"A competition?"
Wienma seemed surprised that the other party would actually propose such a thing. After a brief pause, she smiled.
"How interesting. Very well—let's compete."
She agreed so quickly that Stella didn't even have time to stop her!
Why is no one stopping her?! I just want a simple dungeon run!
Stella turned to look at the others—only to find that almost everyone wore excited, this-is-going-to-be-fun expressions. Some even looked like bloodthirsty spectators eager for chaos.
I really overestimated my fellow elves' sense of decency.
From that moment on, she decided she would never again rely on this group to do anything sensible.
Roger, meanwhile, looked like he had just eaten something rotten. At that moment, his expression perfectly matched Stella's.
One of them had been dragged in by their mentor; the other just wanted a quiet exploration with maybe a bit of harmless scheming—yet both were now being forced onto this "battlefield" by their respective authority figures.
They didn't even have the right to object.
And those who did have the right?
Set wore a mysterious, confident smile, as if victory was already assured. Hades' face was hidden beneath a glintstone helm—but clearly, neither of them would oppose Tursey.
As for the elves—there was no need to say anything. The moment they saw something fun or chaotic, they lit up like kids at a festival.
Thinking about it… a competition would make the adventure more interesting, wouldn't it?
"Then let's set the match for two days from now—" Tursey began.
"No. If we're doing this, we do it now. Whoever delays is a goblin."
Wienma cut her off immediately.
How can you say something that childish?! Stella covered her mouth, barely holding back her complaint.
Tursey frowned.
She had wanted to delay the competition because their team's main damage dealer—the Sword Saint Gapar—was absent. He had something to deal with and wouldn't enter the dungeon until a day or two later.
Without him, their only melee fighters were Set and Roger—both more inclined toward fencing. While Tursey could smash people with a magic shield if necessary, her raw offensive power still couldn't match that of a proper warrior.
But still…
She gritted her teeth and glared at Wienma.
I refuse to be called a goblin.
This elf woman was too vicious—using "goblin" as a curse. Now there was no way she could back down.
"Fine. Today it is!"
Tursey straightened her back and declared, "If you lose, I'm turning you into a tentacle monster for a week."
"Then if you lose, I'll turn you into a chrysanthemum monster," Wienma replied with a pleasant smile—like a villain enjoying herself.
There was no need for rewards.
Knowing the punishment was enough.
Both sides were instantly fired up, their gazes snapping toward the enemies guarding the foot of the mountain.
A short while later, at the academy's main gate—
Wienma reached out and touched the magical barrier… only to be blocked.
Tursey immediately mocked her with a grin.
"What, don't tell me you don't know you need a key to enter the academy? Surely this isn't basic knowledge someone would miss… right? Right?"
At that moment, Stella silently took out two unused Academy Glintstone Keys.
She had anticipated this situation and gone out of her way to get them.
For those keys, she had been chased for ages by a Glintstone Dragon—her backside nearly roasted by its breath.
At the same time, Melga also pulled out a key.
"…"
The two elves exchanged a glance.
Stella expressionlessly gestured toward Tursey's group. Melga immediately understood, flashing a smug grin even more provocative than Tursey's.
"Oh my, we were just testing how sturdy the barrier is. Surely no one would think we forgot such an important item? Who would assume something like that? Unless… you've made that mistake before?"
On its own, the words weren't too harsh—
But paired with Melga's infuriating tone and expression, it made people want to grab her twin tails and throttle her.
Liznai would've been even better suited for this—but if she stepped in, the two groups might actually start fighting.
"Hmph!"
Tursey turned her head away, refusing to argue with "uncivilized forest bumpkins."
What annoyed her most was that no one on her team backed her up.
Hades stood there in thoughtful silence, fully committed to roleplaying a Raya Lucaria mage. Set waved a hand, as if to say noble etiquette prevented him from arguing.
She looked at Roger—
He shrank back.
You expect me, the junior, to jump into this verbal war? That's like asking a mushroom pig to fight a golden lion!
"So I'm the only one playing the mockery role here?"
Tursey clicked her tongue and stepped into the academy. The elves followed closely behind.
Perhaps sensing the strength of the intruders, the number of glintstone sorcerers gathered at the gate had increased. Even those wandering outside had returned.
