Chapter 11: The Exam (4)

The situation room, which was monitoring the artificial dungeon, went into emergency mode.

"Damn! What time is it now?"

"15 hours and 47 minutes since the exam started!"

"Someone cleared a dungeon in just 16 hours? Really?"

"Quick, inform the professors!"

Alphen hurriedly made his way to the professors' lounge.

Normally, even if a dungeon was being cleared, there would be no reason to wake the professors, but this time was different.

"Pro, Professor!"

"Hmm. Alphen. What is it?"

Benjamin, who had once been a knight commander, was already awake due to Alphen's urgent footsteps and asked calmly.

"15 hours and 47 minutes. A student has cleared the dungeon."

"…15 hours and 47 minutes, you say?"

Until then, Benjamin's expression had shown no change, but now a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"An unprecedented record."

He then stood up and adjusted his attire.

"Alphen. What was the shortest clear time in the history of the Command Department exams?"

"26 hours and 21 minutes."

"Almost 10 hours shorter."

Of course, each exam's dungeon type and the monsters within varied, but generally, a dungeon would take at least two days and up to a week to clear.

To clear it in just 16 hours?

Benjamin had experienced and entered many dungeons.

The speed of clearing a dungeon varied greatly depending on the skills of those entering, but even Benjamin would not have been able to clear it under the same conditions as Shane.

"Did you bring the log?"

"Yes, yes. Here it is."

The log detailed the events from when Shane first entered the dungeon.

This was the result of Alphen's hard work in meticulously recording Shane's every action.

"So, you mean he dug more traps in the trap-filled tunnels to deal with the Cursed Goblins?"

"Yes… that's correct."

The three golems Shane brought with him were all expensive models.

The first was an assassin who could move while hidden in the shadows, the second was a mage skilled in earth magic, and the third was an elite swordsman wielding a massive greatsword.

The assassin and the elite swordsman each cost 150 points, and the mage cost 200 points.

While others would bring 10-20 golems, Shane brought only three, leaving him with 500 points.

Other students mocked him, thinking he believed expensive golems alone could clear the dungeon, but it was all part of a plan.

Using the earth mage and the assassin, Shane cleverly altered the traps set by the Cursed Goblins, leading them into their own traps.

As a result, the Cursed Goblins, thinking the path was safe, fell into the traps and died instantly. Shane then lured the remaining Goblins into another trap, leaving one of them only wounded.

"His ability to manage the situation is unbelievable…"

Benjamin was speechless at Shane's clean and efficient actions.

Could a student who had just entered the dungeon for the first time really think of such a plan?

Instead of killing the enemy outright, he looked for ways to use them.

His actions were cold and calculated, though they might seem cruel.

"That tunnel is filled with poison gas every four hours. He calculated that time precisely."

"Yes. And even more surprisingly…"

"Yes. He stuffed the anesthetic used by the Goblins into the gas vents."

As a result, when the poison gas burst from the vents, the anesthetic also filled the cave.

Meanwhile, Shane soaked a cloth in the antidote and wore it like a mask, moving freely through the dungeon.

"But Professor Benjamin, is that allowed?"

At the assistant's question, Benjamin chuckled.

The glowing moss covering Shane and his golems was created by Shane himself, but it wasn't used in combat. Shane didn't touch the Goblins, following the rules.

Even as the anesthetic spread, Shane didn't wait idly.

While the Cursed Goblins had a natural resistance to anesthetics, the effect would only last for a short time.

From there, Shane's pace quickened.

He wrapped himself in the glowing moss and moved while the poison gas had not yet fully dissipated.

To others, this seemed like a risky move.

"Glowing moss has roots that connect underground. People think it's strong because it absorbs poison, but that's not true."

"Yes. If you damage the roots slightly, all the connected glowing moss will die. Since they are connected by a subtle magical force, only someone sensitive to magic or with related skills would have known this."

"Exactly. Despite knowing this, Shane still wrapped himself in the glowing moss."

"So, the hours he spent looking at the ground at the beginning…"

"Yes. He was observing the magical patterns connecting the roots of the glowing moss."

"I only learned that was possible today."

"Someone might have thought of it, but whether to act on it is a matter of personal judgment. Shane was confident he could do it and acted on that confidence."

Having seen many talented individuals and their remarkable achievements during his time as a knight commander, Benjamin was not overly surprised.

"There are various geniuses in the world."

Shane easily dealt with the Goblins, who were immobilized by the anesthetic he created, and continued forward.

Benjamin, having confirmed that Shane had reached the shaman Goblin at the end, prepared to go outside and welcome him.

* * *

"Remarkable. You cleared the dungeon in less than a day."

"Thank you."

Shane accepted Benjamin's praise calmly, without much change in his expression.

"Did you know? The previous speed run record was 26 hours."

"I shortened it by 10 hours."

"And you made a groundbreaking discovery in clearing the Cursed Goblins' dungeon."

"Is that so."

"Do you know who set that 26-hour record?"

Shane, who wouldn't remember such details, shook his head.

But he had a rough idea.

"Information is lacking in this area. It's embarrassing, but it was me."

"Of course, it was you."

