yet, but the transparent thread moves around at will. Moreover, it kept changing its nature whenever I wanted.

Although it has sticky adhesive power, it exhibits sharp cutting power the moment it shows murderous intent.

I gently wrapped it around the tree and pulled it, and the thread came back without the slightest resistance.

The cutting surface is very clean.

As seen in the game, the infinite thread had tremendous durability and cutting power.

“It will be useful.”

In fact, it is not at a usable level, but it can be used as a main weapon.

But I’m actually paying more attention to other characteristics than this. The point is that infinite thread has the function of accumulating and discharging the applied load.

Although the limit is set, it has become possible for me to exert power that far exceeds my current level with just one strike.

In addition, many other uses come to mind.

I nodded with satisfaction and returned up the hill.

Because the other two are still inside.

‘I think it’s time to come out now.’

Whether one of them dies or runs away, if this much time has passed, the decision will have been made.

As if my thoughts were not wrong, soon a fire wizard with scratches here and there came out of the abandoned well.

“Shit! A persistent psycho bastard!”

He spat on the dirt in frustration and quickly left.

I thought about following him, but I stayed where I was just in case.

I heard his voice anyway and remembered his body shape his his, so if I look for him among the fire wizards, I’ll be able to guess his identity his his right away.

Now it is more urgent to check whether the bald prosecutor is alive.

‘If the fire wizard had killed him, he would have gained a new unique skill like me.’

After waiting with patience, a bald swordsman appeared.

The guy looked like he was scorched here and there.

“Fuck, you clever bastard. How dare you set fire and run away? Next time, I will definitely kill you. “I’ll take all the skin off his head.”

He gritted his teeth and spewed out hatred, as if he was thinking of a fire wizard.

Then he tilts his head again.

“But who the hell is it? The bastard who came to the dungeon before me and took the artifact. Is there really more to the first grade than just me and him? “I have to be careful.”

Through this incident, everyone’s vigilance has evolved further. It was good news that I was able to find out the identity, but it was bad news that other possessed people came up with new possibilities.

‘What should we do with the possessors?’

I looked at the bald swordsman disappearing and thought about the future.