NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100
Final Exam.
The precious last stage that marks the end of the first semester for the first-year students.
The early game’s Wall of Lamentation in the Survival Academy.
How well the characters have been developed here significantly impacts the ability to clear the mission.
Most development concepts are established around this point, making it a crucial turning point for players. After this period, it will be way too late to change the development method.
Intermediate shenanigans are out of the question.
Therefore, the third trial that has befallen the protagonist will be a critical test.
Can they navigate the events to come?
…The problem is, Karina is absent.
While other matters can be looked over, the real question is whether there’s any way to substitute for Karina. The Survival Academy isn’t exactly known for its great balance, and especially on the healer front, it’s so bad that people openly write “Karina or bust” in strategy guides.
In particular, in the early game, there aren’t any decent healer characters besides Karina, making it common sense to take her along unless clearing without her is entirely feasible.
The issue is… Karina hasn’t even enrolled.
The Hell Hound has already caused a victim due to Karina’s absence, and the demon summoning was completely dealt with by eliminating the cause before it could happen. However, the last dimensional rift incident cannot be preemptively stopped due to its nature.
To stop it, I’d have to either cancel the final exam or change the location, but both are impossible for me. I’m just a mere escort knight, not some chairman with that kind of power.
In the end, the only choice left for me is to sneak into the scene of the incident and care for the protagonist without them knowing. Main characters tend to get all sorts of ridiculous bonuses, so as long as I help just enough, they should manage to handle the rest.
After all…
-Mission-
-Assist Louis in successfully completing the final exam.
Reward: 3 Trait Points.
I’d inadvertently completed a quest to befriend Elisa, and now a new mission is clearly intruding upon the main storyline.
In the meantime, I’ve also learned that Louis holds the original protagonist position.
But here’s the thing.
Why are they insisting on dragging me into the main scenario?
Is it because I’m irregular? Or is there another intention? Perhaps Johann Quartz is related to the main scenario, and I just don’t know his name?
I don’t know all the NPC names, but I have no recollection of ever hearing Johann or Quartz before. No one reacted when I mentioned my surname, so it probably isn’t a well-known family on this continent.
What on earth is the owner of this body doing, adrift on a deserted island? What’s this strange Status Window?
…Maybe I should ask Sif to look into it when I have the chance?
If it’s really some nobody on nobody Island, I won’t be able to find any leads within the Academy anyway.
“…Forget it. What good does it do to keep pondering over unanswerable questions?”
I rose from the bed in my hidden secret hideout beneath the Academy.
One of the hideouts I had concealed among the tunnels I dug below. I had entered with just the bare minimum of supplies.
To achieve the purpose for which I applied for leave, I needed to sneak into the tunnels unnoticed, so I entered through the entrance I had carefully hidden in the workshop.
Since I’d snuck in unobserved, only Sif knew I was here.
Not wanting to stand out unnecessarily, I’d entrusted her with the delivery of my items—a habit I’d taken on since digging this tunnel. Without this tunnel, I could never have safely brought mithril back to the workshop, that’s for sure.
“…When is Sif coming?”
“Did you call for me?”
“You’re here.”
A cat-thief peeked in at the entrance to the hideout with a playful smile. A backpack no bigger than herself was a bonus. The cat beastkin, who loved money more than anyone, placed the backpack beside the bed, cheerfully humming a tune as if she was in a good mood because the pay was particularly good this time.
“I brought everything you asked for, so pay up!”
“Here you go.”
I dropped three gold coins onto Sif’s palm as a reward.
“Woohoo…”
“How are your younger siblings doing?”
“They’re getting chubby these days, and I’m wondering if I need to exercise them!”
Well, considering that little one earns at least fifty gold coins while working for me, there’s no way they’re starving.
Fifty gold coins can pretty much cover food for a year if spent wisely.
“That’s good to hear.”
“So, esteemed employer, got any more work for me?”
Work, huh… I couldn’t help but stare at Sif, who looked at me with an eager glint in her eye, rubbing her palms together like a schemer. Her gaze filled with expectation met mine. This cat girl, embodying pure greed, could be quite useful as long as I pay her correctly.
