Chapter 50

Well, I'm heading down to the lower levels alone to destroy the dungeon core.

I reached the deepest part right away. As expected, it’s quick when you go through the floor.

However, there’s a possibility that the Mohawk guys and the others, who went to the upper levels, haven’t reached their designated positions, so I waited in front of the dungeon core.

"Hmm, so the dungeon core is a crystal, huh?"

And it’s big.

It’s so big that I thought it would be a good interior decoration, but it would probably just get in the way.

While I was thinking about such pointless things, time passed, and my companions should be in position by now.

Let’s do it.

Punch!

The crystal, which is the dungeon core, shattered into pieces with a single punch.

At the same time, the surroundings began to shake violently.

"Is this the sign of the dungeon collapsing?"

Now comes the escape time.

I have to hurry, or even I might get caught in the collapse and disappear along with the space-time.

I ascended the same path I came down.

Running at full speed... with plenty of time to spare...

"Escape!"

As I expected, the dungeon’s exit was no longer blocked by the interdimensional ‘hole’ and allowed for an easy escape.

Outside... wow!

The three Mohawk guys and the other <Skill-less> companions were all safe and sound there!

The dungeon, after the last escapee, which was me, came out, disappeared silently like a mist clearing.

The place where the dungeon’s entrance was originally open is now just plain ground, and digging would probably only yield soil or bedrock.

Despite the intense shaking inside.

Is this what a dungeon is...

I’ll put the amazement on hold for now...

"Following the examiner’s instructions, we have successfully escaped the dungeon."

That means...

"We all passed, Hya-ha-ha!!"

"““““““Hya-ha-ha-ha!!””””””

The Mohawk guys’ excitement was so contagious that even the other examinees started to speak in their tone.

Well, it’s fine since it shows our hearts are united.

"Don’t you dare!!"

An unpleasant voice interrupted our celebration.

Looking around, I saw a familiar emaciated man.

The examiner and current A-rank adventurer, Sentence.

He looked furious.

Veins were popping out all over his face, and it seemed like blood might spurt out from any moment.

"Do you know what you’ve done...!?"

His voice was as angry as his expression.

What did we do, you ask...?

"We did our best in the exam."

"That’s not the point!! You destroyed the dungeon, ohhh!!"

His tone became completely chaotic.

There was no trace of his usual pretentious gentlemanly attitude.

"Do you know how important the dungeon is!? It produces minerals, plants, and monster body parts that can only be found there! They are all crucial to the industry, ohhh!!"

I remember hearing something like that somewhere.

"If you destroy the city’s dungeon, it will lead to a major economic problem, ohhh!!"

"That’s true."

"What’s with that attitude!? Can you take responsibility for it!? If the dungeon disappears, many industries will collapse, and local adventurers will lose their quests! Hundreds of residents will lose their jobs and end up on the streets, can you take responsibility for that, ohhh!!?"

"That’s true."

"Answer me seriously, ohhh!!"

"That’s true."

Hmm.

Let me answer seriously.

"Why should we take responsibility?"

"What are you saying! You were the ones who shattered the dungeon core and destroyed the dungeon, ohhh!!"

"True, I was the one who directly did it. But it was you who made me do it."

"What!?"

You, the examiner, dropped us into the depths of the dungeon and set the goal of escaping.

We followed your instructions and aimed for the exit.

But you used your skill to block the exit and forced us back to the lower levels with an interdimensional ‘hole’.

"<Skill-less> as we are, we had no way to counter your interdimensional skill. So we had to find another way to escape."

"That led to the destruction of the dungeon...!?"

"Yes, in fact, you couldn’t maintain your interdimensional skill in the collapsing dungeon, and we managed to escape successfully, right?"

Didn’t you say?

— "I believe in you."

— "Even if the task seems impossible, I believe you can clear it in a way that surpasses my imagination."

That’s what you said.

"We responded to your trust. We should be praised, not criticized. We did our best to meet your instructions and expectations."

"But... then who is responsible for this major damage...!?"

"It’s you, of course."

"What!?"

We faced the exam you prepared and ran straight toward the goal you set.

We racked our brains and came up with the plan to destroy the dungeon.

"As an examiner, you must have prepared a model answer for the exam you set. With the exit blocked by your interdimensional skill, the only way to escape was to destroy the dungeon, right?"

"No, that’s ridiculous, such a thing...!"

"As an examiner, you must have predicted the possibility that we would destroy the dungeon! By conducting the exam, you made the judgment that it was acceptable for the national dungeon to disappear!"

Or something?

Did you set the exam with the assumption that we wouldn’t be able to clear it?

That’s impossible, right?

Setting an exam that can’t be cleared is a disqualification for an examiner, right!?

"In a sense, we were indirectly instructed by you to destroy this dungeon. Therefore, you should take responsibility. After all, taking responsibility is the job of a great person, isn’t it, examiner!?"

"No, no...!"

"Isn’t that why you always act so superior? As a current A-rank adventurer and examiner, now is the time to live up to your prestigious title!"

Boos from the crowd.

"Yeah, yeah!""You’re right, bro!""You gave us an impossible exam!""You can’t run away when things get inconvenient!""Maintain your A-rank dignity!""Hya-ha-ha!"

The <Skill-less> companions who climbed out of the dungeon with me, including the Mohawk guys, were the ones throwing the boos.

They were also deeply frustrated by the unfair situation they were forced into just because they were <Skill-less>.

If they were also made to take responsibility, it would be too much.

"Ah...! Ah...!?"

The emaciated examiner, unable to find any words to counter, was now just letting out strange breaths and foaming at the mouth.

"I don’t care... I don’t care at all!!"

And he snapped.

"I don’t care about this! I didn’t want to be the examiner for trash like you! It’s Soeides’ fault for forcing it on me!!"

He was now yelling without any sense of shame, trying to shift the blame onto someone else.

There was no dignity left in his A-rank status.

"Right! The head examiner is Soeides, so he should take the responsibility! Go to the arena and report everything to him, I don’t know anything! No, more than that, it’s the fault of the adventurer guild for holding such a ridiculous exam! They should take the responsibility! I’m not to blame! I’m not to blame at all!!"

"Ah..."

The emaciated examiner, who suddenly started running, fell into a ‘hole’ that opened in the ground with his next step and disappeared.

"...He ran away."

That was his own interdimensional skill. He must have crossed dimensions to some distant place.

"What should we do?"

"The examiner said it himself. Let’s take it to a higher authority and get their approval."

Responsibility and judgment should be handled by higher-ups.

We will absolutely not take the blame. We are just ordinary examinees, <Skill-less>!

Starting from this time, updates will be every other day. The next update is scheduled for December 5th (Saturday) at 8 PM.