I Become a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 40

"So this elevator goes underground, huh? Wow... this is no joke."

"Please be still for a bit...! We're about to enter a dungeon, you know?"

"Ah, dungeons aren't that big of a deal~ Just think of them as hunting grounds where monsters gather, okay? They're nothing special, I tell you."

Jinwoo, who seemed very excited about entering the dungeon, and Seah, who looked quite nervous.

Leaving the two who were completely different behind, I looked at the [1] button and [2] button.

"This was definitely the sequence."

I enter the command by converting the 1st basement floor to down and the 1st floor to up.

[↑↑↑↓↓↓↑↓↑↓↑↑↑↓]

At the same time, the elevator begins to move with a jolt.

"Oh, it's moving! The elevator is moving down!"

Seah tightly grips the handrail as the elevator, which she thought was the last basement floor of the academy, continues to descend further.

Leaving Jinwoo, who is snickering behind, I open the cube to check its contents.

Originally, to check the contents of the cube, you had to take them out one by one, but now, thanks to the [Smart Lens], I can check them immediately like an inventory.

"This should be fine."

As the elevator, which felt like it would descend forever, comes to a stop, a strange notification sound echoes through the elevator.

[Basement @#!% floor.]

As the door slowly opens, a dark space is revealed.

"Wow, it looks really creepy."

Jinwoo shivers while looking around at the sight.

Unlike the club booth, which looked usable by people, this is a huge space reminiscent of a cave.

Although the surroundings were only faintly visible due to the flickering red flames on the candlesticks, which seemed to be moved by magic, they didn't hinder me.

[Would you like to switch to night mode?]

[Y / N]

Wondering if it's called a Smart Lens for a reason, as soon as I press Y, the surroundings light up as if it's broad daylight.

"Seah, can you use light magic?"

"Huh? Oh, yes! That's basic magic."

"Jinwoo, you──"

"Oh, I have good night vision, so it's fine. I also have skills in that area, so I can see clearly."

Hearing that, I recall what Jinwoo said at the end of our last sparring session.

'I'm an assassin, you idiot.'

It seems he received special training from the Vivaldi Family.

Since he says he can see well, there's no need to bother bringing a lantern for him.

"That's good to hear. Then let me tell you about this dungeon."

With that, I begin to briefly explain the dungeon located in the academy's basement.

"This is an artificial dungeon created by the 'Dungeon Ecology Research Club' that used to use the Z Room."

"What? The Dungeon Ecology Research Club? The one that suddenly disappeared one day, leaving behind some legacy somewhere in the academy?"

The urban legend about the 'Dungeon Ecology Research Club' was quite famous within the academy.

The 'Dungeon Ecology Research Club' was among the top clubs in the academy.

The fact that the president of such a club suddenly disappeared one day, and that no instructor questioned it, is a pretty typical story.

"Ah, that urban legend? It's just that the entire club was scouted by a national secret organization and quit the academy."

"Huh?"

The reality of that urban legend was actually nothing special.

The 'Dungeon Ecology Research Club' that suddenly vanished one day. Where did they go, and what is the legacy they left behind... but the reality is that they were scouted by a national agency, and the legacy they left is this dungeon where I am standing now.

All of this was made possible by a man who awakened as a superhuman and gained the ability called 'Dungeon Maker'...

Well, they must be doing research now, enjoying their hefty national pension.

"Anyway, this dungeon we're in right now is their legacy. The dungeon has 10 levels, and where we are standing now is the 1st level, the Insect House."

"In, Insect House? The name sounds unsettling..."

────......!

At the same time, a sound comes from far away.

The unpleasant sound, like scratching a stone with sharp thorns, draws the children's attention beyond the cave.

"Just in time. Here come the guardians of the 1st level."

"Huh? The guardians of the 1st level── Hi, hieeek?!"

In the distance.

A black mass is slowly approaching this way.

Each one the size of a child, the huge bugs.

Seah steps back, utterly terrified at the sight.

"Wh, what kind of bugs are that big!!"

Is this the first time she's seen bug-type monsters? Seah's eyes well up with tears, and Jinwoo quickly draws his dagger with a smirk.

"Hey, why are you so scared? We have the boss here. Boss, can you sweep them away with a machine gun?"

"I can."

"...Huh?"

"But you and Seah will take care of them."

"Us?"

"Boss?"

Did he forget?

"Didn't I say this is your training?"

So.

"Try to survive. I'll just command from the back."

These small fries weren't what I was aiming for.

"Seah. First, use your magic to scatter the direction of the magic power coming towards us in the dungeon. If they detect magic power with their antennae, they won't be able to approach us."

"Huh? Oh, yes!"

Following my order, Seah quickly puts on her gloves and extends her hands towards the bugs.

For someone who uses spatial magic, disrupting the magic power inside the dungeon should be a piece of cake.

As proof, the bugs that were approaching us start to tangle with each other in strange movements.

"Jinwoo, charge."

"Huh? You want me to really charge into that?"

"Charge."

"Damn it... I'm not even a vanguard..."

