20. 3 years ago (3)

Maxim kept looking at the entrance to the dungeon with his arms crossed.

The cadets, who had been organized into groups of two and entered the dungeon’s entrance with confident expressions, poured out of the dungeon in exhaustion. It didn’t seem like it would be as easy an attack as I thought.

“Are you nervous?”

In no time at all, the next turn was Maxim. Theodora was standing next to Maxim, warming up slowly. Her long platinum hair, tied back in a ponytail, fluttered with Theodora’s movements.

“I do not know. I don’t think I’m nervous.”

For some reason, Maxim felt uneasy, but he could not explain the feeling. It felt like a shady shadow was groping for my heart in a corner of my heart.

“Maybe it’s because I’m facing a dungeon, I don’t feel that good.”

Theodora stopped stretching for a moment, bent down and looked up at Maxim’s face. Seeing Maxim’s expression, Theodora asked worriedly.

“Maxi, are you okay? Should I tell the instructor if I feel unwell?”

Maxim itchy, he put his hand on his heart, which circulates blood and mana. However, I couldn’t feel the pulse through the breastplate that blocked flesh from flesh.

“…it’s okay. condition is no problem. And,”

Maxim tried to smile.

“It’s not possible to fight with a perfect posture all the time, right? Rather, when I think about when I go to work later, it may have been a good thing.”

“You have to loosen up enough. Also return mana steadily.”

When Theodora didn’t let go of her worried eyes, Maxim mischievously stroked her hair with her fingertips.

“Do not worry. I am confident that I will do well.”

At that time, two cadets trudged out from the entrance of the dungeon. The blade, which had been sharp when I entered, had died, and the glittering armor had become covered with scratches and lost its luster.

“You must have suffered a little.”

Maxim muttered as if it were someone else’s business. Theodora smiled softly after confirming that Maxim had returned to normal.

“ruler! Next, Maxime Appart and Theodora Benning. Enter!”

While listening to the instructor’s words, Theodora’s lips suddenly twitched. When Maxim looked at Theodora with a puzzled expression, Theodora moved her mouth and spoke in a low voice.

“Groom, bride, entry. Doesn’t that sound like it?”

Maxim managed to hold back the almost bursting out of his cough with just a twitching of his throat.

The inside of the dungeon looked like black pupils until I stepped into it. Maxim slowly stretched out his feet and passed through the entrance, only then did he see the dungeon’s internal structure.

“It’s a more organized place than I thought.”

Theodora entered behind Maxim and said, I thought of rough and uneven walls, but the walls of the dungeon were as smooth as the inner walls of a stone building.

“You can’t touch it carelessly. I don’t know what kind of trap there might be.”

“yes. Let’s be careful.”

Theodora and Maxime slowly advanced into the depths of the dungeon. Maxim was in the lead and Theodora was wary of the rear. Every time I took a step, I had to pay attention to all directions, including the bottom of my feet. Mental strength and physical strength were consumed much more.

rattle.

The feet of Maxim, who was moving forward, shook and fell. The sound of cutting the wind came from the darkness.

“Maxi!”

Theodora exclaimed sharply. Maxim, before she warned her, had already drawn his sword and was ready to intercept.

end of darkness.

In a flash, flesh flew aiming at Maxim and Theodora’s bodies. It was probably something that could feed a small ballista, and it was much bigger and heavier than anything attached to a bow.

Maxim raised his sword. Just as he felt the flow, Maxim moved his body and the tip of his sword cut through the air two or three times. The graceful and slow-looking swordsmanship was entangled in the flying arrows.

There was no sound. As Maxim lowered his sword, the remnants of the broken arrows fell down. Perhaps because it was a dungeon remodeled for testing purposes, the arrows were not properly pointed. Maxim brushed aside the remains of the arrow and turned his head to Theodora.

“I didn’t even have to draw my sword.”

Theodora said in a voice that was half sad and half happy. She, too, was ready to shoot down the incoming arrows, but there were no arrows flying at Theodora.

Maxim laughed and put the sword back into the scabbard.