They unleashed volleys of rapid glintstone projectiles—turning the battlefield into something resembling a meat grinder.
Tursey "stingily" cast protective barriers only for her own side.
Wienma did the same, raising hardened plant defenses for the elves.
Stella took out her greatbow, hiding behind the plants as she unleashed her skill—Arrow Rain.
Hades, meanwhile, demonstrated astonishing magical control, sniping enemies from afar.
In the end, both sides counted their kills.
A perfect tie.
"Hmph!" ×2
After clearing the enemies and ascending the steps, the academy gates slowly opened.
A grand, magnificent hall unfolded before them, filled with the scent of books and knowledge.
Looking at the vast interior, Stella felt a faint pain in her liver.
Enough… don't remind me of the suffering I went through here…
"Since this is a competition," Tursey said, "let's start with an appetizer. We'll take different routes on this floor—whoever defeats the final boss first wins this round."
"No problem at all," Wienma agreed immediately.
At that moment, Tursey secretly transmitted a message to her teammates:
[We take the left.]
[I bribed the leader, Luluwo. She told me the left side is much easier. The right side is full of complex puzzles.]
[As expected of you, brilliant lady,] Set praised.
Meanwhile, Stella whispered into Wienma's ear:
"We take the right. I got exclusive info from Luluwo—the right side only has simple puzzles, while the left is full of dangerous monsters. And I already know how to solve many of the puzzles."
"Well done. You've grown, Stella," Wienma said approvingly.
…What exactly did Luluwo tell both sides?
Almost simultaneously, Tursey and Wienma met each other's gaze and declared:
"We'll take the left!"
"We'll take the right!"
Tursey crossed her arms. "Good. Left and right—we truly are incompatible."
In truth, she had the least conflict with the elves among the professors—but pride demanded the statement.
"Heh. Then we'll be the flood that extinguishes your flames," Wienma smirked.
Privately, she thought the others were just meddling in her conflict with Set.
With that, both teams chose their routes. After exchanging a final round of trash talk, they set off down their respective paths.
Luluwo probably never imagined her words would lead to this outcome.
If she knew, she'd regret it—
Because everything she told both sides was true… just not the full picture.
And once one side realized the information didn't match reality, she'd be the one blamed for everything.
The ultimate scapegoat.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
The footsteps of both groups gradually faded.
If this were a game, it would definitely be a branching event—choosing one side would let you experience their story, while the other path would be cut off.
Lying back on his throne, Wade thought for a moment before switching the main viewpoint to the professors' side.
But he didn't want to miss the elves' adventure either—so he started recording it.
Children make choices.
Adults take everything.
Given the elves' personalities, their journey would definitely be entertaining—so he decided to save that for later, like eating the best part of a meal last.
The professors, on the other hand, leaned toward a more serious tone—but with Roger around, it couldn't stay serious for long.
One side was like work.
The other, like dessert after work.
Naturally, he chose to focus on "work" first.
Definitely not because he wanted to watch them suffer against monsters.
On the crystal sphere, the professors entered the left route—
…and then immediately ran back out.
The ground shook violently, chandeliers swaying wildly as something massive rolled after them.
A huge, round creature.
Its appearance was familiar—but its size was not.
[Great Warrior Jar]
Dozens of times larger than a normal one, though still smaller than the one in the colosseum.
Since the Sein Dungeon could mix and match monsters, adjusting size wasn't strange.
But watching something that huge spin like a tornado down a corridor?
It was even more outrageous than a rampaging wyvern.
This… was the "welcome gift" of the left route.
"Heh, knew they'd come running back."
Stella slowed down on purpose just to watch—and now she laughed in satisfaction.
The other elves joined in, their laughter finally making them feel like a harmonious group—for once, elves were united when it came to laughing at others.
Unfortunately…
Their laughter was a bit too loud.
Tursey locked onto them.
Then—without hesitation—
She ran straight toward them.
And right behind her—
The spinning Great Warrior Jar followed.
"You shameless coward!" Liznai screamed as she and the others turned and ran.
"If you've got guts, stop and fight!" Tursey shouted through amplification magic.
"Then why don't you stop?!"
"We admit we can't beat it—if you're so strong, you handle it!"
Stella shouted at the top of her lungs—
"BULLSHIT!"