Chapter 43
“Is it over? What’s going on?”
Milo was still in a combat stance.
He was on high alert, ready to protect Ian and Edel in case the golem rose to retaliate.
However, Ian, knowing the secret of the room, walked forward calmly.
“Hey! It’s dangerous!”
“It’s fine.”
The light in the golem’s eyes had already extinguished.
The golem, a type of machine powered by mana, had clearly lost its energy source.
‘It’s helpful that I’ve seen the golem’s schematics before.’
Ian understood the mechanism by which the golem operated.
Upon inspecting the penetration area, he confirmed that the golem was beyond repair.
“It’s all over. Well done.”
“What? It ends just like this?”
“The energy is cut off. It won’t move anymore.”
Milo felt a sense of emptiness and became dazed. Edel felt the same way.
The battle had ended too quickly.
Had they not thought of utilizing the terrain, it would have led to a tedious battle—or possibly one-sided defeat.
The golem’s attack was that overwhelming.
Milo, who was seasoned in swordsmanship training, felt that this was enough to gauge the threat level.
‘Some might not even open the door, and even if they did, there wouldn’t be many who could defeat the golem.”
Most would attempt a few attacks and then flee.
‘Though, things might be different for those three.’
Zickhardt, Sebastian, and Ophelia probably managed to defeat the golem.
Their mana was too strong to be considered mere first-year students in the Department of Magic.
However, Ian wasn’t particularly concerned.
‘Defeating it is important, but during the test, understanding the examiner’s intention is crucial.’
The professors would give more points for utilizing given conditions well rather than overwhelming magic force.
In that regard, this battle had been perfect.
Above all, Ian was greatly satisfied by having successfully triggered Earth Crack using meager spell to topple the golem.
“Yay! We did it!”
Edel jumped and cheered.
For him, more of an ordinary person than a mage, this combat experience would be invaluable.
As Milo sat, catching his breath, he yelled at Ian as he approached.
“Who suddenly tells someone to run in the middle of combat? If you were going to do that, you should have said so from the start. What was with that strategy meeting earlier?”
“If I told you beforehand, it wouldn’t have been natural.”
“You’re worse than Helios!”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
Ian chuckled as he explained his reasoning.
“There’s a secret hidden in that golem. That’s why I wasn’t actively engage in supporting you. I wanted you to switch to a diversion tactic quickly.”
“Then you could’ve just said so.”
“If there’s too much talking, there’s too much thinking, and that’s not good in various ways.”
His words were logical, so Milo couldn’t quite refute them.
“But what’s the secret?”
“It’s quicker if you see for yourself.”
Ian approached the fallen golem. He tapped the arm with his staff.
Sure enough, it felt soft.
Though the surface seemed rough due to magical treatment, it was made of cushioned fabric.
“This is fake.”
“… What?”
Startled, Milo rushed over to feel the golem’s arm.
It felt more like fabric than stone.
“No way!”
With this material, one might get knocked over but wouldn’t sustain lethal damage. The legs were the same.
“But I definitely felt tremors when it struck the ground! I even felt the pressure of the wind!”
“Probably some magic device hidden somewhere in the wall. That’s energy created by the magic device, not the golem.”
Ian calmly explained the background of this discovery.
As his plausible explanation continued, Milo’s face crumpled.
“These damn crafty old coots!”
“Watch your words. They might be watching from somewhere.”
“Gah!”
Milo quickly covered his mouth and looked around nervously.
However, there was no one in the room.
Milo sighed with relief but took out his frustration by kicking the golem.
“What? Guys!”
“Quiet! Can’t you see that Hyung is pissed right now?”
“Hey, there’s something like a door over there?”
Edel pointed his finger, and there was a stone door.
It seemed that when they first entered this room, they had not noticed the door because the golem was blocking it.
“Could that be the end?”
“I hope it’s not the end. It’s better to take out frustration on something that’s alive.”
“Milo is scary…”
“Wait.”
Ian called out. Milo and Edel, who were heading for the door, turned back around.
“We should gather the loot.”
“Loot from a golem? That was made by academy professors…”
Ian had already climbed onto the golem’s body and extracted a glowing stone from its core.
It was a magic stone.
A stone that concentrated mana to provide energy.
It could be traded for quite a high price.
The classification was determined by size and purity, and prices varied greatly.
The colorless and transparent stone was glowing blue under the influence of mana.
Thanks to the crystal being embedded into the circuit, the magic stone inside was easy to retrieve as it protruded out.
The magic stone was quite tough, so it had no noticeable damage.
“Are you seriously taking that with you?”
“Why not? It’s a monster since it’s in the dungeon. The one who defeats it can claim ownership, right?”
“You’re something else, really…”
Milo sighed deeply but helped with the disassembly of the golem.
Besides the magic stones, there were also lots of important components useful for magical enchantments.
The more they disassembled it, the wider Milo’s previously scrunched-up face became open with joy.
“Top-tier mana circuits and even a converter… Amazing! This alone will fetch a fortune if resold!”
“You should use things academically, like a student, and ponder over them sensibly. A guy with a rich family, always talking about money.”
“The world of adults is profound. You need to set aside funds for leisure.”
Once their backpack was full, the group moved towards the stone door.
Thud!
The stone door opened automatically.
Again, a vast room appeared.
“This place is quiet.”
Nothing was moving. Nor was there anything standing like the golems before.
But in the center of the room was a giant disk exuding a magnificent light.
The disk emitted light and was slowly turning in a clockwise direction.
It looked like a key winding a huge device into motion.