“Shouldn’t you have left some?”

“No, to be honest, I was happy.”

A small smile spread across Theodora’s face.

“Let’s go. It’s the last test, but don’t be careless.”

The traps became increasingly sophisticated.

There are traps that suddenly sink into the floor, and there are also traps that suddenly rise from the floor. Something like a sticky liquid sometimes covered the floor. In the meantime, monsters like small pikes would appear from time to time and interfere with their path.

but it was fine Since it was the last final exam for the academy graduating class, the dungeons so far were too easy.

“So many monsters haven’t come out yet.”

After Theodora destroyed the skeleton soldier, she said in an uncomfortable tone. It wasn’t a dungeon of such difficulty that the other motives came out exhausted. Maxim also thought it was strange, but he did not reveal his suspicions.

“Wouldn’t it come out more if we went down a little further?”

The third step now. Quite a bit of time had passed since the beginning of the test. It’s not a very deep dungeon, so if you go down one or two floors, you should be able to reach the deepest part of the dungeon.

What caught Maxim’s eyes upon stepping into the 4th basement floor was a pupil that was too large to exist underground. At the end of a space as huge as a playground, there was a door leading down to the next level.

“At this point, I wonder what kind of trap they will unleash?”

Maxim’s words resonated in his pupils. Maxim and Theodora drew their swords at the same time at the sight that warned them to be careful.

“I must be careful with each step.”

“Should I hold your hand?”

“Focus, Maxi.”

At the lightly thrown joke, Theodora’s smirking returned. Maxim sighed and entered the space.

“Theodora, I’ll go first.”

“Yes, Maxi. Don’t forget that I’m behind you.”

Theodora puffed out her chest, telling her to believe in herself. Maxim shook his head with a smile and walked into the empty space.

Pushik.

A sound came from the corner of the room. Maxim could see the mist enveloping the space, as if it were unheated.

‘Fog? What are you going to do…’

Maxim gritted his teeth and looked back. There was nothing to show as his eyes were covered in fog. All he could see was his own body, and even that was obscured by fog. It would be fine to walk to the end, being careful as it is, but since you don’t know what will happen in the meantime, Maxim decides to call Theodora.

“Theo, I think we should stick closer…”

However, Theodora, who was supposed to be there, was nowhere to be seen.

“…Theo?”

The answer I was supposed to hear didn’t come.

—

Pushik.

It wasn’t until Maxim entered the space that the fog came out. Theodora stepped inside after him, flinched and stretched out her hand as the mist covered her eyes in an instant.

“Maxi?”

Maxim is gone. Maxim, who was walking well in front of him, was nowhere to be seen. Theodora took a step back and tried to wiggle her hands, but she couldn’t feel them touching her fingertips. He didn’t even hear a voice answering when he called.

“Maxi…?”

Theodora called Maxim once more. No answer came.

“Maxim!”

I raised my voice this time. But still no answer came. Theodora clicked her tongue and looked around. Nothing was seen or felt. It seemed to be a fog blocking the five senses. Theodora stopped in her seat to catch her breath.

Maxim will be safe. are you okay.

“Wake.”

Theodora forced her lips to bite. The soft flesh was torn, and drops of blood ooze out.

“Move, Theodora.”

If he just walked straight, he would be able to reach the exit in no time. Theodora took a hard step. But no matter how hard I tried to move my steps, I couldn’t completely shake the thought that crept into my head. The fact that Maxim was gone, that she couldn’t see her now, began to eat away at Theodora.

Where is the maxim?

There were no more thoughts of traps in Theodora’s mind. My steps got faster and faster. The only thing that stuck in my head was the fact that Maxim had suddenly disappeared.

Maxim, Maxim, Maxim.

Theodora walked like a corpse, not knowing that she was muttering that.

don’t leave

Something I would never normally say came out.

Where are you? Maxim. don’t joke

Theodora’s sword made a sweeping, gurgling sound as it hit the ground. Theodora walked incessantly hoping to reach the edge of the fog. I didn’t have time to think about whether I was going the right way or if I was just going round and round in the same place.

