THE USELESS PRINCE

Ash finally understood everything.

Back when he was playing False Horizon - the time before he was reincarnated into this game, Ash had felt quite strange because of the sudden appearance of the Dread Reaper.

He knew that this event was part of the story, but honestly, it was still quite confusing to him.

Why could an Unholy Wraith appear in this place even though the instructors of Awakened Academy had checked the entire island before the exam began?

That question had haunted Ash for many days after that, but over time, he had gradually forgotten it.

And today, he finally understood about this cave as well as the appearance of the Dread Reaper.

Ash could be sure that this Unholy Wraith had come to the surface through this cave.

And it would also be the thing that would destroy the ground, creating a path leading to the cave.

'Damn it… Why did I suddenly meet the boss of this arc here?'

His face became even more grim when he saw the Dread Reaper sleeping soundly over there.

People might think that it looked harmless, but if they witnessed its true power, would they still think like that?

In the game False Horizon, that Unholy Wraith could destroy the entire island in just one day.

Beside him, it seemed that Furina had also realized its existence because she was now looking at the Dread Reaper with an indescribable gaze.

Furina probably knew that the two of them shouldn't wake up this Abyssal Creature while it was sleeping, but Ash still reminded her to be sure.

But before he had the chance to do so, she reminded him first:

"Don't even think about fighting that thing. We have no chance of winning."

"…Do I look like someone who would do that?" He was completely speechless.

Furina looked him up and down and then back up, then calmly replied:

"Yeah, you're the type that always does unexpected things."

"…" Ash was about to say something but then realized that what Furina said was somewhat true.

"See?"

"Sigh, don't worry, I won't wake it up. I'm not that stupid."

Thanks to Furina's joke, no, Ash didn't even know if it was a joke or not, his mood had improved a lot.

"Thanks." He smiled at her.

"For what?"

"You don't need to know." Ash gave her a mischievous smile, despite the fact that not far from them was an Unholy Wraith sleeping peacefully.

***

Right now, Ash was certain that if he and Furina accidentally woke up the Dread Reaper, they would both die.

But that didn't mean he would spare it, because it would eventually wake up, come out of the cave, and destroy the entire island.

Ash definitely had to kill this Abyssal Creature, but not now.

His plan was to leave this place with Furina, inform the instructors, and then meet up with Lucian and Canis to defeat this Unholy Wraith.

Only then would their chances of winning reach 90%.

Where was the remaining 10%? Well, who knew what surprise Ash's Unlucky and Useless Ability would give him?

After deciding what to do, Ash and Furina continued their journey.

This time, their speed became faster because the time before the Dread Reaper woke up was getting closer and closer.

"Hey Ash, where are we going?"

Furina began to feel suspicious as the two of them went in extremely random directions after leaving the Unholy Wraith's sleeping place.

All the paths Ash chose would take them higher, but instead of checking if it was the right one, he just charged forward despite Furina's objections.

"Do you trust me, Furina?"

"Hmm? Why are you suddenly asking that? Of course I trust you."

"Then stop asking and follow me."

"..." Furina didn't say anything else, but her eyes couldn't help but show doubt.

Ash's plan was very simple, and it would force him to use the Sword of Dawn's ability.

After encountering the Dread Reaper in this cave, Ash realized that it was the Abyssal Creature that would create the entrance to the cave.

Which meant that before it woke up, there wouldn't be any entrance for the two of them to exit.

And if that was true, then all Ash needed to do was create an exit using the Sword of Dawn.

But Modric had already said that he shouldn't use this Relic too many times, otherwise he would definitely be seriously injured.

So, Ash's goal was to get as close to the surface as possible before using this Relic.

At that time, the number of times he used it would be greatly reduced and he would not be injured too badly.

***

Just like that, their journey up continued without encountering too many obstacles.

On the way up, they encountered a few Abyssal Creatures, but thanks to the buff from Furina's Star Domain and from Ash's armor, they were easily defeated.

And then, a few hours had passed, and it was at this moment that Ash realized that it was currently night outside.

Coincidentally, the place they were in was an area with a lot of trees, looking like a forest, very suitable for sleeping overnight.

"Hey Furina, do you think we should rest here tonight?"

"Have you checked the whole place?"

"Yes, I went around everywhere and made sure there wasn't a single Abyssal Creature around here."

"If that's the case, then fine." From the sack she was carrying, Furina took out a few pieces of beef jerky and placed them in front of Ash.

She didn't say anything more after that, but he was smart enough to understand that she was willing to share the food with him.

***

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

That night, while Ash was sleeping peacefully, he suddenly heard a huge noise, forcing him to wake up right away.

The noise was extremely loud, as if a series of dreadful explosions were happening one after another.

'What the hell?' Ash sat up, eyes scanning the area through a haze of sleep.

Aside from the fact that the entire cave was shaking violently, the area where he and Furina were in looked perfectly fine.

However, it would soon become abnormal.

Not far from where Ash and Furina were, the ground quickly cracked…and then completely collapsed. From there, a giant figure suddenly emerged.

It was the Dread Reaper, and somehow, it had been awakened from its slumber and was starting to move upwards, preparing to destroy everything.

Its right hand was holding a giant sword, half the size of its body. Meanwhile, its 2 wings flapped crazily, creating winds that could blow anything away.

Drool continuously flowed from its mouth, its eyes were bloodshot, even more terrifying than the one Ash saw through the computer screen.

It was truly a terrible nightmare that no human would want to experience.

…But… its actions were strange.

The Dread Reaper suddenly stopped, its gaze moved around, and then finally… it stopped on Ash and Furina's bodies.

With a disgusting smile, it licked its lips.

'…Holy shit… I was wrong. Its target wasn't on the ground… but me and Furina!'