This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 60

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Chapter 60

As I sipped on the recovery potion that Pia handed me, I attentively observed the unfolding scenes on the screen in front of me.

“They seem to be doing better than I thought.”

“Yes, indeed. The expected dropout rate is only around 70%.”

“Is Team 3 the current leader?”

“Teams 3, 4, and 5 are neck and neck. We’ll see who comes out on top when they inevitably face each other.”

“I see.”

“By the way, you must be feeling proud. Everyone is different from the beginning of the semester.”

“They still have a long way to go.”

This place was the control room inside the dungeon.

It was a location where we could monitor every nook and cranny of the dungeon in real-time through screens connected to the video recording and editing system.

As I organised feedback to convey to the kids, I nodded with satisfaction.

‘They are gradually getting the basics.’

The significance of this practical training was twofold.

First, it involved having the kids engage in party play in an environment similar to a real dungeon.

In ordinary battles, showcasing my skills is far too easy—defined enemies, designated formations, and assigned roles.

It’s the perfect environment to apply the skills I’ve honed one by one.

But a dungeon is different.

‘A dungeon itself can be considered a living organism.’

Dungeons have a clear malicious intent to capture and devour humans.

Tentacles or claws unexpectedly protruding from the walls are just the basics.

The ground can collapse for dozens of meters beneath your feet.

And that’s not all.

Not to mention, acid raining from above, and toxic gases spraying from all directions.

Various malicious traps are abundant.

That’s why we prepared ‘Beast’s Lair’ to be as similar as possible.

‘At least they seem to have developed a sense of caution about traps.’

“Hey, what’s that popping out! It could be a trap, shoot it with arrows just in case!”

“Take it slow! Detection isn’t finished yet, what if you rush and something happens!”

“There are human footprints here. Hasn’t another team passed through already? We can speed up a bit.”

It seemed that everyone had become more cautious.

A positive development.

If they don’t forget what they’ve learned today, they’ll show a much better performance in the next practical session.

And the second goal was to stimulate ‘competitive spirit’.

That goal was also well received.

“Those two are far beyond the level of ordinary students.”

“It’s talent.”

In the video, we looked beyond the slowly settling dust.

There was only one standing on two feet.

The faint green light, as if another defense artifact had been activated, sparkled through the dust.

“Anyway, it’s surprising.”

“What is it? The winner?”

“Well… in various ways?”

I nodded in agreement.

Then I pointed to one of the many doors in the control room.

It was the door connected to the midpoint of the fight between Cuculli and Leciel.

“So, our bear enthusiast will bring the eliminated ones here.”

“…Ugh, I told you not to tease me.”

Thunk!

The door closed, and the desperate footsteps faded away.

‘A bear enthusiast…’

When creating a dungeon through the Dungeon Stone, the structure and facilities reflect the creator’s personality.

‘…I wonder what’s on their mind normally?’

* * *

‘…Isn’t it cute?’

At the end of the narrow corridor, an uneven floor made of worn tiles appeared, bearing the traces of the intense battle.

Pia cautiously navigated through, searching for the ‘eliminated ones.’

‘Found them!’

She soon discovered a silhouette, sitting in a daze, gazing up at the ceiling.

‘She must be quite disappointed…’

The battle was fierce, and the skill level was high.

The massive iceberg that had fallen to the ground.

When Leciel shattered parts of it, she levitated them into the air, using them as footholds.

It was truly an unconventional method.

Facing multidimensional attacks that traversed through the air, Leciel could only be perplexed.

But that wasn’t all.

Cuculli reprocessed the shattered ice into arrow-shaped projectiles, and when her mana depleted, she engaged in close combat using her robust body.

Kicking, stabbing with horns, biting.

It was a tense fight that made even the spectators sweat.

‘I wonder how disappointing it must be to fight so hard and still lose.’

Pia, with a worried expression, tapped her on the shoulder.

“…Are you okay?”

“Ugh!”

The silhouette that had been sitting collapsed to the ground.

Blue hair spread out like a broom.

In that face surrounded by the refreshing colour, there was not a hint of shadow.

Cuculli, who chuckled, stretched her arms and legs here and there.

“I lost, but next time, I’ll definitely win!”

Pia, almost involuntarily, burst into laughter.

She was indeed an unusual child.

“Thank you for your hard work, Cuculli.”

“Hehe.”

“Can you get up? Those who fell midway should head to the assembly point first.”

“Of course!”

Cuculli grabbed Pia’s hand and hugged her tightly.

Despite being the mastermind behind this immense destruction, she felt surprisingly light.

Supporting the limping Cuculli, Pia headed towards the corridor.

It was then that Cuculli whispered something secretly.

“By the way, Instructor. Do you know who made this dungeon? They seem like a really peculiar person….”

“……”

* * *

Lucas contemplated.

Since when?

Since when did he start disliking him?

Probably from the first time they met.

They were similar, no they were too similar.

The same age.

The same gender.

Even the commonality of being heirs of prestigious families.

But their talents were different.

The entrance ceremony at the Elementary Academy.

On that day when all praises were showered on the guy who displayed genius swordsmanship with a foolish face for the first time in his life, young Lucas learned the emotions of envy and jealousy.

And he realized the fact that those words would relentlessly haunt him in the future.

‘I would be the best.’