Loyalty may be lacking, but her inconspicuousness until she gets close and her unique skill in thievery have several uses. Moreover, her help is absolutely essential for smuggling some expensive materials into the Academy without detection. I hesitated for a moment before casually speaking up.
“Sif, are you up for something big with me?”
“Something big? Is it something that pays?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
Honestly, I doubt it’ll be a money-making venture. What I’m about to do is more like tailing, so there might not be any income at all. In the worst-case scenario, I’ll need to step in…
But I hope it doesn’t come to that.
It’s uncertain whether this will work since Karina has missed the final exam. If a specific role in a game is missing, it will inevitably cause some hiccups—especially if it’s a healer.
“Sure, why not!”
“Surprising.”
“I’ve never done something you set me up for that didn’t lead to profit!”
She sounded strangely confident. Thinking about it, she’s not completely wrong. She has been good at squeezing out whatever money she can from jobs here and there.
Just the money from this tunnel alone would be an amount I wouldn’t have seen in my lifetime.
Most of it went towards mithril, but still…
“The operation starts tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Isn’t that the day of the final exam?”
“How did you know?”
“Information accumulates when you wander around the streets!”
“Then this should be easy. Tomorrow, we’ll interfere with the final exam. Specifically, we’re planning to sneak into the dungeon.”
“What?”
Why the blank expression? At this point, shouldn’t you be picking up on what I’m planning? What to do with this oblivious cat thief? I added some kind explanations for the clueless Sif.
“I received intel that a dimensional rift will open in the dungeon for tomorrow’s final exam. We’ll go into the rift.”
“What does that even mean? A dimensional rift is opening tomorrow? How do you know that?”
Sif’s expression sharpened at the mention of the dimensional rift. Perhaps she understands the dangers associated with it. She rapidly spewed out information she knew, as if in a machine gun-like response.
“Who doesn’t know that? When they pop up, everything around gets wrecked! Monsters jump out from inside! Just last week, a rift opened in a dungeon, and all the explorers there got wiped out!”
Wiped out… That seems plausible. It makes sense given that a phenomenon like suddenly opening a void could cause chaos.
While it can open elsewhere, when it occurs in a dungeon, it poses the greatest threat. If it opens in a city or field, it’s an inconvenience, but opening within a dungeon often traps those inside.
“Did that happen? Don’t worry. The rift that will open tomorrow isn’t too dangerous.”
The rift that opens tomorrow is carefully adjusted in difficulty for players to level up. In terms of difficulty, it would be slightly harder than the first two incidents.
“Is that information trustworthy?”
“Do you not trust me?”
“Um… I can’t believe this one because it feels so far-fetched.”
“If you can’t believe it, you’re free to opt out of this operation.”
I only suggested this since it seemed like an easier alternative, not because I urgently needed her.
At my words, Sif seemed to ponder for a moment, then crossed her arms, letting out a sigh of resignation before replying.
“I don’t think you’d lie, so I’ll take your word for it!”
It seemed she was about to call me “water provider.” When I glared at her, she quickly averted her gaze and pretended not to notice. Out of annoyance, I lightly flicked her forehead and waved my hand as a command.
“Then unpack your things and relax a bit. It’ll get busy starting tomorrow morning.”
“Got it~”
Sif started efficiently pulling items out of her backpack and began organizing them with practiced ease. From her actions, you’d think she was living carelessly, but she was surprisingly diligent. While I watched her methodically organize the items, I lay back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
I wasn’t particularly sleepy, but it felt too bothersome to go out and work immediately. I figured I’d take a short nap and start working late at night.
“I’m going to take a quick nap, so make yourself at home.”
“I’m hungry… Is there any food around?”
“There’s a sandwich in my bag, so go ahead and take it. I need to eat too, so don’t finish it all.”
“A sandwich?”
Sif’s voice carried a hint of excitement, probably imagining the sandwiches made by the staff of Yeomyeong-gwan. Those sandwiches were indeed delicious.
However, the one I brought wouldn’t satisfy the flavor Sif was craving.
…Because I made it myself.
I stared blankly at the ceiling, then closed my eyes.
When I open them next, the operation begins.
DUN DUN DUN!