The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

51. Trial and Reward (2)

Originally, we would clear one floor at a time, counting the number of floors as we went.

After completing the conquest of one floor, we would prepare to move on to the next, thoroughly preparing for any unexpected situations that might arise. If something unexpected happened, I would take the lead and suppress it early on.

It was a stable party operation.

When I played the original game, I tried out all sorts of concept plays. I even discovered new metas myself.

Thanks to those diverse experiences and trials, I naturally came to understand how to operate most stably.

In the original game, if we failed, we could just restart and try again. But now, we only have one chance.

If we fail, there’s no next time.

That’s why I’ve been training the main characters and preparing for this one chance.

……But in the end, an accident still occurred.

Accidents are unpredictable, which is why they’re called accidents. No matter how thoroughly we prepare, there’s always a limit.

Even if we take thorough precautions, we can’t bring the accident rate down to 0%. There’s always a 1% chance of something unexpected happening.

That 1% chance is what’s commonly known as a “variable.” It’s something I experienced a lot in my past life.

The incident has already occurred, and the situation has changed.

The unfolding situation is like a powerful wave. It’s not something that can be stopped by individual effort. Instead, we need to go with the flow and maintain our balance. It’s like surfing.

It’s not too late to investigate the cause of the incident after everything has been resolved.

And the fastest way to put an end to this situation is…

First, clear the dungeon as quickly as possible and eliminate all the people who have entered this dungeon.

Second, eliminate the variable factors.

“The first one is Airi, and the second is Kyle Ivanstear.”

The first one is already in progress.

Airi will join forces with Kyle’s team as planned, and with the combined power of the two teams, clearing this dungeon won’t be too difficult.

So what I need to do is the second method, eliminating the variable factors.

In this situation, there’s only one variable factor that comes to mind.

It’s the “Source of Magic,” a sudden event that didn’t exist in the original game, which is to eliminate the mine that’s buried somewhere in the dungeon.

“…Have you confirmed where this place is?”

As we walked through the ruins, Rebecca suddenly asked.

“No.”

“Yes?”

“It’s hard to identify the location because everything is destroyed and damaged, and we don’t have any means to confirm it.”

But one thing is certain.

“There’s no elevator, and we can’t see any stairs or facilities, so it’s clear that this isn’t a place that can be reached by normal means.”

“If Arsene intended to bring us here, there must be some evidence left behind. Just look at the necromancer’s case – didn’t we find the chain and coffin that could seal him away?”

“Yes.”

Everything was ultimately designed for the training of Hunters. The mock dungeon was not artificially created, but rather a real dungeon that existed in the past, reconstructed through records.

If there were obstacles, they were intentionally placed by Arsene’s side. The obstacles were not just sitting there; they also hid clues to overcome them.

Those who grasped this early on would naturally take the lead in the dungeon and receive a higher score.

Latecomers would fall behind, struggling to catch up, and receive only a meager score.

In the end, whether they succeeded or failed, they would gain ‘experience.’ The grown Hunters would show a better outcome in the next real combat training.

Growth and change.

Challenge and failure.

…That’s Arsene’s intention, after all.

In other words, no matter the situation, it’s not just about throwing obstacles at them, but also providing a way to escape.

But this place was different.

“This place is closed off.”

There was no way down, and no way up. This place was completely sealed off. In a sense, it was a true ‘trap.’ If you fell in, you’d either starve to death or kill each other, since there was no way to escape on your own.

Unless, of course, you created a path to the upper levels through sheer force of will. But that would be impossible for a Hunter at the student level.

“Arsene might have blocked off this place to prevent students from entering. In normal circumstances, it would be an impossible place to reach.”

“…Does that mean this is a hidden place?”

“Well, something like that.”

Arsene might be intense about training strong Hunters, but this was still just training. It wasn’t about conquering a real dungeon.

So, this sealed-off place didn’t align with Arsene’s goals. They must have taken measures beforehand, designing it to be unreachable.

“I guess Watch’s recall function won’t work properly here either.”

“I suspected as much, seeing the flow of magic.”

“And we can’t return through normal means, either.”

From noble mtl dot com

…The only way to escape this place was…

Either the dungeon would clear, or we’d exceed the time limit and get kicked out.

However the causal relationship brought us here, this place was filled with magic, and there was no path or boss room.

In other words, an inactive place.

The Watch not functioning properly was in the same context. Communication exceeded the range, causing the community function to break down.

