155 – Dungeon Exploration. (1)
Recently, I had tasked the knights of my house with a job.
Exploring various parts of the empire.
To confirm if the information I had was still valid, I spoke separately to my father and began the search. As an excuse, there were still rampant monsters.
Despite quite some time passing, the aftermath of the monster outbreak still lingered in the empire. There were still monsters left uncleared in remote areas throughout the empire.
If those monsters weren’t cleared, villages could be in danger… So, while cleaning up those monsters, I could also find dungeons.
“Sir, should we head this way?”
“Yes. If you come across a place where monsters are strangely concentrated while clearing them, be sure to report back to me. It could be a dangerous place.”
“Understood!”
I marked places on the map where I suspected a dungeon might be, cleared the monsters in that area, and dispatched the knights to open the dungeon.
If the dungeon was still there, I planned to take Ruslan there. Of course, I needed to see how capable he was at the moment.
Soon enough, the knights reported back to me.
There was a dangerous place. Monsters were densely packed to an unusual degree.
As expected. Was there a dungeon?
Dungeons are usually created by sorcerers who have made a pact with demons or under the influence of dark magic.
Sorcerers who have made pacts with demons create them for evil experiments, or the unstable magic left by dark magic lingers, forming magic nuclei… Attracted by those magic nuclei, monsters make it their habitat, turning it into a dungeon.
The place I was looking for was precisely such a dungeon. From my memory, there should be several dungeons around this time that would be perfect for Ruslan to grow.
Among them, the one I was looking for was the dungeon of a mad sorcerer.
I didn’t bother naming the sorcerer, so it was simply referred to as the dungeon of a mad sorcerer who had even forgotten himself… A place where a plethora of chimeras, composed of various monsters, emerged, making it the perfect place to gain practical experience.
Of course, the dungeon should be running smoothly… But based on the reports from the knights, it was clear that the dungeon was indeed intact. There were no traces of people entering, only the commotion of monsters. It was probably the magic core set up by the wizard that was attracting the monsters.
Perhaps not only the external monsters were in a frenzy, but the internal ones as well. No. Maybe inside, a fierce battle between monsters and chimeras was taking place.
The result would likely be the monsters merging with the chimeras.
Anyway, now that the existence of the dungeon was confirmed, there was no need to hesitate. Besides, the academy was just starting the semester.
Exploring the dungeon was as good a time as any, with the pressure of exams being less severe in the early semester.
“This upcoming holiday won’t work… Let’s aim for the next one.”
“Huh? What for?”
“Dungeon exploration. The place I had in mind is still there.”
“Ah, that’s perfect. Since it’s not exam season.”
“Exactly. If I can persuade Ruslan… But first, I need to assess his skills.”
“Skills? Do you think you’ll win?”
“I won’t know until I face him directly. While the likelihood of me winning is high… He probably hasn’t been idle. And I can’t go all out. I used Salus there, in case something happens.”
“Oh.”
“In short, he’s not someone to be underestimated. He might deliver an unexpected blow, so I need to prepare thoroughly to crush him.”
“Crush him?”
“That’s the only way to ignite his motivation, right? Inferiority complex is a way to drive people to progress.”
“But what if he breaks completely? Stimulating inferiority complex doesn’t always lead to positive outcomes.”
“If he’s that fragile, he would have broken already. Anyway… Well, I should challenge him to a duel tomorrow. He’ll probably accept.”
“Hmm. But what kind of dungeon is it?”
“The Mad Wizard’s dungeon.”
“Mad Wizard?”
“Yes. It’s a dungeon created by an unnamed wizard who made a pact with a demon. With so many chimeras, you can expect to see all sorts of grotesque forms.”
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
“Adrian will go with us, you’ll be there, and if necessary, I’ll use Salus, so there shouldn’t be an issue. Let’s try to go in a direction where you don’t have to exert your strength.”
“Got it.”
“I also want to test Salus’s power a bit there.”
“Ah, so that’s why you plan to test it there.”
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“Exactly.”
“It must be quite powerful, right? Even I couldn’t ignore that strength.”
“That’s why we need to use it cautiously. Of course, Salus will help regulate it as well.”
-Then leave it to me. If it gets out of control, I’ll stop it immediately.
