After helping Lia, Rio left the area and headed toward the location where the protagonist was supposed to complete his hidden mission.
Yes , Fade obtained that fruit by finishing a hidden quest inside this dungeon. The mission triggers if you enter the desert zone. In the middle of that desert is a lake. A lake. In a desert.
'Yeah… plot hole. I'm not even surprised anymore.'
To get the fruit, you must reach the center of the lake, which is guarded by a D-rank monster. How did Fade succeed despite that? Simple. Stop thinking logically and start thinking like a cliché novel.
Some students arrived before him, got attacked by the monster, chaos broke out , and Fade slipped in, grabbed the fruit, and ran. The others chased him, got face-slapped, and the D-rank monster was left behind like unpaid background staff.
'Perfect. I'll test my sword on it.'
After fifteen minutes of running at full speed, Rio reached the location and hid behind a large stone, observing events unfold exactly as written in the novel. Fade fled with the fruit, students chased after him, and the snake-like monster remained behind.
It stood still for a few moments, staring in the direction the students had gone, but it didn't pursue.
'So it's true. D-rank and above monsters rarely leave their territory.'
Rio stepped out of hiding and approached the creature. The monster immediately became alert. Unlike lower-ranked beasts, it didn't rush in blindly , it sensed the aura of a D-rank opponent. Monsters were far more sensitive to aura than humans.
Rio didn't hesitate. His sword flashed.
A deep wound split open on the snake's head , but it didn't die.
'So pure strength isn't enough to one-shot a D-rank. Good to know. I need more training.'
Frightened, the snake tried to escape, but Rio's second slash severed its head before it could move more than an inch.
Without lingering, he left the area. Five minutes later, he found a rock, sat down, and began to meditate. The mana density inside dungeons was much higher than outside , perfect for training.
After some time, white light enveloped him and teleported him out of the dungeon.
Only a few students had returned compared to those who had entered.
"Good work, everyone," Ms. Anna announced. "Your kill counts have been recorded through your wrist devices. Results will be released in a few days. Injured students have been sent to the healer's office. You may leave."
'Good. I didn't expose my real strength. The wrist devices only track kills and vitals , not how the fights happen. Staying unnoticed is easy.'
Back in his room, Rio showered, changed clothes, and went to sleep.
The Next Morning
While training in the gravity room, Rio received an unexpected visitor.
Later, he found himself sitting in a small café across from Lia. She stared at him intensely while he calmly sipped his tea.
"What do you want in exchange for saving me?" she asked.
"Transfer money to my account," Rio replied evenly.
"Don't you want anything else?"
"If you're unsatisfied, you can transfer more."
"O‑Okay…"
She stood up and left. Rio continued drinking until the bill arrived.
'…She didn't pay for her tea.'
He left the café, walking back leisurely.
'Right. Lia's a tsundere type.'
Lia was the only daughter of an S-rank awakened, the guild master of Silver Shadow, the second-strongest guild in the world. Several S-rankers worked under her father. The strongest guild, of course, belonged to Link's SS-rank father.
'Silver Shadow wouldn't be a bad future option. I can stay there until I reach SS-rank myself. Better than getting tangled in Link's guild.'
Link would eventually die along with his guild at Fade's hands, just like in the novel. Letting Fade handle that villain would only help him grow stronger.
'But if Fade ever makes me his enemy… I won't mind destroying him , system included.'
In this world, there were no absolutes. With enough strength, anything was possible.
'Time to find the item that can block Fade's appraisal skill.'
'The second round of stealing the protagonist's chances begins.'