“Is that the core?”
“Shall we check it out?”
“Ian, you’re not planning to take that as loot too, are you?”
“Just having a look.”
He had no intention of taking the core.
Technically, it wasn’t a monster.
The core emitted a very powerful magical energy.
Ian traced a thread of magic emanating from the core.
That magic passed through a complicated circuit hidden underground and extended outward.
“This supplies the energy here. That’s why the dungeon can be maintained. It seems the basic principle is similar to a normal dungeon.”
“Fascinating. How did they manage to create something like this?”
“It’s something for us to do eventually. Watch and learn.”
However, Milo seemed to have a slightly different thought.
He stood with his legs apart for balance and gripped his staff tightly with both hands.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m still pissed, so I’m going to smash it.”
“Suddenly?”
“It fooled us with a fake golem. Aren’t you annoyed?”
“It’s better not to think of it as a fake. Rumors might spread that a member of the Vinettia Family got scared and broke into a sweat at a fake.”
Ian’s sharp words made Milo flinch.
Edel laughed, finding it amusing.
Then he gently scolded Milo.
“Milo, if you destroy the core, you might get dragged away for royal treason. So, just hold it in.”
However, Milo waved a finger at Edel, indicating he had a plan.
“You know one thing but not the other. You need a change of perspective. Professor Frost told us not to break the core. But we are academy students, tasked with the noble mission of exploring the world’s truths.”
“So?”
“Couldn’t we say we’re conducting an in-depth analysis of the educational dungeon core’s structure and function? We might even get extra credit for showing such courage and daring.”
It was indeed a thought typical of Milo.
He possessed a remarkable talent for self-justification.
“Then try it.”
“Seriously?”
Ian had only suggested it, expecting him to object, but when Ian gave his permission, Milo was caught off guard.
However, Ian was not someone who had much to lose either.
“As you said, we have a justification. Since everything becomes an experience, breaking the core wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Hmm…”
“What? Are you suddenly scared when I tell you to go ahead?”
Provoked by those words, Milo raised his staff.
Woooong!
He injected mana into its tip. The intense mana concentrated, making the tip solidify.
“Here I goooo!”
“Stop.”
The voice was booming.
It was neither Ian’s nor Edel’s voice.
Someone had arrived.
Milo withdrew his staff and watched cautiously in the direction from which the voice came.
A figure clad in a crimson robe was slowly walking into the room.
‘A mage. Seems to be of quite a high level.’
They were impressive enough that their mana could be felt from afar.
Generally, mages manage their mana well so that others cannot sense it.
However, the mage in the crimson robe was openly showcasing their prowess.
‘Wait a minute. That emblem?’
It wasn’t just Ian who noticed the familiar emblem.
Milo and Edel also recognized it and adopted a formal stance.
Once thought to be the hidden real boss, he was, in fact, a mage from the Royal Magic Division. The robe bore the emblem symbolizing the Royal Magic Division.
The emblem, a circle encasing seven stars, was something all mages aspired to.
“Interesting. I didn’t expect the golem’s weakness to be exposed so quickly.”
“It was so intricate that it was hard to notice. We were lucky.”
“Luck is a skill in itself.”
The mage who had approached closer removed his hood.
He was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat thin
He introduced himself as ‘Horizon’.
“Congratulations. You have safely completed the dungeon exploration. And you achieved remarkable results. I never imagined you would dismantle the magic stone.”
“Can we take it? It’s our loot.”
“Do as you please.”
“Thank you. By the way, whose idea was the fake golem?”
“Hahaha, you certainly seem quite vexed.”
Horizon did not take offense at Milo’s question.
“Inserting a real golem would be a foolish choice. No matter how talented you are, humans can always make mistakes. It was an idea everyone agreed upon.”
“Seems like we won’t be using golems next year.”
“Though your wit was dazzling, it won’t particularly aid the next freshmen. The monster guarding the boss room will change for the next test.”
Milo’s plan to impress the new juniors with the know-how for capturing golems was shattered.
Leaving the despairing Milo behind, Ian asked.
“Were you watching from the start?”
“In this room, everything can be observed. It’s one of the hidden abilities of the dungeon core.”
As Horizon formed a hand sign, a bluish screen appeared in the air.
The scenes from various parts of the dungeon started to appear. It was where Ian and his group had passed through.
Though not very clear, it was fascinating.
It was Ian’s and Milo’s first time seeing such magic.
“It’s truly splendid. Judging by its position, it seems like a crystal orb was hidden. Are you perceiving the space through the crystal orb?”
“That’s correct.”
Ian’s gaze deepened.
Simply using a crystal orb would not allow one to see such scenes. Having grasped a clue, Ian began to explore the core and its surroundings.
In the meantime, Milo asked.
“How can you see so far with just a crystal orb? Usually, you sit in front of a crystal orb to communicate, right?”
Horizon nodded. It was a question that any academy student might have been curious about, and he had been inwardly waiting for that question.
Just as Horizon was preparing to flaunt his knowledge, Ian beat him to the punch.
“Seeing afar isn’t an issue. Using lenses can increase magnification. The basic principle might be converting the light entering through the crystal orb into mana, transmitting that here, then converting the mana back to light for display. The screen’s not being clear seems to be more due to mana interference rather than distance.”
“… Huh…”
Horizon was left speechless, stunned.
Meanwhile, Ian smiled.
“It seems I’m correct.”
“Your name, please?”
“Ian Oracle.”
Lately, it seemed more people had taken an interest in asking for his name.