“Maxim…”

A weak voice came out of Theodora’s mouth. The hand was half outstretched.

Then, her body was suddenly pulled forward.

The fog was no longer visible. Theodora blinked her unfocused eyes and looked up at Maxim, who tugged at her hand.

—

After much struggle, Maxim reached the exit through the fog. Beyond the fog, it was blocked so that even the slightest sign could not be felt. However, Maxim desperately stretched out his hand toward Theodora, who was approaching through the fog. And, with the conviction that he had caught Theodora, he pulled her out of the mist with force.

“…Makshi?”

“Theo, are you okay?”

Theodora’s eyes went blank. Maxim hugged her weak body and stood up. Theodora struggled to balance and shook her head from side to side. His breath was cold, and his face was pale. The hand holding the sword was shaking lightly.

“yes. it’s okay.”

Maxim narrowed his brow slightly. They say it’s okay, but Theodora was never okay right now.

“Let’s rest for a bit. Right in front is the last, so there is still time.”

Maxim said as he wrapped his hands around Theodora’s shoulders, but Theodora shook her head.

“No, Maxi. I can’t delay any longer because of me.”

Theodora grabbed the sword in her right hand. The tremors had somewhat stopped.

“Let’s go in, Maxim. I can finish it soon.”

Seeing Theodora’s determined expression, Maxim nodded.

I had a feeling that the spiral staircase in the dungeon was also over. Maxim swallowed dry saliva at the dreary touch that gradually hit his cheek.

“Your presence is unusual.”

“Okay, I need to be prepared.”

The end of the spiral was visible. Unlike the end of the dungeon, which had been gloomy and poorly lit, the room in front of Theodora and Maxim could be seen very brightly. Theodora deliberately volunteered to be in front of Maxim and entered the room.

“There he is.”

Maxim could see the center of the room, the opponent they had to fight against, the Guardian.

that stood tall.

Protecting the core, the core of the dungeon, quietly as if she had fallen asleep, she held Theodora’s tall sword with the tip downwards and held the hilt with both hands. A pair of red eyes flashed inside the black armor, but it seemed that no one was inside the armor.

Guardians, also known as Living Armor, were monsters created by wizards. Living Armor released his hands and held the greatsword in a posture that could be said to be a model for a knight.

“I’ll go first.”

“any amount.”

Long words were not necessary. Theodora immediately charged into the Living Armor. Maxim ran after her, brandishing his sword.

bang!

Theodora gritted her teeth at the shock of the collision that was transmitted intact. Theodora did not deliberately generate an aura. The last room of the dungeon was not a good environment to freely wield the aura. The underground space vibrated simply with a sword attack that did not generate an aura.

side.

Maxim tried to break the balance of the armor by digging into gaps. Living Armor responds to the attack by swinging the sword wide. The sword wind from the giant sword pushed Maxim and Theodora away.

“How can I defeat that…!”

Theodora straightened her sword. I only split the sword attack for a while, but the aftermath was still lingering on my hands and wrists.

“I don’t think we can defeat him without using an aura… We have to make a gap.”

At that time, Maxim had the illusion that the living armor’s eyes seemed to flash in an instant. The moment he was about to shout something, the Living Armor had already fired a new weapon like a cannonball and struck Theodora with a single sword.

“what…”

Theodora shouted, barely fending off the attack. Living Armor’s attacks did not stop there. The sword of the Living Armor, which exuded ferocious force, continued to slash at Theodora. As if Maxim wasn’t even in sight, the Living Armor relentlessly attacked Theodora.

“suddenly…!”

Theodora temporarily cast an aura on her sword and deflected her living armor. As it staggered back, Maxim’s sword, which gathered golden auras, rushed swiftly.

The Living Armor did not back down after seeing the Aura, but instead fought back. The black giant sword and the golden longsword collided in the air, scattering shockwaves in all directions. The Living Armor suppressed Maxim with force and let out a scream.

“Where… to go!”

Maxim raised his momentum and countered. However, in terms of pure strength, Living Armor surpassed Maxim. Maxim was pushed back little by little, and the Living Armor pierced the gap and blew Maxim away.