If the instructors realized the situation and recalled us immediately, that would be one thing. But for now, it was too late.

I followed my instincts.

This place was isolated from the previous dungeon, like an amulet curtain. Even the scenery reflected in [the Watcher’s Eye] was different.

A different dimension, with a denser boundary.

If even [the Watcher’s Eye] couldn’t see through the boundary, the instructors’ eyes wouldn’t be able to see it either.

Arsene wouldn’t leave an area they couldn’t see. So, this place was highly likely to be a product of a sudden event.

In the end, everything was connected to the mine and the sudden event.

In the ruins that had collapsed vertically, like a landslide…

In the dense boundary that even [the Watcher’s Eye] couldn’t penetrate, a dark silhouette appeared.

When I enhanced my vision with magic, a faint figure came into view. It was clearly a human shape, crouched down.

“It’s probably down there.”

I gripped my Glock.

The [Watcher’s Eye], which read the flow of magic, revealed the weak points of the boundary.

Even if I say I’m protected by a barrier, the combination of the gaze of the observer and the reinforced output through magical power can still penetrate it.

I raised the muzzle, aiming at its head.

I placed my finger on the trigger.

Even if Rebecca is there, making me face the Mine directly is an extremely dangerous move.

No matter how strong Rebecca is, she’s still just a single student. Compared to a seasoned hunter, her experience is severely lacking, and she has no know-how.

So, I’ll settle this with a single shot. I’ll focus my firepower on one point and pierce its head in an instant.

Just as I was about to pull the trigger, the entity inside the barrier saw me. Although I only realized it now, the magical power concentrated on the muzzle couldn’t be easily blocked.

The moment it blinked, the bullet would fire, and by the time it opened its eyes, I would be dead.

However, in the next instant, a sense of unease crept over me, and I lowered the muzzle pointing at it.

“…Why are you doing this?”

“…….”

I put down the Glock and faced the entity inside the barrier.

It didn’t bear any hostility towards me. On the contrary…

Inside the barrier, it was calling out to me. It wasn’t a bloody battle, but a conversation.

I didn’t know the details, but one thing was certain – it knew I wasn’t Sion Illereonhart, but ‘Sion Esperand’.

It knew I couldn’t attack myself, and it was showing me its weakness to confirm that.

Only one person.

To lure me out.

“I think I should go anyway.”

“Are you okay? Your opponent is a Mine.”

I holstered the Glock. From the start, it wasn’t an existence I could defeat or confront. The moment our eyes met, I was certain of that fact.

“It won’t attack me. If it had intended to, it would have already done so by now.”

Trying to pull the trigger on such an opponent would be suicidal. Or rather, the attack wouldn’t even land.

“Maybe we can resolve this through conversation.”

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to lure me in.

Rebecca still looked uncertain. It was a natural reaction, but right now, there was no way to escape this situation except by facing it.

I looked at Rebecca, gave her a slight nod, and bid her a brief farewell.

“I’ll be back.”

“…Yes.”

With that, I jumped down the cliff. Using the falling technique I learned from Esperand, I landed lightly.

Upon closer inspection, the barrier was even more powerful and densely woven. The dark, eerie atmosphere was suffocating. My current strength was even more inadequate to break through it.

A barrier of this level couldn’t be set up or maintained by anyone except the professors of Arsen, working together as a team.

There were only a handful of people in this world who could deploy such a barrier alone. If it was someone I knew, the range would be even narrower.

I instinctively reached out.

The barrier, which seemed to reject any attack, didn’t refuse me. It received me softly, like warm bathwater.

“…….”

After a brief moment of hesitation, I entered the barrier. Without hesitation, I approached the master of this barrier.

The entity, which had been sitting, slowly stood up.

I thought it was a person, but the being waiting for me inside the barrier wasn’t human.

Faintly flickering, it was a type of illusion magic.

It was a separate entity detached from the main body.

“…It took longer than I thought.”

A middle-aged man spoke calmly, as if he had been waiting.

His neatly combed hair was impressive in itself, and his uniform was spotless. The outerwear on his shoulders added to his dignity.

He was a man who could overwhelm people with just his presence, without doing anything special.

This man, who embodied that, would be the noblest of nobles.

At the same time, the family crest on his clothes was something I couldn’t forget, no matter how hard I tried.

“Shion Esperand.”

As I responded to his call, I took a step forward. My face reflected in his eyes.

I thought I wouldn’t be nervous or flustered at all.

“…Father.”

But my face reflected in his eyes was clearly wavering.