“Alright. I’ll be careful… I’m counting on you.”
-Yeah, yeah. Got it!
Alright. This should cover most scenarios. Now, the only thing left is Ruslan.
—
Recently, Ruslan had realized that his skills had improved remarkably. Perhaps, it was the power of realization.
He muttered to himself. Understanding clearly what he needed to aim for, not rushing, but slowly.
As he looked back on the path he had walked, he was distinctly different. When he returned from the Holy Kingdom, he seemed to be lacking in composure, but now, no matter what he did, he was calm.
There was no need to hurry. This fact alone allowed him to see many things.
Today, with only morning classes, Ruslan wielded his sword leisurely in the training ground.
From the most basic movements, slowly.
Striking the sword from top to bottom, the speed gradually decreases. Elevating the precision of the action, loading the slow sword with full power. Then suddenly, swiftly swinging the sword.
The sword moves like flowing water, showing different movements. Repeating the swordsmanship he has learned, uniqueness emerges from within. Swordsmanship is simply the efficient way of wielding a sword. However, it does not consider the person.
Ruslan takes a position where his body accepts the most comfortably and gradually modifies the swordsmanship. His exceptional sense guides the path the sword should take, and his body perfectly embodies that.
The swordsmanship changes in an instant. Drawing paths where one cannot predict how to strike, yet remaining powerful. The force embedded in each sword strike is tremendous.
Satisfaction fills the air. Now is the time to be satisfied. At the very least, one must be satisfied with their own achievements, as it is the way to put more effort into the next step.
For now, it ends here. He stops the sword and gazes at the sky. The sun was setting. Surely, he had just grabbed the sword right after lunch.
“Time flies.”
Clap, clap.
As he muttered to himself, a person approaching with applause caught his eye. Ruslan raised his head to look at the person approaching him.
It was Frah.
“Impressive.”
“Frah? What’s the matter?”
“Just had a little something to discuss.”
“A matter?”
“Yes. Heard you were at the training grounds, so I came by.”
“And?”
“Let’s have a match. Feeling the itch in your hands?”
“Suddenly?”
“It’s not a bad idea. Just had a quick look… seems like my skills have improved significantly since my visit to the Holy Kingdom.”
“…That’s true.”
Ruslan agreed with Frah’s words. It wasn’t about boasting; there was a significant gap in his skills before and after his visit to the Holy Kingdom.
“Do you not want to confirm how capable you are?”
“Definitely. It’s not a bad suggestion. Above all, since you are stronger than me… it would be a good benchmark to assess my skills.”
“Well, before I saw you just now, I was confident I had the upper hand over you, but not anymore.”
“No. I’m more confident now. You are definitely superior to me.”
Before he knew it, Ruslan had to admit it cleanly. As they say, knowledge is power. He felt the reversal of the gap between him and Frah.
“You just said I was impressive. But I think you are more impressive. It seems like not long ago I couldn’t match you… How did you become so strong?”
“Well, I fought tooth and nail.”
“I did the same.”
To be precise, I should say I got my direction right. And… knowingly or unknowingly, I also received help from others. My skills improved significantly after training with Edan. I was honing my body’s talent.”
“I see.”
“You, on the other hand… seem to have grown much stronger than when you were in the Holy Kingdom. Was there some kind of trigger?”
“There was.”
“Can you tell me what that trigger was?”
Ruslan spoke without hesitation. Why he was able to grow.
“I was only looking ahead and running. I got stuck there. Impatience clouded my mind, so I couldn’t focus on the sword. The determination to focus on the sword… became arrogance, and I drifted away from the path I wanted to take.”
“…I see.”
Frah understood. How Ruslan was able to become so strong in an instant. Enlightenment is ultimately another branch of experience. He had become significantly stronger by gaining enlightenment.
Frah realized that Ruslan had become stronger than he had imagined. The sword strike he had just seen. It wasn’t an easy strike to handle. By embodying enlightenment, he had pushed his abilities to the extreme.
Honestly, this was comparable to the original Ruslan… There might be a slight deficiency.
“Anyway, if it’s a duel, then welcome. I also want to know your skills precisely.”
Upon Ruslan’s words, Prakh raised his sword without saying a word.
