Chapter 20: A Lucky Awakening
ㅤ（I’m gonna get killed!）
ㅤ
ㅤI can’t even dodge in time.
ㅤBearnov had cut off my escape route.
ㅤIt looked like a simple charge, but he had cleverly cornered me into a corner of the dungeon.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re strong—but you’re not used to dungeons!”
ㅤ
ㅤBearnov raises both arms.
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ㅤ（I see, Bearnov knows everything about fighting in enclosed spaces!）
ㅤ
ㅤWhile I was distracted by Bearnov’s attacks, he was looking at the surrounding structure and thinking about where to corner me—just like a skilled hunter trapping his prey.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is the end! Bearrrraaaargh!”
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ㅤAn unavoidable blow approaches me.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ahahahaha! I’m gonna get killed!）
ㅤ
ㅤBut just before Bearnov’s claws reached me, a new sensation suddenly sprouted within my body.
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ㅤFrantically, I gather the flow that circulates throughout my body in front of my chest.
ㅤ
ㅤI release it forward with the image of firing a shotgun.
ㅤ
ㅤ”B━……”
ㅤ
ㅤBearnov went flying.
ㅤThe invisible shockwave I released blew Bearnov away.
ㅤ
ㅤBearnov slams his back against the opposite wall and stops moving.
ㅤ
ㅤWhile enduring the fatigue running through my body, I dash towards Bearnov.
ㅤI thrust my sword into Bearnov’s neck.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahaha…… Is this okay?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Guh…… I, I give up.”
ㅤ
ㅤBearnov nodded with a regretful expression.
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ㅤ
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ㅤ”Careless of me. To think you were a magician.
ㅤYou made it look like you were cornered, but in reality, you lured me into a trap.
ㅤYou were aiming for the moment when I was certain of my finishing blow and let my guard down.”
ㅤ
ㅤ（No, you’re interpreting it too positively!）
ㅤ
ㅤI was definitely cornered. I moved exactly as Bearnov planned. It was just a coincidence that I won.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There aren’t many magicians who can unleash an Ether Bomb at that speed. You’re a first-class swordsman too, but to think your main profession is a magician…… You’re an unfathomable person.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-It’s not that much……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”And yet, with such skill, you don’t show a shred of arrogance.
ㅤEven in the previous battle, you acted as if you were pathetically cornered, ensuring your victory.
ㅤWhat kind of composure allows you to do such a thing? I can’t even imagine with my immature mind.”
ㅤ
ㅤSo, I really was cornered, you know.
ㅤAnd the “pathetic” part is unnecessary!
ㅤ
ㅤ”—Very well. I’ve had my life saved. I’ll guide you through the dungeon.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahaha. T-Thank you.”
ㅤ
ㅤThus, I ended up having Bearnov guide me through the dungeon.
ㅤ
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ㅤ（Even so……）
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ㅤWhat was that just now?
ㅤ
ㅤ（Bearnov called it an Ether Bomb, right?）
ㅤ
ㅤI kind of understand what I did.
ㅤI gathered and released the flow of Ether circulating within my body.
ㅤThat’s all.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Did the Grandmaster’s Blessing awaken during the battle because of my high aptitude for magic? Isn’t that a little too convenient?）
ㅤ
ㅤCoincidences always work against me.
ㅤThat’s what I’ve learned from my life experiences so far.
ㅤI don’t have such bad luck.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Is Difficulty Change also involved? Otherwise, it’s too lucky for me.）
ㅤ
ㅤI want to ask Bearnov about magic.
ㅤBut if I do, Bearnov’s “misunderstanding” will be cleared up.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I have no choice but to follow silently.）
ㅤ
ㅤI let out a small sigh as I followed Bearnov’s giant back.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ahaha, I’m not good at this kind of thing…… Lies like this will be exposed immediately if I tell them.）
ㅤ
ㅤBeing overestimated also makes me uneasy.
ㅤI’m used to being looked down upon, but I’m not used to being respected.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Bearnov, are your injuries alright?”
ㅤ
ㅤI suddenly thought of that and asked.
ㅤ
ㅤ(Even though I’m the one who did it.）
ㅤ
ㅤWorrying about injuries after slashing him myself is the height of hypocrisy.
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ㅤ”Don’t worry, this much will heal in half a day.”
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ㅤ”Eh, it heals that fast?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see, you humans don’t know.
ㅤAs long as monsters are inside the dungeon, they don’t get hungry and their injuries heal. Because Ether flows into them.”
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ㅤ”Humans?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t know the reasoning, but humans don’t seem to recover as much as monsters.
ㅤHowever, in order to maintain the Ether that makes up their bodies, monsters must kill humans and obtain their factors.”
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ㅤ”Hmm…… I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s neither good nor bad. It’s just the way it is.”
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ㅤ”What about monsters outside the dungeon?”
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ㅤ”Monsters can’t live long outside the dungeon. But if they mate with humans or beasts, their offspring can apparently live outside. The monsters outside are hybrids that have mixed with humans or beasts.”
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ㅤSo that’s how it works.
ㅤThis is a truly unpleasant world.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Can’t you go outside?”
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ㅤ”If I were as strong as I am, I could be active outside. Unlike inside the dungeon, I wouldn’t recover, and I would need to regularly take in human factors.”
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ㅤ”But why are you in the dungeon then?”
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ㅤ”Because I was born here. I have comrades here too. However, only a handful have accumulated enough power to communicate through words. I have to protect them so they don’t get preyed upon by cunning human adventurers.”
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ㅤHe’s quite a decent bear.
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ㅤThanks to Bearnov’s guidance, I easily passed through the maze zone I had heard rumors about.
ㅤI have a minimap, but its display range is limited, so Bearnov’s guidance was helpful.
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ㅤ”Ahead is the goblins’ den.”
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ㅤ”I’ve heard it’s a Monster House.”
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ㅤ”Indeed. It’s eerie. Monsters of the same species spawn endlessly.
ㅤThey can’t communicate. Perhaps it’s because they are distorted beings born by being infused with Ether, without going through the process of growing over time.
ㅤThat’s why it’s hard to know how they’ll move. Be very careful if you proceed. Not that I doubt your abilities.”
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ㅤYou can doubt them a little, you know.
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ㅤ”Understood. I’ll keep it in mind.”
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ㅤ”Good.
ㅤ……Oh, right. Human magician. Can you tell me your name before we part ways?”
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ㅤCome to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself.
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ㅤ”I’m Minato. Thank you for everything, Bearnov.”
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ㅤ”There’s no need for thanks.
ㅤThen, Minato. We may never meet again, but I’m proud to have fought you.”
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ㅤ”Ahaha, m-me too.”
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ㅤ（He’s thoroughly chivalrous.）
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ㅤThe moment when I was prepared to die in the battle with Bearnov came back to me, and I said goodbye to Bearnov with a strange nervousness.