"Charge."

"I'm going! Go!"

At the same time, Jinwoo, gripping his dagger, starts to dash towards the bugs.

"Seah, you focus on defending against anything that might hit Jinwoo from where you are. Since they've already targeted Jinwoo, they won't come after you unless you draw a lot of aggro."

"Yes!"

"Argh! They're even creepier up close! Stay away, you bastard!"

At first, Jinwoo dodged around, focusing on evasion in his fight, but once he realized Seah was supporting him, he started to hunt the bugs more aggressively.

"Ugh, this is quite fun. It's our first time teaming up, but it's not bad. You said you hated bugs, but you're doing surprisingly well."

"I'm barely holding back my nausea, okay? Ah! The aggro's shifted over there!!"

After a while of fighting, the bugs, realizing they couldn't win, started to retreat slowly.

As the number of bugs attacking him dwindled, Jinwoo, realizing this, plunged his dagger into the jaw of the last bug attacking him and looked at me.

"Boss, should we chase them?"

"No, that's enough. The ones you just dealt with were scouts, so the main force will soon be heading this way."

"Really? I thought they were pretty weak."

Jinwoo pulls his dagger out of the bug's jaw, shakes off the green fluid on it, and approaches.

"Ugh... the smell. But boss, isn't it easier to just use magic to sweep them away?"

"That would be easier. But given the nature of this place, if we used a large-scale attack, the ceiling would have collapsed."

Hearing my words, Jinwoo looks up to inspect the ceiling. Seeing the low ceiling that's about 3 meters high, he nods.

"Hmm... definitely."

By the way, I know this because I once died in a game by using magic with such thoughts.

Damn 'Dungeon Maker' guy.

To design it so that the ceiling collapses when you use an area attack against a swarm like that...

By the way, I've even gone to find the guy to exact my revenge.

"Then let's keep moving forward. The inner part is wider than here, so you should be able to use magic. Seah, can you read the mana flow around us while we move?"

"Yes, that's a piece of cake."

And so, we began walking towards the inner part of the dungeon's first floor.

Of course, since I was experiencing the dungeon in reality just like everyone else, I moved my steps carefully without letting my guard down.

"Boss, didn't you say there are up to 10 floors here? How far do you plan to go today?"

Perhaps because he had been moving vigorously until just now, Jinwoo, shaking his shirt back and forth to cool off the sweat, asked.

"We're only planning to scout today. If it seems dangerous, we'll retreat immediately, so don't worry."

"Really? If it's just those guys from earlier, it seems like the first floor isn't much of a challenge."

As Jinwoo said, if it's just those kinds of creatures coming out, the difficulty of the dungeon would surely be on the easier side.

But...

"Since we don't know what the boss looks like yet, it's better to be cautious for now. The boss... is on a different level than the other monsters."

That was the case in the game too.

This dungeon was designed to operate by absorbing the magic power used at the academy, so given the always changing nature of CS, different bosses with varying strengths always appeared.

In other words, the dungeon grows according to the amount of magic power used at the academy.

Maybe that's why a national agency even recruited the creator of such a dungeon.

"Hold on."

Seah, who had been sensing the mana around us until now, closes her eyes and touches the wall.

"I detected vibrations at the coordinates ahead. Roughly... huh?"

Suddenly opening her eyes, Seah wears a dazed expression.

"We... might be screwed. There are at least hundreds of them."

"What the hell── Boss, what should we do? Should we run?"

"...No, everyone stand by. Come behind me."

"Boss?"

Passing by the bewildered kids, I take the lead and pull out [Capone's Tommy] from the cube, aiming it forward.

"There was something I wanted to try."

Just earlier, when we encountered dozens of scout bugs, an alarm popped up in front of me.

[[Bloodline Ability: Calione] is activating.]

And at that time, the magic power that surged explosively definitely recognized each of those creatures as individual enemies.

In other words, if all the creatures rushing towards us are enemies, my ability will surge explosively too.

"For now, I'll take the lead this time."

Moreover, since what's rushing towards us now is definitely the main force, I decided to handle it this time.

If the academy exists, the dungeon will undergo reconstruction and produce monsters again.

But, as they say, nothing in the world is easy.

"H-hii?! W-what is that thing?!!"

"B-Boss? Shouldn't we run?"

In the distance, amidst the numerous bugs crawling towards us, the figure of a giant centipede could be seen.

If it were the real me, I would have screamed and run away upon seeing a centipede, but now, thanks to [Trait: Hitman], I can maintain my composure.

"Everyone, calm down."

The centipede, whose fangs alone seemed to be unimaginably large, was wrapped in a dark blue carapace that might not even be penetrable by [Capone's Tommy].

Yes, under normal circumstances.

As soon as the numerous bugs came into view, an explosive force enveloped my body, and I began to emit a red aura.

[[Bloodline Ability: Calione] is activating.]

A torrent of power unlike anything I've ever felt before. I channel that energy into [Capone's Tommy] and pull the trigger.

"Adios, you bug bastards."