It had certainly felt that way.

When looking at that guy, the sword in his hand seemed to grow heavier.

Even the swordsmanship that the Gasols praised…

‘It’s just garbage.’

He instinctively knew.

No matter how hard he tried for the rest of his life, he couldn’t wield a sword like that.

It was the moment he first realized that he wasn’t the protagonist of this world.

That fact was too horrifying.

So he welcomed it.

The “Nubes Salon Incident” that ruined half of his colleague’s life.

The disgraceful sight of him sinking without overcoming his trauma.

It was satisfying to see him, who received love for his sword only to tremble when holding the hilt.

When he withdrew from the secondary academy, curled up like a loser, he thought he would never have to face him again as a fellow swordsman.

…Eternal victory.

That’s how everything returned to normal.

For the past few years, Lucas had been the most highly regarded swordsman among the nobles.

Lucas believed that this sweet reputation would continue in the future without a doubt.

Hwoong!

‘But why…?’

Why?

Lucas’s teeth grinded.

Squelch!

Even now.

Whoom!

It seemed unreachable.

Observing the sword cutting through the air, he couldn’t help but harbour such a question.

“Ugh! This bastard!”

Lucas swung his sword with all his might.

His wrist and fingers flexed freely, creating countless variations.

The essence of Wellington Swordsmanship was to mix a decisive blow amidst a downpour of sword shadows.

No one could easily grasp the reality within the pouring sword shadows.

However…

“…”

The movements of the boy avoiding the sword strikes were simple.

His expression remained calm.

Seemingly focused, he bit down on his lips, but that was it.

The black scabbard of the sword didn’t even leave its sheath.

“Phew….”

Ban took a measured breath as he distanced himself.

Lucas’s poisonous gaze followed him.

Once, the malicious gaze used to send shivers down his spine whenever they made eye contact.

But now, his heart wasn’t shaken by it.

Heavy responsibility rested on his shoulders.

‘I have to endure more.’

The situation was like this.

At the final stages of the dungeon, Ban’s team had overcome numerous traps and guardians, and now, they were on the verge of reaching their destination, the heart of the dungeon.

However, the passage leading to the core, where the dungeon stone was located, turned out to be surprisingly narrow.

‘They say you meet the enemy at the single tree bridge.’

Due to frequent battles, only two members of his group remained, him and Evergreen.

Meanwhile, the third team, consisting of Lucas and Luke, emerged from a different passage, surprisingly maintaining their full five-member strength without any casualties.

Hence, the decision was swift.

“Evergreen, run! Quickly!”

“Yeah, be careful, Ban!”

Evergreen received the explosive artifact and leaped into the passage.

The third team immediately pursued, but Ban blocked their way.

Of course, Ban couldn’t stop all five members.

Luke and two others chased after Evergreen, leaving Lucas and one more to confront Ban.

“Try not to interfere, will you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I’ll personally eliminate that guy. Just watch.”

It was at that moment Lucas let his pride get the better of him.

“He’s not going to interfere. He will just watch us.”

….What a relief.

“Lucas is strong.”

Among the top students, he was considered to have upper-tier skills.

However, Ban felt confident that facing only Lucas, he could endure without drawing his sword.

‘It’s familiar.’

Ban had seen this swordsmanship a lot during his time in elementary and middle academies.

‘I’m used to it.’

To be precise, he had experienced this swordsmanship a lot.

Since the time when Ban couldn’t properly wield his sword, Lucas had enthusiastically challenged him to duels, reveling in the excitement of sparring.

Naturally, Ban endured the duels, unable to retaliate.

However, Ban’s genius had memorized Lucas’s sword movements even as he was being pummeled.

In reality, Ban couldn’t confront Lucas when he swung his sword, but in his mind, he could.

Despite being knocked down, Ban remembered every trace of Lucas’s attacks.

Subconsciously, interpretations followed, and a solution dawned upon him.

To Ban, it didn’t seem absurd—it was his “innate talent” since birth.

“Uaaaah!”

Thus, Lucas’s sword never touched Ban.

It couldn’t.

“…”

“This, this! You son of a b****!”

Lucas was furious, cursing and forgetting his noble pride.

Just then, a sudden thud echoed, and both of them froze, staring at the opposite passage.

‘What’s this? Another team? What if someone sees us like this?’

‘There’s only one set of footsteps. I don’t know who it is, but it might work in my favor. If I run and join Evergreen amidst the chaos…’

They soon identified the silhouette.

“…Leciel?”

But something was different.

Dishevelled red hair.

Eyes stripped of the indifference that had always surrounded them like armor.

Instinctively, Ban distanced himself.

“Step aside.”

The transformation served as both a warning and an event in itself.

*Clank!*

The ordinary-sized sword turned into a massive greatsword, radiating a fiery blade.

A swift motion brightened the once-dark surroundings, causing shadows to tremble.

The overwhelming presence alone was enough to make one lose composure.

However, fortunately, the sword did not swing.

With a flash, the entire dungeon was illuminated.

[The control room announces the end of the exercise. The dungeon stone has been destroyed. Students, please follow the arrows on the wall and move to the meeting area. Let me inform you once again, the dungeon stone… .]

Ban and Evergreen, along with Lucas and the members of Team 3, stood frozen.

A common question echoed in their minds.

…Which team won?

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