■■■■■–!!

The living armor’s incomprehensible scream shook the room. Maxim struggled to get up and watched the battle between Theodora and Living Armor. Theodora, who did not use the aura, was maintaining a good relationship with the living armor, albeit with difficulty. The problem was, Living Armor’s attacks were getting faster and sharper.

Maxim tried to disrupt Living Armor’s attacks without disturbing Theodora’s flow, but every time he did, the Living Armor responded to Maxim’s movements promptly.

‘If only he had attacked me like that.’

Maxim clicked his tongue. Theodora’s pure swordsmanship skills were very good, but there was a part that was lacking compared to Maxim. If he had attacked himself like that, he wouldn’t have been such a difficult opponent to attack.

It was absolutely not a monster that could be used in the test. This fact was certain.

Theodora was in danger if she continued.

Maxim stopped moving to call the instructor and jumped into the workshop again. Living Armor tried to kick Maxim, who was aiming at the blind spot, but Maxim avoided the flying foot. Maxim pushed Theodora from behind and blocked the Living Armor’s attack.

“I’ll do anything to stop it, so cut this rotten armor in pieces…!”

Theodora nodded and left the battlefield. Maxim blocked Living Armor from pursuing Theodora. The Living Armor screamed as if it was nervous and started swinging the giant sword at Maxim at an unbelievable speed.

Maxim’s mood improved.

I’m just holding on, so why do I need to force myself into a fight?

Maxim let go while receiving the living armor’s sword attack. The Living Armor spits out a vicious scream. Right again. Maxim let go of the Living Armor sword. Finally, Living Armor turned its attention from Theodora to Maxim, as if he had decided to kill Maxim first.

The sword of the Living Armor rose high. A platinum aura blade appeared behind it, and at the same time as the living armor’s sword plunged downward, Theodora’s sword split the living armor into two.

“done…! Maxi. I knocked him down!”

Theodora ran to Maxim with a bright expression on her face. Maxim seemed to be sitting on the floor as if it was difficult to deal with the armor.

“Maxi?”

“Ah, good job, Theodora.”

Maxim smiled and greeted Theodora. The left hand, not holding the sword, was wrapped around the chest and abdomen, and blood was oozing from it, soaking the armor and the floor.

blood.

Seeing Maxim’s blood, Theodora leaned over to Maxim, her face white.

“it’s okay. You get hurt like this a lot.”

Maxim laughed and bluffed. It was fortunate that he was wearing plate armor. It offset the sword attack to some extent, so it didn’t spread to a fatal wound.

But Theodora’s eyes couldn’t take the sight straight away.

Before the battle with the guardian, her mind was already disturbed in the fog. Theodora calmed Maxim down and rummaged frantically in his arms. Theodora’s cry to not leave her behind lingered in her head.

“Theodora, it’s okay. I can get out if I just stop the bleeding and get some help…”

Theodora, as if unable to hear Maxim, removed his armor and took out a glass bottle.

It was a glass bottle filled with a blood-red liquid.

“Theo, isn’t that… a potion? Where did you get it…? By the way, you’re not going to use it right now, are you?”

The fact that she had the potion was surprising, but the fact that she was trying to use the potion on Maxim right now was even more surprising.

“Theodora, I’m fine…”

“Noisy, Maxim. It’s because I hate myself.”

Theodora looked at Maxim’s open wound and distorted her expression. Regardless of the severity of the wound, Maxim was bleeding like that. She opened the potion without hesitation. The sweet smell of the potion slowly spread through the underground space.

“Theo…”

“shut up. Don’t talk like you’re using potions now or not.”

Maxim couldn’t say anything more at Theodora’s weeping voice. Theodora tore off Maxim’s jacket, secured the wound properly, and started pouring the potion.

“Ugh…!”

He frowned at the burning pain. In fact, smoke was rising little by little from the part where the potion and the wound were in contact. Theodora continued pouring the potion generously on the wound,

The wound began to heal at an ominous rate.