"Are you not surprised?"

"I've heard of your reputation, Professor Benjamin. Your excellent judgment and effective command in subduing enemies are well-known, not just in the Empire but also in the Allied Nations."

Benjamin smiled wryly and subtly changed the topic.

"But I have one question. The elite swordsman, did you bring him anticipating the final battle?"

Shane nodded in response to Benjamin's question.

The final battle.

When Shane reached the end of the dungeon, he faced a shaman who was almost fully recovered from the paralyzing effect.

However, the other Cursed Goblins beside the shaman were still dazed, making it easy to subdue them.

The key was the result of "subduing" them.

Shane did not kill the Cursed Goblin shaman immediately.

He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the flow of magic.

Then, he ordered the elite swordsman to break one of the walls.

A moment later, a purple magic stone floated in the air beyond the collapsed wall.

A stone of a different form from the usual blue magic stones.

"I've only seen it in books, but it's quite well-made."

It was a stone, a source of magic, invaluable to monsters.

When consumed, it could elevate a monster to a higher form.

Shane forced the stone into the shaman's mouth and observed the result.

Soon, the shaman's body transformed into a Mass Hop Goblin shaman, a higher form.

Before the shaman could open its eyes, Shane had the elite swordsman decapitate it.

Instead of the usual corpse of a Mass Hop Goblin, a golden coin was left behind.

"But what is this?"

Holding up the coin he had just picked up, Shane asked, and Benjamin smiled.

"It's an admission ticket."

"An admission ticket?"

"Have you heard of the artifacts stored in the Academy?"

"I've heard rumors about them."

But it was just a rumor.

Shane knew little about the details.

"Think of it as a ticket to enter the 'Storage Room.'"

"..."

"And you have the right to choose one item from there. Of course, there is a price."

"A price?"

"If you continue to excel and graduate from the Academy, you will have to give a lecture here someday."

"...I understand."

Whether giving a lecture at the Academy was a price was debatable.

No one would be unaware of the significance of giving a lecture at the Allied Nations Academy.

It would enhance one's reputation, so Shane saw no loss and carefully stored the golden coin.

"What should I do now?"

"Nothing much. Rest in your assigned dorm. Of course, you should also prepare for the written exam in a week."

Shane nodded and moved on, while Benjamin watched him carefully.

According to the magic professor, Shane had a talent for strategic thinking, so he would likely pass the written exam without much difficulty.

Suddenly, Benjamin recalled Shane's emotionless eyes.

They seemed indifferent to everything.

Benjamin had seen such eyes before, in people who had lived on the battlefield for a long time.

Shane's eyes were even deeper and more inscrutable, almost dangerous, as if they could erase one's own emotions just by looking at them.

How did he end up with such eyes at such a young age?

"Unusual."

Of course, this was just a feeling.

Benjamin turned his back and focused on his remaining tasks.

* * *

It was a lazy afternoon.

Shane, who had not stepped outside his room since Klein's exam ended, had been introspecting.

Reflecting on his past life, where he had always been controlled by corruption, and the emotions and power of corruption that had always been pent up in his heart.

Although he no longer felt the power of corruption after regressing, he could not let his guard down.

Perhaps it was a kind of trauma.

Whenever he had free time, he would introspect to ensure there were no symptoms, which gave him peace of mind.

During this introspection, Shane sensed a black clot in his inner world.

'What is this…?'

As he moved closer to examine the clot, the sound of someone knocking on the door broke his concentration.

"Brother, are you in there?"

"...Yes. Did you finish well?"

"Yes, I finished without any problems."

Klein, who had been skilled in command in his previous life, didn't need much additional comment from Shane.

Later, Shane accepted Klein's brave (or perhaps not) suggestion to have a meal together and walked down the corridor.

"Excuse me, gentlemen."

"..."

"Excuse me? Are you talking to us?"

Their steps halted at the voice of a girl walking down the opposite corridor.

"Yes. You two walking together look like a famous painter's canvas. I have a question, so I stopped you."

A famous painter's canvas.

Shane thought this description suited the girl more than himself.

'Here we meet.'

Her platinum blonde hair, which reminded him of a golden field in autumn, cascaded down to her waist.

Her emerald green eyes, like a refreshing forest, enhanced her beauty.

Her delicate features, all fitting into a small face, made her look like someone who would naturally evoke a protective instinct in men.

However, her voice carried an aura of authority.

To Shane, who could see through people's souls, she appeared as an impenetrable steel wall, unlike her outward appearance.

"What is it?"

"I want to go to the Command Department practical exam venue. Could you tell me where it is?"

"That place is behind the 2nd building."

"Oh, I see. Thank you."

As the girl left, Shane kept his eyes on her until she disappeared.

"Indeed... she was really beautiful, wasn't she?"

"Hmm."

Shane agreed, as it was not a wrong statement.

"..."

Noticing Klein's expression, Shane tilted his head.

Klein was smiling with a sly look, clearly misunderstanding something.

Shane sighed lightly.

Does he know?

That the girl who just passed by was the first princess of the Empire, Zephir de Arsha Olicia, one of the two flowers of the Empire.